bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding COVID-19 vaccination behaviors and intentions in Ghana: A Behavioral Insights (BI) study
Authors: Vepachedu Swathi , Nurzenska Anastasiia , Lohiniva Anna-Leena , Hudi Al-hassan , Deku Sena , Birungi Julianne , Greiner Karen , Sherlock Joseph , Campbell Chelsi , Foster Lori
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Vaccine uptake is influenced by a variety of factors. Behavioral Insights (BI) can be used to address vaccine hesitancy to understand the factors that influence the decision to take or refuse a vaccine.

Methodology

This two-part study consisted of a survey designed to identify the influence of various drivers of people’s COVID-19 vaccination status and their intention to take the vaccine in Ghana, as well as an experiment to test which of several behaviorally informed message frames had the greatest effect on vaccine acceptance. Data was collected from a total of 1494 participants; 1089 respondents (73%) reported already being vaccinated and 405 respondents (27%) reported not being vaccinated yet. The mobile phone-based surveys were conducted between December 2021 and January 2022 using Random Digit Dialing (RDD) to recruit study participants. Data analysis included regression models, relative weights analyses, and ANOVAs.

Results

The findings indicated that vaccine uptake in Ghana is influenced more by social factors (what others think) than by practical factors such as ease of vaccination. Respondents’ perceptions of their family’s and religious leaders’ attitudes towards the vaccine were among the most influential drivers. Unexpectedly, healthcare providers’ positive attitudes about the COVID-19 vaccine had a significant negative relationship with respondents’ vaccination behavior. Vaccine intention was positively predicted by risk perception, ease of vaccination, and the degree to which respondents considered the vaccine effective. Perceptions of religious leaders’ attitudes also significantly and positively predicted respondents’ intention to get vaccinated. Although perceptions of religious leaders’ views about the vaccine are an important driver of vaccine acceptance, results asking respondents to rank-order who influences them suggest that people may not be consciously aware—or do not want to admit—the degree to which they are affected by what religious leaders think. Message frames that included fear, altruism, social norms were all followed by positive responses toward the vaccine, as were messages with three distinct messengers: Ghana Health Services, a doctor, and religious leaders.

Conclusions

What drives COVID-19 vaccine intentions does not necessarily drive behaviors. The results of this study can be used to develop appropriate COVID-19 vaccine uptake strategies targeting the most important drivers of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, using effective message frames.
Response of leaf photosynthesis, chlorophyll content and yield of hydroponic tomatoes to different water salinity levels
Authors: Al-Gaadi Khalid A. , Tola ElKamil , Madugundu Rangaswamy , Zeyada Ahmed M. , Alameen Ahmed A. , Edrris Mohamed K. , Edrees Haroon F. , Mahjoop Omer
Published: February 2024

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop that grows easily under controlled conditions, such as in greenhouses and hydroponics. To overcome freshwater scarcity, researchers are searching for alternatives to groundwater sources such as desalinated water (saline water) for irrigation. High salinity in irrigation water alters physiological functions and crop development, thereby reducing the yield. Best management practices and the use of grafted tomato plants on salt-tolerant rootstocks can alleviate salinity stress. The present study was conducted to address the impact of salinity stress on leaf transpiration (Tr), stomatal conductance (gs), photosynthesis (Pn), leaf chlorophyll content, proline content, and yield of hydroponically cultivated tomato plants. Saline (NaCl) water was used for the preparation of nutrient solution with three salinity levels, electrical conductivity (EC, dS m−1) of 2.5 (control), 6.0, and 9.5. Three commercial tomato cultivars (Valouro-RZ, Ghandora-F1, and Feisty-Red) were used. Both self-rooted plants and plants grafted onto Maxifort rootstocks were transplanted onto a perlite substrate. The recorded data revealed that all studied cultivars were critically affected by higher salinity (≈ 9.5 dS m-1) compared to low (≈ 2.5 dS m-1) and medium (≈ 6.0 dS m-1) salinity levels. The Variations in Tr, Pn, gs, chlorophyll content of leaf, and yield between medium and high salinity trials were reported at 3%, 5%, 9%, 5%, and 7.1%, respectively, whereas no significant differences were observed between low and medium salinities. However, at medium salinity levels, grafted plants performed better in photosynthesis than non-grafted plants. This is due to the accumulation of leaf proline, which maintains osmotic regulation and photosynthetic activity by preventing cell damage at medium salinities. Hence, this study confirmed the use of saline water for growing tomatoes under hydroponic conditions up to an EC of 6.0 dS m-1 including the EC of nutrient fertilizers.
Poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerases inhibition by olaparib attenuates activities of the NLRP3 inflammasome and of NF-κB in THP-1 monocytes
Authors: Mustafa Khamis , Han Ying , He Dan , Wang Ying , Niu Nan , Jose Pedro A. , Jiang Yinong , Kopp Jeffrey B. , Lee Hewang , Qu Peng
Published: February 2024

Poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) are a protein family that make ADP-ribose modifications on target genes and proteins. PARP family members contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, in which monocytes/macrophages play important roles. PARP inhibition is protective against atherosclerosis. However, the mechanisms by which PARP inhibition exerts this beneficial effect are not well understood. Here we show that in THP-1 monocytes, inhibition of PARP by olaparib attenuated oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced protein expressions of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome components: NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase activation and recruitment domain (ASC), and caspase-1. Consistent with this effect, olaparib decreased oxLDL-enhanced interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 protein expression. Olaparib also decreased the oxLDL-mediated increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Similar to the effects of the NLRP3 inhibitor, MCC950, olaparib attenuated oxLDL-induced adhesion of monocytes to cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells and reduced foam cell formation. Furthermore, olaparib attenuated the oxLDL-mediated activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB through the oxLDL-mediated increase in IκBα phosphorylation and assembly of NF-κB subunits, demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation of IκBα with RelA/p50 and RelB/p52 subunits. Moreover, PARP inhibition decreased oxLDL-mediated protein expression of a NF-κB target gene, VCAM1, encoding vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. This finding indicates an important role for NF-κB activity in PARP-mediated activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Thus, PARP inhibition by olaparib attenuates NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome activities, lessening monocyte cell adhesion and macrophage foam cell formation. These inhibitory effects of olaparib on NLRP3 activity potentially protect against atherosclerosis.
Study on stress and deformation characteristics of existing-new two-stage cantilever retaining wall
Authors: Ma Xuening , Liu Yuhang , Hao Zixiang , Wang Xu , Yang Youhai
Published: February 2024

A two-stage cantilever retaining wall is composed of two single-stage cantilever retaining walls, which are stacked up and down. The structure not only has the advantages of a single-stage retaining wall, but also compensates for the shortcomings of the height limit of the single-stage retaining wall; therefore, it has been gradually applied in projects. Based on the actual project of Zhongwei-Lanzhou Passenger Dedicated Line into Lanzhou Hub, this paper studies the influence of the construction of new cantilever retaining wall and the filling of subgrade on the deformation and earth pressure of the new cantilever wall and the existing cantilever wall by means of field test and numerical simulation. The results show that with an increase in the filling height after the new cantilever wall (upper wall), the horizontal displacement of the top of the upper and lower walls increased nonlinearly. The displacement direction of the upper wall was the filling direction, and that of the lower wall was the deviation from the filling direction. The higher the filling height, the greater is the displacement. With an increase in the filling height, the earth pressure behind the upper wall increases gradually along the wall height and decreases slightly to the bottom of the wall, which is approximately a linear distribution. The earth pressure behind the existing cantilever wall first increases along the wall height and gradually decreases after reaching a certain depth, but the earth pressure of the lower wall does not increase significantly with an increase in the filling height behind the upper wall. The slope failure mode is the overall sliding failure of the retaining wall together with the fill soil. The sliding surface passed through the lower edge of the lower wall heel and was similar to an arc shape. The stability of the two-stage cantilever retaining wall was better than that of a single-stage retaining wall. Finally, a calculation method for the overall stability and earth pressure of the existing two-stage cantilever retaining wall was proposed.
Early life body size and puberty markers as predictors of breast cancer risk later in life: A neural network analysis
Authors: Svendsen Sara M. S. , Pedersen Dorthe C. , Jensen Britt W. , Aarestrup Julie , Mellemkjær Lene , Bjerregaard Lise G. , Baker Jennifer L.
Published: February 2024

Background

The early life factors of birthweight, child weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and pubertal timing are associated with risks of breast cancer. However, the predictive value of these factors in relation to breast cancer is largely unknown. Therefore, using a machine learning approach, we examined whether birthweight, childhood weights, heights, BMIs, and pubertal timing individually and in combination were predictive of breast cancer.

Methods

We used information on birthweight, childhood height and weight, and pubertal timing assessed by the onset of the growth spurt (OGS) from 164,216 girls born 1930–1996 from the Copenhagen School Health Records Register. Of these, 10,002 women were diagnosed with breast cancer during 1977–2019 according to a nationwide breast cancer database. We developed a feed-forward neural network, which was trained and tested on early life body size measures individually and in various combinations. Evaluation metrics were examined to identify the best performing model.

Results

The highest area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) was achieved in a model that included birthweight, childhood heights, weights and age at OGS (AUC = 0.600). A model based on childhood heights and weights had a comparable AUC value (AUC = 0.598), whereas a model including only childhood heights had the lowest AUC value (AUC = 0.572). The sensitivity of the models ranged from 0.698 to 0.760 while the precision ranged from 0.071 to 0.076.

Conclusion

We found that the best performing network was based on birthweight, childhood weights, heights and age at OGS as the input features. Nonetheless, this performance was only slightly better than the model including childhood heights and weights. Further, although the performance of our networks was relatively low, it was similar to those from previous studies including well-established risk factors. As such, our results suggest that childhood body size may add additional value to breast cancer prediction models.
Structural and thermal analyses in semiconducting and metallic zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes using molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Zahra Ama tul , Shahzad Aamir , Manzoor Alina , Razzokov Jamoliddin , Asif Qurat ul Ain , Luo Kun , Ren Guogang
Published: February 2024

Equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations have been performed to investigate the structural analysis and thermal conductivity (λ) of semiconducting (8,0) and metallic (12,0) zigzag single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for varying ±γ(%) strains. For the first time, the present outcomes provide valuable insights into the relationship between the structural properties of zigzag SWCNTs and corresponding thermal behavior, which is essential for the development of high-performance nanocomposites. The radial distribution function (RDF) has been employed to assess the buckling and deformation understandings of the (8,0) and (12,0) SWCNTs for a wide range of temperature T(K) and varying ±γ(%) strains. The visualization of SWCNTs shows that the earlier buckling and deformation processes are observed for semiconducting SWCNTs as compared to metallic SWCNTs for high T(K) and it also evident through an abrupt increase in RDF peaks. The RDF and visualization analyses demonstrate that the (8,0) SWCNTs can more tunable under compressive than tensile strains, however, the (12,0) zigzag SWCNTs indicate an opposite trend and may tolerate more tensile than compressive strains. Investigations show that the tunable domain of ±γ(%) strains decreases from (-10%≤ γ ≤+19%) to (-5%≤ γ ≤+10%) for (8,0) SWCNTs and the buckling process shifts to lower ±γ(%) for (12,0) SWCNTs with increasing T(K). For intermediate-high T(K), the λ(T) of (12,0) SWCNTs is high but the (8,0) SWCNTs show certainly high λ(T) for low T(K). The present λ(T, ±γ) data are in reasonable agreement with parts of previous NEMD, GK-HNEMD data and experimental investigations with simulation results generally under predicting the λ(T, ±γ) by the ∼1% to ∼20%, regardless of the ±γ(%) strains, depending on T(K). Our simulation data significantly expand the strain range to -10% ≤ γ ≤ +19% for both zigzag SWCNTs, depending on temperature T(K). This extension of the range aims to establish a tunable regime and delve into the intrinsic characteristics of zigzag SWCNTs, building upon previous work.
Non-invasive load monitoring based on deep learning to identify unknown loads
Authors: Su Anshun , Du Zehua , Yin Bo
Published: February 2024

With the rapid development of smart grids, society has become increasingly urgent to solve the problems of low energy utilization efficiency and high energy consumption. In this context, load identification has become a key element in formulating scientific and effective energy consumption plans and reducing unnecessary energy waste. However, traditional load identification methods mainly focus on known electrical equipment, and accurate identification of unknown electrical equipment still faces significant challenges. A new encoding feature space based on Triplet neural networks is proposed in this paper to detect unknown electrical appliances using convex hull coincidence degree. Additionally, transfer learning is introduced for the rapid updating of the pre-classification model’s self-incrementing class with the unknown load. In experiments, the effectiveness of our method is successfully tested on the PLAID dataset. The accuracy of unknown load identification reached 99.23%. Through this research, we expect to bring a new idea to the field of load identification to meet the urgent need for the identification of unknown electrical appliances in the development of smart grids.
Rats that learn to vocalize for food reward emit longer and louder appetitive calls and fewer short aversive calls
Authors: Wardak Agnieszka D. , Olszyński Krzysztof H. , Polowy Rafał , Matysiak Jan , Filipkowski Robert K.
Published: February 2024

Rats are social animals that use ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) in their intraspecific communication. Several types of USV have been previously described, e.g., appetitive 50-kHz USV and aversive short 22-kHz USV. It is not fully understood which aspects of the USV repertoire play important functions during rat ultrasonic exchange. Here, we investigated features of USV emitted by rats trained in operant conditioning, is a form of associative learning between behavior and its consequences, to reinforce the production/emission of 50-kHz USV. Twenty percent of the trained rats learned to vocalize to receive a reward according to an arbitrarily set criterion, i.e., reaching the maximum number of proper responses by the end of each of the last three USV-training sessions, as well as according to a set of measurements independent from the criterion (e.g., shortening of training sessions). Over the training days, these rats also exhibited: an increasing percentage of rewarded 50-kHz calls, lengthening and amplitude-increasing of 50-kHz calls, and decreasing number of short 22-kHz calls. As a result, the potentially learning rats, when compared to non-learning rats, displayed shorter training sessions and different USV structure, i.e. higher call rates, more rewarded 50-kHz calls, longer and louder 50-kHz calls and fewer short 22-kHz calls. Finally, we reviewed the current literature knowledge regarding different lengths of 50-kHz calls in different behavioral contexts, the potential function of short 22-kHz calls as well as speculate that USV may not easily become an operant response due to their primary biological role, i.e., communication of emotional state between conspecifics.
Cyb5r3 activation rescues secondary failure to sulfonylurea but not β-cell dedifferentiation
Authors: Watanabe Hitoshi , Asahara Shun-ichiro , Son Jinsook , McKimpson Wendy M. , de Cabo Rafael , Accili Domenico
Published: February 2024

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by insulin resistance and β-cell failure. The latter involves impaired insulin secretion and β-cell dedifferentiation. Sulfonylurea (SU) is used to improve insulin secretion in diabetes, but it suffers from secondary failure. The relationship between SU secondary failure and β-cell dedifferentiation has not been examined. Using a model of SU secondary failure, we have previously shown that functional loss of oxidoreductase Cyb5r3 mediates effects of SU failure through interactions with glucokinase. Here we demonstrate that SU failure is associated with partial β-cell dedifferentiation. Cyb5r3 knockout mice show more pronounced β-cell dedifferentiation and glucose intolerance after chronic SU administration, high-fat diet feeding, and during aging. A Cyb5r3 activator improves impaired insulin secretion caused by chronic SU treatment, but not β-cell dedifferentiation. We conclude that chronic SU administration affects progression of β-cell dedifferentiation and that Cyb5r3 activation reverses secondary failure to SU without restoring β-cell dedifferentiation.
Bounded distributions place limits on skewness and larger moments
Authors: Meer David J. , Weeks Eric R.
Published: February 2024

Distributions of strictly positive numbers are common and can be characterized by standard statistical measures such as mean, standard deviation, and skewness. We demonstrate that for these distributions the skewnessD3is bounded from below by a function of the coefficient of variation (CoV)δasD3>δ− 1/δ. The results are extended to any distribution that is bounded with minimum valuexminand/or bounded with maximum valuexmax. We build on the results to provide bounds for kurtosisD4, and conjecture analogous bounds exists for higher statistical moments.
Genetic link between primary biliary cholangitis and connective tissue diseases in European populations: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Liu Zhekang , Shao Yijia , Duan Xinwang
Published: February 2024

Background

An association between primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and connective tissue diseases (CTDs) [rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren’s syndrome (SS), systemic sclerosis (SSc)] has been found in observational studies. However, the direction causality is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the causality between PBC and CTDs and to promote early screening, pre-emptive therapy, and accurate stratification.

Methods

A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to assess the causal relationship between PBC [Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) meta-analysis, 8021 cases/16498 controls], and SLE (GWAS meta-analysis, 8021 cases/16489 controls), RA(FinnGen, 6236 cases/14727 controls), SS(FinnGen, 2495 cases/365533 controls), SSc (FinnGen, 302 cases/213145 controls). Inverse variance weighting (IVW) was used as the primary analysis method, supplemented by four sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of the results.

Results

The IVW revealed that genetically predicted PBC increased the risk of SLE [odd’s ratio (OR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30–1.58, P < 0.001]), RA (OR = 1.09, 95%CI1.04–1.14, P<0.001), and SS (OR = 1.18, 95%CI1.12–1.24, P<0.001), but not that of SSc. In addition, no association was observed between CTDs as an exposure and PBC. Sensitivity analyses did not reveal horizontal pleiotropy.

Conclusions

Our study provided new genetic evidence for a causal relationship between PBC and CTDs. PBC increased the risk of SLE, RA, and SS. Our findings highlighted the importance of active screening and intervention for CTDs in patients with PBC.
A systematic review of the association of Type I diabetes with sensorineural hearing loss
Authors: Mittal Rahul , McKenna Keelin , Keith Grant , Lemos Joana R. N. , Mittal Jeenu , Hirani Khemraj
Published: February 2024

Objectives

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been associated with several comorbidities such as ocular, renal, and cardiovascular complications. However, the effect of T1D on the auditory system and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is still not clear. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review to evaluate whether T1D is associated with hearing impairment.

Methods

The databases PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and EMBASE were searched in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. Three reviewers independently screened, selected, and extracted data. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools for Analytical cross-sectional and case-control studies were used to perform quality assessment and risk of bias analysis on eligible studies.

Results

After screening a total of 463 studies, 11 eligible original articles were included in the review to analyze the effects of T1D on the auditory system. The included studies comprised cross-sectional and case-control investigations. A total of 5,792 patients were evaluated across the 11 articles included. The majority of the studies showed that T1D was associated with hearing impairment compared to controls, including differences in PTAs and OAEs, increased mean hearing thresholds, altered acoustic reflex thresholds, and problems with the medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex inhibitory effect. Significant risk factors included older age, increased disease duration, and higher HbA1C levels.

Conclusions

This systematic review suggests that there is a correlation between T1D and impairment on the auditory system. A multidisciplinary collaboration between endocrinologists, otolaryngologists, and audiologists will lead to early detection of hearing impairment in people with T1D resulting in early intervention and better clinical outcomes in pursuit of improving the quality of life of affected individuals.

Registration

This systematic review is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023438576).
Re-thinking Eating Disorders as Cultural Pathologies in Contemporary Irish Poetry: A Case Study
Authors: González-Arias Luz Mar
Published: February 2024

Eating disorders—a generic term that includes anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating and many other subtypes of problematic relationships with food and eating—are situated at the interface of disciplines as varied as medicine, biology, history, cultural studies, gender studies and the social sciences. Although the reasons behind the development and experience of an eating disorder are individual as well as cultural, these pathologies tend to be analysed from either an exclusively biomedical perspective—which often excludes the cultural factor—or oversimplified as being the result of the stereotypes of beauty imposed on the female body in western cultural traditions. This essay, in contrast, looks at eating disorders as multi-layered metaphors of cultural dissidence within the social order and literary traditions of contemporary Ireland. It is divided into distinct, though interrelated, sections: a brief introduction to eating disorders; a consideration of the problems posed in the representation of emaciated corporealities; a taxonomical classification of the primary sources found in the course of my research; and the analysis of Mary O’Donnell’s poem “Reading the Sunflowers in September” as a case study to illustrate the literal and metaphorical employment of anorexia in contemporary Irish poetry. Although the análisis is philological, the perspective adopted is that of the Medical Humanities, in that I will make use of literary, cultural and biomedical literature in order to provide a view that is complementary to the scientific discourse around anorexia nervosa. O’Donnell’s poem will be considered in relation to European visual arts, particularly photography, in order to enhance the transnational dimension of eating disorders. At the same time, the close reading of the poem under analysis will be complemented by a comparative analysis with other Irish poems of the late 20th and early 21st centuries to underline the relevance of the national context in interpreting the representation of this disease. Ultimately, this essay aims to proffer new perspectives on the pathology and to contribute to the social understanding of those who experience it.
Casting Stones with Intent: Transnational Interventions towards Ethical and Reparative Memorialisation
Authors: Pérez-Fernández Irene , Fresno-Calleja Paloma , García-Fernández Aurora
Published: February 2024

In the summer of 2020, on the wave of the Black Lives Matter Movement, statues and public monuments became focal points of political struggle, perceived by many as symbolic reminders of pervading western imperial legacies. Yet, the debate over public memorialisation is far from new. Starting from the 2020 BLM protests in Britain and going back to previous campaigns, this article contextualises the toppling, effacing and removal of well-known statues of colonial agents in Britain, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and examines artistic interventions which appropriate, challenge and shatter static historical interpretations of imperial figures and events. Our contention is that these interventions constitute diverse forms of performative and re-storied resistance reflecting transnational demands for redress and reparation.
Retorikai szerkezet és igehasználat angol absztraktokban
Authors: Doró Katalin
Published: February 2024

Az utóbbi években számos tanulmány foglalkozott különböző tudományágakban, nyelven és országokban publikált absztraktokkal. Ezek zöme az absztraktok retorikai felépítésével foglalkozott, de egyre nagyobb figyelem fordul a nyelvi megformáltságra, azon belül is az igehasználatra. Nagyon limitált azonban a magyar szerzők által közölt angol nyelvű absztraktok elemzése. A jelen tanulmányban két neves alkalmazott nyelvészeti folyóiratban, az Alkalmazott Nyelvtudományban és Applied Linguistics-ben publikált angol nyelvű összefoglalókat elemzem. Kétszer 50 absztraktot választottam ki a 2013 és 2022 közötti időszakból. A magyar absztrakt korpusz magyar nyelvű tanulmányok mellett megjelenő angol összefoglalókat tartalmaz, melyek a magyarul nem beszélők számára is értelmezhetővé és önállóan érthetővé kell, hogy tegyék a publikált műveket, ezért megformáltságuk kifejezetten fontos. A vizsgálat először a retorikai szerkezeteket tekinti át, majd a három leggyakrabban előforduló retorikai mozzanatban (Célok, Módszerek és Eredmények) külön-külön vizsgálja az igék, az igeidők, és a módbeli segédigék használatát. Az eredmények azt mutatják, hogy a magyar szerzők többsége az angol referenciakorpuszhoz hasonló strukturális megoldásokat alkalmaz, bár kevesebb mozzanatot és lineárisabb szerkezetet találunk náluk. A jelen és múlt idők aránya közel azonos a két korpuszban, a jelen idő dominál. A magyar szerzők közül néhányan egyéni megoldásokat alkalmaznak, amelyek inkább kollokviális hatást keltenek. Reményeim szerint ez a kutatás hasznos referenciául szolgál a magyar kutatók számára, hogy fejlesszék tudományos írással kapcsolatos tudatosságukat.
Strategy use and self-perception in L2 academic reading
Authors: Aradi Csenge
Published: February 2024

This article reports the main results of a think-aloud protocol study inquiring into reading strategy use and self-perception of first-year English studies and teacher trainee majors when reading academic texts in their L2. The verbal protocol was combined with a short follow-up interview and the SORS test to identify the findings and highlight any possible correlations between the three datasets. The results suggest that students have a general preference for metacognitive strategies, and the findings appear to show a certain degree of consistency across different types of data. The most frequently used and reported strategies included guessing from context, re-reading, use of external resources, and self-evaluation.
Kína I. - A polgárháborútól a világgazdaság műhelyéig
Authors:   Chuang kollektíva
Published: February 2024

A duplaszám jelen első darabja a Chuang szerzői kollektíva által jegyzett Chuang folyóirat első és második számából tartalmaz szerkesztett részeket. Ezek a számok a szocialista iparosítás, reform és globális piaci integráció időszakait tekintik át, úgy, hogy a belső politikai és társadalmi folyamatokat mindig a világ- gazdasági integráció tágabb környezetéhez és belső ellentmondásaihoz kötik.
L'attribuzione delle battute dei personaggi nei vv. 52–66 della Medea di Osidio Geta
Authors: Pagnotta Cristina
Published: February 2024

L’articolo affronta la questione dell’attribuzione delle battute dei personaggi nella prima scena del centone virgiliano intitolato Medea, attribuito ad Osidio Geta e trasmesso dal ms. Parisinus Latinus 10318. In quanto parte dei c.d. theatrica carmina destinati alla recitazione, certe volte la Medea presenta una mancata attribuzione delle battute ai personaggi probabilmente causata dalla caduta della paragraphos o del dicolon. A tali errori meccanici sarebbe imputabile l’erronea attribuzione delle battute di Creonte e Medea ai vv. 52–58, per cui si propone la seguente ripartizione dei versi: CR: 52–54; MED: 55–57; CR: 58–66. lines 55–57.
La polisemia di bene e male nel pensiero di Eraclito
Authors: Piangerelli Federica
Published: February 2024

Il contributo intende proporre un’analisi relativa alle nozioni di bene e male nel pensiero di Eraclito per mostrarne l’intrinseca polisemia. In via del tutto originale, l’indagine si sviluppa nel segno di un innovativo paradigma ermeneutico, utile per cogliere la ricchezza della riflessione filosofica classica: il Multifocal Approach. Tale chiave di lettura, infatti, permette di tracciare i diversi scenari argomentativi attorno a cui si snoda il ragionamento eracliteo, che sono di carattere gnoseologico, fisico–ontologico e morale. All’interno di questi quadri concegttuali bene e male assumono molteplici e specifiche declinazioni ma, ad uno sguardo d’insieme, è possibile individuarne alcune caratteristiche comuni. In particolare, il male coincide con una pluralità disordinata, disarmonica e illimitata, il bene, invece, con una unità ordinata, misurata e limitata ma intrinsecamente dinamica, in quanto armonia di elementi diversi e, in alcuni casi, opposti.
Proteomic analysis of diabetic retinopathy identifies potential plasma-protein biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis
Authors: Honoré Bent , Hajari Javad Nouri , Pedersen Tobias Torp , Ilginis Tomas , Al-Abaiji Hajer Ahmad , Lønkvist Claes Sepstrup , Saunte Jon Peiter , Olsen Dorte Aalund , Brandslund Ivan , Vorum Henrik , Slidsborg Carina
Published: February 2024

Objectives

To identify molecular pathways and prognostic- and diagnostic plasma-protein biomarkers for diabetic retinopathy at various stages.

Methods

This exploratory, cross-sectional proteomics study involved plasma from 68 adults, including 15 healthy controls and 53 diabetes patients for various stages of diabetic retinopathy: non-diabetic retinopathy, non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. Plasma was incubated with peptide library beads and eluted proteins were tryptic digested, analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass-spectrometry followed by bioinformatics.

Results

In the 68 samples, 248 of the 731 identified plasma-proteins were present in all samples. Analysis of variance showed differential expression of 58 proteins across the five disease subgroups. Protein–Protein Interaction network (STRING) showed enrichment of various pathways during the diabetic stages. In addition, stage-specific driver proteins were detected for early and advanced diabetic retinopathy. Hierarchical clustering showed distinct protein profiles according to disease severity and disease type.

Conclusions

Molecular pathways in the cholesterol metabolism, complement system, and coagulation cascade were enriched in patients at various stages of diabetic retinopathy. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway and systemic lupus erythematosus pathways were enriched in early diabetic retinopathy. Stage-specific proteins for early – and advanced diabetic retinopathy as determined herein could be ‘key’ players in driving disease development and potential ‘target’ proteins for future therapies. For type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus, the proteomic profiles were especially distinct during the early disease stage. Validation studies should aim to clarify the role of the detected molecular pathways, potential biomarkers, and potential ‘target’ proteins for future therapies in diabetic retinopathy.
Convergence of Adaptive Crouzeix–Raviart and Morley FEM for Distributed Optimal Control Problems
Authors: Dond Asha K. , Nataraj Neela , Nayak Subham
Published: February 2024

This article discusses the quasi-optimality of adaptive nonconforming finite element methods for distributed optimal control problems governed by 𝑚-harmonic operators for

m
=

1
,
2

m=1,2

.
A variational discretization approach is employed and the state and adjoint variables are discretized using nonconforming finite elements.
Error equivalence results at the continuous and discrete levels lead to a priori and a posteriori error estimates for the optimal control problem.
The general axiomatic framework that includes stability, reduction, discrete reliability, and quasi-orthogonality establishes the quasi-optimality.
Numerical results demonstrate the theoretically predicted orders of convergence and the efficiency of the adaptive estimator.
Romanian presumptive in interaction: evidentiality and beyond
Authors: Popescu Cecilia Mihaela
Published: February 2024

The paper emphasizes the pragmatic and discursive extensions of a special verbal structure – at its origin, a Future Tense form – known in Romanian linguistics as presumptive mood (hereinafter: PRESUMPT). In terms of evidentiality, the PRESUMPT has two types of meanings: an inferential meaning, expressing an inference-based supposition, and also a reportative meaning, when the utterer does not take responsibility for the truthfulness of information from another source. These significances are very subtle and closely related to their context of use. That is why, sometimes, it is very difficult to distinguish one value from another. Therefore, Romanian PRESUMPT deploys in discourse pragmatic enrichments depending on the syntactic-enunciative structure it is inserted in or on some other parameters, such as: speaker’s epistemic stance, genre of discourse, intersubjectivity, and extends its core meaning of evidentiality through a range of discursive dimensions. Considering this situation, our approach outlines that a complex rhetorical strategy is involved in such contexts, where the PRESUMPT actualizes in fact only its prototypical feature [+placement in a subsequent relation (“ultériorité” – see Bres 2012. Conditionnel et ultériorité dans le passé: De la subjectivité à l’objectivité. In SHS Web of Conferences, Volume 1 (3ème Congrès Mondial de Linguistique Française), 1719–1730.)], exclusively marking the relation of subsequence of the hypothesis or of the quoted speech act (in counter-argumentative frames) compared to a previously mentioned state of facts.
Serum levels of HMW adiponectin and its receptors are associated with cytokine levels and clinical characteristics in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Lu Li , Cheng Mengyu
Published: February 2024

We aimed to investigate the changes in the levels of high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin, adiponectin receptors, and cytokines in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as their potential relationships. Forty-one patients who underwent lobectomy for lung lesions and had a clear postoperative pathological diagnosis were divided into the non-COPD (N = 23) and COPD (N = 18) groups. HMW adiponectin, cytokine, and T-cadherin levels in serum and tissues were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of HMW adiponectin and cytokine (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-10, surfactant protein D, 4-hydroxynonenal, tumor necrosis factor-α, and C reactive protein) in the serum and tissues increased in the COPD group compared to those in the non-COPD group. Patients with COPD exhibited AdipoR1 upregulation and AdipoR2 downregulation. Although T-cadherin did not differ significantly between patients with and those without COPD, its expression was elevated during the progression from COPD with benign lung lesions to combined lung cancer. Furthermore, the HMW adiponectin levels were significantly correlated with the cytokine levels and the clinical characteristics of COPD. HMW adiponectin and its receptors affect the inflammatory process in COPD and may further contribute to the progression of the disease to malignancy.
Complete heart block associated with hepatitis A infection in a female child with fatal outcome
Authors: Ahmed Mansoor , Naseer Haseena , Ebad ur Rehman Mohammad , Basit Jawad , Nashwan Abdulqadir J. , Arshad Mateen , Ahmad Afnan , Asad Muhammad
Published: February 2024

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection can cause extra-hepatic manifestations like myocarditis. An 8-year-old female with HAV infection presented with fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and icterus. She developed viral myocarditis with complete AV dissociation on ECG and was treated with a temporary pacemaker, but her condition worsened, and she died. Hepatitis A viral infection can be associated with viral myocarditis and complete heart block that can lead to cardiogenic shock and death eventually.
Microhistory, Conjectural Reasoning, and Prehistory: The Treasure of Aliseda (Spain)
Authors: Blanco-González Antonio
Published: February 2024

This contribution delves into the ways of archaeological reasoning based on material remains, tackled as minute physical traces or signs capable of shedding light on underlying and otherwise unapproachable past phenomena. This is indeed the basis of Microhistory or the conjectural paradigm in History. This article identifies key characteristics regarding this way of inductive or “bottom-up” inference and demonstrates its prospects when applied to prehistoric contexts. To illustrate this point, the article draws on a case study from the protohistory of Iberia: The treasure of Aliseda (seventh–sixth centuries BCE). This one-off assemblage – a true anomaly in its time, past, and present – was accidentally found in 1920 and has thenceforth been subject to assorted interpretations – mainly as individual burial goods from a feminine tomb – using deductive reasoning constrained by strong prejudices. A recent and comprehensive revision of this issue from an inductive and multi-stranded approach – mobilising several independent lines of evidence – has led to a fresh, sounder, and finer-grained micro-narrative. This case exemplifies a successful microhistorical enquiry, which has tracked retrospectively an array of inadvertent observations – from legacy dataset, new fieldwork, and science-based analyses – to illuminate the deviant circumstances framing this occurrence.
Verallgemeinerbarkeit und Engführung von Gütekriterien. Replik auf den Kommentar „Jenseits der Lagerbildung“
Authors: Otte Gunnar , Sawert Tim , Brüderl Josef , Kley Stefanie , Kroneberg Clemens , Rohlfing Ingo
Published: February 2024

In diesem Beitrag setzen wir uns mit den Anmerkungen von Franz Erhard und Robert Schäfer zu unserem Artikel „Gütekriterien in der Soziologie“ auseinander. Wir gehen auf vier Aspekte ein: (1) die Frage, ob allgemeine, transdisziplinäre Anforderungen wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens in einen Gütekriterienkatalog gehören und ob der Gegenstandsbereich der Soziologie disziplinspezifische Kriterien erfordert; (2) den Einwand, dass die Kopplung unseres Theorieverständnisses an kausale Erklärungen eine problematische Engführung der Gütekriterien mit sich bringt; (3) die Frage, ob Formen des Generalisierens in der qualitativ-interpretativen Forschung eine Ausdifferenzierung unseres Gütekriteriums zur Generalisierung nötig machen; (4) den Vorschlag, die Rückbindung empirischer Studien an Gesellschaftstheorien zu einem allgemeinen Gütekriterium zu erheben. Wir zeigen, dass sich einige dieser Punkte mit unseren Gütekriterien vereinbaren lassen und dass andere wenig überzeugend sind.
Most Psychological Researchers Assume Their Samples Are Ergodic: Evidence From a Year of Articles in Three Major Journals
Authors: Speelman Craig P. , Parker Laura , Rapley Benjamin J. , McGann Marek
Published: February 2024

Conventional statistics methods in most psychological research, such as null-hypothesis significance tests (NHSTs), use aggregated values (i.e., the sample means) of group behaviours to make inferences about individuals. Such inferences are possibly erroneous because groups of humans rarely, if ever, constitute an ergodic system. To assume ergodicity without checking is to commit the ‘ergodic fallacy’. The aim of the current study was to examine the prevalence of this error in contemporary psychological research. We analysed three highly cited ‘Q1’ journals in the fields of clinical, educational and cognitive psychology for statements that indicated this error. As hypothesized, the ergodic fallacy was found in the vast majority of the papers investigated here. We also hypothesised that the prevalence of this error would be highest in cognitive psychology papers because this field typically assesses theoretical claims about universal cognitive mechanisms, whereas clinical and educational psychology are more concerned with empirically supported interventions. This hypothesis was also supported by our results. Nonetheless, the prevalence of the ergodic fallacy was still high in all fields. Implications are discussed with respect to the reporting of research findings and the validity of theories in psychology.
Assessment of physiological quality of commercial maize-seed lots for quality a ssurance in the Nigerian seed industry
Authors: Olisa Babafemi S. , Awosanmi Femi E. , Ajayi Sunday A. , Olakojo Samuel A. , Akintunde Funmilayo C. , Olasunkanmi Temitope C.
Published: February 2024

Maize productivity in Nigeria fluctuates over the years partly due to the use of seed lots with poor seed quality. The aim of this study was to assess problems associated with physiological quality for commercial maize seed lots in the Nigerian seed industry. Fifty samples of commercial
maize seed-lots of the same variety, 'Sammaz 15', were collected from 50 seed companies across the country. Moisture content, standard germination, bulk conductivity, accelerated ageing, seedling vigour and field seedling emergence tests were performed on the seeds. The assessments were conducted
in two consecutive years. Across the years, mean seed moisture content was 10.6%, germination was 93.7%, bulk conductivity was 8.10 μS cm-1 g-1 and 1000-seed weight was 245.2 g. Mean values for length of mesocotyl, coleoptile, primary leaf, shoot and root were 30.7,
35.6, 65.1, 97.7 and 210.5 mm, respectively. Mean values for field emergence and accelerated ageing were 88.5 and 68.8%, respectively. There were significant correlations between germination percentage, bulk conductivity, accelerated ageing germination percentage and ageing index and field
emergence. Correlations with moisture content were poor. The ageing test showed that storability was low. Breeders should select for seed with good storability to ensure quality maize seed production.
Postupci učitelja u suočavanju s neprimjerenim ponašanjem učenika u osnovnoj školi
Authors: Poljak Kristina , Vidić Tomislava
Published: February 2024

Neprimjereno ponašanje odnosi se na bilo koje ponašanje učenika koje umanjuje sposobnost učitelja uspostaviti i održati učinkovito učenje u učionici. Kako bi osigurali učinkovito poučavanje i učenje učenika, učitelji primjenjuju različite strategije i postupke kojima reagiraju na neprimjerena ponašanja učenika i sprječavaju njihovo ponavljanje. Cilj ovog istraživanja ispitati je koje strategije i postupke koriste učitelji u osnovnoj školi te razlikuju li se učitelji razredne i predmetne nastave u njihovoj primjeni. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo dvjesto trideset osnovnoškolskih učitelja koji su procjenjivali učestalost primjene trideset postupaka u tri različita oblika neprimjerenih ponašanja učenika. Rezultati pokazuju kako se većina učitelja svakodnevno susreće s lakšim i težim oblicima, a rijetko s osobito teškim oblicima neprimjerenih ponašanja. Najčešće korištene strategije u situacijama lakšeg neprimjerenog ponašanja učenika jesu strategije dogovora s učenicima, pozitivnih akcija te opomena, dok se u težim i osobito teškim oblicima neprimjerenih ponašanja najčešće primjenjuju strategije dogovora, opomena i savjetovanja sa stručnjacima. Najrjeđe korištene strategije u sva tri oblika neprimjerenih ponašanja jesu strategije kažnjavanja i udaljavanja učenika sa sata. Utvrđene su statistički značajne razlike u primjeni strategija učitelja razredne i predmetne nastave. Učitelji razredne nastave češće koriste strategije dogovora, pozitivnih akcija, zapošljavanja učenika drugim aktivnostima i uključivanja vršnjaka, a učitelji predmetne nastave strategiju savjetovanja sa stručnjacima. Iako se udaljavanje učenika sa sata i kažnjavanje rijetko primjenjuju, ipak je utvrđeno kak te strategije češće koriste učitelji predmetne nastave.