bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial and seasonal group size variation of wild mammalian herbivores in multiple use landscapes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
Authors: Leweri Cecilia M. , Bartzke Gundula S. , Msuha Maurus J. , Treydte Anna C.
Published: April 2022

Group sizes of wild herbivores can be indicators of ecosystem health and proxies for individual and population fitness, particularly in areas where human activities have become increasingly common. We recorded 176 single- and multi-species groups of wild herbivores in human-dominated landscapes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) during dry and wet seasons. We analyzed how wild herbivore group sizes were affected by: (1) season, (2) distance to fully protected area (NCA crater) and to streams, (3) distance to human settlements, and (4) numbers of livestock. Group sizes were generally larger during the wet season than during the dry season and varied seasonally with distance to NCA crater, streams, and human settlements. During the wet season, larger groups were observed further away from the NCA crater whereas the opposite pattern was apparent during the dry season. Average wild herbivore group sizes increased by about three-fold with increasing distance from the streams during the dry season but were invariant to streams during the wet season. Furthermore, during the dry season, group sizes were larger close to settlements but varied little with distance to settlements during the wet season. While livestock presence did not directly affect wild herbivore group size, distance to settlements, streams and distance to the Ngorongoro crater in interaction with rainfall seasonality did. We conclude that the NCA crater functions as a key resource area for wild herbivores such as wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) and zebra (Equus quagga burchelli) during the dry season, highlighting the need for its full protection status in this Man and Biosphere reserve.
Cause-specific student absenteeism monitoring in K-12 schools for detection of increased influenza activity in the surrounding community—Dane County, Wisconsin, 2014–2020
Authors: Temte Jonathan L. , Barlow Shari , Goss Maureen , Temte Emily , Schemmel Amber , Bell Cristalyne , Reisdorf Erik , Shult Peter , Wedig Mary , Haupt Thomas , Conway James H. , Gangnon Ronald , Uzicanin Amra
Published: April 2022

Background

Schools are primary venues of influenza amplification with secondary spread to communities. We assessed K-12 student absenteeism monitoring as a means for early detection of influenza activity in the community.

Materials and methods

Between September 2014 and March 2020, we conducted a prospective observational study of all-cause (a-TOT), illness-associated (a-I), and influenza-like illness–associated (a-ILI) absenteeism within the Oregon School District (OSD), Dane County, Wisconsin. Absenteeism was reported through the electronic student information system. Students were visited at home where pharyngeal specimens were collected for influenza RT-PCR testing. Surveillance of medically-attended laboratory-confirmed influenza (MAI) occurred in five primary care clinics in and adjoining the OSD. Poisson general additive log linear regression models of daily counts of absenteeism and MAI were compared using correlation analysis.

Findings

Influenza was detected in 723 of 2,378 visited students, and in 1,327 of 4,903 MAI patients. Over six influenza seasons, a-ILI was significantly correlated with MAI in the community (r = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.53–0.63) with a one-day lead time and a-I was significantly correlated with MAI in the community (r = 0.49; 0.44–0.54) with a 10-day lead time, while a-TOT performed poorly (r = 0.27; 0.21–0.33), following MAI by six days.

Discussion

Surveillance using cause-specific absenteeism was feasible and performed well over a study period marked by diverse presentations of seasonal influenza. Monitoring a-I and a-ILI can provide early warning of seasonal influenza in time for community mitigation efforts.
Survival and inactivation kinetics of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in irradiated and natural poultry litter microcosms
Authors: Gutierrez Alan , Schneider Keith R.
Published: April 2022

The use of poultry litter as a biological soil amendment presents a risk for the preharvest contamination of fresh produce bySalmonella. In order to properly assess this risk, it is important to understand the factors influencing the persistence ofSalmonellain poultry litter. This research was performed to investigate the influence of indigenous microflora on the survival ofSalmonellaTyphimurium in poultry litter. Microcosms of irradiated (sterilized) and natural poultry litter were inoculated withS. Typhimurium, adjusted to pH 8.0, 0.92 water activity (aw), and stored at 30°C for 6 days.S. Typhimurium populations (log CFU g-1) declined in both litter treatments and there were no significant differences (P> 0.05) in recovery between litter treatments on any sampling days (0 to 6). The pH of the natural litter significantly increased (P< 0.05) from 8.42 on day 0 to 9.00 on day 6. By day 6,S. Typhimurium populations in both litter treatments fell below the limit of detection (1 log CFU g-1). The inactivation kinetics ofS. Typhimurium in both litter treatments were described by the Weibull model. Under the experimental conditions (pH 8.0, 0.92 aw, 30°C), the presence or absence of poultry litter microflora did not significantly influence the survival ofS. Typhimurium. This study demonstrates that the mere presence of poultry litter microflora will not inhibitSalmonellasurvival. Instead, inhibitory interactions between various microorganisms in litter andSalmonellaare likely dependent on more favorable environmental conditions (e.g., aw, pH) for growth and competition.
Relationships between perceived measures of internal load and wellness status during overseas futsal training camps
Authors: Chen Yung-Sheng , Clemente Filipe Manuel , Pagaduan Jeffrey Cayaban , Crowley-McHattan Zachary J. , Lu Yu-Xian , Chien Chia-Hua , Bezerra Pedro , Chiu Yi-Wen , Kuo Cheng-Deng
Published: April 2022

Exercise and sport practitioners frequently utilize rating of perceived exertion (RPE) to evaluate the players’ psychophysiological strains during training sessions. The subjective rating of physical exertion level during sports training has been shown to have a reciprocal relationship with wellness status during periodic training or competitive seasons. However, the relationship between subjective physical exertions and wellness status during short-term overseas training camps (OTCs) has not been extensively investigated. This study aimed to examine the perceived responses of physical exertions [session-RPE (sRPE), training monotony, and training strain] and wellness status (fatigue, sleep, delayed onset muscle soreness, stress, and mood) measures in elite young adult futsal players from four separate OTCs with different training tasks. Twenty-seven U-20 male national team futsal players voluntarily participated in this study. The players recruited for OTCs were based on their performance during domestic training camps and the tactical demand of the team. The task of each OTCs was defined as: 1) 1st OTC = game-based camp (n = 14); 2) 2nd and 3rd OTC = training-based camp (n = 20 and n = 17, respectively); and 3) 4th OTC = pre-tournament camp (n = 14). The OTCs consisted of 11 training sessions (18.9 hours) and 16 friendly matches (23.8 hours). During daily training sessions and friendly matches, sRPE was used to quantify training load (TL). Additionally, a five-elements general wellness questionnaire was used to evaluate daily wellness status in the morning. The results demonstrated that the mean and sum sRPE in the game-based OTCs were significantly lower compared to the mean sRPE [p < 0.01, effect size (ES) = -4.8; p < 0.01, ES = -2.9] and sum sRPE in the training-based OTCs (p < 0.01, ES = -3.6; p < 0.01, ES = -3.1). The mean (p = 0.01; ES = -2.0) and sum sRPE (p < 0.01; ES = -3.4) in the game-based OTC were also lower than that in the pre-tournament OTC. Conversely, the wellness scores in the game-based OTC were higher compared to the training-based (p = 0.01; ES = 1.8) and the pre-tournament OTCs (p < 0.01; ES = 1.6). There was a negative relationship between mean and sum sRPE and all wellness scores (mean sRPE = r = -0.441 ~ -0.575, p < 0.001; sum sRPE = r = -0.41 ~ -0.559, p < 0.001). Our findings suggested that responses to training sessions, derived from mean and sum sRPE and wellness scores, are dependent upon the task-specific nature of OTCs among elite futsal players. Utilization of mean and sum sRPE and wellness measures to monitor the psychophysiological health during short-term OTCs is recommended.
Challenges facing interdisciplinary researchers: Findings from a professional development workshop
Authors: Daniel Kristy L. , McConnell Myra , Schuchardt Anita , Peffer Melanie E.
Published: April 2022

Interdisciplinary research is the synergistic combination of two or more disciplines to achieve one research objective. Current research highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research in science education, particularly between educational experts within a particular science discipline (discipline-based education researchers) and those who study human learning in a more general sense (learning scientists). However, this type of interdisciplinary research is not common and little empirical evidence exists that identifies barriers and possible solutions. We hosted a pre-conference workshop for Discipline-Based Educational Researchers and Learning Scientists designed to support interdisciplinary collaborations. We collected evidence during our workshop regarding barriers to interdisciplinary collaborations in science education, perceptions of perceived cohesion in participants’ home university departments and professional communities, and the impact of our workshop on fostering new connections. Based on participants’ responses, we identified three categories of barriers, Disciplinary Differences, Professional Integration, and Collaborative Practice. Using a post-conference survey, we found an inverse pattern in perceived cohesion to home departments compared to self-identified professional communities. Additionally, we found that after the workshop participants reported increased connections across disciplines. Our results provide empirical evidence regarding challenges to interdisciplinary research in science education and suggest that small professional development workshops have the potential for facilitating durable interdisciplinary networks where participants feel a sense of belonging not always available in their home departments.
E-WOM az online foglalási felületeken, avagy az online utazási irodák vendégértékelési rendszereinek összehasonlító elemzése
Authors: Horváth Gergely , Poór Judit
Published: April 2022

Az utóbbi időben az informatika és az elektronika területén végbement mélyreható és alapvető változások eredményeként megváltoztak a fogyasztói szokások, ami a turizmus szektorát is érinti. Az e-világban átformálódnak a fogyasztók információkeresési és kommunikációs szokásai, lévén a kommunikációs paradigmaváltás korszakát éljük. Az online utazási irodák (online travel agencies – OTA) nem kizárólag a foglalás és az értékesítés meghatározó csatornái napjainkban, hanem az információgyűjtés és a szálláshely-szolgáltatásokkal kapcsolatos tájékozódás csatornái is. Az OTA honlapokon fellelhető információk egy része objektív, más része szubjektív. Utóbbiak a fogyasztói információk, vélemények. A szálláshelyre vonatkozó szubjektív információkat az OTA oldalak vendégértékelései adják. Jelen kutatás hazai, illetve nemzetközi OTA oldalak vendégértékelési rendszerének összehasonlítását célozza a hitelesség, a skála, az alkalmazott szempontrendszer, illetve a vendégértékelések célcsoportonkénti bontási lehetőségeinek vonatkozásában. Mindemellett esettanulmány jelleggel két – azonos desztinációban elhelyezkedő – azonos kategóriájú szálláshely OTA vendégértékeléseit mutatja be arra a kérdésre keresve a választ, hogy a döntés előtt álló fogyasztó számára az eredmények mennyire mutatnak egységes képet összességében és szempontonként.
The Growing Threat of Extremism in Central Asia: Causes and Solutions
Authors: Sharipova Farangis
Published: April 2022

The study examines the tendencies and motivations for people to join terrorist groups by examining the relationship between the political regime and citizens' discontent with authority. Central Asia is used as an example because for many years this region has been seen as a source of large numbers of volunteers joining terrorist groups in neighboring Afghanistan as well as in Syria. The review of existing literature is used to study this topic. The study found that dissatisfaction with the authorities, corruption, low living standards and opposition from the state, rather than their ideological views, were among the important factors that encouraged people to join extremist groups.
Development of Biorational Management Package of Root Knot Nematode Disease of Country Bean
Authors: Faruk Iqbal
Published: April 2022

A field experiment was conducted with a view to test the efficacy of Tricho-composts and integration of Tricho-composts, poultry refuse (PR), neem oilcake (NOC), saw dust burning (SDB) with chemical nematicide Furadan 5G (Carbofuran) for controlling root knot nematode of country bean through which growers will be benefited. The root-knot nematode infested soils were treated with Tricho-compost-1 @ 2 kg/pit, Tricho-compost-2 @ 2 kg/pit, Tricho-compost-1 @ 2 kg/pit + Furadan 5 G @ 20 g/pit, Tricho-compost-2 @ 2 kg/pit + Furadan 5 G @ 20 g/pit, poultry refuse @ 5-6 kg/pit + Furadan 5 G @20 g/pit , neem oil cake @ 500 g/pit + Furadan 5 G @ 20 g/pit and saw dust burning + Furadan 5 G @ 20 g/pit. It was revealed that all the treatments performed well in reducing root-knot nematode infestation and increasing plant growth and yield country bean compared to farmers’ practices. Among the treatments, integration of poultry refuse with Furadan 5G or Trichoderma based bio-fungicides Tricho-composts with Furadan 5G or neem oil cake with Furadan 5G are the best treatments in reducing root-knot nematode infestation and increasing plant growth as well as yield of country bean. Soil treatment with only Tricho-composts or integration of saw dust burning with Furadan 5G also performed better in reduction of root knot nematode disease and increasing plant growth as well as yield of country bean.
Position Paper: Overview of Workplace Bullying in Higher Educational Organizations
Authors: Coke Monique J. Grant
Published: April 2022

Bullying in higher education among educators has been researched at the international level and the present evidence strongly exists with need for further research regarding prevention 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Strong empirical research has been published on bullying with viewpoints on the damages to leadership, supervision, incivility and abuse experienced by educators 1, 2, 5, 6. Bullying in higher educational organizations has been observed with antecedents of power, “wanting to get ahead”, favoritism, and other precursors and challenges of incivility leading to bullying 1, 2, 3, 4. Workplace bullying antecedents and effects, describe the possible experiences, background, and precursors, that would reveal workplace bullying 1, 2. Bullying in higher academia can result from behaviours and experiences that show humiliation, overtalking others, aggression, exclusion of others, disengagement of employees, among other subtle ways of silencing others 1, 2, 3, 4, 7. It is therefore still important that educators continue to have a positive, purposeful and productive research driven approach towards solutions for preventing bullying in educational organizations.
The reproducibility of shear wave and strain elastography in epidermal cysts
Authors: Kim Ji Na , Park Hee Jin , Kim Myung Sub , Won So Yeon , Song Eunhee , Kim Minchul , Shin Hyunchul
Published: April 2022

Purpose: This study evaluated epidermal cyst elasticity using multiple parameters of strain elastography (SE) and shear wave elastography (SWE) and assessed the reproducibility of each parameter.Methods: This retrospective study included 73 patients with epidermal cysts who underwent SE and SWE. SE scores were classified as 1-4 according to elasticity. The strain ratio was evaluated using the elasticity ratio of lesions and adjacent subcutaneous fat tissue. For SWE, the shear wave velocity (m/s), elasticity (kPa) according to the Young modulus, velocity ratio, and elasticity ratio were evaluated. All values were measured twice. The reproducibility of SE and SWE measurements was assessed. The relationships among SE and SWE measurements were evaluated.Results: The strain ratio on SE images showed good reproducibility (intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC]=0.789), and SE scores showed substantial reproducibility (kappa=0.753 and kappa=0.758 for readers 1 and 2, respectively). Moderate reproducibility was found for shear wave velocity and elasticity (ICC=0.750 and ICC=0.648, respectively), as well as for the shear wave velocity of the reference tissue and velocity ratio (ICC=0.747 and ICC=0.713, respectively). All SE scores were positively correlated with the strain ratio (P<0.001). The strain ratio in the second SE session was significantly correlated with the elasticity ratio and velocity ratio in the first SWE session (r=0.245, P=0.037; r=0.243, P=0.038, respectively). Other variables were not correlated.Conclusion: SE and SWE parameters of epidermal cysts showed moderate to good reproducibility. The strain ratio on SE showed good reproducibility and could provide relatively objective and consistent measurements of epidermal cyst elasticity.
Migraine with brainstem aura: description of a clinical case
Authors: Shmidt D. A. , Golokhvostov D. S. , Osipova V. V. , Artemenko A. R.
Published: April 2022

The article focuses on a rare form of primary headache – migraine with brainstem aura (previous term – basilar migraine). The place of this form in the International Classification of Headache Disorders is indicated, diagnostic criteria and clinical features are given. Clinical case of migraine with brainstem aura in a young man is presented. The effectiveness of the acute treatment and preventive therapy are discussed; features of the above case are analyzed.
Role of insular cortex lesions in determining the pathogenetic subtype of ischemic stroke
Authors: Kulesh A. A. , Kulikova S. P. , Drobakha V. E. , Mekhryakov S. A. , Bartuli E. V. , Buzmakov A. V. , Syromyatnikova L. I. , Sobyanin K. V. , Karakulova Yu. V.
Published: April 2022

Timely evaluation of cardioembolic stroke (CES) caused by atrial fibrillation is critical from the point of view of the possibility of prescribing effective secondary prevention with oral anticoagulants. Insular lesion is considered as a promising neuroimaging marker of CES.

Objective: to analyze the role of insular cortex lesions using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain as a potential neuroimaging marker of the pathogenetic subtype of ischemic stroke (IS).

Patients and methods. 225 patients in the acute period of IS were examined. Depending on the stroke etiology, patients were divided into three groups: cryptogenic stroke (CS; n=99), CES (n=45), and non-CES (n=81). All patients underwent an MRI of the brain to analyze the insular cortex lesions. In 57 patients, foci of cerebral infarction were additionally marked manually on axial slices of diffusion-weighted MRI using the Anatomist software. The calculated MRI characteristics of foci for CES and non-CES groups were used to construct a decision tree in the WEKA 3.6 package. Echocardiographic markers of atrial cardiopathy were assessed in all patients – the left atrium (LA) emptying fraction and LA function index; in 68 patients, the concentration of serum NT-proBNP was also assessed.

Results and discussion. The insula was affected in 12% of patients: most often in CES (33%), significantly less often in CS and non-CES (6 and 7.4%, respectively), without significant differences between the latter groups. The presence of insula lesion in relation to CES has a sensitivity of 33% and a specificity of 93% (p=0.002); odds ratio 6.25; 95% confidence interval 2.22–17.63. In most patients, the posterior insular cortex was involved in the pathological process. Isolated insular infarction occurred in only one patient with CES, while the involvement of the insula and adjacent zone, and the combination of insular infarction with territorial infarction, were observed more often. The group of patients with insular lesions was distinguished by the predominance of women, greater severity of stroke at admission, less deficit at discharge, larger LA diameter, lower LA emptying fraction, and functional index. CES was four times more common in the insular lesion group, while CS was two times more common in those without insular lesions. Insula involvement identifies three out of five CES patients according to the decision tree. Further analysis of the total lesion volume can locate almost all remaining patients with CES: they are characterized by the indicator >12 sm3.

Conclusion. Insular lesions allow reliable differentiation of patients with CES and non-CES and can be considered a potential marker of the cardioembolic subtype of IS, which requires further investigation.
Association between redox imbalance, pterin metabolism markers, and early extrapyramidal side effects of antipsychotics in schizophrenia: pilot study
Authors: Zhilyaeva T. V. , Shvachkina D. S. , Piatoikina A. S. , Zhukova E. S. , Kostina O. V. , Shcherbatyuk T. G. , Mazo G. E.
Published: April 2022

Antipsychotics (AP) administration in schizophrenia patients is associated with several side effects (SE), in particular, with extrapyramidal (EP). Data suggests that oxidative damage to dopaminergic neurons in the EP system may be related to tardive dyskinesia and Parkinson's disease (PD) development, although data on the role of oxidative stress in the development of early EPSE of AP is lacking. Another poorly studied hypothesis of the EP-symptoms pathogenesis considers disorders of folate (pterin) metabolism.

Objective: to evaluate the relationship between redox imbalance and pterin metabolism with the severity of early EPSE caused by AP used in the schizophrenia treatment.

Patients and methods. The study included 50 patients with the first episode of schizophrenia. EP symptoms were evaluated using the UKU Side-Effect Rating Scale (“UKU-SERS-Clin” version). The levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), aldehyde-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone, ketone-2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone were assessed in blood plasma; levels of BH4, folate, cobalamin (vitamin B12), and homocysteine – in blood serum; superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activity – in erythrocytes.

Results and discussion. EPSE severity was inversely proportional inversely proportional to the GSH level and directly proportional to the SOD activity. EPSE severity was also associated with AP selectivity, but not with their dosages. However, AP selectivity was not associated with studied biochemical parameters. MDA level in patients prescribed with amantadine was lower than in other participants.

Conclusion. Early AP-induced EPSE were associated with redox imbalance, which indicates the necessity for further research aiming at prevention of secondary neurodegenerative diseases in patients with schizophrenia receiving AP.
Cognitive functions and professional status in the open population of Russia/Siberia among adults aged 25–44 years
Authors: Sukhanov A. V. , Voevoda M. I. , Gromova E. A. , Denisova D. V. , Gafarov V. V.
Published: April 2022

Objective: to establish associations of cognitive functions (CFs) and professional level in an open population of Novosibirsk aged 25–44 years.

Patients and methods. The subject of the study was a random representative sample of one of the Novosibirsk districts population aged 25–44 years (463 men, mean age 35.94±5.957 years, and 546 women, mean age 36.17±5.997 years) in 2013–2016. CFs were screened using: A.R. Luria 10 words learning task – immediate and delayed recall after the interfering task; Bourdon Test (BT); exclusion of “the fifth extra” test; verbal fluency test (naming animals in 1 min). Education level and professional status were assessed according to the criteria of the WHO international program MONICA protocol.

Results and discussion. The analysis showed that the management and engineering and technical staff (ETS) coped significantly better with cognitive tests than manual labor workers. The analysis of memory using the A.R. Luria test showed that the differences in the first recall of 10 words between manual labor workers and managers reached 0.849 words, in the mean number of correctly remembered words it reached 0.735 words, and in delayed recall – 1.096 words (p<0.05). Attention assessment using BT revealed that the number of letters crossed out in 1 min was higher among the management staff compared to the manual labor workers, reaching 4.978 characters (p<0.05). ETS scores in this test were close to the management staff scores (p<0,0001). Also, a tendency to a smaller number of mistakes made by managers and ETS compared to workers was revealed in the BT. In the analysis of semantic associations in the verbal fluency test the differences in the number of animals named per 1 min reached 3.007 animals between manual labor workers and managers. Similar differences were observed between manual labor workers and ETS (p<0.05). Abstract reasoning evaluation using the “the fifth extra” test showed that managers and ETS excluded a greater number of words that did not correspond to the logical series (i.e., they showed the best result in this test) than manual labor workers (p<0.05). ETS and management staff showed best performance in cognitive tests compared to manual labor workers of the same educational level.

Conclusion. A quantitative association has been established between a low professional level, level of education and a decrease in cognitive functions among people aged 25–44 years.
Drug-induced tremor
Authors: Ostroumova T. M. , Tolmacheva V. A. , Ostroumova O. D.
Published: April 2022

Drug-induced tremor (DIT) is a term used to describe tremors that develop or increase in severity due to various medications administration. As multiple drugs are associated with DIT it is quite common in clinical practice and medication dose is frequently associated with tremor severity. DIT is associated with commonly prescribed drugs such as amiodarone, antidepressants, β-agonists, cyclosporine, lithium, tacrolimus and valproic acid. DIT mechanisms include dopamine receptors block, gamma-aminobutyric acid depletion, cholinergic deficiency. DIT risk factors include older age, female sex, longer administration of drugs associated with tremor or/and their administration in higher doses, history of tremor in the patient and/or relatives, excessive caffeine intake. It is necessary to establish a causal relationship between the use of a potential inducer drug and the development/intensification of tremor to diagnose DIT. If DIT is detected, the inducer drug should be discontinued or its dose reduced. To decrease DIT risk, it is recommended to avoid prescribing drugs which are most commonly associated with DIT.
Muscular factor in the development of musculoskeletal pain. Treatment options
Authors: Isaikin A. I. , Nasonova T. I.
Published: April 2022

The importance of the muscular factor, which is traditionally considered in myofascial pain syndrome (MFPS), in the development and maintenance of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is actively discussed. The hypothesis of the leading role of myofascial trigger points (MTPs) in muscle pain remains debatable. Probably, muscle pain is secondary to the underlying disease. The MTP phenomenon is considered as an area of secondary hyperalgesia resulting from neurogenic inflammation in muscles that were not initially structurally and physiologically damaged. According to these ideas, MFPS is a complex form of neuromuscular dysfunction, which is represented by soft tissue damage with the development of peripheral and central sensitization as a result of neurogenic inflammation, changes in the functioning of limbic system structures. MFPS is a clinical diagnosis, based on the presence of painful spasmodic muscles, painful muscle indurations, active trigger points with zones of reflected pain. The sensitivity and specificity of clinical tests for MFPS have not been determined. Currently, there are no proven universally accepted criteria (such as biomarkers, electrophysiological evaluation, imaging, diagnostic blocks, etc.) for objectifying or quantifying MTPs. Nonpharmacological interventions with the most proven effectiveness include therapeutic exercises and psychotherapeutic techniques, other methods are of secondary importance. The effectiveness of aceclofenac (Aertal®) and the muscle relaxant tolperisone (Mydocalm®) in the of MSP treatment is discussed. It is noted that a new form of tolperisone – Mydocalm®-Long 450 mg - can reduce the frequency of drug administration, provide a proven and predictable therapeutic effect, and increase treatment adherence.
Etiquette Lesson for English Program in Indonesia and in China
Authors: Sari Yohana Ika Harnita , Zhaohui Wang
Published: April 2022

Life and career skills are two of many required skills in the 21st century learning. Etiquette lesson becomes essential in preparing college students to cope with the working world. This study aims at comparing the etiquette lesson employed in the English Program of the Vocational College of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Indonesia and in the Business English Program of the Foreign Language School of Chengdu Textile College (CDTC) China. The data were collected through doing interviews with etiquette teachers, doing observation in both colleges, and conducting library research. Afterwards, the data were categorized into three areas; course syllabus, topics and activities, and assessment; they were then analyzed using Business Etiquette Significant Learning Taxonomy and 21st Century Learning Framework. This study reveals that all aspects of Business Etiquette Significant Learning are employed within the lesson in both colleges.
Stance Taking and Identity in Classroom Interactions: A Small Scale Study
Authors: Abrar Mukhlash
Published: April 2022

This present article is mainly concerned with the nature of stance-taking and identity in classroom interaction. The data of the research were taken from the interactions in an English Foreign Language class. Going through the framework of stance triangle (Du Bois, 2007), the author explored the features of stances that are frequently taken in foreign language classroom interactions and the identities enacted from the interactions. The finding of the research suggested that epistemic stance was dominantly taken in the interactions, especially by the students. This unequal distribution of stance-taking is likely to occur due to the teacher’s teaching style and students’ lack of evaluation skill. In addition, the finding indicated that both teacher and students, when they take stances, constructed diverse discourse identities, including speaker, answerer, and evaluator. These diverse identities show that the classroom interactions between teacher and students is fairly communicative and dynamic.
Corpus Linguistics and Corpus-Based Research and Its Implication in Applied Linguistics: A Systematic Review
Authors: Al-Hamzi Ali Mohammed Saleh , Gougui Ayoub , Sari Amalia Yuni , Suhardijanto Totok
Published: April 2022

This article conveys a case-of-systematic survey of outstanding progress on corpora conducted by researchers affiliated with different common-section institutions all over the world.  Such a range overview selected 20 outstanding types of research from multi research-pushing institutions all around the world. These projects employ corpus techniques and technology to treat an enormous domain of research queries that are relevant to linguistic studies, language teaching and learning, cultural studies, and discourse analysis. These varied implementations of corpus techniques and advances clearly explain the great stress and chances that corpora applied in linguistics can hand to those who have the intention to research, educate, and learn the language.
Digitizing English for specific purposes in the era of COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Purwanto Sugeng , Nurhamidah Idha
Published: April 2022

A critical concern on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has been voiced to meet the demands for English proficiency to survive in international business exchanges. Not only have most college graduates, majoring in economics and business been challenged by the digital advancement of economics but also the ability to win the tight business competition at international level. This article explored procedures for a syllabus design of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) digitized and functionalized in the sense that it is particularly designed for the online mode of teaching ESP (e-learning) adopting pedagogical applications of Halliday’s Functional Grammar (1994). The digital literacy was much reviewed and discussed for Society 5.0 with the four language skills equally treated within Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL)’s Language Meta-functions with reference to Cambridge Proficiency Level of English (the CEFR). Recommended herewith is to redesign the ESP syllabus to comply with a high-quality education in the digital age.
The Role of Age and Exposure in English Vowel Perception and Production among Native Swahili Speakers
Authors: Upor Rose Acen , J. Olomy Joseph
Published: April 2022

Vowel perceptual studies in Foreign Language Acquisition (FLA) settings where L1 is dominant are generally scarce. The aim of this study, therefore, is to explore the role of the age and exposure factors in the perception and production of English vowels [ɑ-ɜ; æ-ɑ; i-ɪ] by the native Swahili speakers whose exposure to the English language is through formal instruction in a predominantly FLA situation. The participants (n=40) were classified into two groups: Young learners and adult learners. Using Flege’s Speech Learning Model (SLM), we administered a vowel perception test, and a vowel production exercise. The results confirm that adult learners have an edge over younger learners whereby the former exhibited greater accuracy in determining vowel contrasts and production than the latter. Although both groups shared common difficulties in discriminating the vowel sounds, adult learners had recourse to their prolonged exposure and ingeniously used previously acquired knowledge and skills in sentence structure and meaning to aid discrimination in comparison to the younger learners. Finally, the study supports the SLM contention that adults retain capacities to acquire L1 to perceive the properties of L2 speech sounds and establish new phonetic categories.
Morphophonemic Analysis on Postpositional Affixes in Kamano Language of Papua New Guinea: An Item and Process Approach
Authors: Wardah Najmatul , Subiyanto Agus
Published: April 2022

Kamano language, as one of the language in Papua New Guinea is considered as the pidgin language. This paper aims to identify the morphophonemic phenomena occurs in Kamano language by using the Item and Process model with suffix attachment to show the postpositional markers. This study uses descriptive qualitative as the approach to analyze Kamano language. The result shows that there are six phonological processes from seven morphological rules identified from the affix attachment. Furthermore, there are six phonological rules  (1) the deletion of nasal sound [n]; (2) the substitution of glottal sound [ʔ] to the lateral sound [r]; (3) the deletion of vowel sound [a]; (4) the substitution of nasal sound [n] to the nasal sound [m]; (5) the substitution of plosive sound [t] to the lateral sound [r]. the phonological processes which occur mostly in this language are assimilation of place of articulation and manner of articulation.
Area-minimizing properties of Pansu spheres in the sub-Riemannian 3-sphere
Authors: Hurtado Ana , Rosales César
Published: April 2022

We consider the sub-Riemannian 3-sphere

(

𝕊
3

,

g
h

)

{(\mathbb{S}^{3},g_{h})}

obtained by restriction of the Riemannian metric of constant curvature 1 to the planar distribution orthogonal to the vertical Hopf vector field. It was shown in
[A. Hurtado and C. Rosales,
Area-stationary surfaces inside the sub-Riemannian three-sphere,
Math. Ann. 340 2008, 3, 675–708]
that

(

𝕊
3

,

g
h

)

{(\mathbb{S}^{3},g_{h})}

contains a family of spherical surfaces

{

𝒮
λ

}

λ
⩾
0

{\{\mathcal{S}_{\lambda}\}_{\lambda\geqslant 0}}

with constant mean curvature λ. In this work, we first prove that the two closed half-spheres of

𝒮
0

{\mathcal{S}_{0}}

with boundary

C
0

=

{
0
}

×

𝕊
1

{C_{0}=\{0\}\times\mathbb{S}^{1}}

minimize the sub-Riemannian area among compact

C
1

{C^{1}}

surfaces with the same boundary. We also see that the only

C
2

{C^{2}}

solutions to this Plateau problem are vertical translations of such half-spheres. Second, we establish that the closed 3-ball enclosed by a sphere

𝒮
λ

{\mathcal{S}_{\lambda}}

with

λ
>
0

{\lambda>0}

uniquely solves the isoperimetric problem in

(

𝕊
3

,

g
h

)

{(\mathbb{S}^{3},g_{h})}

for

C
1

{C^{1}}

sets inside a vertical solid tube and containing a horizontal section of the tube. The proofs mainly rely on calibration arguments.
Corticosterone potentiates ochratoxin A-induced microglial activation
Authors: Chansawhang Anchana , Phochantachinda Sataporn , Temviriyanukul Piya , Chantong Boonrat
Published: April 2022

Microglial activation in the central nervous system (CNS) has been associated with brain damage and neurodegenerative disorders. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that occurs naturally in food and feed and has been associated with neurotoxicity, while corticosteroids are CNS’ physiological function modulators. This study examined how OTA affected microglia activation and how corticosteroids influenced microglial neuroinflammation. Murine microglial cells (BV-2) were stimulated by OTA, and the potentiation effects on OTA-induced inflammation were determined by corticosterone pre-treatment. Expressions of pro-inflammatory mediators including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were determined. Phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) was analyzed by western blotting. OTA significantly increased the mRNA expression of IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and iNOS and also elevated IL-6 and NO levels. Corticosterone pre-treatment enhanced the neuroinflammatory response to OTA in a mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)-dependent mechanism, which is associated with increases in extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 MAPK activation. In response to OTA, microglial cells produced pro-inflammatory cytokines and NO, while corticosterone increased OTA-induced ERK and p38 MAPK phosphorylation via MR. Findings indicated the direct role of OTA in microglia activation and neuroinflammatory response and suggested that low corticosterone concentrations in the brain exacerbated neurodegeneration.
Starlike and convexity properties ofq-Bessel-Struve functions
Authors: Oraby Karima M. , Mansour Zeinab S. I.
Published: April 2022

This paper introduces three different normalization associated with the second and thirdq-Bessel-Struve functions. We use Hadamard factorizations to determine the radii of starlike and convexity of these functions.
Coherent categorical structures for Lie bialgebras, Manin triples, classical r-matrices and pre-Lie algebras
Authors: Bai Chengming , Guo Li , Sheng Yunhe
Published: April 2022

The broadly applied notions of Lie bialgebras, Manin triples, classical r-matrices and

𝒪

{\mathcal{O}}

-operators of Lie algebras owe their importance to the close relationships among them.
Yet these notions and their correspondences are mostly understood as classes of objects and maps among the classes.
To gain categorical insight, this paper introduces, for each of the classes, a notion of homomorphisms, uniformly called coherent homomorphisms, so that the classes of objects become categories and the maps among the classes become functors or category equivalences. For this purpose, we start with the notion of an endo Lie algebra, consisting of a Lie algebra equipped with a Lie algebra endomorphism. We then generalize the above classical notions for Lie algebras to endo Lie algebras. As a result, we obtain the notion of coherent endomorphisms for each of the classes, which then generalizes to the notion of coherent homomorphisms by a polarization process. The coherent homomorphisms are compatible with the correspondences among the various constructions, as well as with the category of pre-Lie algebras.
On Deligne’s conjecture for symmetric fifth L-functions of modular forms
Authors: Chen Shih-Yu
Published: April 2022

We prove Deligne’s conjecture for symmetric fifth L-functions of elliptic newforms of weight greater than 5.
As a consequence, we establish period relations between motivic periods associated to an elliptic newform and the Betti–Whittaker periods of its symmetric cube functorial lift to

GL
4

{\operatorname{GL}_{4}}

.
On order of vanishing of characteristic elements
Authors: Lim Meng Fai
Published: April 2022

Letpbe a fixed odd prime. LetEbe an elliptic curve defined over a number fieldFwith either good ordinary reduction or multiplicative reduction at each prime ofFabovep. We shall study the characteristic element of the Selmer group ofEover ap-adic Lie extension. In particular, we relate the order of vanishing of these characteristic elements evaluated at Artin representations to the Selmer coranks and their twists in the intermediate subextensions of thep-adic Lie extension.
On transitivity-like properties for torsion-free Abelian groups
Authors: Chekhlov Andrey R. , Danchev Peter V. , Keef Patrick W.
Published: April 2022

We study some close relationships between the classes of transitive, fully transitive and Krylov transitive torsion-free Abelian groups. In addition, as an application of the achieved assertions, we resolve some old-standing problems, posed by Krylov, Mikhalev and Tuganbaev in their monograph
[P. A. Krylov, A. V. Mikhalev and A. A. Tuganbaev,
Endomorphism Rings of Abelian Groups,
Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, 2003].
Specifically, we answer Problem 44 from there in the affirmative by constructing a Krylov transitive torsion-free Abelian group which is neither fully transitive nor transitive. This extends to the torsion-free case certain similar results in the p-torsion case. We, alternatively, also expand to the torsion-free version some of the results concerning transitivity, full transitivity and Krylov transitivity in the p-primary case.
Equal/unequal half mode substrate integrated waveguide filtering power dividers using an ultra-compact metamaterial unit-cell
Authors: Danaeian Mostafa , Ghayoumi-Zadeh Hossein
Published: April 2022

In this paper, a novel ultra-compact metamaterial unit-cell is introduced. The proposed unit-cell consists of one modified rings which has been designed based on the fractal technique and meander technique. These techniques are used to reduce the physical size of the conventional complementary split ring resonators (CSRRs). In the proposed metamaterial unit-cell which is called the fractal/meander CSRR (FMCSRR), the slot lines in the conventional CSRRs are replaced by the fractal and meander slots, simultaneously. The FMCSRR unit-cell is a planar metamaterial element which exhibits negative permittivity and is considered as electric dipole when excited by an axial electric field. Thus, the FMCSRR unit-cell is modeled as a shunt resonator tank. Therefore, by using the proposed FMCSRR configuration, all of the interior space of the ring has been used and the slot lines have been increased. Consequently, the higher inductance has been achieved and the resonance frequency of the proposed FMCSRR unit-cell becomes lower compared with the conventional CSRR. That’s mean the electrical size of the introduced unit-cell FMCSRR unit-cell is smaller than the conventional CSRR with the same physical sizes. A microstrip notch band filter, a microstrip band-pass filter, a half mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) band-pass filter and three HMSIW filtering power dividers (FPDs) with different power division ratios of 1:1, 1:4, and 1:8 have been designed to illustrate the ability of the proposed FMCSRR unit-cell in the size reduction. All of the designed devices operated at 2.4 GHz which are suitable for WLAN applications. For verification the performance of the utilized techniques in miniaturization of the dimension, the designed equal/unequal HMSIW FPDs have been fabricated and tested. A reasonable agreement between simulated and measured results has been achieved. The results confirmation that a miniaturization about 79% has been obtained. The total size of the proposed HMSIW FPDs are about 0.09λ
g × 0.09λ
g. The proposed HMSIW FPDs have many advantages in terms of compact size, low insertion loss, high selectivity, easy integration with the other planar circuits, and controllable bandwidth.
Cytotoxicity of green-synthesized silver nanoparticles by Adansonia digitata fruit extract against HTC116 and SW480 human colon cancer cell lines
Authors: Almukaynizi Fatimah Basil , Daghestani Maha H. , Awad Manal A. , Althomali Arwa , Merghani Nada M. , Bukhari Wadha I. , Algahtani Norah M. , Al-Zuhairy Shatha S. , ALOthman Ahlam M. , Alsenani Eman A. , Alojayan Badrih O. , Al-Saif Khulud S. , Bhat Ramesa Shafi
Published: April 2022

Nanoparticles synthesized from plants are being explored for cancer treatment therapies all over the world. This study reported the eco-friendly and low-cost method for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from Adansonia digitata fruit as a reducing and capping agent. The anti-cancer potential of synthesized particles was explored against HTC116 and SW480 colon cancer cell lines. Prepared AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, zeta potential, transmission electronic microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and energy-dispersive spectrum. The cytotoxicity was determined with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and expression levels of four genes (CTNNB1, APC, LRP5, and LRP6) were checked by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The sharp peak of surface plasmon resonance at 400 nm confirms the formation of AgNPs. Dynamic light scattering showed average sizes of 16.34 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.193. A. digitata AgNPs were spherical with slight aggregated. AgNPs were more cytotoxic than A. digitata extract and decrease the expression of CTNNB1 and LRP6 genes while LRP5 gene expression was increased in both cell lines. APC gene expression was decreased in SW480 but increased in HTC116 with treatment. Overall, this study suggested that AgNPs synthesized by A. digitata fruit extract can be an attractive candidate for anticancer applications.