bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The methodological quality of 176,620 randomized controlled trials published between 1966 and 2018 reveals a positive trend but also an urgent need for improvement
Authors: Vinkers Christiaan H. , Lamberink Herm J. , Tijdink Joeri K. , Heus Pauline , Bouter Lex , Glasziou Paul , Moher David , Damen Johanna A. , Hooft Lotty , Otte Willem M.
Published: April 2021

Many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are biased and difficult to reproduce due to methodological flaws and poor reporting. There is increasing attention for responsible research practices and implementation of reporting guidelines, but whether these efforts have improved the methodological quality of RCTs (e.g., lower risk of bias) is unknown. We, therefore, mapped risk-of-bias trends over time in RCT publications in relation to journal and author characteristics. Meta-information of 176,620 RCTs published between 1966 and 2018 was extracted. The risk-of-bias probability (random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding of patients/personnel, and blinding of outcome assessment) was assessed using a risk-of-bias machine learning tool. This tool was simultaneously validated using 63,327 human risk-of-bias assessments obtained from 17,394 RCTs evaluated in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR). Moreover, RCT registration and CONSORT Statement reporting were assessed using automated searches. Publication characteristics included the number of authors, journal impact factor (JIF), and medical discipline. The annual number of published RCTs substantially increased over 4 decades, accompanied by increases in authors (5.2 to 7.8) and institutions (2.9 to 4.8). The risk of bias remained present in most RCTs but decreased over time for allocation concealment (63% to 51%), random sequence generation (57% to 36%), and blinding of outcome assessment (58% to 52%). Trial registration (37% to 47%) and the use of the CONSORT Statement (1% to 20%) also rapidly increased. In journals with a higher impact factor (>10), the risk of bias was consistently lower with higher levels of RCT registration and the use of the CONSORT Statement. Automated risk-of-bias predictions had accuracies above 70% for allocation concealment (70.7%), random sequence generation (72.1%), and blinding of patients/personnel (79.8%), but not for blinding of outcome assessment (62.7%). In conclusion, the likelihood of bias in RCTs has generally decreased over the last decades. This optimistic trend may be driven by increased knowledge augmented by mandatory trial registration and more stringent reporting guidelines and journal requirements. Nevertheless, relatively high probabilities of bias remain, particularly in journals with lower impact factors. This emphasizes that further improvement of RCT registration, conduct, and reporting is still urgently needed.
Sequence deeper without sequencing more: Bayesian resolution of ambiguously mapped reads
Authors: Shah Rohan N. , Ruthenburg Alexander J.
Published: April 2021

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has transformed molecular biology and contributed to many seminal insights into genomic regulation and function. Apart from whole-genome sequencing, an NGS workflow involves alignment of the sequencing reads to the genome of study, after which the resulting alignments can be used for downstream analyses. However, alignment is complicated by the repetitive sequences; many reads align to more than one genomic locus, with 15–30% of the genome not being uniquely mappable by short-read NGS. This problem is typically addressed by discarding reads that do not uniquely map to the genome, but this practice can lead to systematic distortion of the data. Previous studies that developed methods for handling ambiguously mapped reads were often of limited applicability or were computationally intensive, hindering their broader usage. In this work, we present SmartMap: an algorithm that augments industry-standard aligners to enable usage of ambiguously mapped reads by assigning weights to each alignment with Bayesian analysis of the read distribution and alignment quality. SmartMap is computationally efficient, utilizing far fewer weighting iterations than previously thought necessary to process alignments and, as such, analyzing more than a billion alignments of NGS reads in approximately one hour on a desktop PC. By applying SmartMap to peak-type NGS data, including MNase-seq, ChIP-seq, and ATAC-seq in three organisms, we can increase read depth by up to 53% and increase the mapped proportion of the genome by up to 18% compared to analyses utilizing only uniquely mapped reads. We further show that SmartMap enables the analysis of more than 140,000 repetitive elements that could not be analyzed by traditional ChIP-seq workflows, and we utilize this method to gain insight into the epigenetic regulation of different classes of repetitive elements. These data emphasize both the dangers of discarding ambiguously mapped reads and their power for driving biological discovery.
The landscape of metabolic pathway dependencies in cancer cell lines
Authors: Joly James H. , Chew Brandon T. L. , Graham Nicholas A.
Published: April 2021

The metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells creates metabolic vulnerabilities that can be therapeutically targeted. However, our understanding of metabolic dependencies and the pathway crosstalk that creates these vulnerabilities in cancer cells remains incomplete. Here, by integrating gene expression data with genetic loss-of-function and pharmacological screening data from hundreds of cancer cell lines, we identified metabolic vulnerabilities at the level of pathways rather than individual genes. This approach revealed that metabolic pathway dependencies are highly context-specific such that cancer cells are vulnerable to inhibition of one metabolic pathway only when activity of another metabolic pathway is altered. Notably, we also found that the no single metabolic pathway was universally essential, suggesting that cancer cells are not invariably dependent on any metabolic pathway. In addition, we confirmed that cell culture medium is a major confounding factor for the analysis of metabolic pathway vulnerabilities. Nevertheless, we found robust associations between metabolic pathway activity and sensitivity to clinically approved drugs that were independent of cell culture medium. Lastly, we used parallel integration of pharmacological and genetic dependency data to confidently identify metabolic pathway vulnerabilities. Taken together, this study serves as a comprehensive characterization of the landscape of metabolic pathway vulnerabilities in cancer cell lines.
Caenorhabditis elegans PTR/PTCHD PTR-18 promotes the clearance of extracellular hedgehog-related protein via endocytosis
Authors: Chiyoda Hirohisa , Kume Masahiko , del Castillo Carla Cadena , Kontani Kenji , Spang Anne , Katada Toshiaki , Fukuyama Masamitsu
Published: April 2021

Spatiotemporal restriction of signaling plays a critical role in animal development and tissue homeostasis. All stem and progenitor cells in newly hatchedC.eleganslarvae are quiescent and capable of suspending their development until sufficient food is supplied. Here, we show thatptr-18, which encodes the evolutionarily conserved patched-related (PTR)/patched domain-containing (PTCHD) protein, temporally restricts the availability of extracellular hedgehog-related protein to establish the capacity of progenitor cells to maintain quiescence. We found that neural progenitor cells exit from quiescence inptr-18mutant larvae even when hatched under starved conditions. This unwanted reactivation depended on the activity of a specific set of hedgehog-relatedgrlgenes includinggrl-7. Unexpectedly, neither PTR-18 nor GRL-7 were expressed in newly hatched wild-type larvae. Instead, at the late embryonic stage, both PTR-18 and GRL-7 proteins were first localized around the apical membrane of hypodermal and neural progenitor cells and subsequently targeted for lysosomal degradation before hatching. Loss ofptr-18caused a significant delay in GRL-7 clearance, causing this protein to be retained in the extracellular space in newly hatchedptr-18mutant larvae. Furthermore, the putative transporter activity of PTR-18 was shown to be required for the appropriate function of the protein. These findings not only uncover a previously undescribed role of PTR/PTCHD in the clearance of extracellular hedgehog-related proteins via endocytosis-mediated degradation but also illustrate that failure to temporally restrict intercellular signaling during embryogenesis can subsequently compromise post-embryonic progenitor cell function.
The actin nucleation factors JMY and WHAMM enable a rapid Arp2/3 complex-mediated intrinsic pathway of apoptosis
Authors: King Virginia L. , Leclair Nathan K. , Coulter Alyssa M. , Campellone Kenneth G.
Published: April 2021

The actin cytoskeleton is a well-known player in most vital cellular processes, but comparably little is understood about how the actin assembly machinery impacts programmed cell death pathways. In the current study, we explored roles for the human Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein (WASP) family of actin nucleation factors in DNA damage-induced apoptosis. Inactivation of each WASP-family gene revealed that two of them, JMY and WHAMM, are necessary for rapid apoptotic responses. JMY and WHAMM participate in a p53-dependent cell death pathway by enhancing mitochondrial permeabilization, initiator caspase cleavage, and executioner caspase activation. JMY-mediated apoptosis requires actin nucleation via the Arp2/3 complex, and actin filaments are assembled in cytoplasmic territories containing clusters of cytochrome c and active caspase-3. The loss of JMY additionally results in significant changes in gene expression, including upregulation of the WHAMM-interacting G-protein RhoD. Depletion or deletion of RHOD increases cell death, suggesting that RhoD normally contributes to cell survival. These results give rise to a model in which JMY and WHAMM promote intrinsic cell death responses that can be opposed by RhoD.
Trehalose and α-glucan mediate distinct abiotic stress responses in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Woodcock Stuart D. , Syson Karl , Little Richard H. , Ward Danny , Sifouna Despoina , Brown James K. M. , Bornemann Stephen , Malone Jacob G.
Published: April 2021

An important prelude to bacterial infection is the ability of a pathogen to survive independently of the host and to withstand environmental stress. The compatible solute trehalose has previously been connected with diverse abiotic stress tolerances, particularly osmotic shock. In this study, we combine molecular biology and biochemistry to dissect the trehalose metabolic network in the opportunistic human pathogenPseudomonas aeruginosaPAO1 and define its role in abiotic stress protection. We show that trehalose metabolism in PAO1 is integrated with the biosynthesis of branched α-glucan (glycogen), with mutants in either biosynthetic pathway significantly compromised for survival on abiotic surfaces. While both trehalose and α-glucan are important for abiotic stress tolerance, we show they counter distinct stresses. Trehalose is important for the PAO1 osmotic stress response, with trehalose synthesis mutants displaying severely compromised growth in elevated salt conditions. However, trehalose does not contribute directly to the PAO1 desiccation response. Rather, desiccation tolerance is mediated directly by GlgE-derived α-glucan, with deletion of theglgEsynthase gene compromising PAO1 survival in low humidity but having little effect on osmotic sensitivity. Desiccation tolerance is independent of trehalose concentration, marking a clear distinction between the roles of these two molecules in mediating responses to abiotic stress.
Microsatellite based molecular epidemiology of Leishmania infantum from re-emerging foci of visceral leishmaniasis in Armenia and pilot risk assessment by ecological niche modeling
Authors: Kuhls Katrin , Moskalenko Olga , Sukiasyan Anna , Manukyan Dezdemonia , Melik-Andreasyan Gayane , Atshemyan Liana , Apresyan Hripsime , Strelkova Margarita , Jaeschke Anja , Wieland Ralf , Frohme Marcus , Cortes Sofia , Keshishyan Ara
Published: April 2021

Background

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is re-emerging in Armenia since 1999 with 167 cases recorded until 2019. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine for the first time the genetic diversity and population structure of the causative agent of VL in Armenia; (ii) to compare these genotypes with those from most endemic regions worldwide; (iii) to monitor the diversity of vectors in Armenia; (iv) to predict the distribution of the vectors and VL in time and space by ecological niche modeling.

Methodology/Principal findings

Human samples from different parts of Armenia previously identified by ITS-1-RFLP asL.infantumwere studied by Multilocus Microsatellite Typing (MLMT). These data were combined with previously typedL.infantumstrains from the main global endemic regions for population structure analysis. Within the 23 ArmenianL.infantumstrains 22 different genotypes were identified. The combined analysis revealed that all strains belong to the worldwide predominating MON1-population, however most closely related to a subpopulation from Southeastern Europe, Maghreb, Middle East and Central Asia. The three observed Armenian clusters grouped within this subpopulation with strains from Greece/Turkey, and from Central Asia, respectively. Ecological niche modeling based on VL cases and collected proven vectors (P.balcanicus,P.kandelakii)identified Yerevan and districts Lori, Tavush, Syunik, Armavir, Ararat bordering Georgia, Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan as most suitable for the vectors and with the highest risk for VL transmission. Due to climate change the suitable habitat for VL transmission will expand in future all over Armenia.

Conclusions

Genetic diversity and population structure of the causative agent of VL in Armenia were addressed for the first time. Further genotyping studies should be performed with samples from infected humans, animals and sand flies from all active foci including the neighboring countries to understand transmission cycles, re-emergence, spread, and epidemiology of VL in Armenia and the entire Transcaucasus enabling epidemiological monitoring.
Diagnostic performance of anti-Zika virus IgM, IgAM and IgG ELISAs during co-circulation of Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses in Brazil and Venezuela
Authors: Morales Ivonne , Rosenberger Kerstin D. , Magalhaes Tereza , Morais Clarice N. L. , Braga Cynthia , Marques Ernesto T. A. , Calvet Guilherme Amaral , Damasceno Luana , Brasil Patricia , Bispo de Filippis Ana Maria , Tami Adriana , Bethencourt Sarah , Alvarez Mayling , Martínez Pedro A. , Guzman Maria G. , Souza Benevides Bruno , Caprara Andrea , Quyen Nguyen Than Ha , Simmons Cameron P. , Wills Bridget , de Lamballerie Xavier , Drexler Jan Felix , Jaenisch Thomas ,   the IDAMS Clinical Study Group
Published: April 2021

Background

Serological diagnosis of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is challenging because of the antibody cross-reactivity among flaviviruses. At the same time, the role of Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) is limited by the low proportion of symptomatic infections and the low average viral load. Here, we compared the diagnostic performance of commercially available IgM, IgAM, and IgG ELISAs in sequential samples during the ZIKV and chikungunya (CHIKV) epidemics and co-circulation of dengue virus (DENV) in Brazil and Venezuela.

Methodology/Principal findings

Acute (day of illness 1–5) and follow-up (day of illness ≥ 6) blood samples were collected from nine hundred and seven symptomatic patients enrolled in a prospective multicenter study between June 2012 and August 2016. Acute samples were tested by RT-PCR for ZIKV, DENV, and CHIKV. Acute and follow-up samples were tested for IgM, IgAM, and IgG antibodies to ZIKV using commercially available ELISAs. Among follow-up samples with a RT-PCR confirmed ZIKV infection, anti-ZIKV IgAM sensitivity was 93.5% (43/46), while IgM and IgG exhibited sensitivities of 30.3% (10/33) and 72% (18/25), respectively. An additional 24% (26/109) of ZIKV infections were detected via IgAM seroconversion in ZIKV/DENV/CHIKV RT-PCR negative patients. The specificity of anti-ZIKV IgM was estimated at 93% and that of IgAM at 85%.

Conclusions/Significance

Our findings exemplify the challenges of the assessment of test performance for ZIKV serological tests in the real-world setting, during co-circulation of DENV, ZIKV, and CHIKV. However, we can also demonstrate that the IgAM immunoassay exhibits superior sensitivity to detect ZIKV RT-PCR confirmed infections compared to IgG and IgM immunoassays. The IgAM assay also proves to be promising for detection of anti-ZIKV seroconversions in sequential samples, both in ZIKV PCR-positive as well as PCR-negative patients, making this a candidate assay for serological monitoring of pregnant women in future ZIKV outbreaks.
Neglected human Rickettsia felis infection in Taiwan: A retrospective seroepidemiological survey of patients with suspected rickettsioses
Authors: Yang Wan-Hsiu , Hsu Meng-Shiuan , Shu Pei-Yun , Tsai Kun-Hsien , Fang Chi-Tai
Published: April 2021

Background

Current knowledge on Rickettsia felis infection in humans is based on sporadic case reports. Here we conducted a retrospective seroepidemiological survey of R. felis infection among febrile patients visiting a medical center in Taipei.

Methodology/Principal findings

A total of 122 patients with suspected rickettsioses presenting with fever of unknown origin (FUO) but tested negative for scrub typhus, murine typhus, or Q fever were retrospectively identified during 2009 to 2010. The archived serum samples were examined for the presence of antibodies against R. felis, Rickettsia japonica, and Rickettsia typhi using microimmunofluorescence (MIF) assay. Serological evidence of Rickettsia exposure was found in 23 (19%, 23/122) patients. Eight patients had antibodies reactive to R. felis, including four with current infection (a ≥4-fold increase in IgG titer between acute and convalescent sera). The clinical presentations of these four patients included fever, skin rash, lymphadenopathy, as well as more severe conditions such as pancytopenia, hepatomegaly, elevated liver enzymes/bilirubin, and life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome. One of the patients died after doxycycline was stopped after being tested negative for scrub typhus, Q fever, and murine typhus.

Conclusions

Rickettsia felis is a neglected flea-borne pathogen in Taiwan, and its infection can be life-threatening. Further prospective studies of the prevalence of R. felis among patients with FUO and compatible clinical manifestations are warranted.
Female emancipation in a male dominant, sexually dimorphic primate under natural conditions
Authors: Izar Patrícia , Fernández-Bolaños Marcelo , Seex Lauren , Gort Gerrit , Suscke Priscila , Tokuda Marcos , Mendonça-Furtado Olívia , Verderane Michele P. , Hemelrijk Charlotte K.
Published: April 2021

In most group-living animals, a dominance hierarchy reduces the costs of competition for limited resources. Dominance ranks may reflect prior attributes, such as body size, related to fighting ability or reflect the history of self-reinforcing effects of winning and losing a conflict (the winner-loser effect), or both. As to prior attributes, in sexually dimorphic species, where males are larger than females, males are assumed to be dominant over females. As to the winner-loser effect, the computational model DomWorld has shown that despite the female’s lower initial fighting ability, females achieve some degree of dominance of females over males. In the model, this degree of female dominance increases with the proportion of males in a group. This increase was supposed to emerge from the higher fraction of fights of males among themselves. These correlations were confirmed in despotic macaques, vervet monkeys, and in humans. Here, we first investigate this hypothesis in DomWorld and next in long-term data of 9,300 observation hours on six wild groups of robust capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus; S. nigritus, and S. xanthosternos) in three Brazilian sites. We test whether both the proportion of males and degree of female dominance over males are indeed associated with a higher relative frequency of aggression among males and a higher relative frequency of aggression of females to males. We confirm these correlations in DomWorld. Next, we confirm in empirical data of capuchin monkeys that with the proportion of males in the group there is indeed an increase in female dominance over males, and in the relative frequency of both male-male aggression and aggression of females to males and that the female dominance index is significantly positively associated with male male aggression. Our results reveal that adult sex ratio influences the power relation between the sexes beyond predictions from socioecological models.
Predicting poor outcomes in children aged 1–12 with respiratory tract infections: A systematic review
Authors: Edwards George , Newbould Louise , Nesbitt Charlotte , Rogers Miranda , Morris Rebecca L. , Hay Alastair D. , Campbell Stephen M. , Hayward Gail
Published: April 2021

Background

Demand for NHS services is high and rising. In children respiratory tract infections (RTI) are the most common reason for consultation with primary care. Understanding which features are associated with good and poor prognosis with RTI will help develop interventions to support parents manage illness.

Aim

To identify symptoms, signs, and investigation results associated with good and poor prognosis, and clinical decision making in children aged 1–12 years with RTI symptoms, at home and presenting to ambulatory care.

Design and setting

Systematic literature review.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cinahl, Web of Science and the Cochrane database of systematic reviews for studies of children aged 1 to 12 years with a RTI or related condition reporting symptoms, signs and investigation results associated with prognostic outcomes. Quality was assessed using the QUIPS tool.

Results

We included 27 studies which included 34802 children and measured 192 factors. Nine studies explored future outcomes and the remainder explored clinical management from the initial consultation with the health services. None were conducted in a home setting. Respiratory signs, vomiting, fever, dehydration and tachycardia at the initial contact were associated with future hospitalisation. Little evidence was available for other outcomes.

Conclusion

Some evidence is available to clinicians to stratify risk of, future hospitalisation, but not of other prognostic outcomes. There is little evidence available to parents to identify children at risk of poor prognosis. Research is needed into whether poor prognosis can be predicted by parents in the home.
Openness Toward Organizational Change Scale (OTOCS): Validity evidence from Brazil and Portugal
Authors: Sinval Jorge , Miller Vernon , Marôco João
Published: April 2021

Openness toward organizational change is central to employees’ responses to organizations’ strategic actions. This study aims to assess the validity evidence of the Openness Toward Organizational Change Scale (OTOCS) by examining the internal structure of the measure (e.g., dimensionality, reliability, measurement invariance) and its relations with other variables such as quality of work life, burnout, job satisfaction, and work engagement. A cross-sectional study was conducted using total sample of 1,175 workers, with 565 workers from Portugal and 610 from Brazil. The data provided satisfactory validity evidence based on the internal structure: the expected dimensionality was confirmed, acceptable levels of reliability were found, and measurement invariance was achieved among countries and sex. The measure also demonstrated satisfactory validity evidence based on the relations to other variables, being negatively associated with burnout and positively associated with work engagement, job satisfaction and quality of work. The OTOCS proved to be a relatively short self-report measure with satisfactory validity evidence to be used among Brazilian and Portuguese workers.
One dog’s waste is another dog’s wealth: A pilot study of fecal microbiota transplantation in dogs with acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome
Authors: Gal Arnon , Barko Patrick C. , Biggs Patrick J. , Gedye Kristene R. , Midwinter Anne C. , Williams David A. , Burchell Richard K. , Pazzi Paolo
Published: April 2021

Canine acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome (AHDS) has been associated in some studies withClostridioides perfringensovergrowth and toxin-mediated necrosis of the intestinal mucosa. We aimed to determine the effect of a single fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) on clinical scores and fecal microbiomes of 1 and 7 dogs with AHDS from New Zealand and South Africa. We hypothesized that FMT would improve AHDS clinical scores and increase microbiota alpha-diversity and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing microbial communities’ abundances in dogs with AHDS after FMT. We sequenced the V3-V4 region of the 16S-rRNA gene in the feces of AHDS FMT-recipients and sham-treated control dogs, and their healthy donors at admission, discharge, and 30 days post-discharge. There were no significant differences in median AHDS clinical scores between FMT-recipients and sham-treated controls at admission or discharge (P = 0.22, P = 0.41). At admission, the Shannon diversity index (SDI) was lower in AHDS dogs than healthy donors (P = 0.002). The SDI did not change from admission to 30 days in sham-treated dogs yet increased in FMT-recipients from admission to discharge (P = 0.04) to levels not different than donors (P = 0.33) but significantly higher than sham-treated controls (P = 0.002). At 30 days, the SDI did not differ between FMT recipients, sham-treated controls, and donors (P = 0.88). Principal coordinate analysis of the Bray-Curtis index separated post-FMT and donor dogs from pre-FMT and sham-treated dogs (P = 0.009) because of increased SCFA-producing genera’s abundances after FMT. A single co-abundance subnetwork contained many of the same OTUs found to be differentially abundant in FMT-recipients, and the abundance of this module was increased in FMT-recipients at discharge and 30 days, compared to sham-treated controls. We conclude in this small pilot study FMT did not have any clinical benefit. A single FMT procedure has the potential to increase bacterial communities of SCFA-producing genera important for intestinal health up to 30 days post-FMT.
Balancing the influenza neuraminidase and hemagglutinin responses by exchanging the vaccine virus backbone
Authors: Gao Jin , Wan Hongquan , Li Xing , Rakic Martinez Mira , Klenow Laura , Gao Yamei , Ye Zhiping , Daniels Robert
Published: April 2021

Virions are a common antigen source for many viral vaccines. One limitation to using virions is that the antigen abundance is determined by the content of each protein in the virus. This caveat especially applies to viral-based influenza vaccines where the low abundance of the neuraminidase (NA) surface antigen remains a bottleneck for improving the NA antibody response. Our systematic analysis using recent H1N1 vaccine antigens demonstrates that the NA to hemagglutinin (HA) ratio in virions can be improved by exchanging the viral backbone internal genes, especially the segment encoding the polymerase PB1 subunit. The purified inactivated virions with higher NA content show a more spherical morphology, a shift in the balance between the HA receptor binding and NA receptor release functions, and induce a better NA inhibitory antibody response in mice. These results indicate that influenza viruses support a range of ratios for a given NA and HA pair which can be used to produce viral-based influenza vaccines with higher NA content that can elicit more balanced neutralizing antibody responses to NA and HA.
Influencia del contexto en problemas de multiplicación y división: estudio de caso de un alumno con autismo
Authors: Polo Blanco Irene , González López María José , Bruno Alicia
Published: April 2021

Los estudiantes diagnosticados con Trastornos del Espectro Autista (TEA) suelen desarrollar un interés especial sobre áreas que no son habituales en cuanto a su intensidad o temática. Este trabajo profundiza en comprender la influencia que tienen las áreas de interés especial en los procesos de resolución de problemas aritméticos verbales de multiplicación y división, mediante un estudio de caso único con un estudiante de 11 años diagnosticado con TEA y discapacidad intelectual. Se utiliza un cuestionario formado por 15 problemas enunciados en tres tipos de contextos: de interés especial, familiar y no familiar. Siguiendo una metodología cualitativa, se clasifican las estrategias informales y el éxito en la obtención de la solución. Los resultados muestran que las áreas de interés especial han supuesto una mayor implicación del estudiante, pero no han logrado una mejora efectiva respecto de los contextos familiares, ya que en ambos contextos el estudiante ha resuelto los problemas de multiplicación y de división-agrupamiento pero no ha logrado resolver los problemas de división-reparto. En el contexto no familiar no ha resuelto ningún problema. Estos hallazgos contribuyen a completar la literatura existente sobre la utilidad educativa de las áreas de interés especial en estudiantes diagnosticados con TEA.
Mengenal Koleksi Tematik Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali dalam Sebuah Taman
Authors:   Indonesian Institute Of Sciences, hanum siti fatimah , Darma I Dewa Putu ,   Indonesian Institute Of Sciences, Iryadi Rajif ,   Indonesian Institute Of Sciences, Rahayu Ayyu ,   Indonesian Institute Of Sciences, Sutomo Sutomo ,   Indonesian Institute Of Sciences
Published: April 2021

Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali merupakan salah satu kebun raya yang dikelola oleh Pusat Penelitian Konservasi Tumbuhan dan Kebun Raya, Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (PPKTR-LIPI). Terletak di kawasan dataran tinggi Bedugul, kebun raya ini menjanjikan pemandangan alam yang sangat indah disertai dengan udara sejuk khas pegunungan. Koleksi tumbuhan dari dataran tinggi kering dan kawasan timur Indonesia menjadi ciri khas yang tidak terpisahkan dari Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali. Dibalik keindahan alam tersebut, buku ini akan mengulas taman tematik yang ada di Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali. Koleksi tumbuhan yang ada terbagi ke dalam beberapa taman khusus sesuai dengan jenisnya, misalnya Taman Rhododendron, Taman Anggrek, Taman Kaktus, Taman Begonia, Taman Cyathea, Taman Bambu, dan Taman Aquatik. Selain itu, terdapat juga taman khusus yang menyimpan koleksi tumbuhan bermanfaat, seperti Taman Panca Yadnya dan Taman Usada. Tema kekayaan cerita budaya nusantara juga diusung oleh konsep taman tematik ini, seperti yang dapat ditemukan pada Taman Boulevard Ramayana. Keindahan alam, kekayaan koleksi tumbuhan, serta keunikan desain arsitektur lewat taman tematik tersebut menjadi tiga keunggulan utama yang dapat Anda nikmati di Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali. Buku ini telah merangkumnya bagi Anda, dan tentunya akan membuat Anda segera ingin berkunjung ke sana.
A szervezeti kultúra mérési kultúrája: kérdőív-tipológia és kulcsdimenziók
Authors: Toarniczky Andrea
Published: April 2021

A tanulmány célja, hogy bemutassa a kérdőíves felmérések szerepét a szervezeti kultúra kutatásokban. A kitűzött cél elérése érdekében a szerző: 1) elhelyezi a kérdőíves kultúrakutatásokat a szervezeti kultúra kutatási terében; 2) a szervezeti kultúra kérdőív-típusait definiálja az általuk vizsgált kultúraszint (magatartás, érték) és az elemzés fókuszában álló összefüggés (vagy annak hiánya) függvényében (kultúra – teljesítmény, kulturális illeszkedés); 3) meghatározza a kulturális kulcsdimenziókat.
Kultúra és gazda(g)ság – a gazdasági fejlődés és fejlettség és a GLOBE kultúraváltozóinak összefüggései
Authors: Bakacsi Gyula
Published: April 2021

A tanulmány arra keresi a választ, hogy a kultúra illetve annak jellegzetes mintázatai mennyiben befolyásolják a gazdasági fejlettséget, fejlődőképességet. A kultúra mérése a GLOBE 62 országra kiterjedő adatbázisára alapozódik, a GLOBE kultúraváltozók és a társadalmi-gazdasági fejlettség különböző mutatószámai közötti kapcsolatokat (korrelációkat) mutatjuk be. Részletes elemzés mutatja ki a World Competitiveness Index (WCI) és a kultúra változók közötti kapcsolatot. A kutatási eredmények szerint a teljesítményorientáció, a jövőorientáció és a bizonytalanságkerülés a gazdasági fejlettség és a versenyképesség legmegbízhatóbb előrejelzői, emellett az intézményi kollektivizmus is pozitív korrelációt mutat több fejlettség mutatóval. A kutatási eredmények szerint ugyanakkor az erős csoport kollekvizmus és a nagy hatalmi távolság negatív prediktorai a gazdasági fejlettségnek és versenyképességnek.
Tervezési folyamatok, a rendszer működése
Authors: Hanyecz Lajos
Published: April 2021

A tervezés az eredményorientált vállalati irányítás meghatározó eszköze, a működés alapja. Az eredmények mellett azonban a tervezést számos kritika éri mind stratégiai, mind operatív vonatkozásban: a tervezési folyamatok bonyolultak, nehezen áttekinthetők, nem alkalmaznak megfelelő módszereket stb. A tervezési rendszerek fejlesztésének meghatározó feladata, a vállalat stratégiai céljainak, tevékenységrendszerének megfelelő tervezési folyamatok kialakítása. A szerző tanulmányában egy kibernetikai szemléletű elvi modell bemutatását követően a gyakorlatban alkalmazott hagyományos logika két változatát és az optimalizáló szemléletű tervezés folyamatait tárgyalja.
Spin-off – egy pályázat tanulságai
Authors: Vastag András , Péli Gergely , Bódis Lívia , Honti Katalin , Lennert Krisztina
Published: April 2021

2005 októberében hirdetett pályázatot a BKTE Alapítvány összefogva a Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem Innovációs Kutatóközpontjával (IKU), valamint Kisvállalkozás-fejlesztési Központjával (KFK) „Tudásra épülő, kipörgetett (spin-off) vállalkozások keletkezése, fejlődése” címmel. Maga az elnevezés „spin-off” mind ismerősebben cseng az egyetemi oktatók, kutatók fülének, ugyanakkor még mindig nagyon keveset tudunk, a spin-off cégek gyakorlatáról, arról, mi motiválja a résztvevőket, amikor vállalkozásukat kipörgetik, milyen viszonyt tartanak fenn az anyaintézménnyel, milyen nehézségekkel kell megküzdeniük működésük során, mi segíti és mi gátolja fejlődésüket. Ezekre a kérdésekre keresett választ a pályázat és kerestek választ esettanulmányaikban a pályázó hallgatók. Bár, a szakirodalomban nincs még mindenki által elfogadott egységes értelmezése a spin off vállalkozásoknak, a kiírók az OECD titkársága által javasolt definíciót fogadták el és ajánlották a pályázók figyelmébe. Eszerint • „Spin-off bármilyen olyan új cég, amelyet közfinanszírozású intézmény vagy egyetem alkalmazottja alapított. • Spin-off bármilyen olyan új cég, amely technológiáját egyetemtől vagy más közfinanszírozású kutatóintézettől nyerte licenceljárás keretében. • Spin-off bármilyen olyan új cég, amelyben egyetem vagy más nemzeti kutató laboratórium tőkerészesedéssel vesz részt. • Spin-off bármilyen olyan új cég, amelyet közfinanszírozású kutatóintézet alapított.” (Kleinheincz, 2004.)
Jugend und Widerstand in Algier
Authors: Hecking Britta Elena
Published: April 2021

Jugendliche als Akteurinnen und Akteure des Widerstands in Zeiten urbaner Transformationen: Aufbauend auf einer historischen Analyse geht Britta Elena Hecking der Bedeutung des ›Navigierens‹ in den öffentlichen und halböffentlichen Alltagsräumen der Jugendlichen in Algier nach. ›Navigieren‹ bezeichnet in der Sprache der Jugendlichen das Unterwegssein im städtischen Raum auf der Suche nach Möglichkeiten des Sich-Durchschlagens und Ermächtigens. Die Studie zeigt auf, wie gewöhnliche Alltagspraktiken dazu beitragen, Gemeinschaft und Teilhabe Jugendlicher zu fördern, und somit als Widerstand gegen Ausgrenzung wirken.
Neapel - Eine alte Stadt erzählt sich neu
Authors: Germer Saskia
Published: April 2021

An der Schwelle zum 21. Jahrhundert ist Neapel eine Stadt voller Widersprüche: Während Krisen die süditalienische Hafenmetropole fest im Griff haben, ist die neapolitanische Literatur seit den 1990er Jahren außerordentlich produktiv. Saskia Germer zeigt: In einer Ästhetik des Peripheren verhandelt die Erzählliteratur der Gegenwart Themen, die mit der lokalen Spezifik der Stadt eng verbunden und gleichzeitig von globaler Relevanz sind. Der tiefgreifende soziale, politische und kulturelle Wandel wird in den Werken von Antonella Cilento, Diego De Silva, Elena Ferrante, Peppe Lanzetta, Andrej Longo und Roberto Saviano in eindrucksvollen Bildern neu verhandelt.
Corona und andere Weltuntergänge
Authors: Nagel Alexander-Kenneth
Published: April 2021

Finanzkrise, Flüchtlingskrise, Klimanotstand und nun Corona. Das 21. Jahrhundert ist von Beginn an reich an Krisen. Zugleich haben spätestens seit dem Jahrtausendwechsel apokalyptische Deutungen des Weltgeschehens Konjunktur. Alexander-Kenneth Nagel analysiert die apokalyptische Tiefenstruktur aktueller Krisendiagnosen zur Corona-Pandemie, zur ökologischen Krise vom Club of Rome bis hin zu Extinction Rebellion und zur Krise des Nationalismus. Er vermittelt ein vertieftes Verständnis der Endzeit-Mentalität spätmoderner Gesellschaften und der anhaltenden Konjunktur der Apokalyptik als religiösem und weltanschaulichem Geschäftsmodell.
21st Century Retro: "Mad Men" and 1960s America in Film and Television
Authors: Baruah Debarchana
Published: April 2021

Numerous contemporary televisual productions revisit the past but direct their energies towards history's non-events and anti-heroic subjectivities. Debarchana Baruah offers a vocabulary to discuss these, using Mad Men as a primary case study and supplementing the analysis with other examples from the US and around the world. She takes a fundamentally interdisciplinary approach to studying film and television, drawing from history, memory, and nostalgia discourses, and layering them with theories of intertextuality, paratexts, and actor-networks. The book's compositions style invites discussions from scholars of various fields, as well as those who are simply fans of history or of Mad Men.
Об одной задаче для уравнения параболо-гиперболического типа дробного порядка с нелинейной нагруженной частью
Authors: Абдуллаев Обиджон Хайруллаевич , Abdullaev Obidjon Khayrullaevich
Published: April 2021

Работа посвящена доказательству единственности и существования решения нелокальной задачи с интегральным условием склеивания для уравнения параболо-гиперболического типа с дробной производной Капуто и с нагруженным нелинейным оператором. С использованием метода интегралов энергии доказана единственность решения, а существование решения доказано методом интегральных уравнений.
Задача со смещением для вырождающегося гиперболического уравнения первого рода
Authors: Балкизов Жираслан Анатольевич , Balkizov Zhiraslan Anatolievich
Published: April 2021

Рассматривается вырождающееся гиперболическое уравнение первого рода второго порядка, содержащее слагаемое с младшей производной, для которого исследованы две краевые задачи со смещением, обобщающие известные первую и вторую задачи Дарбу. При определенных условиях на заданные функции и параметры, входящие в постановку исследуемых задач, доказаны теоремы о существовании единственного регулярного решения задач. Выявлены свойства всех регулярных решений рассматриваемого уравнения, являющиеся аналогами теорем о среднем значении для волнового уравнения.
Нестационарная функция прогиба для неограниченной анизотропной пластины
Authors: Сердюк Александр Олегович , Serdyuk Alexander Olegovich , Сердюк Дмитрий Олегович , Serdyuk Dmitry Olegovich , Федотенков Григорий Валерьевич , Fedotenkov Grigorii Valer'evich
Published: April 2021

Работа посвящена исследованию нестационарных колебаний тонкой анизотропной неограниченной пластины Кирхгофа при воздействии на нее произвольных нестационарных нагрузок.
Подход к решению основан на принципе суперпозиции и методе функций влияния (функций Грина), суть которого заключается в связи искомого решения с нагрузкой при помощи интегрального оператора типа свeртки по пространственным переменным и по времени. Ядром этого оператора является функция Грина для анизотропной пластины, которая представляет собой нормальные перемещения в ответ на воздействие единичной сосредоточенной нагрузки по координатам и времени, математически описываемой дельта-функциями Дирака. Для построения функции Грина использованы прямые и обратные интегральные преобразования Лапласа и Фурье. Обратное интегральное преобразование Лапласа найдено аналитически. Обратное двумерное интегральное преобразование Фурье найдено численно методом интегрирования быстро осциллирующих функций. Полученное фундаментальное решение позволило представить искомый нестационарный прогиб в виде тройной свертки по пространственным координатам и по времени функции Грина с функцией нестационарной нагрузки. Для вычисления интеграла свeртки и построения искомого решения использован метод прямоугольников.
Найденная функция прогиба позволяет исследовать пространственно-временное поведение изгибных нестационарных колебаний в неограниченной пластине Кирхгофа для различных вариантов симметрии упругой среды: анизотропная, ортотропная, трансверсально-изотропная и изотропная. Представлены примеры расчетов.
Решение задачи Ламе для составных трансверсально-изотропных сфер с общим центром
Authors: Зайцев Алексей Вячеславович , Zaitsev Alexey Vyacheslavovich , Соколкин Юрий Викторович , Sokolkin Yuriy Viktorovich , Фукалов Антон Александрович , Fukalov Anton Alexandrovich
Published: April 2021

Получено точное аналитическое решение задачи Ламе о равновесии составного тела, состоящего из двух посаженных с натягом трансверсально-изотропных сфер с общим центром. Тело находится под действием равномерных внешнего и внутреннего давлений. Определено давление натяга на поверхности контакта в предположении, что оно является следствием различия в параметрах геометрии частей составной сферы. Проанализированы закономерности влияния анизотропии материалов (материальные постоянные удовлетворяют ограничениям в виде неравенств, обеспечивающих положительность собственных значений оператора упругости) и величины давления натяга на распределение напряжений в поперечных сечениях составных центрально-симметричных сосудов давления. Проведенная оценка влияния анизотропии материалов показала возможность «управления» величинами и характером распределения напряжений в составных конструкциях, оптимально соответствующих заданным режимам эксплуатации. Полученные результаты свидетельствуют, что изменение показателя анизотропии - увеличение его значений во внутренних или внешних частях сфер приводит к возрастанию или снижению абсолютных величин напряжений соответственно. Это увеличение или уменьшение показателей анизотропии материалов создаваемых конструкций может быть реализовано на этапе их проектирования благодаря изменению схемы армирования при сохранении свойств отдельных элементов структуры. На основе многокритериального подхода проведена оценка начальной прочности составных центрально симметричных сосудов по механизмам растяжения или сжатия в радиальном и окружном направлениях. Установлено, что увеличение давления натяга может привести к появлению областей материала, потерявших способность сопротивляться сжатию в окружном направлении. Эти области располагаются вблизи внутренней поверхности сосуда, на которой действует равномерно распределенное давление, меньшее по абсолютной величине по сравнению с внешним давлением. Обнаружено, что точки составного сосуда, находящиеся на поверхности контакта, становятся наиболее опасными с точки зрения возможности начала разрушения по механизму сжатия в радиальном направлении.
Начально-граничная задача для уравнения вынужденных колебаний консольной балки
Authors: Сабитов Камиль Басирович , Sabitov Kamil Basirovich , Фадеева Оксана Владиславовна , Fadeeva Oksana Vladislavovna
Published: April 2021

Изучена начально-граничная задача для уравнения вынужденных колебаний консольно закрепленной балки. Такое линейное дифференциальное уравнение четвертого порядка описывает изгибные поперечные колебания однородной балки при воздействии внешней силы при отсутствии вращательного движения при изгибе.
Методом разделения переменных построена система собственных функций одномерной спектральной задачи, которая является ортогональной и полной в пространстве квадратично-суммируемых функций.
Единственность решения начально-граничной задачи доказана двумя способами - с применением интеграла энергии и с использованием свойства полноты системы собственных функций.
Решение задачи вначале найдено при отсутствии внешней силы и однородных граничных условиях, а затем рассмотрен общий случай при наличии внешней силы и неоднородных граничных условиях. В обоих случаях решение задачи построено в виде суммы ряда Фурье.
Получены оценки коэффициентов этих рядов и системы собственных функций.
На основании установленных оценок найдены достаточные условия на начальные функции, выполнение которых обеспечивает равномерную сходимость построенных рядов в классе регулярных решений уравнения колебаний балки, т.е. доказаны теоремы существования решения поставленной начально-граничной задачи.
Установлена устойчивость решений начально-граничной задачи в зависимости от начальных данных и правой части рассматриваемого уравнения в классах квадратично-суммируемых и непрерывных функций.
Utilization of updated version of heat flux model for the radiative flow of a non-Newtonian material under Joule heating: OHAM application
Authors: Sohail Muhammad , Ali Umair , Zohra Fatema Tuz , Al-Kouz Wael , Chu Yu-Ming , Thounthong Phatiphat
Published: April 2021

This study reports the thermal analysis and species transport to manifest non-Newtonian materials flowing over linear stretch sheets. The heat transfer phenomenon is presented by the Cattaneo–Christov definition of heat flux. Mass transportation is modeled using traditional Fick’s second law. In addition, the contribution of Joule heating and radiation to thermal transmission is also considered. Thermo-diffusion and diffusion-thermo are significant contributions involved in thermal transmission and species. The physical depiction of the scenario under consideration is modeled through the boundary layer approach. Similar analysis has been made to convert the PDE model system into the respective ODE. Then, the transformed physical expressions are calculated for momentum, thermal, and species transport within the boundary layer. The reported study is a novel contribution due to the combined comportment of thermal relaxation time, radiation, Joule heating, and thermo-diffusion, which are not yet explored. Several engineering systems are based on their applications and utilization.
Analysis of couple stress fluid flow with variable viscosity using two homotopy-based methods
Authors: Khan Alamgeer , Farooq Muhammad , Nawaz Rashid , Ayaz Muhammad , Ahmad Hijaz , Abu-Zinadah Hanaa , Chu Yu-Ming
Published: April 2021

In this article, the generalized plane Couette flow of Vogel’s model of incompressible, non-isothermal, couple stress fluid flowing steadily between two parallel walls is investigated. The governing equations are reduced to ordinary differential equations. To investigate the non-linear coupled system of differential equations, the optimal homotopy asymptotic method with DJ polynomial and asymptotic homotopy perturbation method have been used. Important flow properties are presented and discussed. We have obtained expressions for velocity, average velocity, shear stress, volume flux and temperature. The results gained employing these techniques are in the form of infinite series; thus, the results can be easily calculated. Comparison of various results, obtained through the suggested approaches, is carried out and an excellent agreement is achieved.