bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-throughput virtual screening approach and dynamic simulation of natural compounds as target inhibitors of BACE1 in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Elkamili Fadoua , Ait Ouchaoui Abderrahim , Lorente-Leyva Leandro L. , Peluffo-Ordóñez Diego Hernán
Published: October 2023

Background Beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) protein holds significance in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This protein is highly expressed in the central nervous system, playing a significant role in the conversion of amyloid precursor protein (APP) into amyloid-beta peptides. The primary objective of the current study was to perform in silico inhibition investigations on this protein, utilizing computational methodologies such as molecular docking and molecular dynamics, to identify novel inhibitors with potential against BACE1. Our focus was on targeting the active site of BACE1, aiming to discover optimal interactions between the ligands and key residues of the target protein. Methods The natural compounds inhibitors data was carefully reviewed from the literature review articles. Molecular docking was conducted using AutoDock Vina with an active site defined by CB-Dock2. We assessed drug-likeness and toxicity using Lipinski’s rule of fives via SwissADME and the ProTox-II web server. Interaction visualization was facilitated using Discovery Studio, while molecular dynamics simulations were performed for 100 nanoseconds with hinokiflavone and BACE1 using Schrodinger LLC Desmond software. Results The molecular docking results showed promising binding affinities and the best binding free energy values were selected, and after conducting Lipinski’s rule of five using SwissADME as well as predicting toxicity using ProTox-II, only one molecule, hinokiflavone was filtered and succeeded in all the analyses to be a potential candidate. Molecular docking results were supported by molecular dynamics simulation. These results demonstrate the stability of the compound in the target protein binding site. Conclusions Finally, these obtained outcomes represent a strong lead to developing promising new natural compound inhibitors against BACE1. For future works, it is essential to concentrate on further experimental validation to ensure the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Faculty development in competency-based education
Authors: Murdoch William
Published: October 2023

Competency-based education (CBE) has started to change the medical education process from a time-based, teacher-focused approach to an outcomes-based, learner-centered, and population-sensitive philosophy. The International Competency-Based Medical Education Collaborators (ICBME) first convened in 2009 and released a series of scholarly papers that laid the conceptual foundation for CBE in medical education. CBE is intended to address many of the shortcomings in our current medical education system. Prominent among such concerns is the disconnect between topics emphasized in the education process, and the health needs of the populations that learners intend to serve.
The meaning of adult giftedness and opportunities for its development in non-formal education
Authors: Põlda Halliki , Saatmann Kelly
Published: October 2023

Artiklis anname ülevaate täiskasvanuandekuse tähendusest mitteformaalõppes. Eesmärk on välja selgitada mõiste sisu ja kirjeldada, kuidas toetatakse täiskasvanu annete arengut ning milliseid võimalusi mitteformaalõpe selleks pakub. Selleks analüüsisime täiskasvanuandekuse avaldumist 64 mitteformaalõppe praktiku kogemustes ja arusaamades, mis olid eelnevalt kogutud 17 fookusrühma intervjuuga. Andmestiku sekundaarses kvalitatiivses sisuanalüüsis selgus, et täiskasvanuandekusest räägitakse peamiselt mõiste kaudsete tähistajate kaudu, tõstes esile inimese isikuomadusi ja võimete elukestvat arengut. Mõiste unikaalseteks tunnusteks on teadlikkus oma andekusest, autonoomsus, professionaliseerumine, annete valdkondlik ülekanne ja enese vastutus ande arengu eest. Mitteformaalõpe on andeid toetav keskkond, kuna on olemuselt paindlik, arvestab muutuva maailma nõudmisi ja võimaldab personaalset lähenemist. Praktikute roll selles keskkonnas on olla märkaja, toetaja ja võimaluste looja.
Summary
Maailma andmestumine
Authors: Masso Anu
Published: October 2023

Raamatututvustus annab ülevaate 2020. aastal ilmunud mahukast teosest "Kuidas mõista andmestunud maailma? Metodoloogiliine teejuht" (toimetanud ja koostanud A. Masso, K. Tiidenberg, A. Siibak). Raamat keskendub andmestumise kui viimaste aastate ühe olulise ja samas vastuolulise nähtuse uurimisele. Teose keskmes on erinevad meetodid ja metodoloogilised võtted, mida rakendatakse uurimaks andmestumist kui sotsiaalset protsessi, mille käigus igapäevased tegevused ja ühiskondlikud protsessid arvulisteks andmeteks teisendatakse. Kogumikust leiavad kasulikku lugemist kõik, kes soovivad andmestumisega kaasnevaid protsesse paremini mõista: nii andmetega iga päev töötavad või seda teha soovivad analüütikud, eksperdid ja otsustajad, andmetega tööd alustavad bakalaureuse- või magistritaseme üliõpilased kui ka juba kogenud eksperdid, kes soovivad oma analüütilist repertuaari laiendada. Andmestuvat maailma aitavad mõtestada 38 eri distsipliinide esindajat, eksperti, õppejõudu ja praktikut Tartu Ülikoolist, Tallinna Ülikoolist ja Tallinna Tehnikaülikoolist ning mitmest teadus- ja arendusasutusest, eraettevõttest ja välisülikoolist.
Folkloric orality in contemporary culture
Authors: Hajduk-Nijakowska Janina
Published: October 2023

Accepting the anthropological perspective of analysing oral folklore, understood as a part of culture – any culture – requires a redefinition of the notion of orality in contemporary culture. Orality does not mean solely oral direct transmission of texts; it also reveals a way in which human beings operate in their world, as well as the manner of its cognition formed by folk-type thinking. A message may also be transmitted in the form of visual or electronic communication. Analysing contemporary folkloric texts from the anthropological perspective requires changing the existing method of acquiring research material. This includes primarily the situation in which the given text is realized. The cultural context is especially significant in analysing Internet-based form of folkloric communication, where it is necessary to take the role of virtual community into account. By penetrating the Internet, the content which until then functioned outside it is subjected to changes resulting from the Internet-related inspiration. It therefore co-creates e-folklore, the analysis of which must take the exceptional activity of Internet users into consideration. The process of contemporary cultural socialisation has been in a nearly natural way enriched by folkloric orality.
Motyw kreacji przez rysunek w folklorze polskim i wschodniosłowiańskim
Authors: Gołębiowska-Suchorska Agnieszka
Published: October 2023

W artykule podjęta została próba egzemplifikacji ludowego motywu ożywiania przedmiotów oraz ludzi przez rysunek. Taki akt kreacji nie został dotychczas sklasyfikowany jako odrębny motyw ustnego folkloru, dlatego przyjęto termin roboczy „motyw kreacji przez rysunek”. Przykłady realizacji motywu odnaleziono w gatunkach polskiego, ukraińskiego i rosyjskiego folkloru (legendy ajtiologiczne, legendy bohaterskie, bajki magiczne, bajki humorystyczne), polskiego e-folkloru (demotywatory) oraz w polskiej i rosyjskiej literaturze i kinematografii dla dzieci. Motyw kreacji przez rysunek jest obecny w tekstach kultury o różnej intencji nadawczej – informacyjnej (legendy ajtiologiczne, legendy o bohaterach), ludycznej (humoreski, demotywatory), kompensacyjnej (bajka magiczna), dydaktycznej (literatura i kinematografia dziecięca) i nostalgicznej (demotywatory). Trwałość motywu kreacji przez rysunek w różnych tekstach kultury wynika z uniwersalnej tęsknoty człowieka za możliwością szybkiej realizacji pragnień i poprawy własnego życia lub świata.
Functions of a Fairy Tale in the Auschwitz Camp Memories of Zofia Posmysz
Authors: Smyk Katarzyna
Published: October 2023

The article gives a multifaceted interpretation of the functions of a concentration camp fairy tale from the perspective of folklore studies (i.e. its socio-integrative, aesthetic, didactic/educational, compensatory/cathartic and trauma management functions) and literary studies (strategies of women’s writing about the Holocaust and the war, and the camp testimony). The author analyses the novel Wakacje nad Adriatykiem (1970) and an extended interview Królestwo za mgłą (2017) by Zofia Posmysz, an inmate of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Ravensbrück and Neustadt-Glewe, who stylised her camp memories as a traditional folk tale, thus commemorating the fairy tales told by her camp friend Zofia Jachimczak, who did not survive Auschwitz. The author comes to the conclusion that a concentration camp fairy tale seems to be a complete genre and a comprehensive structure of meaning that makes it possible to express the inexpressible.
Foreign homeland. Folklore and national attitudes of ethnic minorities
Authors: Marcol Katarzyna
Published: October 2023

The article aims to present the relationship between folklore and the formation of national attitudes in members of ethnic minorities. The issue is considered on the example of two ethnic groups: Silesians from the Trans-Olza (Czech Republic) and Touts living in the region of Serbian Banat (Republic of Serbia). Folklore is presented from an anthropological perspective, as communication practices of specific communities, which manifest what the communicative community considers important in terms of content and form of communication, as well as what it regards as axiologically acceptable. Performing their world-forming function, texts of folklore have an impact not only on shaping cognitive habits, but also on forming collective memory or directing social moods. In the case of minority groups, it is inspiring to observe the nation-forming function of folklore, as well as the influence of folklore texts on defining the boundaries of an ethnic group.
Activating transrelational ethnography. Interweaves of the field in the process of energy transition
Authors: Majbroda Katarzyna
Published: October 2023

The article presents one of the strands of empirical research on the energy transition process conducted by an anthropologist in Upper Lusatia, in the Bogatynia municipality, in the area around the Turów mining and power complex. The perspective of transrelational ethnography makes it possible to weave together the various elements of this process and look at its changing environmental/economic, political and socio-cultural conditions. The text shows some of the many interweaves uncovered in the field, in the decarbonisation process, seen in the perspective of transrelational ethnography. It focuses on the ambiguities in the worlds of the region’s residents as brought to light in the study. The author draws attention to epistemological traps, such as the category of conflict, that await the anthropologist in a field that faces an uncertain post-coal future. Also, the author stresses the lack of preparedness of the volatile, conceptually unclosed field and its unstable, complex, assemblage architecture.
Obraz Kościoła katolickiego w polskiej prasie komunistycznej w latach 1945–1956
Authors: Mazur Rafał
Published: October 2023

Komuniści po objęciu w 1945 r. władzy w Polsce zdawali sobie sprawę z roli, jaką duchowieństwo pełniło w społeczeństwie. Widzieli w Kościele swojego głównego konkurenta w dziedzinie wpływu światopoglądowego i szybko zaczęli dążyć do ograniczenia oddziaływania, jakie ta instytucja miała na życie społeczne i polityczne kraju. Do walki z religią zaangażowany został zarówno aparat bezpieczeństwa, jak i zinstytucjonalizowana propaganda. Jednym z najważniejszych elementów ataku propagandowego stało się manipulowanie mediami, którego celem było kształtowanie opinii publicznej w sprawach związanych z Kościołem. W niniejszej książce podejmuję próbę prześledzenia, a następnie analizy wykreowanego w ten sposób wizerunku Kościoła katolickiego w tekstach prasowych publikowanych przez komunistyczne dzienniki w latach 1945–1956. Zakładam, że wizerunek ten był kształtowany jako element dyskursywnego obrazu świata podporządkowanego partyjnej linii światopoglądowej. Ramy czasowe badań wyznacza data zerwania konkordatu między Polską a Stolicą Apostolską (12 września 1945 r.) oraz data zwolnienia prymasa Stefana Wyszyńskiego z internowania (28 października 1956 r.), czyli wydarzenia, które otworzyło nowy rozdział czasowej normalizacji w stosunkach między państwem a Kościołem katolickim w PolKomuniści po objęciu w 1945 r. władzy w Polsce zdawali sobie sprawę z roli, jaką duchowieństwo pełniło w społeczeństwie. Widzieli w Kościele swojego głównego konkurenta w dziedzinie wpływu światopoglądowego i szybko zaczęli dążyć do ograniczenia oddziaływania, jakie ta instytucja miała na życie społeczne i polityczne kraju. Do walki z religią zaangażowany został zarówno aparat bezpieczeństwa, jak i zinstytucjonalizowana propaganda. Jednym z najważniejszych elementów ataku propagandowego stało się manipulowanie mediami, którego celem było kształtowanie opinii publicznej w sprawach związanych z Kościołem. W niniejszej książce podejmuję próbę prześledzenia, a następnie analizy wykreowanego w ten sposób wizerunku Kościoła katolickiego w tekstach prasowych publikowanych przez komunistyczne dzienniki w latach 1945–1956. Zakładam, że wizerunek ten był kształtowany jako element dyskursywnego obrazu świata podporządkowanego partyjnej linii światopoglądowej. Ramy czasowe badań wyznacza data zerwania konkordatu między Polską a Stolicą Apostolską (12 września 1945 r.) oraz data zwolnienia prymasa Stefana Wyszyńskiego z internowania (28 października 1956 r.), czyli wydarzenia, które otworzyło nowy rozdział czasowej normalizacji w stosunkach między państwem a Kościołem katolickim w Polsce. Analizowany okres umownie można nazwać czasem represji stalinowskich. Ze Wstępu
Familial Mediterranean Fever and Accompanying Inflammatory Diseases: Effects On The Disease Severity Score
Authors: İNCE Yunus Emre , KARAGÖL Cüneyt , ACAR Banu
Published: October 2023

Objective: Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) stands as the most prevalent autoinflammatory disorder in childhood. It is well-established that certain inflammatory conditions may coexist with FMF. Within the scope of our investigation, we examined the inflammatory diseases accompanying FMF in diagnosed pediatric patients, as well as their potential impact on the disease progression.
Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 349 patients diagnosed with FMF based on the Yalçınkaya diagnostic criteria, who were followed between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020. The potential impact of inflammatory diseases coexisting with FMF on the Pras disease severity score was investigated.
Results: Among the patients included in the study, 45.8% exhibited mild disease, 43.2% had moderate disease, and 10.8% had severe disease. Among the study participants, 14.8% were found to have coexisting inflammatory diseases. Specifically, IgA vasculitis was present in 5.7% of cases, sacroiliitis in 3.7%, prolonged febrile myalgia in 2.0%, acute rheumatic fever in 1.7%. Some cases showed the coexistence of multiple inflammatory conditions alongside FMF. It was observed that the disease severity score was higher in patients with coexisting inflammatory diseases. Additionally, the rate of severe disease was found to be increased in patients with coexisting inflammatory diseases (17.3%).
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that coexisting inflammatory diseases elevate the disease severity score and increase the intensity of FMF. Furthermore, patients with coexisting inflammatory diseases showed higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate values during attack-free periods and an increased use of biological agents.
‘Solitude is not thrust upon any lovable person’: loneliness, shame and the problem (of) personality
Authors: Cooper Fred
Published: October 2023

The relationship between loneliness and shame is frequently asserted, usually under-theorised, and very rarely subject to historical attention and care. Researchers in and across a number of disciplines are comfortable in the truism that shame and stigma are attached to loneliness through a series of psychosocial processes and dialogues, with negative social, medical, cultural and political valuations of loneliness dovetailing into neoliberal (and older) logics of individual responsibility for relationships and health. Far less clear is where these languages come from; how shame has accrued (or been assembled) around loneliness as an emotion or experience; and how this has changed over time. Drawing on the author’s practice as a historian of medicine, this article follows the problem of ‘personality’ through primary sources in print journalism, loneliness activism, public health work, and the psy and social sciences. It traces shaming narratives on loneliness through interwar and postwar conversations on selfishness, self-pity and the typology of lonely personalities, and considers how discourses on hostility and intolerance shaped a growing theorisation of chronic and intractable loneliness.
Phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating filters based on counter-propagating cladding modes coupling
Authors: Koley Avijit , Tripathi Saurabh Mani
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we comprehensively analyze counter-propagating cladding
mode assisted phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and propose an
ultra-narrow bandwidth laser line filter based on such gratings. Full
vector modal analysis has been used to obtain the mode guiding and its
coupling characteristics. We show that the transmission spectrum of
the counter-propagating cladding mode assisted FBGs can be tailored by
incorporating single or multiple phase shifts along the grating
length. Phase shifts open up narrowband transmission windows inside
the stop band of the Bragg grating, and the transmitted wavelength can
be altered by controlling the amount of phase shift. Unlike
conventional FBGs, the grating discussed here has access to the
evanescent field of the excited counter-propagating cladding mode,
which opens up the possibility of refractive index based tuning of
resonance wavelength. Further, the bandwidth of the proposed grating
is two orders of magnitude smaller than that of the conventional LPGs.
As an alternative application, we also show that with the right length
ratio, the multiple phase shifts can also be used to create a very
flattened single transmission peak inside the stop band. The effects
of grating regulating factors such as the grating length, grating
strength, location of the phase shift, and index apodization on the
linewidth of the narrow central peak of π PS-FBG are also investigated. We
present a clear physical explanation of various factors involved in
the counter-propagating cladding mode coupling in such phase-shifted
Bragg grating. Due to its extremely narrow transmission window, our
study can find application in developing sensors for measuring
parameters with greater accuracy. Such phase-shifted Bragg gratings
can also be used to create an all-fiber demultiplexer for multichannel
systems and fiber optic sensors as a particular application.
Plug-and-play positioning error compensation model for ripple suppressing in industrial robot polishing
Authors: Jiang Pandeng , Wan Songlin , Niu Zhenqi , Li HanJie , Han Yichi , Wei Chaoyang , Zhang Dawei , Shao Jianda
Published: October 2023

The industrial robot-based polisher has wide applications in the field
of optical manufacturing due to the advantages of low cost, high
degrees of freedom, and high dynamic performance. However, the large
positioning error of the industrial robot can lead to surface ripple
and seriously restrict the system performance, but this error can only
be inefficiently compensated for by measurement before each processing
at present. To address this problem, we discovered the period-phase
evolution law of the positioning error and established a double sine
function compensation model. In the self-developed robotic polishing
platform, the results show that the Z-axis error in the whole
workspace after compensation can be reduced to ±0.06mm, which reaches the robot repetitive
positioning error level; the Spearman correlation coefficients between
the measurement and modeling errors are all above 0.88. In the
practical polishing experiments, for both figuring and uniform
polishing, the ripple error introduced by the positioning error is
significantly suppressed by the proposed model under different
conditions. Besides, the power spectral density (PSD) analysis has
shown a significant suppression in the corresponding frequency error.
This model gives an efficient plug-and-play compensation model for the
robotic polisher, which provides possibilities for further improving
robotic processing accuracy and efficiency.
Cost-efficient and glaucoma-specifical model by exploiting normal OCT images with knowledge transfer learning
Authors: Liu Kai , Zhang Jicong
Published: October 2023

Monitoring the progression of glaucoma is crucial for preventing further vision loss. However, deep learning-based models emphasize early glaucoma detection, resulting in a significant performance gap to glaucoma-confirmed subjects. Moreover, developing a fully-supervised model is suffering from insufficient annotated glaucoma datasets. Currently, sufficient and low-cost normal OCT images with pixel-level annotations can serve as valuable resources, but effectively transferring shared knowledge from normal datasets is a challenge. To alleviate the issue, we propose a knowledge transfer learning model for exploiting shared knowledge from low-cost and sufficient annotated normal OCT images by explicitly establishing the relationship between the normal domain and the glaucoma domain. Specifically, we directly introduce glaucoma domain information to the training stage through a three-step adversarial-based strategy. Additionally, our proposed model exploits different level shared features in both output space and encoding space with a suitable output size by a multi-level strategy. We have collected and collated a dataset called the TongRen OCT glaucoma dataset, including pixel-level annotated glaucoma OCT images and diagnostic information. The results on the dataset demonstrate our proposed model outperforms the un-supervised model and the mixed training strategy, achieving an increase of 5.28% and 5.77% on mIoU, respectively. Moreover, our proposed model narrows performance gap to the fully-supervised model decreased by only 1.01% on mIoU. Therefore, our proposed model can serve as a valuable tool for extracting glaucoma-related features, facilitating the tracking progression of glaucoma.
How marital events explain the suicide rate among Chinese
Authors: Yang Xueyan , Liu Liping , Li Rui
Published: October 2023

Aims

The aims for this study was to prove the impacts of marital events (marriage rate, divorce rate and marriage squeeze), economic development, and social development on the suicide rate among urban and rural Chinese and reveal the differences in these impacts between urban and rural areas and between genders.

Methods

An explanatory time-series analysis methodology was adopted to analyze the nation-wide data ranging from 1987–2017.

Results

Marriage rate was a protective factor against the suicide rate among urban and rural men, and rural women; however, divorce rate was a protective factor against the suicide rate only among rural women. For the four groups, the economic development level measured by per capita GDP is a protective factor, while social development measured by urbanization and rural–urban labor migration rates in rural areas plays different roles.

Conclusions

Marriage and divorce rates were found to have different meanings for the four groups. This study offers a reference for designing relevant policies and projects to intervene in suicidal behaviors among different groups.
Disparities in patient-resident physician communication and counseling: A multi-perspective exploratory qualitative study
Authors: Merchant Asma Altaf Hussain , Shaikh Namra Qadeer , Afzal Noreen , Noorali Ali Aahil , Abdul Rahim Komal , Ahmad Rida , Ahmer Areesha , Khan Adnan Ali , Bakhshi Saqib Kamran , Mahmood Saad bin Zafar , Lakhdir Maryam Pyar Ali , Khan Muhammad Rizwan , Tariq Muhammad , Haider Adil H.
Published: October 2023

Effective communication between physicians and patients plays an integral role in clinical care. Gaps in a physician’s ability to ensure effective communication, especially with patients from diverse backgrounds, are known causes of medical errors. This study explores the potential biases and disparities in patient-resident communication, which may influence a patient’s quality of care. This exploratory qualitative study was conducted at the largest academic medical center in Pakistan. Purposive sampling was used to approach participants from surgery, medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and family medicine. Faculty, fellows and residents working in these departments and medical students in their fourth and fifth years of undergraduate education with prior experience of at least one month in these specialties during their clinical rotations were included. Focus group discussions (FGDs) lasting 45–60 minutes were conducted with each cohort of healthcare professionals separately, using a semi-structured interview guide. Sixty participants (19 males and 41 females, mean age: 32.9, SD: 10.9) took part in the study. Thematic analysis revealed five major themes. Four themes focused on residents’ biases and patient disparities hindering patient-resident communication: (1) patient-resident gender discordance (2) ethnicity and language barriers, (3) differing social class of the patient, and (4) challenging patient-resident interactions (patients resistant to treatment, exceedingly inquisitive and those with multiple attendants, etc.). The fifth theme identified the need for a communication skills curriculum in postgraduate medical education. Opposite gender and discordant socioeconomic/cultural backgrounds of patients pose a challenge to effective patient-physician communication. Self-identification and awareness of residents’ biases when interacting with patients can ensure their active elimination and improve their communication skills. Integrating these components in a standardized curriculum within postgraduate programs can enable resident-physicians to provide the same level of care and communicate more efficiently with patients of all backgrounds.
Could serum uric acid to HDL cholesterol ratio predict sacroiliitis?
Authors: Kalfaoglu Melike Elif
Published: October 2023

Recently, several inflammatory markers, including the uric acid to HDL cholesterol ratio (UHR), triglyceride/HDL cholesterol ratio (THR), systemic inflammatory index (SII), and C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR), have been reported to be associated with inflammatory conditions. However, their collective role in sacroiliitis has not been extensively studied. This study aims to investigate the general characteristics and inflammatory markers in patients with and without sacroiliitis, and to observe any differences in these parameters in subjects with active and chronic sacroiliitis. Patient with sacroiliitis who showed up in the Radiology Department of Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital were enrolled. Patients diagnosed with sacroiliitis based on clinical symptoms, physical examination, and conventional radiography or MRI findings were included in the sacroiliitis group. Patients without sacroiliitis who present with back pain or hip pain but have normal radiographic findings were included in the control group. General characteristics, including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), medical history, and disease duration, were collected from all participants. Blood samples were collected to measure inflammatory markers, including UHR, THR, SII, and CAR. The collected data were compared between sacroiliitis and control groups. Subgroup analysis was also performed to compare the inflammatory markers between subjects with active and chronic sacroiliitis. The median UHR of the sacroiliitis and control subjects were 11% (3–20%) and 7% (3–13%), respectively (p<0.001). Serum UHR was significantly and positively correlated with CRP (r: 0.4, p = 0.001) and ferritin (r: 0.17, p = 0.045) levels. In ROC analysis, a UHR level higher than 8% has an 81% sensitivity and 64% specificity in detecting sacroiliitis (AUC: 0.8, p<0.001, 95% CI: 0.72–0.84). In conclusion, we suggest that UHR could provide useful data as an additional diagnostic tool in patients with sacroiliitis.
Effects of caffeine consumption combined with listening to music during warm-up on taekwondo physical performance, perceived exertion and psychological aspects
Authors: Delleli Slaheddine , Ouergui Ibrahim , Messaoudi Hamdi , Ballmann Christopher Garrett , Ardigò Luca Paolo , Chtourou Hamdi
Published: October 2023

The effects of caffeine (CAF) and music have been well documented when used separately, but their combined effects are not yet studied. Thus, the present study assessed the acute effects of combining a low dose of CAF with listening to music during warm-up on taekwondo physical performance, perceived exertion (RPE), and psychological responses during taekwondo-specific tasks in male elite athletes. In a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study design, male taekwondo athletes (n = 16; age: 18.25 ± 0.75 years) performed the taekwondo-specific agility test (TSAT), 10 s frequency speed of kick test (FSKT-10s) and the multiple version of FSKT (FSKT-mult) under the following conditions: 1) CAF without music (CAF+NoM), 2) placebo (PL) without music (PL+NoM), 3) CAF with music (CAF+M), 4) PL with music (PL+M), 5) no supplement with music (NoS+M) and no supplement without music (control). RPE, feeling scale (FS), felt arousal scale (FAS) and physical enjoyment (PACES) were determined after each test. Findings showed the CAF+M condition induced better performances than other conditions for TSAT, FSKT-10s, FSKT-mult, RPE, FAS and FS and PACES post FSKT-10s (all p<0.05). Moreover, CAF+M resulted in better responses than other conditions for PACES post TSAT (p<0.05) with the exception of CAF+NoM. Likewise, CAF+M condition induced better physical enjoyment than PL+NoM, NoS+M and PL+M conditions post FSKT-mult (p<0.05). Combining low dose of CAF with music during warm-up was an effective strategy that induced greater effects than their isolated use during taekwondo specific tasks.
Post-COVID-19 syndrome: Physical capacity, fatigue and quality of life
Authors: Beyer Sebastian , Haufe Sven , Dirks Meike , Scharbau Michèle , Lampe Viktoria , Dopfer-Jablonka Alexandra , Tegtbur Uwe , Pink Isabell , Drick Nora , Kerling Arno
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Post-Covid-19 syndrome is defined as the persistence of symptoms beyond 3 months after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The most common symptoms include reduced exercise tolerance and capacity, fatigue, neurocognitive problems, muscle pain and dyspnea. The aim of our work was to investigate exercise capacity and markers of subjective wellbeing and their independent relation to post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Patients and methods

We examined a total of 69 patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome (23 male/46 female; age 46±12 years; BMI 28.9±6.6 kg/m2) with fatigue and a score ≥22 in the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS). We assessed exercise capacity on a cycle ergometer, a 6-minute walk test, the extent of fatigue (FAS), markers of health-related quality of life (SF-36 questionnaire) and mental health (HADS).

Results

On average the Fatigue Assessment Scale was 35.0±7.4 points. Compared with normative values the VO2max/kg was reduced by 8.6±5.8 ml/min/kg (27.7%), the 6MWT by 71±96 m (11.9%), the health-related quality of life physical component score by 15.0±9.0 points (29.9%) and the mental component score by 10.6±12.8 points (20.6%). Subdivided into mild fatigue (FAS score 22–34) and severe fatigue (FAS score ≥35), patients with severe fatigue showed a significant reduction of the 6-minute walk test by 64±165 m (p<0.01) and the health-related quality of life physical component score by 5.8±17.2 points (p = 0.01). In multiple regression analysis age (β = –0.24, p = 0.02), sex (β = 0.22, p = 0.03), mental (β = –0.51, p<0.01) and physical (β = –0.44, p<0.01) health-related quality of life and by trend the 6-minute walk test (β = –0.22, p = 0.07) were associated with the FAS.

Conclusion

Patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome show reduced maximal and submaximal physical performance as well as limitations in quality of life, particularly pronounced in the physical components. These results are essentially influenced by the severity of fatigue and implicating the need for targeted treatments.
A web-based platform for the annotation and analysis of NAR-published databases
Authors: Friedrichs Marcel , Königs Cassandra
Published: October 2023

Biological databases are essential resources for life science research, but finding and selecting the most relevant and up-to-date databases can be challenging due to the large number and diversity of available databases. The Nucleic Acids Research (NAR) journal publishes annual database issues that provide a comprehensive list of databases in the molecular biology domain. However, the information provided by NAR is limited and sometimes does not reflect the current status and quality of the databases. In this article, we present a web-based platform for the annotation and analysis of NAR-published databases. The platform allows users to manually curate and enrich the NAR entries with additional information such as availability, downloadability, source code links, cross-references, and duplicates. Statistics and visualizations on various aspects of the database landscape, such as recency, status, category, and curation history are also provided. Currently, it contains a total of 2,246 database entries of which 2,025 are unique with the majority updated within the last five years. Around 75% of all databases are still available and more than half provide a download option. Cross references to Database Commons are available for 1,889 entries. The platform is freely available online at https://nardbstatus.kalis-amts.de and aims to help researchers in database selection and decision-making. It also provides insights into the current state and challenges of a subset of all databases in the life sciences.
En virtut del Privilegio de los Vint. El enfrentamiento entre Zaragoza y Tortosa por el pago de impuestos sobre el comercio a mediados del siglo XV
Authors: Viu Fandos María
Published: October 2023

Este trabajo presenta un conflicto entre las ciudades de Zaragoza y Tortosa entre 1450 y 1473 en relación con el pago de tasas sobre la actividad comercial. En particular, se abordan los problemas surgidos en torno a la interpretación del Privilegio de los Veinte, otorgado a los habitantes de Zaragoza en 1129, y el alcance de las exenciones fiscales en él contenidas. Con el objetivo de conocer las vías utilizadas para dar respuesta a los desacuerdos comerciales, se analizan varios procesos de reclamación iniciados por mercaderes zaragozanos ante los jurados de su ciudad que permiten seguir la evolución de las relaciones entre las dos ciudades y los factores sociopolíticos que intervinieron y determinaron la conclusión del enfrentamiento. Todo ello ha permitido comprobar la implementación de una estrategia consciente por parte de los jurados y los mercaderes de Zaragoza encaminada a la elusión de la fiscalidad comercial tortosina.
Written Practices na Maia: A Newly Discovered Source of Old Hispanic Notation from Portugal
Authors: De Luca Elsa , Castro Correa Ainoa
Published: October 2023

This study introduces a manuscript kept in the Arquivo da Torre do Tombo which represents the third source with Old Hispanic notation found in Portuguese territories, and the first recovered from a charter. This unique document is significant given the paucity of extant sources with this type of notation, and because few are securely dated whilst this one allows for a better chronological contextualisation. Likewise, this source is relevant because it is linked to a context of rural and mostly secular written production in a period of change towards monastic rule. Focusing on this peculiar charter, in the following pages we will introduce the most significant aspects of its materiality, shedding light on the world of scribes operating in northern Portugal and opening up new possibilities for a better understanding of the patchy scenario of diffusion and use of Old Hispanic notation.
The Social Context of the Charter: Times and Places of Documentation in Early Medieval Iberia (711-1031)
Authors: Barrett Graham
Published: October 2023

When and where was a charter written? Whether the scribe prepared it before, during, or after a transaction, on the spot or elsewhere, conditions its standing as historical evidence. They are basic questions for understanding how the written record relates to the communities whose actions it reveals. This article seeks answers in the corpus from the kingdoms of Asturias-León and Navarra down to 1031. Attention to the writing and content of the documents points to a variety of scenarios, the most common being: for the scribe to attend the transaction with a prepared template to be integrated into the execution of the transaction, or for the scribe to take notes at the transaction on the essential details to form the basis for later drafting its record. Both scenarios presume the real presence of the scribe as well as the reading aloud of the final text to participants, which together functioned as controls on the written word to ensure its integration into society.
Novel multicomponent functionalized biopolymers with enhanced thermal and dielectric properties
Authors: Rani Sanjeeta , Ali Syed Kashif , Kumar Pawan , Anugrah Kunwar Sugam , Saya Laishram , Gambhir Geetu , Gautam Drashya , Hooda Sunita , Verma Manisha
Published: October 2023

A new functionalized biopolymer was obtained by adding ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid to chitin and magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4). Thermogravimetric analysis was performed, and dielectric properties were examined. The obtained biopolymer showed better thermal stability, as evidenced by a higher onset temperature. The activation energy calculated using imaginary impedance data and Nyquist plots was found to be consistent. Moreover, the dielectric permittivity decreased rapidly with increasing frequency. At high frequencies, there was no dependence of dielectric loss on temperature and frequency. The obtained biopolymer can be used in many applications such as microwave devices, deflection yoke, high-frequency capacitors, sensors, etc.
The Identity of a Null Determiner in So-Called Determiner-Less Languages: Evidence from Null Arguments in Korean
Authors:   The Society Of Modern Grammar, Park Myung-Kwan , Lee Wooseung
Published: October 2023

There is no shortage of analyses for null arguments in Korean/Japanese: pro, V-stranding VP ellipsis, null bare noun, and argument ellipsis. This paper modifies the third null bare noun analysis to reinforce a null determiner-stranding NP ellipsis analysis for null arguments in Korean/Japanese, which Tomioka (2003) initially proposes (see also Hoji (1998) for the seminal proposal). This paper argues that the null determiner licensing an elision of its preceding complement NP is identified with a non-overt determiner that productively occurs with an overt bare (i.e., modifier-less) noun in Korean/Japanese, but comes with ellipsis-licensing E-features (Merchant 2001). When it is an indefinite one (like the English overt counterpart ‘a/an’), the null article cannot be compatible with the following null NP composed of such an element as a universal quantifier, a numeral, and an indeterminate, accounting for Landau’s (2022) recent generalization on the restricted construal of a null argument (i.e. null NP plus null determiner). When it is a definite one, the null article that comes with a null bare noun projection cannot be, either, giving rise to a non-quantificational/referential E-type reading of the null argument that excludes such an element. Overall, the null determiner and its nature and distribution are shown to resolve ever-puzzling aspects of null arguments in Korean.
Exocentric Structures and Labeling
Authors:   The Society Of Modern Grammar, Kim Yong-Ha
Published: October 2023

Chomsky (2001) has proposed a phase-based compu- tation, which takes a hybrid approach adopting derivational, but slightly representational, structure building. What is important in this proposal is that T is never finite in itself, but can bear a full φ-feature set only when it is selected by the phase head C. Chomsky (2008) in turn has assumed further that T can agree and attract its goal, the subject only after it inherits relevant features from C. This means that T is only partially projected without Spec when C is introduced into the derivation. This non-cyclic structure building is possible within a phase, hence slight representational flavor. However, Chosmky (2013, 2015) discarded this phase-based partially representational approach, to the effect that TP should complete its projection, which is now reinterpreted as an exocentric structure consisting of two maximal projections (with no specifiers). In this paper, we will explore the reason why Chomsky recently rejected the non-cyclic structure building within a phase. And we will note problems with this approach, and try to seek a solution in the recent MERGE system proposed by Chomsky (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, Forthcoming).
A New Phenotype of TUBB4A Mutation in a Family With Adult-Onset Progressive Spastic Paraplegia and Isolated Hypomyelination Leukodystrophy: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Hsieh Pei‐Chen , Yu Pei Shan , Fan Wen-Lang , Wang Chun‐Chieh , Chao Chih-Ying , Wu Yih‐Ru
Published: October 2023

Tubulin beta 4A class IVa (TUBB4A) spectrum disorders include autosomal dominant dystonia type 4 or hypomyelination with atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum (H-ABC syndrome). However, in rare cases, only mild hypomyelination in the cortex with no basal ganglia atrophy may be observed. We report a case of a family with TUBB4A mutation and complicated hereditary spasticity paraplegia (HSP). We performed quadro whole-exome sequencing (WES) on the family to identify the causative gene of progressive spastic paraparesis with isolated hypomyelination leukodystrophy. We identified a novel TUBB4A p.F341L mutation, which was present in all three affected patients but absent in the unaffected father. The affected patients presented with adult-onset TUBB4A disorder, predominant spastic paraparesis with/without ataxia, and brain hypomyelination with no cognitive impairment or extrapyramidal symptoms. In the literature, HSP is considered a TUBB4A spectrum disorder.
Osteocalcin associates with bone mineral density and VDR gene polymorphisms in type 1 and type 2 diabetes
Authors: Ramírez Ruiz Carla , Varo Cenarruzabeitia Nerea , Martínez Villanueva Miriam , Hernández Martínez Antonio M. , Noguera Velasco José Antonio
Published: October 2023

Objectives

Bone metabolism is impaired in diabetes mellitus (DM). Our objective is to evaluate the association of bone turnover markers (BTM) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms with bone mineral density (BMD) in DM type 1 (T1D) and DM type 2 (T2D).

Methods

A total of 165 patients (53 T1D and 112 T2D) were enrolled. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Plasma osteocalcin (OC), beta-CrossLaps (β-CTX) and N‐amino terminal propeptide of type I collagen (P1NP) and VDR gene polymorphisms were evaluated.

Results

Participants were 53 T1D (41 years [31–48]) and 112 T2D (60 years [51–66]). BMD were not statistically different between the groups. OC (p<0.001) and P1NP levels (p<0.001) were higher in patients with T1D. The areas under the curve for the prediction of bone pathology were 0.732 (p=0.038) for OC in T1D and 0.697 (p=0.007) in T2D. A significant association was found between lower lumbar BMD and the A allele of BsmI (p=0.03), the A allele of ApaI (p=0.04) and the allele C of the Taql (p=0.046). Also, a significant correlation was found with higher OC levels and the G allele of BsmI (p=0.044), C allele of ApaI (p=0.011), T allele of Taql (p=0.006) and with C allele of FokI (p=0.004).

Conclusions

The high negative predictive value of the cut-off point for OC suggests that could be useful in excluding the risk suffering bone loss, allowing offering a personalized clinical approach to prevent this pathology.
The Effect of Soft Skills on Academic Outcomes
Authors: Keng Shao-Hsun
Published: October 2023

This paper uses administrative data and a soft skill index integrating seven personality traits to examine the relationship between soft skills and academic outcomes. I exploit the timing of soft skill assessment and study the interaction between soft and cognitive skills in education production. The results show that soft skills are positively associated with academic outcomes. Soft and cognitive skills are both substitutes and complements in education production. The complementarity between both skills is asymmetric. Soft skills and returns to cognitive skills exhibit a U-shaped relationship, while returns to soft skills fail to show such a relationship with cognitive skills. Time-use data suggest that soft skills may have a causal effect on academic achievements, and increased study time is a mechanism through which soft skills affect these outcomes. Soft skills can reduce inequality in academic outcomes due to differences in cognitive ability. Investment in non-cognitive skills can be quite rewarding.
Physico-functional and quality attributes of microwave-roasted black pepper (Piper nigrumL.)
Authors: Desai Shivani , Upadhyay Srishti , Sharanagat Vijay Singh , Nema Prabhat Kumar
Published: October 2023

The present study was focused on microwave-roasting (300–600 W for 5–15 min) on the quality attributes of black pepper. The increase in roasting power and time decreased the lightness,L* (51.85–25.64), and a visible color change from medium light to dark was observed. Roasting reduced the powder density (bulk density – 0.51–0.41 g/cm3; tapped density – 0.70–0.53 g/cm3), flowability, and crystallinity and showed a higher Hausner’s ratio (1.29–1.42), carr’s index (22.43–29.38), compressibility index (0.22–0.30), cohesion index (13.96–34.80 g mm/g), and caking strength (5225.79–12040.44 g mm). All the samples showed stable flow, and the stability was in the range of 1–1.11. Sample roasted at lower roasting levels had higher antioxidant propertiesviz., phenolic content (36.20–79.62 mg GAE/100 g), flavonoid content (350.52–566.45 mg QE/100 g), % DPPH scavenging activity (53.97–85.12 %), and ABTS assay (2.33–4.81 mmol TE/100 g), whereas the higher roasting conditions reduced the TFC and % DPPH inhibition. The principal component analysis (PCA) and a simple least square method (SLSM) with maximum desirability were used to develop the correlation and optimize the roasting condition, respectively. Results showed that the roasting time had a prominent effect on different quality attributes compared to roasting power, and the optimum roasting condition for BP is 300 W, 15 min.