bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative Clinical Outcomes of Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty for Primary Cuff Tear Arthropathy Versus Severe Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis With Intact Rotator Cuff: A Matched-Cohort Analysis
Authors: Waterman Brian R. , Dean Robert S. , Naylor Amanda J. , Otte R. Stephen , Sumner-Parilla Shelby A. , Romeo Anthony A. , Nicholson Gregory P.
Published: April 2020

Introduction:

The purpose of this study was to compare the short- to mid-term outcomes of patients who underwent reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) for severe glenohumeral osteoarthritis (GHOA) with an intact rotator cuff (RC) to a matched rotator cuff arthropathy (RCA) cohort.

Methods:

Between 2004 and 2014, all patients who underwent RTSA for severe GHOA with a minimum 2-year follow-up were identified. Demographic and baseline variables were extracted from the medical records. Subjects were matched in the ratio of 1:2 to RTSA subjects with RCA, while controlling for the demographic and intraoperative variables. Postoperative active forward elevation (AFE), active external rotation, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score (ASES), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Simple Shoulder Test were recorded. Complications and revision surgery rates were noted. Comparative multivariate analysis was performed. Preoperative Walch classification for each subject was obtained through radiograph review, and the impact of classification was assessed using one-way analysis of variance testing.

Results:

One hundred thirty-six patients were available with mean follow-up 32.3 ± 12.3 months. Baseline range of motion and patient reported outcome scores were similar between the groups (P > 0.05), except for Simple Shoulder Test (intact rotator cuff: 5.7 ± 7.4 versus RCA: 2.4 ± 1.8, P = 0.037). The intact RC group had significantly, superior absolute outcome measures for active external rotation (P = 0.006), and SST (P = 0.048), but not for SANE (P = 0.055), VAS (P = 0.464), ASES (P = 0.084), and AFE (P = 0.099). No notable difference was observed between the groups for improvement in motion, survey scores, or complications. Walch osteoarthritis classification did not impact the outcome measurements in the severe GHOA with the intact RC group (P > 0.05).

Discussion:

Patients who underwent RTSA for severe GHOA with intact RC demonstrate similar consistent improvement in outcomes to demographically similar patients with RCA. The severity of GHOA defined by the Walch classification did not impact the outcomes at the 2-year follow-up.

Level of Evidence:

Level III Therapeutic Study.
Collaboration in Hand Surgery: Experiences From Silicone Arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Finger Replantation and Amputation Challenges in Assessing Impairment, Satisfaction, and Effectiveness, Wrist and Radius Injury Surgical Trial, and Surgery of the Ulnar Nerve
Authors: Kane Robert L. , Chung Kevin C.
Published: April 2020

Outcomes research has historically been driven by single-center investigations. However, multicenter studies represent an opportunity to overcome challenges associated with single-center studies, including generalizability and adequate power. In hand surgery, most clinical trials are single-center studies, with few having randomized controls and blinding of both participants and assessors. This pervasive issue jeopardizes the integrity of evidence-based practice in the field. Because healthcare payers emphasize applying the best available evidence to justify medical services, multicenter research collaborations are increasingly recognized as an avenue for efficiently generating high-quality evidence. Although no study design is perfect, the potential advantages of multicenter trials include generalizability of the results, larger sample sizes, and a collaboration of experienced investigators poised to optimize protocol development and study conduct. As the era of single-center studies shifts toward investment in multicenter trials and clinical registries, investigators will inevitably be faced with the challenges of conducting or contributing to multicenter research collaborations. We present our experiences in conducting multicenter investigations to provide insight into this demanding and rewarding frontier of research.
Effects of Business Reading Model on Thai Learners’ Reading and Creative Thinking Abilities
Authors: Ammaralikit Amornrat , Chattiwat Wisa
Published: April 2020

In second language research, reading has attracted the attention of numerous researchers. However, little has been carried out to investigate effects of a reading instructional model on Thai learners’ business reading and creative thinking abilities. Thus, this study investigates whether a business reading model designed based on Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) and Project-Based Learning (PBL) enhances Thai undergraduates’ reading and creative thinking abilities. The study also investigates what reading strategies the students use frequently to improve their reading abilities. Based on pretest-posttest design, this study measured 35 undergraduates’ reading abilities and strategies through a reading comprehension test. Additionally, a mini project was assigned to gauge the students’ creative thinking abilities following the treatment. The findings demonstrate that the business reading model significantly increased the participants’ reading abilities and helped promote their creative thinking abilities. It is also discovered that the top three reading strategies these students used frequently to increase their reading abilities include finding the main idea, taking notes, and mapping the concept and integrating information. The study concludes by providing useful insights for researchers or educators who are interested in business English reading instruction. Pedagogical recommendations for further studies are also offered in this study. 
The Impact of Workplace Spirituality on Employee Performance: Evidence from Abu Dhabi University
Authors: Mousa Ahmed Ebrahim
Published: April 2020

The aim of this paper is to argue that workplace spirituality may have an impact on enhancing the performance of employees. Hence, it focuses on the ways through which workplace spirituality can boost performance.

The paper proposes a theoretical model regarding the links between five elements of workplace spirituality (team’s sense of community, alignment between organizational and individual values, sense of contribution to the community, sense of enjoyment at work and opportunities for the inner life) and employee performance. The theoretic model is then tested empirically using a spiritual modelling partial least squares analysis of a survey data set of 145 observations, collected from members of the Abu Dhabi University community.

The presence of workplace spirituality in an organisational environment is considerably connected to employee performance. An interesting observation made from this study is that there is a significant variance in employee performance as a function of an employee position.
THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS OF MANAGEMENT BY VALUES AS A RESPONSE OF COMPANIES TO THE GROWING REQUIREMENTS OF THE MARKET
Authors: Bartczak Magdalena
Published: April 2020

In contemporary turbulent times, companies must meet the growing demands of customers. Only a stable and motivated team of employees can ensure success in this challenge. Employers, in order to effectively attract, develop, keep and engage valuable employees who will be able to meet and even exceed the expectations of a demanding consumer, recognize the need to change management style. A new and increasingly important management style is “management by values”. The effects of implementing management by values (as well as many other changes in an organization) may turn out to be really exceptional if the changes are made through a controlled, deliberate process. The article presents a possible process of implementing management by values (a new concept for both scientists and practitioners), accompanied by authorial tools and a practical example of implementation accomplished by the author.
THE SPECIFICITY OF EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT PROCESSES IN MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISES
Authors: Myjak Teresa
Published: April 2020

The publication presents recruitment processes implemented in micro and small enterprises. The first part of the publication presents the essence of recruiting employees, including employment planning, recruitment and selection. The second part presents the results of personal research on recruiting people for the organization from the perspective
of the owners of micro and small enterprises located in selected counties of southern Poland
Virtual Network Construction Technique, Treating All VPNs Simultaneously
Authors: Krile Srecko , Medvecky Martin
Published: April 2020

In the paper, a new construction technique for virtual network (e.g., Virtual Private Network (VPN)) based on flow permutation algorithm is proposed. In existing methods for creating virtual networks, whereby virtual networks are constructed one by one in time and the new virtual network can use only the remaining resources, it could be non-optimal. Our approach treats all traffic flows simultaneously and is capable of balancing the network much better than other existing techniques. As we show, the proposed new construction technique work well, even in the condition of hard loaded networks operating on the edge of capacity, i.e., in situations when traditional techniques could cause unbalanced network and significant congestion problems. For huge number of traffic flows, heuristic algorithm, whose complexity rises linearly, is evaluated.
Measurement of Event-Related Brain Potentials (ERP) Amplitude and Latency Based on Digital Stochastic Measurement over Interval
Authors: Novakovic Djordje , Sovilj Platon , Petrovic Nikola , Milovanovic Milan , Makal Jaroslaw , Walendziuk Wojciech
Published: April 2020

In this paper, the measurement of event-related brain potentials (ERP) amplitude and latency based on digital stochastic measurement over interval (DSMI) method are described. Different variations of the measurement system are considered. It was found that measurement errors of amplitude increase with the reduction of the examination time. However, the measurement errors for ERP peak latency remain relatively small. This makes the system useful for practical implementations when the latency is the most interesting parameter and requirements for a short measurement time are of high priority.
NFC2BLE Communications’ Bridge: From Flash to Continuous Monitoring of Biological Parameters
Authors: Vicente Jose Maria , Avila-Navarro Ernesto , Rodriguez-Martinez Alberto , De la Casa Lillo Miguel Angel , Sabater-Navarro Jose Maria
Published: April 2020

The devices for monitoring biological variables have become a hot topic in the last years. An important aspect in the design of these wearable devices is the continuous communication, as well as the associated energy consumption. As a result, the concept of flash monitoring has been recently coined. This implies that the reading of the variables is not made in a continuous manner, but the values are stored on the sensor electronics for a while and then retrieved altogether to the reader. This concept reduces the energy consumption since there is no continuous communication, and this feature is, therefore, beneficial in certain contexts. However, the communication is sometimes required to be continuous, so that solutions based on continuous communication or alarms can be implemented. This work shows a technological development that allows converting a biological variable reading system based on flash monitoring into a continuous one. The details of the electronic development of the components are shown, and the software structure integrated in the microcontroller is discussed. The system devoted to the management and remote acquisition of the data is shown as well. As an example, the performance of the system is shown in two different contexts: with a flash biopatch for the body temperature monitoring designed in the laboratory and with a commercially available flash interstitial glucose monitoring system.
Optimization of Threshing Quality Control Strategy Based on Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Controller
Authors: Xu Baoyan , Ni Xindong , Wang Yuan , Wang Yuxiang , Liu Yehong , Wang Xin
Published: April 2020

At present, loss rate and grain damage are the most complicated problems for combine harvester. Besides, existing controllers that control threshing quality do not take into account environmental noise, data fluctuations, and other detection factors. In this paper, considering the interference of uncertain factors, a control strategy with low crashed rate and reduced loss rate using type-2 Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) is proposed. This control strategy takes threshing separation component as a research object and adopts combination of theory with experimental analysis. Firstly, basic data acquisition experiment of threshing system is designed. Secondly, a control strategy is established by adequately previous filled test data. In the process of control strategy design, Fuzzy Logic Toolbox evaluates the performance of type-2 FLC. Integral of Square Error (ISE) and Integral of the Absolute value of the Error (IAE) show a better performance of type-2 FLC than of type-1 FLC. At last, field experiments are designed to verify the effectiveness of type-2 control strategy. The field test shows that the maximum reduction of grain damage rate and loss rate can reach to 44.08 % and 29.6 %. Experiment results show that the type-2 FLC can significantly reduce loss rate, crashed rate, and improve threshing quality.
Klausuren und Hausarbeiten im Strafrecht
Authors: Wohlers Wolfgang , Schuhr Jan C. , Kudlich Hans
Published: April 2020

Keine Punkte durch leicht vermeidbare Fehler verschenken! Nicht selten erzielen Kandidaten in juristischen Prüfungen schlechtere Ergebnisse, als es ihrem Wissensstand entsprechen würde, weil ihnen vermeidbare Fehler bei der Fallbearbeitung und bei der Präsentation ihrer Überlegungen unterlaufen. Die Technik der Bearbeitung juristischer Fälle und der Darstellung ihrer Lösung lässt sich erlernen und ist die Visitenkarte, die Prüflinge unabhängig von der Frage, ob ihnen der konkrete Fall gerade mehr oder weniger liegt, stets abgeben. In diesem Buch werden die Aufarbeitung des Sachverhalts, die grundlegende Technik des Gutachtenstils mit ihren Prüfungsschritten, der Umgang mit Meinungsständen und die formalen Anforderungen sowie die Verarbeitung von Literatur und Rechtsprechung in Hausarbeiten erläutert. Das praktische Können, das in Übungen und Arbeitsgemeinschaften vermittelt wird, erfährt dadurch noch einmal eine theoretische Vertiefung und wird in Prüfungssituationen leichter abrufbar.
The Relationship between Trade-Related Environmental Measures in Multilateral Environmental Agreements and the WTO Law
Authors: Rieder Lidia
Published: April 2020

Im 20. Jahrhundert wurden einige der aufkommenden Umweltvereinbarungen so gestaltet, dass sie starke wirtschaftliche Anreize bieten. Gleichzeitig fanden Umweltverpflichtungen ihren Weg in Handelsabkommen. Daraus ergaben sich Konflikte zwischen handelsbeschränkenden Umweltmaßnahmen und GATT / WTO-Normen zum Schutz des freien Marktes. Zudem löste die aufkommende Umweltkrise eine Debatte über die Einbeziehung von Umweltwerten auf der WTO-Ebene aus.

Die Themen waren jahrzehntelang Gegenstand von Diskussionen im GATT / WTO. Unterdessen haben regionale Handelsvereinbarungen eine Plattform für die Vereinbarung von Umweltverpflichtungen mit dem Freihandel vorbereitet. Diese Vereinbarungen werden als Rechtsinstrumente auf ihre Eignung geprüft, konkurrierende Handels- und Umweltwerte in Einklang zu bringen.
Die gesetzliche Regelung der Präimplantationsdiagnostik auf dem Prüfstand - § 3a ESchG
Authors: Patzke Jelena Marlene
Published: April 2020

Die Arbeit untersucht vor dem Hintergrund der gesetzlichen Neuregelung der Präimplantationsdiagnostik (PID) durch § 3a ESchG, ob die Regelung eine rechtssichere Handhabung der PID in Deutschland ermöglicht. Ein besonderer Fokus liegt dabei auf der Frage, ob das Ansinnen des Gesetzgebers, die PID lediglich in engen Grenzen zuzulassen, durch § 3a ESchG realisiert werden konnte. Die Arbeit hat darüber hinaus das Ziel, die Debatten um die PID mit Blick auf die sie betreffenden unterschiedlichen Disziplinen zu spiegeln: Der Ansatz ist trotz des rechtlichen Schwerpunkts daher ein interdisziplinärer. Die PID wird folglich nicht nur einfachgesetzlich, sondern auch aus medizinischer, ethischer und verfassungsrechtlicher Perspektive betrachtet. Bei der Untersuchung des Statuts des Embryos in vitro erfolgt dabei eine umfassende Analyse der Rechtswirklichkeit, wie sie in den gesetzlichen Regelungssystemen zum vorgeburtlichen Lebensschutz und in der Rechtsprechung des BVerfG Ausdruck findet.
Kleinstaaterei im Dienstrecht der deutschen Bundesländer
Authors: Dose Nicolai , Wolfes Felix , Burmester Carolin
Published: April 2020

With the federalism reform of 2006, the German federal states gained legislative power over their civil servants. This did not only lead to a substantial difference in pay levels but also to fragmented civil service regulations with different degrees of attractiveness. Requests to move to another state have created various problems in the different areas of the civil service. They are partly caused by the fragmented regulations and partly by an informal agreement between the states. By making use of an online survey among human resource managers in the different areas of public administration and 32 case studies of civil servants who either aspire to move to or have moved to another state, this book systematically identifies and analyses civil servants’ motivations for and hindrances to doing so. In this way, it reveals both obstructive and conducive factors which explain mobility. Moreover, the authors put forward some reform proposals.
Mediaagenturen und Werbevermarkter
Authors: Kuhlmann Simone
Published: April 2020

Das Werk illustriert welchen Einfluss der Werbemarkt mit seinen beiden marktmächtigen Akteuren, den Mediaagenturen und Werbevermarktern, auf die Finanzierung und Beschaffenheit von privaten Rundfunkangeboten nimmt und untersucht diesen auf seine verfassungs- wie einfachrechtliche Zulässigkeit. Dabei analysiert die Arbeit einerseits eingehend die Rahmenbedingungen privater Rundfunkfinanzierung und deren rechtliche Absicherung sowie andererseits die sich aus der Bedeutung des Rundfunks ergebenden Erwartungen an das Programm im Hinblick auf Unabhängigkeit und Vielfalt und gleicht diese mit den Geschäftsmodellen der Mediaagenturen und Werbevermarkter sowie dem eigenen Programmverhalten der Rundfunkanbieter ab.
Internetsuchmaschinen in der unionskartellrechtlichen Missbrauchskontrolle
Authors: Zinndorf Sarah
Published: April 2020

This work deals with one of the central questions with regard to the application of competition law to markets of the internet economy: To what extent can the prohibition of the abuse of market power according to Art. 102 TFEU be applied to innovative markets like the internet search engine market?

The challenges which the law faces in this context due to the special economic dynamic have not yet been thoroughly analysed. The study sheds light on the definition of the relevant markets and the important economic characteristics (indirect positive network effects in particular). On this basis, the work focuses on the preferential treatment of proprietary services and content (vertical integration) as potential abusive behaviour with reference to the essential facilities doctrine and unlawful tying.
La agenda building de los partidos políticos españoles en las redes sociales: Un análisis de Big data
Authors: Martín Cubas Joaquín , Soria-Olivas Emilio , LLosá Guillén Ángel , Buendía Ramón Vicente
Published: April 2020

Las redes sociales irradian un flujo de información de opinión horizontal y multimodal que ha abierto nuevos horizontes al análisis de los fenómenos políticos. La ac- ción agregada de los ciudadanos en este nuevo ámbito permite orientar la agenda política del país e influir en la toma de decisiones públicas. El conocimiento de lo que ocurre en las redes deviene, pues, un objeto de estudio de primer interés. En este trabajo se utilizan metodolo- gías sobre plataformas Big Data para analizar la evolución temporal de la agenda política marcada por los partidos políticos en las redes sociales, alguna de cuyas dimen- siones quedan descritas mediante técnicas apropiadas de visualización. En la comunicación, que asume el mar- co teórico y metodológico del comportamentismo, se abordan, en primer lugar, las aproximaciones teóricas al fenómeno de la agenda setting o agenda building y las im- plicaciones que la aparición de las redes sociales digitales ha tenido en este terreno; en segundo lugar, las fuentes teóricas y procedimientos metodológicos de los análisis realizados en plataformas Big Data; y, en tercer lugar, un estudio empírico centrado en el estudio del uso de las re- des por parte de algunos partidos políticos relevante de nuestro país, de sus militantes y de sus simpatizantes. Los resultados del estudio y su descripción a través de nubes de palabras permite hacerse una idea cabal sobre la ima- gen diferenciada que los partidos trasladan, consciente o inconscientemente, a los ciudadanos y ciudadanas que participan en la red y de la importancia que adquiere su control en su actividad diaria.
Los emojis del 8M: su uso en Twitter durante las movilizaciones feministas de 2019
Authors: Sampietro Agnese , Calvo Dafne , Campos Eva
Published: April 2020

Los emojis se han convertido en un elemento prototípico de la comunicación digital y han atraído considerable atención académica en los últimos años, pero su uso coincidiendo con eventos específicos no ha sido analizado sistemáticamente. El presente trabajo explora el uso de los emojis en Twitter en ocasión de las manifestaciones y huelgas convocadas en España el 8 de marzo (8M), Día Internacional de la Mujer, analizando un corpus de más de medio millón de tuits publicados del 4 al 9 de marzo de 2019.Los resultados muestran que el uso que se hace en Twitter de estos pictogramas alrededor del 8M es bastante diferente del uso general en la red social. Además de no aparecer las reconocidas caritas amarillas, que suelen predominar en Twitter, el emoji más utilizado en el corpus es el corazón de color violeta, que se está convirtiendo en símbolo del ciberactivismo feminista en España. Los emojis que representan gestos o bien se relacionan con la iconografía de la protesta (como el puño en alto) o son simplemente gestos deícticos que enfatizan visualmente enlaces y adjuntos. Se vislumbran incluso patrones en el uso de los emojis que dependen de la ideología, como el uso de la bandera española, prerrogativa del partido Vox y sus simpatizantes. En general, este trabajo muestra que los emojis se usan de forma altamente simbólica en situaciones de relevancia social, convirtiéndose en un instrumento para el discurso feminista en internet.
La acción conectiva de las mujeres. Análisis de la movilización del #ParoInternacionalDeMujeres del 08 de marzo de 2017
Authors: Annunziata Rocío
Published: April 2020

Este artículo presenta un análisis del modo de manifestarse y de las percepciones de las/os participantes en el #ParoInternacionalDeMujeres que tuvo lugar el 8 de marzo de 2017 en Argentina. Su hipótesis sostiene que la movilización mostró una lógica de acción conectiva híbrida, caracterizada por una presencia significativa de personas que participaron a modo individual o como ciudadanas/os independientes, fueron co-creadoras activas del acontecimiento en las redes sociales y reconocieron el carácter político y trans-partidario de la protesta, que exhibió también un rol estructurante de la negatividad y un nivel bajo de espontaneidad. La investigación que sustenta este trabajo consistió en la realización de una encuesta en el momento y lugar de la movilización, a un total de 365 personas, con el propósito de capturar la percepción de las/os participantes y no simplemente de las/os impulsoras/es. Los datos resultantes de la encuesta se interpretaron considerando cinco dimensiones analíticas creadas a partir del concepto de acción conectiva.
Llamamientos feministas en Twitter: ideología, identidad colectiva y reenmarcado de símbolos en la huelga del 8M y la manifestación contra la sentencia de 'La Manada'.
Authors: Molpeceres Arnáiz Sara , Filardo-Llamas Laura
Published: April 2020

En este artículo pretendemos acercarnos al estudio de los movimientos sociales y en particular a las manifestaciones colectivas relacionadas con el género. Partiendo de un acercamiento constructivista (Pujante, 2017) a los estudios de discurso, utilizaremos como objeto de análisis un breve corpus de interacciones en la red social Twitter en los que se llama a la movilización colectiva por cuestiones de discriminación y violencia de género, así como ejemplos en los que se responde a dicha movilización tanto de manera positiva como negativa. En concreto nos centraremos en dos acontecimientos: el 8 de marzo y las manifestaciones y protestas populares que tuvieron lugar tras el llamado juicio a 'La Manada'. Siguiendo un acercamiento constructivista y fundamentalmente basado en los aspectos multimodales, en este estudio se pretende responder a tres preguntas: i) cómo se construye la identidad colectiva que protesta contra la discriminación de género, ii) qué procesos de re-contextualización discursiva se producen entre distintos tipos de manifestación discursiva y iii) qué categorías semióticas son analizables cuando el marco retórico-constructivista se aplica al estudio de las redes sociales.
Cerebellar Purkinje cell activity modulates aggressive behavior
Authors: Jackman Skyler L , Chen Christopher H , Offermann Heather L , Drew Iain R , Harrison Bailey M , Bowman Anna M , Flick Katelyn M , Flaquer Isabella , Regehr Wade G
Published: April 2020

Although the cerebellum is traditionally associated with balance and motor function, it also plays wider roles in affective and cognitive behaviors. Evidence suggests that the cerebellar vermis may regulate aggressive behavior, though the cerebellar circuits and patterns of activity that influence aggression remain unclear. We used optogenetic methods to bidirectionally modulate the activity of spatially-delineated cerebellar Purkinje cells to evaluate the impact on aggression in mice. Increasing Purkinje cell activity in the vermis significantly reduced the frequency of attacks in a resident-intruder assay. Reduced aggression was not a consequence of impaired motor function, because optogenetic stimulation did not alter motor performance. In complementary experiments, optogenetic inhibition of Purkinje cells in the vermis increased the frequency of attacks. These results suggest Purkinje cell activity in the cerebellar vermis regulates aggression, and further support the importance of the cerebellum in driving affective behaviors that could contribute to neurological disorders.
Rapamycin rejuvenates oral health in aging mice
Authors: An Jonathan Y , Kerns Kristopher A , Ouellette Andrew , Robinson Laura , Morris H Douglas , Kaczorowski Catherine , Park So-Il , Mekvanich Title , Kang Alex , McLean Jeffrey S , Cox Timothy C , Kaeberlein Matt
Published: April 2020

Periodontal disease is an age-associated disorder clinically defined by periodontal bone loss, inflammation of the specialized tissues that surround and support the tooth, and microbiome dysbiosis. Currently, there is no therapy for reversing periodontal disease, and treatment is generally restricted to preventive measures or tooth extraction. The FDA-approved drug rapamycin slows aging and extends lifespan in multiple organisms, including mice. Here, we demonstrate that short-term treatment with rapamycin rejuvenates the aged oral cavity of elderly mice, including regeneration of periodontal bone, attenuation of gingival and periodontal bone inflammation, and revertive shift of the oral microbiome toward a more youthful composition. This provides a geroscience strategy to potentially rejuvenate oral health and reverse periodontal disease in the elderly.
intansv: an R package for integrative analysis of structural variations
Authors: Jia Lihua , Liu Na , Huang Fangfang , Zhou Zhengfu , He Xin , Li Haoran , Wang Zhizhan , Yao Wen
Published: April 2020

Identification of structural variations between individuals is very important for the understanding of phenotype variations and diseases. Despite the existence of dozens of programs for prediction of structural variations, none of them is the golden standard in this field and the results of multiple programs were usually integrated to get more reliable predictions. Annotation and visualization of structural variations are important for the understanding of their functions. However, no program provides these functions currently as far as we are concerned. We report an R package, intansv, which can integrate the predictions of multiple programs as well as annotate and visualize structural variations. The source code and the help manual of intansv is freely available at https://github.com/venyao/intansv and http://www.bioconductor.org/packages/devel/bioc/html/intansv.html.
Identification and expression analysis of the DREB transcription factor family in pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.)
Authors: Chai Mengnan , Cheng Han , Yan Maokai , Priyadarshani SVGN , Zhang Man , He Qing , Huang Youmei , Chen Fangqian , Liu Liping , Huang Xiaoyi , Lai Linyi , Chen Huihuang , Cai Hanyang , Qin Yuan
Published: April 2020

Background

Dehydration responsive element-binding (DREB) transcription factors play a crucial role in plant growth, development and stress responses. Although DREB genes have been characterized in many plant species, genome-wide identification of the DREB gene family has not yet been reported in pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.).

Results

Using comprehensive genome-wide screening, we identified 20 AcoDREB genes on 14 chromosomes. These were categorized into five subgroups. AcoDREBs within a group had similar gene structures and domain compositions. Using gene structure analysis, we showed that most AcoDREB genes (75%) lacked introns, and that the promoter regions of all 20 AcoDREB genes had at least one stress response-related cis-element. We identified four genes with high expression levels and six genes with low expression levels in all analyzed tissues. We detected expression changes under abiotic stress for eight selected AcoDREB genes.

Conclusions

This report presents the first genome-wide analysis of the DREB transcription factor family in pineapple. Our results provide preliminary data for future functional analysis of AcoDREB genes in pineapple, and useful information for developing new pineapple varieties with key agronomic traits such as stress tolerance.
Size matters: micro-evolution in Polynesian rats highlights body size changes as initial stage in evolution
Authors: van der Geer Alexandra A.E.
Published: April 2020

Microevolutionary patterns in populations of introduced rodent species have often been the focus of analytic studies for their potential relevance to understanding vertebrate evolution. The Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) is an excellent proxy species because of its wide geographic and temporal distribution: its native and introduced combined range spans half the globe and it has been living for at least seven centuries wherever it was introduced. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of long-term isolation (insularity; up to 4,000 years) and geographic variables on skull shape variation using geometric morphometrics. A sample of 513 specimens from 103 islands and four mainland areas was analysed. This study, to my knowledge the first to extensively sample introduced rats, analysed 59 two-dimensional landmarks on the skull. Landmarks were obtained in three separate aspects (dorsal, lateral, ventral skull view). The coordinate data were then subjected to a multivariate ordination analysis (principal components analysis, or PCA), multivariate regressions, and a canonical variates analysis (CVA). Three measures of disparity were evaluated for each view. The results show that introduced Polynesian rats evolve skull shapes that conform to the general mammalian interspecific pattern of cranial evolutionary allometry (CREA), with proportionally longer snouts in larger specimens. In addition, larger skulls are more tubular in shape than the smaller skulls, which are more balloon-shaped with a rounder and wider braincase relative to those of large skulls. This difference is also observed between the sexes (sexual dimorphism), due to the slightly larger average male size. Large, tubular skulls with long snouts are typical for Polynesia and Remote Oceania, where no native mammals occur. The greater disparity of Polynesian rats on mammal species-poor islands (’exulans-only’ region) provides further insight into how diversity may affect diversification through ecological release from predators and competitors.
Estimation of soil salt content by combining UAV-borne multispectral sensor and machine learning algorithms
Authors: Wei Guangfei , Li Yu , Zhang Zhitao , Chen Yinwen , Chen Junying , Yao Zhihua , Lao Congcong , Chen Huifang
Published: April 2020

Soil salinization is a global problem closely related to the sustainable development of social economy. Compared with frequently-used satellite-borne sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with multispectral sensors provide an opportunity to monitor soil salinization with on-demand high spatial and temporal resolution. This study aims to quantitatively estimate soil salt content (SSC) using UAV-borne multispectral imagery, and explore the deep mining of multispectral data. For this purpose, a total of 60 soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected from Shahaoqu Irrigation Area in Inner Mongolia, China. Meanwhile, from the UAV sensor we obtained the multispectral data, based on which 22 spectral covariates (6 spectral bands and 16 spectral indices) were constructed. The sensitive spectral covariates were selected by means of gray relational analysis (GRA), successive projections algorithm (SPA) and variable importance in projection (VIP), and from these selected covariates estimation models were built using back propagation neural network (BPNN) regression, support vector regression (SVR) and random forest (RF) regression, respectively. The performance of the models was assessed by coefficient of determination (R2), root mean squared error (RMSE) and ratio of performance to deviation (RPD). The results showed that the estimation accuracy of the models had been improved markedly using three variable selection methods, and VIP outperformed GRA and GRA outperformed SPA. However, the model accuracy with the three machine learning algorithms turned out to be significantly different: RF > SVR > BPNN. All the 12 SSC estimation models could be used to quantitatively estimate SSC (RPD > 1.4) while the VIP-RF model achieved the highest accuracy (Rc2 = 0.835, RP2 = 0.812, RPD = 2.299). The result of this study proved that UAV-borne multispectral sensor is a feasible instrument for SSC estimation, and provided a reference for further similar research.
Effect of Probiotics on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics in Broilers at Farmer’s Door
Authors: Kumar Hemant , Kumari Shikha
Published: April 2020

Aims: An experiment was conducted to investigate the comparative efficacy of two probiotics of different origins (yeast and bacterial based) on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of broilers chicken.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Purnea between January, 2020 to March, 2020.

Methods: Two hundred and forty, day old chicks were kept and were randomly divided into 4 groups (A, B, C and D) and each group had 2 replicates of 20 chicks. Four (A, B, C and D) iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous (ME 3000 kcal/ kg and CP 21.56%) broiler starter and finisher (ME 3000 kcal/ kg and CP 18.75%) diets were formulated containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Bacillus cereus toyoi and mixture of both @ 0.2% except group A which was control. Birds were raised for first week on commercial diet. Broiler starter and finisher diets were fed from 8-28 and 29-42 days, respectively.

Results: A significant (P<0.05) effect was observed on overall performance of the birds fed diet containing probiotics. Probiotics in feed at 0.2% Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation improved body weight gain (+12.7%), feed intake (3.8%) and feed conversion efficiency (-8.7%) compared with the control diet. Among groups, no significant differences were observed in carcass traits but highest dressing percentage was recorded in group-B followed by group-C than group-D and lowest in control group.

Conclusion: The result indicated that the addition of probiotics in feed containing 0.2% Saccharomyces cerevisiae improved broiler growth performances and it is beneficial to be used as supplement in feed of broiler chickens.
Antidiabetic Activity of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of Stem Barks from Trichilia emetica (Meliaceae) in Alloxan-Induced Diabeticalbinos Rats
Authors: Prisca Djoupo Agnon , Luc Dere Kwadjo Anicet , Kahissié Manhan , Félix Yapi Houphouet , Georges Tiahou Gnomblesson
Published: April 2020

Aims: This study was designed to evaluate the antidiabetic effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Trichilia emetica (TE) stem bark in albinos rats.

Methodology: 24 rats of comparable weight were divided into 2 lots, including a control lot of 3 rats and a test lot of 21 rats. Diabetes was induced by injecting Alloxan® intraperitoneally (125 mg/kg bw) for 7 days. After the onset of diabetes, the animals were divided into several groups and given the extracts of Trichilia emetica and Diastabol® orally for 6 days according to the following protocol: Normal Control (NC) received normal saline, group diabetic control (DC) it consists of untreated diabetic, group DD10 and DD20 was comprised of diabetic animals treated  with Diastabol® at a doses of 10  and 20 mg/kg bw respectively , group DTEE100 and DTEE200 it consists of diabetic animals treated with ethanolic extract at a doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg bw respectively, group DTEA100 and DDTEA 200 was comprised of diabetic animals treated with aqueous extract at a same dose (100 and 200 mg/kg bw). At the end of experimentation, some blood was collected for the determination of some biochemical parameters such as insulin, blood glucose, AST, ALT, urea and creatinine. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), cardiac frequency (CF) were also recorded. 

Results: The results showed a significant (P<0.05) decrease in insulin levels in diabetic rats compared with NC. In addition, diabetes caused a significant increase (P<0.05) in blood glucose, urea, creatinine levels, transaminase activity, and in blood pressure numbers (DBP, SBP and CF) still in comparison with NC. However, the treatment of sick animals with the extracts and the Diastabol at the doses listed above significantly (P <0.05) increased insulin levels and reduced the sames biochemical parameters levels as well as the blood pressure numbers compared with DC.

Conclusion: The data obtained showed that this part of the plant would have antidiabetic effects with ethanolic extract at the dose of 200 mg/kg bw had the highest pronounced effect and could be used as a good alternative for diabetes management, thus justifying its use in traditional medicine.
Nephropathic Changes in Renal Parenchyma of Wistar Rats Following Sub-chronic Exposure to Methanol Extract of Caladium bicolor (Aiton)
Authors: Omotoso Dayo Rotimi , Okojie Itohan Grace , Brown Ibifuro , Olatomide Oluwasegun Davis , Oyaronbi Oluwadamilola
Published: April 2020

To assess nephropathic potential of Caladium bicolor methanolic extract within the renal parenchyma of experimental Wistar rats. Twenty four albino Wistar rats (weighing between 180-195 g) were divided into four groups which include Group I treated with distilled water (2 ml/kg b.w.), Group II treated with methanolic extract of C. bicolor (100 ml/kg b.w.), Group III treated with methanolic extract of C. bicolor (200 ml/kg b.w.), Group IV treated with methanolic extract of C. bicolor (300 ml/kg b.w.). All administrations were done orally and once daily for a period of thirty five days. Body weight of animals was recorded during days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 of study. After the study period, kidney tissue of study animals was harvested, weighed and processed for histopatho logical study. Staining of renal tissue sections was done using H & E technique, examined under microscope for observable histopathological changes that were scored using image-J software.

Results of this study showed that sub-chronic exposure to methanolic extract of C. bicolor caused reduction in body and renal tissue weight. Moreover, exposure to the extract increases significantly (p < 0.05) renal histopatho logical changes including inflammation, necrosis, glomerular congestion and tubular dilatation within the renal parenchyma of study animals.

Therefore, methanol extract of C. bicolor exhibited dose-independent nephropathic effect on the renal parenchyma following a sub-chronic exposure in experimental Wistar rats.
Functionalized Polymers Enhance Permeability of Antibiotics in Gram‐Negative MDR Bacteria and Biofilms for Synergistic Antimicrobial Therapy
Authors: Gupta Akash , Makabenta Jessa Marie Valenzuela , Schlüter Friederike , Landis Ryan F. , Das Riddha , Cuppels Madison , Rotello Vincent M.
Published: April 2020

The emergence of multidrug‐resistant (MDR) pathogenic bacteria constitutes a key threat to global health. Infections caused by multidrug‐resistant Gram‐negative bacteria are particularly challenging to treat due to the ability of pathogens to prevent antibiotic penetration inside the bacterial membrane. Antibiotic therapy is further rendered ineffective due to biofilm formation where the protective extracellular polymeric substance matrix limits the diffusion of antibiotics inside the biofilm. It is hypothesized that careful engineering of chemical groups on polymer scaffolds can enable polymers to penetrate the barriers of Gram‐negative bacterial membrane and biofilm matrix. Here, the use of engineered polymeric nanoparticles in combination with antibiotics for synergistic antimicrobial therapy is presented. These polymeric nanoparticles enhance the accumulation of antibiotics inside Gram‐negative bacteria and the biofilm matrix, resulting in increased potency of antibiotics in combination therapy. Sublethal concentrations of engineered polymeric nanoparticles reduce the antibiotic dosage by 32‐fold to treat MDR bacteria and biofilms. Tailoring of chemical groups on polymers demonstrates a strong structure–activity relationship in generating additive and synergistic combinations with antibiotics. This study demonstrates the ability of polymeric nanoparticles to “rejuvenate” antibiotics rendered ineffective by resistant bacteria and provides a rationale to design novel compounds to achieve effective antimicrobial combination therapies.
High‐Efficiency Oxygen Reduction to Hydrogen Peroxide Catalyzed by Nickel Single‐Atom Catalysts with Tetradentate N2O2 Coordination in a Three‐Phase Flow Cell
Authors: Wang Yulin , Shi Run , Shang Lu , Waterhouse Geoffrey I. N. , Zhao Jiaqi , Zhang Qinghua , Gu Lin , Zhang Tierui
Published: April 2020

Carbon‐supported NiII single‐atom catalysts with a tetradentate Ni‐N2O2 coordination formed by a Schiff base ligand‐mediated pyrolysis strategy are presented. A NiII complex of the Schiff base ligand (R,R)‐(−)‐N,N′‐bis(3,5‐di‐tert‐butylsalicylidene)‐1,2‐cyclohexanediamine was adsorbed onto a carbon black support, followed by pyrolysis of the modified carbon material at 300 °C in Ar. The Ni‐N2O2/C catalyst showed excellent performance for the electrocatalytic reduction of O2 to H2O2 through a two‐electron transfer process in alkaline conditions, with a H2O2 selectivity of 96 %. At a current density of 70 mA cm−2, a H2O2 production rate of 5.9 mol gcat.−1 h−1 was achieved using a three‐phase flow cell, with good catalyst stability maintained over 8 h of testing. The Ni‐N2O2/C catalyst could electrocatalytically reduce O2 in air to H2O2 at a high current density, still affording a high H2O2 selectivity (>90 %). A precise Ni‐N2O2 coordination was key to the performance.
Temperature‐Induced Structure Reconstruction to Prepare a Thermally Stable Single‐Atom Platinum Catalyst
Authors: Yan Dongxu , Chen Jing , Jia Hongpeng
Published: April 2020

Single‐atom noble metals on a catalyst support tend to migrate and agglomerate into nanoparticles owing to high surface free energy at elevated temperatures. Temperature‐induced structure reconstruction of a support can firmly anchor single‐atom Pt species to adapt to a high‐temperature environment. We used Mn3O4 as a restructurable support to load single‐atom Pt and further turned into single‐atom Pt‐on‐Mn2O3 catalyst via high‐temperature treatment, which is extremely stable under calcination conditions of 800 °C for 5 days in humid air. High‐valence Pt4+ with more covalent bonds on Mn2O3 are essential for anchoring isolated Pt atoms by strong interaction. An optimized catalyst formed by moderate H2O2 etching exhibits the best performance and excellent thermal stability of single‐atom Pt in high‐temperature CH4 oxidation on account of more exposed Pt atoms and strong Pt‐Mn2O3 interaction.
Chiral Reticular Self‐Assembly of Achiral AIEgen into Optically Pure Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs) with Dual Mechano‐Switchable Circularly Polarized Luminescence
Authors: Shang Weili , Zhu Xuefeng , Liang Tongling , Du Cong , Hu Liangyu , Li Tiesheng , Liu Minghua
Published: April 2020

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) is attractive in understanding the excited‐state chirality and developing advanced materials. Herein, we propose a chiral reticular self‐assembly strategy to unite achiral AIEgens, chirality donors, and metal ions to fabricate optically pure AIEgen metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as efficient CPL materials. We have found that CPL activity of the single‐crystal AIEgen MOF was generated by the framework‐enabled strong emission from AIEgens and through‐space chirality transfer from chirality donors to achiral AIEgens via metal‐ion bridges. For the first time, a dual mechano‐switched blue and red‐shifted CPL activity was achieved via ultrasonication and grinding, which enabled the rotation or stacking change of AIEgen rotors with the intact homochiral framework. This work provided not only an insightful view of the aggregation induced emission (AIE) mechanism, but also an efficient and versatile strategy for the preparation of stimuli‐responsive CPL materials.
Highly Selective and Stable Zn (II)‐Based Metal–Organic Frameworks for the Detections of Tetracycline Antibiotic and Acetone in Aqueous System
Authors: Zhu Bin , Zong Ziao , Zhang Xia , Zhang Dongmei , Cui Liansheng , Bi Caifeng , Fan Yuhua
Published: April 2020

Tetracycline (TC) is one of the most widely used antibiotics in aquaculture, and its good water solubility makes it a major contaminant in seawater. Therefore, it is very necessary and challenging to develop an efficient detection method. In this work, two novel metal–organic frameworks [Zn (bpydb)(bimmb)0.5]n (1), {[Zn2(bpydb)2(bimb)]·[Zn (bpydb)(bimb)]·H2O}n (2), (bimb = 1,4‐bis (lmidazol) butane, H2bypdb = 4,4′‐(4,4’‐Bipyridine‐2,6‐diyl)dibenzoic acid, bimmb = 1,4‐bis (imidazol‐1‐ylmethyl)benzene) were successfully synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Zn‐MOF 1–2 were characterized by X‐ray powder diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). As expected, 1–2 have excellent fluorescence properties, thermal stability and good structural stability in water. TC in water can be detected by fluorescence quenching with high selectivity. At the same time, the fluorescence quenching efficiency remains unchanged in the presence of other interfering antibiotics and in aqueous solutions of different pH values (pH = 3–10). The detection ability of 1 in real seawater has not changed substantially, showing considerable practical application prospects. Interestingly, 1–2 also efficiently detected traces of acetone in solution with detection limits of 0.07 μM (4.38 ppb) and 0.18 μM (10.85 ppb), respectively. In addition, the mechanism of fluorescence quenching is further discussed.