bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of habitat management for improving grey partridge populations: a BACI experimental assessment
Authors:   National Game & Wildlife Agency (ONCFS), France, Bro E. , Mayot P. ,   National Game & Wildlife Agency (ONCFS), France, Reitz F. ,   National Game & Wildlife Agency (ONCFS), France
Published: December 2020

We assessed the impact of field division (4 m bare ground strips within wheat fields) and food supplementation (supplied through grain feeders) on grey partridge Perdix perdix L. populations using six–year ‘before–after’/’control–impact’ (BACI) experiments. We did not detect any convincing positive effects of either of these two schemes on partridge pair density and reproductive success. Increases in pair densities were similar on managed and control areas, and contrasting results were found between some sites. No consistent pattern was observed between reproductive success and feeding intensity. Our studies highlight the need for field experiments at farm–scale to test the effectiveness of management measures. We conclude that, in the context in which they are applied, management techniques directed towards increasing partridge density do not systematically provide the desired outcome. We develop our point of view about management in the Discussion.
Duvalius (Duvalius) lencinai Mateu & Ortuño, 2006 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechini) una especie hipogea del sur de la península ibérica. Morfología, reubicación taxonómica, sistemática y biología
Authors:   Univ. de Alcalá de Henares, Spain, Ortuño V. M. , Barranco P. ,   Univ. de Almería, Spain
Published: December 2020

Duvalius (Duvalius) lencinai Mateu & Ortuño, 2006 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechini) a hypogean species from the south of the Iberian peninsula. Morphology, new taxonomic placement, systematics and biology Duvalius (Duvalius) lencinai Mateu & Ortuño, 2006 was discovered in two new localities in the municipal district of Siles (Jaen, Spain): Sima Curva del Espino and Sima de los 30 Años, approximately 10 and 17 km, respectively, away from the type locality. The study of several individuals through dissection and use of optic and electronic microscopic preparations has increased the knowledge of the anatomy of this species. Evagination of the internal sac allowed further study of the sclerotized structures and led to the proposal of a new placement for this species within the genus Trechus Clairville 1806: Trechus (Trechus) lencinai (Mateu & Ortuño, 2006) n. comb. Although it comprises characters of the T. fulvus group and the T. pyrenaeus group, the endophallus is more similar to several species of the T. quadristriatus group and the T. tingitanus group. It could not therefore be placed in any of the species groups proposed by Jeannel. Some data about its biology (temporal and spatial distribution) and accompanying arthropod fauna are given.
El viaje del Prof. Emil A. Rossmässler en 1853 por España y la localidad tipo de Iberus angustatus (Rossmässler, 1854) (Gastropoda, Helicidae)
Authors:   Museu Valencià d’Història Natural, Spain, Martínez-Ortí A. , Robles F. ,   Univ. de València, Spain
Published: December 2020

The journey of Prof. Emil A. Rossmässler in 1853 in Spain and the type locality of Iberus angustatus (Rossmässler, 1854) (Gastropoda, Helicidae) We have identified the type locality of Helix Guiraoana var. angustata Rossmässler, 1854 as ‘located in the heights surrounding the Venta del Molinillo near the Sierra de los Dientes de la Vieja, Diezma, Granada’, from the description given by Rossmässler about his journey in the south east of Spain in 1853. The molecular analysis (COI and 16S) of a topotype collected live allowed us to confirm the identification of clade 4 of the genus Iberus proposed by Elejalde et al. (2008) with H. Guiraoana var. angustata, currently I. angustatus.
Analysis of the effect of atmospheric oscillations on physical condition of pre–reproductive bluefin tuna from the Strait of Gibraltar
Authors:   Univ. de Málaga, Spain, Báez J. C. , Macías D. ,   Univ. de Málaga, Spain, De Castro M. ,   EphysLab, Univ. de Vigo, Spain, Gómez-Gesteira M. ,   EphysLab, Univ. de Vigo, Spain, Gimeno L. ,   EphysLab, Univ. de Vigo, Spain, Real R. ,   Univ. de Málaga, Spain
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study was to explore the possible effects of atmospheric oscillations: North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO), on the physical condition of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). We estimated a fitness ratio from 3,501 pairs of length–weight data based on bluefin tuna caught in bait–boat fisheries before the spawning season (January, February and March), for each length class and year. In order to obtain a single fitness ratio (K–mean) per year we determined the average for all length classes. We also evaluated Le Cren’s condition index (KLC). We observed significant positive correlations between the atmospheric oscillations and both physical condition indexes. In the case of K–mean, the AO explained 75% of the observed variability. Regarding KLC, the NAO explained approximately 73% of the observed variability, while the AO explained 70% of the observed variability. The increase in physical conditions of bluefin tuna in association with positive atmospheric oscillations could be mediated by the increase in the prevalence of strong trade winds. We concluded that the increase in the prevalence of strong westerly winds, mediated by a positive AO or NAO, favours the trip from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean by reducing energy costs due to migration and by increasing the supply of nutrients at the surface by the mixing of deep water and surface water in local areas such as the Strait of Gibraltar.
ANALISIS KREDIT BERMASALAH DILIHAT DARI STANDAR NON PERFORMING LOAN (NPL) PADA PT. BANK MANDIRI (PERSERO) TBK
Authors: Kurniati Titi , Nurhayati Nurhayati
Published: December 2020

This study aims to examine how much Non Performing Loans at PT. Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk registered on the Stock Exchange for the 2014-2018 period. This research method uses descriptive methods including NPL analysis and hypothesis testing using significance test (t test). The results of the study stated that "Non Performing Loans (NPLs) at PT. Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk less than 5% than expected ", thus the banks must suppress the Non Performing Loan (NPL) to below 5% according to the health standard Non Performing Loan (NPL) ratio, with the level of Non Performing ratio Loans (NPL) that are low (less than 5%) are categorized as good banks and will also have an effect on increasing bank earnings, and in lending, banks are required to exercise caution because these credit facilities are high risk which can affect the business continuity of PT. Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk.
Perilaku Rentenir dan Kegiatan Sosial Ekonomi: Studi Kasus Di Bo-gor
Authors: Tinakartika rinda Rachmatullaily , Aminda Renea Shinta
Published: December 2020

Loan sharks have an existence because loan sharks and borrower ecosystems are formed by mutual benefits, so research is conducted with the aim to discuss the influence of loan sharks on the socio-economic activities of the people of Bogor City. Despite having bad stereotypes in the eyes of the community, moneylenders have a special place among certain communities with a motive to meet their daily needs to meet secondary to tertiary needs because they offer unsecured soft loans compared to bank loan conditions that have to go through fairly complicated procedures. Research with descriptive qualitative type was carried out using a questionnaire method. Taking data using snowball sampling techniques and carried out on a sample of 211 people of the city of Bogor, with analysis techniques simple linear regression. The results of this study indicate that there is a very strong relationship between the socioeconomic activities of the community and activities carried out by moneylenders, where the largest economic activity for the allocation of education costs is the need and benefits of loan sharks.
Lingkungan Kerja, Motivasi Kerja dan Kompensasi Terhadap Kepuasan Kerja Pegawai Pada Badan Pengelolaan Keuangan Dan Aset Daerah Kota Bima
Authors: Rahayu Sri , Nurmayanti Siti , Tatminingsih Sri
Published: December 2020

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh lingkungan kerja, motivasi kerja dan kompensasi terhadap kepuasan kerja pada Badan Pengelolaan Keuangan Dan Aset Daerah Kota Bima. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif. Populasi penelitian adalah seluruh pegawai pada Badan Pengelolaan Keuangan Dan Aset Daerah Kota Bima berjumlah 74 orang pegawai negeri sipil. Sampel penelitian ditentukan dengan metode sensus berjumlah 74 responden. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh antara lingkungan kerja terhadap kepuasan kerja, sedangkan motivasi kerja tidak berpengaruh terhadap kepuasan kerja dan kompensasi berpengaruh terhadap kepuasan kerja. Penelitian ini disarankan untuk tetap menjaga kondisi lingkungan kerja yang nyaman dan kondusif, kemudian lebih memperhatikan secara optimal motivasi kerja pegawai dalam rangka meningkatkan kepuasan kerjanya dan untuk tetap memperhatikan sistem kompensasi baik itu kompensasi finansial maupun kompensasi non finansial untuk kesejahteraan pegawai.
Encoding definiteness on pronominal objects in Mordvinic
Authors: Bernhardt Mariann
Published: December 2020

This article examines the morphosyntax of pronouns in object function and reveals the syntactic and morphological differences between nominal and pronominal objects in Mordvinic. The variation in case marking and declension type of nominal objects is affected by definiteness. Indefinite objects are in the basic declension nominative, whereas definite ones are in the definite or possessive declension genitive. Furthermore, definite objects may be indexed on the verb. In this paper, I analyze the morphosyntax of pronouns, in order to reveal the regularities between semantics and morphological marking and to provide a better understanding of definiteness. For this purpose, the finite forms of perception verbs were collected from the MokshEr corpus, which contains written texts in the literary languages, and native speakers were consulted on the results. Perception verbs were chosen for this study because they agree with the object in person and number more frequently than other semantic classes of verbs, thus providing good material for examining the correlation of definiteness with verbal conjugation. The paper shows how definiteness is displayed within the morphosyntax of pronouns and uncovers how verbal conjugation correlates with different pronominal objects.
What happens in language loss?
Authors: Grünthal Riho
Published: December 2020

Besprechung Kehayov, Petar. 2017. The fate of mood and modality in language death. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 385 pp.
Türkiye ile Seçilmiş Ülkeler Arasında Tarımsal Katma Değer Yakınsaması: Doğrusal ve Doğrusal Olmayan Birim Kök Testleri
Authors: KAYA Levent
Published: December 2020

Tarım sektörü hem gelişmekte olan ülkeler hem de gelişmiş ülkeler için halen çok büyük bir önem arz etmektedir. Küreselleşen dünyada tarım sektöründe rekabet edebilmek için katma değeri yüksek ürünler üretilmesi ve pazarlanması ülkelerin tarım politikalarını belirlemede en önemli etkenlerden biridir. Her alanda olduğu gibi tarımsal alanda da yenilikçi fikirler üretmek ve teknolojiden faydalanmak ülkelere katma değer üretmede büyük bir avantaj sağlamaktadır. Türkiye, tarımsal üretimde dünyada önemli bir yere sahiptir. Türkiye’nin tarımsal katma değer üretmedeki rekabet gücünü ölçmek amacıyla bu çalışmada seçili bazı ülkeler (Çin, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri, Hindistan, Brezilya ve Endonezya) ile Türkiye’nin tarımsal katma değer açısından yakınsama gösterip göstermediği incelenmiştir. Serilere doğrusal olup olmamasına göre farklı birim kök testleri uygulanmıştır. Doğrusal seriler için Fourier KPSS birim kök testi, doğrusal olmayan seriler için Sollis birim kök testi kullanılmıştır. Birim kök testi sonuçlarına göre Türkiye tarımsal katma değerde, Çin ve Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’ne yakınsamaktadır. Brezilya, Hindistan ve Endonezya’ya ise tarımsal katma değer yakınsaması bulunamamıştır.
Az alvás és az emésztés kapcsolata
Authors: Szakács Zoltán
Published: December 2020

A cirkadián ritmus és az alvás számos élettani funkciót befolyásol, beleértve az emésztőrendszert is. A legújabb kutatások kimutatták, hogy az alvás és a cirkadián tényezők egyértelműen befolyásolják az étvágyat, a tápanyagok felszívódását és az anyagcserét. Az alvás és a cirkadián ritmus zavarai ront­hatják az emésztési rendellenességeket, beleértve a refluxot, a fekélyeket, a gyulladásos és irritábi­lis bélbetegségeket és gasztrointesztinális rákot. Ahogy gyarapodik tudásunk a cirkadián időzítés és a gaszt rointesztinális élettan közötti kapcsolatról, úgy növekednek a lehetőségeink a gasztrointesztinális rendellenességek új diagnosztikai és terápiás megközelítésére.
Effects of Social Comparison Effect on Self-Efficacy and Subjective Well-Being of Employees - Case on Medical Industry
Authors: YAO Chia-Ling
Published: December 2020

From the cradle to the end of human life, it is the process of a series of social comparison and self-evaluation which generally exists in daily life and deeply affects social interaction process. For this reason, the topic presents the meaning and importance for the cultivation. Medical industry, as an emerging service industry, is considered as the internationally new wellness revolution after IT industry. Taking biotechnology and life science as the precursors, medical industry, covering health service functions of medical health, nutrition and health care, as well as fitness and leisure, would become the primary industry leading global economic development and social progress in the 21st century. Taking employees of Fujian Health Industrial Park as the research objects, total 360 copies of questionnaire are distributed. After removing invalid and incomplete copies, 241 valid copies are retrieved, with the retrieval rate 67%. The research results show significantly positive correlations between 1.social comparison and self-efficacy, 2.self-efficacy and subjective well-being, and 3.social comparison and subjective well-being. According to the results, suggestions are proposed as the important reference for guiding the work and life adjustment of employees in medical industry as well as promoting the self-efficacy.
Examining the Relationship between Organizational Commitment and Organizational Silence of Teachers
Authors: BAYRAMOGLU Devrim , CETINKANAT Canan A.
Published: December 2020

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between organizational commitment and organizational silence of teachers. While there is a lot of work regarding the relationship between organizational commitment and organizational silence, it has been observed that there are few studies on teachers. At this point, the study was considered significant and it was thought that it should be performed. In order to accomplish the purpose of the study, a survey was conducted to the teachers. According to the results of reliability analysis of organizational commitment scale which was used in the research, while Cronbach’s alpha coefficients is 0.745, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the organizational silence questionnaire is 0.89.The population of the research consisted of teachers who were affiliated with the Ministry of National Education and Culture and who were working in the elementary schools in Northern Cyprus, in the 2018-2019 academic year. The sample consisted of teachers from 28 different schools in the Guzelyurt, Kyrenia, and Nicosia regions. In this quantitative study, a total of 387 teachers, who were enrolled as participants, took organizational commitment and organizational silence scales. As a result of the analyses, it has been found that there is a significant negative relationship between the two.
Research on the Impact of Agricultural Enterprise’s Social Responsibility on Enterprise's Continuous Innovation
Authors: XU Yan , CHEN Hong , ZHAI Tao
Published: December 2020

Agricultural enterprises can establish and maintain good relationships with external stakeholders by fulfilling their own CSR, and obtain key external knowledge and important external resources through these relationship channels, and then realize their own technological innovation and promotion. At the same time, relevant management personnel of agricultural enterprises should pay attention to the issue of CSR input intensity in the process of fulfilling CSR, and should try to avoid getting into relationships with these stakeholders due to excessive reliance on CSR to meet the demands of relevant external stakeholders. In this way, it brings unnecessary costs to the technological innovation activities of enterprises, and ultimately leads to the reduction of innovation efficiency and performance. This article puts forward the research on the impact of agricultural corporate social responsibility on the continuous innovation of the enterprise itself. Agricultural enterprises are considering CSR as a means to promote corporate technological innovation and are investing in it. Relevant managers must first think about whether there are some inert factors in the company, including outdated organizational processes and organizational practices. Once such inert factors are discovered, in order to ensure that the company's investment in CSR can finally be effectively transformed into corporate technology Innovative performance, it is necessary for relevant managers to take some targeted actions in the specific practice process to overcome the negative effects of these inertia factors.
Effects of Facilitating Reflection Teaching Integrated Sport Education on Baseball Team Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition and Game Performance
Authors: XIE Jing , SU Bingxin , ZHANG Rui , LI Yidan , MA Yunchao
Published: December 2020

Students need diverse learning processes and different class modes to present diverse development in current teaching environment. In traditional education, physical education teachers mainly stress on students’ skill performance that most of time in the teaching process time sequence is used for skill teaching. Learning group in a team is the heterogeneous combination, with distinct degree of team members. Students therefore have the opportunity to precede different levels of discussion. Such a process allows students helping each other to enhance participants’ motivation through positive peer relationship. Sport education model is operated with teams, in which team members would develop suitable tactics and strategies through continuous discussions. Such discussions could assist in solving problems in real games to further achieve group goals. Such thinking, assisting individuals in achieving the goal, conforms to the point of view proposed in critical thinking. Experimental design model is applied to the quasi-experimental study. 246 students of a university in Fujian Province, as the experimental subjects, are preceded the 16-week (3 hours per week for total 48 hours) experimental teaching research. According to the results, suggestions are proposed, expecting to promote students’ game performance and enhance the critical thinking disposition.
A BNCC em evidência: Aproximações do currí­culo com a proposta de Tyler e a Pedagogia das Competências
Authors: Zwirtes Polyana , Martins Maridelma Laperuta
Published: December 2020

A Base Nacional Comum Curricular, ou BNCC, tornou-se o currí­culo oficial e obrigatório no Brasil. Afim de compreendê-la, o trabalho objetivou analisá-la verificando aproximações com as teorias curriculares de Tyler e debater a proposta da Pedagogia das Competências. A pesquisa tem cunho qualitativo, pois se preocupa com a compreensão do documento, e os procedimentos compreendem a análise de conteúdo documental, pois se adequa ao objeto analisado. Constatando as aproximações com a proposta de Tyler, observou-se que a BNCC está voltada para a melhoria das avaliações em larga escala, para o eficientismo e o atendimento aos interesses do mercado. Quando à Pedagogia das Competências, ressaltou-se a formação para o mercado de trabalho, para a manutenção do status quo e para a aceitação das condições de vida e trabalho dos indiví­duos.
Panorama do RPG (Role-Playing Game) no Ensino de Fí­sica no perí­odo de 2015-2019
Authors: Freitas Leandro Carlos Lima , Sitko Camila Maria , Chagas Maria Liduína das
Published: December 2020

Este trabalho tem como objetivo oferecer uma visão ampla acerca dos artigos que abordam o uso dos RPGs (role-playing game) nas aulas de Fí­sica, bem como as suas contribuições para o ensino e aprendizagem. A metodologia utilizada neste trabalho foi do tipo Estado do Conhecimento (ou Estado da Arte), a fim de se fazer um levantamento do conhecimento produzido sobre o tema através de um mapeamento realizado nas revistas educacionais e cientí­ficas brasileiras na área de ensino. Mediados pela busca de três palavras-chave (RPG, role-playing game e jogo de simulação), foram selecionados artigos publicados nas revistas acadêmicas na área de ensino de Ciências e Fí­sica, com recorte temporal de 2015-2019. Foram encontrados 9 artigos. Procurou-se averiguar e descrever os conteúdos trabalhados, os fundamentos teóricos de aprendizagem, bem como uma análise do modo como a aprendizagem foi avaliada a partir do uso do RPG utilizado em cada material. Constatou-se que o RPG é como uma possí­vel alternativa de sucesso no ensino de Fí­sica, sendo também uma maneira eficaz de se compreender os conteúdos trabalhados nas aulas. A fala dos autores também revela que o uso desse recurso pedagógico poderia melhorar o interesse dos alunos, estimulando a imaginação, criatividade e o trabalho em equipe, além de ser uma proposta diferenciada e atrativa, capaz de levar os discentes a assimilar novos conteúdos e conceitos fí­sicos, dando significado prático aos assuntos teóricos aplicados de forma lúdica.
Изотекст—2020: Материалы V Российской международной конференции исследователей рисованных историй. Москва, 6—7 ноября 2020 г.
Authors:   Институт этнологии и антропологии РАН, Плеханов Артемий Александрович , Кунин Александр Иванович
Published: December 2020

В сборник вошли материалы выступлений юбилейной Пятой научной конференции «Изотекст», посвященной проблематике рисованных историй (в т. ч. комиксов, манги и т. п.) в контексте книжного дела и смежных областей знания. Сборник адресован специалистам книжного дела, антропологам, культурологам, профессиональным авторам- комиксистам, а также любителям рисованных историй и широкому кругу читателей. Содержит материалы научного, научно-методического, справочного и рекомендательного характера. The collection of scientific papers includes materials from the speeches of the jubilee Fifth Scientific Conference "Isotext", dedicated to the problems of comics studies in the context of books and related fields of knowledge.The collection is addressed to book experts, anthropologists, sociologists, researchers of cultural studies, professional comic book writers, as well as lovers of drawn stories and a wide range of readers. Contains materials of a scientific, scientific-methodological, reference and recommendatory nature.
Identification and Characterization of Circular RNA as a Novel Regulator and Biomarker in Preterm Birth
Authors: Ran Yuxin , Yin Nanlin , Huang Dongni , Zhao Yangyu , Yang Jing , Zhang Hanwen , Qi Hongbo
Published: December 2020

Preterm birth (PTB), as the leading cause of neonatal death, is a severe threat to maternal–fetal health. The diagnosis and treatment of PTB are difficult as its underlying mechanism still unknown. Circular RNA (circRNA) is an emerging molecule that plays an essential role in the pathological processes of various diseases. However, it is still unclear whether circRNAs are abnormal or involves in the PTB pathology. In this study, we analyzed RNA-seq data of peripheral blood from preterm and term pregnant women and verified with microarray data. There were 211 circRNA expression disorders in PTB, of which 68 increased and 143 decreased. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the top 20 circRNAs competitively bind 68 miRNAs, thereby regulating 622 mRNAs mainly related to immunity, inflammation, and nerve activity, which may ultimately contribute to the occurrence of PTB. Moreover, 6 regulatory pairs, including hsa-MORC3_0001–hsa-miR-1248–CHRM2 were the core parts of this mechanism network, which might be therapeutic targets for PTB. Besides, ROC analysis indicated that hsa-ANKFY1_0025, hsa-FAM13B_0019, and hsa-NUSAP1_0010 (AUC = 0.7138, 0.9589, 1.000) have an excellent discrimination ability for PTB. Taken together, we explored for the first time the circRNA expression profile of PTB, and preliminarily analyzed its regulatory mechanism and predictive value for PTB, thus bringing new light to the diagnosis and treatment of PTB.
Evolution of Wearable Devices in Health Coaching: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Tahri Sqalli Mohammed , Al-Thani Dena
Published: December 2020

Wearable devices hold an enormous potential in contributing to an improved global health. The availability, non-invasiveness, and affordability of those systems make them promising candidates to transform the standard of care for health coaching. These wearable devices are now considered as versatile coaching systems. Patients who wish to improve their health and well-being refer to wearables for tracking and quantifying their improvement. The timeliness of the “wearable device as a health coaching enabler” field of research will inevitably know a prominent growth in the upcoming years. This growth is expected to stem from both the computing and the medical fields. In this perspective article, we list the potential challenges as well as the opportunities of this newly born field from an interdisciplinary perspective. We mainly focus on both the computing and healthcare perspectives. We also chart guidelines for the healthcare research community that is willing to get involved in the computing field to harness the benefits of wearable devices.
SETDB1 Overexpression Sets an Intertumoral Transcriptomic Divergence in Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma
Authors: Kang Yong-Kook , Min Byungkuk
Published: December 2020

An increasing volume of evidence suggests that SETDB1 plays a role in the tumorigenesis of various cancers, classifying SETDB1 as an oncoprotein. However, owing to its numerous protein partners and their global-scale effects, the molecular mechanism underlying SETDB1-involved oncogenesis remains ambiguous. In this study, using public transcriptome data of lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) and squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC), we compared tumors with high-level SETDB1 (SH) and those with low-level SETDB1 (comparable with normal samples; SL). The results of principal component analysis revealed a transcriptomic distinction and divergence between the SH and SL samples in both ADCs and SCCs. The results of gene set enrichment analysis indicated that genes involved in the “epithelial–mesenchymal transition,” “innate immune response,” and “autoimmunity” collections were significantly depleted in SH tumors, whereas those involved in “RNA interference” collections were enriched. Chromatin-modifying genes were highly expressed in SH tumors, and the variance in their expression was incomparably high in SCC-SH, which suggested greater heterogeneity within SCC tumors. DNA methyltransferase genes were also overrepresented in SH samples, and most differentially methylated CpGs (SH/SL) were undermethylated in a highly biased manner in ADCs. We identified interesting molecular signatures associated with the possible roles of SETDB1 in lung cancer. We expect these SETDB1-associated molecular signatures to facilitate the development of biologically relevant targeted therapies for particular types of lung cancer.
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Familial HLH (Emapalumab in FHL)
Authors: Merli Pietro , Algeri Mattia , Gaspari Stefania , Locatelli Franco
Published: December 2020

Primary Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (pHLH) is a rare, life-threatening, hyperinflammatory disorder, characterized by uncontrolled activation of the immune system. Mutations affecting several genes coding for proteins involved in the cytotoxicity machinery of both natural killer (NK) and T cells have been found to be responsible for the development of pHLH. So far, front-line treatment, established on the results of large international trials, is based on the use of glucocorticoids, etoposide ± cyclosporine, followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the sole curative treatment for the genetic forms of the disease. However, despite major efforts to improve the outcome of pHLH, many patients still experience unfavorable outcomes, as well as severe toxicities; moreover, treatment-refractory or relapsing disease is a major challenge for pediatricians/hematologists. In this article, we review the epidemiology, etiology and pathophysiology of pHLH, with a particular focus on different cytokines at the origin of the disease. The central role of interferon-γ (IFNγ) in the development and maintenance of hyperinflammation is analyzed. The value of emapalumab, a novel IFNγ-neutralizing monoclonal antibody is discussed. Available data support the use of emapalumab for treatment of pHLH patients with refractory, recurrent or progressive disease, or intolerance to conventional therapy, recently, leading to FDA approval of the drug for these indications. Additional data are needed to define the role of emapalumab in front-line treatment or in combination with other drugs.
Persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA Positive in Feces but Negative in Breastmilk: A Case Report of COVID-19 in a Breastfeeding Patient
Authors: Chu Huikuan , Li Jing , Yan Jingjing , Bai Tai , Schnabl Bernd , Zou Li , Yang Ling , Hou Xiaohua
Published: December 2020

COVID-19 is a pandemic infectious disease. Whether SARS-CoV-2 was transmitted through breast milk is unknown. Here, we report a breastfeeding woman with COVID-19 presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms and persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA positivity in both her oropharyngeal swabs and feces, but negativity in her breastmilk. After appearance of serum SARS-CoV-2-IgG, she began to bottle feed her baby with breastmilk without transmission. This report facilitates the understanding of breastfeeding-related risks in COVID-19.
Smell and Taste in Severe CoViD-19: Self-Reported vs. Testing
Authors: Mazzatenta Andrea , Neri Giampiero , D'Ardes Damiano , De Luca Carlo , Marinari Stefano , Porreca Ettore , Cipollone Francesco , Vecchiet Jacopo , Falcicchia Chiara , Panichi Vincenzo , Origlia Nicola , Di Giulio Camillo
Published: December 2020

One of the most striking reported symptoms in CoViD-19 is loss of smell and taste. The frequency of these impairments and their specificity as a potential central nervous system function biomarker are of great interest as a diagnostic clue for CoViD-19 infection as opposed to other similar symptomatologic diseases and because of their implication in viral pathogenesis. Here severe CoViD-19 was investigated by comparing self-report vs. testing of smell and taste, thus the objective severity of olfactory impairment and their possible correlation with other symptoms. Because a significant discrepancy between smell and taste testing vs. self-report results (p < 0.001) emerges in our result, we performed a statistical analysis highlighting disagreement among normosmia (p < 0.05), hyposmia, severe hyposmia, and anosmia (p < 0.001) and, in hypogeusia and severe hypogeusia, while no differences are observed in normogeusia and ageusia. Therefore, we analyzed the olfactory threshold by an objective test revealing the distribution of hyposmic (34%), severe hyposmic (48%), and anosmic (13%) patients in severe CoViD-19. In severe CoViD-19 patients, taste is lost in 4.3% of normosmic individuals, 31.9% of hyposmic individuals, 46.8% of severe hyposmic individuals, and 17% of anosmic individuals. Moreover, 95% of 100 CoViD-19 patients objectively tested were affected by smell dysfunction, while 47% were affected by taste dysfunction. Furthermore, analysis by objective testing also highlighted that the severity of smell dysfunction in CoViD-19 subjects did not correlate with age and sex. In conclusion, we report by objective testing that the majority of CoViD-19 patients report severe anosmia, that most of the subjects have olfactory impairment rather than taste impairment, and, finally, that the olfactory impairment correlate with symptom onset and hospitalization (p < 0.05). Patients who exhibit severe olfactory impairment had been hospitalized for about a week from symptom onset; double time has taken place in subjects with normosmia. Our results may be limited by the relatively small number of study participants, but these suggest by objective testing that hyposmia, severe hyposmia, and anosmia may relate directly to infection severity and neurological damage. The smell test assessment could be a potential screening symptom that might contribute to the decision to test suspected cases or guide quarantine instructions, further therapeutic approach, and evaluation of neurological damage.
Ecogenomics-Based Mass Balance Model Reveals the Effects of Fermentation Conditions on Microbial Activity
Authors: Kim Jinha , Mei Ran , Wilson Fernanda P. , Yuan Heyang , Bocher Benjamin T. W. , Liu Wen-Tso
Published: December 2020

Fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS) is an alternative approach to reduce solid wastes while providing valuable soluble products, such as volatile fatty acids and alcohols. This study systematically identified optimal fermentation conditions and key microbial populations by conducting two sets of experiments under different combinations of biochemical and physical parameters. Based on fermentation product concentrations, methane production, and solid removal, fermentation performance was enhanced under the combined treatments of inoculum heat shock (>60°C), pH 5, 55°C, and short solid retention time (<10 days). An ecogenomics-based mass balance (EGMB) approach was used to determine the net growth rates of individual microbial populations, and classified them into four microbial groups: known syntrophs, known methanogens, fermenters, and WAS-associated populations. Their growth rates were observed to be affected by the treatment conditions. The growth rates of syntrophs and fermenters, such asSyntrophomonasandParabacteroidesincreased with a decrease in SRT. In contrast, treatment conditions, such as inoculum heat shock and high incubation temperature inhibited the growth of WAS-associated populations, such asTerrimonasandBryobacter.There were also populations insensitive to the treatment conditions, such as those related toMicrobacterandRikenellaceae. Overall, the EGMB approach clearly revealed the ecological roles of important microbial guilds in the WAS fermentation system, and guided the selection of optimal conditions for WAS fermentation in future pilot-scale operation.
Fornix Integrity Is Differently Associated With Cognition in Healthy Aging and Non-amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study in Thai Older Adults
Authors: Srisaikaew Patcharaporn , Wongpakaran Nahathai , Anderson Nicole D. , Chen J. Jean , Kothan Suchart , Varnado Pairada , Unsrisong Kittisak , Mahakkanukrauh Pasuk
Published: December 2020

Damage to the fornix leads to significant memory impairment and executive dysfunction and is associated with dementia risk. We sought to identify if fornix integrity and fiber length are disrupted in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and how they associate with cognition. Data from 14 healthy older adult controls (HCs) and 17 subjects with non-amnestic MCI (n-aMCI) were analyzed. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at 1.5 Tesla MRI was performed to enable manual tracing of the fornix and calculation of DTI parameters. Higher fractional anisotropy of body and column of the fornix was associated with better executive functioning and memory, more strongly in the HC than in the n-aMCI group. Fornix fiber tract length (FTL) was associated with better executive function, more strongly in the n-aMCI than in the HC group, and with better memory, more strongly in the HC than in the n-aMCI group. These results highlight a decline in the contributions of the fornix to cognition in n-aMCI and suggest that maintenance of fornix FTL is essential for sustaining executive functioning in people with n-aMCI.
Melatonin Inhibits the Progression of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma via Inducing miR-25-5p Expression by Directly Targeting NEDD9
Authors: Wang Yanling , Tao Bo , Li Jiaying , Mao Xiaoqun , He Wei , Chen Qinbiao
Published: December 2020

Melatonin exerts anti-cancer roles in various types of cancers. However, to the best of our knowledge, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the role of melatonin and its underlying mechanism in OSCC. MTT, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell invasion assays proved that melatonin played anti-tumor effects in OSCC cells by inhibiting cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion in a concentration-dependent manner. The RT-qPCR analysis showed that miR-25-5p was significantly upregulated after melatonin treatment. Further, miR-25-5p might be involved in melatonin-induced inhibitory effects on the biological behavior of OSCC. The expression of miR-25-5p was decreased in tumor tissues and OSCC cells detected by RT-qPCR. MTT assay, colony formation assay, and TUNEL staining indicated miR-25-5p overexpression inhibited OSCC cell viability, proliferation, and induced OSCC cell apoptosis. Furthermore, wound healing, transwell invasion assay, and animal experiments suggested that miR-25-5p might exert suppressive effects on the migration, invasion, and tumor formation of OSCC cells, while miR-25-5p knockdown exhibited the opposite effects in OSCC cells. Bioinformatics analysis, western blot analysis, and luciferase reporter assay suggested that neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated protein 9 (NEDD9) was proved to be a putative target for miR-25-5p. The role of NEDD9 in inhibiting OSCC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration was verified with NEDD9 siRNA transfection. Thus, melatonin exerted anti-proliferative, anti-invasive, and anti-migrative effects on OSCC via miR-25-5p/NEDD9 pathway. Melatonin could be applied as a potential novel drug on treating OSCC.
Identification of a Transcriptional Prognostic Signature From Five Metabolic Pathways in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Wu Xiang , Yao Yuan , Li Zhongwu , Ge Han , Wang Dongmiao , Wang Yanling
Published: December 2020

Dysregulated metabolic pathways have been appreciated to be intimately associated with tumorigenesis and patient prognosis. Here, we sought to develop a novel prognostic signature based on metabolic pathways in patients with primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The original RNA-seq data of OSCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were transformed into a metabolic pathway enrichment score matrix by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). A novel prognostic signature based on metabolic pathways was constructed by LASSO and stepwise Cox regression analysis in the training cohort and validated in both testing and validation cohorts. The optimal cut-off value was obtained using the Youden index by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The overall survival curves were plotted by the Kaplan-Meier method. A time-dependent ROC curve analysis with 1, 3, 5 years as the defining point was performed to evaluate the predictive value of this prognostic signature. A 5-metabolic pathways prognostic signature (5MPS) for OSCC was constructed which stratified patients into subgroups with favorable or inferior survival. It served as an independent prognostic factor for patient survival and had a satisfactory predictive performance for OSCC. Our results developed a novel prognostic signature based on dysregulated metabolic pathways in OSCC and provided support for aberrant metabolism underlying OSCC tumorigenesis.
A Nomogram Predicts Individual Prognosis in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma by Integrating the Extent of Resection of Non-Enhancing Tumors
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Jin Zeping , Liu Dayuan , Zhang Yang , Li Chunzhao , Miao Yazhou , Chi Xiaohan , Feng Jie , Wang Yaming , Hao Shuyu , Ji Nan
Published: December 2020

Background

The extent of resection of non-contrast enhancing tumors (EOR-NCEs) has been shown to be associated with prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (nGBM). This study aimed to develop and independently validate a nomogram integrated with EOR-NCE to assess individual prognosis.

Methods

Data for this nomogram were based on 301 patients hospitalized for nGBM from October 2011 to April 2019 at the Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University. These patients were randomly divided into derivation (n=181) and validation (n=120) cohorts at a ratio of 6:4. To evaluate predictive accuracy, discriminative ability, and clinical net benefit, concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were calculated for the extent of resection of contrast enhancing tumor (EOR-CE) and EOR-NCE nomograms. Comparison between these two models was performed as well.

Results

The Cox proportional hazards model was used to establish nomograms for this study. Older age at diagnosis, Karnofsky performance status (KPS)<70, unmethylated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) status, wild-type isocitrate dehydrogenase enzyme (IDH), and lower EOR-CE and EOR-NCE were independent factors associated with shorter survival. The EOR-NCE nomogram had a higher C-index than the EOR-CE nomogram. Its calibration curve for the probability of survival exhibited good agreement between the identical and actual probabilities. The EOR-NCE nomogram showed superior net benefits and improved performance over the EOR-CE nomogram with respect to DCA and ROC for survival probability. These results were also confirmed in the validation cohort.

Conclusions

An EOR-NCE nomogram assessing individualized survival probabilities (12-, 18-, and 24-month) for patients with nGBM could be useful to provide patients and their relatives with health care consultations on optimizing therapeutic approaches and prognosis.
Early Onset of Combined Oxidative Phosphorylation Deficiency in Two Chinese Brothers Caused by a Homozygous (Leu275Phe) Mutation in the C1QBP Gene
Authors: Wang Jie , Li Huan , Sun Min , Yang Ying , Yang Qianli , Liu Bailing , Liu Fang , Hu Wen , Zhang Yanmin
Published: December 2020

Mitochondrial diseases constitute a group of heterogeneous hereditary diseases caused by impairments in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and abnormal cellular energy metabolism. C1QBP plays an important role in mitochondrial homeostasis. In this study, clinical, laboratory examinations, 12-lead electrocardiographic, ultrasonic cardiogram, and magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from four members of a Chinese family. Whole exome were amplified and sequenced for the proband. The structure of protein encoded by the mutation was predicted using multiple software programs. The proband was a 14-year old boy with myocardial hypertrophy, exercise intolerance, ptosis, and increased lactate. His 9-year old brother exhibited similar clinical manifestations while the phenomenon of ptosis was not as noticeable as the proband. The onset of this disease was in infancy in both cases. They were born after uneventful pregnancies of five generation blood relative Chinese parents. A homozygous mutation (Leu275Phe) in the C1QBP gene was identified in both brothers in an autosomal recessive inherited pattern. Their parents were heterozygous mutation carriers without clinical manifestations. We demonstrated that a homozygous C1QBP- P.Leu275Phe mutation in an autosomal recessive inherited mode of inheritance caused early onset combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 33 (COXPD 33) (OMIM:617713) in two brothers from a Chinese family.
Shrinking Your Deictic System: How Far Can You Go?
Authors: Vulchanova Mila , Guijarro-Fuentes Pedro , Collier Jacqueline , Vulchanov Valentin
Published: December 2020

Languages around the world differ in terms of the number of adnominal and pronominal demonstratives they require, as well as the factors that impact on their felicitous use. Given this cross-linguistic variation in deictic demonstrative terms, and the features that determine their felicitous use, an open question is how this is accommodated within bilingual cognition and language. In particular, we were interested in the extent to which bilingual language exposure and practice might alter the way in which a bilingual is using deictic demonstratives in their first language. Recent research on language attrition suggests that L2 learning selectively affects aspects of the native language, with some domains of language competence being more vulnerable than others. If demonstratives are basic, and acquired relatively early, they should be less susceptible to change and attrition. This was the hypothesis we went on to test in the current study. We tested two groups of native Spanish speakers, a control group living in Spain and an experimental group living in Norway using the (Spatial) Memory game paradigm. Contra to our expectations, the results indicate a significant difference between the two groups in use of deictic terms, indicative of a change in the preferred number of terms used. This suggests that deictic referential systems may change over time under pressure from bilingual language exposure.
Equipment Development for Small and Urban Conservation Farming Systems
Authors: Kornecki Ted S. , Reyes Manuel R.
Published: December 2020

The number of local small farms in the USA is on the rise due to a consumer demand for locally grown produce such as tomatoes. These farms often use small walk-behind tractors, but most field activities are still performed by hand requiring heavy physical labor. Recent efforts from USDA have been encouraging producers to adopt no-till techniques using cover crops for benefits such as reduced runoff and soil erosion, increased infiltration and water holding capacity, increased soil organic carbon, decreased soil compaction and improved weed control. However, lack of specialized no-till equipment inhibits widespread adoption of cover crops. To help small farms reduce hand labor and adoption of conservation systems with cover crops, no-till equipment such as a no-till drill, powered roller/crimper, and no-till transplanter have been developed for walk-behind tractors at the National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in Auburn (AL, USA). A replicated three-year field test (2017–2019) was conducted to evaluate effectiveness of the experimental powered coulter drill to plant cereal rye cover crop (Secale cereale, L.), patented powered roller/crimper to terminate rye, and transplanting cash crop tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings with a patented no-till transplanter. These three pieces of equipment were compatible with BCS 853 walk-behind tractor. The experiment was conducted on two different soils: Hiwassee sandy loam soil and Davidson clay to determine the performance of developed machines under different soil types. Results have shown that the powered coulter drill generated effective rye seed emergence (83%) for optimum biomass production. The experimental powered roller/crimper generated 95% rye termination rate three weeks after rolling, and the no-till transplanter performed as anticipated providing less than 10% variation of plant spacing uniformity. Tomato yield varied among years ranging from 15.9 Mg ha−1 to 28.3 Mg ha−1 and was related to different soil and weather conditions at each growing season. Numerically higher tomato yield on Davidson clay might be associated with less insect/pathogen pressure, higher plant available water, and reduced weed pressure due to greater cereal rye biomass production. Results from this experiment indicate that developed experimental equipment can be a practical solution for small no-till farming operations with cover crops.