bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New monoclonal antibodies that recognize an unglycosylated, conserved, extracellular region of CD44 in vitro and in vivo, and can block tumorigenesis
Authors: Lusche Daniel F. , Wessels Deborah J. , Reis Ryan J. , Forrest Cristopher C. , Thumann Alexis R. , Soll David R.
Published: April 2021

CD44 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that binds to hyaluronic acid, plays roles in a number of cellular processes and is expressed in a variety of cell types. It is up-regulated in stem cells and cancer. Anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies affect cell motility and aggregation, and repress tumorigenesis and metastasis. Here we describe four new anti-CD44 monoclonal antibodies originating from B cells of a mouse injected with a plasmid expressing CD44 isoform 12. The four monoclonal antibodies bind to the terminal, extracellular, conserved domain of CD44 isoforms. Based on differences in western blot patterns of cancer cell lysates, the four anti-CD44 mAbs separated into three distinct categories that include P4G9, P3D2, and P3A7, and P3G4. Spot assay analysis with peptides generated inEscherichia colisupport the conclusion that the monoclonal antibodies recognize unglycosylated sequences in the N-terminal conserved region between amino acid 21–220, and analyses with a peptide generated in human embryonic kidney 293 cells, demonstrate that these monoclonal antibodies bind to these peptides only after deglycosylation. Western blots with lysates from three cancer cell lines demonstrate that several CD44 isoforms are unglycosylated in the anti-CD44 target regions. The potential utility of the monoclonal antibodies in blocking tumorigenesis was tested by co-injection of cells of the breast cancer-derived tumorigenic cell line MDA-MB-231 with the anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody P3D2 into the mammary fat pads of mice. All five control mice injected with MDA-MB-231 cells plus anti-IgG formed palpable tumors, while only one of the six test mice injected with MDA-MB-231 cells plus P3D2 formed a tiny tumor, while the remaining five were tumor-free, indicating that the four anti-CD44 mAbs may be useful therapeutically.
Intrinsic motivation in virtual assistant interaction for fostering spontaneous interactions
Authors: Li Chang , Yanagisawa Hideyoshi
Published: April 2021

With the growing utility of today’s conversational virtual assistants, the importance of user motivation in human–artificial intelligence interactions is becoming more obvious. However, previous studies in this and related fields, such as human–computer interaction, scarcely discussed intrinsic motivation (the motivation to interact with the assistants for fun). Previous studies either treated motivation as an inseparable concept or focused on non-intrinsic motivation (the motivation to interact with the assistant for utilitarian purposes). The current study aims to cover intrinsic motivation by taking an affective engineering approach. A novel motivation model is proposed, in which intrinsic motivation is affected by two factors that derive from user interactions with virtual assistants: expectation of capability and uncertainty. Experiments in which these two factors are manipulated by making participants believe they are interacting with the smart speaker “Amazon Echo” are conducted. Intrinsic motivation is measured both by using questionnaires and by covertly monitoring a five-minute free-choice period in the experimenter’s absence, during which the participants could decide for themselves whether to interact with the virtual assistants. Results of the first experiment showed that high expectation engenders more intrinsically motivated interaction compared with low expectation. However, the results did not support our hypothesis that expectation and uncertainty have an interaction effect on intrinsic motivation. We then revised our hypothetical model of action selection accordingly and conducted a verification experiment of the effects of uncertainty. Results of the verification experiment showed that reducing uncertainty encourages more interactions and causes the motivation behind these interactions to shift from non-intrinsic to intrinsic.
Prevalence assessment of sexually transmitted infections among pregnant women visiting an antenatal care center of Nepal: Pilot of the World Health Organization’s standard protocol for conducting STI prevalence surveys among pregnant women
Authors: Dev Rubee , Adhikari Shambhu P. , Dongol Anjana , Madhup Surendra K. , Pradhan Pooja , Shakya Sunila , Shrestha Shrinkhala , Maskey Sneha , Taylor Melanie M.
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common during pregnancy and can result in adverse delivery and birth outcomes. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of STIs; Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Treponema pallidum (syphilis), Trichomonas vaginalis (trichomoniasis), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among pregnant women visiting an antenatal care center in Nepal.

Materials and methods

We adapted and piloted the WHO standard protocol for conducting a prevalence survey of STIs among pregnant women visiting antenatal care center of Dhulikhel Hospital, Nepal. Patient recruitment, data collection, and specimen testing took place between November 2019-March 2020. First catch urine sample was collected from each eligible woman. GeneXpert platform was used for CT and NG testing. Wet-mount microscopy of urine sample was used for detection of trichomoniasis. Serological test for HIV was done by rapid and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests. Serological test for syphilis was done using “nonspecific non-treponemal” and “specific treponemal” antibody tests. Tests for CT, NG and trichomoniasis were done as part of the prevalence study while tests for syphilis and HIV were done as part of the routine antenatal testing.

Results

672 women were approached to participate in the study, out of which 591 (87.9%) met the eligibility criteria and consented to participate. The overall prevalence of any STIs was 8.6% (51/591, 95% CI: 6.3–10.8); 1.5% (95% CI: 0.5–2.5) for CT and 7.1% (95% CI: 5.0–9.2) for trichomoniasis infection. None of the samples tested positive for NG, HIV or syphilis. Prevalence of any STI was not significantly different among women, age ≤ 24 years (10%, 25/229) compared to women age ≥25 years (7.1%, 26/362) (p = 0.08).

Conclusions

The prevalence of trichomoniasis among pregnant women in this sub-urban population of Nepal was high compared to few cases of CT and no cases of NG, syphilis, and HIV. The WHO standard protocol provided a valuable framework for conducting STI surveillance that can be adapted for other countries and populations.
Proteinuria changes in kidney disease patients with clinical remission during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Tsuboi Nobuo , Sasaki Takaya , Kashihara Naoki , Yokoo Takashi
Published: April 2021

Backgrounds

Data on how lifestyle changes due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have influenced the clinical features of kidney disease patients remain scarce.

Methods

This study retrospectively analyzed clinical variables in patients with stage G1–G4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) with complete or incomplete remission of proteinuria, who were managed in a nephrology outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Tokyo. The clinical variables during the COVID-19 pandemic (term 1, June–July 2020) were compared to those one year before the pandemic (term 0, June–July 2019). The urinary protein excretion (UPE) was used as the primary outcome measure.

Results

This study included 325 patients with stage G1–G4 CKD (mean age 58.5 years old, 37.5% female, 80.6% on renin-angiotensin aldosterone system inhibitors [RAASis], 12.0% on maintenance dose immunosuppression therapy) evaluated at term 0. The UPE at terms 0 and 1 was 247 (92–624) and 203 (84–508) mg/day [median (25th–75th percentile)], respectively; the value in term 1 was 18% lower than that in term 0 (p<0.001), with no marked difference in body weight, blood pressure, protein intake or urinary salt excretion. In multivariable analyses, incomplete remission of proteinuria in term 0 (odds ratio [OR] = 2.70, p = <0.001), RAASi use (OR = 2.09, p = 0.02) and decreased urinary salt excretion in term 1 vs. term 0 (OR = 1.94, p = 0.002) were identified as independent variables associated with reduced UPE in term 1 vs. term 0. No significant interactions between the variables were observed.

Conclusion

In kidney disease patients receiving standard medical care from nephrologists, the UPE after the emergency declaration in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic was lower than before the declaration. The UPE reduction may be associated with reduced dietary salt intake during the pandemic in patients treated with RAASi for insufficient control of proteinuria. Our results support the current proposal to continue therapeutic approaches to these patients, which involve RAASi therapy along with optimizing dietary habits, even while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
A phylogenetic study of the members of the MAPK and MEK families across Viridiplantae
Authors: González-Coronel José Manuel , Rodríguez-Alonso Gustavo , Guevara-García Ángel Arturo
Published: April 2021

Protein phosphorylation is regulated by the activity of enzymes generically known as kinases. One of those kinases is Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPK), which operate through a phosphorylation cascade conformed by members from three related protein kinase families namely MAPK kinase kinase (MEKK), MAPK kinase (MEK), and MAPK; these three acts hierarchically. Establishing the evolution of these proteins in the plant kingdom is an interesting but complicated task because the current MAPK, MAPKK, and MAPKKK subfamilies arose from duplications and subsequent sub-functionalization during the early stage of the emergence of Viridiplantae. Here, anin silicogenomic analysis was performed on 18 different plant species, which resulted in the identification of 96 genes not previously annotated as components of the MAPK (70) and MEK (26) families. Interestingly, a deeper analysis of the sequences encoded by such genes revealed the existence of putative domains not previously described as signatures of MAPK and MEK kinases. Additionally, our analysis also suggests the presence of conserved activation motifs besides the canonical TEY and TDY domains, which characterize the MAPK family.
Correlation of national and healthcare workers COVID-19 infection data; implications for large-scale viral testing programs
Authors: Wu Dan , Mac Aonghusa Pól , O’Shea Donal F.
Published: April 2021

Time analysis of the course of an infectious disease epidemic is a critical way to understand the dynamics of pathogen transmission and the effect of population scale interventions. Computational methods have been applied to the progression of the COVID-19 outbreak in five different countries (Ireland, Germany, UK, South Korea and Iceland) using their reported daily infection data. A Gaussian convolution smoothing function constructed a continuous epidemic line profile that was segmented into longitudinal time series of mathematically fitted individual logistic curves. The time series of fitted curves allowed comparison of disease progression with differences in decreasing daily infection numbers following the epidemic peak being of specific interest. A positive relationship between the rate of declining infections and countries with comprehensive COVID-19 testing regimes existed. Insight into different rates of decline infection numbers following the wave peak was also possible which could be a useful tool to guide the reopening of societies. In contrast, extended epidemic timeframes were recorded for those least prepared for large-scale testing and contact tracing. As many countries continue to struggle to implement population wide testing it is prudent to explore additional measures that could be employed. Comparative analysis of healthcare worker (HCW) infection data from Ireland shows it closely related to that of the entire population with respect to trends of daily infection numbers and growth rates over a 57-day period. With 31.6% of all test-confirmed infections in healthcare workers (all employees of healthcare facilities), they represent a concentrated 3% subset of the national population which if exhaustively tested (regardless of symptom status) could provide valuable information on disease progression in the entire population (or set). Mathematically, national population and HCWs can be viewed as a set and subset with significant influences on each other, with solidarity between both an essential ingredient for ending this crisis.
Palmitoylation of the envelope membrane proteins GP5 and M of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus is essential for virus growth
Authors: Zhang Minze , Han Xiaoliang , Osterrieder Klaus , Veit Michael
Published: April 2021

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), an enveloped positive-strand RNA virus in the Arteiviridae family, is a major pathogen affecting pigs worldwide. The membrane (glyco)proteins GP5 and M form a disulfide-linked dimer, which is a major component of virions. GP5/M are required for virus budding, which occurs at membranes of the exocytic pathway. Both GP5 and M feature a short ectodomain, three transmembrane regions, and a long cytoplasmic tail, which contains three and two conserved cysteines, respectively, in close proximity to the transmembrane span. We report here that GP5 and M of PRRSV-1 and -2 strains are palmitoylated at the cysteines, regardless of whether the proteins are expressed individually or in PRRSV-infected cells. To completely prevent S-acylation, all cysteines in GP5 and M have to be exchanged. If individual cysteines in GP5 or M were substituted, palmitoylation was reduced, and some cysteines proved more important for efficient palmitoylation than others. Neither infectious virus nor genome-containing particles could be rescued if all three cysteines present in GP5 or both present in M were replaced in a PRRSV-2 strain, indicating that acylation is essential for virus growth. Viruses lacking one or two acylation sites in M or GP5 could be rescued but grew to significantly lower titers. GP5 and M lacking acylation sites form dimers and GP5 acquires Endo-H resistant carbohydrates in the Golgi apparatus suggesting that trafficking of the membrane proteins to budding sites is not disturbed. Likewise, GP5 lacking two acylation sites is efficiently incorporated into virus particles and these viruses exhibit no reduction in cell entry. We speculate that multiple fatty acids attached to GP5 and M in the endoplasmic reticulum are required for clustering of GP5/M dimers at Golgi membranes and constitute an essential prerequisite for virus assembly.
‘Training the next generation HR practitioners’: Reflecting on HRM student experiences of sexual harassment training
Authors: Dyer Suzette , Hurd Fiona
Published: April 2021

Despite prohibitive legislation and organizational policies and training, high rates of sexual harassment persist in the hospitality industry, a situation that is concerning to organizations and researchers alike. As management educators, we embedded a sexual harassment lecture within the context of a human resource management degree, with the aim of developing the capacity of the future human resource practitioner workforce to address sexual harassment. The reflective journals of these students, collected over a three-year period, reveal that while participants found the session improved their understanding of sexual harassment myths and remedies, many still questioned their ability to act within the context of wider organizational dynamics. Our analysis leads us to conclude that sexual harassment training sessions are a valuable and necessary starting point for developing intolerance. However, if we are truly committed to eradicating sexual harassment, then a much broader and integrated approach is required that includes redressing the limitations of the current legal systems, broadening the scope of education within the wider community and developing intolerant organizational climates.
The Influence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the Entrepreneur Leadership Attributes
Authors: Avny Ronnen
Published: April 2021

Innovation, and especially innovation leadership, is a critical factor in enhancing a firm’s success in today’s changing markets. This research investigates changes in the entrepreneurial leadership attributes amid the fourth industrial revolution and how these changes relate to the fast pace of technology advancement. As part of the fourth industrial revolution, the barrier to introducing innovative technology has decreased due to the accessibility of high-end commercial capabilities, such as cloud computing, big-data capacities, open-source codes, and more, which reduce their need for in-house development. This research taps into the current academic knowledge gap and aims to understand how leadership traits (or attributes) may help fully exploit this significant revolution’s advantages and gain a competitive advantage over rivals. This paper also contributes to the knowledge of innovation study and entrepreneur leadership study. The research utilizes automated techniques of content analysis of published interviews and entrepreneurs’ biographies from recent years and the distant past. The results reveal that current entrepreneurs tend to be open-minded while avoiding rejecting innovation from other firms (avoiding “the not invented here” concept) and are willing to share the experience with the adjacent technology eco-system. The main conclusion of the research is that the entrepreneur in the current era should utilize the open innovation eco-system and gather the ingredients for innovation initiatives, and also have the ability to accurately seek the best offthe- shelf solution to use and integrate it while avoiding time- and budget-consuming development procedures.
Entry Dynamics of Startup Companies and the Drivers of Their Growth in the Nascent Blockchain Industry
Authors: Semenova Viktoriia
Published: April 2021

The purpose of the paper is to discuss the characteristics of the blockchain (hereinafter “BT”) industry and factors that affect the success of BT-based startup companies. Due to the novelty of BT technology, the current period of its development is associated with a high number of newly emerging firms that are predominant in the BT industry. The study seeks to address the two main research questions: What are the key characteristics of the BT industry? What are the factors that determine the success of BT-based companies? To answer these questions, the method of the systematic literature review was applied. The discussion of the reviewed 43 publications led to the classification of literature sources into six categories, including research streams on BT in the contexts of entrepreneurial finance, institutional theory, digital and social entrepreneurship, business models, and international business. The results suggested that the early success of the BT-based startups’ entry and growth related to the supportive entrepreneurial environments, a greater degree of regulatory clarity, the formation of strategic associations, entrepreneur’s active engagement in sharing expertise and shaping the regulations and standards, a profound business model, and experienced management. It is recommended that policymakers should support the creation of new ventures and the transfer of knowledge about BT. Managers of established companies should cooperate with startups to adopt BT applications into their business models. Future research should be based on empirical research studies, namely cluster analysis, to identify the determinants of success/failure of BT-enabled startup firms. This paper contributes to BT research and the literature on the emergence of new industrial fields and ventures.
Szabályozás és vezetői döntés – Egy alternatív szabályozási modell és annak értékelése bombával való fenyegetés esetére
Authors: Adorján Richárd
Published: April 2021

A tanulmány egy egészen speciális – de sajnos nem egyedi – vezetői döntést, illetőleg az azt előidéző cselekményeket, annak lehetséges következményeit, s az arra szintén erőteljes hatást gyakorló szabályozási környezetet vizsgálja. Bomba elhelyezésével és felrobbantásával való fenyegetés esetén a megfenyegetett intézmény vezetőjének helyes eljárására nézve a hatályos jogszabályok nem adnak világos útmutatást. A döntési helyzet emiatt válik elemzés tárgyává, amelyhez a döntéselmélet eszköztárát hívja segítségül a szerző. A tanulmány emellett felvázol egy alternatív szabályozási modellt, amelynek értékelését a költséghaszon elemzés módszerével meg is kísérli.
Fiatal vezetők életstratégiái – Vezetővé válni, vezetőnek lenni
Authors: Bokor Attila , Radácsi László
Published: April 2021

A szerzők 2001-ben indították el azt a kutatást, amelyben az 1966 és 1972 között született, mára sikeres vállalati felső vezetőként dolgozó emberekkel készítettek életút-interjúkat. Azt vizsgálták, miként látják az életútjukat, mit jelent nekik a siker (azért mit kellett feláldozniuk), és miként vélekednek a jövőjükről.
A tevékenységalapú költségszámítás módszertani problémái és az idővezérelt tevékenységalapú költségszámítás
Authors: Dankó Dávid , Szegedi Zoltán
Published: April 2021

A költségszámítás és költségmenedzsment szakkifejezéseinek gyűjteménye a közelmúltban új taggal bővült: ez a Time-Driven ABC (TD ABC), ami magyarra idővezérelt tevékenységalapú költségszámításként fordítható. ATD ABC megjelenésével felerősödtek azok a kritikák, amelyek a „klasszikus” tevékenységalapú költségszámítás (ABC/PKR) módszertani hiányosságaira hívják fel a figyelmet. A szerzők cikkükben ezen apropóból tömören rendszerezik – a magyar nyelvű irodalomban tudomásunk szerint elsőként – a tevékenységalapú költségszámítás angolszász és német verziójának főbb jellemvonásait, majd részletesen bemutatják a „klasszikus” tevékenységalapú megoldásokkal kapcsolatos módszertani problémákat. Gyakorlati tapasztalataikat is felhasználva szót ejtenek a modellépítés és a modellfunkciók kiválasztása során jelentkező kihívásokról, valamint a rendszerműködtetéssel kapcsolatos nehézségekről. Cikkük utolsó részében rátérnek a TD ABC – mint az ezeket a nehézségeket leküzdeni hivatott módszertan – bemutatására és kritikus értékelésére. Véleményük szerint a TD ABC sok hasonlóságot mutat a német folyamatköltségszámítás (PKR) elméletével, ám nem tekinthető a német módszertan amerikai megfelelőjének.
LUGARES-CONVERGENTES DE RELIGIOSIDADE POPULAR: USOS, DES-USOS E ABUSOS DAS GEOSSACRALIDADES NOS SERTÕES CEARENSES.
Authors: Pontes Emilio Tarlis Mendes
Published: April 2021

Os cultos e preceitos religiosos de tradições cristãs/católicas nos sertões nordestinos entremeiam uma miscelânea de aspectos socioculturais que perpassam a herança dogmática heteronômica eclesial romana, abrangendo em sua práxis elementos afros, ameríndios, europeus, mouros e asiáticos. Os lugares comunitários onde ocorrem as manifestações podem ser tanto igrejas, santuários e/ou marcos arquitetados e institucionalizados pela Igreja Católica quanto uma pluralidade de geossímbolos aqui denominados de lugares-convergentes de religiosidade popular, cujo processo de formação sincrético-religioso nos sertões está prenhe de geossacralidades. O presente artigo objetiva analisar os usos, des-usos e abusos de práticas religiosas  marcantes na cultura nordestina no tocante às contemporâneas formas de manipulação das massas, geradoras de espaços-mundos que se perpetuam como manutenção do poder através do iletramento religioso e associadas a questões de ordem política, visam a permanência de determinados núcleos de poder nos sertões.
POLÍTICAS DE DESENVOLVIMENTO E INDÚSTRIA EM MINAS GERAIS: ANÁLISE DOS DISTRITOS INDUSTRIAIS DE UBERABA-MG
Authors: Matushima Marcos Kazuo , Sousa Thiago de Jesus
Published: April 2021

O município de Uberaba tem se destacado como polo industrial do interior do estado de Minas Gerais, apresentando um crescimento industrial importante a  partir da década de 1970, com a expansão da fronteira agrícola e do processo de desconcentração industrial que ocorreu no Brasil. Neste artigo, será analisado esse modelo de industrialização, que através de incentivos fiscais e da oferta de infraestrutura e terrenos atraíram diversas empresas e indústrias para o município, o que gerou diversos impactos econômicos, ambientais e sociais. O município de Uberaba conta hoje com três distritos industriais em atividade e um quarto distrito em implantação. Cada um dos distritos conta com empresas de vários segmentos de atividades industriais, como químico, alimentício, metalúrgico, moveleiro, etc., destacando-se as indústrias ligadas a produção de fertilizantes e insumos agrícolas, que se começaram a se instalar no final da década de 1970, tornando atualmente o município um dos principais polos de produção de fertilizantes químicos do país.
Development of system-methodological bases to increase the efficiency of foreign economic activities of industrial enterprises
Authors: Bataev Vyacheslav V.
Published: April 2021

The paper proposes a methodology for analyzing the system of interaction between an industrial enterprise and customs authorities in the process of carrying out foreign trade activities based on the classification and assessment of the system elements functions for performing customs operations and customs control. Foreign economic activity, which is a set of functions of organizations focused on the foreign market in terms of the chosen foreign economic strategy, as well as the forms and methods of work in foreign markets is considered as one of the key factors in the efficiency of an industrial enterprise. Analysis of the foreign economic activity of an industrial enterprise using the developed methodology will make it possible to determine the optimal and cost-effective options for performing customs operations related to the declaration and release of goods in accordance with the declared customs procedure. The focus on large participants of foreign economic activity, which are industrial enterprises, will allow using the results of the study to reduce non-production costs associated with the implementation of foreign trade activities by these enterprises. We have chosen an enterprise of the metallurgical industry that carries out foreign economic activity in cooperation with the customs authorities of the Russian Federation as the object of the system analysis in this research. At the same time the object of analysis is considered as a unified system that has the main system properties: integrity and divisibility, the presence of significant stable links between the elements of the system, the organization and the hierarchical structure of the system, integrative qualities. The object of the research is a complex-structured system of interactions between industrial enterprises that are participants of foreign economic activity and the customs authorities of the Russian Federation. The schemes of interactions of all elements of the four-level hierarchical structure of the analyzed system are illustrated.
Research of the control system for liquids level maintenance in tanks
Authors: Abakumov Aleksandr M. , Kuznetsov Pavel K. , Kurgan Vladimir P. , Goryachkin Alecsandr A.
Published: April 2021

The problems of controlling the operating modes of pumping units with a frequency-controlled drive based on an asynchronous short-circuited motor are considered. The specific features of the requirements for the control process quality indicators of liquid level stabilization control system for the reservoirs are discussed. Mathematical models of functionally necessary parts of the system are obtained in the form of transfer functions: a frequency-controlled drive with scalar control, a generalized control object, and a feedback sensor. The linearized model of the controlled object taking into consideration a nonlinear dependence of the the torque at the motor shaft on rotational speed is obtained in the form of a transfer function of the aperiodic unit. A block diagram of a closed loop liquid level control system has been developed. It is shown that the use of standard settings for the system under consideration, focused on maximum performance achievement, can leads to unacceptable values of control action speed variations and hence to generation of hydraulic shocks that decreases a wear of kinematic parts of the unit. A method for the synthesis of the controller is proposed, which takes into account the limitations on the quality indicators of the transient process of a speed variation of the pump unit when control system counteracts main disturbances. The synthesis of controller is carried out for an example of a specific installation and the results of modeling transients of a control system and perturbing effects are discussed.
Method for reducing the amplitudes of higher harmonics in the output voltage of the frequency converter
Authors: Starikov Alexsandr V. , Lisin Sergey L. , Belyaeva Olga S. , Kirdyashev Viktor A.
Published: April 2021

Modern low-voltage frequency converters, built on the principle of stand-alone inverters with pulse-width modulation, have large amplitudes of higher harmonics in the output voltage. This adversely affects the operation of an asynchronous or synchronous motor connected to such a converter, since it causes a decrease in the efficiency of the AC machine. The analysis of the reasons for the poor harmonic composition of the output voltage of traditional inverters with sinusoidal pulse-width modulation is carried out and it is noted that the main one is the introduction of "dead" time when switching half-bridges every modulation period. The proposed method of sinusoidal modulation does not require the introduction of "dead" time. The modes of operation of power transistors with this switching method and control signal diagrams are considered. Analytical expressions are found that make it possible to determine the effective value of the output voltage of the frequency converter and the coefficients of higher harmonics for the proposed method of switching power transistors. The main reason for the low effective value of the phase voltage at the output of the inverter at sinusoidal pulse-width modulation is determined - the ineffective use of the switching period. The proposed method of sinusoidal modulation does not require the introduction of "dead" time, increasing the effective value of the output voltage and reducing the total harmonic component by 75 times. The diagrams of signals that control power transistors and provide a decrease in the amplitudes of higher harmonics at the output of the frequency converter are given. An approximation by the harmonic Fourier series of the output voltage of the inverter, obtained in the case of using the proposed method of switching power transistors, is made. It is noted that for the technical implementation of sinusoidal modulation, which provides small amplitudes of higher harmonics, only two pulse-width modulators are needed.
Epicurus on Justice ‘In Itself’ (καθ᾽ ἑαυτό) (Kuria Doxa33)
Authors: Robitzsch Jan Maximilian
Published: April 2021

This paper is a commentary on Epicurus’Kuria Doxa(KD) 33, according to which “justice is not anything in itself [τι καθ᾽ ἑαυτό].” It explores what it means for something to exist ‘in itself’ in Hellenistic philosophy, speculating on the sources of Epicurean technical vocabulary and suggesting an ontological reading of KD 33.
Duodenal adenocarcinoma with skin metastasis as initial manifestation: A case report
Authors: Fu Yixiao , Zheng Cuiping , Huang Jian , Wu Shenghao , Dai Yanyan
Published: April 2021

Background

Duodenal adenocarcinoma (DA) with skin metastasis as initial manifestation is clinically rare. In this study, we report a rare case of skin metastasis of DA.

Case presentation

An 84-year-old male patient developed multiple ecchymoses on the trunk and lower extremities. Physical examination showed that the ecchymosis was dark red and had a hard texture, but showed no bulging, rupture, or tenderness. The skin biopsy implied skin metastatic adenocarcinoma. After an endoscopic duodenal biopsy, the patient was finally diagnosed with DA with skin metastasis. The patient received two courses of oral treatment of Tegafur (40 mg, bid d1–d14). However, the patient stopped taking Tegafur because of its poor effect and received Chinese medicine as a replacement treatment. Unfortunately, he was lost to follow-up.

Conclusions

Early diagnosis of DA metastasis is of significant importance as prognosis of these patients is poor.
Neue mittel- und spätbyzantinische Inschriften aus Bithynien
Authors: Adak Mustafa , Nowakowski Paweł
Published: April 2021

The article presents a collection of seventeen previously unpublished inscriptions on stone and small objects from Bithynia. The majority of them belong to the middle Byzantine period and comes from the area of Nikaia and Nikomedeia. First of all, the inscription from a boundary stone of a monastery of Theotokos near Niketiaton is discussed, in which the bridge of a certain Eustathios and the monastery of Johannes Kranbas are mentioned. The building inscription of a refectory attests to the existence of a splendid monastic complex near Kanlıçay, to the east of the Sangarios River. The inscription from a column offered by Leon lists several saints. In addition to clerics and monks, the funerary inscriptions also mention one Basil who came from the Diocese of Ikonion. This is followed by an epigraphical attestation of the koinonikon σῶμα Χριστοῦ (an Easter hymn), a fragment of an inscription mentioning the city of Joannina, a reliquary cross of Saint Damian, and two processional or blessing crosses. A clay seal with the monogram probably of a certain Photios closes the collection.
Rituali di corte. Il Triclinio dei XIX Letti del Grande Palazzo di Costantinopoli
Authors: Baldini Isabella
Published: April 2021

The present contribution aims at reviewing the available data on the Triclinium of the Nineteen couches. It is divided into three parts: the first is intended to overview the information that Byzantine authors have handed down to us about this great banquet hall; the second aims at proposing reconstructive hypotheses about its dimensions and architecture, as well as to investigate the material aspects related to the organisation of the banquet in late antiquity; the third part deals with the ceremonial functions that were performed in it. Contrary to what is usually assumed, the Triclinium was probably not a huge hall with nine apses on each side, but a rectangular hall with a final apse and akkoubita arranged along the perimeter walls. In terms of ritual, the Triclinium must have continued to be in use throughout the early Middle Ages, with a particular revival in the 10th century.
The liturgy as a source of the epigraphic formulary: some examples from the late antique Peloponnese
Authors: Veksina Marina
Published: April 2021

This paper consolidates some evidence on the impact of the liturgy on the epigraphic formulary.Without being an exhaustive study, it pinpoints several prominent examples of this development in the late antique Peloponnese. Textological parallels between inscriptions and extant liturgical texts indicate that liturgical formulae were adopted in epigraphic prayers of individuals as well as in the inscriptions adorning churches, and that authors of epitaphs often drew on the formulae of the eucharistic and funerary rites. The analysis makes it clear that the institutionalised forms of piety were perceived as authoritative and shaped the formation of the distinctively Christian epigraphic habit.
The Effect of Verbal Anchoring on the Processing of Advertising Pictorial Metaphors
Authors: Cao Shuo , Zhao Xuanyi , Xu Ziya
Published: April 2021

Although investigating metaphors in advertising is gaining in popularity, there are still certain unresolved arguments, such as the interaction between elements of different modalities. This study, composed of three behavioral experiments, aims to identify how verbal anchoring (literal anchoring, metaphor anchoring and unrelated anchoring) influences the processing of pictorial metaphors in advertising, by observing the cognitive and affective indicators, advertising comprehension and advertising likeability. The results showed 1) that metaphors in pictorial modality were recognized more quickly than those in verbal modality, 2) that verbal anchoring facilitated participants ’ comprehending and appreciating of pictorial metaphors and 3) that literally-anchored metaphors with a moderate level of novelty yielded the most favorable cognitive responses. The study not only enriches the existing theoretical framework of multimodal metaphors in advertising, but also proposes an optimal match between pictorial metaphors and verbal elements, for advertisers and manufacturers to design effective multimodal advertisements.
Scimitar syndrome – a case report
Authors: Sá Liliana , Pereira Tatiana , Ferreira Ana B. , Reis Alcinda , Madureira António J. , Azevedo Margarida
Published: April 2021

Objectives

The aim of this article is to describe a clinical case of Scimitar syndrome, an unusual cause of respiratory distress in the neonatal period. This syndrome is a rare form of partial or total anomalous right lung venous drainage to the inferior caval vein, usually associated with right pulmonary hypoplasia.

Case presentation

The authors report a case of a 36-week-old newborn admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit with worsening respiratory distress. Chest radiography revealed a characteristic right pulmonary hypoplasia and a tubular structure paralleling the right heart border in the shape of a Turkish sword (“scimitar”). Chest computed tomography angiography confirmed the diagnosis.

Conclusions

Age of presentation and the severe malformations found, contributed to the patient’s poor outcome in this case.
The 6C model for accurately capturing the patient’s medical history
Authors: Shimizu Taro
Published: April 2021

Diagnostic errors are an internationally recognized patient safety concern, and leading causes are faulty data gathering and faulty information processing. Obtaining a full and accurate history from the patient is the foundation for timely and accurate diagnosis. A key concept underlying ideal history acquisition is “history clarification,” meaning that the history is clarified to be depicted as clearly as a video, with the chronology being accurately reproduced. A novel approach is presented to improve history-taking, involving six dimensions: Courtesy, Control, Compassion, Curiosity, Clear mind, and Concentration, the ‘6 C’s’. I report a case that illustrates how the 6C approach can improve diagnosis, especially in relation to artificial intelligence tools that assist with differential diagnosis.
Corporate Social Bonds: A Legal Analysis
Authors: Lenzi Diletta
Published: April 2021

The article focuses on corporate social bonds, which are commonly defined as debt securities whose proceeds are used to finance projects or ventures at favourable conditions, in order to achieve positive social outcomes or to address specific social issues. Social bonds belong to the family of sustainable finance currently developing on international financial markets, especially in the European Union, and where a recent interest has also emerged at the political level. Although in March 2018 the European Commission published its Action Plan on Financing Sustainable Growth, at the moment of writing there is no specific EU legal framework for social bonds. The absence of a precise definition of social bonds and the uncertainty around the remedies for non-compliance of promised ‘social’ obligations entail serious risks of ‘socialwashing’ (i.e., the misappropriation of an increasingly attractive label).Through an analysis of the contractual design of social bonds, and the identification of different types of social bonds, the article identifies potential legal ‘Achilles heels’ of social bonds and suggests possible contractual remedies to ensure that both issuers and beneficiaries comply with their duties in terms of social impact achievement. Finally, the article suggests a European Union intervention in developing a ‘goal-oriented’ definition for social bonds.
A libertanian critique of incest laws: Philosophical and anthropological perspectives
Authors: Andrade Gabriel Ernesto
Published: April 2021

This article is a libertarian critique of incest laws. On the basis of the libertarian “harm principle”, one must ask what exactly is the harm that incest brings forth. Traditionally, anthropologists have tried to rationalize the incest taboo in various theories, and lawmakers have used these principles as grounds for the criminalization of incest. These principles are the preservation of family structure, the enhancement of alliances and the avoidance of genetic risks. While I acknowledge that these rationalizations are plausible, I argue that they are still not sufficient grounds for the preservation of incest laws, and consequently, there is an ethical need to reform them.
UX at the Right Level
Authors: Gilbert David , Fischer Holger , Röder Dirk
Published: April 2021

Usability and user experience maturity models are used to evaluate the capabilities of an organization in order to provide an assessment of their ability to develop usable products. But, as the main focus of such models is on an all-encompassing organizational level, they are difficult to implement in more complex organizations with a wide range of diverse and interlinked projects.

This paper presents a project related UX maturity model, which was developed at DB Systel to address this issue: the PUXMM. It takes into account the nested internal customer relationships between departments and subcontractors and applies a human-centered design approach. There are two practical application scenarios for the PUXMM. It can be used to determine the UX maturity level of an ongoing project and as checklist to align a project to a desired maturity level from the outset.
Kulturelle Adaption eines multilingualen MOOC
Authors: Büchner Celia , Fleischer Laura , Womser-Hacker Christa , Dreisiebner Stefan
Published: April 2021

Multikulturelle Zielgruppen sind eine Herausforderung bei der Gestaltung eines Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Bei dem Untersuchungsgegenstand handelt es sich um ein mehrsprachiges Lernsystem zur Vermittlung von Informationskompetenz, dem Information Literacy Online (ILO) MOOC, das im Rahmen eines Erasmus+-Projekts entwickelt wurde. Durch das Verständnis des Zusammenhangs von Kultur und Lernen (genauer E-Learning) und der Anwendung einer mehrstufigen Methode werden kulturelle Besonderheiten aufgedeckt, bewertet und evaluiert, um Adaptionsmaßnahmen festlegen zu können. Die Evaluation zeigt, dass die Ergebnisse kulturanalytischer Verfahren zur Festlegung einer zielgruppengerechten Gestaltung von der subjektiven Wahrnehmung der Kulturangehörigen abweichen können, woraus ein spezieller Handlungsbedarf resultiert. Die Untersuchung fokussiert die kroatische, spanische und deutsche Kultur und deckt Divergenzen im Verständnis von User Experience auf.
The role of extracurricular activities and lectures in mitigating medical student burnout
Authors: Sepede Jennifer C. , Petrides Joanna , Collins Philip B. , Jones Meredith C. , Cantor Nicole , Boyd Linda
Published: April 2021

Context

Strong evidence throughout the literature highlights burnout as a significant and increasing problem among medical students, impacting students’ ability to effectively care for and empathize with patients.

Objectives

To examine how involvement in extracurricular activities and attendance at burnout lectures can impact burnout among medical students.

Methods

An anonymous digital survey including the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was sent to all students (n=765) at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. The survey included questions regarding the number of burnout/wellness lectures respondents had attended, the number of clubs in which the respondents participated, the number of hours spent in these clubs, and any leadership positions held by the respondents.

Results

Of the 765 students enrolled, 597 completed the survey. Results indicated that women participated in significantly more clubs than men (t[456]=−4.30; p<0.001). Men had higher scores on the depersonalization subscale of the MBI than women (t[463)=2.98; p<0.01]. There were no gender differences in emotional exhaustion or personal accomplishment. Linear regression analyses including gender and club participation as predictors of each of the burnout subscales indicated a significant interaction between gender and number of clubs (β=0.34; p<0.05), in that more club participation was associated with higher depersonalization scores for women, but lower depersonalization scores for men. The number of wellness/burnout prevention lectures attended was not predictive of scores on any of the burnout subscales.

Conclusions

Our results indicate the importance of understanding what drives burnout on the individual level and adapting interventions to suit the needs of individual students, rather than the student body as a whole.
Feeling Joint Ownership of Agency: The Normative Aspect of Agency Transformation
Authors: Faria Costa Jonas
Published: April 2021

Team reasoning is the idea that we can think as a ‘we’ and this can solve some coordination dilemmas, such as Hi-Lo. However, team reasoning can only solve the dilemmas it is intended to solve if the conditions for team reasoning warrant the belief that others will also perform team reasoning and these conditions cannot render team reasoning otiose. In this paper, I will supplement the theory of team reasoning by explaining how agency transformation also involves a change in the normative attitude. To do this, I will use the theory of affordances, which is the idea that the environment provides ways to interact with it. I will argue that when a person perceives as a group member, she associates herself and the other members with the group’s mosaic of affordances. This triggers a feeling of joint ownership of the agency. It is the feeling that it is up to us to deal with the situation, so we feel entitled to demand each other to cooperate. It warrants the belief that others are team-reasoners without rendering team reasoning otiose. This means that the agency transformation (fromItowe) involves a change in the normative attitude.
Individualismus in der Übersetzung des Titels Things Fall Apart aus dem Deutschen ins Yoruba
Authors: Fakayode Omotayo
Published: April 2021

Scholarly studies on the notion of retranslation have focused majorly on the body of texts and not specifically on titles. The issue of retranslation of titles considered in this study assesses the indirect translation of the title of Chinua Achebe’s novel into Yoruba through German. In view of this, the notion of individualism extending from the European literary culture into the African literature through translation is criticized. Based on the intersemiotic approach adopted by the Yoruba translator on the title page and the German translation of the title of the original source text, the study concludes by proposing a two-way approach to the interpretation of the title Things Fall Apart.
Stielvoll und Ideenreich
Authors: Schäfer Werner
Published: April 2021

This article deals with a linguistic phenomenon of increasing presence in everyday life which has found little attention in linguistic studies: humorous shop signs in German, shop signs involving word play. This article locates such shop signs within the study of linguistic landscapes, to which they belong but in which they have so far played no more than a minor role, the academic discussion of linguistic landscapes generally focussing on the function of linguistic phenomena in everyday life, above all the function of different languages in bilingual contexts. This article, in contrast, besides the function, examines the specific linguistic form of such shop signs, the syntactic, morphological and lexical particularities of German which allow such wordplay. The article closes with some didactic considerations regarding the exploitation of such shop signs in language tuition.