bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dialect and Putonghua in Xi’an city
Authors: Li Qiong , Wang Yuying
Published: February 2020

As one of the industrial centers of Western China, Xi’an is undergoing a process in which surrounding “urban villages” are incorporated into the urban area. This paper reports on the
contact situation between the Xi’an dialect of Beishan Menkou “urban village” and Mandarin Chinese. Data collection started with
traditional dialect survey methodology which assumes the dialect to be homogeneous and shared across village members. It requires
respondents to read a standard list of Chinese characters. The assumption that the dialect is homogeneous is generally agreed upon
for older generations but is doubtful for the younger generation who are exposed to modern education and modern
life. We therefore stratified the survey across three generations with six informants, a male and female informants for each
generation. The results show that the dialect among the two older generations was still homogeneous and shared, whereas the
youngest generations showed influence of Putonghua on the dialect. This resulted in a new dialect variant “Dialect with Putonghua
features”, which is recognized by urban village members as such. Female respondents generally were conceived of as speaking the
New Dialect more clearly than their male counterparts. We also investigated the impact of the dialect on Putonghua and concluded
that among the younger generation, a form of “Local Putonghua” developed, whereas the accented forms used by older generations are
a variety of intermediate forms of this “Local Putonghua”. The paper further provides details of the changes taking place in the
New Dialect in terms of tones, initials and finals, vocabulary and grammar. Words in local Putonghua were also listed.
Language behavior and identity change in the Fangshang Hui community of Xi’an
Authors: Dong Hongjie
Published: February 2020

This article provides information of language behavior practices and identity change of members of the Fangshang
Hui community in Xi’an, China. The study explores how differences in residential space influence language behavior as well as the
way in which community identity is perceived. Two areas were studied, the traditional Hui community area “around the mosque” and
the new area of modern flats. Data were collected via two-hundred questionnaires and forty sociolinguistic interviews. The survey
was administered in 2016. Aspects of language behavior and language choice were related to residential area. The findings show
that change of residential area has a significant effect on language choice behavior. Language choice was calculated according to
the extent of use in community internal and external interactions. The varieties involved were the Fangshang Hui variety, the
Xi’an dialect and Mandarin Chinese. Divergent linguistic behavior is related to altered Hui identity, which divides the community
into home-dialect oriented and official-language oriented members. ‘Differential recurrence’ is introduced as the mechanism that
creates language and identity change and is presented as contribution to sociolinguistic theory.
The early bird catches the worm: age-specific arrival time influences reproductive performance in the White Stork Ciconia ciconia
Authors: Belabed Bourhane-Eddine , Athamnia Mohammed , Touati Laïd , Samraoui Farrah , Boucheker Abdennour , Samraoui Boudjéma
Published: February 2020

Capsule
Age, arrival date and egg laying date are essentially closely related and determine reproductive performance in the White Stork Ciconia ciconia.

Aims
To describe the impact
of age, arrival date and egg laying date on breeding success in the White Stork.

Methods
Ringing data from a White Stork breeding colony of 212 nests at Dréan, Algeria, were used to model the relationship between age, arrival date,
laying date and reproductive performance. Seventy breeders that were individually colour-ringed as nestlings were monitored.

Results
Birds breeding on the periphery of the colony had significantly smaller nests and showed a tendency towards
later laying dates, but they did not differ from centrally nesting birds in age or arrival date. First year birds did not breed and second year birds were significantly more likely than older age groups to occupy nests but fail to lay eggs. Older birds arrived earlier at the breeding colony
and had a higher probability of initiating laying than younger birds. They also had a higher probability of nesting successfully and fledging a larger number of young.

Conclusion
Age determined arrival and laying dates and influenced
breeding performance in the White Stork.
Time-space Fourier κω′ filter for motion artifacts compensation during transcranial fluorescence brain imaging
Authors: Molodij Guillaume , Sdobnov Anton , Kuznetsov Yuri , Harmelin Alon , Meglinski Igor , Kalchenko Vyacheslav
Published: February 2020

Intravital imaging of brain vasculature through the intact cranium in vivo is based on the evolution of the fluorescence intensity and provides an ability to characterize various physiological processes in the natural context of cellular resolution. The involuntary motions of the examined subjects often limit in vivo non-invasive functional optical imaging. Conventional imaging diagnostic modalities encounter serious difficulties in correction of artificial motions, associated with fast high dynamics of the intensity values in the collected image sequences, when a common reference cannot be provided. In the current report, we introduce an alternative solution based on a time-space Fourier transform method so-called K-Omega. We demonstrate that the proposed approach is effective for image stabilization of fast dynamic image sequences and can be used autonomously without supervision and assignation of a reference image.
Development and simulation of multi-diagnostic Bayesian analysis for 2D inference of divertor plasma characteristics
Authors: Bowman C , Harrison J R , Lipschultz B , Orchard S , Gibson K J , Carr M , Verhaegh K , Myatra O
Published: February 2020

We present results of the design, implementation and testing of a Bayesian multi-diagnostic inference system which combines various divertor diagnostics to infer the 2D fields of electron temperature T

e
, density n

e
and deuterium neutral density n
0 in the divertor. The system was tested using synthetic diagnostic measurements derived from SOLPS-ITER fluid code predictions of the MAST-U Super-X divertor which include appropriate added noise. Two SOLPS-ITER simulations in different states of detachment, taken from a scan of the nitrogen seeding rate, were used as test-cases. Taken across both test-cases, the median absolute fractional errors in the inferred electron temperature and density estimates were 10.3% and 10.1% respectively. Differences between the inferred fields and the test-cases were well explained by solution uncertainty estimates derived from posterior sampling. This work represents a step toward a larger goal of obtaining a quantitative, 2D description of the divertor plasma state directly from experimental data, which could be used to gain better understanding of divertor physics phenomena.
Technology and parameters of cabbage machine harvesting by careful stacking of heads in containers
Authors: Alatyrev S S , Kruchinkina I S , Alatyrev A S , Vasilyev A O , Andreev R V
Published: February 2020

The most important issue when developing the machine technology of cabbage harvesting is to protect the heads from mechanical damage. In this regard, the article describes a new technology for harvesting cabbage based on a prototype developed by the authors of a multivariate cabbage harvester. This technology of cabbage machine harvesting differs from the known gentle mode of stacking heads in containers on a low-frame trailer accompanying the harvesting unit. The authors first simulated the workflow of this technology using the queuing theory. As a result, a quantitative relationship between the performance indicators of the cabbage harvesting process and the structural and technological parameters of the machine in the studied variant was established. On its basis, rational values of parameters of the machine were defined: the number of jobs at the completion table, the longitudinal conveyor and on the site of the low-frame trailer, respectively, n1 = 2, n2 = 4, and n3 = 4; the length of the conveyor-cutter and the longitudinal conveyor, respectively, was 2.8 and 4 m.
Amino acid preparations in feeding young pigs and laying hens
Authors: Nemtseva E Y , Lavrentev A Y , Sherne VS , Alekseev V A , Evdokimov N V , Petrov N S , Danilova N V
Published: February 2020

The paper deals with the effectiveness of the drug “L-lysine monohydrochloride feed”. Animals of the experimental group additionally included in the main diet of 2.5% L-lysine monohydrochloride feed by weight of concentrates. The inclusion of the studied additive in the diets of young pigs contributes to an increase in the average daily gain of 14.1%, reducing the cost of feed by 11.73% compared with the control group. As a result of the research it was found that due to the use of the drug L-lysine monohydrochloride feed, an additional 3.38 kg gain per head or 253.5 rubles was obtained. During the study on laying hens aged 25 to 33 weeks, egg production was studied, which by the end of the experiment was: 93.7% in the control group, 95.2% in the experimental, which is 1.5% more. In addition, there is a tendency to increase egg weight by 1 g or 1.8%, yolk weight and its specific weight in the egg by 2 g or 13.3%, respectively, as well as thickening of the shell by 3 microns or 8.1%, and a decrease in shell content by 1%.
Genotoxicity evaluation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes: in vivo studies in mice
Authors: Snegin E , Gusev A , Snegina E , Barkhatov A , Vasyukova I , Artemchuk O
Published: February 2020

The toxicity of carbon nanoparticles in recent years has attracted much attention due to their active use in industry, medicine and agriculture, which brings not only obvious benefits, but also potential danger to the environment and human health. Getting into the natural environment, bioaccumulating and bioconcentrating in them, carbon nanotubes pose a real threat to mammals, since due to their high migration ability they can penetrate the food chain of animals and humans. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the genotoxicity of carbon nanotubes in in vivo experiments on laboratory mice. For this, based on the method of single cell alkaline gel electrophoresis assay, studies were conducted to determine the effect of aqueous colloidal solutions of multiwalled carbon nanotubes on genotoxicity towards various tissues in laboratory mice. During these acute and subacute in vivo experiments we have established that orally introduced multiwalled carbon nanotubes colloids damage deoxyribonucleic acid in various organs. In particular, 0.5 mg of multiwalled carbon nanotubes administered daily for 21 days have a prominent genotoxic effect. Thus, the obtained results have illustrated that multiwalled carbon nanotubes can potentially affect the genetic material in mammals, orally administered nanotubes increase the rate of nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid destruction.
Glass-fiber membranes for storing, transportation and further characterization of agricultural plant biomaterial
Authors: Vasyukova I , Zakharova O , Altabaeva Yu , Kondakov S , Snegin E , Romanova T , Gusev A
Published: February 2020

The modified glass-fiber membranes possess high mechanical strength, good wetting and storage capacity, these properties render them a promising medium for storing dry biomaterial collected from agricultural plants. We have studied the applicability of this method for storing biomaterial collected from cucumber, tomato and potato in the form of dried spots on glass-fiber matrices for further ecological and phytosanitary studies. Also preservation of Phytophthora infestans deoxyribonucleic acid in the potato tuber and tomato fruit biomaterial stored on glass-fiber membranes has been evaluated. It has been revealed via real time polymerase chain reaction assays that in dried spots on glass-fiber membranes more than 90% of the plant deoxyribonucleic acid is preserved after seven-day storage. The method of electrophoretic isolation has shown that the condition of Phytophthora infestans deoxyribonucleic acid in the plant biomaterial stored on glass-fiber membranes is similar to the control after any storage period. In all the studied cases the storage conditions of the dried spots on glass-fiber matrices had no influence on the target deoxyribonucleic acid preservation. The obtained results prove usability of membrane carriers for crop science as a whole and detection of plant diseases in particular, and for food quality monitoring, especially carried out in the field.
Mathematical modeling of economic factors impact: reproduction of personnel potential in agriculture sector of Russia
Authors: Orlov V , Ivanova T , Brenchagova S , Rumbayeva N
Published: February 2020

The paper presents an approach which allows obtaining quantitative characteristics and assessing the impact of economic factors on the reproduction rate of personnel potential providing objective forecasting of trends and problems in the industry. Based on the PEST analysis and the results of a sociological survey using the index analysis method, the article developed a methodology for calculating the integral indicator of changes in economic conditions in Russian agriculture. By means of mathematical modeling, their influence on the reproduction of personnel potential in the industry is proved. One of the elements of the proof of the obtained results is a multi-factor mathematical model built and tested in real time, which allows obtaining a high-quality predicted result. Based on the forecasts, we can state the need to adjust certain factors that are actively affecting the reproduction of personnel potential in agriculture, which is a mathematical justification for making managerial decisions.
The possibility of using biopreparations based on nanoparticles of biogenic metals in crop production and plant protection
Authors: Churilov D , Polischuk S , Churilov G , Shemyakin A , Churilova V , Andreev K , Arapov I , Obidina I
Published: February 2020

Modern agricultural production requires innovative technologies. For a labile technological process of grain growing the following things are necessary: precise (coordinate) farming, crops protection in the form of controlled coexistence with undesirable life forms and a single pre-treatment with biopreparations based on biogenic metal nanoparticles. Physical-chemical properties of nanoparticles contribute to biocompatibility and biological activity when interacting with wheat and other crops. The paper shows relationship between the size of metal nanoparticles and their effect on wheat seedlings at concentrations of 0.001-1.000 g/t. The activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase in the crops significantly decreased when maximum morpho-physiological parameters and increased sharply at concentrations above 100 g/t and 10 g/t, respectively, for nanoparticles sized 35-60 nm and up to 20 nm. For nanoparticles sized 35-60 nm the stability limit was the concentration of nanoparticles much higher than 100 g/t, and for those up to 20 nm it was 0.001-10 g/t. The content of hormone indole acetic acid increased under the action of nanoparticles, which increased energy efficiency of plant respiration, activity of enzymatic reactions and wheat yield and grain quality when strengthening the seedlings’ viability, reducing the effect of weeds to minimum.
Variability of morphological features of spring soft wheat Moskovskaya 35
Authors: Ivanova I , Ilina S
Published: February 2020

The variety of spring soft wheat Moscovskaya 35, zoned in 1971, is an outstanding breeding achievement. It is included in the State Register of approved varieties and recommended for the fourth region in Russia (Volga-Vyatka). In this paper, an assessment was made of the variation in the structure elements of the harvest of spring wheat variety Moskovskaya 35 depending on the growing season of the year 2014-2018 in the conditions of the southern part of the Volga-Vyatka region in Russia. A study of the morphostructural indicators of spring wheat of the variety Moskovskaya 35 for five years revealed that the most stable of those is the mass of 1000 grains (coefficient of variation – 13.1%), and the most variable is the length of the ear (coefficient of variation – 20.6%). It was found that the vegetation weather conditions for the years of testing had a strong influence on the intravarietal variability, which is confirmed by the calculation of correlations between yield and the sum of active temperatures during the vegetation period (regression coefficient – 0.92). Analysis of the coefficient of variation showed that the variety Moscovskaya 35 has good ecological plasticity, the coefficient of yield variation was 21.4%.
Features of adaptation and meat qualities of Aberdeen-Angus bulls on the background of immunostimulation
Authors: Semenov V , Baimukanov D , Tyurin V , Kuznetsov A , Tsarevsky I , Nikitin D , Efimova I
Published: February 2020

The feasibility of using Prevention-N-E, a newly developed and tested biological product, in comparison with the previously tested PS-6 preparation in the adaptive technology of keeping specialized beef cattle of imported breeding, had been scientifically substantiated and experimentally proved. Against the background of the use of drugs in animals of the 1st and 2nd experimental groups, the incidence of the digestive and respiratory organs decreased by 1.4 and 2.3 times, the recovery time reduced by 3.36 and 4.88 days, accordingly, compared with the control (P <0.05). By the end of the growing period, the animals of the 1st and 2nd experimental groups exceeded in live weight control subjects by 6.6 and 9.2 kg, rearing by 10.4 and 14.8 kg, and fattening by 14.2 and 22.2 kg respectively. In the cuts of the carcasses of bulls of the 1st and 2nd experimental groups, there was a bigger amount of the highest grade flesh: in spin-breast – by 1.0 and 1.0 kg, in the lumbar – by 0.2 and 0.4 kg, and in the hip – by 2.3 and 4.2 kg, rather than in the control.
Results of comparative studies of grain syrup quality
Authors: Alatyrev S S , Alatyrev A S , Zaitsev P V , Yu Bulatov S , Nechaev V N , Sizova Yu V , Moiseev A I
Published: February 2020

This paper presents the results of analysis of the chemical composition of molasses obtained in the conditions of agricultural organizations from locally produced grain. The research was carried out on wheat and barley taken from one of the farms in Russia. The prepared grain molasses is a homogeneous mass. In the finished product, moisture, energy feed unit, exchange energy, crude and digestible protein, crude fiber, sugar, and starch were determined by standard methods. The chemical composition in the finished grain product was determined at natural moisture and air-dry condition. Grain syrup obtained from wheat contains exchangeable energy of 9.56 MJ, crude protein 12.57 %, digestible protein 93.0.0 gkg−1 and crude fiber 2.33 %. In addition, 1 kg of the product contains 299.0 and 133.0 g, respectively, of sugar and starch. The finished product obtained from barley contains 73.6 % moisture, 2.48 MJ of exchangeable energy, 30.3 and 22.7 gkg−1 of raw and digestible protein, respectively, 1.37 % of fiber, 69.3 and 46.7 g sugar and fiber, respectively. Thus, according to the results of the material obtained, it was concluded that it is possible to prepare grain feed syrup under the conditions of a farm from local grain raw materials, in particular from barley and wheat.
Energy characteristics of induction water heater
Authors: Korepanov A , Lekomtsev P , Niyazov A
Published: February 2020

Many agricultural facilities do not have the ability to connect to gas supply networks; at such facilities electric water heaters are used as sources of thermal energy for heating and hot water systems. The issue of the use of induction heating as one of the most effective at such facilities is relevant. The aim of this work is to study energy characteristics of an induction water heater, such as efficiency and power factor. In order to determine the estimated efficiency and power factor the energy balance method was used. The experimental values of the efficiency and power factor are determined by the calorimetric method and with the help of an electric energy quality analyzer. The obtained value of the efficiency and power factor of the induction water heater corresponds to the calculated value with an accuracy of ±1%.
Hidden unemployment in Russia
Authors: Semenova A , Zaytseva N , Gordeeva L , Abrosimova M , Litvinova O , Makushev A , Nesterova N , Tolstova M
Published: February 2020

The crisis of 2014 led to a sharp drop in production in Russia. However, along with production, the output per workplace also fell, which is not typical of a market economy. The article explains this phenomenon. It is shown that the development calculated by the existing methodology for the Russian economy does not reflect the true labor productivity and therefore this indicator can be used only with significant reservations. The reason for this distortion is due to the peculiarities of the labor market in Russia. This feature is that when production falls, it is not profitable for companies to dismiss workers as a consequence of large social obligations. Companies reduce wages, attract specialists without hiring, and take wages to the gray sector. Such actions, in our opinion, are the result of imperfection of labor legislation in the Russian Federation. All this helps to explain the fall in production value added per one working place and explain the growth of hidden unemployment. The article assesses the hidden unemployment at the time of the crisis. The lack of flexibility in the labor market in Russia is negatively affects to the country’s economy and confirms view point by Timothy Besley and Robin Burgess.
Regulatory role of taxes in formation of incomes of various levels budgets in the Russian Federation
Authors: Zotikov N , Arlanova O , Lvova M
Published: February 2020

In this article, we conducted a thorough analysis of the formation of various levels budgets over a long period (from 2003 to 2017 for the federal budget, from 2008 to 2017 for consolidated budgets of the Russian Federation subjects), revealed the insignificant role of taxes assigned to individual budgets in budget revenues, a weak regulatory function of taxes, especially in the budgets of the Russian Federation subjects and municipalities, in budgets of which the role of uncompensated receipts prevails. The study showed a highly financial dependence of the regions and municipalities on the federal center. Held for the period from 2011 to 2017 the rating showed a sharp differentiation of regions in terms of socio-economic development. Deficit characterizes both the federal budget and the budgets of regions and municipalities, which is primarily due to the imperfection of the existing fiscal mechanism in the country.
Accounting and analytical support: stages and prospects of development in the Russian Federation
Authors: Ivanov E A , Makushev A E , Kornilova L M , Yu Malinina L , Khristolyubova V V , Khristolyubov S N , Yu Serebryakova T
Published: February 2020

In this paper, the study of the genesis of the Russian direction of information and analytical support of management processes of the modern economic entity was conducted. The symbiosis of accounting methodology, financial accounting and at the junction of such analytical disciplines as management and financial analysis there was an economic category “accounting and analytical support”. It can be noted that the need for its occurrence is explained by the economic conditions of management in the Russian Federation and the national mentality of accountants, analysts, and auditors. Modern reality shows that this economic category is firmly established in the theoretical basis of Russian accounting thought and has received a new impetus to development in the digital economy. Special relevance of accounting and analytical support of management acquired in the agro-industrial complex of the Russian Federation.
Evaluation of spring durum wheat varieties by yield, structure and grain quality
Authors: Lozhkin A G , Malchikov P N , Makushev A E , Vasiliev O A , Shashkarov L G , Pushkarenko N N
Published: February 2020

The article presents three-year data on the productivity of spring durum wheat varieties in the European continental climate, in order to select the most promising of them and determine the possibilities of breeding and technological adaptation in the region. The experiment involved five varieties of spring durum wheat as B 200, B 205, B 209, B Niva, and Luch 25 taken from Russian Middle Volga regions. Indicators of the best productive bushiness were noted in varieties B Niva and B 209. It was found that the number and weight of seeds in the ear, depending on the variety, varied proportionally to the length of the ear. The best indicators of the structure of the crop were established in varieties B 209 and B Niva. The weight of 1000 seeds was 42.32 to 53.3 g for different varieties of durum wheat. Taking into account the biological yield, the advantage of the variety B Niva over the control variant was revealed. The best formation of grain gluten was observed in agroclimatic conditions in 2015 and 2016: for three years the best indicators of gluten was on average 30.4 %and 29.95%, respectively, for varieties B Niva and B 200.
Transmission of NS5A-Inhibitor Resistance-Associated Substitutions Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Recently Infected with Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 1a
Authors: Popping Stephanie , Verwijs Rosanne , Cuypers Lize , Claassen Mark A , van den Berk Guido E , De Weggheleire Anja , Arends Joop E , Boerekamps Anne , Molenkamp Richard , Koopmans Marion P , Verbon Annelies , Boucher Charles A B , Rijnders Bart J , van de Vijver David A M C ,   for the Dutch Acute HCV in HIV Study Investigators, Lauw Fanny , Posthouwer Dirk , Hullegie Sebastiaan , Bierman Wouter , Dofferhof Anthonius , Kootstra Gert Jan , Leyten Eliane , den Hollander Jan , van Kasteren Marjo , Soutekouw Robin , Ammerlaan Heidi , Florence Eric , Lauw Fanny , Posthouwer Dirk , Hullegie Sebastiaan , Bierman Wouter , Dofferhof Anthonius , Kootstra Gert Jan , Leyten Eliane , den Hollander Jan , van Kasteren Marjo , Soutekouw Robin , Ammerlaan Heidi , Florence Eric
Published: February 2020

The transmission of direct-acting antiviral resistance-associated substitutions (RAS) could hamper hepatitis C virus (HCV) cure rates and elimination efforts. A phylogenetic analysis of 87 men who have sex with men recently infected with HCV genotype 1a placed one-third (28/87) in a large cluster, in which 96% harbored NS5A M28V RAS.
Sustained Reduction in Third-generation Cephalosporin Usage in Adult Inpatients Following Introduction of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in a Large, Urban Hospital in Malawi
Authors: Lester Rebecca , Haigh Kate , Wood Alasdair , MacPherson Eleanor E , Maheswaran Hendramoorthy , Bogue Patrick , Hanger Sofia , Kalizang’oma Akuzike , Srirathan Vinothan , Kulapani David , Mallewa Jane , Nyirenda Mulinda , Jewell Christopher P , Heyderman Robert , Gordon Melita , Lalloo David G , Tolhurst Rachel , Feasey Nicholas A
Published: February 2020

Background

Third-generation cephalosporins (3GC) remain the first-choice empiric antibiotic for severe infection in many sub-Saharan African hospitals. In Malawi, the limited availability of alternatives means that strategies to prevent the spread of 3GC resistance are imperative; however, suitable approaches to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in low-income settings are not well studied.

Methods

We introduced an AMS intervention to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre. The intervention consisted of a prescribing application for smartphones and regular point-prevalence surveys with prescriber feedback. We evaluate the effects of the intervention on 3GC usage and on the cost of providing antibiotics. Using a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and participant observations, we additionally evaluate the acceptability of the stewardship program.

Results

The proportion of antibiotic prescriptions for a 3GC reduced from 193/241 (80.1%) to 177/330 (53.6%; percentage decrease, 26.5%; 95% confidence interval, 18.7–34.1) with no change in the case-fatality rate. The cost analysis estimated an annual savings of US$15 000. Qualitative research revealed trust in the guideline and found that its accessibility through smartphones helpful to guide clinical decisions. Operational health-system barriers and hierarchal clinical relationships lead to continued reliance on 3GC.

Conclusions

We report the successful introduction of an antimicrobial stewardship approach in Malawi. By focusing on pragmatic interventions and simple aims, we demonstrate the feasibility, acceptability, and cost savings of a stewardship program where resources are limited. In doing so, we provide a suitable starting point for expansions of AMS interventions in this and other low-income settings.
The political economy of a Northern Ireland border poll
Authors: McGuinness Seamus , Bergin Adele
Published: February 2020

Given the increased prominence of a border poll in Ireland, particularly following the outcome of the Brexit referendum, this paper provides an initial assessment of some of the issues that are likely to become central in any debate on this issue. We examine the relative income and growth position of Northern Ireland within a UK and Irish regional framework over time. We further compare, and contrast, in detail aspects of the structure of both economies on the island of Ireland in the areas of educational attainment, trade orientation and the role of Foreign Direct Investment. The paper goes on to analyse other relevant issues, such as the relative strength and weaknesses of the healthcare systems and the factors determining the potential economic cost of Irish unification. The objective of the research is to initiate an evidence-based approach to the question of a border poll and to provide an initial indication of the breadth of detail and analysis required for any debate to proceed in a meaningful manner.
Isolation and characterization of a human pancreas-specific protein.
Authors: Nerenberg S T , Prasad R , Pedersen L , Biskup N S , Faiferman I
Published: February 2020

Homogenates of human pancreas in saline were centrifuged at 27 000 X g and the supernates were fractionated by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The gels were divided into sections and each section was injected into rabbits; after absorption with polymerized serum from apparently normal humans, the antiserum obtained by injecting one of the sections was tested against a variety of human tissue extracts but reacted only with saline extracts of human pancreas. The absorbed antiserum, polymerized and made insoluble with glutaraldehyde, was used to purify a pancreas-specific antigen by immunoaffinity batch technique. The purified antigen proved to be a protein with some carbohydrate content (180 mg/g by weight) and a molecular mass of about 2.25 X 10(5) daltons. The antigen is relatively thermostable, and precipitates in the range of 245.64-340.2 g/L saturated ammonium sulfate; its antigenic activity is not affected by incubation with ribonuclease or deoxyribonuclease, but is destroyed by incubation with trypsin or neuraminidase and by extraction with perchloric acid. Immunofluorescence studies show that the antigen is diffusely present in the cytoplasm of pancreatic acinar cells.
Immunological and biochemical evidence for identity of tartrate-resistant isoenzymes of acid phosphatases from human serum and tissues.
Authors: Lam K W , Lee P , Li C Y , Yam L T
Published: February 2020

We purified acid phosphatase isoenzyme 5b from a human spleen affected by leukemic reticuloendotheliosis and used it to produce a specific antiserum. The antiserum was used to show complete immunological identity among isoenzymes 5a and 5b in human serum, and 5b isolated from a giant-cell bone tumor and from the spleen of a case of Hodgkin's disease. Acid phosphatase 5b in a giant-cell bone tumor was isolated for biochemical characterization. Its pH optimum and substrate specificity were very similar to those of isoenzyme 5b from human spleen.
‘Double layer’ frozen elephant trunk with balloon endoclamping: a technique to simplify the 2-stage open repair of thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms
Authors: Di Eusanio Marco , Berretta Paolo , Cefarelli Mariano , Gatta Emanuele
Published: February 2020

Staged replacement of the aortic arch and thoraco-abdominal aorta (TAA) with a frozen elephant trunk followed by TAA repair is a valuable treatment for patients with chronic TAA dissection. However, in patients with an unclampable descending thoracic aorta, the retrieval of the trunk can be problematic and the proximal stent graft-to-graft anastomosis technically challenging. Here we present our ‘double layer’ frozen elephant trunk technique to treat patients with TAA dissection.
Traveler, a New DD35E Family of Tc1/Mariner Transposons, Invaded Vertebrates Very Recently
Authors: Zong Wencheng , Gao Bo , Diaby Mohamed , Shen Dan , Wang Saisai , Wang Yali , Sang Yatong , Chen Cai , Wang Xiaoyan , Song Chengyi
Published: February 2020

The discovery of new members of the Tc1/mariner superfamily of transposons is expected based on the increasing availability of genome sequencing data. Here, we identified a new DD35E family termed Traveler (TR). Phylogenetic analyses of its DDE domain and full-length transposase showed that, although TR formed a monophyletic clade, it exhibited the highest sequence identity and closest phylogenetic relationship with DD34E/Tc1. This family displayed a very restricted taxonomic distribution in the animal kingdom and was only detected in ray-finned fish, anura, and squamata, including 91 vertebrate species. The structural organization of TRs was highly conserved across different classes of animals. Most intact TR transposons had a length of ∼1.5 kb (range 1,072–2,191 bp) and harbored a single open reading frame encoding a transposase of ∼340 aa (range 304–350 aa) flanked by two short-terminal inverted repeats (13–68 bp). Several conserved motifs, including two helix-turn-helix motifs, a GRPR motif, a nuclear localization sequence, and a DDE domain, were also identified in TR transposases. This study also demonstrated the presence of horizontal transfer events of TRs in vertebrates, whereas the average sequence identities and the evolutionary dynamics of TR elements across species and clusters strongly indicated that the TR family invaded the vertebrate lineage very recently and that some of these elements may be currently active, combining the intact TR copies in multiple lineages of vertebrates. These data will contribute to the understanding of the evolutionary history of Tc1/mariner transposons and that of their hosts.
Resilience-based alcohol education: developing an intervention, evaluating feasibility and barriers to implementation using mixed-methods
Authors: de Visser Richard O , Graber Rebecca , Abraham Charles , Hart Angie , Memon Anjum
Published: February 2020

Alcohol education must ensure that young people have appropriate information, motivation and skills. This article describes the fifth phase in a program of intervention development based on principles of social marketing and intervention mapping. The aim was to enhance drink refusal self-efficacy (DRSE) and help develop skills for non-drinking or moderate drinking. We conducted a mixed-methods feasibility trial that measured intervention effects among 277 UK secondary school students aged 14–16, and used qualitative methods to explore four teachers’ experiences of delivering the intervention. The intervention did not produce the desired changes in DRSE or alcohol use, but nor did it increase alcohol use. In the qualitative process evaluation, time constraints, pressure to prioritize other topics, awkwardness and embarrassment were identified as barriers to fidelitous delivery. A more intense and/or more prolonged intervention delivered with greater fidelity may have produced the desired changes in DRSE and alcohol use. This study illustrates how principles of social marketing and intervention mapping can aid development of resilience-based education designed to help students develop skills to drink moderately, or not drink. It also highlights the need to consider the constraints of micro-social (school) and macro-social (societal) cultures when designing alcohol education.
Perpetuants: A Lost Treasure
Authors: Kraft Hanspeter , Procesi Claudio
Published: February 2020

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the classical, and forgotten, notion of perpetuants, see Definition 2.13, and in particular to exhibit a basis of these elements in Theorem 4.9, thus closing an old line of investigation started by J. J. Sylvester in 1882. In order to do this we also give a proof of the classical Theorem of Stroh computing their dimensions.
A Sialic Acid-Binding Protein SABP1 of Toxoplasma gondii Mediates Host Cell Attachment and Invasion
Authors: Xing Mengen , Yang Na , Jiang Ning , Wang Dawei , Sang Xiaoyu , Feng Ying , Chen Ran , Wang Xinyi , Chen Qijun
Published: February 2020

Many obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasites have adapted a distinct invasion mechanism involving a close interaction between the parasite ligands and the sialic acid (SA) receptor. We found that sialic acid binding protein-1 (SABP1), localized on the outer membrane of the zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii, readily binds to sialic acid on the host cell surface. The binding was sensitive to neuraminidase treatment. Cells preincubated with recombinant SABP1 protein resisted parasite invasion in vitro. The parasite lost its invasion capacity and animal infectivity after the SABP1 gene was deleted, whereas complementation of the SABP1 gene restored the virulence of the knockout strain. These data establish the critical role of SABP1 in the invasion process of T. gondii. The previously uncharacterized protein, SABP1, facilitated T. gondii attachment and invasion via sialic acid receptors.
Intracranial Myxoid Mesenchymal Tumor With EWSR1-ATF1 Fusion
Authors: Ballester Leomar Y , Meis Jeanne M , Lazar Alexander J , Prabhu Sujit S , Hoang Kimberly B , Leeds Norman E , Fuller Gregory N
Published: February 2020

Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) is a rare soft tissue tumor that arises primarily in the extremities of young adults. Recurrent gene fusions involving EWSR1 with members of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) family have been reported in a diverse group of tumors, including AFH. AFH-like lesions have been reported to occur intracranially and the reported cases show low proliferation indices, frequently have a connection with the dura, and show recurrent EWSR1 rearrangements. These tumors have been termed intracranial myxoid mesenchymal tumor with EWSR1-CREB family gene fusions. A literature search identified 11 reported cases of intracranial AFH-like lesions with an EWSR1 rearrangement. Here, we report a case of intracranial myxoid mesenchymal tumor with an EWSR1-ATF1 fusion in an adult patient, and review the existing literature on this recently described entity.
Torsion of intestinal parasitic myoma after laparoscopic morcellation: a case report
Authors: Chrisostomos Sofoudis , Dimitrios Trouvas , Konstantinos Zioris
Published: February 2020

Uterine fibroids represent the most common type of benign tumor of female genital tract with rate of incidence between 20% and 30% in women older than 35 years. According to current bibliography, the percentage is still increasing due to the fact that many women are postponing their reproductive mapping. Laparoscopic morcellation of uterine fibroids and uterus specimen after hysterectomies has great clinical significance, concerning dissemination and implantation of uterine fragments inside the peritoneal cavity. Parasitic myomas reveal a rare entity, reflecting a broad spectrum of pathogenesis. In cases of parasitic uterine fibroids surgical dissection is mandatory to avoid signs of malignancy.
Effect of in vitro cold acclimation of Deschampsia antarctica on the accumulation of proteins with antifreeze activity
Authors: Short Stefania , Díaz Rommy , Quiñones John , Beltrán Jorge , Farías Jorge G , Graether Steffen P , Bravo León A
Published: February 2020

Deschampsia antarctica has managed to colonize the maritime Antarctic. One of the main factors associated with its tolerance to low temperatures is the presence of apoplastic proteins with antifreeze activity. This work focuses on the effect of cold acclimation of D. antarctica on the accumulation of apoplastic proteins with antifreeze activity. Antifreeze proteins present in apoplastic extracts were purified by ice affinity purification, and their identity was determined by protein sequencing. D. antarctica plants were subjected to 22 days of cold acclimation at 4 °C. The highest content of apoplastic proteins with antifreeze activity was obtained at between 12 and 16 days of acclimation. Protein sequencing allowed their identification with >95% probability. Percentage coverage was 74% with D. antarctica ice recrystallization inhibition protein 1 (DaIRIP1) and 55% with DaIRIP3. Cold acclimation of D. antarctica improved the yield of apoplastic proteins, and resulted in an increase in the antifreeze activity of apoplastic extracts. An in silico analysis suggested that the fluctuations presented by the three-dimensional structures of DaIRIPs help to explain the presence of certain DaIRIPs in apoplastic extracts under the cold acclimation conditions evaluated.
Considerations for Development of Exposure Limits for Chemicals Encountered During Aircraft Operation
Authors: Sweeney Lisa M , Gearhart Jeffery M , Ott Darrin K , Pangburn Heather A
Published: February 2020

Background

Military aircrews’ health status is critical to their mission readiness, as they perform physically and cognitively demanding tasks in nontraditional work environments. Research Objectives: Our objective is to develop a broad operational risk assessment framework and demonstrate its applicability to health risks to aircrews because of airborne chemical exposure, considering stressors such as heat and exertion.

Methods

Extrapolation of generic exposure standards to military aviation-specific conditions can include computation of risk-relevant internal dosimetry estimates by incorporating changes in breathing patterns and blood flow distribution because of aspects of the in-flight environment. We provide an example of the effects of exertion on peak blood concentrations of 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene computed using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model.

Results

Existing published collections on the effects of flight-related stressors on breathing patterns and blood flow address only a limited number of stressors. Although data exist that can be used to develop operational exposure limits specific to military aircrew activities, efforts to integrate this information in specific chemical assessments have been limited.

Conclusions

Efforts to develop operational exposure limits would benefit from guidance on how to make use of existing assessments and expanded databases of the impact of environmental stressors on adult human physiology.
“Real world” use of a highly reliable imaging sign: “T2-FLAIR mismatch” for identification of IDH mutant astrocytomas
Authors: Jain Rajan , Johnson Derek R , Patel Sohil H , Castillo Mauricio , Smits Marion , van den Bent Martin J , Chi Andrew S , Cahill Daniel P
Published: February 2020

AbstractThe T2-FLAIR (fluid attenuated inversion recovery) mismatch sign is an easily detectable imaging sign on routine clinical MRI studies that suggests diagnosis of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)–mutant 1p/19q non-codeleted gliomas. Multiple independent studies show that the T2-FLAIR mismatch sign has near-perfect specificity, but low sensitivity for diagnosing IDH-mutant astrocytomas. Thus, the T2-FLAIR mismatch sign represents a non-invasive radiogenomic diagnostic finding with potential clinical impact. Recently, false positive cases have been reported, many related to variable application of the sign’s imaging criteria and differences in image acquisition, as well as to differences in the included patient populations. Here we summarize the imaging criteria for the T2-FLAIR mismatch sign, review similarities and differences between the multiple validation studies, outline strategies to optimize its clinical use, and discuss potential opportunities to refine imaging criteria in order to maximize its impact in glioma diagnostics.
Morphological Phylogenetics Evaluated Using Novel Evolutionary Simulations
Authors: Keating Joseph N , Sansom Robert S , Sutton Mark D , Knight Christopher G , Garwood Russell J
Published: February 2020

Evolutionary inferences require reliable phylogenies. Morphological data have traditionally been analyzed using maximum parsimony, but recent simulation studies have suggested that Bayesian analyses yield more accurate trees. This debate is ongoing, in part, because of ambiguity over modes of morphological evolution and a lack of appropriate models. Here, we investigate phylogenetic methods using two novel simulation models—one in which morphological characters evolve stochastically along lineages and another in which individuals undergo selection. Both models generate character data and lineage splitting simultaneously: the resulting trees are an emergent property, rather than a fixed parameter. Standard consensus methods for Bayesian searches (Mki) yield fewer incorrect nodes and quartets than the standard consensus trees recovered using equal weighting and implied weighting parsimony searches. Distances between the pool of derived trees (most parsimonious or posterior distribution) and the true trees—measured using Robinson-Foulds (RF), subtree prune and regraft (SPR), and tree bisection reconnection (TBR) metrics—demonstrate that this is related to the search strategy and consensus method of each technique. The amount and structure of homoplasy in character data differ between models. Morphological coherence, which has previously not been considered in this context, proves to be a more important factor for phylogenetic accuracy than homoplasy. Selection-based models exhibit relatively lower homoplasy, lower morphological coherence, and higher inaccuracy in inferred trees. Selection is a dominant driver of morphological evolution, but we demonstrate that it has a confounding effect on numerous character properties which are fundamental to phylogenetic inference. We suggest that the current debate should move beyond considerations of parsimony versus Bayesian, toward identifying modes of morphological evolution and using these to build models for probabilistic search methods. [Bayesian; evolution; morphology; parsimony; phylogenetics; selection; simulation.]