bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
State regulation and the main ways to support the development of agricultural insurance in Russia and in foreign countries
Authors: Obraztsova O A , Agibalov A V
Published: June 2022

In our work on the basis of economic literature, statistics and scientific works in periodicals, we analyzed the international experience of conducting agricultural risk insurance in other countries, special attention was paid to issues of state support for this industry. As a result of the study, we identified the features of conducting agricultural insurance abroad, which can be further adapted to the conditions of the Russian insurance market and applied in order to improve and develop the mechanism of agricultural insurance in our country. The article also examined the dynamics of the main economic indicators of the development of the agricultural insurance market with state support. The main indicator of market development is the share of insured sown areas and livestock of farm animals. The dynamics of these indicators over the past six years has shown that the level of agricultural insurance protection in our country is at a low level, despite the fact that in 2019 there was a positive trend to the world average indicators is still very far away. Much attention was paid to indicators characterizing the level of state support for this industry in our country. As a result of research, it was determined that the agricultural risk insurance system lacks budget funds, and its development directly depends on the amount of funding. It should also be noted that large agricultural producers are mostly involved in the insurance process, and for small-scale farming, the proposed insurance products are mostly inaccessible due to the high cost. Further, the main problems of the development of the agricultural insurance mechanism were identified and directions for improving the state support system for this industry were outlined.
The effect of “Vetom 1.2” probiotic preparation on the cows’ immunological status
Authors: Trebukhov A V , Utts S A , Bassauer G M , Kolina Yu A , Momot N V
Published: June 2022

The main task in the dairy farming organization is to obtain calves whose health directly depends on the immuno-biochemical status of their mothers. In our country and abroad, interest in probiotic preparation is increasing to maintain the biochemical and immunological status, to improve digestion, metabolism, as well as to increase the cows' dairy productivity. Probiotic preparations of the Vetom series are widely used in this industry. The aim of the study was to study the effect of "Vetom 1.2" probiotic preparation on the immuno-biochemical status of cows. Experimental studies were carried out in JSC "Uchkhoz "Prigorodnoye" in Barnaul on Russian black pied cows in the autumn-winter period. During the research, we have identified the following: 1. The use of "Vetom 1.2" probiotic preparation has a positive effect on the biochemical parameters' dynamics of cows' blood serum, and therefore, on the immuno-biochemical status of animals; 2. The use of "Vetom 1.2" probiotic contributes to an increase in immunoglobulins' level in cows' colostrum, thereby such colostrum can help to increase the resistance and safety of young animals.
Influence of meteorological conditions on Festulolium seed yield formation
Authors: Obraztsov V N , Kadyrov S V , Shchedrina D I
Published: June 2022

The authors assess the influence of meteorological factors on the yield of Festulolium seeds. The analysis of weather conditions over 12 years shows that precipitation during the growing season of Festulolium in the second year of vegetation closely correlates with seed yield (r = 0.85). The relationship between the yield and the amount of precipitation over the growing season is expressed by the regression equation: Y = 190.52 + 3.2894x1. The yield was closely correlated with the HTC (r = 0.80). This relationship can be expressed by the following equation: Y = 189.91 + 562.8x2. It is found that the optimal conditions for Festulolium seed yield formation arise when at least 147 mm of precipitation falls within the growing season (mostly during the period from aftergrowth to flowering), the hydrothermal coefficient is 0.8-1.7, the average daily temperature is within 17-19°C in the flowering phase and 18-21°C during the period of seed formation-ripening, and the proportion of days without precipitation in the flowering phase is at least 57%.
Experimental research results on the erosion study of the temporary irrigating canal dam with pouring water and the establishment of the size of the dam compactor’s operating body
Authors: Karimov M S , Usmanov T U , Sharipov Z Sh , Usmanov N K
Published: June 2022

Research work has been carried out for several years in order to mechanize the technological process of dams' compaction and the development of a dam compactor. As a result of the experiments, the design of the dam compactor and the types of operating bodies were selected, the main optimal dimensions of the dam compactor were determined and mathematically analyzed. It was revealed that the main parameters of the dam compactor affecting the compaction process of temporary irrigating canal dams are cone roller diameter, length and width of the plate compactor, and the angle of dam nip. These parameters have been substantiated by theoretical and experimental studies. The optimal values of these parameters were determined by the mathematical planning of the experiment; below are the limits, as well as the variation levels of these factors. Based on the results obtained, an improved dam compactor was manufactured, and experimental studies were conducted in the field. At the same time, an increase in productivity relative to existing methods has been achieved and the compaction index has been brought to the required value. The mathematical model of the research object is the response function of an equation linking optimization parameters with controlled factors. The hypothesis of variance uniformity in the same non-repeated experiments was tested using the Cochran's test, and the significance of the regression coefficients was determined by the Student's criterion. The adequacy of the process model was checked by the Fisher criterion. After processing the experimental data and evaluating the coefficients' significance, regression equations describing the dam compaction process by the dam height and the compaction degree of the temporary irrigating canal dam were obtained. The main dimensions of compacting operating bodies of the dam compactor were selected.
Hazard assessment of pesticides’ application in agroecosystems
Authors: Slastya I V
Published: June 2022

The danger assessment of using pesticides and the effectiveness of reducing the pesticide load in agrocenoses of grain crops and fodder beet according to the indicators of predicted pollution and agro-eco-toxicological index (AETI) was carried out. A significant decrease in the predicted agrocenoses' contamination indicators with pesticides and AETI was found with a decrease in the fungicides consumption rates by 50% and insecticides by 20% when combined with silicon compounds. The comparison of indicators of predicted pollution and AETI for grain crops agrocenoses in different natural and climatic zones was carried out. The greatest danger is the use of pesticides in the dry-steppe zone of chestnut soils due to their low self-cleaning ability.
Environmental aspects of the evaluation of the total pollution of soils with heavy metals in the coastal zone of the Caspian Sea at cape peschany
Authors: Syrlybekkyzy S , Koibakova S E , Kenzhetaev G Zh , Taizhanova L S , Altybayeva Zh K , Permyakov V N
Published: June 2022

This study is aimed to analyze the total contamination of the soil of the CAPE with heavy metals and metalloids in the area, the ferry complex and farms on the Sandy Cape. During the survey of the coastal zone of Cape Peschanyi, the route method with the laying of 7 trial plots (TP) with background TP-7 was used. Total content of the heavy metals (HM) was determined by a laboratory spectrophotometer of HACH DR-2400 (USA). Studies of the ecological state of the coastal zone of Cape Sandy, after the introduction of an international multimodal transport hub that provides access to Europe, are the first and allowed us to identify the degree of anthropogenic transformation. The availability of farms testifies to the suitability of the Cape's soils for cultivation and crops. The assessment of the ecological state of the soils of the ferry complex, "melon" farms, and the territory of the national reserve with a conservation status is relevant and timely. The results of the analysis of the content of heavy metals and metalloid allowed us to identify pollutants that affect melons. According to the results of calculations, on P-2, ST=16.5 the level of pollution is moderately dangerous, on the other PP, within the acceptable level. The range of a variation less than 1, only for hexavalent chrome Cr6+, is bound to the fact that chrome is easily mobilized in alkaline soils. Statistical processing of the results by Statistica 10 had shown that the Kruskal-Wallis criterion is statistically significant for the elements Cr, Cd, Cu and Co.
Fe-based sintered matrix for diamond tools: microstructure, mechanical performance and crack initiation and propagation characteristics
Authors: Gao Ya , Zhang Hongsong , Ma Haishu , Liu Xuhe , Huang Yuchun , Meng Yubo
Published: June 2022

To design Fe-Cu-Sn-Ni metal binders for diamond tools and optimize the performance of binders, Fe-based binders were prepared by hot-press sintering method using Fe powder, Cu powder, Sn powder and Ni powder as the raw materials. The phase constitution, microstructure, mechanical properties and crack formation were evaluated. Results showed that Fe-based matrixes are composed of Cu3Sn intermetallic compounds and several solid solutions, such as α-Fe, γ(Fe,Ni), and Cu13.7Sn. The relative high Sn content can increase the hardness of the sintered bulk samples and significantly reduce the bending strength. With the increase of Ni content, the hardness increases gradually, while the bending strength increases firstly and then decreases. The cracks initiate from brittle Cu3Sn intermetallic phases and quickly propagate in the brittle phases or along the interface between Cu3Sn intermetallic compounds and γ(Fe,Ni) phases. The propagation of crack can be impeded by Cu13.7Sn solid solution.
Important role of turbulent wind gust and its coherent structure in the rapid removal of urban air pollution
Authors: Shi Yu , Zeng Qingcun , Liu Lei , Cheng Xueling , Hu Fei
Published: June 2022

The removal process of urban air pollution is very rapid even under the strong obstruction of various buildings in the city. In this study, based on high-accuracy ultrasonic anemometer observations at seven different altitudes on a 325 m tower, we proposed a physical mechanism in which turbulent wind gust and its coherent structure may play important roles in this phenomenon. Pollutants suspended within the urban canopy layer UCL cannot be quickly removed by means of basic flow but diffuse and crosse the UCL by means of the coherent structure of gust wind and then propagate further under strong basic flows above the UCL. With a continuous increase in wind speed in the whole layer, combined with gust-wind and turbulence mixing, the rapid transformation from heavily polluted days to clean days in urban areas can take place in just a few hours. Turbulent wind gust and its coherent structure were extracted by third-order Daubechies wavelet transformation. The downwind wind was decomposed into three separate components, basic flow

u

¯

(
t
)
,

gust-wind

u

′

g

(
t
)
,

and turbulence

u

′

t

(
t
)
.

The results show that in the early rapid drop of urban surface pollutant concentration, horizontal wind speed at 8 m was still low, and sinking movements dominated in the lower layer. Friction velocity calculated from gust-wind

u

*
g

significantly affected the surface PM2.5 concentration, and was the most obvious factor with an inverse correlation coefficient −0.56. The correlation coefficient of coherent structure of gustiness Ru

g

w

g
at 8 m basically changed to positive values before the rapid decline of the surface PM2.5 concentration. The concentration of PM2.5 decreased significantly when Ru

g

w

g
> 0, and exhibited an increasing trend when Ru

g

w

g
< 0. The close relationship between the concentration of PM2.5 and Ru

g

w

g
indicated the important role of the coherent structure of gustiness in the rapid removal process of urban pollutants. The research deepens the vertical exchange process of matter and energy in the UCL, and provides a scientific reference for the rapid dissipation mechanism of urban air pollution.
Does Temporal Stability Moderate Reasoned Action Approach Relations With Covid-19 Preventive Behaviors?
Authors: Norman Paul , Wilding Sarah , Conner Mark
Published: June 2022

Background

Preventive behaviors continue to play an important role in reducing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Purpose

This study aimed to apply the reasoned action approach (RAA) to predict Covid-19 preventive intentions and behavior and to test whether temporal stability moderates relations between RAA constructs and behavior.

Methods

A representative sample of UK adults (N = 603) completed measures of RAA variables (i.e., experiential attitudes, instrumental attitudes, injunctive norms, descriptive norms, capacity, autonomy and intention) in relation to six Covid-19 preventive behaviors (i.e., wearing face coverings, social distancing, hand sanitizing, avoiding the three Cs [closed spaces, crowded places, and close contacts], cleaning surfaces, and coughing/sneezing etiquette) at baseline (December 2020) and after 1 month. Self-reported behavior was assessed at baseline and after 1 and 2 months.

Results

The RAA was predictive of Covid-19 preventive intentions at time 1 and time 2; instrumental attitudes, descriptive norms, and capability were the strongest predictors at each time point. The RAA also predicted subsequent behavior across time points with intention, descriptive norms, and capability the strongest/most consistent predictors. Temporal stability moderated a number of RAA–behavior relationships including those for intention, descriptive norms, and capability. In each case, the relationships became stronger as temporal stability increased.

Conclusions

Health cognitions as outlined in the RAA provide appropriate targets for interventions to promote Covid-19 preventive intentions and behavior. Moreover, given that continued performance of Covid-19 preventive behaviors is crucial for reducing transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the results highlight the need for consistent messaging from governments and public health organizations to promote positive intentions and maintain preventive behavior.
GinkgoDB: an ecological genome database for the living fossil, Ginkgo biloba
Authors: Gu Kai-Jie , Lin Chen-Feng , Wu Jun-Jie , Zhao Yun-Peng
Published: June 2022

Although an increasing number of species-specific databases have been constructed to facilitate the global research community, comprehensive databases remain rare with multidimensional research resources rather than genomic data solely, in particular for non-model species. Here we introduced GinkgoDB, the ecological genome database for the world-renowned living fossil, Ginkgo biloba L., a tree species with extreme longevity, exceptional resistance, global landscape application and dioecy. The present version of GinkgoDB consists of four modules of genome, occurrence, quadrat and gallery. The genome module includes two versions of chromosome-level assembled genomes with high-quality annotation, expression profiles of each sex for different tissues and variants from 545 ginkgo genomes. A suite of tools were also deployed online for search, blast and further analyses. The occurrence module contains distribution information of over one million records across the world with an emphasis on 8926 individual-level tagged trees with phenotypic trait data in eastern Asia. The quadrat module provides monitoring data of both species and habitats from 27 plots of natural ginkgo forests and periodic data of functional traits measured for the entire plant communities. The gallery module collects field morphological photos and scanned phenotypic images of various ginkgo materials. GinkgoDB showcases a comprehensive and persistently growing database for a single non-model species.

Database URL: https://ginkgo.zju.edu.cn/
A chromosome-level genome of Brachymystax tsinlingensis provides resources and insights into salmonids evolution
Authors: Zhu Wenbo , Wang Zhongkai , Li Haorong , Li Ping , Ni Lili , Jiao Li , Ren Yandong , You Ping
Published: June 2022

Brachymystax tsinlingensis Li, 1966 is an endangered freshwater fish with economic, ecological, and scientific values. Study of the genome of B. tsinlingensis might be particularly insightful given that this is the only Brachymystax species with genome. We present a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly and protein-coding gene annotation for B. tsinlingensis with Illumina short reads, Nanopore long reads, Hi-C sequencing reads, and RNA-seq reads from 5 tissues/organs. The final chromosome-level genome size is 2,031,709,341 bp with 40 chromosomes. We found that the salmonids have a unique GC content and codon usage, have a slower evolutionary rate, and possess specific positively selected genes. We also confirmed the salmonids have undergone a whole-genome duplication event and a burst of transposon-mediated repeat expansion, and lost HoxAbβ Hox cluster, highly expressed genes in muscle may partially explain the migratory habits of B. tsinlingensis. The high-quality B. tsinlingensis assembled genome could provide a valuable reference for the study of other salmonids as well as aid the conservation of this endangered species.
Differences in New Variant of Concern Replication at Physiological Temperatures In Vitro
Authors: Stauft Charles B , Sangare Kotou , Wang Tony T
Published: June 2022

Using multiple cell types and isolates of Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2, we report differences in virus production, replication, and infectivity in vitro. Ancestral and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant exhibit reduced virus production and replication at 34°C compared to 37°C while Omicron replication is balanced between temperatures.
A New Chemometrically Assisted UV Spectrophotometric Method for Simultaneous Determination of Tamsulosin and Dutasteride in Their Pharmaceutical Mixture
Authors: Attia Khalid A M , Serag Ahmed , Eid Sherif M , Abbas Ahmed Emad F
Published: June 2022

Background

Tamsulosin (TAM) and dutasteride (DUT) are ranked among the most frequently prescribed therapies in urology. Interestingly, studies have also been carried out on TAM/DUT in terms of their ability to protect against recent COVID-19. However, very few studies were reported for their simultaneous quantification in their combined dosage form and were mainly based on chromatographic analysis. Subsequently, it is very important to offer a simple, selective, sensitive, and rapid method for the quantification of TAM and DUT in their challenging dosage form.

Objective

In this study, a new chemometrically assisted ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometric method has been presented for the quantification of TAM and DUT without any prior separation.

Method

For the calibration set, a partial factorial experimental design was used, resulting in 25 mixtures with central levels of 20 and 25 μg/mL for TAM and DUT, respectively. In addition, to assess the predictive ability of the developed approaches, another central composite design of 13 samples was used as a validation set. Post-processing by chemometric analysis of the recorded zero-order UV spectra of these sets has been applied. These chemometric approaches include partial least-squares (PLS) and genetic algorithm (GA), as an effective variable selection technique, coupled with PLS.

Results

The models’ validation criteria displayed excellent recoveries and lower errors of prediction.

Conclusions

The proposed models were effectively used to determine TAM/DUT in their combined dosage form, and statistical comparison with the reported method revealed satisfactory results.

Highlights

Overall, this work presents powerful simple, selective, sensitive, and precise methods for simultaneous quantification of TAM/DUT in their dosage form with satisfactory results. The predictive ability and accuracy of the developed methods offer the opportunity to be employed as a quality control technique for the routine analysis of TAM/DUT when chromatographic instruments are not available.
Study on temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of overburden deformation and gas emission during the longwall working face initial mining phase
Authors: Li Chuantian , Wu Shiyue , Zheng Chunshan , Sun Xiaoyuan , Jiang Xiaoqiang
Published: June 2022

It is very important from the point of view of gas control and production safety to efficiently extract gas from stress-relief fractures in the initial phase of the longwall working face. In the initial phase of longwall mining, the overburden deformation significantly affects the instability of gas emission and the mining speed positively correlates to the volume of gas emission, so appropriate mining speed can help to increase the efficiency of gas extraction. The monitoring data on surrounding rock deformation show that the horizontal separation fractures first appear from the outer to inner layers and continue to deform along with the mining working face progressing, then the vertical fractures gradually evolve from the lower to the upper layers and finally a stable fracture zone comes into being, which provides space and pathways for both gas ‘stress-relief and retention’ and its abnormal emission during the mining initial phase. Moreover, this paper proposes a new spatiotemporal division model called overburden ‘three belts and five zones’ in the mining initial phase, i.e. the vertical ‘three belts’ including the caving belt, the dynamic fracture evolution belt and the curved subsidence belt; and the horizontal ‘five zones’ consisting of the key gas drainage zone for fracture development, ‘stress-relief and gas-retention’, overburden pressure-relief zone, gas seepage zone in goaf, coal seam pressure-relief zone in front of the working face and the difficult gas drainage zone in coal wall stress concentration area. The research results of this paper can provide theoretical and technical support for optimizing establishment of gas drainage parameters.
High-resolution seismic impedance inversion integrating the closed-loop convolutional neural network and geostatistics: an application to the thin interbedded reservoir
Authors: Ge Qiang , Cao Hong , Yang Zhifang , Li Xiaoming , Yan Xinfei , Zhang Xin , Wang Yuqing , Lu Wenkai
Published: June 2022

Seismic impedance inversion is one of the key techniques for quantitative seismic interpretation. Most conventional post-stack seismic impedance inversion approaches are based on the linear theory, whereas the relationship between seismic response and impedance is highly nonlinear. Thus, it is challenging to implement conventional inversion methods to obtain high-resolution impedance for reservoir investigation. Convolutional neural network (CNN), a superior deep neural network, has a strong learning ability, which can learn from data and establish complex nonlinear mapping. However, CNN-based methods are generally heavily dependent on amounts of labeled data. Hence, an alternative seismic inversion approach is proposed that combines the closed-loop CNN and geostatistics. The closed-loop CNN is less dependent on labeled data, characterized by utilizing labeled data and unlabeled data simultaneously to train the neural network. The two subnets represent forward modeling and inversion respectively, constraining each other during the neural network training. Geostatistics can be used to enrich the training data for neural network training, taking into account geological and geophysical prior information. Synthetic data testing reveals that the proposed inversion scheme can obtain more reasonable results benefiting from labeled training data augmentation. The proposed inversion scheme is applied to the field data for identifying thin interbedded reservoir within delta depositional system. The predicted results obtained by the proposed inversion scheme are consistent with well log data and geological settings, offering insights into reservoir characterization and hydrocarbon identification.
Real-World Cost-Effectiveness of First-Line Gemcitabine Plus Nab-Paclitaxel vs FOLFIRINOX in Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Arciero Vanessa , Luo Jin , Parmar Ambica , Dai Wei Fang , Beca Jaclyn M , Raphael Michael J , Isaranuwatchai Wanrudee , Habbous Steven , Tadrous Mina , Earle Craig C , Biagi Jim J , Mittmann Nicole , Arias Jessica , Gavura Scott , Chan Kelvin K W
Published: June 2022

Background

There are no randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel (Gem-Nab) and fluorouracil, folinic acid, irinotecan, oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) for advanced pancreatic cancer (APC). Although it is well known that RCT-based efficacy often does not translate to real-world effectiveness, there is limited literature investigating comparative cost-effectiveness of Gem-Nab vs FOLFIRINOX for APC. We aimed to examine the real-world cost-effectiveness of Gem-Nab vs FOLFIRINOX for APC in Ontario, Canada.

Methods

This study compared patients treated with first-line Gem-Nab or FOLFIRINOX for APC in Ontario from April 2015 to March 2019. Patients were linked to administrative databases. Using propensity scores and a stabilizing weights method, an inverse probability of treatment weighted cohort was developed. Mean survival and total costs were calculated over a 5-year time horizon, adjusted for censoring, and discounted at 1.5%. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and net monetary benefit were computed to estimate cost-effectiveness from the public health-care payer’s perspective. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using the propensity score matching method.

Results

A total of 1988 patients were identified (Gem-Nab: n = 928; FOLFIRINOX: n = 1060). Mean survival was lower for patients in the Gem-Nab than the FOLFIRINOX group (0.98 vs 1.26 life-years; incremental effectiveness = −0.28 life-years [95% confidence interval = −0.47 to −0.13]). Patients in the Gem-Nab group incurred greater mean 5-year total costs (Gem-Nab: $103 884; FOLFIRINOX: $101 518). Key cost contributors include ambulatory cancer care, acute inpatient hospitalization, and systemic therapy drug acquisition. Gem-Nab was dominated by FOLFIRINOX, as it was less effective and more costly. Results from the sensitivity analysis were similar.

Conclusions

Gem-Nab is likely more costly and less effective than FOLFIRINOX and therefore not considered cost-effective at commonly accepted willingness-to-pay thresholds.
A case report of anaplastic carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells arising in the pancreatic body
Authors: Kitazono Masaki , Fujita Makoto , Ito Ayaka , Oyama Tomohiro , Ikeda Naotaka , Eguchi Mayumi , Sato Rikiya , Uchiyama Shuichiro , Toyosaki Ryoichi , Yokomakura Naoya , Suenaga Toyokuni , Kusumoto Hirotake , Tsukasa Koichiro
Published: June 2022

The patient is a 58-year-old woman. She was referred to our hospital following a computed tomography scan that revealed a 2-cm tumor-like lesion in the pancreatic body. Endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration examination revealed a suspected undifferentiated carcinoma with pleomorphic type. The patient was diagnosed with anaplastic carcinoma of the pancreas (ACP) and underwent distal pancreatectomy with lymph nodes dissection. The resected body and tail of the pancreas had a nodular tumor measuring 30 mm in diameter. Histologically, the main lesion of the tumor showed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, and diffuse proliferation of atypical short spindle cells and round cells accompanied by multinucleated giant cells aggregation was observed around the tubular structure; hence, it was diagnosed with ACP. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged 14 days after the operation. It has already been about 5 years since the surgery, and although the tumor has recurred, the patient is still alive and undergoing chemotherapy.
Is antitumor Pt(IV) complex containing two axial lonidamine ligands a true dual- or multi-action prodrug?
Authors: Kasparkova Jana , Kostrhunova Hana , Novohradsky Vojtech , Ma Lili , Zhu Guangyu , Milaeva Elena R , Shtill Alexender A , Vinck Robin , Gasser Gilles , Brabec Viktor , Nazarov Alexey A
Published: June 2022

This work studied the mechanism of action of a Pt(IV) complex 2 bearing two axial lonidamine ligands, which are selective inhibitors of aerobic glycolysis. The presence of two lonidamine ligands in 2 compared to the parent Pt(II) complex increased its antiproliferative activity, cellular accumulation, and changed its cell cycle profile and mechanism of cell death. In 3D cell culture, 2 showed exceptional antiproliferative activity with IC50 values as low as 1.6 μM in MCF7 cells. The study on the influence of the lonidamine ligands in the Pt complex on glycolysis showed only low potency of ligands to affect metabolic processes in cancer cells, making the investigated complex, not a dual- or multi-action prodrug. However, the Pt(IV) prodrug effectively delivers the cytotoxic Pt(II) complex into cancer cells.
OPUSeq simplifies detection of low-frequency DNA variants and uncovers fragmentase-associated artifacts
Authors: Alekseenko Alisa , Wang Jingwen , Barrett Donal , Pelechano Vicent
Published: June 2022

Detection of low-frequency DNA variants (below 1%) is becoming increasingly important in biomedical research and clinical practice, but is challenging to do with standard sequencing approaches due to high error rates. The use of double-stranded unique molecular identifiers (dsUMIs) allows correction of errors by comparing reads arising from the same original DNA duplex. However, the implementation of such approaches is still challenging. Here, we present a novel method, one-pot dsUMI sequencing (OPUSeq), which allows incorporation of dsUMIs in the same reaction as the library PCR. This obviates the need for adapter pre-synthesis or additional enzymatic steps. OPUSeq can be incorporated into standard DNA library preparation approaches and coupled with hybridization target capture. We demonstrate successful error correction and detection of variants down to allele frequency of 0.01%. Using OPUSeq, we also show that the use of enzymatic fragmentation can lead to the appearance of spurious double-stranded variants, interfering with detection of variant fractions below 0.1%.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging for detecting metabolic changes in glioblastoma after anti-angiogenic therapy—a systematic literature review
Authors: El-Abtah Mohamed E , Talati Pratik , Dietrich Jorg , Gerstner Elizabeth R , Ratai Eva-Maria
Published: June 2022

Background

The impact of anti-angiogenic therapy (AAT) on patients with glioblastoma (GBM) is unclear due to a disconnect between radiographic findings and overall survivorship. MR spectroscopy (MRS) can provide clinically relevant information regarding tumor metabolism in response to AAT. This review explores the use of MRS to track metabolic changes in patients with GBM treated with AAT.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to identify primary research articles that reported metabolic changes in GBMs treated with AAT. Collected variables included single or multi-voxel MRS acquisition parameters, metabolic markers, reported metabolic changes in response to AAT, and survivorship data.

Results

Thirty-five articles were retrieved in the initial query. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 studies with 262 patients were included for qualitative synthesis with all studies performed using multi-voxel 1H MRS. Two studies utilized 31P MRS. Post-AAT initiation, shorter-term survivors had increased choline (cellular proliferation marker), increased lactate (a hypoxia marker), and decreased levels of the short echo time (TE) marker, myo-inositol (an osmoregulator and gliosis marker). MRS detected metabolic changes as soon as 1-day after AAT, and throughout the course of AAT, to predict survival. There was substantial heterogeneity in the timing of scans, which ranged from 1-day to 6–9 months after AAT initiation.

Conclusions

Multi-voxel MRS at intermediate and short TE can serve as a robust prognosticator of outcomes of patients with GBM who are treated with AAT.
Social Dilemmas
Authors: Arora Poonam , Kugler Tamar , Giardini Francesca
Published: June 2022

Social dilemmas are interdependent decisions where the outcomes depend upon choices made by every decision maker. Importantly, the incentive structure sets up a dominant strategy of non-cooperation such that everyone ends up worse off than if all had cooperated, but each individual is better off not cooperating regardless of what others do. Thus, social dilemmas are mixed-motive situations that require a choice between short-term individual gain and long-term collective gain. Social dilemma researchers have adopted a variety of approaches to studying cooperation ranging from considering it as a constructed context-dependent choice that is affected by incentives and economic nudges, group affiliation, norms, and social nudges, while others investigate individual differences and personal perceptions of value. This chapter organizes current topical knowledge through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), where cooperation is the expressed behavior when an intent to cooperate emerges (consciously or sub-consciously) from a positive attitude towards the act of cooperating, from a dominant cooperative norm, or the interaction of attitude and norms, and is supported by the perception that one has the freedom to cooperate (behave cooperatively). The chapter provides a broad review of the field to understand mechanisms that both increase likelihood of cooperative behavior and those that result in cooperative breakdowns, as well as possible solutions to further effective cooperation.
Psychobiology of Competition: A Review of Men’s Endogenous Testosterone Dynamics
Authors: Bird Brian M. , Bochon Lindsay , Wu Yin , Zilioli Samuele
Published: June 2022

Competition is a defining feature of most living organisms. Among humans, the engagement in, and the associated outcomes of, competition (i.e., win or loss) can hold important consequences for survival, individual and group status, and mating-related opportunities. As such, considerable research efforts have been devoted to identifying and delineating the factors that influence human competitive decision-making. The steroid hormone testosterone, in particular, has been identified as one such factor, not only influencing competitive decision-making and behavior, but also responding flexibly to competitive cues and outcomes to then feedback to ongoing pursuits. Growing evidence suggests that the extent to which testosterone exerts its effects may depend on variables across a number of domains, such as individual preferences or dispositions, social cues, and other hormones. This chapter provides an overview of such competitive biopsychology with a focus on men’s testosterone dynamics. The authors provide a brief introduction to testosterone, and a summary of some of the key theoretical approaches to understanding testosterone dynamics in humans, followed by an overview of correlational and experimental studies that examine the independent and interactive effects of testosterone on competition and competition-related variables.
Which Globalization? Whose World Music? On Historicizing, Particularizing, and Finding Value
Authors: Taylor Timothy D.
Published: June 2022

This chapter makes a plea for more empirically grounded studies of globalization, offering a case study of the rise of the international music industry in the early twentieth century in East Asia. The invention of technology that made possible the mass reproduction of sound recordings in 1900 necessitated the creation of inventory in what Anna Tsing has called supply-chain capitalism, one way that firms create capitalist economic value. This chapter also argues that much of what passes for theorizing in the music fields is over-generalized, that we need to continue to pay attention, whether ethnographically, historically, or some other way, to what is going on in the lives of the people we study, and that considering what those people value is a good way to start.
Roman Catholic Sacred Space
Authors: Primiano Leonard Norman
Published: June 2022

Pre-Christian world views of the animated universe had a profound impact on the developing religion. Especially influential on the tradition known as Roman Catholicism was an understanding and appreciation of sacred space that perfectly captures the sense of omnipresent sacredness—of sacredness in domestic and natural spaces—that is the legacy of pre-Christian habitus. This discussion of Catholic space and the places inhabited by this tradition’s sense of presence, materiality, and aesthetics seeks not a synthesis of “Catholic” space, but of “Catholics’ ” spaces. The chapter invites readers to open their minds to the intrinsic Catholic sensibility of the omnipotent sacredness found in natural and built environments, from the mountains to a special tree to the desert to ecclesiastical and domestic enclosures (from vast cathedrals to home altars), and in the layered decoration that is emblematic of the materialization of Roman Catholic vernacular religion.
The Impermanence of Religious Space
Authors: Kilde Jeanne Halgren
Published: June 2022

Although the materiality of churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious buildings implies permanence, their presence and their congregations in specific locations, or “religioscapes,” are in constant flux. This chapter argues that our understanding of these changes is limited because our interpretive frameworks have been too narrow. It identifies and examines two frameworks that have dominated scholarly and media discourse: the conquer and vanquish model that views change as a result of conflict, and the progress or decline model that views change as a result of immigrant assimilation or secularization. Arguing that these perspectives mask other motivations and processes that drive change, the chapter builds on a case study of religious sites in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, to propose an alternative framework that approaches religioscapes as spaces of encounter that function constitutively in the development of religious pluralism and where change is motivated by internal congregational factors and external pressures.
Sites of Miracles and Other Holy Places
Authors: Hendrickson Brett
Published: June 2022

This chapter examines sites of miracles by focusing on a case study of the Santuario de Chimayó, a church in New Mexico known for miraculous healing and pilgrimage. It describes the Santuario’s history and contemporary characteristics to illumine the complex encounters between various stakeholders at the site. Pueblo people, Hispanic New Mexicans, Catholic clergy, and thousands of tourists all lay claim to the miraculous at the Santuario in ways that sometimes complement each other and sometimes compete. The chapter suggests that the present case study of the Santuario, rather than providing a universal template for all miracle sites, instead provides a compelling point of comparison for other such sites.
Exploration of Religious Spaces in Western Africa
Authors: Dei Daniel
Published: June 2022

This chapter focuses on the character and significance of religious spaces in Western Africa. An examination of the nature of Western African communities reveals many physical structures, thought patterns, emotional expressions, and symbols that have acute religious implications. Combining the structuralist-hermeneutical and sociohistorical approaches, it probes the question, What is the nature and significance of religious spaces in Western Africa? The chapter examines four types of religious spaces and reveals that religious spaces continue to define the individual and corporate identity of Western Africans in the twenty-first century. These influences are perceptible in terms of the thoughts, actions, and emotional expressions of the Western African, touching on, but not limited to, historical and religiocultural heritage, spirituality, world view, ecological preservation, existential stability, and moral stability. In this regard, it is recommended that religious spaces in Western Africa be preserved against going extinct.
Playing in the Borderlands
Authors: Gilman Vee , Reed Rachel , bautista ezequiel , Taylor Arnett Ashley , Perkins Freddy , Hadley Susan
Published: June 2022

Music therapy pedagogy has traditionally been defined by rigid roles and structures, including fixed teacher/learner identity categories, systematized hierarchies of knowledge and communication, cultural and musical gatekeeping practices, and standardized musical, clinical, and professional competencies. These structures represent narrowly defined borders which limit who enters the profession, how we understand human variability, and whose knowledges are acceptable within the field of music therapy. This chapter aims to destabilize long-held oppressive categorizations and emphasizes generative liminal spaces as opportunities to experience radically inclusive relationships. We believe that these relationships are key to the transformative learning process of understanding ourselves, others, and the worlds we inhabit. We engage queer theory literature to establish key tenets of ‘queering’ as an active practice applicable beyond gender and sexuality to include other socially constructed identity categories such as race and disability. We then move beyond identity categories themselves to address systemic educational and institutional practices.
Ethnography in Comparative Environmental Politics
Authors: Pacheco-Vega Raul
Published: June 2022

Ethnography—the systematic observation of populations and communities with the intention of learning about the cultural inner workings of a societal group—is part of a larger suite of qualitative methods available to researchers in comparative environmental politics (CEP). This chapter showcases the application of a qualitative research strategy that pays attention to the potential vulnerabilities of the communities under study. It draws on original research on bottled water consumption and informal waste picking to show how a doubly engaged ethnography has the potential to yield robust insights into the comparative environmental politics of resource governance. It explains how CEP as a field can benefit from using doubly engaged ethnography as a methodological framework by focusing on the study of unorthodox commons and their usage by vulnerable populations, utilizing examples from across the world.
The Regional Novel and the Novel of the Mexican Revolution on Common Ground
Authors: Mitchell Tamara L. , Smith Amanda M.
Published: June 2022

This chapter focuses on the common ground tread by the Latin American regional novel and the novel of the Mexican Revolution, namely, a shared preoccupation with questions of land sovereignty and land ownership. While the two narrative modes are often considered separate literary phenomena, this chapter argues for evaluating them together as critical responses to the reorganization of Latin American economies, politics, and cultures by neocolonial interests. Focusing on an emblematic novel from each category—José Eustasio Rivera’s La vorágine (The Vortex, 1924) and Martín Luis Guzmán’s El águila y la serpiente (The Eagle and the Serpent, 1928), this analysis charts a more expansive geography of the presence of tierra in the Latin American novel and proposes an alternative shared legacy of such works.
Financial Systems
Authors: Quaglia Lucia
Published: June 2022

Financial systems and the governance of global finance are key topics in International Political Economy (IPE) given the massive size of the financial sector worldwide, the mobility of finance, the cross-border nature of many financial services, the devastation caused by financial crises, and the link between finance and the real economy. This chapter reviews the existing literature on financial systems and the governance of finance in IPE. It first outlines the main theoretical approaches that have been used. It then takes stock from the existing works in the field, discussing to what extent various bodies of scholarly works speak to each other, and identifying blind spots in the literature. It is argued that, like other fields of IPE, the academic literature on the governance of financial systems has become largely problem-centered, meaning that, rather than contributing to specific “schools of thought,” most research engages with real-world questions, first and foremost, how to prevent and manage financial crises in the context of the multi-level governance of finance and how to study and understand the increased complexity of financial systems.
Implementation Initiatives to Improve Low Back Pain Care in Australia: A Scoping Review
Authors: Costa Nathalia , Blyth Fiona M , Amorim Anita B , Parambath Sarika , Shanmuganathan Selvanaayagam , Huckel Schneider Carmen
Published: June 2022

Objective

This scoping review aimed to comprehensively review strategies for implementation of low back pain (LBP) guidelines, policies, and models of care in the Australian health care system.

Methods

A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, and Web of Science to identify studies that aimed to implement or integrate evidence-based interventions or practices to improve LBP care within Australian settings.

Results

Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies targeted primary care settings (n = 13). Other settings included tertiary care (n = 4), community (n = 4), and pharmacies (n = 3). One study targeted both primary and tertiary care settings (n = 1). Only 40% of the included studies reported an underpinning framework, model, or theory. The implementation strategies most frequently used were evaluative and iterative strategies (n = 14, 56%) and train and educate stakeholders (n = 13, 52%), followed by engage consumers (n = 6, 24%), develop stakeholder relationships (n = 4, 16%), change in infrastructure (n = 4, 16%), and support clinicians (n = 3, 12%). The most common implementation outcomes considered were acceptability (n = 11, 44%) and adoption (n = 10, 40%), followed by appropriateness (n = 7, 28%), cost (n = 3, 12%), feasibility (n = 1, 4%), and fidelity (n = 1, 4%). Barriers included time constraints, funding, and teamwork availability. Facilitators included funding and collaboration between stakeholders.

Conclusions

Implementation research targeting LBP appears to be a young field, mostly focusing on training and educating stakeholders in primary care. Outcomes on sustainability and penetration of evidence-based interventions are lacking. There is a need for implementation research guided by established frameworks that consider interrelationships between organizational and system contexts beyond the clinician–patient dyad.