bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extending the straight leg raise test for improved clinical evaluation of sciatica: validity and diagnostic performance with reference to the magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Pesonen Janne , Shacklock Michael , Suomalainen Juha-Sampo , Karttunen Lauri , Mäki Jussi , Airaksinen Olavi , Rade Marinko
Published: April 2021

Background: The straight leg raise test (SLR) is one of the most utilized and studied physical tests in patients with low back pain (LBP) for the detection of lumbar disc herniation (LDH), showing high sensitivity and heterogeneous or low specificity. The high incidence of asymptomatic ‘pathologic’ findings in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans may cause verification bias to these results. We added location-specific structural differentiation movements to the traditional SLR for it to better differentiate neural symptoms from musculoskeletal. Previously, the ESLR has shown almost perfect interrater reliability between examiners and ability to detect sciatic patients. In this study, we investigated whether a ’positive’ ESLR finding predicts pathology seen on MRI.Methods: 40 subjects comprised the study population, 20 in sciatic group and 20 in control group. The ESLR was performed ‘blinded’ to the subjects. After the ESLR, each subject’s lumbar MRI was evaluated. The MRIs were analyzed independently by 2 senior radiologists and a spine specialist clinician. The ESLR and MRI results were cross-tabulated. To obtain the odds ratio (OR) with positive ESLR or SLR results for LDH or nerve root compression (NC), a binary logistic regression analysis with subjects’ age, gender, height and weight was performed. ESLR’s validity was assessed by combination of interrater agreement and percentage prevalence of both LDH and NC.Results: Of sciatic (ESLR+) patients, 85% had LDH and 75% NC in the MRI. Not surprisingly, MRI showed a very high incidence of ‘false-positive’ findings with the ESLR negative group. The ESLR showed 0.85 sensitivity and 0.45 specificity for LDH and 0.75 sensitivity and 0.50 specificity for NC. A positive result in the ESLR was found to be highly predictive for both LDH and NC: the OR was 8.0 (p=0.028) and 5.6 (p=0.041), respectively. Conclusion: The ESLR shows high validity in detecting neural symptoms and pathology seen in the MRI when judged positive. We suggest the use of ESLR in clinical practice, where it may prove to be a valuable tool in detecting patients with sciatic symptoms.
Quantum electron liquid and its possible phase transition
Authors: Kim Sunghun , Bang Joonho , Lim Chan-young , Lee Seung Yong , Hyun Jounghoon , Lee Gyubin , Lee Yeonghoon , Denlinger Jonathan , Huh Soonsang , Kim Changyoung , Kim Seong-Gon , Lee Young Hee , Kim Yeong Kwan , Kim Sung Wng
Published: April 2021

Pure quantum electrons render intriguing correlated electronic phases by virtue of quantum fluctuations in addition to an exclusive electron-electron interaction. To realise such quantum electron systems, a key ingredient is dense electrons decoupled from other degrees of freedom. Here, we report the discovery of a pure quantum electron liquid, which spreads up to ~ 3 Å in the vacuum on the surface of electride crystal. An extremely high electron density and its scant hybridization with underneath atomic orbitals evidence quantum and pure nature of electrons, exhibiting polarized liquid phase demonstrated by spin-dependent measurement. Further, upon reducing the density, the dynamics of quantum electrons drastically changes to that of non-Fermi liquid along with an anomalous band deformation, manifesting a possible transition to a hexatic liquid crystalline phase. Our findings cultivate the frontier of quantum electron systems, which serve as an ideal platform for exploring the correlated electronic phases in a pure manner.
Comparative Effectiveness of Pneumococcal Vaccination With PPV23 and PCV13 in COPD Patients Over a 5-Year Follow-Up Cohort Study
Authors: Ignatova Galina L. , Avdeev Sergey N. , Antonov Vladimir Nikolayevich
Published: April 2021

BackgroundVaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae is among the most effective measures for preventing pneumonia and reducing the rate of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. The objective of this work was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of PCV13 and PPV23 for preventing pneumonia and COPD exacerbations.MethodsThe open-label, prospective, observational cohort study involved 302 male patients aged ≥45 years: PCV13 group (n=123); PPV23 group (n=32); and vaccine-naïve group (n=147). The primary endpoint included the frequency of pneumonia episodes and COPD exacerbations per year over a 5-year follow-up period. The secondary endpoints included the dynamics of dyspnea severity (MMRC), the BODE index, FEV1, the CAT index, the SGRQ score, and the results of 6-min walk test.ResultsVaccination with PCV13 and PPV23 significantly reduces the total rate of pneumonia during the first year after vaccination. Starting with the second year, clinical effectiveness in PPV23 group decreases compared with both PCV13 group and vaccine-naïve patients. Pneumonia by year 5 after vaccination were registered in versus 47% of patients in the PPV23 group 3.3% of patients in the PCV13 group (p<0.001); COPD exacerbations – in 81.3% versus 23.6%, respectively (p<0.001). Vaccination with PCV13 significantly reduced and maintained the BODE index over the 5-year follow-up period.ConclusionAlthough both vaccines have comparable clinical effects during the first year after vaccination, only PCV13 is characterized by persistent clinical effectiveness during the 5-year follow-up period. Patients older than 55 years on PPV23 have significantly higher risks of having pneumonia episodes more frequently during the long-term follow-up.
The Effect of Deposition Angle and Thickness on Structural and Optical Properties of Manganese Oxide Thin Films
Authors: moghtaderi Amin , kangarlou haleh , razzazi Vahedeh
Published: April 2021

Manganese oxide thin films were deposited on glass substrates by resistive evaporation at room temperature. The layers were produced with electron gun evaporation method under ultra-high vacuum condition. Thickness of the layers was measured 60 and 120 nm, by a quartz crystal method. Deposition conditions such as deposition rate, vacuum pressure, incidence of angle and substrate temperature were the same for all layers. After producing pure manganese oxide layers a post-annealing method was used in the presence of a uniform oxygen flow of 300 (sccm) and at 320 oC annealing temperature. Optical reflectance and transmittance of the layers were measured in the wavelength of 350–850 nm by a spectrophotometer. Kramers–Kronig relations were used to calculate the optical constant. The influence of annealing temperature and oxygen flow on optical properties is investigated. It was found that film thickness and deposition angle plays an important role on the nanostructures as well as optical properties of layers and cause significant variations in behavior of thin titanium oxide films. The physical properties of materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FE-SEM, AFM, EDX, and UV-Vis techniques.
Examining Measurement invariance for Parental Creativity Nurturing Behaviour (PCNB) across middle-East Nations and South-east Asian Nations
Authors: Sharma Ekta , Sharma Sandeep , Al-Kudah Muhammad , Al-Tamimi Angham
Published: April 2021

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Proliferating droplets formed via prebiotic polymerisation:
the missing link between chemistry and biology on the origin of life
Authors: Matsuo Muneyuki , Kurihara Kensuke
Published: April 2021

The hypothesis that prebiotic molecules were transformed into polymers that evolved into proliferating molecular assemblages and eventually a primitive cell was first proposed about a hundred years ago. However, no proliferating model prebiotic system has yet been realised because different conditions are required for polymer generation and self-assembly of polymers. In this study, we identified conditions suitable for concurrent peptide generation and self-assembly, and we showed how a proliferating peptide-based droplet could be created by using synthesised amino acid thioesters as prebiotic monomers. Oligopeptides generated from the monomers spontaneously formed droplets through liquid–liquid phase separation in water. The droplets underwent a steady growth–division cycle by periodic addition of monomers through autocatalytic self-reproduction. Heterogeneous enrichment of RNA and lipids within droplets enabled RNA to protect the droplet from dissolution by lipids. These results provide experimental platforms for origin-of-life research and open up novel directions in peptide-based material development.
The Global Green Bond Market in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Keliuotytė-Staniulėnienė Greta , Daunaravičiūtė Kamilė
Published: April 2021

This paper summarizes the relevant researches in the area of the green bond market within the perspective of the performance of the global green bond market in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the rapid expansion of the green bond market during the last decade, this market has also experienced the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The researches on the effect of COVID-19 and its induced crisis on the green bond markets are still fragmentary; therefore, the main purpose of this research is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global green bond market. To reach the purpose, the methods of literature analysis, and correlation-regression analysis are used. In the first section of the paper, the research problem is presented; in the second part the analysis of academic literature is conducted; in the third part the design of the research is described, and in the fourth part the results of the assessment of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the global green bond market are discussed. The results of the research revealed that the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to have a negative impact on the performance of the S&P Green Bond Index. The market reaction to deaths caused by COVID-19 infection proved to be stronger than the reaction to confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection. However, after a sufficiently significant negative shift, which was observed in the first quarter of 2020, the S&P Green Bond Index regained its upward trend, which continued for the rest of the year.
Online Banking in Italy. “Widiba Bank” Case Study, PESTLE and DEA Analysis
Authors: Faccia Alessio , Cavaliere Luigi Pio Leonardo
Published: April 2021

Given the great interest and impact generated by the previous article on the “Widiba Bank” case study published in this journal, the authors intend now to provide more insights on the analysis of the current Italian framework. A PESTLE analysis is therefore carried out to identify the main financial and environmental alternative strategies. The object of research is the chosen company Widiba Bank because, despite being a latecomer in the Italian online banking industry, its success demonstrated the importance of the adoption of targeted strategies in the digitized world. The performed analysis PESTLE allowed to provide many insights from different perspectives. The paper then confirmed the analyses by comparing the last 5 years’ performances (measured by the ROE ratio and Deposits Growth as Inputs, and Assets Growth as an Output) of the Italian Online Banking industry (average of the years 2016-2019). The data are retrieved from the Italian Public Registry of Incorporated Companies (managed by the Italian Chambers of Commerce) and processed using the DEA SOLVER software. This article strategically enhanced the knowledge of a previous one focused on the same bank by providing different perspectives and, therefore, a comprehensive view of the Widiba bank case study. It, therefore, aims at producing useful resources for business schools, practitioners, and experts.
Women in Micro and Small Business Enterprises and their Financial Cruxes in Ethiopia: A Case Study of Mettu Town
Authors: Singh S.N.
Published: April 2021

Ethiopia is fast growing economy among countries in the continent of Africa and the participation of skilled women in the small business enterprises has become interesting for the analysis come across. The role of education of women is the crucial one, especially for third world countries like Ethiopia. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the participation of skilled women in Micro & Small Enterprises in case of Mettu town. This study has attempted to portray participation of educated women in Micro and Small Enterprises in the study area. To conduct this study, the data has been collected from both primary and secondary sources. The primary sources of data obtained through structured questionnaire, interviews and observations however the secondary sources of data are books, journals and different written documents of government as well as NGOs. Descriptive method of statistics has been used to analyze the data. The findings of the study reveal that despite of financial crunches the participation of women particularly skilled in MSEs gradually increasing over the period of time in town. Educated women are more likely preferring service sector followed by trade sector in the study area.
Quality of Life Among Caregivers of Children with Special Needs in Kelantan, Malaysia: The Importance of Psychosocial Mediators
Authors: Isa Siti Nor Ismalina , Ishak Ismarulyusda , Ab Rahman Azriani , Mohd Saat Nur Zakiah , Che Din Normah , Lubis Syarif Husin , Mohd Ismail Muhammad Faiz , Mohd Suradi Nur Riza
Published: April 2021

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is an important aspect of well-being for the caregivers of children with disability, making it a noteworthy outcome. Little is known about the challenges faced by the caregivers in Asian countries and its association to their QoL. The purpose of this study was to examine a model describing the relationship between sociodemographic and disability-related factors on caregivers’ QoL, mediated by the caregivers’ psychosocial factors such as perceived stress, coping skills, and social support.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving caregivers of children with special needs in Kelantan, a state of Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 383 caregivers completed questionnaires measuring sociodemographics, disability-related factors, psychosocial factors and QoL outcome. Structural equation modelling was performed to examine the relations of the variables in the conceptual model.

Results: In the final model, childcare dependency, caregiver’s age, financial support, negative perception of stress and maladaptive coping skills were significant predictors of QoL (R2 = 0.65). Caregiver’s age had a direct effect on QoL, while financial support had an indirect effect on QoL via negative perception of stress. Childcare dependency had direct and indirect effects on QoL via negative perception of stress. Higher perceived stress was associated with lower QoL directly and indirectly via maladaptive coping skills. The final model fitted the data well (root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.046; CFI = 0.923; χ2/df = 1.798).

Conclusion: Intervention strategies to improve the QoL of caregivers should target the family unit and take into account the factors of child’s disability, demographic and caregiver’s psychosocial status.
A Step-by-Step Process on Sample Size Determination for Medical Research
Authors: Bujang Mohamad Adam
Published: April 2021

Determination of a minimum sample size required for a study is a major consideration which all researchers are confronted with at the early stage of developing a research protocol. This is because the researcher will need to have a sound prerequisite knowledge of inferential statistics in order to enable him/her to acquire a thorough understanding of the overall concept of a minimum sample size requirement and its estimation. Besides type I error and power of the study, some estimates for effect sizes will also need to be determined in the process to calculate or estimate the sample size. The appropriateness in calculating or estimating the sample size will enable the researchers to better plan their study especially pertaining to recruitment of subjects. To facilitate a researcher in estimating the appropriate sample size for their study, this article provides some recommendations for researchers on how to determine the appropriate sample size for their studies. In addition, several issues related to sample size determination were also discussed.
Patient Factors in Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescribing for Upper Respiratory Tract Infection in the Emergency Department
Authors: Ahmad Azmi , Nor Junainah , Abdullah Ariff Arithra , Tuan Kamauzaman Tuan Hairulnizam , Yazid Mohd Boniami
Published: April 2021

Background: Emergency departments (EDs) are frequently misused for non-emergency cases such as upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). Flooding of these cases may contribute to inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. The aim of this study was to determine the patient factors associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for URTIs in the EDs.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved patients over age 3 years old who presented with URTI to the green zone of the ED of a tertiary hospital on the east coast of Malaysia in 2018– 2019. Convenient sampling was done. The patients were categorised into two groups according to their McIsaac scores: positive (≥ 2) or negative (< 2). Antibiotics given to the negative McIsaac group were considered inappropriate.

Results: A total of 261 cases were included — 127 with positive and 134 with negative McIsaac scores. The most common symptoms were fever and cough. About 29% had inappropriate antibiotic prescribing with a high rate for amoxycillin. Duration of symptoms of one day or less (OR 18.5; 95% CI: 1.65, 207.10; P = 0.018), presence of chills (OR 4.36; 95% CI: 1.13, 16.88; P = 0.033) and diagnosis of acute tonsillitis (OR 5.26; 95% CI: 1.76, 15.72; P = 0.003) were significantly associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescription.

Conclusion: Factors influencing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing should be pointed out to emergency doctors to reduce its incidence.
Association of Adherence to Diabetics Feeding Recommendation with Glycaemic Control and with Malnutrition Risk Among Normal Weight Persons with Type 2 Diabetes in Ghana
Authors: Doglikuu Be-Ikuu Dominic , Abdulai Abubakari , Yaseri Mehdi , Shakibazadeh Elham , Djazayery Abolghassem , Mirzaei Khadijeh
Published: April 2021

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is public health problem. Feeding-recommendations help persons with diabetes control glycaemia. The aim was to access the association between adherence to diabetics’ feeding recommendation with glycaemic control and with malnutrition risk.

Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted among 530 baseline normal weight (body mass index [BMI] 18.5 kg/m2–24.9 kg/m2) persons with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Brong Ahafo region of Ghana, from August 2018 to September 2019. Adherence to feeding recommendation was evaluated with perceived dietary adherence questionnaire (PDAQ). Malnutrition-risk was assessed using malnutrition universal screening tool. Multinomial logistics regression models were used to assess the association between adherence to diabetics’ feeding recommendation with glycaemic control and with malnutrition risk.

Results: Participants were generally healthy. Weight (P = 0.011), total cholesterol (P = 0.003) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)% (P < 0.001) were significant with adherence to diabetics feeding recommendation. Low adherence to diabetics’ feeding recommendation (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.56; 95% CI: 1.44, 4.56; P < 0.001), low adherence to fruit and vegetables (AOR 2.71; 95% CI: 1.48, 4.99; P < 0.001), low adherence to whole grain, beans, starchy- fruits and plantain (AOR 3.29; 95% CI: 1.81, 6.02; P < 0.001), and low adherence to foods prepared with walnut, canola, sunflower, cotton seed and fish oils (AOR 2.62; 95% CI: 1.49, 4.58; P < 0.001) were significant with poor glycaemic control. Furthermore, low adherence to food prepared with walnut, canola, sunflower, cotton seed, fish or soy oils (AOR 0.54; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.95; P = 0.034) and low adherence to fish and lean meat (AOR 2.09; 95% CI: 1.14, 3.86; P = 0.017) were significant with moderate malnutrition risk.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that poor adherence feeding recommendation could be related to glycaemic control and malnutrition risk.
The antiferromagnetic $S=1/2$ Heisenberg model on the C$_{60}$ fullerene geometry
Authors: Rausch Roman , Plorin Cassian , Peschke Matthias
Published: April 2021

We solve the quantum-mechanical antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model
with spins positioned on vertices of the truncated icosahedron using the
density-matrix renormalization group (DMRG). This describes magnetic
properties of the undoped C_{60}60
fullerene at half filling in the limit of strong on-site interaction
UU.
We calculate the ground state and correlation functions for all possible
distances, the lowest singlet and triplet excited states, as well as
thermodynamic properties, namely the specific heat and spin
susceptibility. We find that unlike smaller
C_{20}20
or C_{32}32
that are solvable by exact diagonalization, the lowest excited state is
a triplet rather than a singlet, indicating a reduced frustration due to
the presence of many hexagon faces and the separation of the pentagonal
faces, similar to what is found for the truncated tetrahedron. This
implies that frustration may be tuneable within the fullerenes by
changing their size. The spin-spin correlations are much stronger along
the hexagon bonds and exponentially decrease with distance, so that the
molecule is large enough not to be correlated across its whole extent.
The specific heat shows a high-temperature peak and a low-temperature
shoulder reminiscent of the kagomé lattice, while the spin
susceptibility shows a single broad peak and is very close to the one of
C_{20}20.
How to GAN Event Unweighting
Authors: Backes Mathias , Butter Anja , Plehn Tilman , Winterhalder Ramon
Published: April 2021

Event generation with neural networks has seen
significant progress recently. The big open question is
still how such new methods will accelerate LHC simulations
to the level required by upcoming LHC runs. We target a
known bottleneck of standard simulations and show how their
unweighting procedure can be improved by generative
networks. This can, potentially, lead to a very significant
gain in simulation speed.
Preparation of SAPO-34-Based Catalyst for Conversion of Fructose to 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural
Authors: Zhang Yangyang , Shao Chuan , Qin Dongling , Yang Gang
Published: April 2021

Solid acid-catalyzed dehydration of fructose to produce 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) has been a hotspot in biomass conversion research in recent years. In this study, a novel SAPO‑34‑based catalyst was prepared by consecutive steps of titanium doping, sulfuric acid impregnation, and sulfonic acid functionalization. Characterization of the catalyst with X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), and acid-base titration revealed different pore structures and more acid content compared to SAPO‑34. The catalyst was applied to the preparation of 5-HMF by dehydration of fructose, and the maximum yield (74.0%) of 5-HMF was obtained by reacting in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at 170 °C for 50 min. In addition, the applicability of the catalytic system to other substrates and the stability of the catalyst after five cycles were investigated, which are valuable for further probing on the concerned aspects.
Yaratıcı Problem Çözme Sürecinde Analojik ve Seçici Düşünme: Seçici Problem Çözme Modelinin Matematik Eğitiminde Uygulama Örneği
Authors: KİRİŞÇİ Nilgün
Published: April 2021

Sıra dışı ve etkileyici çözümler üretme, orijinal problemler oluşturma ya da var olan problemleri farklı bir bakış açısı ile yeniden tasarlama matematikte yaratıcı olan öğrencilerden beklenilen temel beceriler olarak değerlendirilebilir. Bu becerilerin geliştirilmesinde yaratıcı problem çözme süreçleri ön plana çıkmaktadır. Yaratıcı problem çözme bir dizi algoritmik işlemin uygulanmasından öte orijinal düşünmeyi gerektiren bir eylem olarak tanımlanabilir. Problem çözme sürecine yönelik birçok yaklaşım olduğu gibi yaratıcılık için önemli görülen analojik düşünme ve seçici düşünme becerilerinin önemi araştırmacılar tarafından vurgulanmaktadır. Bu çalışmada yeni bir yaratıcı problem çözme modeli olan, matematiksel yaratıcılık eğitimi için önerilen Seçici Problem Çözme (SPÇ) modeli incelenmiştir. Bu doğrultuda alan yazın taraması yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Modelin yapısı ve işleyişi bir matematik problemi uygulama örneği ile ayrıntılı olarak açıklanmıştır. SPÇ modeli matematiksel yaratıcılığın gelişimi için önemli görülen problem çözme, problem oluşturma, seçici düşünme ve analojik düşünme becerilerini geliştirmeyi hedefleyen bir yaratıcı problem çözme modelidir.
Eğitsel Mobil Matematik Oyunu ile Sınıf İçi Oyunlaştırma: Bir Durum Çalışması Örneği
Authors: KARA Nuri
Published: April 2021

Oyunlaştırma özellikle son yıllarda üzerinde sıkça durulan konulardan biri olmuştur. Bu araştırmanın amacı öğretmen ve öğrencilerin eğitsel mobil matematik oyunu “Hoverland” kullanılarak sınıf içinde yapılacak oyunlaştırma uygulamasına ilişkin deneyimlerini ve görüşlerini ortaya çıkarmaktır. Araştırmada, nitel araştırma yöntemini temel alan durum çalışması kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu bir devlet okulunda 2019-2020 eğitim öğretim yılında öğrenim gören 20 öğrencinin ve 1 sınıf öğretmeninin yer aldığı bir ilköğretim 3. Sınıf grubu oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma verilerinin toplanmasında gözlem ve görüşme formları kullanılmıştır. Araştırma verilerinin analizinde ise betimsel ve içerik analizi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre öğrenciler oyunlaştırma içerisinde eğlenceli bir şekilde gezinmişlerdir. Oyunlaştırma sürecine ilişkin öğrenciler oyun sonucunda kazandıkları rozetleri saklama ve arkadaşlarıyla paylaşma eğiliminde olmuşlardır. Sınıf içi oyunlaştırmada sınıf öğretmeninin karşılaştığı en büyük zorluk ise sınıf yönetimi olmuştur. Araştırmanın diğer sonuçlarına göre oyunlaştırmada kullanılan mobil oyunun tasarım ve içerik bileşenleri öğrencilerin beklentilerine uygun olmalıdır. Ayrıca, oyun içi seviyeler oluşturulmalı ve bu seviyeler basitten zora doğru sunulmalıdır.
İlkokul Yönetici ve Sınıf Öğretmenlerine Göre Suriyeli Sığınmacı Öğrencilerin Yaşadıkları Sorunlar ve Çözüm Önerileri
Authors: ALKALAY Gizem , KIRAL Bilgen , ERDEM Ali Rıza
Published: April 2021

Bu araştırmanın amacı, Suriyeli sığınmacı öğrencilerin yaşadıkları sorunları, ilkokul yöneticileri ve sınıf öğretmenlerinin görüşleri ışığında ele almaktır. Araştırmanın yürütülmesinde, nitel araştırma desenlerinden durum çalışması deseni kullanılmıştır. Araştırma, 2019 yılında İstanbul ili Beyoğlu ilçesindeki bir ilkokulda görev yapan on iki sınıf öğretmeni ve iki ilkokul yöneticisi ile yürütülmüştür. Araştırmanın katılımcıları ölçüt örnekleme yöntemi ile seçilmiştir. Ölçüt örnekleme yöntemiyle araştırmanın amacına uygun olarak İstanbul İli Beyoğlu ilçesinde yer alan ilkokullardan en fazla Suriyeli öğrenci sayısına sahip olan okul tercih edilmiştir. Katılımcıların belirlenmesinde kullanılan bir diğer ölçüt, görüşme yapılacak olan ilkokul yöneticileri ve sınıf öğretmenlerinin en az dört yıl yabancı uyruklu öğrencilere eğitim vermiş olmasıdır. Araştırmada verilerin toplanmasında görüşme ve gözlem tekniği kullanılmıştır. Görüşmelerde, araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen ve uzman görüşleri alınan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılmıştır. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formunda ilkokul yöneticileri ve sınıf öğretmenlerine on bir soru sorulmuştur. Araştırmada, gözlem türlerinden yapılandırılmamış gözlem tekniği kullanılmış olup, katılımcı rolü bakımından katılımcı olmayan gözlemci türü tercih edilmiştir. Nitel verilerin analizinde içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda başta dil sorunu olmak üzere birden fazla sorun alanı ortaya çıkmıştır. Çalışmada ortaya çıkan sorunların nedenleri ve sorunlara ilişkin çözüm önerileri de irdelenmiştir.
Öğretmenlerin Pozitif Psikolojik Sermaye ve Örgütsel Özdeşleşmeleri Arasındaki İlişki
Authors: YAZKAN Özlem , ORDU Aydan
Published: April 2021

Bu araştırmada pozitif psikolojik sermaye ve örgütsel özdeşleşme arasındaki ilişkinin öğretmenlerin görüşleri doğrultusunda belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. İlişkisel tarama modelinde tasarlanan araştırmanın evrenini 2018-2019 eğitim öğretim yılında Antalya ili Kepez ilçesindeki devlet ortaokullarında görev yapan 1893 öğretmen oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklemi ise basit tesadüfi örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenen 331 öğretmenden oluşmuştur. Araştırmanın verileri Tösten ve Özgan (2014) tarafından geliştirilen “Pozitif Psikolojik Sermaye Ölçeği” ve Mael ve Ashforth (1992) tarafından geliştirilen, Şahin (2014) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlanan “Örgütsel Özdeşleşme Ölçeği” aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Araştırmanın alt problemlerinin çözümlenmesinde aritmetik ortalama, standart sapma, korelasyon ve regresyon analizinden yararlanılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucuna göre öğretmenlerin pozitif psikolojik sermaye algıları çok yüksek, örgütsel özdeşleşme algıları yüksek çıkmıştır. Öğretmenler pozitif psikolojik sermaye alt boyutlarından güven boyutuna en yüksek, iyimserlik boyutuna ise en düşük düzeyde yanıt vermişlerdir. Öğretmenlerin genel pozitif psikolojik sermaye ve örgütsel özdeşleşme algıları arasında pozitif yönde, orta düzeyde bir ilişki bulunmuştur. Pozitif psikolojik sermayenin tüm alt boyutları birlikte düşünüldüğünde örgütsel özdeşleşmeyi anlamlı şekilde açıklamaktadır.
Multiomics Investigation of Hypertension and White Matter Hyperintensity as a Source of Vascular Dementia or a Comorbidity to Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Pathak Gita A. , Barber Robert C. , Phillips Nicole R.
Published: April 2021

Background:

Age-related comorbidity is common and significantly increases the burden
for the healthcare of the elderly. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and hypertension are the two most
prevalent age-related conditions and are highly comorbid. While hypertension is a risk factor for
vascular dementia (VD), hypertension with AD (ADHyp+) is often characterized as probable vascular
dementia. In the absence of imaging and other diagnostic tests, differentiating the two pathological
states is difficult.

Objective:

Our goals are to (1) identify differences in CSF-based vascular dementia profiles, if any,
between individuals who have AD only (ADHyp-), and individuals with ADHyp+ using CSF levels
of amyloid β, tau and p-tau, and (2) compare genome-wide DNA profiles of ADHyp- and ADHyp+
with an unaffected control population.

Method:

Genotype and clinical data were used to compare healthy controls to AD Hyp- vs. AD
Hyp+. We compared the CSF biomarkers followed by evaluating genome wide profiles in three
groups, and mapped SNPs to genes based on position and lowest p-value. The significant genes
were examined for co-expression and known disease networks.

Results:

We found no differences between Aβ, tau and p-tau levels between ADHyp- and ADHyp+.
We found TOMM40 to be associated with ADHyp- as expected but not with ADHyp+. Interestingly,
SLC9A3R2 polymorphism was associated with ADHyp+, and significant gene expression
changes were observed for neighboring genes.

Conclusion:

Through this exploratory study using a novel cohort stratification design, we highlight
the genetic differences in clinically similar phenotypes, indicating the utility of genetic profiling in
aiding differential diagnosis of ADHyp+ and VD.
Distinct Epigenetic Reprogramming, Mitochondrial Patterns, Cellular Morphology, and Cytotoxicity after Bee Venom Treatment
Authors: Uzuner Selcen Çelik , Birinci Esra , Tetikoğlu Sinan , Birinci Ceren , Kolaylı Sevgi
Published: April 2021

Background:

Bee venom is a promising agent for cancer treatment due to its selective
cytotoxic potential for cancer cells through apoptotic pathways. However, there is no evidence for
changes in the epigenome and mitochondrial DNA copy numbers after bee venom application. The
purpose of this study was to determine the impact of bee venom on cytosine modifications and mitochondrial
DNA copy number variation.

Methods:

A broad range of methods was applied to elucidate the impact of bee venom on neoplastic
cells. These included MTT assay for detection of cytotoxicity, immunostaining of cytosine modifications
and mitochondria, assessment of cellular morphology by flow cytometry, and quantification
of mitochondrial DNA copy numbers using QPCR.

Results:

Bee venom-induced cell death was selective for cancer cells, where it triggered a response
characterized by alteration of cytosine modification. In contrast, normal cells were more resistant
to DNA modifications. Furthermore, application of the venom resulted in variation of mitochondrial
membrane permeability and mitochondrial DNA copy numbers, together with alterations in
cell morphology, manifesting as reduced affected cell size.

Conclusion:

The study findings suggest that bee venom can be used as a selective DNA (de)methylating
agent in cancer. Various agents (such as decitabine and 5-azacytidine) have been synthesized
and developed for cancer treatment, and a range of syntheses and preparation and application methods
have been described for these patented drugs. However, to the best of our knowledge, no previous
research has investigated the use of bee venom or any component thereof for epigenetic therapy
in cancer cells.
Prospective Study on Microencapsulation of Oils and Its Application in
Foodstuffs
Authors: de Jesus Freitas Tayane , Assunção Larissa Santos , de Lima Silva Vanessa , Oliveira Tainara Santos , Conceição Ismara Santos Rocha , Machado Bruna Aparecida Souza , Nunes Itaciara Larroza , Otero Deborah Murowaniecki , Ribeiro Camila Duarte Ferreira
Published: April 2021

Background:

Edible oils have gained the interest of several industrial sectors for the different
health benefits they offer, such as the supply of bioactive compounds and essential fatty acids. Microencapsulation
is one of the techniques that has been adopted by industries to minimize the degradation
of oils, facilitating their processing.

Objective:

To evaluate the intellectual property related to patent documents referring to microencapsulated
oils used in foods.

Methods and Results:

This prospective study investigated the dynamics of patents filed in the
Espacenet and National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) databases, and it mapped technological
developments in microencapsulation in comparison with scientific literature. The years 2015 and 2018
showed the greatest growth in the number of patents filed in the Espacenet and INPI databases, respectively,
with China leading the domains of origin, inventors, and owners of microencapsulation technology.
The largest number of applications of microcapsules were observed in the food industry, and the
foods containing microencapsulated oils were powdered seasonings, dairy products, rice flour, nutritional
formulae, pasta, nutritional supplements, and bread. The increase in oxidative stabilities of oils
was the most cited objective to microencapsulate oils. Spray drying was the most widely used microencapsulation
technique, and maltodextrin, gum arabic, and modified starch were the most widely used
wall materials.

Conclusion:

Microencapsulation of oils has been expanding over the years and increasing the possibilities
of the use of microcapsules, but further investments and development of policies and incentive
programs to boost this technology need to be made in less developed countries. For future perspectives,
the microencapsulation technique is already a worldwide trend in the food industry, enabling the development
of new products to facilitate their insertion in the consumer market.
Self-nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System: A Versatile Carrier for Lipophilic Drugs
Authors: Singh Dilpreet
Published: April 2021

Background:

Lipid-based systems such as self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems
(SNEDDS) have resurged the eminence of nanoemulsions and offer many useful drug delivery opportunities.
In the modern drug discovery era, there is a constant increase in the number of poorly
soluble new chemical entities that suffer from poor and erratic bioavailability problems. The oral
route possesses some major disadvantages, such as lack of constant drug levels in plasma, firstpass
metabolism, which results in poor bioavailability. To address these problems, various lipidbased
therapeutic systems are available from which self-enanoemulsifying systems have the potential
to increase the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs.

Methods:

SNEDDS is the isotropic mixture of oils, surfactant, and co-surfactant having droplet
size in the range of 100-200 nm, which spontaneously emulsifies when it contacts with aqueous media
in gastrointestinal (G.I) fluid. Various preparative methods are available for SNEDDS, such as
high-pressure homogenizer, microfluidization, sonication, phase inversion, and shear state methods.
These methods show favorable benefits in drug delivery. Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery
system possesses some disadvantages like precipitation of drug in G.I fluid or possible drug
leaving in the capsule dosage form due to incompatibility issues, which can be overcome by more
advanced techniques like supersaturated SNEDDS containing a precipitation inhibitor or Solid
SNEDDS. These areformulated either through spray drying or using a solid carrier.

Conclusion:

The lipid-based nanocarrier (SNEDDS) plays a significant role in drug delivery to
overcome the poor solubility and oral bioavailability. This review highlights the elaborative aspects
of the diverse advantages of SNEDDS based formulations.
Jenis dan Kekerabatan Kupu-Kupu (Lepidoptera) di Taman Hutan Raya Sulawesi Tengah
Authors: Sabran Moh , RT Lembah Rocky , Wahyudi Wahyudi , Baharuddin Hamzah , Trianto Manap , M Suleman Samsurizal
Published: April 2021

Species and cladystic of butterflies is closely related to the preservation and utilization of biological resources in Indonesia. This study aims to determine species and cladystic of butterflies (Lepidoptera) in Grand Forest Park Central Sulawesi. Sampling of butterflies using a sweeping net with a purposive sampling method at three different watershed (DAS) locations, namely Vatutela, Kawatuna, and Poboya. Butterfly samples obtained at the research location were then identified at the Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Tadulako University. The results showed that there were 97 species from 5 butterfly families, namely Papilionidae (14 species), Pieridae (16 species), Nymphalidae (46 species), Lycanidae (15 species), and Hesperiidae (6 species). The research sample used for the analysis of kinship is 23 species from five butterfly families that dominate the research location. The observed characters included 32 characters. Analysis of kinship was calculated using the Sorensen similarity index, then processed using the Multivariate Statistical Package (MVSP) software. The closest kinship relationship is between the species Appias ithome and A. zarinda which is supported by a similarity index above 0.90 and the farthest relationship occurs between the species Bibasis sp. with other species from the Hesperiidae family which were supported by a similarity index below 0.7.
Assessing language learning in virtual exchange: suggestions from the field of language assessment
Authors: Lee Jiyoon , Sauro Shannon
Published: April 2021

This goal of this paper is to enhance VE practitioners’ language assessment literacy. To do so, it begins with an overview of assessment practices commonly used in VE for evaluating the complex and multifaceted nature of language competence. These include the following: (1) approaches that evaluate change in learners’ language use over time, (2) approaches that employ pre- and posttest to evaluate learning outcomes, and (3) approaches that rely on student self-report or self-documentation of learning.  Based on this overview, we then look to the field of language assessment for guidelines on the selection and use of classroom-based and standardized assessment tools and practices. Using an existing VE practice scenario, the authors provide an example of language assessment selection and development.
Condición de copa de bosques y selvas de México: Análisis 2014
Authors: Alvarado-Rosales Dionicio , Saavedra-Romero Luz De Lourdes , Franco-Islas Yolanda , Villa-Castillo Jaime , Quiroz-Reygadas David Antonio
Published: April 2021

Se presenta el análisis de los datos colectados en 2014 por el Inventario Nacional Forestal y de Suelos (INFyS), para el indicador de salud forestal denominado condición de copa, el cual incluyó 88 162 árboles localizados en 1443 conglomerados. Las variables analizadas fueron: proporción de copa viva (Pcv), densidad de copa (DenC), transparencia de follaje (TraF) y muerte regresiva (Mreg), para las que se obtuvieron estadísticos descriptivos por géneros combinados, por grupo (coníferas y latifoliadas) y por género. También, se categorizó su salud con base en umbrales propuestos en estudios previos. Los valores promedio de Pcv, DenC, TraF, Mreg para géneros combinados fueron 35.9%, 44.4%, 50.6% y 2.6%, respectivamente, mientras que para latifoliadas fueron de forma recíproca 32.7%, 44.2%, 50.5% y 2.7% y, en coníferas, fueron 47.5%, 46.2%, 51.1% y 1.2%. Se presentan promedios para 18 géneros con n ≥ 1000. En cuanto a la salud, más de 50% de los árboles presentó una Pcv en la categoría pobre, 27.9% una DenC en la misma categoría, 60.26% una TraF severa y menos de 1%, una Mreg severa. Cincuenta y cuatro punto dos de cada cien de las latifoliadas presentaron Pcv pobre y 67% de las coníferas una TraF severa. Nayarit y Jalisco presentaron el arbolado de menor calidad de copas. Es prioritario generar estándares de copa propios, capacitar a las brigadas de campo y realizar las mediciones en la época apropiada. Este es el primer estudio sobre el indicador condición de copa en bosques y selvas de México, producto del esfuerzo del INFyS y la Gerencia de Sanidad de la Comisión Nacional Forestal.
Sistema de gestión estratégica forestal participativa para el desarrollo forestal sustentable
Authors: Luján-Álvarez Concepción , Olivas-García Jesús Miguel , Vázquez Álvarez Susana , Hernández-Salas Javier , Castruita-Esparza Luis Ubaldo
Published: April 2021

Los impactos de la globalización económica se manifiestan en las dimensiones social, económica-financiera, institucional y ambiental, en una sociedad gobernada económicamente de arriba hacia abajo. En México, esos efectos han creado la necesidad de desarrollar con visión de sustentabilidad el sector forestal. El objetivo es establecer un sistema de gestión estratégica forestal participativa que impulse el desarrollo forestal sustentable. Este sistema de gestión es integral, sistemático, adaptativo, y se basa en el pensamiento estratégico, la visión holística y la democracia participativa, e incluye toma de decisiones de "abajo hacia arriba", con observancia de la normativa establecida. Se establece el sistema con el diseño, aplicación, acompañamiento multidimensional y seguimiento para el desarrollo forestal sustentable en el ejido El Largo y Anexos, Chihuahua, Mex. Se definieron cinco ejes de desarrollo: manejo forestal y biodiversidad, abastecimiento y producción forestal, desarrollo industrial, desarrollo de mercados y organización y administración. Como resultado, se han logrado avances en los diferentes ejes de desarrollo establecidos (e.g. mejoramiento de niveles organizacionales y administrativos), mejor nivel de productividad, buen manejo forestal, incremento de empleos y oportunidades de mercados, entre otros. En conclusión, el sistema se caracteriza por ser integral y dinámico diferente al modelo tradicional del desarrollo forestal en ejidos forestales. Promueve el desarrollo forestal participativo, anticipativo y autogestivo, ya que son los ejidos forestales quienes viven con los efectos de las acciones tomadas en su comunidad. Representa un cambio de paradigma integral; puede ser replicado a escalas local, regional y nacional en diferentes condiciones sociales, económicas y ambientales.
COVID-19, Social Isolation, and Mental Health Among Older Adults: A Digital Catch-22
Authors: Cosco Theodore D , Fortuna Karen , Wister Andrew , Riadi Indira , Wagner Kevin , Sixsmith Andrew
Published: April 2021

One of the most at-risk groups during the COVID-19 crisis is older adults, especially those who live in congregate living settings and seniors’ care facilities, are immune-compromised, and/or have other underlying illnesses. Measures undertaken to contain the spread of the virus are far-reaching, and older adults were among the first groups to experience restrictions on face-to-face contact. Although reducing viral transmission is critical, physical distancing is associated with negative psychosocial implications, such as increased rates of depression and anxiety. Promising evidence suggests that participatory digital co-design, defined as the combination of user-centered design and community engagement models, is associated with increased levels of engagement with mobile technologies among individuals with mental health conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted shortcomings of existing technologies and challenges in their uptake and usage; however, strategies such as co-design may be leveraged to address these challenges both in the adaptation of existing technologies and the development of new technologies. By incorporating these strategies, it is hoped that we can offset some of the negative mental health implications for older adults in the context of physical distancing both during and beyond the current pandemic.