bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A systematic review verified by bioinformatic analysis based on TCGA reveals week prognosis power of CAIX in renal cancer
Authors: Zhang Zikuan , Wu Bo , Shao Yuan , Chen Yongquan , Wang Dongwen
Published: December 2022

Background

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) protein has been correlated with progression and survival in patients with some tumors such as head and neck carcinoma. But renal cell carcinoma is an exception. The prognostic value of CAIX in RCC used to be associated with patients’ survival according to published works. This study aimed to rectify the former conclusion.

Methods

This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020160181). A literature search of the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane library and Web of Science databases was performed to retrieve original studies until April of 2022. Twenty-seven studies, including a total of 5462 patients with renal cell carcinoma, were reviewed. Standard meta-analysis methods were used to evaluate the prognostic impact of CAIX expression on patient prognosis. The hazard ratio and its 95% confidence interval were recorded for the relationship between CAIX expression and survival, and the data were analyzed using Stata 11.0. Then we verify the meta-analysis resort to bioinformatics (TCGA).

Results

Our initial search resulted in 908 articles in total. From PubMed, Embase, Web of Science electronic and Cochrane library databases, 493, 318 and 97 potentially relevant articles were discovered, respectively. We took the analysis between CA9 and disease-specific survival (HR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.82–1.70, I2 = 79.3%, P<0.05), a subgroup then was performed to enhance the result (HR = 1.63, 95%CI: 1.30–2.03, I2 = 26.3%, P = 0.228); overall survival was also parallel with the former (HR = 1.13, 95%CI: 0.82–1.56, I2 = 79.8%, P<0.05), then a subgroup also be performed (HR = 0.90, 95%CI:0.75–1.07, I2 = 23.1%, P = 0.246) to verify the result; the analysis between CAIX and progression-free survival got the similar result (HR = 1.73, 95%CI:0.97–3.09, I2 = 82.4%, P<0.05), we also verify the result by subgroup analysis (HR = 1.04, 95%CI:0.79–1.36, I2 = 0.0%, P = 0.465); at last the relationship between CAIX and recurrence-free survival got the same result, too (HR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.95–1.02, I2 = 57.8%, P = 0.050), the subgroup’s result was also parallel with the former (HR = 1.01, 95%CI: 0.91–1.03, I2 = 0.00%, P = 0.704). To validate our meta-analysis, we took a bioinformatic analysis based on TCGA database, survival curve between low and high CAIX expression in four endpoints (DSS, OS, PFI, DFI) have corresponding P value (DSS:P = 0.23, OS:P = 0.77, PFI:P = 0.25, DFI:P = 0.78).

Conclusions

CAIX expression in patients with RCC is an exception to predict tumor survival. Both low CAIX expression and high expression are not associated with survivals in RCC patients.
Boys don’t cry (or kiss or dance): A computational linguistic lens into gendered actions in film
Authors: Martinez Victor R. , Somandepalli Krishna , Narayanan Shrikanth
Published: December 2022

Contemporary media is full of images that reflect traditional gender notions and stereotypes, some of which may perpetuate harmful gender representations. In an effort to highlight the occurrence of these adverse portrayals, researchers have proposed machine-learning methods to identify stereotypes in the language patterns found in character dialogues. However, not all of the harmful stereotypes are communicated just through dialogue. As a complementary approach, we present a large-scale machine-learning framework that automatically identifies character’s actions from scene descriptions found in movie scripts. For this work, we collected 1.2+ million scene descriptions from 912 movie scripts, with more than 50 thousand actions and 20 thousand movie characters. Our framework allow us to study systematic gender differences in movie portrayals at a scale. We show this through a series of statistical analyses that highlight differences in gender portrayals. Our findings provide further evidence to claims from prior media studies including: (i) male characters display higher agency than female characters; (ii) female actors are more frequently the subject of gaze, and (iii) male characters are less likely to display affection. We hope that these data resources and findings help raise awareness on portrayals of character actions that reflect harmful gender stereotypes, and demonstrate novel possibilities for computational approaches in media analysis.
Irrigation suitability, health risk assessment and source apportionment of heavy metals in surface water used for irrigation near marble industry in Malakand, Pakistan
Authors: Khan Asghar , Khan Muhammad Saleem , Egozcue Juan José , Shafique Munib Ahmed , Nadeem Sidra , Saddiq Ghulam
Published: December 2022

Water is a vital, finite resource whose quantity and quality are deteriorating as the world population increases. The current study aims to investigate the concentration of heavy metals (HM) in surface water for irrigation purposes with associated human health risks and pollution sources near the marble industry in Malakand, Pakistan. Twenty-seven water samples were randomly collected and analyzed for HM concentration by inductively coupled plasma‒optical emission spectrometry (ICP‒OES). pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were measured using standard methods of American Public Health Association (APHA). Irrigation suitability was assessed using specific water quality parameters. The associated health risks from ingestion and dermal exposure to heavy metals were calculated by USEPA health risk indices. Pollution sources and spatial distribution mapping were studied using compositional data analysis (CoDa) and the application of a geographic information system (GIS) to understand the changing behavior of heavy metals in surface waters. The concentrations of BOD (89%), COD (89%), Al (89%), Ca (89%), Cr (56%), Cu (78%), Fe (56%), K (34%) Mg (23%), Mn (56%), Na (89%), Ni (56%), P (89%), and Zn (11%) exceeded the safety limits of National Environmental Quality standards (NEQs) of Pakistan. The results of Kelly’s ratio (KR) classified surface water as unsuitable for irrigation. The average daily doses (ADD, mg/kg/day) for Al, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn were higher in children than in adults. The hazard index (HI) for children and adults was above the threshold (HI > 1), indicating a significant risk of non-carcinogenic toxicity. The carcinogenic risk values for Cr and Ni were above the USEPA limit (1 × 10−6to 1 × 10−4), suggesting a potential carcinogenic risk for the target population. Principal component analysis (PCA), biplot (CLR), and the CoDa-dendrogram allowed for the identification of elemental associations, and their potential source was anthropogenic rather than natural in origin. Regular monitoring and phytoremediation strategies are proposed to safeguard crops and human health.
Hate crimes against LGBT people: National Crime Victimization Survey, 2017-2019
Authors: Flores Andrew R. , Stotzer Rebecca L. , Meyer Ilan H. , Langton Lynn L.
Published: December 2022

We estimate the prevalence and characteristics of violent hate crime victimization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the United States, and we compare them to non-LGBT hate crime victims and to LGBT victims of violent non-hate crime. We analyze pooled 2017-2019 data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (n persons = 553, 925;n incidents = 32, 470), the first nationally representative and comprehensive survey on crime that allows identification of LGBT persons aged 16 or older. Descriptive and bivariate analysis show that LGBT people experienced 6.6 violent hate crime victimizations per 1,000 persons compared with non-LGBT people’s 0.6 per 1,000 persons (odds ratio = 8.30, 95% confidence interval = 1.94, 14.65). LGBT people were more likely to be hate crime victims of sexual orientation or gender bias crime and less likely to be victims of race or ethnicity bias crimes compared to non-LGBT hate crime victims. Compared to non-LGBT victims, LGBT victims of hate crime were more likely to be younger, have a relationship with their assailant, and have an assailant who is white. Compared to LGBT victims of non-hate violence, more LGBT hate crime victims reported experiencing problems in their social lives, negative emotional responses, and physical symptoms of distress. Our findings affirm claims that hate crimes have adverse physical and psychological effects on victims and highlight the need to ensure that LGBT persons who experience hate crime get necessary support and services in the aftermath of the crime.
Ego-relevance in team production
Authors: Mantilla César , Murad Zahra
Published: December 2022

We study how individuals’ effort contribution to a team production task varies depending on whether the task is ego relevant or not. We conduct an experiment to test the effect of ego-relevance when the team production depends on the team’s top- or bottom-performer. Ego-relevance is manipulated by calling the Raven IQ Test an “IQ Task” or a “Pattern Task.” We find that the effort contributed to the task is affected by ego-relevance and the impact of the team production function on effort contribution is mediated by the teammate’s expected effort contribution. Ego-relevance increases the responsiveness to the teammate’s expected effort contributions. Similarly, more responsive behavior is noticeable when the team production depends on the bottom-performer. However, we do not observe interaction-effects between ego-relevance and the team production function that affect effort contributions.
Business grants following natural disasters and their different impact on the performance of female and male-owned microenterprises: Evidence from Sri Lanka
Authors: Luong Ha
Published: December 2022

Objective

This paper investigates gender differences in the treatment effects of business grants on firm performance following natural disasters, and seeks to identify the mechanisms underlying the unequal effects.

Method

A panel data-set from an experiment in Sri Lanka is used to measure the difference in the treatment effects of a business grant on the performance of female and male-owned firms following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The sample of 608 microenterprises includes 297 female-owned firms and 311 male-owned firms. There are 338 firms (Male = 176, Female = 162) in the treatment group that received the grant and 270 firms (Male = 135, Female = 135) in the control group that did not receive the grant. Data on firm performance, firm characteristics and owner characteristics were collected in 13 survey waves from April 2005 to December 2010. Firm performance, which is measured by firm profit, is assessed by employing linear regression with fixed effects in an intention-to-treat analysis.

Findings

The results suggest that the business grant has a positive impact on the performance of male-owned firms, but zero effect on that of female-owned firms. Several potential mechanisms drive the results, including gender differences in business investment, household expenditure and initial business closures. The results also show a positive treatment effect of the business grant on the psychological recovery of recipients, but there is no evidence supporting gender differences in this dimension.

Contribution

This paper provides new evidence on gender differences in the treatment effects of business grants on firm performance in the context of post-disasters, and has implications for business recovery programs aimed at supporting female microentrepreneurs in the aftermath of large-scale catastrophes.
Testimonios de imitatio Alexandri de Napoleón Bonaparte en la Campaña de Egipto (1798)
Authors: Carbó García Juan Ramón
Published: December 2022

Este estudio pretende analizar la Campaña de Egipto de Napoleón Bonaparte en 1798 desde la perspectiva de la imitatio Alexandri, a través de los testimonios directos de algunos de los participantes en la empresa militar y cultural encabezada por el joven general francés y comparando diversos episodios de la expedición y de la presencia francesa en Egipto con el referente de Alejandro Magno. Así mismo, se intenta demostrar que dicha imitatio Alexandri no es tan sólo una convención, habitual en la literatura de la especialidad, cuando se estudian los modelos antiguos para Bonaparte, sino que, incluso en el mismo momento de la campaña, los franceses estaban convencidos de que su general en jefe pretendía emular la leyenda del macedonio en Egipto y Asia, a tenor de sus actos y declaraciones. Las fuentes estudiadas comprenden la correspondencia de la expedición de Egipto, así como las memorias de algunos de los participantes, incluyendo las del mismo Napoleón, y de otros personajes cercanos. El análisis pone de manifiesto que, tanto en la evocación del modelo histórico como en el desarrollo de hechos concretos, en la Campaña de Egipto podemos observar realmente muestras de imitatio Alexandri, pero también de rivalidad y de superación del modelo de Alejandro: por consiguiente, aemulatio Alexandri.
Tratamento de cátions sódio e potássio presentes em água produzida de petróleo sintética
Authors: Vogel Natalia , Beltrame Thiago Favarini
Published: December 2022

A indústria petroquímica possui um processo produtivo que gera grandes volumes de água com alta concentração de sais, tanto na exploração, quanto no refino. Para que esta água possa retornar ao meio ambiente, ou para que possa ser reutilizada no processo, a mesma deve passar por algum tipo de tratamento visando diminuir a concentração dos sais presentes. Então, este trabalho tem como objetivo estudar a remoção dos íons de sódio e potássio de uma água conta-minada por meio do processo de separação por membranas - eletrodiálise, simulando um efluente de extração do petróleo. A metodologia do estudo consistiu em utilizar soluções de cloreto de sódio e cloreto de potássio simulando uma água de lavagem de um processo de extração de petróleo, sendo essa solução tratada em um sistema de eletrodiálise. Foi aplicada uma corrente elétrica, através de uma fonte, e determinou-se o potencial da membrana. Também, avaliou-se o pH, condutividade e concentração das soluções. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que houve uma remoção de 78±1% de potássio e 66±3% de sódio. A taxa de desmineralização foi de 72±1% para o potássio e 65±1% para o sódio. Por fim, foram encontrados os valores de consumo energético os quais foram de 0,2 kWh/Kg para o potássio e 0,6 kWh/Kg para o sódio.
educação ambiental como alternativa à erosão da memória:
Authors: Mutz Andresa Silva da Costa , Narciso Isabela Zacher
Published: December 2022

Este artigo caracteriza o fenômeno que denomino aqui por erosão da memória decorrente da exposição contínua a relatos – por meio da mídia impressa em especial, de tragédias ambientais que ocorrem no Brasil. Decorre de uma análise discursiva de inspiração foucaultiana sobre um jornal diário de ampla circulação no Rio Grande do Sul (Zero Hora/Grupo RBS). A pesquisa mapeou as enunciações relativas às tragédias envolvendo o meio ambiente ocorridas entre os meses de janeiro à dezembro de 2019. Como resultado, foram identificadas 132 ocorrências em 314 edições publicadas ao longo do período em análise. Destas, 56 diziam respeito às queimadas na Amazônia. O fenômeno foi enunciado em 194 excertos dentre editorial, matéria de capa, charge, artigo de opinião, entre outros. Em 2019 o caso das queimadas ganhou visibilidade nacional e internacional, mas mesmo assim, volta a se repetir a cada ano, entrando para o conjunto de sucessivas notícias trágicas com as quais temos nos acostumados. O que me levou a refletir sobre a necessidade de potencializarmos a ação política por meio da educação, em especial, da educação ambiental, tomando-a como ato de resistência à naturalização de eventos como este que têm marcado nossa história recente.
The phenomenon of nationalism in nation-state
Authors: Tanrıverdi Ezgi
Published: December 2022

Following dissolution of empires, nation-states appeared on the stage of history in the 19th century when they were established as a result of nationalism that came into prominence based on unity of common language and history.
it would not be wrong to say that the nationalist movements that started in the 19th century and the transition period to the nation-state structure took place simultaneously. Nationalism has an important role in the process of losing the legitimacy of traditional structures and the emergence of modern states.
The nationalist movement and its studies, which gained momentum especially after the world wars, were gen-erally evaluated together with modernism. Even if nationalism is not an ideology, it is undeniable that the na-tion form has existed in social life since ancient times.
In addition to the economic, social and cultural reasons and changes that helped the emergence of the nation-state, there is also the concept of "nationalism", which was of interest to sociology at the end of the 19th cen-tury and at the beginning of the 20th century.
The nation-state differs from previous state structures with its nationalist nature. Reasons such as changing economic functions, their organization and social change have found reality in the nation-state structure on the political axis and have also formed the cultural essence. It would be appropriate to emphasize that nationalism is undoubtedly the dominant element in the structuring of the nation-state, whether it is based on blood ties, language or cultural unity. The nation-states, which we accept as the modern period state structure, have formed today's modern nation-state structure by adopting nationalism as an ideology in order to integrate their people.
 This study seeks to answer certain questions such as whether the idea of nationalism influences the for-mation of nation-state and whether nation-states play an active role in the rise of nationalism. As a result of evaluations, it appears that the idea of nationalism, on one hand, has an active role in the formation of nation-state and nation-state, on the other hand, plays a role in the rise of nationalism as an ideology for keeping together the population living within its territory after its formation process.
PPARγ activation improved learning and memory and attenuated oxidative stress in the hippocampus and cortex of aged rats
Authors: Beheshti Farimah , Gholami Masoumeh , Ghane Zahra , Nazari Seyedeh  Elnaz , Salari Maryam , Shabab Sadegh , Hosseini Mahmoud
Published: December 2022

Oxidative stress has an important role in brain aging and its consequences include cognitive decline and physiological disorders. Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ (PPARγ) activation has been suggested to decrease oxidative stress. In the current research, the effect of PPARγ activation by pioglitazone(Pio) on learning, memory and oxidative stress was evaluated in aged rats. The rats were divided into five groups. In the Control group, vehicle (saline‐diluted dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)) and saline were injected instead of Pio and scopolamine (Sco), respectively. In the Sco group, the vehicle was injected instead of Pio and the rats were injected by Sco 30 min before the behavioral tests. In the Sco‐Pio 10, Sco‐Pio 20, and Sco‐Pio 30 groups, 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg Pio was injected and finally, the rats were injected with Sco 30 min before the behavioral tests. Morris water mater maze(MWM) and passive avoidance(PA) tests were carried out, and finally, the hippocampus and cortex were removed for biochemical assessments. The results showed that the highest dose of Pio decreased the traveling time and distance during 5 days of learning and increased the time and distance in the target area on the probe day of MWM. The highest dose of Pio also prolonged the delay time for entering the dark and total time spent in the light while decreasing the total time spent in and the number of entries into the dark in PA test. Pio especially, in the medium and highest doses, decreased MDA while increasing thiol, superoxide dismutase, and catalase in the hippocampus and cortex. It is concluded that PPARγ activation by Pio as an agonist improved learning and memory in aged rats probably by attenuating oxidative stress in the hippocampus and cortex.
Acute responsiveness to single leg cycling in adults with obesity
Authors: Gries Kevin J. , Hart Corey R. , Kunz Hawley E. , Ryan Zachary , Zhang Xiaoyan , Parvizi Mojtaba , Liu Yuanhang , Dasari Surendra , Lanza Ian R.
Published: December 2022

Obesity is associated with several skeletal muscle impairments which can be improved through an aerobic exercise prescription. The possibility that exercise responsiveness is diminished in people with obesity has been suggested but not well‐studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate how obesity influences acute exercise responsiveness in skeletal muscle and circulating amino metabolites. Non‐obese (NO; n = 19; 10F/9M; BMI = 25.1 ± 2.8 kg/m2) and Obese (O; n = 21; 14F/7M; BMI = 37.3 ± 4.6 kg/m2) adults performed 30 min of single‐leg cycling at 70% of VO2peak. 13C6‐Phenylalanine was administered intravenously for muscle protein synthesis measurements. Serial muscle biopsies (vastus lateralis) were collected before exercise and 3.5‐ and 6.5‐h post‐exercise to measure protein synthesis and gene expression. Targeted plasma metabolomics was used to quantitate amino metabolites before and 30 and 90 min after exercise. The exercise‐induced fold change in mixed muscle protein synthesis trended (p = 0.058) higher in NO (1.28 ± 0.54‐fold) compared to O (0.95 ± 0.42‐fold) and was inversely related to BMI (R2 = 0.140, p = 0.027). RNA sequencing revealed 331 and 280 genes that were differentially expressed after exercise in NO and O, respectively. Gene set enrichment analysis showed O had six blunted pathways related to metabolism, cell to cell communication, and protein turnover after exercise. The circulating amine response further highlighted dysregulations related to protein synthesis and metabolism in adults with obesity at the basal state and in response to the exercise bout. Collectively, these data highlight several unique pathways in individuals with obesity that resulted in a modestly blunted exercise response.
Stylistic alignment in natural conversation involving second language speakers
Authors: Jung YeonJoo , Crossley Scott
Published: December 2022

To date, a growing body of second language (L2) research has investigated linguistic alignment as a pedagogical intervention, focusing on L2 learners’ alignment behaviors in task-based interactions (e.g., Jung, YeonJoo, YouJin Kim & John Murphy. 2017. The role of task repetition in learning word-stress patterns through auditory priming tasks. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 39(2). 319–346; Kim, YouJin, YeonJoo Jung & Stephen Skalicky. 2019. Linguistic alignment, learner characteristics, and the production of stranded prepositions in relative clauses: Comparing FTF and SCMC contexts. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 41(5). 937–969). Linguistic alignment refers to a tendency where one speaker’s utterances align with particular language features of those of the other speaker in dialogue. The current study investigated how L2 speakers’ alignment behaviors differ in natural dialogues between L2-L1 and L2-L2 dyads in terms of language style (i.e., stylistic alignment) and the role of non-linguistic factors in the occurrence of stylistic alignment. The study analyzed a corpus of 360 texts using a computational tool. Results showed that stylistic alignment occurred to a greater extent in the L2-L2 dyad than in the L2-L1 dyad with respect to the word range, word frequency, word imageability, and proportion of bigrams proportion produced by the interlocutors. Furthermore, findings demonstrated the degree of stylistic alignment on each of the four selected lexical features was affected by numerous factors including age, group membership, nonnative speaker status, familiarity between interlocutors, and linguistic distance between L1 and L2. The effect of each factor on stylistic alignment in conversation is discussed in detail.
Täter und Täterinnen von Cyberkriminalität: Ergebnisse einer quantitativen Dunkelfeldbefragung in Niedersachsen
Authors: Müller Philipp , Dreißigacker Arne , Isenhardt Anna , Wollinger Gina Rosa
Published: December 2022

Dieser Beitrag stellt Ergebnisse selbstberichteter Delinquenz im Bereich Cyberkriminalität im engeren und weiteren Sinne vor, die im Rahmen einer repräsentativen Befragung der niedersächsischen Bevölkerung ab 16 Jahren im Jahr 2020 zum Thema Cyberkriminalität gewonnen werden konnten (N=4.102). Ein Ergebnis ist, dass der Anteil der Personen, die von eigenen Tathandlungen im Bereich Cyberkriminalität im engeren Sinne innerhalb der letzten zwölf Monate berichteten, mit 0,5 % sehr klein ist. Im Bereich Cyberkriminalität im weiteren Sinne gaben immerhin 9,5 % eigene Tathandlungen innerhalb eines Jahres an. Neben der Darstellung weiterer Ergebnisse zu sozioökonomischen Unterschieden zwischen Tätern, Täterinnen und Nicht-Tätern bzw. Nicht-Täterinnen, zur Täter bzw. Täterinnen-Opfer-Überschneidung sowie zur Beziehung zwischen Tätern, Täterinnen und Opfern wird der methodische Zugang in Hinblick auf zukünftige Täter- bzw. Täterinnenforschung diskutiert.
Strengthenings of Young-type inequalities and the arithmetic geometric mean inequality
Authors: Ren Yonghui , Li Pengtong
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we present some generalizations and further refinements of Young-type inequality due to Choi [Math. Inequal. Appl. 21 (2018), 99–106], which strengthen the results obtained by Ighachane et al. [Math. Inequal. Appl. 23 (2020), 1079–1085]. As applications of these scalars results, we can get some inequalities for determinants, trace and p-norms of τ-measurable operators.
Induced mappings on symmetric products of Hausdorff spaces
Authors: García Yolanda , Maya David
Published: December 2022

The symbol 𝓕
n
(X) denotes the hyperspace of all nonempty subsets of a Hausdorff space X having at most n points. This hyperspace is endowed with the Vietoris topology. For a mapping between Hausdorff spaces f : X → Y, define the induced mapping fn
: 𝓕
n
(X) → 𝓕
n
(Y) by fn
(A) = f(A) (the image of A under f). In this paper, we study the relationship between the condition f belongs to a class of mappings between Hausdorff spaces 𝕄 and the condition fn
belongs to 𝕄.
On some classical properties of normed spaces via generalized vector valued almost convergence
Authors: Karakuş Mahmut , Başar Feyzi
Published: December 2022

Recently, the authors interested some new problems on multiplier spaces of Lorentz’ almost convergence andfλ-convergence as a generalization of almost convergence.fλ-convergence is firstly introduced by Karakuş and Başar, and used for some new characterizations of completeness and barrelledness of the spaces through weakly unconditionally Cauchy series in a normed spaceXand its continuous dualX*. In the present paper, we deal withfλ-convergence to have some inclusion relations between the vector valued spaces obtained from this type convergence and corresponding classical sequence spaces, and to give new characterizations of some classical properties like completeness, reflexivity, Schur property and Grothendieck property of normed spaces. By the way, we give a characterization of finite-dimensional normed spaces.
Bernstein polynomials based iterative method for solving fractional integral equations
Authors: Satmari Zoltan , Bica Alexandru Mihai
Published: December 2022

A novel iterative numerical method is constructed for solving second kind Volterra fractional integral equations. The method uses at each iterative step a Bernstein spline interpolation procedure combined with the corresponding quadrature formula. In this way, based on the nice approximation and shape preserving properties of the Bernstein polynomials, we propose an alternative to the classical product integration technique that uses trapezoidal, Simpson, Gauss type and other well-known quadrature formulas. The convergence of the method is proved with the error estimate expressed in terms of the Lipschitz constants and the accuracy is illustrated on some numerical experiments.
Electrospinning of marine polysaccharides: Processing and chemical aspects, challenges, and future prospects
Authors: Mejía Agüero Luisa E. , Saul Cyro K. , de Freitas Rilton A. , Rabello Duarte Maria E. , Noseda Miguel D.
Published: December 2022

The association between electrospinning and polysaccharides corresponds to an important area under exploration, to meet the demands of biotechnological industries claiming for polymers with novel functional properties. Among the group of polysaccharides that attract attention for the manufacture of spun fibers; those from the marine origin that exhibit a remarkable potential, due to the possibilities to act as sulfated glycosaminoglycan mimics; as well as, exhibit an easily modifiable chemical structure that allow the production of derivatives suitable for biotechnological applications. Although electrospinning is a seemingly simple method, its applicability is not an easy task. The problem linked to the spinning of pure biomacromolecules has been generally evaluated embracing polymers from different origins. In this review, the parameters affecting the electrospinning of different marine polysaccharides in their pure form will be considered. The chemical features of these polysaccharides as well as the rheological aspects of their solutions will be in depth analyzed, emphasizing the difficulties associated with the use of water as the working solvent. Strategies used to produce spun fibers from other polymers will be also analyzed in this review, proposing them as an alternative to be studied when the production of spun fibers of marine polysaccharides is envisaged.
Exploring the “Liminal” and “Sacred” Associated with Death in Hinduism through the Hindu Brahminic Death Rituals
Authors: Tripathi Khyati
Published: December 2022

This article aims to present the specificities associated with the Hindu liminal phase and the sacred associated with death through an ethnographic account of the death rituals of the Hindu Saryuparin Brahmin community. Through this ethnographic account, the author argues against a uniform liminal phase across different cultures by bringing to the fore aspects specific to the Hindu liminal phase in death. This aids in analyzing the Hindu cosmogenic world and the movement of the deceased’s “pret” or “ghost” within the same during the liminal phase. Building a connect between the liminal and the sacred in Hinduism, the author further discusses how the sacred is understood in terms of purity/impurity and life/death through death rituals. While exploring the sacred, the author contests the classical understanding of the sacred within the religious realm and presents its contextual nature by discussing the “context-based sacred.” This article is divided into three sections: (1) death rituals in the Hindu Brahminic tradition, (2) deconstructing the “liminal” in death in Hinduism, and (3) understanding the “sacred” associated with death in Hinduism.
Tweedie Regression Analysis of Determinants of Birth Weight in Navrongo
Authors: Tegee Emmanuel N-yambi , Akurugu Edward , Nasiru Suleman
Published: December 2022

The study modelled and investigated the determinants of infant birth weight by considering maternal and infant factors as predictors. Monthly data spanning for a period of 37 months were obtained from the Navrongo Health Research Centre of the Navrongo Municipality of the Upper East region of Ghana. In modelling the birth weight of infants, the Tweedie regression model and its counterparts of exponential families (Gaussian, Gamma and inverse Gaussian) of distribution were developed. The performances of these models were evaluated using the Akaike Information Criterion. Based on the Akaike Information Criterion, the Tweedie regression model showed superiority in modelling the determinants of infant birth weight as compared to the other counterparts of the exponential families of distributions. The parameter estimates of the Tweedie regression model found child’s gender and maternal factors (religion, marital status and educational level) to contribute substantially to the birth weight of infants. Also, the study recommends that except for the status of antenatal care, emphasis must be placed on determining the reasons for the decrease in infant birth weight as a result of the maternal factors; parity, delivery type and the age of the mother.
Blue-green luminescence properties and charge compensation of Ca9MgLi(PO4)7 doped with Tb3+ and alkali metal ions
Authors: Zhang Qili , Lou Ruting , Liu Zheng , Feng Wenlin
Published: December 2022

Ca9MgLi(PO4)7: 4%Tb3+, 4%R+ (R = Li, Na, K) phosphors were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. The crystal structure, morphology, composition and luminescent properties of as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), high-angle annular dark field (HAADF) and spectroscopy technique. The effect of a small concentration of charge compensators like Li+, Na+, K+ on Ca9MgLi(PO4)7: Tb3+ phosphor has also investigated. Ca9MgLi(PO4)7: Tb3+, R+ (R = Li, Na, K) exhibit superior blue-green luminescence around 5D4 → 7F5 (543 nm) to Ca9MgLi(PO4)7: Tb3+ and can be effectively excited by 370 nm light, which implies that efficient charge compensation can promote the emitting of Tb3+ in Ca9MgLi(PO4)7. The CIE coordinates and decay lifetimes of typical samples were also studied. The Ca9MgLi(PO4)7: Tb3+, R+ (R = Li, Na, K) have promising application as a blue-green phosphor for near-ultraviolet chip excited white LEDs.
The Influence of Digital Technologies on the Experience of Adventure among Outdoor Enthusiasts in Croatia
Authors: Đurin Sanja
Published: December 2022

This article investigates the influence of digital technologies on the experience of adventure in outdoor activities at a time when outdoor activities are becoming increasingly popular in Croatia. Based on ethnographic research conducted among outdoor enthusiasts and new adventurers, adventure tour guides, and adventure sports practitioners in Croatia, this paper aims to show some of the ways in which the widespread use of digital media and technologies, from social networks to smart watches, affects us and the perception, concepts, and practices of adventure in Croatia.
New Early Neolithic and Late Bronze Age amber finds from Thy
Authors: Earle Timothy , Bech Jens-Henrik , Villa Chiara
Published: December 2022

Amber was widely exchanged across prehistoric Europe and was transported long distances from primary sources on the Baltic and North Sea coasts. How did collection and working of amber develop and what were the effects of international exchange on local communities in Northern Europe? The authors present two recent, contrasting amber finds from Thy, northern Jutland: a cache of beads associated with the Early Neolithic Funnelbeaker Culture (4000–3300 BC); and evidence from a Late Bronze Age (1100–500 BC) non-elite settlement that suggests coastal amber collection was independent of elite control. Set within a review of amber's changing roles in prehistoric Thy, these finds evidence shifting local, regional and international connections.
Greater Hip Moments in Rear-Foot-Elevated Split Squats Than in Conventional Back Squats With the Same Relative Intensity of Loads
Authors: Arakawa Hiroshi , Mori Miyuki , Tanimoto Michiya
Published: December 2022

Arakawa, H, Mori, M, and Tanimoto, M. Greater hip moments in rear-foot-elevated split squats than in conventional back squats with the same relative intensity of loads. J Strength Cond Res 37(5): 1009–1016, 2023—Rear-foot-elevated split squat (RFESS) is often performed as an alternative to conventional double-leg back squat (DLBS). This study aimed to compare 3-dimensional joint kinetics of DLBS and RFESS using the same relative intensity of loads. Eight male college rugby players performed 3 repetitions of DLBS and RFESS at 10-repetition-maximum (RM) loading. Before testing, both exercises were incorporated into the subjects' training program with a progressive increase in loads for 4 months. A 3-dimensional optical motion capture system and force platform were used for data collection. The 3-dimensional moments at the knee and hip joints in each of the 3 axes were calculated based on the inverse dynamic procedure. p values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The hip extension moment was 44% greater in the RFESS than in the DLBS at the bottom position (p < 0.01) and 47% greater for the peak value (p < 0.01) on harmonic averages. The hip abduction and external rotation moments at the bottom position were also greater in the RFESS than in the DLBS. The findings suggest that the magnitude of hip extension moment per leg in DLBS tends to be restricted to less than that expected from the given strength level. In conclusion, the mechanical contribution of hip extensors per leg can be greater in RFESS than in DLBS when using respective 10RM loads, even if the absolute load is smaller and the trunk is more upright in RFESS.
La charge de travail dans le milieu policier québécois en contexte de pandémie de COVID-19
Authors: Darouache Zineb , Fournier Pierre-Sébastien
Published: December 2022

Cet article vise à identifier, en contexte de pandémie de COVID-19, les contraintes et les ressources présentes dans le quotidien des policiers patrouilleurs et policières patrouilleuses au Québec. À cette fin, des entrevues semi-dirigées ont été conduites en 2020, en mode visioconférence, auprès d’une population (n= 20) d’un service de police de l’une des plus grandes villes québécoises. Les résultats de cette étude ont montré que les contraintes soulevées dans le quotidien de la population policière, comme la transformation du travail, l’ajustement des horaires et la réorganisation des équipes ont des impacts sur leur santé psychologique au travail et sur leur bien-être, à savoir un stress professionnel et des problèmes de conciliation travail-famille. Également, l’étude a conclu que la population à l’étude dispose d’un large éventail de ressources catégorisées en quatre types IGLO (Nielsen et collab., 2017), c’est-à-dire des ressources individuelles (expériences de travail, bagage personnel, formation et compétences et aussi soutien familial), des ressources de groupe (cohésion d’équipe et soutien social), des ressources de leadership (reconnaissance des supérieurs) et des ressources organisationnelles (filtrage des appels). De même, cette étude a montré que les policiers et policières s’appuient sur des stratégies d’adaptation pouvant être individuelles (techniques de travail personnalisées, stratégies défensives) ou des stratégies collectives (entraide entre les équipes). Des limites et des contributions pratiques sont soulignées en conclusion de l’étude.
Pump Up the Volume: From Covert to Overt Politics in Global Governance
Authors: Adler David R. K. , Kentikelenis Alexander E.
Published: December 2022

Recent commentary on the state of multilateralism begins from an alarming premise: a popular backlash against globalization is underway. The prospects for multilateralism depend, by this account, on shielding global governance from the forces of mass politics. We challenge this conventional account to develop a novel conceptual framework for the mass politics of global governance and the role of contestation in resolving, rather than inciting, the present crisis of multilateralism. We distinguish between two modes of mass politics—covert and overt—and examine variation in (i) mass preferences, (ii) party strategies, and (iii) international organization between them. Building on this framework, we make the case for a shift from the current covert mode to a more overt politics of global governance that could make the multilateral system more effective, accountable, and legitimate. Concrete steps in this direction will accommodate broader political forces while defanging challenges from opportunistic political leaders. We conclude with an outline of pragmatic reforms to reinvigorate multilateralism for the post-pandemic era.
WRN helicase and mismatch repair complexes independently and synergistically disrupt cruciform DNA structures
Authors: Mengoli Valentina , Ceppi Ilaria , Sanchez Aurore , Cannavo Elda , Halder Swagata , Scaglione Sarah , Gaillard Pierre‐Henri , McHugh Peter J , Riesen Nathalie , Pettazzoni Piergiorgio , Cejka Petr
Published: December 2022

The Werner Syndrome helicase, WRN, is a promising therapeutic target in cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI). Long‐term MSI leads to the expansion of TA nucleotide repeats proposed to form cruciform DNA structures, which in turn cause DNA breaks and cell lethality upon WRN downregulation. Here we employed biochemical assays to show that WRN helicase can efficiently and directly unfold cruciform structures, thereby preventing their cleavage by the SLX1‐SLX4 structure‐specific endonuclease. TA repeats are particularly prone to form cruciform structures, explaining why these DNA sequences are preferentially broken in MSI cells upon WRN downregulation. We further demonstrate that the activity of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) complexes MutSα (MSH2‐MSH6), MutSβ (MSH2‐MSH3), and MutLα (MLH1‐PMS2) similarly decreases the level of DNA cruciforms, although the mechanism is different from that employed by WRN. When combined, WRN and MutLα exhibited higher than additive effects in in vitro cruciform processing, suggesting that WRN and the MMR proteins may cooperate. Our data explain how WRN and MMR defects cause genome instability in MSI cells with expanded TA repeats, and provide a mechanistic basis for their recently discovered synthetic‐lethal interaction with promising applications in precision cancer therapy.
Instructional review of key factors to achieve successful outcomes when using low-intensity pulsed ultrasound in fracture repair
Authors: Harrison Andrew J , Redler Michael R , Taylor David M , Mahmood Ansar , Jones John T , Arai Yukihiro , Watanabe Yoshinobu
Published: December 2022

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) treatment of fractures has been available to the orthopaedic community for nearly three decades; however, it is still considered an experimental treatment by some clinicians, even though there is a wealth of clinical data.

Based on the evaluation of clinical trial data, we have established key criteria which can lead to LIPUS success and avoid failure. These are fracture gap size and stability, accurate transducer placement and minimum treatment number.

However, from a clinician’s view, the correct attitude to treatment must be observed, and this has also been discussed.

It is hoped, armed with this new evaluation of the clinical data, that clinicians can treat patients with LIPUS more effectively, resulting in fewer failures of treatment.
Determination of Combining Ability and Heredity Through Diallel Analysis Method in F2 Populations of Cowpea
Authors: Jou-Nteufa Christelle , Ceyhan Ercan
Published: December 2022

Cowpea is an essential economic crop in underdeveloped and developing countries mainly grown by small farmers. The parents and F2 populations obtained for the F1 generation were planted, in 3 rows of 2 m in length, with row spacing of 45 cm, row spacing of 10 cm and in the ecological conditions of Konya in 2021. The 20 F2 populations and 5 parents were evaluated in the 2021 grown season. General combining ability (GCA) effects for various parents differed significantly. “Sırma” gave significant, positive GCA effects for the number of pod per plant, number of seeds per plant, seed yield per plant and protein yield in plant. Significant, positive specific combining ability (SCA) effects were smaller and less significant than GCA effects. The non-additive dominant gene effect was determined for all the traits. Heterosis of the F2 over the high-parent was observed in five F2 populations. In the terms of combining ability for yield, the best parent was “Sırma”. The heterosis for a yield of F2 hybrids resulted mainly from an increased number of seeds per plant, hundred seed weight. These results suggest that high yielding F2 cowpea populations can be developed that may contain acceptable levels of superior agronomic and technological characteristics.
Identification and Technological Characterisation of Lactic Acid Bacteria Iso-lated From Traditional Algerian Cheese “J ben”
Authors: Bounaama Khalil , Dahou Abdelkader El-Amine , Meskini Zakaria , Abbad Abderrahmen , Tahlaiti Hafida , Homrani Abdelkader
Published: December 2022

Lactic acid bacteria have long been utilized in fermented foods and dairy products such as cheese, these bacteria play an important role in food bio-preservation, organoleptic properties development, and quality improvement. The purpose of this research was to determine and assess the biotechnological characteristics of lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional Algerian cheese "J'ben". Fifteen lactic acid bacteria (gram positive, catalase negative) were molecularly identified according to their 16S rDNA sequences, six belonged to Enterococcus durans, three to Enterococcus faecium, three to Lactococcus lactis, and three to Leuconostoc mesenteroide. The strains were evaluated for proteolysis, lipolysis, antibacterial activity, exopolysaccharide synthesis, and safety (hemolytic activity). All studied strains had considerable proteolytic activity but no lipolysis potential, they were also all γ-hemolytic. The antimicrobial activity of the stains against three pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus warneri, Serratia plymuthica, and Enterobacter aerogenes) revealed that they were active against at least one of them. Finally, only three organisms produced exopolysaccharide in our study Enterococcus durans (KC1); Leuconos-toc mesenteroide (KC6); and Lactococcus lactis (KC15). These findings suggest that the lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional cheese "J'ben" have significant technological propereties, making them suitable for use as starter culture in fermented dairy products.
Relationships between Some Spectral Traits and Grain Yield in Bread Wheat under Rainfed Conditions
Authors: Taner Seyfi , Cerit Şah İsmail , Yakışır Enes , Türköz Musa
Published: December 2022

Developing varieties adapted to dry conditions is one of the biggest targets for breeders. It is important to use inexpensive spectral sensing methods saving time in variety development. The aim of this study was to select bread wheat genotypes having high grain yield by using spectral sensing methods. Twenty-five bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes were evaluated under rainfed condition at three locations in Central Anatolia Region. The experiment was arranged in randomized complete block design with three replications. Grain yield (GY), Canopy Temperature (CT), Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values were recorded. GY, CT, SPAD and NDVI were found to be statistically significant in terms of both genotype and environment. The relationship between grain yield and NDVI (R2=0.321**) values was linear. The positive correlation of GY (0.5671**) and SPAD (0.1729*) with NDVI suggest that NDVI can be used as efficient and precise selection criteria for identifying high effiency wheat varieties under rainfed conditions.