bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Age- and sex-specific modifiable risk factor profiles of dementia: evidence from the UK Biobank
Authors: Chen Hui , Cao Yaying , Ma Yuan , Zong Geng , Yuan Changzheng
Published: November 2021

Background: To inform targeted preventive strategies of dementia, systematic investigation in its age- and sex-specific modifiable risk factor profiles in the general adult population is warranted.Methods: We used data of 372,867 adults free from dementia at baseline (2006-2010) in the UK Biobank, and followed them up until March 2021. We assigned participants into five groups according to their age and into two groups according to their sex. We estimated the age- and sex-specific hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox proportional hazard models and calculated the corresponding population attributable fractions (PAFs) for dementia attributable to three major categories of modifiable risk factors, including socioeconomic (low education level, high Townsend deprivation index), lifestyle (non-moderate alcohol intake, current smoking, suboptimal diet, non-regular physical exercise, and sleep duration <=6 or >=8 hrs/d), and health condition (hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and depressive symptom) risk factors.Findings: During 4,338,030 person-years of follow-up, 113, 146, 360, 1,087, and 2,002 of participants across five increasing age groups (40-<50, 50-<55, 55-<60, 60-<65, or >=65 y), respectively, were newly diagnosed with dementia. Five out of eleven modifiable risk factors showed significantly stronger associations with dementia among younger adults than in relatively older adults (P-interactions < 0.05), including non-moderate alcohol intake (HR [95% confidence interval, CI]=1.90 [1.35, 2.68] for participants 50-<55 y vs. 1.22 [1.11, 1.35] for participants > 65 y), suboptimal diet (1.86 [1.26, 2.74] for participants 40-< 50 y vs. 0.96 [0.86, 1.06] for participants > 65 y), hypertension (1.52 [0.96, 2.42] vs. 1.08 [0.99, 1.19]), CVD (4.20 [2.15, 8.22] vs. 1.64 [1.45, 1.85]), and diabetes (3.09 [1.60, 6.00] vs. 1.73 [1.51, 2.00]). We observed no significant difference in dementia risk factor profiles between women and men. Dementia cases attributable to three categories of risk factors all decreased with age, with the PAFs (95% CI) for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health condition risk factors being 52.56% (22.98%, 82.15%), 46.57% (8.08%, 85.06%), and 35.42% (24.09%, 46.75%) for participants aged 40-<50 y, and 12.29% (3.82%, 20.75%), 13.01% (2.53%, 23.49%), and 15.85% (11.81%, 19.90%) for those over 65 y.Interpretation: This study identified stronger association and greater attributable risk of several modifiable risk factors for dementia among younger adults, underscoring the importance of preventive strategies from an earlier age across adult life course to reduce the risk of dementia.
Measle Outbreak investigation, Bale Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Badeso Mohammed Hasen , Kebata Shukuri , Merhaba Kibatu
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Measles is still an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality even in developed countries. It is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths among young children. The Bale zone reported a measle outbreak on 1/15/2019. This study was conducted to describe the magnitude of the measle outbreak in the Bale Zone.
Methods

We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study from September 20 to November 15, 2019, by reviewing the line lists of the cases. We checked the data for completeness and analyzed using epi-info version 7 and Microsoft Office Excel 2016.
Results

A total of 2753 measle cases with attack rate (AR) 201per 100,000 population and 7 death (0.25% case fatality rate) were reported during this confirmed outbreak (all five samples positive for measle IgM test). Males (0.21%) and females (0.19%) were almost equally affected. The AR was 736 per 100,000 population among 9months-4years age groups followed by an age group less than 9months (682 per 100,000 population). Most of the cases were unvaccinated (74.9%).
Conclusion

The majority of the cases were unvaccinated and 9months to 4years followed by less than 9months of age groups. We recommend strengthening the routine immunization and surveillance to prevent the occurrence of the measle outbreak.
Ant diversity and abundance in pasture system and two agricultural land uses in the Rashad district, Southern Sudan
Authors: Eisawi Khalid A. E. , Subedi Indra Prasad , Abdalla Omer M. , He Hong
Published: November 2021

The most common ecological consequence of biodiversity loss is a reduction in ecosystem functions. These responses, however, vary depending on the type of land-use change and the ecological setting. This study investigated the impact of land-use type and ecosystem functions on the ant assemblage of Rashad district, Sudan. Therefore, the purposes of this study are to evaluate the composition and structure of the ant assembly in the station, as well as to determine the trophic guilds and functional groups and their spatial variation in three different land uses. Furthermore, based on the type of land use to determine how the conversion of native vegetation affects the richness and composition of ant species. In each location, we sampled three 20-meter-long transects (Sample plot). Each sample plot consisted of a grid of 12 pitfall traps arranged in three rows of four traps each, with a 2 m spacing between them, replicated six times in a single year. We collected 38 ant species from four subfamilies and 17 genera. Parasyscia lamborni was the most abundant species followed by Bothroponera crassa. Ant diversity was higher in Soy monoculture and Organic farming than in the Pasture. The frequency distributions of ant Functional groups in Soy monoculture and Organic farming were significantly different from the frequency distributions in the pasture. The omnivorous and predator’s trophic guilds were the best represented and regarding functional groups. We found a high proportion of tropical climate specialists and Myrmicinae generalists. These findings suggest that Pasture Activation reduces ant diversity. It can also help to increase the population of species with a diverse diet that predominate in areas where stress and disturbance prevent other ants from reproducing.
Development of antimicrobial/antioxidant nanocomposite film based on fish skin gelatin and chickpea protein isolated containing Microencapsulated Nigella sativa essential oil and copper sulfide nanoparticles for extending minced meat shelf life
Authors: Sani Iraj Karimi , Rasul Nabil Hussain , Asdagh Amirafshar , Pirsa Sajad , Ghazanfarirad Naser
Published: November 2021

Fish skin gelatin and chickpea protein isolated (G-CP) edible blend films incorporated with 0.25 and 0.5% copper sulfide nanoparticle (CuSNP) and Nigella sativa essential oil (MEO) (0.015 and 0.03%, w/w of protein) were prepared and optimized by the response surface methodology based on the central composite design (RSM-CCD). Antimicrobial activity, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), morphological characteristics and thermal attributes of composite films were examined. In general, the effect of CuSNPs and MEO on the properties of blended films, besides their inherent nature, is related to their interactions with the protein matrix and the synergistic effect on each other. As authenticated by the FTIR and XRD, the simultaneous use of CuSNPs and MEO because of the synergistic effect of CuSNPs on the antibacterial attributes of MEO and raising the content of antimicrobial components in the blend film expressed the highest antimicrobial functionality against E. coli. and S. aureus. Also, the results of microbiological and chemical tests of packaged minced meat revealed that the simultaneous use of MEO and CuSNP in the film has a positive synergistic effect in increasing the storage life of minced meat, as compared to the other samples.
Sharing cities with avian scavengers: sustainable development in social-ecological systems
Authors: Gupta Urvi , Kumar Nishant
Published: November 2021

Correlations in the timings of vulture collapse and rapid urbanisation in South Asia have affected the benefit trade-offs concerning conservation-breeding for vulture restoration. We show how the loss of vultures 30 years ago has led to the extinction of experience amongst people in South Asia who are co-adapted to various animal species within shared landscapes. We conducted ethnography, involving avian scavengers (vultures, kites and crows) in Delhi, to unpack how salience and charisma for avian scavenger’s link with socio-cultural legends. Perceptions about avian scavengers were based on birds’ appearance, behaviour, and ecosystem services. Anthropomorphisation mediated human-animal co-adaptation and drove ritual feeding of commensals that opportunistically consume garbage. Conflated with ethnoecology, such human-constructed niches supported enormous animal populations in the region and drove mutual tolerance. Prior evaluations of scavengers’ niche from biophysical perspectives alone have, therefore, overlooked links between vultures and animal husbandry practices. It undermined competitive release on commensals that have responded by an increase in numbers and distribution, by taking advantage of ritual feeding and people’s affiliative attitudes. The absence of vultures limits the availability of spaces where animal husbandry can be practised. Conversely, expanding built-up spaces, overhead wires, fake news, and interference from competing scavengers will be impediments to vulture restoration. Conservation policies should examine immediate and long-term objectives of solid waste disposal, considering the odds against the attainment of former functional ecology by vultures. We conclude that wildlife restoration in urbanising tropical landscapes is a moving target, necessitating policies sensitive to progressive loss and/or changes in associative heritage due to shifting economic and cultural practices.
Lipoma HMGIC fusion partner expression differs in primary tumors and lymph node metastases in malignancy.
Authors: S Vijay
Published: November 2021

Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women. 1. Metastasis is the leading cause of mortality among cancer patients. 2. As the number of axillary lymph nodes with metastases grows the prognosis for patients with breast cancer worsens3. We used a published microarray dataset4 to find genes linked to lymph node metastasis, which is an early stage of breast cancer metastasis. When comparing original breast tumors to lymph node metastases from patients diagnosed with breast cancer, we discovered substantial differences in LHFP gene expression. When comparing primary breast tumors to neighboring normal breast tissue, LHFP was shown to be one of the most differentially expressed genes in a separate microarray dataset5. In individuals with breast cancer, LHFP expression was shown to be substantially linked with median overall survival. LHFP may be involved in the mechanisms that lead to the transformation or progression of the original tumor in human breast cancer, as well as lymph node metastasis. Breast cancer, breast cancer metastasis, lymph node metastasis, LHFP, breast cancer systems biology, and breast cancer targeted treatments.
Efficacy of Leg Swing Versus Quadriceps Strengthening Exercise Among Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Li Ruiyang , Sun Pingping , Zhan Yu , Xie Xuetao , Yan Weibing , Luo Congfeng
Published: November 2021

Background
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of global disability. According to guidelines, thus far, exercise is the most recommended and important non-surgical treatment for knee OA. However, the best type of exercise for this condition remains unclear. There is evidence showing that traditional Chinese exercises may be more effective. Therefore, the current prospective, two-armed, single-center randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to identify an effective physiotherapy for knee OA.
Methods/design:
In total, 128 patients with painful knee OA will be recruited from the orthopaedic outpatient department of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital. To compare the therapeutic effect of two different home-based exercise programs, the participants will be randomly assigned into the experimental group (leg swing exercise) or the control group (quadriceps strengthening exercise). Each participant in both groups will be required to attend five individual sessions with a physiotherapist who will teach the exercise program and monitor progress. Participants will be instructed to perform the exercises at home every day for 12 weeks. Clinical outcomes will be assessed at baseline and 12 and 24 weeks after starting the intervention. The primary outcomes are average overall knee pain and physical function in daily life. The secondary outcomes include other measures of knee pain, physical function, patient-perceived satisfactory improvement, health-related quality of life, physical activity and performance, muscle strength of the lower limb, and adherence.
Discussion
This study will provide more evidence on the effects of traditional Chinese exercise on improving physical function and relieving joint pain among patients with knee OA. If proven effective, leg swing exercise can be used as a non-surgical treatment for knee OA in the future.
Trial registration:
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry reference: ChiCTR2000039005, registered 13/10/2020. http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=62497
Effects of Sevoflurane at Different Concentrations on ApoE in Hippocampus of Aged Rats With Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Zhu Yuhang , Luo Li , Zhou Lin , Wu Zhenyu , Yang Yang , Yu Wanqiu , Zhu Zhaoqiong , Ran Xueqin , Wang Jiafu
Published: November 2021

Objective: To observe the behavioral changes of aged rats with hypercholesterolemia after inhalation of 1.0 MAC and 1.3MAC sevoflurane , the levels of hippocampal ApoE3, ApoE4 and Aβ1-42, as well as the changes of Aβ1-42 levels of optical density in hippocampal CA3 and CA1 regions, and to investigate the effects of different concentrations of sevoflurane on cognitive function in aged rats with hypercholesterolemia.Method: The 15-month-old male SD rats were fed a high-fat diet for 9 months. Rats successfully modeled (N=54) were randomly divided into three groups:control group (Con group, n=18), low concentration sevoflurane group ( Sev1.0 group, n=18), high concentration sevoflurane group (Sev1.3 group, n=18). Rats in the three groups inhaled aero mixed gas(1L/min O2+1L/min Air), 1.0MAC sevoflurane and 1.3MAC sevoflurane for 2h respectively.1 day, 30 days and 90 days after sevoflurane treatment were defined as T1, T30 and T90 experimental periods, respectively. In the three experiments, 6 rats were randomly selected from Con group, Sev1.0 group and Sev1.3 group to complete the behavior experiment in Morris water maze.Subsequently, the levels of ApoE3, ApoE4 and Aβ1-42 in the left hippocampus were detected by Western Blot.Expression of Aβ1-42 in the right hippocampal CA3 and CA1 regions of rats in each group was detected by frozen immunofluorescence assay.Result: 1. No behavioral changes were found in T1, T30 and T90 experiments.2. At T1 and T30, ApoE4 and Aβ1-42 in Sev1.3 group was significantly different from that in Con group. At T90, there was no difference in the levels of ApoE4 and Aβ1-42 between groups. ApoE3 expression was not statistically significant in the three experimental periods. 3. At T1 and T30, the average optical density of Aβ1-42 in CA3 and CA1 region, Sev1.3 group was significantly different from that in Con group. At T90, there was no significant difference between groups.Conclusion: After inhalation of 1.3MAC sevoflurane in aged SD hypercholesterolemia rats, the levels of ApoE4 and Aβ1-42 were increased in hippocampus at early and middle stage, and the average optical density of Aβ1-42 was increased in CA3 and CA1 area. The change trend of the two ones was consistent, but not enough to cause behavioral changes.
Cardiovascular Response of Radiofrequency Therapy of Gasserian Ganglion with Lidocaine Local Anesthesia during the Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Retrospective Single-blind Case-Control Study
Authors: Zhao Dingliang , Li Jing , Ma Chao , Huang Ying , Tao Gaojian
Published: November 2021

ObjectiveRadiofrequency thermocoagulation of Gasserian ganglion has a difficult problem how to provide perfect acesodyne for patients to make the treatment more smoothly and comfortably. In our study, we used moderate lidocaine local anesthesia to assess its safety and efficacy in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. MethodsFrom January 2017 to December 2020, 80 patients suffering from trigeminal neuralgia were treated with radiofrequency thermocoagulation through oval foramen in our institution. They were entirely enrolled and randomly divided into the study group and the control group . In the study group moderate lidocaine was given outside and inside of the oval foramen after puncturing in place,while in the control group the same dose of normal saline was given in the same way. The mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate(HR) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were recorded respectively at different treatment temperatures. Resultshe fluctuation of mean arterial pressure and heart rate in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant. The two groups showed a significant difference in MAP, HR and VAS at different treatment temperatures. Meanwhile, the fluctuation of blood pressure and heart rate in the study group were lower than those in the control group. ConclusionReasonable lidocaine local anesthesia can obviously depress the fluctuation of blood pressure and heart rate during the Gasserian ganglion radiofrequency thermocoagulation in treatment trigeminal neuralgia. This simple anesthesia method can effectively reduce pain and the occurrence of cardiovascular adverse events.
A Proposal for the EI Index for Fuzzy Groups
Authors: Andrade Ricardo , Rêgo Leandro
Published: November 2021

In this paper, it is proposed a measure that quantifies the relational structure within and between groups that comprehend not only the analysis of disjoint groups or non-disjoint groups but also in fuzzy groups. This measure is based on the existing measure known as the EI index. The current EI index is a measure of homophily applied to networks with the presence of disjoint groups, although disjoint groups on a large scale rarely exist in many empirical networks. The new measure permits the expansion of the analysis of social networks, for several types of attributes, and thus generating previously untapped knowledge. Moreover, it is also proposed combining edges’ and nodes’ weights in the evaluation of the EI index. The new measure is tested in two networks in different contexts. The first one is a co-authorship network, where researchers, actors in the network, are divided according to the time of completion of the doctorate. The second network is formed by trade relations between countries of the American continent, where countries are grouped according to the Human Development Index.
Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Bias Field Correction of Brain Magnetic Resonance Images
Authors: Xu Yan , Hu Shunbo , Du Yuyue
Published: November 2021

As a low-frequency and smooth signal, the bias field has a certain destructive effect on magnetic resonance(MR) images, and is the main obstacle for doctors' diagnosis and image processing (such as segmentation, texture analysis, and registration). Before analyzing a damaged MR image, a preprocessing step is needed to correct the bias field in the image. Unlike traditional bias field removal algorithms based on signal models and a priori assumptions, deep learning methods do not require precisely modeling signals and bias fields, and do not need to adjust parameters. After the large training set is trained through the deep neural network, the MR image with the bias field is input, and the corrected MR image is output. In this paper, we propose taking the local feature images of the bias field in multiple frequency bands obtained by the log-Gabor filter bank and the original image as input, correct the bias field of a brain magnetic resonance image through a deep separable convolutional neural network, and use residual learning and batch normalization to speed up the training process and improve bias field correction performance. Our training model was tested on the BrainWeb simulated database and HCP real dataset, and the results of the qualitative analysis show that our training model achieved better performance than the traditional state-of-the-art N4 and NIMS (Non-Iterative Multi-Scale) methods.
Influence of Land Surface Temperature and Rainfall on Surface Water Change: An Innovative Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Jain Vanita , Dhingra Aarushi , Gupta Eeshita , Takkar Ish , Jain Rachna , Islam Sardar M N
Published: November 2021

Surface water is the world’s largest store of consumable water. It plays an important role in sustaining ecosystems and enabling human adaptation to various climate changes. Although surface freshwater is necessary for life, there is a startling lack of understanding in the current literature of the spatial and temporal dynamics of surface freshwater outflow and storage variations across a large country: India. Current studies have several limitations, such as the use of relatively short data series and inappropriate machine learning methods. This study develops an innovative machine learning approach. It uses a long data series to generate a correct understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of surface freshwater outflow and storage variations in a large geographical area. Using the JRC dataset, the authors mapped the change in intensity of surface water, performed an analysis of the thematic maps (Indian subcontinent) generated using ArcMap 10.8 from a period of June 2000 to June 2020. The research presented in this paper devised Google Earth Engine in Python API and remote sensing techniques to detect changes in the trends of surface water levels and quantify changing map trends. ArcMap is used for the viewing and editing of Raster images and to perform raster calculations. Values of the attributes are averaged over 13 rivers over the period of 20 years to find the correlation between the decrease in Surface water levels with the rainfall intensity and land surface temperature changes. The authors use the correlation between the parameters to obtain an average R-squared adjusted value of 0.402 with the dependence of surface water change to the independent variables of change in land surface temperature and rainfall intensity. The results of the study provide an improved understanding of the effects of the change in the land surface temperature and rainfall levels or the causes of the decline and changes in the surface waters of India. The innovative machine learning and data analysis approach developed in this study can be applied effectively to other regions of the world.
Silicon-Mediated Regulation of Sodium Distribution in Barley Plants
Authors: Wei Xiao , Zhang Pengbo , Bocharnikova Elena , Matichenkov Vladimir
Published: November 2021

Salinity is one of the largest problems in the world today. Silicon (Si)-mediated increase in plant tolerance to saline environment has been well documented, while the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Monosilicic acid, polysilicic acid, and sodium (Na) were analyzed in the apoplast and symplast of roots, stems and leaves of salt-stressed barley plants in dynamics. Sodium moved predominantly via apoplastic pathway. The dynamics of Na in apoplast represented a parabolic curve. Soluble Si in nutrient solution increased the total Na in the roots but restricted the Na root-to-shoot transport via apoplastic pathway and reduced Na accumulation in stems and leaves. Plant exposure to high concentration of Na resulted in increased polysilicic acids in the root symplast and stem apoplast and symplast. These increases are attributable to Si redistribution within plant with its accumulation in stressed tissue. Probably, Si moves in the form of polysilicic acid. Under optimum or low stress growth conditions, Si mainly accumulated in the roots and leaves. Under higher stress, this Si can be redistributed to a mostly stress-affected place.
Automated Segmentation of Nucleus and Cytoplasm of Cervical Cells from Pap-smear Images using A Quadtree Decomposition Approach
Authors: William Wasswa , Ware Andrew , Basaza-Ejiri Annabella Habinka , Obungoloch Johnes
Published: November 2021

BackgroundDigital pathology and microscopy image analysis is widely used for comprehensive studies of cell morphology especially for cervical cancer screening from pap-smears. Manual assessment of pap-smears is labour intensive and prone to interobserver variations. Computer-aided methods, which can significantly improve the objectivity and reproducibility, have attracted a great deal of interest in recent literature. A critical prerequisite in automated analysis of pap-smears is nucleus and cytoplasm segmentation, which is the basis of cervical cancer screening. This paper articulates a potent approach to the segmentation of cervical cells into nucleus and cytoplasm using a quadtree decomposition approach with statistical measures.ResultsChoosing an appropriate quadtree decomposition strategy was a great challenge and a novel task in the proposed approach. The image is pre-processed using an enhanced median filter and is decomposed based on the mean, maximum entropy and the variance statistical measures of the pixels in the subtree. As a result, highly efficient and segmentations of acceptable performance were obtained. Comparison of the segmented nucleus and cytoplasm with the ground truth nucleus and cytoplasm segmentations resulted into a Zijdenbos similarity index of greater than 0.9034 and 0.9498 for nucleus and cytoplasm segmentation respectively. ConclusionGiven the accuracy of the classifier in segmenting the nucleus which plays an important role in cervical cancer diagnosis and classification, the classifier can be adapted for automated systems for cervical cancer diagnosis and classification. The method serves as a basis for first level segmentation of cervical cells for diagnosis and classification of cervical cancer from pap-smears.
Integrated Analysis of the lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Expression Profiles Reveals Novel Insights Into Potential Mechanisms in Response to Root-knot Nematodes in Peanut
Authors: Xu Ping , Li Hui , Wang Xiaohua , Zhao Ge , Lu Xiaofei , Dai Shengjie , Cui Xiaoyu , Yuan Mei , Liu Zhengning
Published: November 2021

BackgroundThe high content of oil and protein makes peanut the main oil and edible crop in the world. Root-knot nematode forms root-knot by infecting peanut roots, which lead to poor development of peanut roots and seriously restricts the yield of peanut in the world. With the release of peanut genome, a large number of genetic loci controlling peanut root-knot nematode have been detected, but the molecular mechanism of root-knot nematode is still unclear. ResultsThe whole transcriptome RNA-seq was used to reveal the divergent response to root-knot nematode stress in peanut roots. A total of 430 mRNAs, 111 miRNAs, 4453 lncRNAs and 123 circRNAs were identified differential expression between infected and no-infected peanut, respectively. To understand the potential mechanisms in response to root-knot nematodes in peanut roots, the expression profiles of lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network were constructed. A total of 10 lncRNAs, 4 circRNAs, 5 miRNAs and 13 mRNAs can regularly the expression of mRNA during root-knot nematodes stress by forming competing endogenous RNA and participate in oxidation-reduction process and other various biological metabolism pathways in peanut. The results gained will reveal the role of ceRNAs of peanut in response to root-knot nematodes.ConclusionThe GO classification and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of core regulatory networks revealing the ceRNAs participate in oxidation-reduction, peroxidase activity, lignin synthesis in xylem and flavonoid synthesis process. Overall, those results could gain the knowledge of the role of no-coding RNAs in response to root-knot nematodes.
Left Atrial Phasic Function Remodeling During its Enlargement: A Two-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography Study
Authors: Chen Chuyun , Yang Ying , Ma Wei , Qi Litong , Zhang Baowei , Zhang Yan
Published: November 2021

Background

Left atrial (LA) size is often used as a surrogate marker of LA function in clinical practice, with larger atria thought to represent a “dysfunctioning” atrium, since there is no accepted ‘gold’ standard to evaluate LA function. The exact relationship between LA size and phasic function, and whether LA dysfunction occur before LA enlargement (LAE) may be of clinical interest while have not been fully studied. Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D STE) was showed a promising method in measuring LA physic deformation.
Materials and methods

A community cohort of 715 subjects at cardiovascular disease high risk accepted comprehensive echocardiography. LA longitudinal phasic strain Sa (absolute peak strain during atrial contraction), Se (peak strain at early diastole) and Stot (total atrial strain =Sa+Se), representing contractile, conduit, and reservoir function respectively, were measured using off-line 2D STE software in apical 4 chamber view, and data were compared among groups at different LA size and between sub-groups in normal LA size with and without hypertension (HT).
Results

With LAE (from normal size, mild, moderate to severe LAE), the Stot(21.74±5.97,20.75±4.99,20.49±5.27,17.75±4.71, respectively, ANOVA p=0.003) and Sa (11.84±3.92,11.00±3.29,10.11±2.57,8.55±2.88, respectively, ANOVA p<0.001) reduced while Se had no change. In normal sized LA subgroups, Stot (21.35±5.91 vs 23.01±6.02, p=0.008) and Se (9.51±4.41 vs 11.17±4.89, p<0.001) reduced in subjects with HT comparing with those without.
Conclusion

LA phasic function remodeling occurs before LAE and continues with LAE, with reservoir, conduit and contractile function being affected unparalleled.
Why pledges alone will not get plastics recycled – Comparing recyclate production and anticipated demand
Authors: Kahlert Sebastian , Bening Catharina
Published: November 2021

Scientific analysis and media coverage of rampant plastic pollution has taken a toll on the material’s reputation in recent years, fueling talk of a “plastic crisis.” Brand owners have made ambitious pledges to overcome this crisis—but can voluntary commitments turn the tide? In this paper, we analyze the current flow of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from production to recycling in the European Union (EU). We show that the pledged volume for recycled PET to be used in the EU in 2025 amounts to 2.066m tons, requiring the annual recycling growth rate to double in the next years compared to 2014–2018. Our results indicate that even widespread adoption of deposit return systems for bottles will not suffice, especially when increasing demand from other industries drives the price above the packaging producers’ willingness to pay. To realize the pledges, substantial investments and a regulatory framework for the targeted and sensible use of PET recyclate are necessary.
MLL-SEPT6 Positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients Often Co-occur With NRAS Mutations?
Authors: Chen Fang , Yang Ying , Fu Shuang
Published: November 2021

BackgroundThe MLL-SEPT6 fusion gene is a relatively rare genetic event in leukemia. Its clinical characteristics, prognosis, especially the profile of co-occurring gene mutations remain unclear. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed four rare leukemia cases carrying MLL-SEPT6 in our hospital from laboratory examination, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, and provided a comprehensive and detailed description on clinical profile of MLL-SEPT6-positive AML patients in the literature. ResultsAll the four patients were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and harbored X chromosome and 11 chromosome rearrangements. Three of four cases occurred NRAS mutation while the rest one with congenital AML did not. Of the four cases, one developed drug-resistant, one suffered relapse after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and one died. Combined with other cases reported in literatures, we found that of all patients diagnosed with AML, 90.9% were children (≤ 9 years old) and 54.5% were infants (≤1 year old). The survival time between infant group (≤1 year old) and pediatric group (>1 and <18 years old), patients that received BMT and that received chemotherapy alone did not show significant differences (P>0.05). ConclusionsMLL-SEPT6 was more commonly observed in pediatric AML patients, some of which may co-occur with NRAS mutations. The prognosis was inconclusive and may not be related to age or BMT. More information needs to be accumulated and summarized from additional cases to confirm the underlying connection between NRAS mutations and MLL-SEPT6 in order to better understand the profile in MLL-SEPT6-positive AML.
Single-cell Transcriptome Analysis Uncovers Heterogeneity and Key Regulators in Ibrutinib-resistant Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Authors: Jin Hui , Huang Bin , Wu Zijuan , Zhu Huayuan , Tang Hanning , Wu Jiazhu , Gu Danling , Cai Yun , Wang Luqiao , Lu Xueying , Xu Wei , Li Kening , Wang Qianghu , Li Jian-yong
Published: November 2021

BackgroundIbrutinib as a widely used Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor has shown outstanding value in clinical therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, the bottleneck of ibrutinib resistance has caused widespread concerns, necessitating the exploration of novel targets. MethodsSingle-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to characterize the heterogeneity of ibrutinib-sensitive (IBS) and -resistant (IBR) CLL patients and single-cell stemness estimation and metabolic pathway enrichment analysis were performed. Lectin galactoside-binding soluble 1 (LGALS1) and lymphocyte-activating gene 3 (LAG3) were screened as key factors by analyzing the RNA-sequencing data at bulk and single cell levels. Subsequently, pseudo-time trajectory analysis and gene set enrichment analysis were conducted. In addition, an IBR CLL cell line (MEC1-IR) was generated and RT-qPCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence were performed to detect the expression of LGALS1 and LAG3. OTX008, a selective inhibitor of galectin-1 (Gal-1, encoded by LGALS1) was assessed in CLL cells and CCK8 and apoptotic assays were conducted for functional analysis.ResultsIBR CLL showed significantly different characteristics from IBS in terms of transcriptome expression and energy metabolism. LGALS1 and LAG3 were gradually upregulated in B cells along the evolution trajectory from IBS to IBR. Their expression was verified to be closely related to the prognosis of CLL, as well as sensitivity to ibrutinib. OTX008 could effectively suppress the proliferation and induce apoptosis of CLL cells, especially for those with ibrutinib resistance.ConclusionsAn LGALS1 and LAG3 gene panel is a promising indicator of ibrutinib resistance and a prognostic marker for CLL. OTX008 displays pronounced performance against CLL cells, especially with IBR, and might represent a novel therapeutic strategy for CLL.
Lesson parameters of ‘Around the world’ with an emphasis on inclusive education
Authors: Julia Doncheva
Published: November 2021

The lesson is a basic organizational form of learning and is defined as a way of realizing the learning process. The purpose of the different types of lessons in ‚Around the world is knowledge, which students get, to acquire a practical appearance, turning into skills. There is a need to update the teaching and development of the lesson, as "new" children and pupils have a new type of perception, absorbing and consolidating the information. They learn differently and traditional approaches do not meet the diversity of their needs. The task of the teacher is to help them understand the different phenomena, enrich their life experiences, by respecting the individuality of each one, with their level of knowledge, skills, pace of performance, and this is also related to his creative thinking. The teacher can adapt the curriculum content and the way it is presented to suit the needs of the different children - use of a variety of methods, approaches and tools, differentiation of learning tasks and activities, research and discovery, inclusion of games, individual or team activity and interaction of students. It is the teacher who has to structure the lesson so that it is in line with the characteristics of each one, helping them to adapt and participate actively in the learning process, and this is in line with the philosophy of inclusive education.
A typological analysis of calque in Romanian maritime terminology
Authors: Corina Sandiuc
Published: November 2021

The linguistic contact between French and Romanian had major effects on the formation of the Romanian maritime terminology. There are three major ways in which this linguistic influence took place: the loan, the calque (loan translation) and the translation. The purpose of the present paper is to draw a typology of calque, taking as reference the classification and the theory expressed by the Romanian linguist Theodor Hristea. Our analysis will cover only certain types of calques because the structure of the Romanian maritime terminology is necessarily limited to some recurrent categories, such as: lexical calque, semantic calque, phraseological calque (idiomatic and non-idiomatic) and grammatical calque. It appears that most of the linguistic calques existing in the Romanian maritime vocabulary are lexical in nature. Moreover, the semantic calque has provided us with one of the richest sources of linguistic material, especially since the calque also deals with the cases of metaphorization, metonymy, synecdoche, and manifests itself in parallel with the passage from one register to another of a maritime term. In the complex classification of the non-idiomatic phraseological calques, we will use the morphological criterion to analyse the maritime phraseological units according to the parts of speech they comprise. Thus, we can have constructions following the patterns: noun + noun (Nominative), noun + noun (Genitive), noun + preposition + noun, noun + adjective, adjective + noun, etc.
Balkans SOE centre in Istanbul during the Second World War. The case Salvet Lufti Tozan alias Pants
Authors: Marian Zidaru
Published: November 2021

Salvet Lufti Tozan was a Turkish subject of Bosnian origin, bi-lingual in Serbian and Turkish, speaking French fluently. He has a dynamic character. All his life he appears to have been attracted by revolution and intrigue. Prior to and after the outbreak of Second World War, several members of British Embassy in Ankara, frequently were guests at the Tozan property, among them Commander Wolfson who enlisted Tozan’s support in the provision of naval and other intelligence. During the Second World War, Tozan was one of the most important Special Operation Executive’s agents in Balkans. Our paper aim is to present his activity and specially his contacts with Iuliu Maniu.
European Cinema and Intercomprehension: Metaphors and Instances of Mutual Intelligibility
Authors: Laura Cizer
Published: November 2021

The European Union is multilingual in its daily reality as well as in its legislation. The use of only one language as a communicative means among different peoples in Europe would greatly impact upon Europe’s capacity to federate diverse cultures and languages, not to mention the economic and cultural benefits enjoyed by the country whose language would become an inter-European language. With Intercomprehension (IC), the European citizens could overcome the risk of diminishing communicative exchanges: it promotes a direct, multilingual dialog tailoring the mindset and language specificity of each and every interlocutor. As such, IC bears the sign of a concrete action in favor of the cultural and language diversity. Two French movies – Euro-Mix (“L’auberge espagnole”) and its sequel Russian Dolls (“Les poupées russes”) – have been precisely selected as proof of this communication skill that avoids using a third language between two people speaking related languages.
Production of forage palm cultivars (Orelha de Elefante Mexicana, IPA-Sertânia and Miúda) under different salinity levels in irrigation water
Authors: Pereira Márcia Cristina de Araújo , Azevedo Carlos Alberto Vieira de , Neto José Dantas , Pereira Mariana de Oliveira , Ramos Jailton Garcia , Nunes Kheila Gomes , Lyra Gustavo Bastos , Saboya Luciano Marcelo Fallé
Published: November 2021

Brazilian semiarid region is characterized by irregular rainy periods that limits the production of forage feed for the maintenance of agricultural livestock and causes losses in the production. Despite that, semiarid region stands out in the production of forage palm, buffering the impact of drought in the area. Thus, this study aimed at analyzing the effect of different levels of salinity in irrigation water on the production of forage palm in the semiarid region. The experiment was arranged as a complete randomized block, in a 4x3 factorial arrangement and four levels of salinity (0.2, 2.0, 3.8 and 5.6 dS m-1); three cultivars (Miúda, Orelha de Elefante Mexicana and IPA-Sertânia) with 4 replications. The variables evaluated were the following: number of primary, secondary, tertiary and total cladodes, cladode biomass and estimative of threshold salinity (SL). The results showed that irrigation with saline water with an electrical conductivity of 2.0 dS m-1 negatively affected the emission of cladodes of superior orders for all forage palm cultivars. Miúda cultivar presented the best production of fresh phytomass (13.36 kg per plant) under a salinity level of 4.04 dS m-1, followed by Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (12.55 kg per plant) under a salinity level of 2.73 dS m-1 and Baiana (11.56 kg per plant) under a salinity level of 2.17dS m-1.
Agronomic and qualitative performance of some special grain bean cultivars
Authors: Cavalcante Adailza Guilherme , Lemos Leandro Borges , Meirelles Flávia Constantino , Filla Vinicius Augusto , Cavalcante Alian Cássio Pereira , Aquino Leonardo Angelo de
Published: November 2021

In Brazil, bean consumption is predominated by grains like carioca, but special grains are gaining space on Brazilian tables and can be a source of income for producers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agronomic and qualitative performance of common bean cultivars with special grains, aiming to identify those with productive potential and superior technological characteristics. The treatments consisted of nine bean cultivars with special grains: BRS Radiante, BRS Realce, BRS Pitanga, BRSMG Tesouro, BRS Marfim, BRSMG União, IAC Tigre, EPAMIG Ouro Vermelho, and EPAMIG Ouro da Mata. The agronomic (number of pods per plant, number of grains per pod, mass of 100 grains, and grain yield) and qualitative (sieve yield, crude protein, cooking time, percentage of imbibition before and after cooking, percentage of whole grains after cooking, and grain hydration capacity) attributes were evaluated. There were statistical differences between cultivars for the number of grains per pod and mass of 100 grains. The cultivars EPAMIG Ouro Vermelho, BRS Marfim, and BRS Pitanga presented the highest yields, with values of 2,907, 2,871, and 2,608 kg ha-1, respectively. There was variability between cultivars for all qualitative attributes. The cultivars BRS Radiante, BRSMG Realce, BRSMG Tesouro, IAC Tigre, and EPAMIG Ouro Vermelho stood out with superior quality grains
Green Information Technology Readiness Model Using Factor Analysis Method In Indonesia
Authors: Sardjono Wahyu , Perdana Widhilaga Gia
Published: November 2021

Green information technology has been increasingly becoming a strategic consideration for developing sustainable business practices through balancing economic and environmental performance of an organization. To help individual organizations better pursue green information technology, this paper presents a factor analysis based decision model for evaluating the green information technology readiness of an organization. The decision model effectively considers the multi-dimensional nature of the evaluation problem and appropriately handle the subjectivity and imprecision of the human evaluation process. An example is given for demonstrating the applicability of the model for evaluating the green information technology readiness of organization. Green information technology readiness is considered to be an organization’s capability to embed sustainability in the beliefs and attitudes in the development, deployment and disposal of information technology technical assets and in their information technology processes, practices and policies and in the governance systems to ensure compliance with internal and external sustainability expectations.
Project CERITA – A Peacebuilding Initiative through Storytelling
Authors: Wulandari Roosalina
Published: November 2021

The rising intolerance in Indonesia is spiking and has become more confounding due to the heated political temperature following series of recent national elections. Religious identity is politicized in a magnitude that escalates religious fundamentalism and consequently, intolerance. Past research shown how personal uncertainty enable individuals to find closure through firm beliefs and ideologies. This article is aimed to understand how religious intolerance function as a coping mechanism towards perceived threats of challenged worldviews, and how it potentially strengthened when supported collectively. The paper aim to focus on efforts made in the area of promotion of tolerance and inclusivity, understanding the complexity of identity helps peacebuilding initiatives to manage religious intolerance. The paper will then highlight Project CERITA (Community Empowerment for Raising Inclusivity and Trust through Technology Application), a peacebuilding program initiated by The Habibie Center that conducted storytelling and dialog facilitation workshop in six cities in Indonesia to promote peace and counter religious intolerance.
Distance Learning at Future Stars Kindergarten
Authors: Stephanus Witarsjah
Published: November 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic, which began to spread in Indonesia since March 2020, has made many activities to take place at home. The government asks all Indonesians to work from home, worship from home, and learn from home. This is done so that the virus does not spread and cause even greater casualties. Learning from home is one way to prevent students from the dangers of the Covid-19 virus. Starting from the level of early childhood education to higher education are required to carry out distance learning using technology assistance such as video calls with Hangouts, Zoom, Skype, and Webex. Future Stars Preschool also has to do distance learning using the video call method and each parent is asked to prepare their child at home so they can take online classes with written material that has been prepared in advance. Parents are also asked to take photos of their children doing homework to be emailed and the materials that have been done are sent to school at the end of the period. Schools must determine what video call application to use so that each child can take part in distance learning, as well as the method of delivering material to each child. The applications used should be easy and not burdensome for parents, and also the delivery or processing of materials can be easier for early childhood children.