bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors for Uptake of Tetanus Toxoid Vaccination During Pregnancy Among Women of Reproductive Age in Tanzania; An Analysis of Data from the 2015-16 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicators Survey
Authors: Tungaraza Maximillian Biyemo , Moshi Fabiola Vicent
Published: December 2020

Background: Tetanus is a vaccine preventable disease. Tanzania through its Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) recommend all women should receive at least five TT doses in their reproductive life. Little is known on predictors of TT uptake during pregnancy among women of reproductive age in TanzaniaMethod: The study used data from the 2015-16 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicators Survey (2015-16 TDHS-MIS). A total of 6924women of active reproductive age from 15 to 49 were included in the analysis. Both univariate and multiple regression analyses were used to determine the predictors of TT uptake during pregnancy among women of reproductive age in Tanzania.Results: More than half, 3480 (50.3%) of the study population had either no or one tetanus injection. A total of 3444 (49.7%) had two or more tetanus injection during pregnancy. After adjusted for confounders, predictors of uptake of tetanus vaccination were early antenatal booking (AOR=1.174 at 95% CI=1.033-1.335, p=0.014), age group of women [ 20 to 34 years (AOR=1.433 at 95% CI= 1.155-1.778, p=0.001), more than 34 years (AOR=1.379 at 95% CI=1.065-1.786, p=0.015)], wealth index [ rich (AOR=1.261 at 95% CI= 1.083-1.468, p = 0.003)], parity [para 2-4 (AOR=0.401 at 95% CI=0.343-0.468, p<0.001), para 5 and above (AOR=0.217 at 95% CI=0.178-0.265, p<0.001)], level of education [ primary level, (AOR=0.864 at 95% CI=0.754-0.99, p=0.035)] zones [Unguja Zanzibar Island (AOR=0.434 at 95% CI=0.309-0.609, p<0.001), Pemba (Pemba Island) (AOR=0.34 at 95% CI=0.226-0.512, p<0.001)] and adequate ANC visits (AOR=0.649 at 95% CI=0.582-0.723, p<0.001)Conclusion: Antenatal care service utilization, including both timeliness and the number of ANC visits attended were found important predictors for TT vaccine uptake. Therefore, the responsible ministry of health in the country should strengthen the strategies in place to increase maternal awareness on importance of ANC service utilization.
Delayedright-Sided Diaphragmatic Rupture after Blunt Chest Trauma: A Rarity
Authors: Miner Njem Josiah , Dung Nehemiah Joshua , Mangai Ngeh Audu , Benjamin Ugwu
Published: December 2020

Traumatic injuries of the diaphragm are relatively uncommon, as such are frequently missed, especially when it occurs following blunt trauma and on the right side. These injuries often occurred in the setting of polytrauma, as such other obvious injuries tend to mask the diaphragmatic injuries thus resulting in delayed or missed diagnosis. We report the case of a 45 year old man with delayed right-sided diaphragmatic rupture following blunt trauma, who had trans-thoracic open repair with complete relief of symptoms. Although right diaphragmatic rupture is uncommon because of the cushioning effect of the liver, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of persistent right sided chest pain in a patient that has sustained previous chest trauma, no matter how remote the history might be.
Experimental evaluation of ecological principles to understand and modulate the outcome of bacterial strain competition in gut microbiomes
Authors: Munoz Rafael R. Segura , Mantz Sara , Martinez Ines , Schmaltz Robert J. , Walter Jens , Ramer-Tait Amanda E.
Published: December 2020

It is unclear if coexistence theory can be applied to gut microbiomes to understand their characteristics and modulate their composition. Through strictly controlled colonization experiments in mice, we demonstrated that strains of Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides vulgatus could only be established if microbiomes were devoid of exactly these species. Strains of A. muciniphila showed strict competitive exclusion, while B. vulgates strains coexistedbut populations were still influenced by competitive interactions. Priority effects were detected for both species as strains’ competitive fitness increased when colonizing first. Based on these observations, we devised a subtractive strategy for A. muciniphila using antibiotics and demonstrated that a strain from an assembled community can be stably replaced by another strain. Altogether, these results suggest that aspects of coexistence theory, e.g., niche partitioning and the impact of priority effects on fitness differences, can be applied to explain ecological characteristics of gut microbiomes and modulate their composition.
The use of the Hungarian Test Your Memory (TYM-HUN), MMSE, and ADAS-Cog tests for patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in a Hungarian population: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Garbóczy Szabolcs , Magócs Éva , Szőllősi Gergő , Harsányi Szilvia , Anikó Égerházi , Kolozsvári László
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUNDMild cognitive impairment (MCI) often presages the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accurate and early identification of cognitive impairment will substantially reduce the burden on the family and alleviate the costs for the whole society. There is a need for testing methods that are easy to perform even in a general practitioner’s office, inexpensive and non-invasive, which could help the early recognition of mental decline. We have selected the Test Your Memory (TYM), which has proven to be reliable for detecting AD and MCI in several countries. Our study was designed to test the usability of the Hungarian version of the TYM (TYM-HUN) comparing with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) in MCI recognition in the Hungarian population.METHODSTYM test was translated and validated into Hungarian (TYM-HUN) in a previous study. The TYM-HUN test was used in conjunction with and compared with the MMSE and the ADAS-Cog. For our study, 50 subjects were selected: 25 MCI patients and 25 healthy controls (HC). Spearman’s rank correlation was used to analyse the correlation between the scores of MMSE and ADAS-Cog with TYM-HUN and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established.RESULTSMCI can be distinguished from normal aging using TYM-HUN. We established a 'cut-off' point of TYM-HUN (44/45points) where optimal sensitivity (80%) and specificity (96%) values were obtained to screen MCI. The total TYM-HUN scores significantly correlated with the MMSE scores (ρ=0.626; p<0.001) and ADAS-Cog scores (ρ=-0.723; p<0.001).CONCLUSIONSOur results showed that the TYM-HUN is a reliable, fast, self-administered questionnaire with the right low threshold regarding MCI and can be used for the early diagnosis of cognitive impairment.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of genes involved in the drought stress response of two peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) varieties
Authors: Jiang Chunji , Li Xinlin , Zou Jixiang , Ren Jingyao , Jin Chunyi , Zhang He , Yu Haiqiu , Jin Hua
Published: December 2020

Background: The peanut is one of the most important oil crops worldwide. Qualities and yields of peanut can be dramatically diminished by abiotic stresses particularly by drought. Therefore, it would be beneficial to gain a comprehensive understanding on peanut drought-responsive transcriptional regulatory activities, and hopefully to extract critical drought-tolerance-related molecular mechanism from it.Results: In this study, two peanut Arachis hypogaea L. varieties, NH5 (tolerant) and FH18 (sensitive), which show significantly differential drought tolerance, were screened from 23 main commercial peanut cultivars and used for physiological characterization and transcriptomic analysis. NH5 leaves showed higher water and GSH contents, faster stomatal closure, and lower relative conductivity (REC) than FH18. Under the time-course of drought-treatments 0 h (CK), 4 h (DT1), 8 h (DT2) and 24 h (DT3), the number of down-regulated differential expressed genes (DEGs) increased with the progression of treatments indicating repressive impacts on transcriptomes by drought in both peanut varieties.Conclusions: Nevertheless, NH5 maintained more stable transcriptomic dynamics than FH18. Furthermore, annotations of identified DEGs implicate signal transduction, the elimination of reactive oxygen species, and the maintenance of cell osmotic potential which are key drought-tolerance-related pathways. Finally, evidences from the examination of ABA and SA components suggested that the fast stomatal closure in NH5 was likely mediated through SA rather than ABA signaling. In all, these results have provided us a comprehensive overview of peanut drought-responsive transcriptomic changes, which could serve as solid foundation for further identification of the molecular drought-tolerance mechanism in peanut and other oil crops.
Evaluation of Maternal Death Surveillance and Response System in Dewachefa District, Oromia Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 2018
Authors: Tariku Mengistie , Misikir Sewnet Wongiel , Bantie Simachew Animen , Belete Abebe Habtamu
Published: December 2020

Background: Maternal death surveillance and response (MDSR) is the “litmus test” of the health system that provides evidence for accomplishment and , provides information in real time and allows improvement towards catching all maternal mortalities. The aim of study was to evaluate maternal death surveillance and response system in Dewachefa.Methods: A cross sectional study design was conducted in two health centers, five health post, district health office and from these facilities 32 health workers were included. Data were collected through focal person, health worker and health extension worker interview by using checklist. Collected data were entered into Epi data version 3.1. These data were exported to statistical package for social science for analysis. Analyzed data were presented in the form of text, table and figures.Result: The average completeness of weekly report form of the district was 73.1%. Thirteen (59.1 %) of health professionals and 6(60%) of health extension workers had unsatisfactory knowledge on MDSR. All visited health facilities and Woredas focal person were trained. The system had under notification of maternal death from the community, poor involvement of health facility staff, and discordance of data between public health emergency management, and maternal and newborn health unit report. Establish rapid response team that includes maternal and child health staff’s maternal death review committees in all health facilities.
Induction chemotherapy for the individualised treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical oesophageal invasion: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Huang Tian-qiao , Wang Ru , Fang Ju-gao , He Shi-zhi , Zhong Qi , Hou Li-zhen , Ma Hong-zhi , Chen Xiao-hong , Chen Xue-jun , Li Ping-dong , Feng Ling , Shi Qian , Lian Meng
Published: December 2020

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the potential of induction chemotherapy as an indicator of the management of advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical oesophageal invasion.Methods: Sixty-eight patients admitted to our hospital between February 2003 and November 2016 with stage IVB hypopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical oesophageal invasion were retrospectively analysed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment they selected following an explanation of the different treatments available. Patients in Group A received induction chemotherapy and had (1) complete/partial remission following chemotherapy and radiotherapy/concurrent chemoradiotherapy or (2) stable disease following chemotherapy and surgery. Patients in Group B underwent surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy/concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan–Meier method, and differences between the groups were evaluated using the log-rank test. Laryngeal and oesophageal retention rates were compared using the cross-tabulation test.Results: The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 22.86% and 11.43% in Group A and 24.25% and 6.06% in Group B, respectively (all P > 0.05). The laryngeal and oesophageal retention rates were 40.0% and 74.3% in Group A and 0.0% and 27.3% in Group B, respectively (all P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of post-operative complications between the two groups (Group A: 8.6%, Group B: 12.1%; P > 0.05).Conclusions: Induction chemotherapy may be an appropriate first choice to ensure laryngeal and oesophageal preservation in the individualised treatment of advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma with cervical oesophageal invasion.
The effect of perineural dexamethasone on rebound pain after ropivacaine single-injection nerve block: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Fang Jie , Shi Yuncen , Du Fang , Xue Zhanggang , Cang Jing , Zhang Xiaoguang
Published: December 2020

Background: Rebound pain after a single-shot nerve block challenges the real benefit of this technique. We aimed to investigate whether perineural dexamethasone addition decreased the incidence of rebound pain after a single-shot nerve block.Methods: We randomly allocated 132 patients scheduled for open reduction internal fixation of an upper extremity closed fracture under single-shot peripheral nerve block and sedation into two groups. Patients in the dexamethasone group received nerve block with 0.375% ropivacaine and 8 mg dexamethasone, while those in the control group received ropivacaine only. Sixty-three patients in the dexamethasone group and 60 patients in the control group were analyzed for the incidence of rebound pain 48 h after block administration, which was the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes included the highest self-reported numeric rating scale (NRS) score, the pain intensity at 8 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h after the block, sufentanil consumption, sleep quality on the night of surgery, patient satisfaction with the pain therapy, blood glucose at 6 h after the block, and pain and paresthesia at 30 days after surgery.Results: The incidence of rebound pain was significantly lower in the dexamethasone group (7 [11.1%] of 63 patients) than in the control group (28 [48.8%] of 60 patients; relative risk (RR) of 0.238, 95% CI 0.113-0.504, p=0.001). Dexamethasone decreased opioid consumption 24 h after surgery (p<0.001) and improved the sleep quality score on the night of surgery (p=0.01) and satisfaction with pain therapy (p=0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only group allocation was significantly associated with the occurrence of rebound pain[OR=0.062, 95% CI (0.015-0.256)]. Patients in the dexamethasone group reported later onset pain (19.7±6.6 h vs 14.7±4.8 h since block administration, mean±SD, p<0.001) and lower peak NRS scores [5 (3, 6) vs 8 (5, 9), median (IQR), p<0.001] than those in the control group.Conclusions: The perineural administration of 8 mg dexamethasone reduces rebound pain after a single-shot nerve block in patients receiving ORIF for an upper limb fracture.
Economic Impact of Improving Patient Safety Using Sugammadex for Routine Reversal of Neuromuscular Blockade in Spain
Authors: Martinez-Ubieto Javier , Aragón-Benedí Cristian , de Pedro José María , Cea-Calvo Luis , Baladron Alberto Morell , Jiang Yiling , Cedillo Sergio , Ramírez-Boix Paula , Pascual-Bellosta Ana
Published: December 2020

Background: Neuromuscular blocking (NMB) agents are often administered to facilitate tracheal intubation and prevent patient movement during surgical procedures requiring the use of general anesthetics. Incomplete reversal of NMB, can lead to residual NMB, which can increase the risk of post-operative pulmonary complications. Sugammadex is indicated to reverse neuromuscular blockade induced by rocuronium or vecuronium in adults. The aim of this study is to estimate the clinical and economic impact of introducing sugammadex to routine reversal of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) with rocuronium in Spain.Methods: A decision analytic model was constructed reflecting a set of procedures using rocuronium that resulted in moderate or deep NMB at the end of the procedure. Two scenarios were considered for 537,931 procedures using NMB agents in Spain in 2015: a scenario without sugammadex versus a scenario with sugammadex. Comparators included neostigmine (plus glycopyrrolate) and no reversal agent. The total costs for the healthcare system were estimated from the net of costs of reversal agents and overall cost offsets via reduction in postoperative pneumonias and atelectasis for which incidence rates were based on a Spanish real-world evidence (RWE) study. The model time horizon was assumed to be one year. Costs were expressed in 2019 euros (€) and estimated from the perspective of a healthcare system. One-way sensitivity analysis was carried out by varying each parameter included in the model within a range of +/-50%.Results: The estimated budget impact of the introduction of sugammadex to the routine reversal of neuromuscular blockade in Spanish hospitals was a net saving of €57.1 million annually. An increase in drug acquisition costs was offset by savings in post-operative pulmonary events, including 4,806 post-operative pneumonias and 13,996 cases of atelectasis. The total cost of complications avoided was €70.4 million. All parameters included in the model were tested in sensitivity analysis and were favorable to the scenario with sugammadex.Conclusions: This economic analysis shows that sugammadex can potentially lead to cost savings for the reversal of rocuronium-induced moderate or profound NMB compared to no reversal and reversal with neostigmine in the Spanish health care setting. The economic model was based on data obtained from Spain and from assumptions from clinical practice and could not be valid for other countries.
Targeted Protein Liposomes-Mediated AChE Gene Therapy for Effective Liver Cancer Treatment
Authors: Wang Kai , Shang Fusheng , Chen Dagui , Cao Tieliu , Wang Xiaowei , Jiao Jianpeng , He Shengli , Liang Xiaofei
Published: December 2020

Background: Effective methods to deliver therapeutic genes to solid tumors and improve their bioavailability are the main challenges of current medical research on gene therapy. The development of efficient non-viral gene vector with tumor-targeting has very important application value in the field of cancer therapy. Proteolipid integrated with tumor-targeting potential of functional protein and excellent gene delivery performance has shown potential for targeted gene therapy.Results: Herein, we prepared transferrin-modified liposomes (Tf-PL) for the targeted delivery of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) therapeutic gene to liver cancer. We found that the derived Tf-PL/AChE liposomes exhibited much higher transfection efficiency than the commercial product Lipo 2000 and shown premium targeting efficacy to liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells in vitro. In vivo, the Tf-PL/AChE could effectively target liver cancer, and significantly inhibit the growth of liver cancer xenografts grafted in nude mice by subcutaneous administration. Conclusion: This study proposed a transferrin-modified proteolipid-mediated gene delivery strategy for targeted liver cancer treatment, which has a promising potential for precise personalized cancer therapy.
Genomic survey sequencing, development and characterization of single- and multi-locus genomic SSR markers of Elymus sibiricus L.
Authors: Xiong Yi , Lei Xiong , Bai Shiqie , Xiong Yanli , Liu Wenhui , Wu Wendan , Yu Qingqing , Dong Zhixiao , Yang Jian , Ma Xiao
Published: December 2020

Background: Siberian wildrye (Elymus sibiricus L.) attracts considerable interest for grassland establishment and pasture recovery in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) due to its excellence in strong stress tolerance, high nutritional value and ease to cultivate. However, the lack of genomic information of E. sibiricus hampers its genetics study and breeding process.Results: In this study, we performed a genome survey and developed a set of SSR markers for E. sibiricus based on Next-generation sequencing (NGS). We generated 469.17 Gb clean sequence which is 58.64× of the 6.86 Gb estimated genome size. We assembled a draft genome of 4.34 Gb which has 73.23% repetitive elements, a heterozygosity ratio of 0.01% and GC content of 45.68%. Based on the gnomic sequences we identified 67,833 SSR loci and from which four hundred were randomly selected to develop markers. Finally, 30 markers exhibited polymorphism between accessions and ten were identified as single-locus SSR. These newly developed markers along with previously reported 30 ones were applied to analyze genetic polymorphism among 27 wild E. sibiricus accessions. We found that single-locus SSRs are superior to multi-loci SSRs in effectiveness.Conclusions: This study provided insights into further whole genome sequencing of E. sibiricus in strategy selection. The novel developed SSR markers will facilitate genetics study and breeding for Elymus species.
Establishment and evaluation of an indirect ELISA for detection of antibodies to goat Klebsiella pneumonia
Authors: Chen Ruichang , Shang Hongqi , Niu Xiangyun , Huang Jin , Wang Huan , Miao Yongqiang , Sha Zhou , Zhu Ruiliang , Peng Duo , Hu Liping
Published: December 2020

Background: Klebsiella pneumonia, a Gram-negative bacterium belonging to the genus Enterobacter, causes many human and livestock diseases. Notably, infected goats may develop pneumonia, septicemia, which can lead to occasional death, resulting in great economic losses in goat-farming industry. However, there are little systematic methods for detection of goat Klebsiella pneumoniae in livestock production.Results: In this study, we developed a Klebsiella pneumoniae goat polyclonal antibody and established an indirect ELISA method to detect the Klebsiella pneumoniae. After screening and optimizing the conditions for detection, we determined the optimal working dilutions of the coated-bacterial antigen, the polyclonal antibody, and the enzyme-labeled secondary antibody that were 1:800 (2.99x107 CFU/ml), 1:6400, and 1:5000, respectively. The optimal condition of coating and blocking were both 4 °C for 12 h. The optimal dilution buffers of bacterial antigen, the antibodies, and the blocking buffer were 0.05 mol/L carbonate buffer, 1% BSA phosphate buffer, and 1.5% BSA carbonate buffer, respectively. The cut-off value was determined to be 0.28, and the analytical sensitivity was 1:800 (dilution of a positive sample). Furthermore, there was no cross-reaction between the coated antigen and goat serum positive for antibodies against other bacteria, indicating that indirect ELISA could detect Klebsiella pneumoniae specifically in most cases. The average coefficients of variation of intra-assay and inter-assay were 4.37% and 5.17% indicating favorable reproducibility of indirect ELISA. In the detection of clinical veterinary samples, the positive rate of indirect ELISA was 6.74%, higher than that of conventional agglutination assays. Conclusions: Taken together, we successfully established an indirect ELISA method for detecting antibodies against Klebsiella pneumoniae in goats, which can be applied in production.
Exosomal ANGPTL1 Attenuates Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis by Regulating Kupffer Cell Secretion Pattern and Impeding MMP9 Induced Vascular Leakiness
Authors: Jiang Kai , Chen Haiyan , Fang Yimin , Chen Liubo , Zhong Chenhan , Bu Tongtong , Dai Siqi , Pan Xiang , Fu Dongliang , Qian Yucheng , Wei Jingsun , Ding Kefeng
Published: December 2020

Background: Angiopoietin-like protein 1 (ANGPTL1) has been proved to suppress tumor metastasis in several cancers. However, its extracellular effects on the pre-metastatic niches (PMNs) are still unclear. ANGPTL1 has been identified in exosomes, while its function remains unknown. This study was designed to explore the role of exosomal ANGPTL1 on liver metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods: Exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation. The ANGPTL1 level was detected in exosomes derived from human CRC tissues. The effects of exosomal ANGPTL1 on CRC liver metastasis were explored by the intrasplenic injection mouse model. The liver PMN was examined by vascular permeability assays. Exosomal ANGPTL1 localization was validated by exosome labeling. The regulatory mechanisms of exosomal ANGPTL1 on Kupffer cells were determined by RNA sequencing. qRT-PCR, Western Blot, and ELISA analysis were conducted to examine gene expressions at mRNA and protein levels.Results: ANGPTL1 protein level was significantly downregulated in the exosomes derived from CRC tumors compared with paired normal tissues. Besides, exosomal ANGPTL1 attenuated liver metastasis and impeded vascular leakiness in the liver PMN. Moreover, exosomal ANGPTL1 was mainly taken up by KCs and regulated the KCs secretion pattern, enormously decreasing the MMP9 expression, which finally prevented the liver vascular leakiness. In mechanism, exosomal ANGPTL1 downregulated MMP9 level in KCs by inhibiting the JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway.Conclusions: Taken together, exosomal ANGPTL1 attenuated CRC liver metastasis and impeded vascular leakiness in the liver PMN by reprogramming the Kupffer cell and decreasing the MMP9 expression. This study suggests a suppression role of exosomal ANGPTL1 on CRC liver metastasis and expands the approach of ANGPTL1 functioning.
Boron-Carbon Coatings: Structure, Morphology, and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Kulesh Е. А. , Piliptsou D. G. , Rogachev A. V. , Hong J. X. , Fedosenko N. N. , Kolesnyk V.
Published: December 2020

Boron-doped carbon coatings have been produced by a method combining the deposition of a pulsed carbon plasma coating and a boron flow formed as a result of the evaporation of a boron target by pulsed YAG: Nd3+ laser irradiation. Phase, chemical composition, structure, and mechanical properties of composite boron-carbon coatings have been determined. Changes in the coatings’ roughness depending on the boron concentration have been established using atomic force microscopy. It has been shown that the grain size is on the rise with increasing boron concentration. Raman spectroscopy has revealed that at a boron concentration of 43.2 at. %. There is a sharp increase in the ID/IG ratio, which indicates the carbon component’s graphitization. Low ID/IG ratios are observed in the coating at low boron concentrations (no more than 17.4 at. %), suggesting a high content of carbon atoms with sp3 bond hybridization. The coating studies, carried out by X-ray photoelectron microscopy, showed that boron could be in a free state or in the form of carbide or oxide depending on the concentration in the coating. In this case, with an increase in boron concentration, there is a decrease in the concentration of carbon atoms in the state with sp3 bond hybridization, accompanied by an increase in the number of B-C bonds and a reduction in the boron concentration not associated with carbon and oxygen. These coating and chemical composition features determine the boron concentration’s established non-monotonic nature on their microhardness, elastic and mechanical properties.

Keywords: composite carbon coatings, boron-doped, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, microhardness, scratch.
Thermal Performance in Heat Exchangers by the Irreversibility,
Effectiveness, and Efficiency Concepts Using Nanofluids
Authors: Nogueira E.
Published: December 2020

The objective of the work is to obtain the outlet temperatures of the fluids in a shell and tube heat exchanger. The second law of thermodynamics is applied through the concepts of efficiency, effectiveness, and irreversibility to analyze the results. Water flows in the shell, and a mixture of water-ethylene glycol is associated with fractions of nanoparticles flows in the tube. Water enters the shell at 27 °C, and the mixture comes to the tube at 90 °C. The mass flow is kept fixed in the shell, equal to 0.23 kg/s, and varies between 0.01 kg/s to 0.50 kg/s. Volume fractions equal to 0.01, 0.10, and 0.25 were considered for analysis, for both nanoparticles from Ag and Al2O3. Results for Reynolds number, heat transfer rate, efficiency, effectiveness, and irreversibility are presented for critique, discussion, and justification of the output data found. It is shown that the flow regime has a significant effect on the performance of the analyzed heat exchanger.

Keywords: thermodynamics, second law, ethylene glycol, volume fraction.
Clinical problems in small mammals: Eleven-year retrospective study
Authors: ZIĘTEK JERZY , WILCZYŃSKA ANNA , JABŁOŃSKI MICHAŁ , SAJDAK SYLWIA , ROMANOWSKA AGNIESZKA , TEODOROWSKI OLIWIER , MAZUREK ŁUKASZ , STANIEC MARTA , WINIARCZYK STANISŁAW , ADASZEK ŁUKASZ
Published: December 2020

The article presents the results of observations concerning the practice of the Division of Small Mammals at the Clinic of Infectious Diseases of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at The University of Life Sciences in Lublin between 2008 and 2018. The 11-year period analysed here, was in Poland a time of increased interest of rabbits, rats and mice as companion animals. This resulted in the creation of specialized veterinary clinics, increased interest in training in small mammal veterinary medicine, and numerous publications on this subject addressed to practitioners. The results of this retrospective study reveal changes that took place in the veterinary medicine of small mammals during that period, especially with regard to the treatment and diagnosis of this type of patient. This knowledge may be useful for veterinarians, as well as for manufacturers of veterinary drugs.
LINGUISTIC ANALYZER: AUTOMATIC TRANSFORMATION OF NATURAL LANGUAGE TEXTS INTO INFORMATION DATA STRUCTURE
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Kuznetsov Sergey A. , Skrebtsova Tatiana G. ,   St. Petersburg State University, Suvorov Sergey G. , Klementyeva Anna V.
Published: December 2020

The book offers a novel approach for analyzing natural language texts and representing relevant information in a metalinguistic database structure. Methodological principles underlying the processing techniques are the same at all stages. They draw on an empirically-based theory providing for the well-groundedness and consistency of the rules and preventing any possible subjectivity. The ultimate goal of the processing is a conceptual structure made up of elements referring to extralinguistic objects and situations. The elements are assigned ontological properties and linked together by conceptual relations. This makes it possible to extract “pure” information from the text, its reliability being dependent solely on the author.
Chapter 4. Analysis of the ability of the brain to assimilate the rhythm set frequency for vascular pathology varying degrees of severity
Authors:   Institute of Physiology named after I. P. Pavlov, RAS, Dik Olga E. , Nozdrachev Alexander D. ,   Institute of Physiology named after I. P. Pavlov, RAS
Published: December 2020

The fourth chapter is devoted to the analysis of changes occurring in reactive EEG patterns in disorders of the functional state of the central nervous system associated with vascular pathology of the brain. The coefficients of photic driving and holding and the energy increase times gained in EEG patterns of patients with dyscirculatory encephalopathy differ significantly from the parameters determined for the healthy subjects. When studying the changes occurring in reactive EEG patterns under the influence of rhythmic photostimulation, it was shown that various disorders of the functional state of the nervous system arising in vascular pathology of the brain of varying severity (initial manifestations in the form of vegetative vascular dystonia, more pronounced manifestations as a result of hypertension and vertebrobasilar insufficiency), manifest themselves as features of the brain to respond in a certain way to a given rhythm. It was shown that a healthy person is characterized by the absence of a reaction to assimilate an external rhythm or an insignificance of this reaction, associated with the absence of an increase in the energy of the wavelet spectrum near the frequency of photostimulation, which reflects the predominance of internal synchronization of the neural structures of a healthy brain. With an increase in the instability of neurodynamic processes, leading to the involvement of a larger number of neural ensembles in the pathological process, the destruction of internal synchronization occurs, which explains the increase in the quantitative indicators of the rhythm assimilation reaction in persons with essential hypertension and with vertebral-basilar insufficiency.
Chapter 6. Mechanisms of changes in dynamic complexity of involuntary oscillations of the human hand with movement disorders
Authors:   Institute of Physiology named after I. P. Pavlov, RAS, Dik Olga E. , Nozdrachev Alexander D. ,   Institute of Physiology named after I. P. Pavlov, RAS
Published: December 2020

The sixth chapter examines the mechanisms of changes in the dynamic complexity of hand tremor with an increase in the degree of motor disorders. For this, multifractal and wavelet properties of involuntary oscillations that arise during the performance of certain motor tasks by a healthy person and a person with varying degrees of motor pathology are investigated. It was shown that clinical manifestations of pathological tremor correlate, firstly, with a significant increase in the global energy of the wavelet spectrum and, secondly, with a decrease in the width of the singularity spectrum. At the same time, an improvement in the functional state (a decrease in the amplitude of a pathological tremor) corresponds to a decrease in long-term correlations and an increase in the randomness of up-down patterns, which corresponds to a partial shift of the singularity spectrum into the range of values typical for a tremor of the hand of a healthy person. The mechanism for reducing the dynamic complexity of patterns of involuntary oscillations of the human hand with an increase in the degree of motor disorders is based on a decrease in the contribution of strong fluctuations, accompanied by the appearance of long-term correlations of sequential values of tremor. The considered features in changes in tremor patterns make it possible to quantify the degree of movement disorders and can be used to facilitate the differential diagnosis of the parkinsonian and essential tremor in complex clinical cases.
Chapter 4. Paleozoic granitoid magmatism of South and Middle Tien Shan in Uzbekistan
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Konopelko Dmitry L.
Published: December 2020

The Paleozoic evolution of the Southern and Middle Tien Shan terranes is generally associated with the history of two ocean basins - the Turkestan and Paleotethys. Ages of ophiolites indicate the opening of the oceans in Cambrian – Ordovician, and partial closure with formation of an island arc in the northern part of the basin in Ordovician - Silurian. At the northern margin of the Turkestan ocean, the northward subduction under the Middle Tien Shan continued until Devonian, which led to formation of an active margin with granitoids emplaced between 429 and 416 Ma. In the late Devonian, subduction-related magmatism terminated and the whole region developed as passive margin. Northward subduction resumed in the early Carboniferous and formed magmatic Andean-type belt exposed in the Chatkal-Kurama terrane. Late Carboniferous collision resulted in crust thickening and emplacement of postcollisional granitoids. Formation of postcollisional intrusions in different terranes took place in various tectonic settings. Shoshonitic granitoids of the Chatkal-Kurama terrane formed as a result of slab break off at postcollisional stage. Voluminous postcollisional magmatism of Kyzylkum can be explained by delamination of lower crust and its replacement by the material of astenospheric mantle. Coeval emplacement of geochemically contrasting granitoids in the North Nuratau fault zone could result from contemporaneous melting of different protoliths at different depths in a translithospheric shear zone.
The organizational legitimacy of Russian firms: Contextual specificity and legitimization strategies
Authors:   Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg University, Panibratov Andrei Yu. , Rysakova Liana E. ,   Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg University
Published: December 2020

Russian firms suffer from the negative country of origin effect and legitimacy shortage. This paper has the aim to reveal factors for Russian firms to focus on while build legitimacy both at home and abroad. To identify the existing research directions, the 48 articles applying legitimacy and Russian focus from journals in management and business for all years were analyzed, using both the bibliometric analysis and manual in-depth study of papers. Based on the specificity of the Russian context and literature analysis about the factors of the legitimacy concept, we develop a theoretical framework that is supported by a set of propositions about possible legitimization strategies of Russian firms. Three main pillars of the organizational legitimacy construct such as moral, pragmatic and cognitive, which are accepted as the most influential ones, were introduced and proposed for Russian firms how to gain them at home and abroad. This paper has the value for both theory and practice. It contributes to the legitimacy literature, responding to many calls to study the microfoundations of the organizational legitimacy and developing the holistic theoretical framework within the Russian context. The findings also are of practical importance for managers and entrepreneurs whose attention is paid to the effective strategic management and legitimacy building both at home and abroad.
Entrepreneurship, wealth accumulation and borrowing constraints: Foreign research experience
Authors:   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Polbin Andrey V. ,   Gaidar Institute, Shumilov Andrei V. ,   Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration
Published: December 2020

This paper presents a review of foreign studies analyzing the role of the business sector in the accumulation and distribution of wealth and related approaches to modeling entrepreneurship as an integral part of the economic system for evaluating the consequences of alternative economic policies. According to the main results of the empirical literature, entrepreneurs, first, own a substantial share of total household wealth, and many of the wealthiest people are entrepreneurs. Second, entrepreneurs have higher saving rates than other households, and, third, entrepreneurs face restrictions on borrowing. We analyze dynamic general equilibrium models based on stylized facts about the behavior of entrepreneurs, where agents can choose the type of activity between entrepreneurship and wage labor. Their build-in mechanisms of encouraging entrepreneurial savings due to borrowing constraints, financial intermediation costs, and uninsured entrepreneurial risk allow calibrated versions of these models to successfully replicate the observed distribution of household wealth. Results of application of general equilibrium models with an entrepreneurial sector to assess the consequences of various types of tax reforms and financial shocks are discussed.
Factors influencing the purchase decision through social commerce channels: the results of mixed research in Moscow
Authors:   Kaspersky Lab, Starova Polina V. , Wijler Daria A. ,   Graduate School of Business, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Rusu Margarita O. ,   Yandex
Published: December 2020

Companies view social commerce (s-commerce) as an additional online marketing sales channel of which the revenue-generating potential has substantially increased through the recent introduction of online payments within these channels in Russia. This paper examines which factors influence the consumer buying decision through s-commerce channels in Moscow. Through a rigorous process of expert interviews, we gain a first insight into the s-commerce market in Russia. Following this preliminary qualitative analysis, we collect survey data on purchase decisions among buyers on social media (stage 1: 303 respondents; stage 2: 252 respondents). An in-depth analysis via structural equation modelling reveals numerous factors that positively contribute to purchase intention. Among others, we find that the intensity of social interaction (e.g. frequency of updates and response time), quality of service (e.g. payment and delivery) and the availability of positive reviews are statistically significant determinants for a purchase decision. However, in line with expert feedback, we find that the significant influential factors differ across s-commerce channels. For example, in Инстаграм companies should emphasize platform convenience, content personalization and trust, with the latter factor significantly depending on security and the availability of reviews.
Motivating employees to acquire digital skills
Authors:   Graduate School of Business, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Kabalina Veronica I. , Makarova Anna V. ,   Graduate School of Business, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Reshetnikova Kira V. ,   Graduate School of Business, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Published: December 2020

Motivating the working population to master digital skills is an important condition for the digital transformation of the Russian economy and companies. The article examines the relationship between the general level of motivation for learning digital skills and a number of factors, assesses the average level of motivation for four groups of skills, and compares the level of motivation between groups of workers and their motives. Empirical data were obtained by conducting an online survey of the working population in March 2020, the target sample was 116 respondents. It was revealed that the general level of motivation of workers to learn decreases with the increasing complexity of digital skills. The hypotheses about the relationship between the level of motivation and the perceived difficulty of using information and communication technologies and previous learning experience were confirmed. Differences between the groups of workers in the level of motivation and the degree of mastering specialized digital skills, related to the nature of the work were revealed. A higher interest in mastering this group of skills, as well as the degree of mastering them, was demonstrated by the group of managers. The strongest motive for acquiring digital skills is the need to use them at work.
Redefined Families and Subsystems: Reading Kinship and Hierarchical Structures in Select Hijra Autobiographies
Authors:   Assistant Professor, Department of Languages, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Christ (Deemed to be University), Delhi NCR, Tanupriya
Published: December 2020

Hijras or transwomen in India are gendered identities, but their identities cannot be reduced to the conceptual framework and analysis of ‘sex’, ‘gender’ and ‘sexuality’. Being the minority in India, transgender lives intersect with caste, class, kinship and hierarchy. The study locates these intersections within the scope of the select hijra autobiographies; The Truth About Me: A Hijra Life Story by A. Revathi and I am Vidya by Vidya. The study looks at the notions of ‘family’ which are traditionally woven in heteronormative and patriarchal setups. It examines the gharanas system or subsystems in hijra communities that redefines the structures and hierarchies of the family, and designating the fellow elder hijras with the relation of mata (mother) and cela (disciple), thus forming a kinship which is located beyond the caste, class and religious structures. The emphasis is to study how families are inserted in heteronormative perspectives and argues a redefining of the notion of ‘family’,and to establish and recognize the newer perspectives on ‘family’ which lies outside the traditional setup.
Mahesh Dattani’s Dance Like a Man: A Depiction of the Trials and Tribulations of an Androgynous Personality
Authors:   National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, Hostel- b NIT Jamshedpur, Chhavi  , Bhushan Rajiv ,   National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, Associate Professor Department of HSSM Jamshedpur
Published: December 2020

Abstract Mahesh Dattani is one of the leading Indian dramatists who responded to the problems of sexuality on the canvass of Indian theatre. He examined various facets of subjugation and marginalization rampant in Indian society. His plays focus on the sub-urban Hindu family and its trifle with gender and alternate sexuality. His plots revolve around the damaging implications of patriarchal constructs and his characters strive for liberty and self-satisfaction beneath hegemonic masculinity, compulsive heteronormativity and prejudiced cultural domain. Regarding his famous play Dance Like a Man, this paper critically examines the existing socio-cultural domain which practices politics of exclusion of androgynous identities behind the façade of peacefully cohabiting heterosexual Indian family and shows how Dattani, has remarkably countered the presentation of the polarized association of gender roles with conventional practice through performance of his protagonist. Set against the backdrop of patriarchal mindset, this paper delineates that the victim of patriarchal norms is not a woman but a man, who has traits of androgyny. It gives a brief account to highlight the significance of androgyny and portrays how androgyny is directly proportional to creativity. It elucidates how androgynous men undergo searing experiences of stigma and social untouchability in a traditional setup and how patriarchal norms reinforce dominant powers of society to stunt the growth of their personality.
Women in Popular Korean Drama: In Need of Embracing ‘Cyborg’ Feminism
Authors:   Assistant Professor of English, Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh., Singh Kamna
Published: December 2020

Women in Korean television dramas are depicted as modern, multifaceted, feminine and feminist. However, while rich, varied and complex on the surface; the female characters reveal their identities as remaining bound by traditional notions of what it means to be female, albeit a feminist female. Previous studies in this area are few and far between and do not focus on recently aired shows. As Korean dramas play a vital, conscious and subconscious role in shaping the individual and society, such research is the need of the hour; more so as the global popularity of these dramas has made them the unofficial cultural ambassadors of Asia. Through the lens of Donna Haraway’s feminist theory, this paper applies qualitative textual analysis to selected Korean dramas aired in the summer of the year 2020. It finds that female characters in these shows need to embrace what Haraway calls ‘cybernetic identity’. Using the symbol of the cyborg which is gender-neutral, these characters need to embrace ‘multigenderism’ without concern for what ‘category’ this will put them in, thus allowing their self-expression without the binary constraints of being ‘male’ or ‘female’ or the fear of being ‘something in between genders’. This research aims to further Gender Studies and inspire depictions of characters devoid of any preconceived notions in Korean dramas.