bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychometric performance of the Primary Mitochondrial Myopathy Symptom Assessment (PMMSA) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in subjects with mitochondrial disease
Authors: Gwaltney Chad , Stokes Jonathan , Aiudi Anthony , Mazar Iyar , Ollis Sarah , Love Emily , Karaa Amel , Houts Carrie R. , Wirth R. J. , Shields Alan L.
Published: December 2022

Background

The Primary Mitochondrial Myopathy Symptom Assessment (PMMSA) is a 10-item patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure designed to assess the severity of mitochondrial disease symptoms. Analyses of data from a clinical trial with PMM patients were conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PMMSA and to provide score interpretation guidelines for the measure.

Methods

The PMMSA was completed as a daily diary for approximately 14 weeks by individuals in a Phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of subcutaneous injections of elamipretide in patents with mitochondrial disease. In addition to the PMMSA, performance-based assessments, clinician ratings, and other PRO measures were also completed. Descriptive statistics, psychometric analyses, and score interpretation guidelines were evaluated for the PMMSA.

Results

Participants (N = 30) had a mean age of 45.3 years, with the majority of the sample being female (n = 25, 83.3%) and non-Hispanic white (n = 29, 96.6%). The 10 PMMSA items assessing a diverse symptomology were not found to form a single underlying construct. However, four items assessing tiredness and muscle weakness were grouped into a “general fatigue” domain score. The PMMSA Fatigue 4 summary score (4FS) demonstrated stable test–retest scores, internal consistency, correlations with the scores produced by reference measures, and the ability to differentiate between different global health levels. Changes on the PMMSA 4FS were also related to change scores produced by the reference measures. PMMSA severity scores were higher for the symptom rated as “most bothersome” by each subject relative to the remaining nine PMMSA items (most bothersome symptom mean = 2.88 vs. 2.18 for other items). Distribution- and anchor-based evaluations suggested that reduction in weekly scores between 0.79 and 2.14 (scale range: 4–16) may represent a meaningful change on the PMMSA 4FS and reduction in weekly scores between 0.03 and 0.61 may represent a responder for each of the remaining six non-fatigue items, scored independently.

Conclusions

Upon evaluation of its psychometric properties, the PMMSA, specifically the 4FS domain, demonstrated strong reliability and construct-related validity. The PMMSA can be used to evaluate treatment benefit in clinical trials with individuals with PMM.

Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT02805790; registered June 20, 2016; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02805790.
Hemorrhagic stroke as a rare complication of a migraine without aura
Authors: Marusich Tetiana , Solodovnikova Yuliia , Hnatyuk Iryna , Son Anatoliy
Published: December 2022

Background

Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder, characterized by recurrent headache attacks featuring specific clinical characteristics. Two-thirds of the migraineurs are women. It takes the second place among the world’s causes of disability, and is one of the leading causes for direct and indirect government expenses. Migraine is well known to be associated with cerebrovascular diseases, in particular with stroke. Due to the recent studies, the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (HS) is 50% higher in between migraineurs in comparison to non-migraineurs, whereas only one study showed association of migraine without aura (MwtA) with increased HS incidence.

Case presentation

We present a case of 57-year-old White woman, who is a 20-year migraine sufferer admitted to the hospital with the signs of migraineous stroke. Upon evaluation after she had contrast enhancing brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), she was diagnosed with a neoplasm accompanied by a hemorrhage. However, the following magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) as well as repeated contrast MRI did not prove the diagnosis. The patient was treated for 10 days, and discharged with complete clinical improvement.

Conclusion

The presented case highlights the importance of the accurate evaluation of the patients, suspicious of complicated migraine, even though suffering from MwtA, having no comorbidities and absent family history of cerebrovascular diseases.
Extra-large G proteins regulate disease resistance by directly coupling to immune receptors in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Li Yixin , Zhang Qian , Gong Lijing , Kong Jun , Wang Xiaodan , Xu Guangyuan , Chen Xujun , Dou Daolong , Liang Xiangxiu
Published: December 2022

Heterotrimeric G proteins, comprising Gα, Gβ, and Gγ subunits, are key regulators of eukaryotic intracellular signaling. Extra-large G (XLG) proteins are a subfamily of plant-specific Gα proteins interacting with plasma membrane-localized receptors to regulate multiple biological processes. The Nicotiana benthamiana genome encodes seven XLG proteins, NbXLG1–7, whose functions in disease resistance and underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we silenced all the seven genes and found that disease susceptibility was enhanced when both NbXLG3 and NbXLG5 or NbXLG4 was silenced. Then, we generated N. benthamiana xlg3xlg5 double- and xlg4 single-mutant lines using the CRISPR-Cas9 approach. All the mutants showed reduced resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000, the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and a series of oomycete pathogens, including Phytophthora capsici, Phytophthora infestans, and Phytophthora parasitica. We further demonstrated that NbXLG3/4/5 positively regulated microbial pattern-induced reactive oxygen species burst and defense gene expression by directly coupling to the tested plant immune receptors. In addition, we examined the role of NbXLG3/4/5 in abiotic stress tolerance and observed that NbXLG3 and NbXLG5 negatively regulated plant resistance to high-salt, mannitol, and PEG. Our study demonstrates the possible role of NbXLG3/4/5 in response to biotic and abiotic stresses and provides insights for the improvement of plant resistance to environmental changes.
Host’s genetic background determines the outcome of reciprocal faecal transplantation on life-history traits and microbiome composition
Authors: Juottonen Heli , Moghadam Neda N. , Murphy Liam , Mappes Johanna , Galarza Juan A.
Published: December 2022

Background

Microbes play a role in their host's fundamental ecological, chemical, and physiological processes. Host life-history traits from defence to growth are therefore determined not only by the abiotic environment and genotype but also by microbiota composition. However, the relative importance and interactive effects of these factors may vary between organisms. Such connections remain particularly elusive in Lepidoptera, which have been argued to lack a permanent microbiome and have microbiota primarily determined by their diet and environment. We tested the microbiome specificity and its influence on life-history traits of two colour genotypes of the wood tiger moth (Arctia plantaginis) that differ in several traits, including growth. All individuals were grown in the laboratory for several generations with standardized conditions. We analyzed the bacterial community of the genotypes before and after a reciprocal frass (i.e., larval faeces) transplantation and followed growth rate, pupal mass, and the production of defensive secretion.

Results

After transplantation, the fast-growing genotype grew significantly slower compared to the controls, but the slow-growing genotype did not change its growth rate. The frass transplant also increased the volume of defensive secretions in the fast-growing genotype but did not affect pupal mass. Overall, the fast-growing genotype appeared more susceptible to the transplantation than the slow-growing genotype. Microbiome differences between the genotypes strongly suggest genotype-based selective filtering of bacteria from the diet and environment. A novel cluster of insect-associated Erysipelotrichaceae was exclusive to the fast-growing genotype, and specific Enterococcaceae were characteristic to the slow-growing genotype. These Enterococcaceae became more prevalent in the fast-growing genotype after the transplant, which suggests that a slower growth rate is potentially related to their presence.

Conclusions

We show that reciprocal frass transplantation can reverse some genotype-specific life-history traits in a lepidopteran host. The results indicate that genotype-specific selective filtering can fine-tune the bacterial community at specific life stages and tissues like the larval frass, even against a background of a highly variable community with stochastic assembly. Altogether, our findings suggest that the host's genotype can influence its susceptibility to being colonized by microbiota, impacting key life-history traits.
Casson rheological flow model in an inclined stenosed artery with non-Darcian porous medium and quadratic thermal convection
Authors: Abubakar J. U. , Omolesho Q. A. , Bello K. A. , Basambo A. M.
Published: December 2022

The current study investigates the combined response of the Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer and nonlinear thermal convection influence among other fluid parameters on Casson rheology (blood) flow through an inclined tapered stenosed artery with magnetic effect. Considering the remarkable importance of mathematical models to the physical behavior of fluid flow in human systems for scientific, biological, and industrial use, the present model predicts the motion and heat transfer of blood flow through tapered stenosed arteries under some underline conditions. The momentum and energy equations for the model were obtained and solved using the collocation method with the Legendre polynomial basis function. The expressions obtained for the velocity and temperature were graphed to show the effects of the Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer term, Casson parameters, and nonlinear thermal convection term among others. The results identified that a higher Darcy–Brinkman number slows down the blood temperature, while continuous injection of the Casson number decreases both velocity and temperature distribution.
The kagebushin-beta distribution: an alternative for gamma, Weibull and exponentiated exponential distributions
Authors: Ribeiro-Reis Lucas David
Published: December 2022

A new lifetime distribution has been defined. This distribution is obtained from a transformation of a random variable with beta distribution and is called here the kagebushin-beta distribution. Some mathematical properties such as mode, quantile function, ordinary and incomplete moments, mean deviations over the mean and median and the entropies of Rényi and Shannon are demonstrated. The maximum likelihood method is used to obtain parameter estimates. Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to verify the accuracy of the maximum likelihood estimators. Applications to real data showed that the kagebushin-beta model can be better than the Weibull, gamma and exponentiated exponential distributions.
Metastatic non-muscle invasive transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder: a case report
Authors: Shaikh Sana , Arain Kashaf Anwar , Shakil Shaheera , Rashid Rahma
Published: December 2022

Background

Axillary lymphadenopathy is a common clinical presentation of variety of benign and malignant diseases. However, majority of patients with unilateral axillary lymph node enlargement have an underlying malignancy in which association with breast carcinoma being the commonest one. In most of these patients there will be a discernible primary tumor, either clinically or radiologically. However, in axillary lymphadenopathy with negative mammogram is not very common, and in this case other malignant causes should also be considered in addition to occult breast cancer and these can be metastases from other primary tumors for, e.g., lung, genitourinary tract, gastrointestinal, ovarian, thyroid carcinomas and malignant melanoma.

Axillary node is an uncommon site of metastases from Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of urinary bladder even from its muscle invasive form, and distant metastasis from low grade superficial tumors without muscle invasion or regional metastasis is a very rare occurrence. Here we present a case of axillary nodal metastases from non-muscle invasive (superficial) bladder cancer without history of local recurrence and regional metastases.

Case presentation

We present a case of female patient who complaint of hard swelling in right axilla and right breast enlargement. Patient had past history of non-muscle invasive transitional cell carcinoma of urinary bladder (pTa, grade II A) which had been treated accordingly. No recurrence of bladder growth had been observed on serial check cystoscopies. On clinical examination of breast and axilla, right breast appears enlarged and there were palpable hard fixed axillary lymph nodes. Ultrasound showed enlarged malignant looking lymph nodes. Occult breast carcinoma with metastatic axillary lymph nodes was our initial impression; however, subsequent biopsy of axillary lymph nodes showed Transitional cell carcinoma.

Conclusions

This patient’s case emphasizes the importance of having sound knowledge of natural behavior of primary tumor and common and uncommon sites of distant metastases. The causes of unilateral axillary lymphadenopathy include both benign and malignant disease.
Nonlinear analysis of Euler beams resting on a tensionless soil with arbitrary configurations
Authors: Abdelfatah Heba , Heshmat Tamer , Elshabrawy Mohamed
Published: December 2022

Background

The nonlinear interaction between an elastic Euler beam and a tensionless soil foundation is studied. The exact analytical solutions of the nonlinear problem are rather complicated. The main difficulty is imposing compatibility conditions at lift-off points. These points are determined as a part of the solution, although being needed to get the solution itself. In the current work, semi-analytical solutions are derived using the Rayleigh–Ritz method. The principle of vanishing variation of potential energy is adopted. The solution is approximated using a set of suitable trial functions. Accurate high-order approximate analytical solutions are obtained using MAXIMA symbolic manipulator. Lift-off points are identified through an iterative procedure and compatibility conditions are satisfied automatically. The methodology is designed to accommodate arbitrary configurations for the load distribution and the beam properties.

Results

Exact solutions are revised briefly to verify the semi-analytical solutions in terms of deflection, bending moment, and shear. Semi-analytical solutions for constant beam properties including various support conditions and load distributions are verified. Convergence of high-order semi-analytical solutions is illustrated for cases including one and two contact points. A parametric study is provided to illustrate the effect of soil stiffness on the contact length. The case of a finite beam with free ends is considered. The semi-analytical solutions for variable beam moment of inertia are provided and verified.

Conclusions

Highly accurate semi-analytical solutions can be obtained for the problem considered using the Rayleigh–Ritz method along with a symbolic manipulator. Arbitrary load and support configurations can be modeled, and the locations of lift-off points are well predicted. The semi-analytical solutions are extremely valuable for cases of variable moment inertia since exact solutions are rather rare.
Health literacy on COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations in Indonesia
Authors: Kalanjati Viskasari P. , Hasanatuludhhiyah Nurina , d'Arqom Annette , Muhammad Azlin , Marchianti Ancah Caesarina Novi , Arsyi Danial Habri , Permana Putu Bagus Dharma , Susila I Made Dwi Yudiartana Putra , Pratiwi Octaviana Galuh , Purwitasari Diana
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Health literacy on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects people’s capability to ascertain their health and health care quality during the pandemic. The objective of this study was to determine the levels of health literacy about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccinations (Vaccines and Vaccinations literacy-VL) in the Indonesian adult general population, assessing the perceptions of the respondents about current adult immunization and beliefs about vaccinations in general, and analyzing correlations of these variables with the VL levels.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using a rapid survey was administered via the Internet. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics; the internal consistency of the VL scales was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient; the inter-correlation between the functional and interactive-critical VL questions, the underlying components (factors) and each question’s load on the components were identified using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). An alpha level lesser than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Responses to functional- and interactive/ critical- VL questions were acceptable and showed internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.817 and 0.699, respectively), lowest values observed were 0.806 for functional scale and 0.640 for the interactive-critical scale. The PCA demonstrated that there were two components accounting for 52.45% of the total variability. Approximately 60% of respondents were females (n=686). Almost all respondents used the internet to seek information regarding COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations. Many used at least one social media actively with 74.4% of respondents sometimes believing the validity of this information.

Conclusions: High scores were observed in both functional- and interactive/ critical-VL, and were quite in a balance between sexes in the prior VL and higher in females for the latter; these were also closely related to the educational level and age group. It is crucial to increase public health literacy in managing the pandemic.
Helicobacter pylori prevalence in Indonesia: Higher infection risk in Eastern region population
Authors: Maulahela Hasan , Doohan Dalla , Rezkhita Yudith Annisa Ayu , Syam Ari Fahrial , Waskito Langgeng Agung , Savitri Camilia Metadea Aji , Richardo Marselino , Rahman Abdul , Namara Yoma Sari , Shatri Hamzah , Sanityoso Andri , Siregar Gontar Alamsyah , Sudarmo Eko , Uchida Tomohisa , Vilaichone Ratha-korn , Yamaoka Yoshio , Miftahussurur Muhammad
Published: December 2022

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection status in Indonesia might be higher than the actual prevalence. A comprehensive epidemiologic study is necessary to explore infection susceptibility by demographic characteristics, especially between Indonesia’s Eastern and Western regions.

Methods: We included our recent survey and data from our previous studies with 1,172 endoscopic examinations from 19 cities throughout Indonesia from January 2014 to March 2017. H. pylori infection was diagnosed based on the combination of four different tests. Using a criterion of one positive result between four tests, we found that 190 subjects (190/1,158; 16.4%) were H. pylori positive. A total of 939 subjects were analyzed for risk factors of sociodemographic characteristics to H. pylori infection.

Results: Prevalence was slightly higher in the Eastern region compared with the Western region of Indonesia (79/277; 59.4% vs. 54/529; 40.6%). Living in the Eastern region imposes a higher risk of infection (OR 5.33, 95%CI 1.17–24.26). Timor ethnicity had the highest prevalence (15/28; 53.6%), followed by Buginese ethnic (21/74; 28.4%), and Papuan ethnic (18/64; 28.1%) in the Eastern region. As an ethnicity with a high prevalence (37/109; 33.9%), Batak was an outlier among the low prevalence areas in the Western region. In general, age, living in the Eastern region, Batak ethnicity, Protestant, Catholic, and alcohol drinking were independent risk factors associated with H. pylori infection in Indonesia (OR 1.03, 95%CI 1.02–1.05; OR 5.33, 95%CI 1.17–24.26; OR 5.89, 95%CI 1.58–21.94; OR 5.47, 95%CI 2.16–13.86; OR 5.05, 95%CI 1.43–17.80; OR 2.30, 95%CI 1.14–4.61, respectively).

Conclusions: Several ethnicities and habits were concluded to increase the risk of infection as the interaction of host, agent, and environment is inseparable in affecting disease susceptibility.
Factors contributing to moral distress among intensive care nurses: A scoping review
Authors: Ahmad Amina Mussa , Bani-Issa Wegdan , Refaat Fatma
Published: December 2022

Background: The intensive care unit (ICU) is a busy and complex workplace, and several work-related and personal factors are known to make ICU nurses more vulnerable to moral distress than other healthcare professionals. It is crucial to identify these factors to guide future studies and preventive strategies. This scoping review explores such factors to present current knowledge on the factors that trigger moral distress and to guide future research by reviewing studies to explore and summarize factors that trigger moral distress in ICU nurses.  

Methods: The PubMed, EBSCO, and CINAHL Plus databases were searched to identify potentially relevant studies published between 2011 to 2022. Inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed studies published in English that provided results regarding factors causes or correlated to moral distress in ICU nurses. After removing 63 duplicates, 371 papers were excluded after title and abstract screening, leaving 47 articles for full-text screening. A further 30 articles were excluded as their outcomes did not include factors that caused moral distress, or were not specific to ICU nurses, so 17 studies were eventually analysed using qualitative content analysis through an inductive approach. The findings of the articles were extracted and coded independently by two authors, and data were grouped and categorized.

Results: The content categories of factors contributing to ICU nurses' moral distress were organized into themes and subthemes. Four major themes were identified: Powerlessness, end-of-life care, ineffective teamwork, and personal characteristics of ICU nurses.  

Conclusions: This review highlights the factors that contribute to moral distress in critical care nurses, which are mainly attributable to the organizational climate and the nature of the ICU clinical environment. Descriptive and intervention studies (experimental or action research) must investigate causality between identified variables to inform management strategies to improve support for ICU nurses’ coping relative to moral distress.
Turning any bed into an intensive care unit with the Internet of things and artificial intelligence technology. Presenting the enhanced mechanical ventilator
Authors: Pulido Morales Leidy Lorena , Buitrago Romero Juan Sebastian , Ardila Sanchez Ismael A. , Yepes-Calderon Fernando
Published: December 2022

The recent Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic displayed weaknesses in the healthcare infrastructures worldwide and exposed a lack of specialized personnel to cover the demands of a massive calamity. We have developed a portable ventilator that uses real-time vitals read from the patient to estimate -- through artificial intelligence -- the optimal operation point. The ventilator has redundant telecommunication capabilities; therefore, the remote assistance model can protect specialists and relatives from highly contagious agents. Additionally, we have designed a system that automatically publishes information in a proprietary cloud centralizer to keep physicians and relatives informed. The system was tested in a residential last-mile connection, and transaction times below the second were registered. The timing scheme allows us to operate up to 200 devices concurrently on these lowest-specification transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) services, promptly transmitting data for online processing and reporting. The ventilator is a proof of concept of automation that has behavioral and cognitive inputs to cheaply, yet reliably, extend the installed capacity of the healthcare systems and multiply the response of the skilled medical personnel to cover high-demanding scenarios and improve service quality.
CHARACTERIZATION OF BY-PRODUCTS WITH HIGH FAT CONTENT DERIVED FROM THE PRODUCTION OF BOVINE GELATIN
Authors: Garcia Londoño Victor Alonso , Marín González Natalia , Roa-Acosta Diego Fernando , Agudelo Laverde Lina Marcela , Botero Laura , Lellesch Liliana Maria
Published: December 2022

Background: Gelatin is a protein obtained by partial hydrolysis of collagen contained in skins, connective tissue and/or animal bones, which are by-products of the meat industry. The main raw material to produce bovine gelatin is the dermis of the skin, but there is a variation in fat and moisture content depending on the bovine skin origin. As a contribution to the circular economy and sustainability, these by-products with high fat content and the fat released from them during the gelatin production process can be managed for food industries, mainly in the development or formulation of animal feed.

Methods: For the initial physicochemical characterization, moisture, fat, protein and ashes content were determined. Once the by-products with high fat content were identified, alteration parameters such as acidity, peroxide and saponification indexes were evaluated. Additionally, thermal, rheological and fatty acid composition characterization was carried out in order to study the possible applications of the by-products.

Results and Discussion: The results showed that some of the by-products presented fat content values lower than 15.0%, so the viability of their use is limited. On the other hand, some by-products have more than 30% fat content, however, they can only be removed manually, and the efficiency of this process is low. By-products removed from the supernatant in the extractors presented 99.9 and 98.9% of fat, and there is the possibility of conditioning a mechanical method for their extraction. The determination of alteration and oxidation parameters, thermal and rheological characterization, fatty acid profile and solid fat content were carried out only on these by-products. According to the characterization, these by-products could be valued and used in the formulation of animal feed, however, they present some limitations for some applications such as biodiesel production or food industry.
The performance of lipid profiles and ratios as a predictor of arterial stiffness measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Soelistijo Soebagijo Adi , Adiwinoto Robert Dwitama , Pranoto Agung , Ardiany Deasy
Published: December 2022

Background: Early identification of arterial stiffness in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients before the manifestation of atherosclerosis would be clinically beneficial. Our study aimed to explore the correlation of lipid profiles and ratios with arterial stiffness, and construct a predictive model for arterial stiffness in T2DM patients using those parameters.

Methods: One hundred and eighty-four adult T2DM patients in the diabetes outpatient clinic at the Dr. Soetomo general academic hospital were enrolled in this cross-sectional study in 2015 and 2019. Sociodemographic, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profiles, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) data were collected from all subjects. The subjects were divided into a group with arterial stiffness (ba-PWV > 18 m/sec) and without arterial stiffness (ba-PWV ≤ 18 m/sec). A correlation test was used to evaluate the association, and receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curves analysis were used to determine the cut-off value, sensitivity, and specificity. The risk analysis model was calculated using bivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results: The group with arterial stiffness had higher lipid profiles: total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and lipid ratios. A significant positive correlation was found between TC, TG, LDL-C, and all lipid ratios with ba-PWV. A negative correlation was found between HDL-C and ba-PWV. All lipid ratio parameters can be used as predictors of arterial stiffness, especially non-HDL-C with cut-off value: 150 mg/dL (sensitivity 96.8% and specificity 52.9%) and TG/HDL-C ratio with cut-off value: 4.51 (sensitivity 81.0% and specificity 74.2%). Elevated TG/HDL-C ratio and non-HDL-C displayed higher risk (OR: 12.293 and 16.312; p < 0.05) of having arterial stiffness compared to other lipid ratios.

Conclusions: Lipid profiles and lipid ratios, especially TG/HDL-C ratio and non-HDL-C, are potential biochemical markers for arterial stiffness in T2DM patients.
Association between polymorphisms within the gene coding for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha with outcomes of treatment in a sample of Iraqi patients with ankylosing spondylitis taking etanercept: an observational study
Authors: Saleh Khudhur Shaimaa , Saadi Saleh Eman , Hadi Alosami Mohammed , G. Shareef Laith
Published: December 2022

Background:Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a progressive, chronic inflammatory illness with an unclear etiology that explicitly targets the vertebral column, peripheral joints, and extraarticular tissues. The purpose of this research was to investigate if the existence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) gene at positions -1031T/C (rs199964), -857C/T (rs1799724) and -806C/T (rs4248158) in a sample of Iraqi AS patients could influence the patients' outcomes with etanercept.

Methods:Sixty patients with established AS receiving only etanercept were selected to enroll in this study, with a mean age of 40.75±8.67 years; 51 patients were male. Patients were classed as "responders" if they obtained aBath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index(BASDAI) 50 clinical response and as "non-responders" if they did not achieve a BASDAI 50 clinical improvement after at least six months of treatment. After polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product amplification of the purified blood DNA, the promoter region of TNF-α gene SNPs was established by Sanger sequencing.

Results:This research found a significant difference in the TT genotype of rs1799964, P = 0.02, in the responder group, in contrast to the TC genotype of rs1799964, which was significantly more frequent in the non-responder group, P = 0.01. The wild TT genotype of rs1799964 seemed to enhance the probability of being a responder. Nevertheless, the heterozygote TC genotype of rs1799964 showed a negative and significant correlation for responsiveness to etanercept.

Conclusion: The TT genotype of rs1799964 is associated with a higher likelihood of responding to ETN, suggesting that it is a valuable diagnostic for predicting response in Iraqi AS patients.
Environmental perceptions of global business travel by Swiss companies in the Zurich airport region
Authors: Echeverria Arrondo Ignacio , Wolfs Bert
Published: December 2022

Background: This article presents findings from research conducted before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on companies located in the Zurich airport region of Switzerland, regarding the needs for global business travel and its impacts.

Methods: The study involved a mixed methods approach. Five hypotheses were tested using inferential statistics on data obtained from pre-tested closed questions in a web-based survey. Deeper context was explored through an interview-based case-study conducted at a Swiss pharma company.

Results: Supporting alternative hypothesis 3 (Ha(3)), a significant positive relationship was found between travel frequency and business growth, F(1, 100) = 11.31, p = 0.0011. Supporting Ha(4), corporate culture had a significant positive relationship with business travel frequency (F(1, 100) = 15.50, p = 0.0002) and average trip length (F(1, 100) = 6.39, p = 0.01). And thirdly supporting Ha(5), corporate social responsibility had a significant relationship with global business travel (91%). Ho(2) and Ho(3) were accepted. The case study found that smart corporate travel policies and regulations should be instantiated to enhance our environment, which would also benefit employee wellbeing. Travel can be reduced significantly despite being demonstrated that physical co-presence is important for building trust. The case study suggests tools to support the monitoring and management of global business travel by organizations.

Conclusions: COVID-19 has impacted travel for business significantly, and future research will be necessary to assess its impact. The article explores the ongoing research in this area, and several relevant implications are proposed for future leaders. The case study found willingness to pay both corporate and individual green taxes, and a deficiency in corporate communication around the environment. Business travel is needed to build trust; however, it can be reduced.
Peer-to-peer energy communities: regulatory barriers in the EU context
Authors: Pigliautile Ilaria , Breukers Sylvia , Boekelo Marten , Carnero Pablo , Causone Francesco , Arko Sara , Ferroni Sibilla , Pioppi Benedetta , Pisello Anna Laura , Solar Alma , Swens Job , Tarpani Elena , D'Oca Simona
Published: December 2022

The effects of climate change are already impacting people’s quality of life worldwide. Evidence highlights the urgency in action to counteract this on-going process. Europe aims at fostering the green transition becoming climate neutral by 2050. The envisioned pathway encompasses an overhaul of the energy system including an increase in renewable energy production and end-user energy efficiency. The EU further recognizes the fundamental role of citizens and communities in addressing an effective transition. Within this framework, energy communities (EC) and peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading are emerging as new opportunities for boosting green technologies in renewable energy and the smart grid sector, and for rising citizens’ awareness of the theme. However, the implementation of P2P ECs in Europe entails complex legal challenges that cannot be solved only through sector-specific regulation. This open letter critically presents the experience gained in the H2020 NRG2peers project about the knowledge advancement in the regulatory context of the project pilot sites. These are located in four EU ecosystems (from innovators to laggards) that are: the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, and Italy. Each EC involved in the NRG2peers project is thus facing different challenges related to its specific socio-economic condition and energy market framework. These barriers need to be overcome and new tools will be delivered during the NRG2peers project. Moving from the lessons learnt at the pilot sites, both roadmaps at the regulatory level and an advisory app are under development to support the uptake of the next generation of European peer-to-peer Energy Communities.
Community-driven governance of FAIRness assessment: an open issue, an open discussion
Authors: Wilkinson Mark D. , Sansone Susanna-Assunta , Méndez Eva , David Romain , Dennis Richard , Hecker David , Kleemola Mari , Lacagnina Carlo , Nikiforova Anastasija , Castro Leyla Jael
Published: December 2022

Although FAIR Research Data Principles are targeted at and implemented by different communities, research disciplines, and research stakeholders (data stewards, curators, etc.), there is no conclusive way to determine the level of FAIRness intended or required to make research artefacts (including, but not limited to, research data) Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. The FAIR Principles cover all types of digital objects, metadata, and infrastructures. However, they focus their narrative on data features that support their reusability. FAIR defines principles, not standards, and therefore they do not propose a mechanism to achieve the behaviours they describe in an attempt to be technology/implementation neutral. A range of FAIR assessment metrics and tools have been designed that measure FAIRness. Unfortunately, the same digital objects assessed by different tools often exhibit widely different outcomes because of these independent interpretations of FAIR. This results in confusion among the publishers, the funders, and the users of digital research objects. Moreover, in the absence of a standard and transparent definition of what constitutes FAIR behaviours, there is a temptation to define existing approaches as being FAIR-compliant rather than having FAIR define the expected behaviours. This whitepaper identifies three high-level stakeholder categories -FAIR decision and policymakers, FAIR custodians, and FAIR practitioners - and provides examples outlining specific stakeholders' (hypothetical but anticipated) needs. It also examines possible models for governance based on the existing peer efforts, standardisation bodies, and other ways to acknowledge specifications and potential benefits. This whitepaper can serve as a starting point to foster an open discussion around FAIRness governance and the mechanism(s) that could be used to implement it, to be trusted, broadly representative, appropriately scoped, and sustainable. We invite engagement in this conversation in an open Google Group fair-assessment-governance@googlegroups.com
The genome sequence of the silver-studded blue, Plebejus argus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Hayward Alex , Lohse Konrad , Laetsch Dominik R. , Vila Roger ,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective, Taluy Emma ,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: December 2022

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Plebejus argus (silver-studded blue; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Lycaenidae). The genome sequence is 382 megabases in span. The entire assembly (100%) is scaffolded into 23 chromosomal pseudomolecules with the Z sex chromosome assembled. The complete mitochondrial genome was also assembled and is 27.4 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 12,693 protein coding genes.
The genome sequence of the early grey, Xylocampa areola (Esper, 1789)
Authors: Lees David , Boyes Douglas ,   Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: December 2022

We present a genome assembly from an individual Xylocampa areola (the early grey; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). The genome sequence is 565 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 31 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the assembled Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.5 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 18,869 protein coding genes.
The genome sequence of the northern brown argus, Aricia artaxerxes (Fabricius, 1793)
Authors: Ebdon Sam , Lohse Konrad ,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective, Jansen Van Rensburg Alexandra ,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: December 2022

We present a genome assembly from an individual Aricia artaxerxes (the northern brown argus; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Lycaenidae). The genome sequence is 458 megabases in span. Most of the assembly (99.99%) is scaffolded into 23 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the assembled Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.8 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl has identified 12,688 protein coding genes.
The genome sequence of the Seraphim, Lobophora halterata (Hufnagel, 1767)
Authors: Boyes Douglas ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective, Holland Peter W.H. ,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: December 2022

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Lobophora halterata (the Seraphim; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Geometridae). The genome sequence is 315 megabases in span. The complete assembly is scaffolded into 32 chromosomal pseudomolecules with the Z and W sex chromosomes assembled. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.7 kilobases in length.
SPEECH CHARACTERISTICS AND METHODS OF ITS TRANSLATION
Authors: Sapukh Tatiana V. , Chernikova Anastasia V.
Published: December 2022

Background. The article is devoted to the study of ways to transfer the features of the character’s speech characteristics into Russian. The authors consider speech characterization as a selection of words, expressions and turns of speech, acting as a means of artistic representation of actors. The functions that perform the speech features of the character are discussed in the work. The authors analyze the ways of translating the speech characteristics of the characters of D. Mitchell’s work Black Swan Green into Russian, comparing two existing translations by T. Borovikova and A. Polyarinov.

Purpose. To identify ways of translating the speech characteristics of the characters by the example of translations of the work of D. Mitchell Black Swan Green, performed by T. Borovikova and A. Polyarinov.

Materials and methods. The material of the research is David Mitchell’s novel Black Swan Green, as well as its translations into Russian, made by Tatiana Borovikova and Alexey Polyarinov. The research methods were the comparative analysis, linguistic observation, as well as the continuous sampling method.

Results. Based on the analysis of fragments from the work, it was revealed that when translating the speech characteristics of the characters, the translators used lexical and grammatical transformations (functional replacements, omissions, literal translation, repetition and doubling of the consonant sound, concretization and addition), trying to preserve both the plan of expression and the plan of content.
DYNAMICS OF AMBIVALENT ASSESSMENT OF THE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL PROCESS DURING COVID–19 (THE CASE OF THE STUDENT PRAGMALINGUISTIC SURVEY)
Authors: Taktarova Anna V. , Cherkasova Marina N.
Published: December 2022

The ambivalent nature of the higher educational process was clearly manifested during the COVID–19 pandemic. Such an organization of teaching process generates new cognitive learning model, thus being the relevance of this study.

Purpose. It is aimed at identification of students’ verbal ambivalent behavior and function to the new learning format over two time periods in dynamics: 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. The scientific novelty of the study is to establish students’ ambivalent assessment of the educational process in terms of COVID–19. This assessment was proved experimentally during the survey.

Materials and methods. Materials of research are written recorded responses received from students during pragmalinguistic survey at the university. The following research methods were used: survey, lexico-semantic, pragmalinguistic experiment, as well as quantitative and interpretive methods.

Results. The pragmalinguistic survey gives a detailed analysis of appraisal vector over the two reference groups: the survey of the first period has changed significantly compared to the second period. All 167 respondents showed ambivalent reactions, the first group demonstrates positive-negative ambivalence, while the second group shows negative-positive ambivalence. Thus, the ambiguous, diametrically-opposed attitude of students to the educational reality from the ambivalence research approach was established.
STRUCTURAL AND SEMANTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF POTENTIAL NEOLOGISMS IN MODERN ENGLISH
Authors: Kaufova Lola A. , Kaufova Inessa B.
Published: December 2022

Purpose. The article deals with analyzing potential neologisms in the English language for the period of 2021–2022, aiming to establish their relevance to a certain part of speech, determine their thematic focus and describe the most productive ways of creating potential neologisms in modern English.

Methodology. The basic research methods of this work are the method of continuous sampling from a lexicographic source; semantic and word-formation analysis of dictionary definitions; the method of statistical data analysis.

Results. Vocabulary, being the most mobile component of the language, constantly reacts to the processes and phenomena of the surrounding reality by creating new lexical units designed to replace traditional speech patterns, to conceptualize new phenomena of reality. The vast majority of potential lexemes are nouns or phrases in which the main role belongs to this particular part of speech, proving that the main function of new word formations is nominative. The analysis made it possible to identify 17 thematic groups, which include potential neologisms: “climate, the environment”, “society”, “medicine and diseases”, “technologies”, “work”, “hobbies, recreation, entertainment”, “sports and healthy lifestyle”, “business”, “food and drinks”, “housing, building and architecture”, “transport”, “literature, music, art”, “clothing, jewellery, fashion”, “crime”, “animals”, “education”, “space”. The study also showed that the most productive ways of forming new lexical units are compounding, merging and affixing, while reduction turned out to be a little less common, and conversion, borrowing and onomatopoeia proved to be the least productive.

Practical implications. The results of the study can be applied in the field of lexicology and lexicography, stylistics and translation practice, as well as in the practice of language teaching.
POSTER BUSTING IN GERMAN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION
Authors: Generalova Larisa M.
Published: December 2022

Purpose: The presented research is aimed at clarifying the definition of the concept of «Poster busting». The article presents the characteristics of protest communication, highlights and describes the main components of the political poster as an ultimate element of the election campaign as well as it shows the results of the analysis of poster busting as a practice of modern protest communication in Germany. The article considers the fundamental features of this polycode phenomenon, gives the classification of material practices of transformation of the initial poster and the mechanism of its resemiotization. The purpose of this article is determined by its inclusion in the circle of interests of the study of the protest communication.

Method or methodology of the study. The study was conducted with the method of overall selection of empirical material from the official internet platforms. Research methods include general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, an interpretive method, content analysis. The research material was election posters.

Results. The main practices of poster busting used as a result of resemiotization in relation to election posters are considered, the correlation between the trans-aggressive way of using practices and the formation of both a new reactive space and new discursive practices is determined, the main differential features of an election poster as a polycode text are described.

Practical implications. The obtained results contribute to the further development of research on protest communication. The research results can be used in the basic course of applied linguistics, linguoculturology and sociolinguistics.