bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How ligands regulate the binding of PARP1 with DNA: Deciphering the mechanism at the molecular level
Authors: Wang Kai , Wu Yizhou , Lai Lizhu , Wang Xin , Sun Shuya
Published: August 2023

The catalytic (CAT) domain is a key region of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), which has crucial interactions with inhibitors, DNA, and other domains of PARP1. To facilitate the development of potential inhibitors of PARP1, it is of great significance to clarify the differences in structural dynamics and key residues between CAT/inhibitors and DNA/PARP1/inhibitors through structure-based computational design. In this paper, conformational changes in PAPR1 and differences in key residue interactions induced by inhibitors were revealed at the molecular level by comparative molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and energy decomposition. On one hand, PARP1 inhibitors indirectly change some residues of the CAT domain which interact with DNA and other domains. Furthermore, the interaction between ligands and catalytic binding sites can be transferred to the DNA recognition domain of PARP1 by a strong negative correlation movement among multi-domains of PARP1. On the other hand, it is not reliable to use the binding energy of CAT/ligand as a measure of ligand activity, because it may in some cases differs greatly from the that of PARP1/DNA/ligand. For PARP1/DNA/ligand, the stronger the binding stability between the ligand and PARP1, the stronger the binding stability between PARP1 and DNA. The findings of this work can guide further novel inhibitor design and the structural modification of PARP1 through structure-based computational design.
Pharmaconutraceutical Chondroguard®TRIO – chondroprotector with immunomodulatory activity
Authors: Shavlovskaya O. A. , Yukhnovskaya Yu. D. , Romanov I. D. , Bokova I. A.
Published: August 2023

Understanding the major pathological pathways and the key molecules involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory processes in joints, particularly in osteoarthritis (OA), is crucial for drug and pharmaconutraceuticals development. OA is a degenerative joint disease that predominantly affects articular cartilage. Destruction of hyaline cartilage and restructuring of subchondral bone are accompanied by synovial inflammation in the joint, including the facet joint of the spine, manifested by pain in the joint, low back pain (LBP), and limitation of functional activity. The article discusses the relationship between immune and inflammatory mechanisms in OA of any location, including the joints of the spine. One of the mechanisms for the formation of a “vicious circle of inflammation” during the activation of discoidin receptors by endogenous type II collagen is discussed, leading to the induction of the synthesis of pro-inflammatory mediators: tumor necrosis factor α(TNFα), metalloproteinases (MMPs) 1 and 13, interleukins (IL) 1 and 6. Inflammation, in turn, leads to a decrease in the synthesis and destruction of endogenous type II collagen and, subsequently, to cartilage destruction. Cartilage fragments entering the joint space of the intercellular matrix enhance the synthesis of TNFα, IL, and MMP and exacerbate the inflammatory process. Oral ingestion of exogenous undenatured type II collagen(NK-II) helps, first, to inactivate the binding of fragments of destroyed endogenous type II collagen to discoidin receptors and to break the "vicious circle of inflammation"; secondly, through the mechanism of oral/intestinal tolerance via the lymphoid system in Peyer's patches of the small intestine, leads to the activation of immune cells (T-lymphocytes) and initiation of the immune response – the synthesis of anti-inflammatory mediators (transforming growth factor β, IL4 and IL10). The new pharmaconutraceutical Chondroguard®TRIO, which contains chondroprotectors (chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate) as well as NK-II, will make it possible to influence the key sites of the pathological process in OA.
Work factors affect work stress among lecturers: study in Indonesia
Authors: Multamasatika D. F. , Akbar K. A. , Hartanti R. I. , Kallawicha K.
Published: August 2023

Work stress is a discrepancy between the workload and the individual's ability to do their job. Work stress factors that cause work stress are individual, work, and outside the work/environment. There is no data and research about work stress from work factors, mainly focusing on lecturers or universities.

Objective. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between work factors in the form of type of faculty, workload, type of professor, and interpersonal relationships with the work stress of lecturers.

Material and methods. This research was conducted using a cross-sectional study. The research sample consisted of 100 lecturers with active status selected by quota sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire filled out online and analyzed using the Chi-square test and the Contingency Coefficient Test.

Results. The result showed that most participants had moderate stress (score: 59–92) and moderate workload (score: 50–80). Most of the participants were Associate professors (52%) and had good interpersonal relationships in the workplace (59%). There is a relationship between interpersonal relationships and work stress of lecturers. However, there was no relationship between type of faculty, workload, and type of professor with lecturers' work stress.

Conclusion. In conclusion, interpersonal relationships are significantly related to job stress on lecturers. A good interpersonal relationship will reduce the possibility of work stress on the participant.
Psychosocial factors and sleep disorders in the population aged 25–64 years in Russia/Siberia (International WHO MONICA-Psychosocial Programme)
Authors: Gafarov V. V. , Gromova E. A. , Panov D. O. , Gagulin I. V. , Gafarova A. V.
Published: August 2023

Objective: to determine the main psychosocial factors associated with sleep disorders in an open population aged 25–64 years in Novosibirsk.

Material and methods. Screening studies were conducted on representative samples of the population aged 25–64 years: in 2013–2016. (V screening: 427 men, mean age 34±0.4 years, response rate 71%; 548 women, mean age 35±0.4 years, response rate 72%); in 2015–2018 (VI screening: 275 men, mean age – 49±0.4 years, response rate – 72%; 390 women, mean age – 45±0.4 years, response rate – 75%) (budget topic No. АААА-А17-117112850280-2) using the protocol of the WHO international program “MONICA-psychosocial”. The Jenkins questionnaire was used in the population survey to investigate sleep disorders. To examine personal anxiety, a form of the Spielberger Self-Assessment Scale was used; to determine depression, life exhaustion, and hostility, the MOPSY-test was used; and to examine social support, the Berkman-Syme test was used.

Results. In the open population aged 25 to 64 years, sleep disorders were found in 47.6% of men and 51.2% of women. Among those with sleep disorders, we found high levels of: anxiety (HLA) in 61.8% of men (χ2=56.169; df=4; p<0.001) and 68.1% of women (χ2=36.535; df=4; p<0.001); depression (HLD) – in 18.2% of men (χ2=26.609; df=4; p<0.001) and 20% of women (χ2=41.041; df=4; p<0.001); vital exhaustion (VE) – in 63.6% of men (χ2=93.378; df=4; p<0.001) and 59.3% of women (χ2=124.115; df=4; p<0.001); hostility (HLH) – in 52.7% of men (χ2=17.598; df=4; p<0.001) and 39.3% of women (χ2=13.139; df=4; p<0.01).We found no statistically significant differences between groups of men and women, who differed in sleep self-essessment and indicators of the index of close contacts and the index of social ties.

Sleep disturbances increased the likelihood of developing of VE (OR 2.301; 95% СI 1.774–2.984; p<0.0001), HLA (OR 1.882; 95% CI 1.199–2.955; p<0.006), depression (OR 1.423; 95% CI 1.099–1.842; p<0.007). In men, sleep disturbances contributed to: HLA (OR 2.477; 95% CI 1.303–4.709; p<0.006), VE (OR 2.282; 95% CI 1.529–3.404; p<0.0001). In the group of women with sleep problems, the probability of VE increased (OR 2.37; 95% CI 1.669–3.366; p<0.0001).

Conclusion. The study found that in an open population aged 25–64 years with sleep disorders, there was a high level of psychosocial factors and that the presence of sleep disorders increased the likelihood of developing psychosocial factors.
Modern concept of vascular vertigo
Authors: Zhiznevskiy D. V. , Zamergrad M. V. , Grachev S. P.
Published: August 2023

Among the various causes of acute vestibular vertigo, vascular factors are of particular importance. Numerous studies show that the diagnosis of vascular vertigo remains inadequate, often leading to overdiagnosis of stroke and transient ischemic attacks in patients with peripheral vestibular disorders and vestibular migraine, on the one hand, and underestimation of the importance of cerebrovascular pathology, especially in patients with the first attack of persistent vestibular vertigo, on the other.

The International Barany Society has developed and published diagnostic criteria for vascular vertigo. These criteria are intended to facilitate the identification of vascular causes of acute vestibular syndrome. Particular emphasis is placed on clinical signs because imaging techniques often do not allow detection of foci small in volume and area, especially in cases when stroke is manifested by an isolated vestibular syndrome. Key clinical signs to analyze when a vascular etiology of acute vestibular syndrome is suspected include nystagmus, corrective saccades on the Halmagyi test, smooth visual pursuit, visual saccades, severity of trunk ataxia, and hearing loss.
Agonism, decision, power – The art of working unfinished
Authors: Pløger John
Published: August 2023

The current debate on agonism has become fixed in an institutional approach: How can an agonistic design institutionally become a tool against forms of domination? An agonistic space needs decisions that do not silence dissensual voices with a finite decision. This paper suggests that this agonistic approach needs de-cisions or simply put, temporary decisions drawn from seeing a decision as a solution for now. A de-cision is not a no-decision, but a decision recognised as temporary. The paper proposes ‘the sketch’ as an appropriate mode for working de-cisionally and unfinished. By having a sketch and working de-cisionally, planners are able to invite agonistic positions to ongoing talks and to act progressively, adaptably, or rationally in the face of emerging circumstances and uncertainty. To work unfinished from a sketch transforms the planning process from being a matter of reaching a finite decision to a strife about how to understand the present and which temporary contours and directions to move on from. The paper as such thus deals with difficult praxis questions, for instance: How is it possible to allow dissent to inform planning praxis in praxis? How can quarrelling and working unfinished empower planning democracy?
A study on the life satisfaction, resilience, depression, anxiety, and stress levels of LGBT+ individuals according to parental acceptance and life skills
Authors: Yüksel Şahin Fulya , Başar Gençer Düşüm
Published: August 2023

This study aims to examine the life satisfaction, resilience, depression, anxiety, and stress levels of LGBT+ individuals significantly differ according to being LGBT+, levels of parental acceptance and life skills. 171 LGBT+ individuals who live in different cities in Turkey and over 18 years. participated in the study. “The Life Satisfaction Scale”, “The Brief Resilience Scale”, “Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS)”, “Turkish adaptation of the Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire Short Form”, “Life Skills Scale”, and a “Personal Information Form” were used to collect the study data. MANOVA-Wilks Lambda(λ) was utilized for data analysis. The study results revealed that LGBT+ individuals’ life satisfaction, resilience, depression, anxiety, and stress levels significantly differ according to being LGBT+, life skills, parental acceptance, economic income and education level. LGBT+ individuals with high parental acceptance and life skills were found to experience higher levels of life satisfaction and resilience and lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The findings of the study have been discussed with relevant literature and suggestions have been offered.
(Extended English summary is at the end of this document)
 
Özet
 
Araştırmanın amacı LGBT+ bireylerin yaşam doyumu, psikolojik sağlamlık, depresyon, anksiyete ve stres düzeylerinin LGBT+ olmaya, ebeveyn kabulüne ve yaşam becerilerine göre incelenmesidir. Araştırmada   ilişkisel   tarama yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Katılımcı grubuna ulaşmada kartopu ve amaçlı örnekleme yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya, Türkiye’nin farklı illerinde yaşayan ve 18 yaşından büyük 171 LGBT+ gönüllüsü katılmıştır. Araştırmada verileri elde etmek için “Yaşam Doyumu Ölçeği”, “Kısa Psikolojik Sağlamlık Ölçeği”, “Depresyon, Anksiyete ve Stres Ölçeği”, “Yetişkin Ebeveyn Kabul-Reddi Ölçeği (Kısa Form)”, “Yaşam Becerileri Ölçeği” ve “Kişisel Bilgiler Formu” kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde, MANOVA-Wilks Lambda (λ) Testinden yararlanılmıştır. Bulgular ışığında, LGBT+ bireylerin yaşam doyumu, psikolojik sağlamlık, depresyon, anksiyete ve stres düzeyleri LGBT+ olmalarına, ebeveyn kabulüne ve yaşam becerilerine göre anlamlı farklılık göstermiştir. Anne ve baba kabulü yüksek olan LGBT+ bireylerin yaşam doyumu ve psikolojik sağlamlık düzeyi daha yüksek; depresyon, anksiyete ve stres düzeyi daha düşük bulunmuştur. Yaşam becerileri yüksek olan LGBT+ bireylerin yaşam doyumu düzeyi ve psikolojik sağlamlık düzeyi daha yüksek; depresyon, anksiyete ve stres düzeyleri daha düşük bulunmuştur. Sonuç olarak, araştırmanın bulguları ilgili alanyazın ışığında tartışılmış ve öneriler sunulmuştur.
Electrochemical analysis of copper-EDTA-ammonia-gold thiosulfate dissolution system
Authors: Xiang Peng-Zhi , Ye Guo-Hua
Published: August 2023

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium (EDTA) can form stable complexes with many metals. To improve the leaching rate of gold and the consumption rate of thiosulfate, EDTA and ammonia were combined with copper ions to form a copper-EDTA-ammonia-thiosulfate system. Electrochemical methods were used to study the effect of thiosulfate, copper ion, EDTA, and polarization voltage. The results showed that increasing the concentrations of thiosulfate, copper ions, and EDTA promoted the dissolution of gold, which changed from electrochemical control to diffusion control after adding EDTA. The order of influence was thiosulfate > EDTA > copper ion. The pure gold leaching experiment showed that the dissolution rate of gold in the EDTA-ammonium-copper thiosulfate system was higher than that in the EDTA-copper-thiosulfuric acid system, thus achieving synergistic gold leaching.
Towards the Digital Risk Society: A Review
Authors: Sundberg Leif
Published: August 2023

Digitalization is often associated with optimistic grand narratives about a future society in academic discourse. While the word is frequently linked with hopes and expectations of societal rebirth and beneficial changes for societies and organizations, there has been little attention given to systematically investigating the risks associated with digitalization. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between digitalization and risk, thereby characterizing “the digital risk society.” By conducting a narrative summary and thematic analysis of 34 academic papers three aggregated themes were outlined: First, in the digital risk society, intangible technologies serve as solutions while simultaneously introducing new risks. Second, as an increasing number of tasks are delegated to machines with opaque inner functions, society is suffering from dehumanization. Third, scholars are calling for new approaches to govern these technologies, spurred by concerns over their potentially harmful use.
Local grammars and intercultural speech act studies: A study of apologies in four English varieties
Authors: Su Hang , Lu Xiaofei
Published: August 2023

This study proposes a local grammar approach to intercultural speech act studies, which is demonstrated by an investigation into apologies in Hong Kong, Singaporean, Indian, and British Englishes. Drawing on data taken from the respective components of the International Corpus of English, the investigation revealed a mixed picture of the ways in which apologies were performed by speakers of the Englishes under examination, which may be ascribed to the differences existing in cultural norms of the target language and those of one’s own and, consequently, a strategic compromise between speakers’ efforts to conform to the cultural norms of the target language and efforts to retain their own. This leads to a further argument that apologies in the three selected Asian Englishes might have undergone a mixed process of language indigenisation and pragmatic nativisation. Methodologically, the study shows that local grammars can reliably quantify speech act realizations across contexts or corpora, thereby offering a useful methodology to facilitate intercultural, and other kinds of contrastive, speech act studies.
Presentations of Schur covers of braid groups
Authors: Akita Toshiyuki , Kawasaki Rikako , Satoh Takao
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we consider several basic facts of Schur covers of the symmetric groups and braid groups.
In particular, we give explicit presentations of Schur covers of braid groups.
Contexts of care for people with differences of sex development
Authors: Kulle Alexandra E. , Jürgensen Martina , Döhnert Ulla , Malich Lisa , Marshall Louise , Hiort Olaf
Published: August 2023

The 2006 Chicago consensus statement of management of disorders/difference of sex development (DSD) has achieved advantages in clinical care and diagnosis for patients and families affect by DSD. This article provides a brief overview of contexts of care for physicians, and points out specific challenges in clinical practice that have arisen from the transformations of the sex/gender system in recent years. We focus on the impact of diagnosis and laboratory measurements. Both laboratory measurements and hormonal therapies still depend on the binary system. One problem is the lack of reference intervals for the different forms of DSD, which means that diversity is often neglected. In the following, we will give a brief insight into this complex topic.
A brief guide to polymer characterization: structure (IUPAC Technical Report)
Authors: Topham Paul D. , Boucher Raymond J. , Chang Taihyun , Smrčková Miroslava Dušková , Farrell Wesley S. , He Jiasong , Hess Michael , Hu Wenbing , Hutchins-Crawford Helena J. , Keddie Daniel J. , Mallon Peter E. , Merna Jan , Stingelin Natalie , Šturcová Adriana , Vohlídal Jiří
Published: August 2023

To bolster the series of Brief Guides released by International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), here we introduce the first Brief Guide to Polymer Characterization. This article provides a concise overview of characterization methods for teachers, students, non-specialists, and newcomers to polymer science as well as being a useful manual for researchers and technicians. Unlike pure low molar mass chemical substances, polymers are not composed of identical molecules. The macromolecules which comprise a single polymer sample vary from one another, primarily in terms of size and shape, but often also in the arrangement or positioning of atoms within macromolecules (e.g., chain branching, isomerism, etc.). Polymer properties are often drastically different from those of other substances and their characterization relies on specialist equipment and/or common equipment used in a specialized way (e.g., particular sample preparation or data analysis). This Brief Guide focuses uniquely on the structural characterization (i.e., analyzing the molecular and multi-molecular aspects) of polymers. The complex nature of the structural variables possible in macromolecular materials often presents a challenge with regard to the detailed structural characterization of polymers. This Brief Guide provides a useful starting point to direct the reader to the most commonly used and useful techniques to characterize these structural variables.
A thermodynamic investigation on the micellization behavior of ionic liquid in presence of vitamins
Authors: Sharma Pooja , Kaur Jasmeet , Kaur Ramanjeet , Kumar Harsh , Kaur Gagandeep
Published: August 2023

Herein, we have scrutinized the influence of vitamin B3 (nicotinic acid) and its isomer isonicotinic acid at varying concentrations on the micellization properties of 1-tetradecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide [C14mim] [Br] at a given temperature range of 298.15–308.15 K to further explore their advancement in medicinal chemistry. The behavior of ionic liquid at the surface was determined using tensiometry, while conductivity, steady-state fluorescence, and UV–visible spectroscopy were used to determine the behavior in bulk. Various thermodynamic, surface, and micellization parameters have been determined. The evaluated CMC values for the pure ionic liquid were found to increase with the increasing concentration of external additives (nicotinic acid and isonicotinic acid). Further, the negative

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state the feasible and exothermic nature of the micellization process. The results attained employing different methods were correlated with each other and are found to be in good agreement. The results obtained from various studies indicate the presence of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions occurring between the additives (nicotinic and isonicotinic acid) and the ionic liquid aggregates.
Sequins from the sea: Nautilus shell bead technology at Makpan, Alor Island, Indonesia
Authors: Langley Michelle C. , Kealy Shimona , Mahirta  , O'Connor Sue
Published: August 2023

One defining characteristic of Homo sapiens is the production and use of personal ornamentation. Evidence from Africa and western Eurasia has dominated discussion, but a growing number of finds directs attention towards Island Southeast Asia. In this article, the authors report on an assemblage of Nautilus shell beads from the Indonesian cave site of Makpan, Alor Island. The highly standardised forms, mostly with two perforations, and evidence of use wear, indicate that these beads were utilised as appliqués. Dating to the terminal Pleistocene, these beads appear to form part of a wider tradition also attested on Timor and Kisar, suggesting an early inter-island network across southern Wallacea.
The future of archaeology is (still) community collaboration
Authors: Montgomery Lindsay M. , Fryer Tiffany C.
Published: August 2023

In this contribution to our periodic ‘Archaeological Futures’ series, Lindsay M. Montgomery and Tiffany C. Fryer reflect on the reshaping of archaeological praxis in the Americas through recent developments in collaborative community-engaged research. Over the past 20 years, new theoretical and methodological approaches informed by decolonisation and Black feminism have shifted power dynamics within the discipline. The authors review this growing body of research, highlighting trends in collaborative archaeological research and discussing some of the ongoing challenges and tensions. They argue that this collaborative paradigm marks a new future for archaeology in the Americas, which will increasingly centre on topics of importance to Black and Indigenous scholars and descendant communities.
Building Comprehensive Integration of Health and Performance Support Through Sport Science
Authors: Rimer Ernie , Petway Adam , Jones Paul , Schultz Ross , Hayes Brett , Suchomel Timothy J. , Daily Jennifer , Nichols Katie , LeBlanc Blake , Antle Becky , Ivey Pat
Published: August 2023

This article provides an overarching view on establishing a sport science department that fosters comprehensive integration of student-athlete health and performance support in collegiate athletics. Collegiate athletic departments have adopted the high-performance model to help manage the complex health and performance needs of their student-athletes. Considered best practice by many, the high-performance model has limits in collegiate athletics, whereas comprehensive integration is the next generation of best practice. It combines every available resource to establish unprecedented health and performance support. This is accomplished, in part, by collaborating with academic, health care, and industry stakeholders who can fill persistent gaps in the broad services, knowledge, and expertise required to meet the ever-evolving health and performance challenges faced by athletic departments. A well-designed sport science department can facilitate this process by establishing mutually beneficial partnerships to fulfill various service, research, education, or innovation initiatives. This article details the role of the sport scientist in establishing comprehensive integration. It guides athletic departments who wish to begin a sport science program, as well as those who wish to expand their current sport science structure.

See Video 1—Video Abstract, http://links.lww.com/SCJ/A369.
Proximal Chain Strength and Coordination Concepts to Maximize Injury Protection and Transfer of Training Effects for Competitive Baseball Players
Authors: Crotin Ryan L. , Iniguez Ximena R. , Carlson Erin M.
Published: August 2023

Proximal injuries involving the core, intercostal musculature, and spine are the third leading cause of playing time loss in professional baseball. Long seasons and rotational unilaterality from hitting, throwing, and pitching exposes athletes to overuse risks, including disc herniation, spondyloses, spondylosis, facet joint syndromes, and pars lumbar fractures. This article describes injury epidemiology, rotational biomechanics including energy transfer dynamics, and offers injury prevention insights with minimal equipment. Ultimately, the goal of this article is to provide concepts to improve strength and coordination in training to offer greater injury protection and performance in baseball.

For a video abstract of this article, see Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/SCJ/A382.
Neural Representations in Visual and Parietal Cortex Differentiate between Imagined, Perceived, and Illusory Experiences
Authors: Li Siyi , Zeng Xuemei , Shao Zhujun , Yu Qing
Published: August 2023

Humans constantly receive massive amounts of information, both perceived from the external environment and imagined from the internal world. To function properly, the brain needs to correctly identify the origin of information being processed. Recent work has suggested common neural substrates for perception and imagery. However, it has remained unclear how the brain differentiates between external and internal experiences with shared neural codes. Here we tested this question in human participants (male and female) by systematically investigating the neural processes underlying the generation and maintenance of visual information from voluntary imagery, veridical perception, and illusion. The inclusion of illusion allowed us to differentiate between objective and subjective internality: while illusion has an objectively internal origin and can be viewed as involuntary imagery, it is also subjectively perceived as having an external origin like perception. Combining fMRI, eye-tracking, multivariate decoding, and encoding approaches, we observed superior orientation representations in parietal cortex during imagery compared with perception, and conversely in early visual cortex. This imagery dominance gradually developed along a posterior-to-anterior cortical hierarchy from early visual to parietal cortex, emerged in the early epoch of imagery and sustained into the delay epoch, and persisted across varied imagined contents. Moreover, representational strength of illusion was more comparable to imagery in early visual cortex, but more comparable to perception in parietal cortex, suggesting content-specific representations in parietal cortex differentiate between subjectively internal and external experiences, as opposed to early visual cortex. These findings together support a domain-general engagement of parietal cortex in internally generated experience.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHow does the brain differentiate between imagined and perceived experiences? Combining fMRI, eye-tracking, multivariate decoding, and encoding approaches, the current study revealed enhanced stimulus-specific representations in visual imagery originating from parietal cortex, supporting the subjective experience of imagery. This neural principle was further validated by evidence from visual illusion, wherein illusion resembled perception and imagery at different levels of cortical hierarchy. Our findings provide direct evidence for the critical role of parietal cortex as a domain-general region for content-specific imagery, and offer new insights into the neural mechanisms underlying the differentiation between subjectively internal and external experiences.
Women’s Political Representation and Corruption
Authors: Gao Manjing , Mahutga Matthew C.
Published: August 2023

We assess the degree to which the policy preferences of female legislators explain the widely observed negative association between women’s political representation (known as “women in parliament,” or WIP) and corruption. While a broad literature suggests that WIP reduces corruption, there is little consensus on how. Some suggest that the effect is driven by women’s psychology—perhaps women are more prosocial or more risk-averse than men, and thus engage in less corruption. Others suggest that the effect is driven by policy preferences: because it serves the interest of their female constituents, women promote social spending, which in turn reduces corruption. We employ a mediation analysis that allows us to test the mediating effect of social spending, and to provide an upper bound for alternative explanations. Our results suggest that social spending explains as much as 69 percent of the effect of WIP on corruption, leaving as little as 31 percent for alternative explanations. These results are robust to concerns about spurious WIP effects, sample composition, and the potential for endogeneity in the link from either WIP or social spending to corruption. We conclude by implicating these findings in broader discussions about the beneficial effects of WIP for governance.
Seed Science and Technology. Volume 51 Issue 2 (2023)
Authors: Hamman Brigitte
Published: August 2023

Seed-enhancement treatments as a theme run through many of the papers in the second issue of volume 51 of Seed Science and Technology: the uses of priming are explored in two papers, one of which compares agents with the potential to improve chilling tolerance of tobacco seed
during germination, and the other suggests Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as forms of biocontrol against Bacterial Fruit Blotch when priming melon seeds. Dormancy-breaking is essential for many species, and two papers proffer suggestions that can be
applied to seeds of cucumber (dry heat) and to kala zeera (chilling, phytohormones). A lesser- utilised seed enhancement, that of plasma pre-treatments, is explored in terms of promoting seedling growth and development when applied to seeds of a popular horticultural species, Platycodon
grandiflorus. Cautionary notes when following approved seed testing methods are sounded in a finding that the impact of variety complicates the interpretation of results when using the radicle emergence test to evaluate seed quality of wheat, and in a report of the results of a capacity-building
exercise, where the correlation between skill levels and successful propagation of Melia volkensii seeds was evident. Useful SSR markers for assessing genetic similarity and degree of purity of wheat cultivars grown in Romania are suggested, as too is an approach to using germination
and/or viability data in order to allow seed banks to make data-informed management decisions that would ensure time and resources are effectively allocated. An invited review gives a thorough and comprehensive review of all matters relating to the determination and control of seed moisture,
and includes discussions on water activity and working with seed that needs to be at high moisture contents. A book review of ”Plant Regeneration from Seeds: A Global Warming Perspective ”strikes a positive note, concluding that it will leave readers with ”a deep appreciation
for the complex interplay of factors that influence plant regeneration and the potential consequences for ecosystems around the world ”.
THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON CHILD RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN ZIMBABWE: A CASE STUDY
Authors: Tshugulu Ansley Nonsikelelo , Simbine Samuel Lisenga , Charamba Sunungurai , Muridzo Noel Garikai
Published: August 2023

The article explores child rights violations emanating from harmful cultural practices in Zimbabwe. A qualitative case study research design was used. The targeted population included people considered custodians of the Ndebele culture in the Nkayi district of Zimbabwe. Social workers familiar with Ndebele culture and working in the child protection field within the Nkayi district also participated in the study. In-depth interviews were used to collect data. The data were analysed using Creswell’s thematic analysis. Whilst culture undoubtedly provides some ecological resources for the realisation of child rights, findings highlight harmful cultural practices which violate children’s rights, and these are the focus of this article. Keywords: Child rights, culture, rights violations, social work, Ndebele, Zimbabwe
Culture as Treatment: A Pathway toward Indigenous Health Equity
Authors: Asher BlackDeer Autumn
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we report on the process by which health equity has historically been conceptualized from a western lens, continuing to leave behind Native Nations. We present how the historical context impacts the present day disparities experiences by Indigenous communities in the US. We conclude with examples of Indigenous culture as treatment as a pathway towards achieving Indigenous health equity.
More Research is Needed to Understand the Impact of Language Discordance in Long-Term Care in Canada
Authors: Ménard Alixe , Scott Mary M , Sun Annie H , Cooper-Reed Anna , Rasaputra Prabasha , Hsu Amy T
Published: August 2023

There is consistent evidence highlighting the risks of language barriers and discordance to quality care and patient safety, especially in primary care and hospital settings. However, there has been limited research on the impact of language barriers and discordance on quality care for older individuals residing in long-term care. In this commentary, we highlight select studies on differences in health care access and outcomes that linguistic minorities experience in Canadian long-term care homes, and discuss the importance of tackling language barriers and discordance to equitable long-term care. This article reflects on the impact of language discordance in health care, an identified determinant of health disparities, and calls for further research on health inequity experienced by older adults in Canada as well as strategies toward more equitable care.
Effects of levothyroxine substitution therapy on hunger and food intake in individuals with hypothyroidism
Authors: Medici Bjarke R , Nygaard Birte , la Cour Jeppe L , Krakauer Martin , Brønden Andreas , Sonne Mette P , Holst Jens J , Rehfeld Jens F , Vilsbøll Tina , Faber Jens , Knop Filip K
Published: August 2023

Context

In individuals with hypothyroidism and overweight, levothyroxine substitution therapy is often expected to cause weight loss due to its effect on resting energy expenditure. However, despite levothyroxine-induced enhancement of resting energy expenditure, fat mass loss is rarely seen after levothyroxine substitution therapy. The mechanism behind this conundrum is unknown.

Aim

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of levothyroxine therapy on hunger sensations and ad libitum food intake in individuals with hypothyroidism.

Design and setting

Prospective cohort study of 18 newly diagnosed hypothyroid women (thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) >10 mU/L). Participants were investigated at diagnosis, after normalization of TSH (<4.0 mU/L), and after 6 months of successful treatment. Eighteen age and body mass index-matched healthy controls were also included.

Intervention

Hypothyroid individuals were treated with levothyroxine according to European Thyroid Association guidelines.

Main outcomes

Changes in hunger sensation were assessed using visual analog scales (cm) before and during a standardized mixed meal test, and food intake was measured during a subsequent ad libitum meal (g).

Results

After 6 months of levothyroxine therapy, mean resting energy expenditure was increased by 144 kcal/day (10%) (P < 0.001). Weight loss was comprised of 0.8 kg fat-free mass while fat mass remained unchanged. Fasting hunger sensation increased from a mean of 4.5 (s.d. 2.2) cm to 5.5 (s.d. 2.2) cm (P = 0.047). The numerical increase in ad libitum meal intake did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that levothyroxine-induced hunger may be a culprit in the lack of fat mass loss from levothyroxine therapy.
Presence of KREMEN receptors for DKK1 in the preimplantation bovine embryo
Authors: Amaral Thiago Fernandes , Xiao Yao , Jeensuk Surawich , Maia Tatiane Silva , Cuellar Camila J , Gingerich Chloe A , Scheffler Tracy L , Hansen Peter J
Published: August 2023

The WNT inhibitory protein DKK1 has been shown to regulate the development of the preimplantation embryo to the blastocyst stage. In cattle, DKK1 increases the number of trophectoderm cells that are the precursor of the placenta. DKK1 can affect cells by blocking WNT signaling through its receptors KREMEN1 and KREMEN2. Here it was shown that the mRNA for KREMEN1 and KREMEN2 decline as the embryo advances in development. Nonetheless, immunoreactive KREMEN1 was identified in blastocysts using western blotting. DKK1 also decreased the amount of immunoreactive β-catenin in blastocysts, as would be expected if DKK1 was signaling through a KREMEN-mediated pathway. Thus, it is likely that KREMEN1 functions as a receptor for DKK1 in the preimplantation bovine embryo.

Lay summary

DKK1 is a molecule produced by the lining of the womb (uterus) that regulates the development of the early embryo. Here it was shown that a substance that responds to DKK1 called KREMEN1 is found in the embryos of cattle. In other cells, joining of DKK1 to KREMEN1 results in reduction in amounts of a protein called β-catenin. For the present study, it was shown that DKK1 treatment also reduced β-catenin in the cattle, which suggests that DKK1 can regulate the cattle embryo by attaching to KREMEN1.
State of soul of a religious person. A fragment from the systematic French-Russian dictionary of religious lexis (part 2)
Authors: Zhukovskaia Nadezhda
Published: August 2023

This work is a continuation of the publication of separate parts"Systematic French-Russian Dictionary of Religious Vocabulary" and is part of a large section "The Characters of the Christian Religion", as well as the subsection "States of the Human Soul". In contrast to the already published topic “Manifestations of piety”, in this case, attention is focused on the state of the believer’s soul, his spiritual quest, and moral character.The material is divided into chapters, which unite the vocabulary devoted to certain aspects of the topic. Special attention is paid to some well-known virtues: love for one's neighbor, mercy, peacefulness, selflessness, etc. Catholicism and reflecting a special view of the world order. Speaking about the purely linguistic side, one must keep in mind that the Russian religious language is often generally characterized by more archaic ways of expressing thought than French. At the same time, we considered it possible to include, along with the usual translation into Russian, the original Russian equivalents of Orthodox authors, Church Slavonicisms, if they are found among the authors of the XX-XXI centuries. In this case, such translations are marked "church-arch".As in previous publications, phrases in quotation marks not only illustrate the use of a single word, but also contain, as a rule, a new unit or reveal the content of a concept related to the section. Usually they are made up of elements (both individual lexemes and phrases) appearing in French and Russian sources, but are not direct quotations.This work was submitted for review to a candidate of theology, a specialist in comparative theology, rector of the St. Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral in New York, Fr. Igor (Vyzhanov), as well as Bruno Bisson, simultaneous interpreter, candidate of philological sciences. I would like to thank them for their thoughtful reading and comments.
The association between exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and changes in gut microbiota: a narrative review
Authors: Șeulean Edina C. , Dumitrașcu Dan L.
Published: August 2023

Due to their physical proximity, the healthy pancreas and the gut microbiome are known to interact in a variety of ways. The gut microbiota has been recognized as a potential factor in the development and progression of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency through several mechanisms. Pancreatic diseases like chronic and acute pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer are frequently accompanied by pancreatic exocrine insufficiency which affects the gut microbiota. Firstly, the gut microbes are controlled by antimicrobial pancreatic secretions, while themselves induce the secretion of substances by the pancreas through metabolite production, such as short chain fatty acids. Secondly, dysbiosis, the alteration in the abundance and diversity of different species, has been observed in patients with pancreatic diseases. Dysbiosis influences carcinogenesis in pancreatic cancer in ways that are either procarcinogenic or anticarcinogenic and finding these connections will have clinical implications. Identifying microbial biomarkers allow for an earlier diagnosis, improved therapy and prognosis in pancreatic cancer. The gut microbiome has a role in the pathogenesis of pancreatitis by either a bacterial translocation or a host immune response mechanism. The disruption of the normal gut barrier is believed to be the primary source of bacteria in acute pancreatitis which leads to infected pancreatic necrosis.
In this paper, we review the current data about the association between pancreatic diseases linked to exocrine insufficiency and gut microbiota.
5-fluorouracil therapeutic drug monitoring and adverse events in a Romanian population
Authors: Deac Andrada-Larisa , Pop Raluca Maria , Burz Claudia Cristina , Bocșan Ioana Corina , Militaru Claudia , Suciu Șoimița , Buzoianu Anca Dana
Published: August 2023

Fluoropyrimidines represent the backbone of many chemotherapy protocols and the standard treatment for many types of tumors. Toxicity associated with fluoropyrimidines can occur in up to 40% of cases.

Background and purpose. The objective of this study was to analyze the correlation between the plasma concentration of 5-fluorouracil and the adverse events that patients might experience during this therapy.

Methods. A total of 58 patients received 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. A blood sample was collected from each patient during the drug infusion, in order to assess the area under the curve for 5-fluorouracil. The occurring adverse events were evaluated through medical recordings of the patients’ reported symptoms, clinical and paraclinical examinations.

Results. In our study, the majority of patients experienced some type of toxicity. Moreover, we found a correlation between 5-FU plasma concentration (expressed as AUC) and adverse events, a stronger one with hematological adverse reactions and a weaker one with gastrointestinal and cardiovascular toxicity.

Conclusion. Determining the plasma concentration of 5-FU in patients with severe toxicities could represent a method of individualizing the treatment and improving the safety profile.
ANÁLISE PSICANALÍTICA DE NARRATIVAS: PERSPECTIVAS DE FREUD A LACAN
Authors: Santos Bispo Fábio , Máris Campos Guerra Andréa , Oliveira Bagalho Jaqueline , Celso Pereira Júnior Afonso
Published: August 2023

A discussão proposta neste artigo parte de uma necessidade metodológica comumente verificada no campo da pesquisa psicanalítica ao se propor a lógica que orienta a análise dos dados. Temos visto, nos últimos anos, uma participação cada vez maior da perspectiva psicanalítica na proposição de pesquisas no campo social, nas políticas públicas e na interface com outras áreas de saber ou contextos de atuação do psicanalista, para além da experiência de uma psicanálise em intensão (Lacan, 2003a). Para se introduzir em cada um desses campos, é preciso, pois, que o pesquisador lance mão de outros métodos de coleta, para além do foco em casos clínicos. Entre esses métodos, podemos citar as conversações, propostas por Miller (2005), como uma forma de associação livre coletivizada, de modo a manter a circulação da palavra em conexão com a lógica do método clínico da psicanálise. Além desse, outros métodos, como entrevistas, análise de produções virtuais, análise de textos literários etc., vêm sendo utilizados como formas de investigação da subjetividade e do laço social. O grande desafio é: como manter, nesses outros contextos, a mesma inspiração de foco na dimensão do inconsciente que é a marca da clínica psicanalítica? E mais: que forma de análise pode ser empreendida, de modo a se acolher a subjetividade a partir de dados que já não estão mais na fala, tais como um texto literário ou uma transcrição de entrevista?
Semantics of verbs of thought in the Ob-Ugric languages
Authors: Kondina Galina R. , Solovar Valentina N.
Published: August 2023

Introduction. The article describes the semantics of verbs of mental activity in the Mansi and Khanty languages. The relevance of the topic is determined by the lack of research devoted to the analysis and semantic classification of verbal lexico-semantic groups, primarily in comparative terms. The purpose of the work is to reveal the internal organization of the verbs of cognition and understanding “to know”, “to understand”, “to learn”, “to notice” in the Ob-Ugric languages and to characterize the semantic relations between their members.
Materials and Methods. The article is based on the verbs of mental activity of the Mansi (Sosvinsky dialect) and Khanty (Kazim dialect) languages received by the authors from informants and extracted from dictionaries of the Khanty and Mansi languages and texts. When working on the material, component analysis, the method of contextual (distributive) analysis were used.
Results and Discussion. For the first time, the lexico-semantic group of the verbs of thought (“to know”, “to understand” and their analogues) of the Ob-Ugric languages was studied; differential signs of the semantics of the verbs under study were revealed, the relationships of these verbs and the peculiarities of their compatibility, primary and derived lexico-semantic variants of the meanings of these verbs were determined, their aspectual variants were partially revealed. The main verbs of the group are described and their signs are indicated; the semantic structure of polysemous verbs is determined.
Conclusion. Comparison of the semantic structures of similar words in the Ob-Ugric languages allows us to conclude that the main distinguished meanings of the verbs of knowledge and understanding coincide in the studied dialects, however, each language has specific meanings and special semantic shifts in meanings.