bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of Students for the Use of Traditional Pedagogy in Physical Training of Pupils
Authors: Matnazarov U. , Masharipov  , Makhmudov Yu.
Published: December 2020

This article discusses the issues of preparing students for the use of folk pedagogy and sports traditions in the organization of sports and health-improving work with students. An important direction of this training is the organization of physical education of youth, the improvement of which is impossible without turning to age-old national traditions. Involvement of folk games in the process of physical education of children makes certain demands on the teacher. Therefore, the preparation of the teacher and class teacher for the use of folk pedagogy and folk traditions is the most important condition for a scientifically based system of education at a university.
Hz. Musa’nın Dilindeki “Ukde”nin Mahiyeti ve İlgili Tartışmaların Tahlili
Authors: Akbaş Ahmet
Published: December 2020

Kur’ân-ı Kerîm’de ismi en çok zikredilen peygamber Hz. Musa’dır. Onun Kur’ân’da anlatılan yaşam öyküsü içerisinde dikkat çeken unsurlardan birisi de “dilindeki düğüm” meselesidir. Peygamberlik gibi, dili iyi kullanmaya ve etkili konuşmaya dayalı bir görevdeki böyle bir kusur, ciddi anlamda düşündürücüdür. İnsan psikolojisini yakından ilgilendiren bu durumun Tevrat’ta da zikredilmiş olması dikkat çekicidir. Tefsirlerimizde Hz. Musa’nın bebekken ağzına ateş koyduğuna dair rivayetler ve konu hakkında çeşitli yorumlar mevcuttur. Bu çalışmada, mezkûr rivayetlerin ve ilgili yorumların kritiği yapılmış; bu yorumlardan, modern bilimsel verilerden ve Tevrat’taki ifadelerden hareketle Hz. Musa’nın dilindeki sorunun mahiyeti tespit edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Hz. Musa’nın dilinde, ağzına ateş koyma gibi küçükken yaşamış olabileceği bir travmadan kaynaklı fizyolojik bir rahatsızlığın yanında; aşırı heyecanlı, ürkek ve tedirgin mizaçlı olmasından kaynaklanan bir konuşma güçlüğünün olduğu, bu konuşma güçlüğünün, kekemelik, pelteklik veya tutukluk olabileceği, bu sorunun nübüvvet sonrasında bir müddet devam edip sonrasında geçmiş olabileceği ve konuşma güçlüğü çeken birinin peygamber olarak görevlendirilmesinde de bazı derslerin olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.
Sosyo-Politik Rivâyetlerin Anlaşılmasında Bağlamın Tespiti -“Câhiliye Ölümü” Rivayetleri Örneği"-
Authors: Onay İsa
Published: December 2020

Hadisler, tespit ve değerlendirme kriterleri açısından çeşitli yaklaşımlara konu olmuştur. Bu kriterlerin ne olduğu ve işletilip işletilmediği ya da nasıl işletileceği yanında rivayetlerin kabul/reddi ve anlaşılmasında öznellik sorunu da önemli etkiye sahiptir. Bir rivayetin Kur’an’a ve sahih sünnete, tarihe, akla uygunluk kriterlerine arz edilerek tespiti ve anlaşılmasına katkı sağlayacak unsurlardan biri de sosyo-kültürel ortama dair bilgilere sahip olmaktır. Metnin kendisinden elde edilemeyen ve sebeb-i vürudu zikredilmeyen rivayetlerin anlaşılmasında sosyo-kültürel bağlama ilişkin kavramların önemli olduğunu düşünmekteyiz. Bu çalışmanın amacı da, “câhiliye ölümü” temasının din dili içinde hangi unsur ya da unsurlara karşılık geldiğini, aynı zamanda musanniflerin hadisleri ele aldıkları bağlam ve konu bütünlüğünü dikkate alan bir okuma imkânı ile rivayetin özünü tespit ve mesajını anlama çabasıdır. Sonuç olarak, zahiren küfür ve şirkle ilgili olduğu düşünülen rivayetlerin, musanniflerin ve şarihlerin ele alış tarzından hareketle sosyo-politik alanla ilgili olduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Rivayetin ortaya çıkmasına sebep olan durumun ise, Arapların kültürel yapısından kaynaklandığını söylemek mümkündür.
Women as Passive Citizens in Kant's Theory of Citizenship
Authors: Durğun Serpil
Published: December 2020

Kant, who is one of the contractarian theorists in political philosophy, positions the person who has the right to vote and participates in the legislative process as a citizen. This positioning is directly related to Kant's attribution of citizenship to the independence precondition. For Kant, independence means that a person possesses a certain amount of ownership which enables him to sustain his life on his own. The person who owns a certain quantity of property is the master of himself as he will not receive orders from the others and will not need the protection of others. Positioning an independent person as an active citizen with political rights, Kant considers persons who are non-owners as passive citizens because they cannot meet the prerequisite for independence. Passive citizens who are deprived of all political rights are merely citizens of the state. According to Kant's argument, women can never move up to the active citizenship status, although the republic has cleared the way for the possibility that every member of the republic could eventually move up to the active citizenship status. The status of being man of property, which is a prerequisite for the independence criterion, loses all its functions when women are in question. Even if a woman is a property owner, this is still considered insufficient for the independence criterion. Kant bases this idea of him on the assumption of women's nature and the prenuptial agreement.
Adet Kanaması: Dört Kuşağın Bilgi ve Deneyimleri
Authors: Salman Yıkmış Meral
Published: December 2020

Makale adet kanamasının farklı kuşak kadınlar tarafından nasıl deneyimlendiği, adet görme bilgisinin ve deneyiminin kadınlar arasında nasıl aktarıldığı/paylaşıldığı sorularını temel alarak dört kuşak aile üyesiyle yapılan derinlemesine mülakatlar etrafında şekilleniyor. Bu çalışma, büyük anneanne, anneanne, anne ve kız çocuğundan müteşekkil dört aile üyesinin deneyimin ifadeleri olarak adet görmeye yükledikleri sembolik anlamlara, bu konudaki bilgilerine, adet kanaması için kullandıkları maddi nesnelere ve adet kanaması esnasındaki pratiklerine odaklanıyor. Bilgi paylaşımının ve deneyim aktarımının genellikle anne-kız çocuğu arasında, iki kuşakla sınırlı olduğu aile üyelerinin adet kanamasını deneyimleri, mevcut erkek egemen kültür nedeniyle ortaklaşırken, dönemsel farklılıklar, kent yaşamı, eğitim seviyesi, modernleşme gibi faktörler nedeniyle birbirinden ayrılıyor. Normal bedenin adet görmeyen beden, daha doğrusu erkek bedeni olduğu kabulüyle inşa edilen adet görme adabı, kadınların adet kanamasını gizlemesini ve suskunlukla örtmesini temel alıyor. Bu kurallar aynı ailenin dört kuşak üyesi arasında kısmen farklılaşsa da paylaşılmaya devam ediyor.
Bir İktidar Aracı Olarak Ev: Geriye Kalan ve Öldüren Cazibe’de “Eril Tahakküm” ve “Öteki Kadınlar”
Authors: Tunç Subaşi Selda
Published: December 2020

Bu çalışmada, Geriye Kalan (Çiğden Vitrinel, 2011) ve Öldüren Cazibe (Fatal Attraction, Adrian Lyne, 1987) filmlerindeki kadınların ev alanına ilişkin deneyimleri, Pierre Bourdieu’nın eril tahakküm kavramıyla bağlantı kuran bir kuramsal izlekte, feminist eleştirel söylem analizi perspektifinden yararlanılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bourdieu, Eril Tahakküm (1998/2002) çalışmasında eril ve dişil olmak üzere cinsiyetlendirilmiş iki alanın iktidar ilişkileri içindeki sembolik yansımalarını inceler. Kadınlar, içselleştirdikleri toplumsal cinsiyet pratiklerini ev içi rutinlerle, aile kurumunda yeniden üretir. Her iki filmde de sembolik şiddet göstergesi evdir; bundan dolayı bu iki film çalışmada yan yana gelebilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, kadınlar farklı ilgi alanları ve hayat tarzlarına sahip olsalar da ev alanını farklı şekillerde deneyimleseler de kadınlar için evin eril tahakkümü güçlendiren bir yer olma özelliğini koruduğunu göstermektir. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın temel sorunsalı, kadın bedeninin bir uzantısına dönüşen ev alanının kadınlar arasındaki sınıfsal farklılıkların temel belirleyeni olduğu iddiasıdır. Ev alanı, kadınlar arasında asimetrik sınıfsal bir konum üretmekte ve kadın bedeni bu konuma göre “terbiye” edilmektedir. Temsillerde, birbirine düşmanlaştırılan kadınlar arasındaki ilişki kopmakta, bu ilişkiyi tekrar kurabilme ihtimali ise sembolik tahakkümün sorgulanmasıyla mümkün görünmektedir.
Quantification of the Effect of Train Type on Concrete Sleeper Ballast Pressure Using a Support Condition Back-Calculator
Authors: Pereira Silva Camila , Dersch Marcus S. , Edwards J. Riley
Published: December 2020

Monitoring ballast support condition and improving current sub-structure and ballast maintenance strategies is critical to ensuring safe and efficient railroad operations. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois) have developed a ballast support condition back-calculator, a non-destructive instrumentation method and corresponding analysis tool that quantifies ballast pressure distributions under concrete sleepers without interrupting revenue service train operations. This laboratory-validated non-intrusive method uses concrete sleeper bending moment profile and rail seat loads as inputs to back-calculate the reaction distribution using a Simulated Annealing optimization algorithm that incorporates Pareto Distribution as the random variable generator. In order to further understand in-service ballast support conditions, concrete surface strain gauges were installed on concrete sleepers at a revenue service field site to measure strains that could subsequently be converted into bending moments. This site is on a shared use rail corridor with traffic ranging from high speed passenger to heavy axle load (HAL) freight trains. Rail-mounted strain gauges were used to measure strains that were used to calculate the vertical wheel-rail loads to approximate rail seat loads. This paper quantifies the ballast pressure distributions beneath concrete sleepers under different types of rolling stock and evaluates how ballast support condition changes as a function of accumulated tonnage. A wide range of loads were observed at the field site, ranging from 4 to 35 kips (18–156 kN). Corresponding ballast pressures ranged from 14 to 175 psi (97–1,207 kPa), with sleeper-ballast contact area corresponding to 60% of the bottom of the sleeper area. The accumulation of 12.24 million gross tons (MGT) (12.44 million tons) did not generate a quantifiable change in ballast pressure values nor did it generate a change in the ballast support condition. The research results presented in this paper demonstrate the potential of the back-calculator to provide a stand-alone non-invasive method to quantify ballast support conditions, sleeper health, and sleeper bearing stress. Back calculator data will aid the rail industry in optimizing tamping cycles, enhancing safety, and developing more representative concrete sleeper flexural designs based on actual support conditions.
Study on a New Environmentally Friendly Synthetic Fluid for Preparing Synthetic-Based Drilling Fluid
Authors: Sun Yuxue , Zhu Xiuyu , Zhao Jingyuan , Sui Dianjie
Published: December 2020

In view of the pollution problems related to using oil-based drilling fluids, we prepared a new environmentally friendly synthetic fluid, namely, NSF, for use in synthetic-based drilling fluid instead. We used heavy hydrocarbons from Daqing as raw material in our preparation and employed few-steps refining techniques, such as hydrodesulfurization, hydrodearomatization, and hydrogenation. After the treatment, the sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbon contents in the NSF were <0.5 mg/L, meeting international environmental standards. NSF is composed mainly of C12-C22 hydrocarbons, and is characterized by low impurity content, small specific gravity, and easy degradation. In addition, the LC50 value is >1,000,000 mg/L water-soluble fraction; therefore, its toxicity is <10% of that of diesel in oil-based drilling fluid and, as the flash point of NSF is about 134°C, the related fire hazard is low. The synthetic-based drilling fluid with NSF has the advantage of causing no swelling damage to the reservoir, and saves the cost of drilling fluid because it doesn't need to deal with the environmental problems (the sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbon contents were <0.5 mg/L) and field problems caused by the reaction between drilling fluid and reservoir, and greatly increases the ROP through reducing the drill pipe sticking and with C12-C22 hydrocarbons in synthetic-based fluid, and safely uses, and has stable drilling fluid performances which are flash point (134°C) and low fire hazard. We have therefore achieved our aim of preparing a high-quality and non-toxic synthetic fluid, of which the aromatic hydrocarbon and sulfur contents meet international standards. Using this synthetic-based drilling fluid therefore facilitates environment protection drilling.
Comparisons of the Sexual Cycles for the Coccidian Parasites Eimeria and Toxoplasma
Authors: Martorelli Di Genova Bruno , Knoll Laura J.
Published: December 2020

Toxoplasma gondiiandEimeriaspp. are widely prevalent Coccidian parasites that undergo sexual reproduction during their life cycle.T. gondiican infect any warm-blooded animal in its asexual cycle; however, its sexual cycle is restricted to felines.Eimeriaspp. are usually restricted to one host species, and their whole life cycle is completed within this same host. The literature reviewed in this article comprises the recent findings regarding the unique biology of the sexual development ofT. gondiiandEimeriaspp. The molecular basis of sex in these pathogens has been significantly unraveled by new findings in parasite differentiation along with transcriptional analysis ofT. gondiiandEimeriaspp. pre-sexual and sexual stages. Focusing on the metabolic networks, analysis of these transcriptome datasets shows enrichment for several different metabolic pathways. Transcripts for glycolysis enzymes are consistently more abundant inT. gondiicat infection stages than the asexual tachyzoite stage andEimeriaspp. merozoite and gamete stages compared to sporozoites. Recent breakthroughs in host-pathogen interaction and host restriction have significantly expanded the understating of the unique biology of these pathogens. This review aims to critically explore advances in the sexual cycle of Coccidia parasites with the ultimate goal of comparing and analyzing the sexual cycle ofEimeriaspp. andT. gondii.
Environmental Science Communication for a Young Audience: A Case Study on the #EarthOvershootDay Campaign on YouTube
Authors: Kaul Lena , Schrögel Philipp , Humm Christian
Published: December 2020

Addressing global sustainability challenges such as climate change in democratic societies requires thorough political and societal debates. Science and environmental communication is needed to inform these debates. However, not all parts of society are equally reached by traditional science communication. In particular young people, especially without academic background, are often left out. The cooperation of science communicators with influencers on the video platform YouTube can be a way to convey scientific information and raise awareness for environmental issues with new young audiences. This case study looks at three videos from the campaign #EarthOvershootDay on YouTube by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) Germany and the educational initiative MESH Collective. The focus of the analysis lies on the established success factors of communication through influencers—specifically authenticity, comprehensibility and storytelling—and how they play out in detail in the three exemplary videos. Besides the analysis of the videos, the study is corroborated by interviews with the producers and a comment analysis in order to include the perspective of the viewers. Our analysis confirms previous findings on science communication with influencers and illustrates the practical implementation of these findings. It shows that authenticity is a central aspect which is not disturbed through the presentation of scientific content. The storytelling approaches are tailored to the respective influencer and their style. The language and structure of the videos are simple and comprehensible, scientific arguments focus on selected aspects and are tied to examples from everyday life. The comments by the users support these findings with the majority of comments addressing the three aspects of our analysis being positive. However, evidence for an in-depth engagement with the scientific contents could not be found in the comments. The stated goal of the campaign to reach educationally disadvantaged young people was only reached to a limited degree according to the assessment of the producers. Additionally, the views of two of the three videos remained below the average for the respective channel. Taken together this indicates that cooperation with influencers might not be an “all-purpose tool” guaranteeing success for science communication.
Identification of Driver Genes Regulating the T-Cell–Infiltrating Levels in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Cai Yi , Tian Ying , Wang Jianchu , Wei Wang , Tang Qianli , Lu Libai , Luo Zongjiang , Li Wenchuan , Lu Yuan , Pu Jian , Yang Zhengxia
Published: December 2020

The driver genes regulating T-cell infiltration are important for understanding immune-escape mechanisms and developing more effective immunotherapy. However, researches in this field have rarely been reported in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, we identified cancer driver genes triggered by copy number alterations such as CDKN2B, MYC, TSC1, TP53, and GSK3B. The T-cell infiltration levels were significantly decreased in both HCC and recurrent HCC tissues compared with the adjacent normal liver tissues. Remarkably, we identified that copy number losses of MAX and TP53 were candidate driver genes that significantly suppress T-cell infiltration in HCC. Accordingly, their downstream oncogenic pathway, cell cycle, was significantly activated in the low T-cell infiltration HCC. Moreover, the chemokine-related target genes by TP53, which played key roles in T-cell recruitment, were also downregulated in HCC with TP53/MAX deletions, suggesting that copy number losses in MAX and TP53 might result in T-cell depletion in HCC via downregulating chemokines. Clinically, the T-cell infiltration levels and chemokines activity could accurately predict the response of sorafenib, and the prognostic outcomes in HCC. In conclusion, the systematic analysis not only facilitates identification of driver genes and signaling pathways involved in T-cell infiltration and immune escape, but also gains more insights into the functional roles of T cells in HCC.
A Novel Forkhead Box Protein P (FoxP) From Litopenaeus vannamei Plays a Positive Role in Immune Response
Authors: Gao Jiefeng , Geng Ran , Deng Hengwei , Zuo Hongliang , Weng Shaoping , He Jianguo , Xu Xiaopeng
Published: December 2020

The forkhead box protein P (FoxP) family members have been known to be important for regulation of immune responses in vertebrates, but their roles in invertebrate immunity remain unclear. In this study, a novel FoxP gene (LvFoxP) was identified from Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei and functionally studied in the context of immune response. Possessing a conserved FoxP coiled-coil domain and a forkhead domain, LvFoxP shared homology to vertebrate FoxP family members, in particular FoxP1. Expression of LvFoxP was detectable in all the examined tissues and could be up-regulated by immune challenge in gill and hemocytes. The LvFoxP protein was present in both the cytoplasm and nucleus of hemocytes and could be nuclear-translocated upon immune stimulation. Silencing of LvFoxP increased the susceptibility of shrimp to infections by Vibrio parahaemolyticus and white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and down-regulated the expression of multiple components of NF-κB and JAK-STAT pathways and almost all the examined immune effector genes. Moreover, the phagocytic activity of hemocytes from LvFoxP-silenced shrimp against V. parahaemolyticus was decreased. These suggested that LvFoxP could play a positive role in immune response. The current study may provide novel insights into the immunity of invertebrates and the functional evolution of the FoxP family.
Cytokine and Chemokine Signals of T-Cell Exclusion in Tumors
Authors: Zhang Yu , Guan Xin-yuan , Jiang Peng
Published: December 2020

The success of cancer immunotherapy in solid tumors depends on a sufficient distribution of effector T cells into malignant lesions. However, immune-cold tumors utilize many T-cell exclusion mechanisms to resist immunotherapy. T cells have to go through three steps to fight against tumors: trafficking to the tumor core, surviving and expanding, and maintaining the memory phenotype for long-lasting responses. Cytokines and chemokines play critical roles in modulating the recruitment of T cells and the overall cellular compositions of the tumor microenvironment. Manipulating the cytokine or chemokine environment has brought success in preclinical models and early-stage clinical trials. However, depending on the immune context, the same cytokine or chemokine signals may exhibit either antitumor or protumor activities and induce unwanted side effects. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the cytokine and chemokine signals is the premise of overcoming T-cell exclusion for effective and innovative anti-cancer therapies.
Olfactory Dysfunction Predicts Disease Progression in Parkinson’s Disease: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: He Runcheng , Zhao Yuwen , He Yan , Zhou Yangjie , Yang Jinxia , Zhou Xiaoting , Zhu Liping , Zhou Xun , Liu Zhenhua , Xu Qian , Sun Qiying , Tan Jieqiong , Yan Xinxiang , Tang Beisha , Guo Jifeng
Published: December 2020

Background and Objective:

Olfactory dysfunction (hyposmia) is an important non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). To investigate the potential prognostic value of hyposmia as a marker for disease progression, we prospectively assessed clinical manifestations and longitudinal changes of hyposmic PD patients and normosmic ones.

Methods

Olfactory function was evaluated with the Sniffin’ Sticks in PD patients at baseline. One hundred five hyposmic PD patients and 59 normosmic PD patients were enrolled and followed up for 2 years. They were subsequently evaluated at baseline and during follow-up periods with neurological and neuropsychological assessments. Clinical manifestations and disease progressions were compared between hyposmic and normosmic patients. In addition, the relationship between disease progressions and olfactory function was analyzed.

Results

Our study suggested that hyposmic PD patients and normosmic ones were similar in gender, age, education levels, age of onset, disease duration, and clinical features at baseline. Hyposmic PD patients exhibited more severe Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Part II–III (UPDRS II-III) scores, higher levodopa equivalent dose (LED) needs, and poorer Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score at follow-up visits compared to those in normosmic PD patients. Hyposmia also showed greater rates in the increase of LED needs, improvement of UPDRS III score, and deterioration of MMSE score. Both improvement of UPDRS III score and decline of MMSE score were associated with poorer odor identification.

Conclusion

Our prospective study demonstrated that hyposmic PD patients showed a relatively worse clinical course compared with normosmic patients. Olfactory dysfunction is a useful predictor of disease progression.
Cochlear Implant and Hearing Aid: Objective Measures of Binaural Benefit
Authors: Balkenhol Tobias , Wallhäusser-Franke Elisabeth , Rotter Nicole , Servais Jérôme J.
Published: December 2020

Cochlear implants (CI) improve hearing for the severely hearing impaired. With an extension of implantation candidacy, today many CI listeners use a hearing aid on their contralateral ear, referred to as bimodal listening. It is uncertain, however, whether the brains of bimodal listeners can combine the electrical and acoustical sound information and how much CI experience is needed to achieve an improved performance with bimodal listening. Patients with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss undergoing implant surgery were tested in their ability to understand speech in quiet and in noise, before and again 3 and 6 months after provision of a CI. Results of these bimodal listeners were compared to age-matched, normal hearing controls (NH). The benefit of adding a contralateral hearing aid was calculated in terms of head shadow, binaural summation, binaural squelch, and spatial release from masking from the results of a sentence recognition test. Beyond that, bimodal benefit was estimated from the difference in amplitudes and latencies of the N1, P2, and N2 potentials of the brains’ auditory evoked response (AEP) toward speech. Data of fifteen participants contributed to the results. CI provision resulted in significant improvement of speech recognition with the CI ear, and in taking advantage of the head shadow effect for understanding speech in noise. Some amount of binaural processing was suggested by a positive binaural summation effect 6 month post-implantation that correlated significantly with symmetry of pure tone thresholds. Moreover, a significant negative correlation existed between binaural summation and latency of the P2 potential. With CI experience, morphology of the N1 and P2 potentials in the AEP response approximated that of NH, whereas, N2 remained different. Significant AEP differences between monaural and binaural processing were shown for NH and for bimodal listeners 6 month post-implantation. Although the grand-averaged difference in N1 amplitude between monaural and binaural listening was similar for NH and the bimodal group, source localization showed group-dependent differences in auditory and speech-relevant cortex, suggesting different processing in the bimodal listeners.
A Serum Metabolic Profiling Analysis During the Formation of Fatty Liver in Landes Geese via GC-TOF/MS
Authors: Gong Yujie , Lyu Wentao , Shi Xingfen , Zou Xiaoting , Lu Lizhi , Yang Hua , Xiao Yingping
Published: December 2020

During the process of fatty liver production by overfeeding, the levels of endogenous metabolites in the serum of geese would change dramatically. This study investigated the effects of overfeeding on serum metabolism of Landes geese and the underlying mechanisms using a metabolomics approach. Sixty Landes geese of the same age were randomly divided into the following three groups with 20 replicates in each group: D0 group (free from gavage); D7 group (overfeeding for 7 days); D25 group (overfeeding for 25 days). At the end of the experiment, 10 geese of similar weight from each group were selected for slaughter and sampling. The results showed that overfeeding significantly increased the body weight and the liver weight of geese. Serum enzymatic activities and serum lipid levels were significantly enhanced following overfeeding. Gas chromatography time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS) was employed to explore the serum metabolic patterns, and to identify potential contributors to the formation of fatty liver and the correlated metabolic pathways. Relative to overfeeding for 7 days, a large number of endogenous molecules in serum of geese overfed for 25 days were altered. Continuous elevated levels of pyruvic acid, alanine, proline and beta-glycerophosphoric acid and reduced lactic acid level were observed in the serum of overfed geese. Pathway exploration found that the most of significantly different metabolites were involved in amino acids, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The present study exhibited the efficient capability of Landes geese to produce fatty liver, identified potential biomarkers and disturbed metabolic pathways in liver steatosis. These findings might reveal the underlying mechanisms of fatty liver formation and provide some theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases.
Decreased Colonic Guanylin/Uroguanylin Expression and Dried Stool Property in Mice With Social Defeat Stress
Authors: Ebisutani Nobuhiko , Fukui Hirokazu , Nishimura Heihachiro , Nakanishi Takashi , Morimoto Kenki , Itou Shiho , Nakamura Ayumi , Masutani Mizuki , Hori Mika , Tomita Toshihiko , Oshima Tadayuki , Kasahara Emiko , Sekiyama Atsuo , Miwa Hiroto
Published: December 2020

Psychological stress is deeply involved in the pathophysiology of not only mental illness but also functional gastrointestinal disorders. In the present study, we examined the relationship between psychological stress and abnormality of stool properties, focusing on the alteration of plasma glucocorticoid and guanylin (GN)/uroguanylin (UGN) expression in the colon. A murine model of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) was established by exposing a C57BL/6N intruder mouse to a CD-1 aggressor mouse for 3–5 min. Thereafter the mice were kept in the same cage but separated by a divider for the remainder of the day. This procedure was repeated for 10 consecutive days, and then a social interaction test was performed to evaluate social avoidance. Fresh fecal and blood samples were collected for stool property analysis and measurement of the plasma glucocorticoid level by ELISA. The expression of GN, UGN, and guanylate cyclase 2C in the colonic tissues was examined by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Moreover, Lovo cells were stimulated with dexamethasone, and the expression of GN/UGN mRNA was examined. In the CSDS group, the time spent in the social interaction zone was significantly shorter when the CD-1 aggressor mouse was present than when it was absent. The social interaction ratio was also significantly lower in the CSDS group relative to the controls. The mean Bristol scale score was significantly lower in the CSDS group, but the fecal sodium concentration did not differ between CSDS mice and controls. The level of plasma corticosterone was significantly higher in the CSDS group than in the controls immediately after the 10th day of CSDS. The expression of both GN and UGN was significantly decreased in the CSDS mice. GN was expressed in all colonic epithelial cells, and UGN was expressed in ovoid or pyramidal epithelial cells in the colonic mucosa. The expression of both GN and UGN was significantly decreased in the CSDS mice relative to controls. The expression of both GN and UGN was significantly suppressed in Lovo cells upon stimulation with dexamethasone. Psychological stress-induced glucocorticoid may suppress colonic GN/UGN expression, resulting in a change in stool properties leading to constipation.
Phospholipid:Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase1 Overexpression Delays Senescence and Enhances Post-heat and Cold Exposure Fitness
Authors: Demski Kamil , Łosiewska Anna , Jasieniecka-Gazarkiewicz Katarzyna , Klińska Sylwia , Banaś Antoni
Published: December 2020

In an alternative pathway to acyl-CoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT)-mediated triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis from diacylglycerol, phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (PDAT) utilizes not acyl-CoA but an acyl group from sn-2 position of a phospholipid, to form TAG. The enzyme’s activity in vitro matches DGAT’s in a number of plant species, however its main function in plants (especially in vegetative tissue) is debatable. In the presented study, we cultivated PDAT1-overexpressing, pdat1 knockout and wild-type lines of Arabidopsis thaliana through their whole lifecycle. PDAT1 overexpression prolonged Arabidopsis lifespan in comparison to wild-type plants, whereas knocking out pdat1 accelerated the plant’s senescence. After subjecting the 3-week old seedlings of the studied lines (grown in vitro) to 2-h heat stress (40°C) and then growing them for one more week in standard conditions, the difference in weight between wild-type and PDAT1-overexpressing lines increased in comparison to the difference between plants grown only in optimal conditions. In another experiment all lines exposed to 2-week cold stress experienced loss of pigment, except for PDAT1-overexpressing lines, which green rosettes additionally weighed 4 times more than wild-type. Our results indicate that plants depleted of PDAT1 are more susceptible to cold exposure, while PDAT1 overexpression grants plants a certain heat and cold resilience. Since it was shown, that lysophospholipids may be intertwined with stress response, we decided to also conduct in vitro assays of acyl-CoA:lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LPCAT) and acylCoA:lysophosphatidylethanolamine acyltransferase (LPEAT) activity in microsomal fractions from the PDAT1-overexpressing Arabidopsis lines in standard conditions. The results show significant increase in LPEAT and LPCAT activity in comparison to wild-type plants. PDAT1-overexpressing lines’ rosettes also present twice as high expression of LPCAT2 in comparison to control. The presented study shows how much heightened expression of PDAT1 augments plant condition after stress and extends its lifespan.
Financial Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Under Mediating Effect of Operational Self-Sustainability
Authors: Hussain Rai Imtiaz , Bashir Shahid , Hussain Shahbaz
Published: December 2020

Operational and financial sustainability have, over time, remained as issues in the microfinance industry. The microfinance industry is struggling to gain self-sufficiency in Pakistan due to non-performing loans and operating costs. Simultaneously, deliberation on corporate social responsibility (CSR) is also considered in academic literature and organizational practices. However, studies on CSR and financial performance in the microfinance sector are scarce, especially in Pakistan. CSR will develop customer attraction and loyalty, employee attraction, motivation and commitment, MFIs' reputation and access to capital, and eventually build financial performance. Interviews were conducted with branch managers of microfinance institutions to test previous questionnaires. A self-administered survey was conducted to collect data from the managers of the microfinance banks operating in Punjab. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to answer research questions using Smart PLS. Most of the microfinance institutions believe in social responsibilities but lacks fund allocation and approval from higher management, and results are in line with prior studies. These empirical findings lead to the perception that CSR is not a barrier performance in microfinance banks as they have access to capital. The results indicated a strong positive correlation between CSR and the financial performance of the MFIs. CSR also positively correlates with customer retention, employees' motivation and attraction, and business reputation. CSR was associated with access to capital but was found to be weak. The research also narrated the limitation and practical implications of the study. The study also discusses further research directions.
Factors Affecting Staff Turnover of Young Academics: Job Embeddedness and Creative Work Performance in Higher Academic Institutions
Authors: Shah Imran Ahmed , Yadav Amit , Afzal Farman , Shah Syed Maqsood Zia Ahmed , Junaid Danish , Azam Sami , Jonkman Mirjam , De Boer Friso , Ahammad Ronju , Shanmugam Bharanidharan
Published: December 2020

Young academics have been facing a problem of high turnover rate due to missing links between the institutions’ policies and the performance. This study explores the effect of job embeddedness and community embeddedness on creative work performance and intentions to leave of young teaching staff in academic institutions in Pakistan. In this study, 300 qualified young academics from public and private universities were selected as subjects and asked to complete a questionnaire. Data were collected via mail-survey. A variance-based structural equation model is employed to measure the path model. The results show that the fit-dimension of organizational- and community-embeddedness, along with the moderating effect of organization size and the availability of nearby alternative jobs have a significant impact on improving perceived creative performance and reducing staff turnover intentions. This study suggests that organizations should focus on organizational-fit and community-fit constructs in their nurturing strategies to embed young teachers in their academic institutions. This study also suggests that monetary rewards only are relatively ineffective to improve retention. Hence, public and private sector universities should facilitate meaningful contributions from young teachers in creative work and provide opportunities for social interactions and personal development.
An Interdisciplinary Examination of Stress and Injury Occurrence in Athletes
Authors: Fisher Harry , Gittoes Marianne JR , Evans Lynne , Bitchell C Leah , Mullen Richard J , Scutari Marco
Published: December 2020

This paper adopts a novel, interdisciplinary approach to explore the relationship between stress-related psychosocial factors, physiological markers and occurrence of injury in athletes using a repeated measures prospective design. At four data collection time-points, across 1-year of a total 2-year data collection period, athletes completed measures of major life events, the reinforcement sensitivity theory personality questionnaire, muscle stiffness, heart rate variability and postural stability, and reported any injuries they had sustained since the last data collection. Two Bayesian networks were used to examine the relationships between variables and model the changes between data collection points in the study. Findings revealed muscle stiffness to have the strongest relationship with injury occurrence, with high levels of stiffness increasing the probability of sustaining an injury. Negative life events did not increase the probability of injury occurrence at any single time-point; however, when examining changes between time points, increases in negative life events did increase the probability of injury. In addition, the combination of increases in negative life events and muscle stiffness resulted in the greatest probability of sustaining an injury. Findings demonstrated the importance of both an interdisciplinary approach and a repeated measures design to furthering our understanding of the relationship between stress-related markers and injury occurrence.
Is Standardization Transferable? Initial Experience of Urethral Surgery at the University Hospital Frankfurt
Authors: Wenzel Mike , Krimphove Marieke J. , Lauer Benedikt , Hoeh Benedikt , Müller Matthias J. , Mandel Philipp , Becker Andreas , Vetterlein Malte W. , Mueller Stefan C. , Dahlem Roland , Fisch Margit , Chun Felix K.-H. , Kluth Luis A.
Published: December 2020

Background: Since January 2018 performance of urethroplasties is done on regular basis at the University Hospital Frankfurt (UKF). We aimed to implement and transfer an institutional standardized perioperative algorithm for urethral surgery (established at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf—UKE) using a validated Urethral Stricture Surgery Patient-Reported Outcome Measure (USS-PROM) in patients undergoing urethroplasty at UKF.

Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all patients who underwent urethroplasty for urethral stricture disease between January 2018 and January 2020 at UKF. All patients were offered to revisit for clinical follow-up (FU) and completion of USS-PROM. Primary end point was stricture recurrence-free survival (RFS). Secondary endpoints were functional outcomes, quality of life (QoL), and patient satisfaction.

Results: In total, 50 patients underwent urethroplasty and 74 and 24% had a history of previous urethrotomy or urethroplasty, respectively. A buccal mucosal graft urethroplasty was performed in 86% (n = 43). After patient's exclusion due to lost of FU, FU <3 months, and/or a pending second stage procedure, 40 patients were eligible for final analysis. At median FU of 10 months (interquartile-range 5.0–18.0), RFS was 83%. After successful voiding trial, the postoperative median Qmax significantly improved (24.0 vs. 7.0 mL/s; p < 0.01). Conversely, median residual urine decreased significantly (78 vs. 10 mL; p < 0.01). Overall, 95% of patients stated that QoL improved and 90% were satisfied by the surgical outcome.

Conclusions: We demonstrated a successful implementation and transfer of an institutional standardized perioperative algorithm for urethral surgery from one location (UKE) to another (UKF). In our short-term FU, urethroplasty showed excellent RFS, low complication rates, good functional results, improvement of QoL and high patient satisfaction. PROMs allow an objective comparison between different centers.
From Trees to Barcodes and Back Again: Theoretical and Statistical Perspectives
Authors: Kanari Lida , Garin Adélie , Hess Kathryn
Published: December 2020

Methods of topological data analysis have been successfully applied in a wide range of fields to provide useful summaries of the structure of complex data sets in terms of topological descriptors, such as persistence diagrams. While there are many powerful techniques for computing topological descriptors, the inverse problem, i.e., recovering the input data from topological descriptors, has proved to be challenging. In this article, we study in detail the Topological Morphology Descriptor (TMD), which assigns a persistence diagram to any tree embedded in Euclidean space, and a sort of stochastic inverse to the TMD, the Topological Neuron Synthesis (TNS) algorithm, gaining both theoretical and computational insights into the relation between the two. We propose a new approach to classify barcodes using symmetric groups, which provides a concrete language to formulate our results. We investigate to what extent the TNS recovers a geometric tree from its TMD and describe the effect of different types of noise on the process of tree generation from persistence diagrams. We prove moreover that the TNS algorithm is stable with respect to specific types of noise.
The Effect of Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) on the Seed Yield and Quality of Winter Oilseed Rape
Authors: Załuszniewska Aleksandra , Nogalska Anna
Published: December 2020

The aim of a two-year field experiment conducted in north-eastern (NE) Poland was to evaluate the effect of meat and bone meal (MBM) applied without or with mineral nitrogen (N) on seed yield, thousand seed weight (TSW), protein yield, fat yield, fatty acid profile and glucosinolate (GLS) concentrations in winter oilseed rape. Five treatments were compared: MBM applied at 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 Mg ha−1, inorganic NPK, and a zero-N check. The first two MBM plots and the NPK plots received supplemental inorganic N to provide a total of 158 kg N ha−1. The yields of winter oilseed rape were highest in the treatment with mineral (NPK) fertilization. All plots receiving MBM yielded equally to each other but greater than the unfertilized check. Winter oilseed rape accumulated significantly more protein in seeds in the NPK treatment than in the 1.5 Mg ha−1 MBM + 40 kg N ha−1 treatment. The crude fat content of seeds was significantly higher in the 1.5 Mg MBM ha−1 + 40 kg N ha−1 treatment, compared with the NPK treatment and the 1.0 Mg MBM ha−1 + 79 kg N ha−1 treatment. Oleic, linoleic, and α-linolenic acids accounted for nearly 90% of total fatty acids in rapeseed oil, and the average ratio of linoleic acid to α-linolenic acid was 1.81:1. Fertilization had a minor influence on the proportions of fatty acids, which were considerably affected by adverse weather conditions.
Multifaceted Analysis of Barley Landraces Collected during Gene Bank Expeditions in Poland at the End of the 20th Century
Authors: Dziurdziak Joanna , Bolc Paulina , Wlodarczyk Sylwia , Puchta Marta , Gryziak Grzegorz , Podyma Wiesław , Boczkowska Maja
Published: December 2020

The extensive genetic diversity of crop landraces deposited in gene banks is an important part of future breeding programs. However, in order to exploit this potential, it is necessary both to preserve germplasm and to collect and share a wide range of data on its characteristics and evaluation. The main objective of the presented paper was to evaluate the diversity of spring barley landraces originating from Poland. Historical data from standard field evaluation of agronomic traits, genetic data obtained from Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) analysis and grain morphometric data were used. The analysis showed that groups of hulled and hulls barley accessions were substantially separate. Genetic and grain morphological variation did not show any relationship with eco-geographical conditions in the place of origin. There was also no clear division into forms with two- and six-row ears. The combination of the results of various types of analyzes describing this collection makes us believe that its chances of being used in research and breeding will increase.
Intermediate Inheritance with Disomic Tendency in Tetraploid Intergeneric Citrus × Poncirus Hybrids Enhances the Efficiency of Citrus Rootstock Breeding
Authors: Calvez Leny , Dereeper Alexis , Mournet Pierre , Froelicher Yann , Bruyère Saturnin , Morillon Raphaël , Ollitrault Patrick
Published: December 2020

Rootstocks are crucial for the sustainability of the citrus industry worldwide. Diploid intergeneric Citrus × Poncirus hybrids have contributed considerably to citrus rootstock improvement and their tetraploid (doubled-diploid) forms are important resources for the creation of a new generation of tetraploid rootstocks. To optimize the efficiency of tetraploid rootstock breeding strategies, more knowledge is required on inheritance in the allotetraploid genitors. A set of 159 new SNP markers that fully distinguish Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. from Citrus species was developed from polymorphisms mined in GBS data and used to establish a genetic map of tetraploid citrumelo (C. × paradisi Macfad. × P. trifoliata) and to analyze the meiotic behavior of tetraploid citrumelo and citrandarin (C. reticulata Blanco × P. trifoliata). The tetraploid citrumelo genetic map was highly syntenic and collinear with the clementine reference genome. The apparent intergeneric recombination rate was strongly limited by high preferential chromosome pairing, resulting in intermediate inheritance with disomic tendency. Such inheritance, also observed in tetraploid citrandarin, results in the transmission by the diploid gametes of a high rate of intergeneric heterozygosity. It is therefore expected that a large part of the genetic value selected in the original diploid intergeneric rootstock is transmitted to the tetraploid sexual progenies.
Sourdough Technology as a Tool for the Development of Healthier Grain-Based Products: An Update
Authors: Fernández-Peláez Juan , Paesani Candela , Gómez Manuel
Published: December 2020

There has been growing demand by consumers for grain-based products with well-balanced nutritional profiles and health-promoting properties. The components of the flours obtained from different grains can be modified or improved at a nutritional level by using sourdough technology, which has gained increasing interest in recent years. Sourdough hydrolyse dietary fibre, reduces fat rancidity, and enables an increase in starch and protein digestibility, as well as vitamin levels and mineral bioavailability. In addition, bioactive compounds are synthesized during fermentation, while components that interfere with the digestion of grain-based products or digestion-linked pathologies, such as gluten sensitivity or gastrointestinal syndromes, are reduced. Finally, it has been observed that sourdough fermented products can play a role in gut microbiota regulation. Thanks to this health-promoting potential, sourdough can stand out among other fermentation processes and opens up a new range of healthier commercial products to be developed. The current review discusses the extensive research carried out in the last 15 years and aims at updating and deepening understanding on how sourdough can enhance the nutritional and health-related characteristics of the different components present in the grains.