bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Difficult Path to Correct Diagnosis of Hepatolithiasis: A Case Report
Authors: Mikolajčík Peter , Ferko Alexander , Demeter Michal , Vorčák Martin , Laca Ľudovít
Published: July 2021

Hepatolithiasis is a benign disease, where stones are localized proximal to the confluence of hepatic ducts. The clinical picture may differ depending on whether the stones cause complete, partial, or intermittent biliary obstruction. The course can vary from asymptomatic to fatal, thus, early diagnosis and treatment is critical for a good prognosis. The gold standard in imaging is magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). However, correct diagnosis can be challenging due to atypical clinical picture and laboratory findings. We present a case where hepatolithiasis was misdiagnosed initially due to incomplete reporting and documentation of MRCP. Choledocholithiasis was diagnosed based on initial MRCP, and endoscopic stone extraction was indicated. However, an unusual post-interventional course and signs of obstructive cholangitis led to an endoscopic re-intervention, which confirmed absence of pathology in extrahepatic biliary ducts. The cholangitis recurrence required intensive antibiotic treatment, and CT examination revealed intrahepatic S3 bile duct dilatation. Thus, a re-evaluation of initial MRCP and repeated MRCP confirmed hepatolithiasis. Further, laparoscopic bisegmentectomy was chosen as the definitive treatment due to the location of the lesion. The patient recovered and remained symptom free upon a 12 month follow up.
Heart-type fatty acid binding protein is related to severity and established cardiac biomarkers of heart failure
Authors: Gruson Damien , Adamantidou Christina , Ahn Sylvie A. , Rousseau Michel F.
Published: July 2021

Objectives

To determine concentrations of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (HFABP) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and its potential value for prognostic assessment.

Methods

Circulating levels of HFABP were measured with an automated chemiluminescent immunoassay in 25 healthy volunteers and 60 HFrEF patients.

Results

Concentrations of HFABP were significantly increased in heart failure patients in comparison to healthy volunteers. HFABP levels were significantly correlated to New York Heart Association classes and to established biomarkers of cardiac dysfunction and remodeling (amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP], fibroblast growth factor 23, and galectin-3). HFABP concentrations were also predictive of cardiovascular (CV) death and combination with NT-proBNP might be synergistic for risk assessment.

Conclusions

HFABP levels are increased in HFrEF patients, related to adverse CV outcomes, and might assist physicians for patient’s management.
Existence and Uniqueness of Multi-Bump Solutions for Nonlinear Schrödinger–Poisson Systems
Authors: Yu Mingzhu , Chen Haibo
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we study the following Schrödinger–Poisson equations:

{

-

ε
2

⁢
Δ
⁢
u

+

V
⁢

(
x
)

⁢
u

+

K
⁢

(
x
)

⁢
ϕ
⁢
u

=

|
u
|

p
-
2

⁢
u

,

x

∈

ℝ
3

,

-

ε
2

⁢
Δ
⁢
ϕ

=

K
⁢

(
x
)

⁢

u
2

,

x

∈

ℝ
3

,

\left\{\begin{aligned} &\displaystyle{-}\varepsilon^{2}\Delta u+V(x)u+K(x)\phi u% =\lvert u\rvert^{p-2}u,&\hskip 10.0ptx&\displaystyle\in\mathbb{R}^{3},\\ &\displaystyle{-}\varepsilon^{2}\Delta\phi=K(x)u^{2},&\hskip 10.0ptx&% \displaystyle\in\mathbb{R}^{3},\end{aligned}\right.

where

p
∈

(
4
,
6
)

{p\in(4,6)}

,

ε
>
0

{\varepsilon>0}

is a parameter, and V and K are nonnegative potential functions which satisfy the critical frequency conditions in the sense that

inf

ℝ
3

⁡
V

=

inf

ℝ
3

⁡
K

=
0

{\inf_{\mathbb{R}^{3}}V=\inf_{\mathbb{R}^{3}}K=0}

. By using a penalization method, we show the existence of multi-bump solutions for the above problem, with several local maximum points whose corresponding values are of different scales with respect to

ε
→
0

{\varepsilon\rightarrow 0}

. Moreover, under suitable local assumptions on V and K, we prove the uniqueness of multi-bump solutions concentrating around zero points of V and K via the local Pohozaev identity.
Could metabolomics drive the fate of COVID-19 pandemic? A narrative review on lights and shadows
Authors: Mussap Michele , Fanos Vassilios
Published: July 2021

Human Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection activates a complex interaction host/virus, leading to the reprogramming of the host metabolism aimed at the energy supply for viral replication. Alterations of the host metabolic homeostasis strongly influence the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, forming the basis of a wide range of outcomes, from the asymptomatic infection to the onset of COVID-19 and up to life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome, vascular dysfunction, multiple organ failure, and death. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms associated with the individual susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection calls for a system biology approach; this strategy can address multiple goals, including which patients will respond effectively to the therapeutic treatment. The power of metabolomics lies in the ability to recognize endogenous and exogenous metabolites within a biological sample, measuring their concentration, and identifying perturbations of biochemical pathways associated with qualitative and quantitative metabolic changes. Over the last year, a limited number of metabolomics- and lipidomics-based clinical studies in COVID-19 patients have been published and are discussed in this review. Remarkable alterations in the lipid and amino acid metabolism depict the molecular phenotype of subjects infected by SARS-CoV-2; notably, structural and functional data on the lipids-virus interaction may open new perspectives on targeted therapeutic interventions. Several limitations affect most metabolomics-based studies, slowing the routine application of metabolomics. However, moving metabolomics from bench to bedside cannot imply the mere determination of a given metabolite panel; rather, slotting metabolomics into clinical practice requires the conversion of metabolic patient-specific data into actionable clinical applications.
Performance evaluation of an automated SARS-CoV-2 Ag test for the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection on nasopharyngeal swabs
Authors: Hartard Cédric , Berger Sibel , Josse Thomas , Schvoerer Evelyne , Jeulin Hélène
Published: July 2021

Objectives

The detection of SARS-CoV-2 in infected people is a key tool to help in controlling COVID-19 pandemic. Like rapid antigenic tests, automated antigen tests, that present the advantage of a higher throughput flow, may be of interest. The LIAISON® SARS-CoV-2 Ag test was evaluated for the quantification of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen in nasopharyngeal swabs by comparison to RT-PCR.

Methods

The study involved 378 nasopharyngeal samples (UTM® and FLOQSwab™, Copan Diagnostics), including 46 swabs positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. These samples came from asymptomatic (n=99, 26.2%) or symptomatic people (n=279, 73.8%), at different times from symptom onset. The samples were analyzed on LIAISON® XL.

Results

The overall specificity was 99.4% (CI95% [98.6–100]). The negative predictive value reached 100% in asymptomatic people. Among the 46 positive samples, the overall sensitivity was 84.8% (CI95% [74.4–95.2]), reached 91.9% (CI95% [83.1–100]) in the first fourth days after symptoms onset and was 100% for Cq values ≤25. Antigen was not detected in samples with Cq values >25. Similar results were observed on nasopharyngeal swabs coming from patients infected with the 20I/501Y.V1 variant or the 20H/501Y.V2 variant.

Conclusions

According to technical performances, the LIAISON® SARS-CoV-2 Ag test may be a useful tool for COVID-19 diagnosis, especially during the first four days of symptoms.
Assessing the Trump Presidency on Its Own Terms
Authors: Dominguez Casey
Published: July 2021

Some scholars have judged the Trump presidency to be an ineffective failure by applying theories of presidential power derived from the research of Richard Neustadt, who emphasized the need for presidents to master the task of bargaining with other stakeholders in the American political system to overcome what he saw as the limited potency of unilateral action. Such an approach, however, fails to account for two important considerations: (1) whether Trump’s goals in office were similar to those of other presidents, and (2) whether the Trump presidency was instead organized around the principles of unitary executive theory, an increasingly popular conception of the presidency in conservative intellectual circles. Viewing the Trump presidency through this alternative lens emphasizes its successes in gaining political control over elements of the executive branch bureaucracy and resisting institutional checks by Congress, raising serious questions about whether Trump was indeed often effective in realizing his goals—and whether future presidents will follow in the same path.
Trump’s Immigration Legacy
Authors: Hamlin Rebecca
Published: July 2021

From the moment that he first announced his presidential candidacy until his final days in office, Donald Trump’s signature personal political cause was the restriction of immigration. Media coverage and public debate often focused on Trump’s rhetorical invocation of this issue and emphasized his opposition to undocumented immigration in particular, as symbolized by his famous proposal to build a wall across the southern border of the United States. But while the wall itself was not completed, the Trump administration worked aggressively through the federal bureaucracy to reduce all forms of immigration. The Trump administration’s record on immigration should therefore be understood as extending far beyond charged presidential rhetoric and sporadic wall-building efforts, leaving a much more consequential substantive legacy in American immigration policy that will not be quickly or easily reversed by future presidents.
The Trump Era Legacy of Partisanism
Authors: Pope Jeremy C.
Published: July 2021

What did Trump’s four years do to our mass politics? Partisanism—a blind, often unyielding loyalty to one’s own party—has come to define much of our political discourse, very much to the detriment of the American polity. Both the literature and the data on party evaluations confirm that people are behaving in ways that display not just consistent polarization but a deeper level of partisan bias, despite their lack of ideological consistency. Political science should respond to these developments with increased focus on the negative aspects of partisanship that can lead to this form of partisanism so dangerously exhibited in the Capitol riot, among other events, as well as a thoughtful classroom critique of these habits.
Sorption behavior and swelling of citric acid and sorbitol (SorCA) treated wood
Authors: Kurkowiak Katarzyna , Emmerich Lukas , Militz Holger
Published: July 2021

Citric acid together with sorbitol (SorCA) have been used to modify wood and improve its properties, such as dimensional stability and biological durability, which partly result from its swelling and sorption behavior. However, the underlying mechanism of water interaction with SorCA-treated wood is very complex and not fully understood. Previous research confirmed cell wall bulking and suggested cross-linking, however the extent of their contribution to moisture-induced changes has not been researched. This study investigated the effect of SorCA treatment on sorption properties of wood in the hygroscopic range (0–95% RH). Scots pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris L.) was chemically modified with an aqueous SorCA solution at different treatment levels and measured by dynamic vapor sorption (DVS). The observed permanent increase in oven-dry dimensions did not result in a decreased swelling compared to untreated specimens. It was ascribed to the excessive expansion of cell wall matrix caused by a degradation of cell wall constituents by the acidic impregnation solution. However, a reduction in moisture content in comparison to untreated reference was detected. Present findings suggest that the SorCA polyester structure is altered after impregnation inside the wood and affects its sorption behavior by covalent bonding and, presumably, cross-linking with wood polymer constituents.
Rapid metabolic and bioenergetic adaptations of astrocytes under hyperammonemia – a novel perspective on hepatic encephalopathy
Authors: Zimmermann Marcel , Reichert Andreas S.
Published: July 2021

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a well-studied, neurological syndrome caused by liver dysfunctions. Ammonia, the major toxin during HE pathogenesis, impairs many cellular processes within astrocytes. Yet, the molecular mechanisms causing HE are not fully understood. Here we will recapitulate possible underlying mechanisms with a clear focus on studies revealing a link between altered energy metabolism and HE in cellular models and in vivo. The role of the mitochondrial glutamate dehydrogenase and its role in metabolic rewiring of the TCA cycle will be discussed. We propose an updated model of ammonia-induced toxicity that may also be exploited for therapeutic strategies in the future.
Comparative study of catalytic conversion of glycerol, a by-product of transesterification, to cyclic hydrocarbons using MCM-22, ZSM-5 and alumina
Authors: Kumar Sandeep , Kumar Dinesh , Anand Neeru , Shah Vinay
Published: July 2021

Recently chemical consumption has increased due to the growth of human population and industrialization. Depleting fuel reserves and increase in chemicals rise has led and researcher to focus on alternative bio based chemicals. Glycerol which is produced as a major byproduct from the trans-esterification reaction of fatty acids for producing biodiesel has been used in this work for conversion to value added products. Conversion of glycerol in presence of alumina, MCM-22 (pure silica based mesoporous catalyst) and ZSM-5 (Si-Al based catalyst) is investigated at different temperature and catalyst weight in a fixed bed reactor. The conversion of glycerol was found to be maximum in presence of alumina whereas maximum liquid products were obtained with ZSM-5. GC/MS analysis confirmed the production of Furan compounds in higher fraction with both alumina as well as ZSM-5 showing the importance of acid sites for the glycerol conversion to higher hydrocarbons. The GC/MS analysis of liquid product obtained in presence of catalyst was also observed with high area% of unconverted glycerol. The order is as follow 54% (MCM-22) > 44% (ZSM-5) > 42.2% (Alumina). For the investigation of the conversion for varying catalyst weight (0–3 g with 0.5 g weight difference), reaction temperature were varied between 450 and 550 °C. Different values of n = 0, 1, 2 etc. were used for the fitting of the respective plot. A change in reaction rate and the rate constant indicated that with the change of temperature, reaction rate was increased. The rate constant value obtained between 0.09 and 0.12 h−1. In all cases 450 °C and catalyst weight of 2.5 g was obtained as optimum for higher liquid yield. TGA analysis of spent catalyst also showed that alumina give high yield (∼50% by weight) of coke as compared to ZSM-5 and MCM-22.
Near-infrared fluorescent imaging techniques for the detection and preservation of parathyroid glands during endocrine surgery
Authors: Demarchi Marco Stefano , Karenovics Wolfram , Bédat Benoît , Triponez Frédéric
Published: July 2021

Objectives

In over 30% of all thyroid surgeries, complications arise from transient and definitive hypoparathyroidism, underscoring the need for real-time identification and preservation of parathyroid glands (PGs). Here, we evaluate the promising intraoperative optical technologies available for the identification, preservation, and functional assessment of PGs to enhance endocrine surgery.

Methods

We performed a review of the literature to identify published studies on fluorescence imaging in thyroid and parathyroid surgery.

Results

Fluorescence imaging is a well-demonstrated approach for both in vivo and in vitro localization of specific cells or tissues, and is gaining popularity as a technique to detect PGs during endocrine surgery. Autofluorescence (AF) imaging and indocyanine green (ICG) angiography are two emerging optical techniques to improve outcomes in thyroid and parathyroid surgeries. Near-infrared-guided technology has significantly contributed to the localization of PGs, through the detection of glandular AF. Perfusion through the PGs can be visualized with ICG, which can also reveal the blood supply after dissection.

Conclusions

Near infrared AF and ICG angiography, providing a valuable spatial and anatomical information, can decrease the incidence of complications in thyroid surgery.
Effectiveness of Auctions in Securing Price Support for Farmers: The Case of a Grain Market in India
Authors: Gupta Neha
Published: July 2021

This paper reviews rice procurement operations of Government of India from the standpoints of cost of procurement as well as effectiveness in supporting farmers’ incomes. The two channels in use for procuring rice till 2015, were custom milling of rice and levy. In the first, the government bought paddy directly from farmers at the minimum support price (MSP) and got it milled from private millers; while in the second, it purchased rice from private millers at a pre-announced levy price thus providing indirect price support to farmers. Secondary data reveal that levy, despite implying lower cost of procurement was discriminated against till about a decade back and eventually abolished in 2015 in favor of custom milling, better trusted to provide minimum price support. We analyze data from auctions of paddy from a year when levy was still important to investigate its impact on farmers’ revenues. We use semi-nonparametric estimates of millers’ values to simulate farmers’ expected revenues and find these to be rather close to the MSP; a closer analysis shows that bidder competition is critical to this result. Finally, we use our estimates to quantify the impact of change in levy price on farmers’ revenues and use this to discuss ways to revive the levy channel.
Non-tidal loading of the Baltic Sea in Latvian GNSS time series
Authors: Haritonova Diana
Published: July 2021

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the Baltic Sea non-tidal loading in the territory of Latvia using observations of the GNSS continuously operating reference stations (CORS) of LatPos, EUPOS®-Riga, EPN and EstPos networks. The GNSS station daily coordinate time series obtained in a double-difference (DD) mode were used. For representation of the sea level dynamics, the Latvian tide gauge records were used. Performed correlation analysis is based on yearly data sets of these observations for the period from 2012 up to 2020. The approach discloses how the non-tidal loading can induce variations in the time series of the regional GNSS station network. This paper increases understanding of the Earth’s surface displacements occurring due to the non-tidal loading effect in Latvia, and is intended to raise the importance and necessity of improved Latvian GNSS time series by removing loading effects.
Kodifizierung und Individualisierung im 19. Jahrhundert: Der Briefwechsel von Johanna und Gottfried Kinkel
Authors: Wich-Reif Claudia
Published: July 2021

Während für orthographische Regelwerke des 19. Jahrhunderts, insbesondere zur zweiten Hälfte, vergleichsweise viele Studien vorliegen, gibt es zur privaten Schriftlichkeit, insbesondere zur ersten Hälfte, nur wenige Untersuchungen. Der Briefwechsel zweier Individuen aus demselben Sprachraum vor dem Einsetzen der Reformbemühungen kann dazu beitragen, diese Forschungslücke zu schließen. Ein Schwerpunkt liegt auf der Fremdwort- und der Groß-/Kleinschreibung, zwei Bereiche, die auch noch in der Gegenwartssprache nicht einfach sind. Der Vergleich der ersten und der letzten 100 überlieferten Briefe kann Aufschluss darüber geben, inwiefern sich der Schreibgebrauch von Johanna und Gottfried Kinkel während der Dauer der Korrespondenz verändert hat.
Textsegmentierung in Blockbüchern und Inkunabeln
Authors: Neumann Marko
Published: July 2021

Am Beispiel volkssprachiger Blockbücher und Inkunabeln untersucht der Beitrag die Auswirkungen unterschiedlicher Druckverfahren auf die Zeichensetzung und andere Mittel der Textsegmentierung (z. B. Majuskel, Alinea, Spatium, Einrückung). Bei Blockbüchern handelt es sich um seitenverkehrt in Holztafeln geschnittene und dann im Reibe- oder Pressverfahren vervielfältigte Texte. Als Inkunabeln bezeichnet man die frühesten, mit beweglichen Lettern hergestellten Drucke bis einschließlich 1500. Blockbücher und Inkunabeln existierten ein halbes Jahrhundert mit- und nebeneinander; die unterschiedlichen technischen Anforderungen verlangten aber einen anderen Umgang mit der Textvorlage. Während der Letterndruck den Bedingungen des typographischen Satzes unterlag (z. B. einheitlicher Zeilenfall), punktuell aber die Möglichkeit der Nachbesserung bot, erlaubte der Holztafeldruck eine in vielerlei Hinsicht freiere Textgestaltung, die angesichts der Endgültigkeit des geschnittenen Texts eine sorgfältigere Planung voraussetzte. Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass der Blockdruck den individuellen Charakter von Texten stärker berücksichtigte und dabei den Einsatz textsegmentierender Mittel beförderte. Der Letterndruck war hingegen deutlich von Bestrebungen zu Vereinheitlichung und Ökonomie geprägt.
Sprachwandel im Schriftlichen?
Authors: Pickl Simon
Published: July 2021

Die Entstehung der sogenannten ‚uneigentlichen‘ bzw. verfugten Komposita im Frühneuhochdeutschen aus pränominalen Genitivkonstruktionen wird gemeinhin als natürliche Entwicklung verstanden, die sich prinzipiell mithilfe üblicher Wandelmechanismen wie Reanalyse oder Grammatikalisierung aus dem mündlichen Sprachgebrauch erklären lässt. Dabei ergeben sich jedoch bestimmte Probleme, die die phonologischen Voraussetzungen für einen solchen Prozess sowie seine Chronologie betreffen. In diesem Beitrag wird durch eine quantitative Korpusanalyse die Diachronie der verfugten Komposita, ihrer mutmaßlichen Ursprungskonstruktion, der pränominalen Genitive, sowie zwischen diesen Strukturen vermittelnder Brückenkonstruktionen untersucht. Dafür dient das diachrone Predigten-Korpus SermonC, das Texte aus dem Zeitraum vom frühen 9. bis zum 19. Jahrhundert umfasst und eine ausgeglichene Basis für die Untersuchung von Sprachwandel mit Langzeitperspektive bietet. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass die verfugten Komposita zu einer Zeit grammatikalisiert wurden, als der pränominale Genitiv längst aus der gesprochenen Sprache verschwunden war und somit die Voraussetzung für natürlichen Sprachwandel auf dieser Grundlage nicht mehr gegeben war. Stattdessen scheint es so, dass diese Grammatikalisierung auf der Basis der rein schriftlichen Genitivkompetenz und somit im geschriebenen Deutsch erfolgte. Daher wird in diesem Beitrag argumentiert, dass sich der Prozess der Entstehung der verfugten Komposita im Schriftlichen abspielte, d. h. in einer geschriebenen Varietät des historischen Deutsch, und erst in der Folge auf die Mündlichkeit zurückwirkte. Erst sekundär fand die neue Struktur, die gewissermaßen eine Kontamination aus pränominalem Genitiv und dem klassischen, unverfugten Kompositum darstellt, Eingang in die gesprochene Sprache. Dieser Hergang ist nicht nur aufgrund der Datenlage plausibel und wahrscheinlich, sondern vor dem Hintergrund des Verlusts des adnominalen Genitivs in den Mundarten zwingend und stellt eine Lösung für die genannten Probleme im phonologischen und historischen Bereich dar.
Verschriftlichte Modalität
Authors: Braun Christian , Scherr Elisabeth
Published: July 2021

In der vorliegenden Studie wird durch die Analyse ausgewählter Quellen althochdeutscher Schriftlichkeit die Frage geklärt, ob bereits in dieser frühen Phase epistemische Interpretationsvarianten der Modalverben zu belegen sind. Anstelle eines rein intuitiven Zugangs wird durch einen korpusbasierten induktiv-deduktiven Mischansatz eine Typologie entworfen, die auf der Ermittlung semantischer und (morpho-)syntaktischer Merkmale der Belegbeispiele epistemischer Modalverbvarianten beruht. Ein Katalog von Merkmalen soll als Argumentationshilfe bei der Beurteilung der Verwendungsweise der Verben dienen und darüber hinaus auch die Existenz von Zweifelfällen, Übergangsstadien und Sprachwandelprozessen offenlegen und damit auch erklären.
Mobility aware of WDM-based CMO OFDM communication system
Authors: Hardan Saad M. , Abdulkafi Ayad A. , Thalij Saadi Hamad , Jumaah Sherine S.
Published: July 2021

The continued increase in several mobile applications forces to replace existing limited spectrum indoor radio frequency wireless connections with high-speed ones. Visible light communications (VLC) technology has gained prominence in the development of high data rate transmission for fifth-generation networks. In optical wireless communications, light-emitting diode (LED) transmitters are used in applications that desire mobility as LED divergence enables larger coverage. Since each VLC access point covers a small area, handovers of mobile users are inevitable. Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) can be used in VLC systems to tackle the above issue and to meet the increasing demand for indoor connectivity with high bit rates. In this paper, a new system architecture for WDM with coded modulated optical in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) VLC system in conjunction with red, green, blue, and yellow (RGBY) LEDs is proposed to reduce the impact of random receiver orientation of indoor mobile users over VLC downlink channels and improves the system’s bit-error-rate (BER) performance. Simulation results show that the proposed method is not affected by the user’s mobility and hence it performs better than other approaches, in terms of BER for all scenarios and at all positions. This study reveals that using WDM-OFDM-VLC with RGBY LEDs to construct a VLC system is very promising.
Association of the apoptotic marker APO1/Fas with children’s predisposing factors for metabolic syndrome and with mean platelet volume
Authors: Katsa Maria Efthymia , Kostopoulou Eirini , Magana Maria , Ioannidis Anastasios , Chatzipanagiotou Stylianos , Sachlas Athanasios , Dimopoulos Ioannis , Spiliotis Bessie E. , Rojas Gil Andrea Paola
Published: July 2021

Background

Apoptosis antigen 1/FAS receptor (APO1/Fas) signaling in endothelial cells plays a significant role in angiogenesis while increased mean platelet volume (MPV) is an important marker for platelet activation. We investigated the possible correlation between APO1/Fas and both metabolic parameters and platelet activity (indicated by the MPV) in a healthy pediatric population.

Methods

One hundred and eighty-five children, aged 5–17 years old, were enrolled in the study. The participants were divided into subgroups according to their age and body mass index percentile (BMI%). APO1/Fas was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and MPV by the MEK-6410K.

Results

Eighty-one children (43.8%) had excess weight, which was more prevalent in children ≤9 years of age. Sixty-five children (35.1%) exhibited a predisposition for metabolic syndrome. A negative correlation was found between APO1/Fas and predisposing factors for metabolic syndrome: Glucose, cholesterol, uric acid, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides. In contrast, a positive correlation was found between APO1/Fas and C-reactive protein (CRP). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed a predisposition to metabolic syndrome when APO1/Fas was <78.46 pg/mL. A negative correlation was also observed between APO1/Fas and MPV. MPV was also positively correlated with predisposing factors for metabolic syndrome: BMI%, glucose, cholesterol, uric acid, LDL, and negatively with high-density lipoprotein.

Conclusions

APO1/Fas expression is associated with a lower predisposition to metabolic syndrome may be through endothelial homeostasis, the induction of apoptosis of cells involved in atherosclerosis, and platelet activity. It may also enhance CRP-mediated noninflammatory clearance of apoptotic cells. Early monitoring of all the components of metabolic syndrome in overweight children is important in order to prevent metabolic and cardiovascular complications.
Synchronization in demonstrations. Multimodal practices for instructing body knowledge
Authors: Ehmer Oliver
Published: July 2021

Demonstrations are a central resource for instructing body knowledge. They allow instructors to provide learners with a structured perceptual access to the performance of an activity. The present paper considers demonstrations as inherently social activities, in which not only the instructor but also the learners may participate. A particular form of co-participation is that learners synchronize their own bodily actions with the demonstration of the instructor. The paper examines two practices of synchronization in demonstrations. Inemergent synchronizationsthe instructor invites the student(s) to synchronize, rather than request them to do so. Inorchestrated synchronizationsteachers actively pursue the students’ bodily synchronization. The two practices are typically used for different instructional purposes. While emergent synchronizations are typically used in corrective instructions, orchestrated synchronizations are typically used to instruct new knowledge. Based on a large corpus of instructions in dancing Argentine Tango, the paper uses multimodal interaction analysis to characterize both practices regarding their interactional organization, their functional properties and the resources used by the participants to establish synchronization.
In other gestures: Multimodal iteration in cello master classes
Authors: Hsu Hui-Chieh , Brône Geert , Feyaerts Kurt
Published: July 2021

In this contribution, we investigate the transfer of embodied procedural knowledge in two cello master classes, zooming in on what we identify as speech-embedded nonverbal depictions — cases where meaning is communicated nonverbally, iconically, and without temporally co-occurring speech — an overlooked domain in the literature foregrounded by a critical reconceptualization of Clark’s (2016) framework of depicting. Examining such depictions in the cello classes, the curious pattern of multimodal iteration emerges, where the “same” meaning is communicated multiple times, but in multiple different combinations of modality and signaling method, and with different aspects of the meaning profiled. A brief discussion of such cases in relation to dialogic syntax then underlines the relevance of semiotic properties and dialogic resonance, revealing the rich communicative affordances of multimodal iteration in contexts of instruction.
Vocalizations in dance classes teach body knowledge
Authors: Keevallik Leelo
Published: July 2021

Language is believed to be a central device for communicating meaning and knowledge between humans. It is superb in its capacity to code abstract ideas and displaced information, which can be conveyed from person to person, sometimes across centuries. When it comes to instructing a bodily skill in co-present situations, language is used along with other multimodal resources. This paper focuses on the role of vocalizations in dance teaching, syllables that express simultaneous body movement rather than abstract lexical content. While being essentially a vocal resource, the meaning of vocalizations arises in the simultaneously moving bodies. By carrying indexical and only partially conventionalized meaning, vocalizations constitute a puzzle for linguistic theory that preferably targets the arbitrary, symbolic and conventionalized aspects of human vocal production. The meanings conveyed from one body to another through a vocalization are experiential rather than intellectual. Vocalizations provide a solution to the problem of transferring body knowledge from one autonomous organism to another, and can even be embedded in syntax. The analysis is based on an occasion of teaching a jazz routine to a larger group of students.
The social construction of embodied experiences: two types of discoveries in the science centre
Authors: Kesselheim Wolfgang , Brandenberger Christina
Published: July 2021

Based on a large corpus of video and eye-tracking data and inspired by multimodal conversation analysis, this paper analyses how visitors discover natural phenomena during their use of hands-on exhibits in a science and technology centre (STC). In these discoveries, individual multisensorial experiences of natural phenomena are communicatively transferred from one visitor to another. This paper describes two contrasting sequential formats of joint discoveries in the STC. In the first and more frequent case, experiences are socially shared by focussing the co-visitors’ visual attention on one point in their interactional space, while in the second case perceptions are socially shared via reproduction sequences, i.e. by repeating the actions that have led to the discovery with exchanged roles. We will argue that in these reproduction sequences, sharing experiences can be understood via the concept of “intercorporeality” (Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. 2014 [1945]. Phenomenology of perception. London, New York: Routledge). Our paper contributes to the current debate on intercorporeality, as it empirically shows that it is analytically fruitful to extend the concept to situations without simultaneous perception.
Taking the trumpet up there: enactment of embodied high pitch in a multimodal body schema
Authors: Sambre Paul
Published: July 2021

This contribution examines how an expert musician teaches high pitch as an embodied practice in a digital instruction video. Musical meaning-making in this perspective calls for a naturalized phenomenology which deals with the practice of music teaching, which involves a performing body. The notion of high musical pitch in terms of an abstract embodied image schema is challenged in favor of a multidimensional body schema, conceptualized at the interface between multimodal language, i.e. in speech and gesture, and the affordances imposed on musical production by the human body and the instrument artefact. As a result, the traditional metaphorical take on upward verticality, movement and causal force in image schemata becomes a conceptual background which may lead to errors on behalf of the potential student, and needs to be further enriched by natural local corporeal dimensions: immobility, non-vertical change in the lips, mouth and air flow. Such body schemata can be used in teaching more dynamic concepts about enactive knowledge in the body in interactive contexts of knowledge transmission.
Situating embodied action plans: pre-enacting and planning actions within knowledge communication in sports training
Authors: Singh Ajit
Published: July 2021

This article investigates action plans not as mental but as situated and observable activities in social interactions. I argue that projections and action plans can be understood as complex embodied practices through which actors prepare and coordinate further actions as part of a trajectory of a “communicative project”. “Projections” within ‘talk-in-interaction’ are a central topic of conversation analysis (CA), e.g. for the micro analysis of the organization of turn-taking or for the identification of turn-constructional units. Aside from former CA-studies on syntactic and prosodic features, current research using CA from a multimodal perspective shows how embodied resources, such as gestures, serve as “premonitory components” of communicative actions. Using video data of communications in sports training in trampolining, I will show how communicatively situated “embodied action plans” are applied within pre-enactments and instructions for the production of embodied knowledge. Pre-enactments not only serve the production of an ideal imagination to corporally produce intersubjectivity. Pre-enactments are also used temporally for the multimodal and visibly situating of embodied action plans, to which actors can coordinate and orientate their current and prospective communicative actions.
First quantitative data on the feeding ecology of an arid zone rodent, the Common gundi (Ctenodactylus gundi)
Authors: Lasgaa Fatine , Bounaceur Farid , Baha Mounia , Aulagnier Stéphane
Published: July 2021

One species of the family Ctenodactylidae, the Common gundi, Ctenodactylus gundi, occupies a restricted area between the Saharan and Mediterranean domains where annual rainfall is between 50 and 400 mm. Its presence seems also conditioned by the vegetation, so its feeding ecology was investigated by the microhistological analysis of faeces collected in two stations (Baniane and Bazem) of the Aurès massif (Eastern Algeria) during two years from June 2015 to May 2017, and by the evaluation of the available food. The diet included a total of 34 plant species, 16 in Baniane and 20 in Bazem. Results show that in Baniane, Asteraceae were predominant with Artemisia herba-alba (relative abundance, A% = 33.13%), followed by Fabaceae with Argyrolobium uniflorum (A% = 20.32%) and Poaceae with Aristida sp. (A% = 14.95%). In Bazem, the most consumed plant species were Lamiaceae with Thymus ciliatus (A% = 42.77%) and Poaceae with Lolium rigidum (A% = 13.19%). Overall, C. gundi fed on a large number of plant species, and its diet appeared to be influenced more by the diversity than by the availability of vegetation. Seasonal variations in diet indicate that this rodent eats perennial vegetation throughout the year and opportunistically consumes annual plants to a lesser extent in the spring, with a certain time shifting between the two stations probably due to rainfall and temperature differences.
Path homology theory of edge-colored graphs
Authors: Muranov Yuri V. , Szczepkowska Anna
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we introduce the category and the homotopy category of edge-colored digraphs and construct the functorial homology theory on the foundation of the path homology theory provided by Grigoryan, Muranov, and Shing-Tung Yau. We give the construction of the path homology theory for edge-colored graphs that follows immediately from the consideration of natural functor from the category of graphs to the subcategory of symmetrical digraphs. We describe the natural filtration of path homology groups of any digraph equipped with edge coloring, provide the definition of the corresponding spectral sequence, and obtain commutative diagrams and braids of exact sequences.
Timing and Pace of Neolithisation in the Dutch Wetlands (c. 5000–3500 cal. BC)
Authors: Raemaekers Daan , Demirci Özge , Kamjan Safoora , Talebi Taravat , Schepers Mans , Huisman Hans , Peeters Hans , Ҫakirlar Canan
Published: July 2021

This article presents an overview of the current evidence on the process of Neolithisation in the Dutch wetlands. Over the years, several models have been proposed with different perspectives on the timing and pace of the process: a long transition, an early short transition, and a late short transition. The applicability of any of these models is, of course, dependent of the evidence. In this article, we briefly discuss recently obtained data from the Netherlands on vegetation disturbance (woodland clearing), soil disturbance (tillage), cereal cultivation, animal husbandry, and the use of ceramics. The data discussed involve palynological, sedimentary, micromorphological, archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, as well as lipid analyses. Hence, it is concluded that from the mid fifth millennium cal. BC onwards, various aspects of a more “Neolithic lifestyle” become apparent in the archaeological record, including cereal cultivation on a structural, but small-scale basis in wetland environments. However, despite the “gradual” tendency that can be observed, the evidence is as yet inconclusive with regard to any of the models, due to persisting limitations of the datasets, potential regional variability, and aspects of scale. A new project, the Emergence of Domestic Animals in the Netherlands (EDAN), aims at a better understanding of animal husbandry through aDNA and isotope analyses, within a framework of statistical chronological modelling. We expect this project to enhance the debate greatly.
Stone and Osseous Adornments in the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic of the Iron Gates
Authors: Mărgărit Monica , Boroneanț Adina , Bonsall Clive
Published: July 2021

This paper is focused on the various kinds of personal adornments that were used during the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic in the Iron Gates region (southwest Romania). We review how the adornments were used, based on an analysis of their morphology and use-wear, and attempt to identify the sequence of actions involved in their manufacture. We document the changes in ornament type and technique that occurred between 12700–5600 cal BC, highlighting the fact that some “Mesolithic” types continued to be used in the Early Neolithic alongside the introduction of new types reflecting the arrival and integration into the region of a new population with different cultural traditions.
Study on the properties of composite superabsorbent resin doped with starch and cellulose
Authors: Liu Wen , Kong Qingxia , Hao Ying , Yu Jianlin , Su Min , Lei Haibo
Published: July 2021

In order to reduce the damage to soil caused by degradation residues in the application of superabsorbent resin (SAR), the primary target of this study was to improve its biodegradability by doping with starch and cellulose. After that, the water absorption performance of composite SAR doped with starch and cellulose was improved as much as possible by changing the formulation when the biodegradability changed in a narrow range. The degradation percentage in soil and compost after 60 days is much higher than that of the SAR without doping which is 8.42 and 14.17%, but the performance for water absorption depends on the type of starch that was used. Experiments showed that the presence of amylopectin in starch contributes significantly to the performance for water absorption of composite SAR. The more amylopectin content, the better performance for water absorption, but the specific relationship between the degradability and the amylopectin content has not to be proven. Finally, the best mass ratio of starch, cellulose, and acrylic was 4.2:1.8:65, which was determined via the experiments. A kind of composite SAR doped with starch and cellulose with excellent performance was obtained.
Preparation and properties of poly (vinyl alcohol)/sodium caseinate blend films crosslinked with glutaraldehyde and glyoxal
Authors: Ucpinar Durmaz Bedriye , Aytac Ayse
Published: July 2021

Bio-based films containing poly (vinyl alcohol)/casein have poor mechanical and water vapor barrier properties that limit their use in packaging application. Some properties such as water resistance and tensile strength can be increased by the cross-linking process. For this reason, poly(vinyl alcohol)/sodium caseinate (PVA/SC) blends were crosslinked by adding glutaraldehyde (GLA) and glyoxal (GL) at different ratios in this work. The films were prepared by solution casting technique. Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR) confirmed the crosslinking reaction between the components. As a result of the crosslinking, the thicknesses, water vapor barrier properties and water contact angle values of the films have increased. The total soluble matters (TSM) of PVA/SC film decreased with increasing amounts of crosslinkers and GLA crosslinked films exhibited lower TSM. The addition of GLA and GL resulted in more strengthened films as verified by the tensile test. On the other hand, GLA crosslinked films were more flexible than un-crosslinked and GL crosslinked PVA/SC films. The hydrophilic PVA/SC film became more hydrophobic with the increasing amounts of crosslinkers. With the crosslinking, the PVA/SC film became more thermally stable. In conclusion, the crosslinked PVA/SC films were obtained with suitable properties for packaging applications.
Quantum molecular dynamics investigations of protactinium (V) fluoro and oxofluoro complexes in solution
Authors: Siberchicot Bruno , Aupiais Jean , Le Naour Claire
Published: July 2021

Quantum Molecular Dynamics simulations of protactinium (V) fluoro and oxofluoro complexes in solution were undertaken using density functional theory with generalised gradient approximation (and the ABINIT software package). The complexes were studied in the gas phase (at 0 K) and in solution (at 298 K) with water molecules as the solvent. We characterised all of the systems, taking into account their structures, dissociation energies, bond lengths and formation enthalpies in solution, and explained their relative stabilities. At ambient temperature, the hydrated species PaF
5,

P
a

F
4
+

$Pa{F}_{4}^{+}$

,

P
a
O

F
5

2
−

$PaO{F}_{5}^{2-}$

,

P
a
O

F
4
−

$PaO{F}_{4}^{-}$

and PaOF
3 were found to be the most stable (and to exhibit similar stabilities). The calculated formation enthalpies of the complexes are in close agreement with measurements made elsewhere.
JAK2/STAT3 in role of arsenic-induced cell proliferation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ran Shanshan , Ren Qingxin , Li Shugang
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Malignant cell proliferation is one of the important mechanisms of arsenic poisoning. A large number of studies have shown that STAT3 plays an important role in cell malignant proliferation, but there are still many contradictions in the effect of arsenic on JAK2/STAT3. This study aims to explore the role of JAK2/STAT3 in arsenic-induced cell proliferation.

Methods

By taking normal cells as the research object and using Standard Mean Difference (SMD) as the effect size, meta-analysis was used to explore the effect of arsenic on JAK2/STAT3. Then, the dose-effect Meta was used to further clarify the dose-effect relationship of arsenic on JAK2/STAT3.

Results

Through meta-analysis, this study found that arsenic could promote the phosphorylation of STAT3 (SMD=4.21, 95%CI [1.05, 7.37]), and increase IL-6 and p-JAK2, Vimentin, VEGF expression levels, thereby inducing malignant cell proliferation. In addition, this study also found that arsenic exposure dose (<5 μmol m−3), time(<24 h) and cell type were important sources of heterogeneity in the process of exploring the effects of arsenic on p-STAT3, IL-6 and p-JAK2. Dose-effect relationship meta-analysis results showed that arsenic exposure significantly increased the expression level of IL-6. When the arsenic exposure concentration was less than 7 μmol m−3, the expression level of p-JAK2 upregulated significantly as the arsenic exposure concentration gradually increasing. Moreover, the expression level of p-STAT3 elevated significantly with the gradual increase of the arsenic concentration under 5 μmol m−3 of arsenic exposure, but the expression level of p-STAT3 gradually decreases when the concentration is greater than 5 μmol m−3.

Conclusions

Exposure to low dose of arsenic could promote the expression of JAK2/STAT3 and induce the malignant proliferation of cells through upregulating IL-6, and there was dose-effect relationship among them.
Application of micro and porous materials as nano-reactors
Authors: Isola Lawal Adedoyin , Chen Tzu-Chia , Elveny Marischa , Alkaim Ayad F. , Thangavelu Lakshmi , Kianfar Ehsan
Published: July 2021

In general, nanostructured materials with specific size, shape and geometry have unique and different properties from bulk materials. Using reaction media with nanometer and micrometer dimensions, they can produce new nanomaterials with interesting and remarkable properties. In general, nano-reactors are nanometer-sized chambers in which chemical reactions can take place. of course, nanoreactors are somehow part of the reaction, and this is the main difference between them and micro-reactors. One of the useful solutions to achieve the environment of nanoreactors is the use of porous materials, so due to the importance of nanoreactors, porous structures of silicate and zeolite are among the most prominent and widely used compounds in this group.