bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beyond the Female Love-Male Sex Binary: A Non-representational Approach to Online Dating
Authors: CÖBEK Gözde
Published: February 2021

Based on a critical literature review, this paper reveals that online dating studies on heterosexual users’ motivations and mate preferences reproduce two gendered as well as heteronormative arguments. First, women use dating technologies for seeking love whereas men prefer them for arranging casual sex activities. Second, men are inclined to prioritize physical appearance while women tend to value status during mate selection or swiping in e-dating language. The article calls these beauty-status and love-sex dichotomies as the female love-male sex binary which has become a persistent myth through a continuous reproduction. This critical literature review problematizes the binary logic embedded in the literature on heterosexual online dating. To move beyond such duality, it suggests an affective turn which attracts the attention to the mostly neglected things in e-dating studies which focus on heterosexual individuals, namely the body, its capacity, and the affectivity of non-human things like atmospheres as well as images. Among various inspiring techniques in non-representational methodologies, it proposes video reenactment, cyberflaneur or technical walkthrough, and sensory writing techniques to study the online dating phenomenon and to understand motivations as well as swiping strategies of heterosexual online daters.
Personal and Family and Friends but not the Medical Team are the Sources of Support in Management of Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Adar Sigal Eilat
Published: February 2021

Aim: To examine sources of support, based on the socio-ecologic model, for a better lifestyle parameter, health perceptions, and self-reported health status in people with type 2 diabetes. Methods: A telephone survey was conducted among a sample of 552 registered patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 45-70 using The-Brief-Chronic-Illness-Resources-Survey to assess sources of support to health behaviors. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, body-mass-index, and smoking status was used. Results: No association was found between support from the medical team and health behaviors. The personal resource subscale was associated with visiting a dietitian [OR=1.3, 95%CI (1.1-1.5)], engaging in physical activity [(OR=1.3, 95%CI (1.1-1.7)], consuming a healthy diet (OR=1.6 95%CI (1.3-2.0), and having a better health perception [OR=1.31, 95%CI (1.06-1.62)]. The family and friends’ resource were associated with dietitian consultation [OR=1.3, 95%CI (1.1-1.6)] and with physical activity [OR = 2.0, 95%CI (1.6-2.6)]. Conclusion: Personal support and support of the family and friends but not medical team support subscales were the most associated with healthy diet and physical activity behaviors in people with type 2 diabetes. The medical team should emphasize the importance of lifestyle to lead changes among people with type 2 diabetes and to assess these sources of support during medical interviews.
La gestión en crisis
Authors: Peña Viviana
Published: February 2021

Buenos vientos han soplado para las empresas de nuestro medio gracias a la estabilidad jurídica del pais y a la coyuntura internacional que se ha ofrecido como caldo de cultivo para la emergencia de un sin número de oportunidades de negocio, tanto de inversionistas locales, como internacionales, durante las últimas dos décadas; situación ésta que se ha acentuado en los años recientes.
La eficiencia: entre la realidad y la ficción
Authors: Peña Viviana
Published: February 2021

La eciencia en la gestión organizacional ha sido el constructo más estudiado de la administración. Su popularidad se sustenta en algo más que una coincidencia dejada al azar; se remonta a los orígenes mismos de la era industrial a nales del siglo XVIII, cuando los nuevos empresarios mercantilistas propugnaban por construir economías de escala que permitieran la subsistencia del negocio y el cambio en los modelos de producción industrial. De esos tiempos devinieron los de la era informática y la de las telecomunicaciones, bajo cuyo predominio siguieron las tendencias a inversiones cuantiosas de grandes grupos económicos, las más de las veces, oligopólicos.
Más allá del mercado alternativo de valores: en la búsqueda de una mayor gestión profesional en las empresas peruanas
Authors: Contreras Efraín
Published: February 2021

La Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores(SMV), ha tomado medidas cortoplacistas, al flexibilizarel reglamento del Mercado Alternativo de Valores (MAV), que terminarán por atender únicamente los síntomas y cuestionarnos la efectividad de su labor de difusión y promoción del mercado de valores local. En ese contexto, buscaremos contestar qué es lo que realmente hay detrás del débil desempeño del MAV; y veremos que no es responsabilidad única de la SMV, sino que se trata de un desafío mayor - más allá del MAV - pues se tiene que mejorar sustancialmente la gestión profesional de las empresas peruanas, especialmente de las pequeñas y medianas.
La era digital y el futuro de las organizaciones
Authors: Zilberman Jack
Published: February 2021

Somos actores y espectadores privilegiados de cambios acelerados y disruptivos en estos últimos cinco años. Desde una revolución energética en la cual se desploma el precio de petróleo, el costo de la energía solar cae en un 40% y el de una batería de Litio-Ion en un 60% a una revolución denominada economía de los recursos compartidos, cuyo valor estimado pasaría de 15 a 335 mil millones de dólares en el 2025.
El costo de crecer en la Pyme
Authors: Trujillo Ricardo
Published: February 2021

Las pequeñas y medianas empresas (pymes) están en todo momento buscando recursos de corto plazo, sobre todo en temas tan puntuales como la consolidación de una deuda, el pago a proveedores, el financiamiento de lotes de producción. Desde el umbral de mi humilde cuartel de escritos y memorias, traigo al frente el tema del financiamiento, no porque sea algo recurrente o de moda, sino sobre todo porque hoy en día y más que antes, la banca está dispuesta a asumir mayores riesgos siempre y cuando su costo de oportunidad sea bien compensado.
La planeación estratégica: la responsabildad del futuro
Authors: Macera Danilo
Published: February 2021

La planeación estratégica se corrobora con el logro de los objetivos. En este sentido, es inadmisible la planeación estratégica sin el resultado, pues la definición de objetivos es parte fundamental y critica.
The first 90 days. Autor: Michael Watkins
Authors: Remezzano Andrés
Published: February 2021

Reseña del libro The first 90 days, del autor: Michael Watkins.
Gestión del cambio y transformación cultural
Authors: Senmache Ana Elena
Published: February 2021

En este mundo tan competitivo, el cambio es lo más frecuente en nuestras organizaciones. Todo cambio debe acompañarse de una transformación cultural de nuestros equipos. Debemos lograr que las personas que nos acompañan hagan propia esta transformación y que, a partir de la fecha, la lleven en su ADN. Ahora, ¿cómo logramos que la lleven en su ADN? Esto no es una tarea tan fácil para los ejecutivos porque el personal suele sentir que las propuestas de mejora vienen de la “alta dirección”, que son imposiciones que alterarán su status quo o que generarán modificaciones que podrían complicarles la vida.
La estabilidad laboral y la rigidez laboral: dos aberraciones en la política pública peruana
Authors: Summers Rainer
Published: February 2021

La estabilidad laboral y la rigidez laboral son aberrantes porque chocan con principios elementales de la economía de libre mercado y del industrialismo. Si el Perú quiere desarrollarse industrialmente para poder enfrentar a la cuarta Revolución Industrial del siglo XXI, tiene que conocer, entender y adecuarse a las leyes de la lógica del industrialismo.
La Alianza del Pacífico: una estrategia efectiva para fortalecer la relación comercial con Asia-Pacífico
Authors: Pérez Aponte María Cecilia , Roo Superlano Elba
Published: February 2021

Este ensayo tiene por objeto analizar la vinculación entre los compromisos asumidos en el marco del Acuerdo de Asociación Transpacífico (TPP) y su influencia en la profundización de las relaciones peruanas en el marco de la Alianza del Pacífico (AP). Efectivamente, ambos acuerdos contienen compromisos similares en materia de comercio de bienes y servicios, por lo que vincular la relación entre ambos acuerdos merece especial atención en la medida en que constituyen, desde la perspectiva de las autoras, punto de partida para la generación de nuevos acuerdos comerciales bilaterales, así como multilaterales.
¿Cómo cambiarle el perfil de negocios a América Latina? La sucinta conexión entre desempeño económico y apertura comercial en el período 1960-2016
Authors: Adrianzén Cabrera Carlos
Published: February 2021

Este artículo analiza la conexión de largo plazo entre el grado de apertura comercial y el desempeño económico en América Latina y el Caribe en el periodo 1960-2016. Aprovechando datos de la base de Indicadores del Desarrollo Mundial del Banco Mundial, y usando un modelo recursivo ad hoc, se encuentra que el coeficiente de apertura comercial tiene un muy significativo ajuste estadístico como variable explicativa de un conjunto de indicadores de desempeño regional (i. e., la escala del producto bruto interno, PBI; el PBI por habitante; las tasas de crecimiento anual del PBI y el PBI por habitante; y las ratios del PBI y el PBI por habitante, como  proporciones de índices similares de los Estados Unidos de América). Ese resultado confirmaría que, durante el periodo analizado, el grado de apertura comercial en América Latina ha explicado —para bien y para mal— la performance del entorno de negocios en la región.
Big data, inteligencia analítica y la bolsa de valores
Authors: Mendívil Rivas Héctor Eduardo
Published: February 2021

La toma de decisiones en las ruedas de bolsa requiere de datos e información, así como de reglas de inferencia a emplear por los agentes económicos. Con las reglas y la información se podrá establecer valores para las variables que le den soporte al análisis de las posibilidades de compra o venta que enfrenta el agente económico en las ruedas de bolsa. Para obtener ventajas en la indicada toma de decisiones dependeremos de la calidad y cantidad de reglas, de la cantidad y calidad de los datos e información, así como de la velocidad de los cálculos. Es así que el uso de big data, concepto relacionado con la gestión de diversas fuentes de datos, ofrecería una ventaja en las ruedas de bolsa.
Política fiscal y evasión: una introducción práctica a la teoría de los juegos
Authors: Cado Osvaldo
Published: February 2021

Se estudiarán los diferentes mecanismos a través de los cuales las economías en desarrollo podrían evitar el equilibrio subóptimo del cual muchas de ellas son víctimas, con tasas impositivas nominales altas y una evasión considerable. De modo paralelo, se explicarán detalladamente los fundamentos teóricos utilizados en cada sección del trabajo, constituyendo el mismo un resumen a partir del cual pueden introducirse estudiantes o personas interesadas a la teoría de los juegos.
Título del libro: La inevitable globalización. Enfoque cultural y económico del escenario mundial
Authors: Cano Jannet
Published: February 2021

Reseña del libro "La inevitable globalización. Enfoque cultural y económico del escenario mundial", publicado por la Editorial UPC el año 2017
Las nuevas invasiones bárbaras
Authors: García Jean Pierre
Published: February 2021

Se abordan los nuevos servicios fnancieros, estrategias ymodelos de negocio denominados fintech —acrónimo definancial technology— que, en términos generales, hacereferencia a la utilización de innovaciones tecnológicasen el sector financiero.
Productividad saludable
Authors: Saucedo Vicente
Published: February 2021

Los hábitos alimenticios pueden estar relacionados con la productividad de los trabajadores; así lo exponen diferentes estudios. Los hábitos de mantener una alimentación saludable permiten prevenir la aparición de diferentes tipos de enfermedades. El estrés y las presiones laborales pueden mermar la capacidad de los trabajadores de analizar el entorno de manera objetiva; y asimismo, llevar a desórdenes alimenticios. La relación entre la alimentación y la productividad se presenta también a nivel interno en el organismo, a través de la acción de neurotransmisores. Se resalta entonces la importancia que tiene la alimentación en el bienestar general de una persona.
Estrategias empresariales peruanas en la primera globalización: participación temprana en exposiciones internacionales
Authors: Seiner Lizardo
Published: February 2021

Las Exposiciones Universales (EXPO), datan de 1850 y representan un potente evento de carácter internacional para alentar el progreso, la promoción del desarrollo y una expresión visible del proceso de globalización. La prensa local criticó fuertemente que el Perú no asistiera a la EXPO 2015; cabe preguntarse: ¿fue esta la primera vez que el país no participó? El presente trabajo se interroga sobre la relevancia de las EXPO, analizando sus aportes, desde una perspectiva histórica y señalando su utilidad para agregar valor a los negocios. Dada su resonancia para efectos de posicionamiento de una imagen nacional, se ve como necesario revisar las relaciones empresa-Estado en el marco de las políticas comerciales.
La banca móvil como alternativa para la inclusión social en áreas rurales
Authors: Azabache Carlos
Published: February 2021

Esta investigación estudia la viabilidad de implementar la banca móvil en el Perú, especialmente en las áreas rurales. El trabajo se justifica porque en el país la población de bajos niveles de ingresos tiene escaso acceso a los servicios bancarios formales, no sólo debido a la disparidad económica, sino también debido a brechas en los mercados de estos servicios. Esta investigación usa la experiencia de FITEL como fuente de datos y desarrolla un análisis empírico del que se infiere que la banca móvil en el país sí es viable y ayudaría a reducir las deficiencias antes aludidas.
Problems of the interaction of reality and fiction in Russian literature in the 20s of the XX century
Authors:   Alykul Osmonov National Library of Kyrgyz Republic, Bakashova Jyldyz K.
Published: February 2021

The article is devoted to one of the important problems of literature at the end of the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century — documentary artistic creation. Writers, and later filmmakers, introduce real materials into their works that create a historical narration. Writers of different creative orientations are united in their attitude to the documentary trend. The article examines the actual problem of using prototypes by Russian writers when they create works of art. The views of Russian writers on the problem of interaction between reality and fiction in their work are considered on the example of the statements of L.N. Tolstoy, N.K. Hudzia, F.M. Dostoevsky, N.V. Gogol, V.G. Belinsky, A. Serafimovich, A. Todorsky, A. Blok. Russian writers believed that artistic truth is inseparable from the truth of life, real reality is the basis that feeds art. But no less significant is the creative understanding of the facts of life. The path from the prototype to the artistic image created by the writer in the work is closely connected with the figurative vision of the world, with generalization and individualization, with the aesthetic comprehension of real facts, there is a dialectical connection between art and life. Adequate reconstruction of events presupposes their aesthetic comprehension by the writer.
A forgotten poem by I.A. Bunin
Authors:   Penza State Technological University, Zhatkin Dmitry N. , Vasilyev . Nikolay L ,   Ogarev National Research Mordovia State University
Published: February 2021

The article introduces into scientific circulation a poem which was not included into the collected works of I.A. Bunin (1870–1953) and in the reference and bibliographic literature about the writer’s creative work: “Deaf Anxiety — how hard you hurt me!..”, published under his name on July 2, 1896 in the newspaper “Odessa news” — among two other well-known works of the poet: “The Tide (Dedicated to. A.M. Fedorov)”, “From Petrarch”. This poem was probably written in Odessa, where Bunin stayed for a few days at the dacha of his friend, the poet, translator, and journalist A.M. Fyodorov (1868– 1949), who helped to published Bunin's poems in three issues of the “Odessa news” (1896. June 16, 23, and July, 2). Both writers were fascinated at this time by the creative works of the Italian poet A. Nеgri (1870–1945) and tried to translate them with the help of their friends who knew Italian. However, there are no direct comparisons with the poetry of A. Nеgri in Bunin’s poem. Nevertheless, understanding of the poetics of the forgotten classic poet helps to clarify the evolution of Bunin’s creative works, in particular to see elements of elegiac romanticism and presymbolism in his earlypoetry.
On the Structure of Triangle-Free 3-Connected Matroids
Authors: dos Santos Jaime Cesar
Published: February 2021

Let $\mathcal{N}$ be an arbitrary class of matroids, closed under isomorphism. For $k$ a positive integer, we say that $M \in \mathcal{N}$ is \emph{$k$-minor-irreducible} if $M$ has no minor $N \in \mathcal{N}$ such that $1\leq\left|E\left(M\right)\right|-\left|E\left(N\right)\right|\leq k $. Tutte's Wheels and Whirls Theorem establish that, up to isomorphism, there are only two families of 1-minor-irreducible matroids in the class of 3-connected matroids. More recently, Lemos classified the 3-minor-irreducibles with at least 14 elements in the class of triangle-free 3-connected matroids. Here we prove a local characterization for the 2-minor-irreducible matroids with at least 11 elements in the class of triangle-free 3-connected matroids. This local characterization is used to establish two new families of 2-minor-irreducible matroids in this class.
Factors Affecting Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty in Online Food Delivery Service during COVID-19 Pandemic: Its Relation with Open Innovation
Authors: Prasetyo Yogi Tri , Tanto Hans , Mariyanto Martinus , Hanjaya Christopher , Young Michael Nayat , Persada Satria Fadil , Miraja Bobby Ardiansyah , Redi A.A.N. Perwira
Published: February 2021

Online food delivery service (OFDS) has been widely utilized during the new normal of COVID-19 pandemic especially in a developing country such as Indonesia. The purpose of this study was to determine factors influencing customer satisfaction & loyalty in OFDS during the new normal of COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia by utilizing an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) approach. 253 respondents voluntarily participated and answered 65 questions. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that Hedonic Motivation (HM) was found to have the highest effect on customer satisfaction, followed by Price (P), Information Quality (IQ), and Promotion (PRO). Interestingly, this study found out that usability factors such as Navigational Design (ND) and Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) were not significant to customer satisfaction and loyalty in OFDS during the new normal of COVID-19. This study can be the theoretical foundation that could be very beneficial for OFDS investors, IT engineers, and even academicians. Finally, this study can be applied and extended to determine factors influencing customer satisfaction and loyalty in OFDS during the new normal of COVID-19 in other countries.
Effect of Different Types of Warm-up on Strength and Skin Temperature of Paralympic Powerlifting Athletes
Authors: Resende Marcelo de Aquino , Aidar Felipe J. , Vasconcelos Resende Roberta Barreto , Reis Gracielle Costa , Barros Layanne de Oliveira , Matos Dihogo Gama de , Marçal Anderson Carlos , Almeida-Neto Paulo Francisco de , López Díaz de Durana Alfonso , Fernández María Merino , Vilaça-Alves José , Tinoco Cabral Breno Guilherme de Araújo , Neves Eduardo Borba , Reis Victor Machado , Garrido Nuno Domingos
Published: February 2021

(1) Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different types of warm-ups on the strength and skin temperature of Paralympic powerlifting athletes; (2) Methods: The participants were 15 male Paralympic powerlifting athletes. It was analyzed the effects of three different types of warm-up (without warm-up (WW), traditional warm-up (TW), or stretching warm-up (SW)) on static and dynamic strength tests as well as in the skin temperature, which was monitored by thermal imaging; (3) Results: show no differences in the dynamic and static indicators of the force in relation to the different types of warm-up. No significant differences were found in relation to the Peak Torque (p = 0.055, F=4.560, η2p= 0.246 medium effect), and 1-Repetition Maximum (p = 0.139, F=3.191, η2p = 0.186, medium effect) between the different types of warm-up. In the thermographic analysis, there was a significant difference only in the Pectoral muscle clavicular portion between the TW (33.04 ± 0.71ºC) and the WW (32.51 ± 0.74ºC) (p = 0.038). The TW method also presented slightly higher values than the SW and WW in the Pectoral Muscles Sternal portion and in the Deltoid anterior portion, but with p-value > 0.05; (4) Conclusions: that the types of warm-up studied do not seem to interfere with the performance of Paralympic Powerlifting athletes. However, the thermal images showed that traditional warm-up best meets the objectives expected for this preparation phase.
Comparative Analysis of Different Combinations of Composting and Testing of Soil Physical Properties
Authors: Nepal Tej Kumar , Dorji Ugyen , Nidup Yeshi , Wangdi Chencho , Tshering Kelzang , Wangdi Tashi
Published: February 2021

During composting process, soils undergo many changes in their physical, chemical and biological properties. Composting has been widely known as an aerobic process during which organic matter is decomposed to humus like substances broken into many organic materials or compounds. The project aims to compare and analyze different combination of composting that yield different properties and nature of soils, and testing their soil physical properties. Dug three compost pits each 1.5 m in depth, labeled compost pit A consisting of potato peels – the only kitchen waste most common around the college hostels, compost pit B consisting of leaf litter and other garden trimmings and compost pit C consisting of cow dung and the other as a controlled experiment with no composting practices.
The Impacts of Covid-19 on Circular Economy: Gaining Insight across the SCOPUS and Web of Science Research Articles with Text Mining Techniques
Authors: Tran Khoa , Nguyen Tuyet Anh
Published: February 2021

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has created both negative and positive changes, including implementing the circular economy across the globe. This Systematic Review follows the PRISMA statement and employs the Text Mining (Voyant Tools) technique to visualize and analyze the impacts of the Covid-19 on three aspects of the circular economy: economic, social, and environmental. The research employs Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to identify five major topics: (1) Shortage of medical equipment but high medical waste during Covid-19 due to the high demand in healthcare; (2) The long term negative impacts of lockdown on economic and social activities because of Covid-19 pandemic; (3) The reports on impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on the manufacturing globally, and their coping strategies and new opportunities; (4) The impacts of international restriction on the tourism, trade, shipping, and aviation industry, causing billion-dollar losses; (5) The reduction of pollution with health environment improvements with example cases from China and EU. The research identifies current literature gaps in the circular economy and Covid- 19 topics and encourages the application of text mining tools into researching to stimulate the research process and assist in communicating with the public.
Multifunctional Hydrogel Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Barrett-Catton Emma , Ross Murial L. , Asuri Prashanth
Published: February 2021

Hydrogels are used for various biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, capacity to mimic the extracellular matrix, and ability to encapsulate and deliver cells and therapeutics. However, traditional hydrogels have a few shortcomings, especially regarding their physical properties, thereby limiting their broad applicability. Recently, researchers have investigated the incorporation of nanoparticles (NPs) into hydrogels to improve and add to the physical and biochemical properties of hydrogels. This brief review focuses on papers that describe the use of nanoparticles to improve more than one property of hydrogels. Such multifunctional hydrogel nanocomposites have enhanced potential for various applications, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound healing, bioprinting and biowearable devices.
Pistacia lentiscus: From Phytopharmacology to Scientific Explanations on Its Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Capacity
Authors: Milia Egle , Bullitta Simonetta , Mastandrea Giorgio , Szotáková Barbora , Schoubben Aurelie , Langhansova Lenka , Quartu Marina , Bortone Antonella , Eick Sigrun
Published: February 2021

There is an increasing interest in revisiting plants for drug discovery proving scientifically their role as remedies. Pistacia lentiscus (PL) is a wild-growing shrub rich in terpenoids, which are pharmacological appealing. The more recurrent components in the oil are represented by α-pinene, terpinene, caryophyllene, limonene, and myrcene. High concentration of polyphenols enriches the extracts. PL-extracts showed in vitro and in animal model strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. The anti-inflammatory activity mainly occurs due to inhibition of NF-kB pathway or directly toward the proinflammatory cytokines, or arachidonic acid cascade against COX-2 and LOX. The antimicrobial activity of PL essential oil and extracts includes among others Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, periodontal bacteria and Candida sp.. In conclusion, the biological properties, and particularly the anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial capacity, propose PL as a new safe pharmaceutical agent.
‘Oro verde’: la invención del paisaje forestal en Wallmapu/Araucanía, sur de Chile
Authors: Escalona Ulloa Miguel , Barton Jonathan
Published: February 2021

Desde su incorporación a la República de Chile, Wallmapu/Araucanía ha sido objeto de importantes transformaciones territoriales.  Una vez usurpada la tierra al pueblo mapuche, llegó el momento de explotar los fértiles valles e inexpugnables bosques para dar inicio al cultivo de trigo y su explotación que duró hasta inicios del siglo XX. Este trabajo busca indagar en la ‘invención’ del paisaje forestal del ‘Oro Verde’ en este territorio, utilizando para ello el enfoque de la ecología política histórica y el marco de ‘paisajes de poder’ en particular. A partir del análisis e interpretación de fuentes históricas, incluyendo cartografía, fotografía y textos, se (re)construye la trayectoria de este paisaje, haciendo énfasis en el rol de la ciencia, la promulgación de leyes, la creación de instituciones y la influencia de instituciones internacionales, quienes durante gran parte del siglo XX allanaron el camino para la llegada de grandes empresas, quienes bajo la dictadura iniciaron un ‘boom’ forestal sin precedentes.  Las conclusiones apuntan a la importancia de transitar desde el concepto neutro de vocación territorial hacia la invención del paisaje como una construcción social basada en relaciones de poder que llevan a la dominación y la exclusión.
Application of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in The Diagnosis and Treatment Guidance of Pneumocystis Jirovecii Pneumonia in Renal Transplant Recipients
Authors: Zhang Feng , Chen Jia , Huang He , Liu Rangjiao , Ren Xiaomei , Wan Qiquan
Published: February 2021

Purpose: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is difficult to be diagnosed, so this study explored if PJP could be diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and if mNGS could guide the therapy of PJP. Methods: mNGS successfully diagnosed 13 out of 14 PJP recipients with 11 through peripheral blood samples, verified by PCR. Ten non-PJP recipients were enrolled as the control group. Results: Blood tests revealed a high β-Dglucan (BDG) level in all recipients with PJP during the hospitalization. Four (28.6%) of 14 PJP patients were infected with cytomegalovirus simultaneously, while 8 (57.1%) suffered from a combined infection caused by Torque teno virus. Five (35.7%) of 14 cases died of PJP or the subsequent bacteremias/bacterial pneumonia with a longer interval between the onset and diagnosis of/the available therapy against PJP than survival cases. Univariate analysis of Characteristics between PJP and non-PJP recipients revealed that BDG assays was higher at the admission in PJP group ( P =0.011). Conclusions: This present study supports the value of mNGS detection of blood sample in diagnosing PJP, which could assist clinical decision for therapy against PJ and improve outcome of PJP. The study also highlights the sensitivity of BDG assays. Cytomegalovirus and Torque teno virus infections often occur at the same time of PJP, thus can be alerts of PJP.
Impact of Pulse D Therapy on The Inflammatory Markers in Patients With COVID-19.
Authors: Lakkireddy Maheshwar , Gadiga Srikanth Goud , Malathi R.D. , Karra Madhu Latha , Raju I S S V Prasad Murthy , Ragini  , Chinapaka Sangeetha , KSS Sai Baba , Kandakatla Manohar
Published: February 2021

Introduction: COVID 19 is known to cause immune dysregulation and vitamin D is a known immunomodulator. This study aims to objectively investigate the impact of Pulse D therapy in reducing the inflammatory markers of COVID-19. Materials/ Methods: Consented COVID-19 patients with hypovitaminosis D were evaluated for inflammatory markers (N/L ratio, CRP, LDH, IL6, Ferritin) along with vitamin D on 0th day and 9th / 11th day as per their respective BMI category. Subjects were randomised into VD and NVD groups. VD group received Pulse D therapy (targeted daily supplementation of 60,000 IUs of vitamin D for 8 or 10 days depending upon their BMI) in addition to the standard treatment. NVD group received standard treatment alone. Differences in the variables between the two groups were analysed for statistical significance. Results: Eighty seven out of one hundred and thirty subjects have completed the study (VD:44, NVD:43). Vitamin D level has increased from 15.65 ± 5.54 ng/ml to 88.96 ± 31.55 ng/ml after Pulse D therapy in VD group and highly significant (p<0.01) reduction of all the measured inflammatory markers was noted. Reduction of markers in NVD group was insignificant (p>0.05) . The difference in the reduction of markers between the groups (NVD vs VD) was highly significant (p<0.01). Conclusions: Therapeutic improvement in vitamin D to 80-100 ng/ml has significantly reduced the inflammatory markers associated with COVID-19 without any side effects. Hence, adjunctive Pulse D therapy can be added safely to the existing treatment protocols of COVID-19 for improved outcomes.
Characterizing variations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) properties in Nansi Lake: an important reservoir along the eastern route of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project
Authors: Ren Haoyu , Yao Xin , Ma Feiyang , Fan Tuantuan , Deng Huanguang , Zhang Yinghao
Published: February 2021

Variations in dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality has far-reaching implications that affect, e.g., aquatic productivity, food web structures, trace element and pollutant transport. In this study, a total of 186 water samples were collected at 62 sites (three points in time within one year) in Nansi Lake. UV-Vis spectra, Synchronous fluorescence (SF) spectra, the excitation-emission matrix and parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) were applied to indicate the source and quality of DOM. Water transferring of the eastern route of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project had a great influence on the water level of Nansi Lake. Results of SF spectra, EEM-PARAFAC and principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that protein-like substances played a more important role in DOM properties in April and July than October. This result is related to a high fluorescence intensity occurred in April (Fmax=0.72±0.03 in the upper lake and 1.84±0.13 in the lower lake) and July (Fmax=1.10±0.05 in the upper lake and 1.49±0.04 in the lower lake), which might be caused by water transferring from other lakes to Nansi Lake, death and decomposition of submerged plants. At the same time, relatively good correlations were found between humic-like substances, DOC and a254 in April, July and October, which indicated the important contribution of humic-like substances to Nansi Lake. With the completion of the water diversion, the ratio of the fluorescence intensity of component to the total fluorescence intensity (%Fmax) suggested that the proportion of humic-like substances started to increase. And when it came to October, humic-like substances become the main substance in DOM collected from Nansi Lake (%Fmax=66.56%±0.58% in the upper lake and 61.98%±0.99% in the lower lake). Moreover, among the two areas in Nansi Lake, the upper lake always had a higher degree of humification (HIX=2.23±0.06, 2.38±0.11 and 3.10±0.05 in April, July and October, respectively) than the lower lake (HIX=1.06±0.05, 1.68±0.05 and 2.62±0.08 in April, July and October, respectively), which implied extraneous contaminants might have a more important impact on DOM properties in the upper lake.
Deactivation of Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes in drinking water by PMS/UV-C: Efficiency and mechanisms
Authors: Chen Taoqin , Li Jinzhe , Xu Longqian , Zhang Dong , Wang Zheng , Chen Hongbin
Published: February 2021

The occurrence an d infestations of chlorine-resistant invertebrates in drinking water distributions have attracted concerns on water quality in China, making effective deactivation imperative. This study presents a no vel strategy for nematode ( Caenorhabditis elegans ) deactivation using peroxymonosulfate (PMS)/UV-C. The results indicated that 100% deactivation efficiency was obtained under optimal conditions. An acidic pH and 0.25 mg/L Fe(II) were beneficial to the PMS/UV-C-triggered deactivation of nematodes. A mechanism study demonstrated that was activated by UV-C to produce · OH and · SO 4 - , which resulted in oxidative stress and stimulated the occurrence of cell apoptosis, leading to nematode deactivation. The results reveal PMS/UV-C as an alternative to chlorination in water treatment plants (WTP) or an emergency application when chlorine-resistant invertebrates breed in a second-supply water tank, is a promising strategy for disinfection. This approach afforded the advantages of avoiding the production of chlorine disinfection by-products (DBP) and greater efficacy of nematode deactivation. This work will provide ideas for on-going research efforts into chlorine-resistant invertebrate deactivation, and eventually achieve the direct drinking of municipal tap water.
A Novel Stop-Gain Mutation in MSH2 Gene Among a Persian Family Fulfilling Classic Amsterdam Criteria for Lynch Syndrome
Authors: Miar Paniz , Narrei Sina , Tabatabaiefar Mohammad Amin , Pourreza Mohammad Reza , Hashemzadeh-Chaleshtori Morteza , Emami Mohammad Hassan , Zeinalian Mehrdad
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Lynch syndrome is the most common hereditary cancer syndromes due to a germline mutation in one of the mismatch-repair (MMR) genes. It results in early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) and other Lynch-associated cancers in an autosomal dominant pattern. In this article, a new pathogenic variant in a Persian family with familial CRCs and positive Amsterdam II criteria has been described.
Methods

IHC-MMRs was done on tissue sections from tumor and its adjacent healthy tissue of the proband. Microsatellite instability (MSI) testing was also performed on DNA extracted from tumor and healthy tissue using Promega kit. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) was finally done on genomic DNA of the proband using a 12-gene-panel including MMR genes. Variant filtering and prioritization were done using bioinformatics tools. Co-segregation analysis was used to evaluate the explored pathogenic variant.
Results

The proband was a 38-year woman at-diagnosis affected with CRC located in the sigmoid colon. The family history of cancer was observed in three successive generations. IHC was absent for MSH2 and MSH6, and MSI-High was reported from MSI testing. NGS analysis explored a new stop gained codon mutation on the first exon of MSH2 gene as a substitution of A to G MSH2: c.364A > T which was pathogenic according to the variant interpretation guidelines of American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.
Conclusion

Revealing of a more obvious molecular feature of Lynch-syndrome among Iranian populations could lead to identification of at-risk people for early care and prevention of cancer.
Tumor Lysis Syndrome Risk in Outpatient Versus Inpatient Administration of Venetoclax and Hypomethlators for Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Pelcovits Ari , Moore Jozal , Bakow Brianna , Niroula Rabin , Egan Pamela , Reagan John
Published: February 2021

IntroductionVenetoclax along with hypomethylating agents (HMAs) is the new standard therapy for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) not fit for intensive frontline induction chemotherapy. Venetoclax is associated with fatal episodes of tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and recommendations are for its initiation for CLL and AML in the inpatient setting with close monitoring. Herein, we evaluated the safety of outpatient venetoclax ramp up when given in addition to HMAs for the treatment of AML. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with AML at our institution from 12/1/2016 until 7/1/2020. We identified patients who received HMAs and venetoclax for AML, either as frontline or relapsed/refractory therapy. Records were reviewed for evidence of laboratory or clinical tumor lysis episodes in all patients. Results Between 12/1/2016 and 7/1/2020 43 patients at our institution received venetoclax/HMA for the treatment of AML. Thirty-nine patients (91%) had venetoclax initiation and ramp up in the outpatient setting. One episode of laboratory TLS (2.5%) was identified. This patient required admission to the hospital for rasburicase and IV fluids with resolution of the laboratory effects without resultant clinical TLS. There were no episodes of clinical TLS in either group. 30-day mortality from venetoclax initiation was 0% in both groups. Conclusion Our experience with HMAs and venetoclax showed that outpatient ramp up of venetoclax is safe with a very low risk of laboratory TLS (2.5%) and no evidence of clinical TLS within our cohort.
Changes of Blood Pressure Rhythm and Clock Protein Expression Levels in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats After Ischemia-Reperfusion
Authors: Jin Jing , Liu Yumeng , Huang Jing , Zhang Dong , Ge Jian , He Mingli
Published: February 2021

Objective

A variety of circadian patterns of blood pressure after ischemic stroke in patients with essential hypertension appear to be a potential risk of stroke recurrence, but the mechanism is still unclear. This study intends to reveal the changes in blood pressure rhythm and circadian clock protein expression levels in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) after ischemia-reperfusion, and the relationship between the two.
Methods

Using the SHR middle cerebral artery occlusion experimental model, the systolic blood pressure was continuously monitored for 24 hours after the operation to observe the blood pressure rhythm. The rat tail vein blood was taken every 3h, and the serum CLOCK, BMAL1, PER1 and CRY1 protein expression levels were detected by Elisa. Pearson correlation analysis counted the relationship between SHR blood pressure rhythm and circadian clock protein fluctuation after ischemia-reperfusion.
Results

The proportion of abnormal blood pressure patterns in the SHR + tMCAO group was significantly higher than that in the SHR group, the serum CLOCK expression was relatively constant, and the circadian rhythm of BMAL1, PER1 and CRY1 protein expression changed significantly. Pearson analysis showed that PER1 protein level was negatively correlated with dipper (r = -0.565, P = 0.002) and extreme-dipper (r = -0.531, P = 0.001) blood pressure, and was significantly positively correlated with non-dipper blood pressure (r = 0.620, P < 0.001).
Conclusion

The rhythm pattern of blood pressure after ischemia-reperfusion in SHR is obviously disordered, and it is closely related to the regulation of Per1 gene.
Genetic Diversity and The Presence of Circular Plasmids in Bacillus Cereus Isolates of Clinical and Food Origin
Authors: Kišek Tjaša Cerar , Pogačnik Nežka , Torkar Karmen Godič
Published: February 2021

The diversity of 61 Bacillus cereus strains isolated from different clinical specimens, food including raw milk and milk products, and water was evaluated. PFGE analysis could discriminate 61 distinct pulsotypes with similarity levels from 25 to 82%, which were divided into 13 clonal complexes. The similarity between clonal complexes was at least 40%. Clinical strains were divided into 10 clonal complexes, while the strains, isolated from milk, food and water were included in 9, 6 and 6 clonal complexes, respectively. Three clonal complexes were dominated by clinical isolates, while they were absent in two complexes. Bacterial isolates from foods, being a probable source of alimentary toxoinfection, showed low similarity to isolates from stool specimens. The isolates from both sources were classified together in only 4 out of 13 clonal complexes. The large circular and linear plasmids with the sizes between 50 and 200 kb were detected in 24 (39.3%) and 14 (23%) B. cereus strains, respectively. Thirteen (21.3%) strains contained only one plasmid, two plasmids were found in 6 (9.8%) of strains, and three or more plasmids were obtained in 5 (8.2%) of tested strains. The plasmids were confirmed in 30.8% and 40% of isolates from clinical specimens and food and milk samples, respectively. No clear correlation between the PFGE profiles, the source as well as plasmid content among all tested strains was observed.
Electromagnetic Wave Absorption of Periodic Cylindrical Structured Gypsum Composites Incorporate With Different Carbonaceous Materials
Authors: Xie Shuai , Zhang Yuan , Ji Zhijiang , Wang Jing
Published: February 2021

In order to improve the impedance matching condition and broaden the effective absorbing bandwidth, a series of cylindrical periodic structured gypsum composites with different kinds of carbonaceous materials as absorbents were fabricated by two-step moulding process. The influences of the mass fraction of helical carbon fiber (HCF), carbon nanotube (CNT), and graphene (GE) on the morphology, permittivity, resistivity, and electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing properties of the proposed gypsum composites were investigated. The experimental results show that the composite with 2 wt.% HCF exhibits optimum EM wave absorption performance, its reflection loss is lower than -10 dB in 2-18 GHz and bandwidth thickness ratio coefficient reaches 0.8 GHz/mm. The EM wave absorption mechanisms were further explained by the simulation of EM field and power loss distribution. The dielectric loss of carbonaceous absorbents, the destructive interference, and the EM wave diffraction and multiple refractions caused by the periodic cylindrical arrays are the main EM wave attenuation mechanisms of the fabricated composites. This study could provide guidance for the design of broadband EM wave absorbing materials.
First description of Protoparvovirus in surface water and human Adenovirus in green leafy vegetable, Environmental Education Center - Southern Brazil
Authors: Gartner Leila Elisa , Demoliner Meriane , Girardi Viviane , Oliveira Kelen Gras de , Souza Fernanda Gil de , Henzel Andréia
Published: February 2021

This study analyses the presence of coliforms, Mastadenovirus (AdV) and Canine protoparvovirus (CPV) in an Environmental Education Center (EEC), which includes a city kennel in Southern Brazil, in October 2017 and February 2018. In both collections were analyzed surface water at AdV (human and canine species), CPV, total (TC) and fecal coliforms (FC) presence; lettuce at AdV; and dogs stool at canine AdV (CAV) and CPV. In total, 67 samples were analyzed: 33 dog stool samples; 10 points of surface water and 24 fractions (root, stem and leaves) originated of eight lettuce. Coliforms and viral analyses were performed by Colilert and PCR assays, respectively. Amplicon was sequenced, and species/types of virus were characterized. TC and FC were detected in all surface water in at least one of the collections. Occurrence of viruses was of the 34.3% (23/67) in all samples. HAdV-C was observed in 13% [2/23] (water sample); HAdV-E in 8,7% (2/23) – water and lettuce; CAV-1 in 13% (3/23) – two stool samples and one water sample; and CPV-2a in 56.5% (13/23) – dog stools. Raccoon CPV-like and AdV (not characterized) were detected in one surface water sample and one dog stool sample, respectively. As far as we know, this is the first molecular characterization of the presence of one wildlife animal Protoparvovirus in water and AdV in lettuce reported in Brazil. Detection of HAdV-E in lettuce confirmed the role of vegetables as a potential vehicle of human food-borne viral diseases. Nonetheless, more studies are needed about Raccoon CPV-like to elucidate the potential transmission and threat of this virus in wildlife and interspecies (wild and domestic).
A knowledge-driven Multi-Criteria Decision Making- Analytical Hierarchy Process based Geospatial Modeling for the Delineation of Fluoride Contamination Zones in Groundwater, Jamui District, Indo-Gangetic Alluvial Plains, India
Authors: Kumar Suresh , Singha Sudhakar , Singh Rambabu , Akella Venkatesh Satya , Gogoi Utpal
Published: February 2021

This study presents a framework to delineate the potential fluoride contamination zones within the groundwater of the study area by employing GIS coupled with Multi-Criteria Decision Making-Analytical Hierarchy Process approach (MCDM-AHP). In this context, various groundwater contamination controlling hydrogeo-meteorological factors thematic layers were prepared in the GIS environment and assigned with an appropriate rating and weights. All the selected influencing factors were overlaid using a weighted overlaid index approach after normalizing the weights and ratings of the respective layers using the AHP technique and then computed the fluoride contamination zones (FCZs). The obtained results indicate that 61.50% (1101.82 km2) of the total study area was delineated as a relatively safe zone (F < 1.5 mg/L) and the remaining 38.50% (689.18 km2) was demarcated under the unsafe zone (F > 1.5 mg/L). The proposed FCZs model corroborates a significant agreement of 85% with the 61 observed locations and thus testify to the model reliability.