bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neuroprotective role of gallic acid in aflatoxin B1‐induced behavioral abnormalities in rats
Authors: Adedara Isaac A. , Owumi Solomon E. , Oyelere Adegboyega K. , Farombi Ebenezer O. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe neurotoxic impact of dietary exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is documented in experimental and epidemiological studies. Gallic acid (GA) is a triphenolic phytochemical with potent anticancer, anti‐inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. There is a knowledge gap on the influence of GA on AFB1‐induced neurotoxicity. This study probed the influence of GA on neurobehavioral and biochemical abnormalities in rats orally treated with AFB1 per se (75 µg/kg body weight) or administered together with GA (20 and 40 mg/kg) for 28 uninterrupted days. Behavioral endpoints obtained with video‐tracking software demonstrated significant (p < .05) abatement of AFB1‐induced anxiogenic‐like behaviors (increased freezing, urination, and fecal bolus discharge), motor and locomotor inadequacies, namely increased negative geotaxis and diminished grip strength, absolute turn angle, total time mobile, body rotation, maximum speed, and total distance traveled by GA. The improvement of exploratory behavior in animals that received both AFB1 and GA was confirmed by track plots and heat maps appraisal. Abatement of AFB1‐induced decreases in acetylcholinesterase activity, antioxidant status and glutathione level by GA was accompanied by a marked reduction in oxidative stress markers in the cerebellum and cerebrum of rats. Additionally, GA treatment abrogated AFB1‐mediated decrease in interleukin‐10 and elevation of inflammatory indices, namely tumor necrosis factor‐α, myeloperoxidase activity, interleukin‐1β, and nitric oxide. Further, GA treatment curtailed caspase‐3 activation and histological injuries in the cerebral and cerebellar tissues. In conclusion, abatement of AFB1‐induced neurobehavioral abnormalities by GA involves anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic mechanisms in rats.
Silencing of lipocalin‐2 improves cardiomyocyte viability under iron overload conditions via decreasing mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis
Authors: Kumfu Sirinart , Siri‐Angkul Natthaphat , Chattipakorn Siriporn C. , Chattipakorn Nipon 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the mechanistic roles of LCN‐2 and LCN‐2 receptors (LCN‐2R) as iron transporters in cardiomyocytes under iron overload condition. H9c2 cardiomyocytes were treated with either LCN‐2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) or LCN‐2R siRNA or L‐type or T‐type calcium channel (LTCC or TTCC) blockers, or iron chelator deferiprone (DFP). After the treatments, the cells were exposed to Fe3+ or Fe2+, after that biological parameters were determined. Silencing of lipocalin‐2 or its receptor improved cardiomyocyte viability via decreasing iron uptake, mitochondrial fission, mitophagy and cleaved caspase‐3 only in the Fe3+ overload condition. In contrast, treatments with LTCC blocker and TTCC blocker showed beneficial effects on those parameters only in conditions of Fe2+ overload. Treatment with DFP has been shown beneficial effects both in Fe2+ and Fe3+ overload condition. All of these findings suggested that LTCC and TTCC play crucial roles in the Fe2+ uptake, whereas LCN‐2 and LCN‐2R were essential for Fe3+ uptake into the cardiomyocytes under iron overload conditions.
Statement for electrophysiological procedures under the COVID‐19 pandemic from the Japanese heart rhythm society task force
Authors: Satomi Kazuhiro , Watanabe Eiichi , Takatsuki Seiji , Fukamizu Seiji , Iwasaki Yu‐ki , Takeuchi Daiji , Nogami Akihiko 
Published: December 2020

AbstractCOVID‐19 is a global catastrophe with markedly reduced health and economy of human civilization. Heart rhythm disorder has also been impacted by this disease. This statement is the universal criteria for EP procedures in the new era, which we will face during COVID‐19 pandemic. We described the methods of triage based on the severity of disease, the regional state of pandemic and supply of medical resources. This guidance will be the universal criteria for EP procedures in the new era, which we will face during and after the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Deleterious action of azadirachtin against the mutualistic fungus of leaf‐cutting ants
Authors: Amaral Karina D. , Gandra Lailla C. , de Souza Danival J. , Della Lucia Terezinha M. C. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractLeaf‐cutting ants have a beneficial and obligatory relationship with the fungus that they grow. This mutualism allowed the evolutionary success of these ants. The great defoliation capacity of these insects, which often exceeds the level of tolerable economic damage, includes them as severe pests in many cultures. However, given the close relationship between these two agents of mutualism, it is expected that an impact on the fungus will reflect on the performance of the colony as a whole. Therefore, the effect of azadirachtin on the development, and the macronutrient composition of Leucoagaricus gongylophorus was evaluated. Azadirachtin reduced the final fungal mass at the end of treatment at all concentrations tested, but did not reduce the final growth area. A reduction in the amount of hyphae produced with increasing azadirachtin concentration was also observed. Regarding macronutrients, the compound did not affect their total amount in the fungus. Thus, it is observed that azadirachtin did not alter the composition of L. gongylophorus macronutrients, but inhibited its growth by reducing the number of hyphae produced. This reduction reflects directly on the amount of nutrients offered to the workers and the queen and may improve the management of these insects.
Apparent propagator anisotropy from single‐shell diffusion MRI acquisitions
Authors: Aja‐Fernández Santiago , Tristán‐Vega Antonio , Jones Derek K. 
Published: December 2020

PurposeThe apparent propagator anisotropy (APA) is a new diffusion MRI metric that, while drawing on the benefits of the ensemble averaged propagator anisotropy (PA) compared to the fractional anisotropy (FA), can be estimated from single‐shell data.Theory and MethodsComputation of the full PA requires acquisition of large datasets with many diffusion directions and different b‐values, and results in extremely long processing times. This has hindered adoption of the PA by the community, despite evidence that it provides meaningful information beyond the FA. Calculation of the complete propagator can be avoided under the hypothesis that a similar sensitivity/specificity may be achieved from apparent measurements at a given shell. Assuming that diffusion anisotropy (DiA) is nondependent on the b‐value, a closed‐form expression using information from one single shell (ie, b‐value) is reported.ResultsPublicly available databases with healthy and diseased subjects are used to compare the APA against other anisotropy measures. The structural information provided by the APA correlates with that provided by the PA for healthy subjects, while it also reveals statistically relevant differences in white matter regions for two pathologies, with a higher reliability than the FA. Additionally, APA has a computational complexity similar to the FA, with processing‐times several orders of magnitude below the PA.ConclusionsThe APA can extract more relevant white matter information than the FA, without any additional demands on data acquisition. This makes APA an attractive option for adoption into existing diffusion MRI analysis pipelines.
Diagnostic usefulness of denervation edema in the multifidus muscles using 3‐Tesla magnetic resonance imaging in cervical radiculopathy
Authors: Yoshida Takeshi , Suwazono Shugo , Sueyoshi Takeshi , Izumi Yuishin , Nodera Hiroyuki 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBackgroundDiagnosing cervical radiculopathy (CR) can be difficult because of symptomatic overlap with peripheral neuropathies. In this retrospective observational study, we aimed to determine whether short‐tau inversion recovery (STIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences are useful for detecting signs of denervation in the multifidus muscles in patients with CR.MethodsWe analyzed the data of 18 patients with CR who developed arm weakness within 1 year. We also included 10 patients with sensorimotor symptoms involving the upper extremities who did not have intervertebral foraminal stenosis on MRI as controls. For each patient with CR, the signal intensity (SI) of the affected multifidus muscles was measured and compared to that on the contralateral side (signal intensity ratio: SIR).ResultsControl patients without CR did not exhibit STIR signal abnormalities in the multifidus muscles. Most of the 18 patients with CR were male (83.3%), and the mean age was 59.4 years. Thirteen of 18 CR patients (72.2%) were determined to have STIR signal abnormalities by a radiologist. The mean SIR in the 13 patients with increased SI was significantly higher than that in the five patients without signal abnormalities (1.23 vs 0.97, P = .004), supporting the radiologist's diagnosis. The distribution of signal abnormalities closely followed those identified via clinical and electrophysiological tests, especially severe weakness (P = .044).ConclusionsDenervation edema of the multifidus muscles can be detected in CR and correlates with clinical/electrophysiological tests and weakness severity, which may aid in CR diagnostics.
Explicit Gain Equations for Hybrid Graphene‐Quantum‐Dot Photodetectors
Authors: Chen Kaixiang , Zhang Chufan , Zang Xiaoxian , Ma Fuyuan , Chen Yuanzhen , Dan Yaping 
Published: December 2020

AbstractGraphene is an attractive material for broadband photodetection but suffers from weak light absorption. Coating graphene with quantum dots can significantly enhance light absorption and create extraordinarily high photogain. This high gain is often explained by the classical gain theory which is unfortunately an implicit function and may even be questionable. In this work, explicit gain equations for hybrid graphene‐quantum‐dot photodetectors are derived. Because of the work function mismatch, lead sulfide quantum dots coated on graphene will form a surface depletion region near the interface of quantum dots and graphene. Light illumination narrows down the surface depletion region, creating a photovoltage that gates the graphene. As a result, high photogain in graphene is observed. The explicit gain equations are derived from the theoretical gate transfer characteristics of graphene and the correlation of the photovoltage with the light illumination intensity. The derived explicit gain equations fit well with the experimental data, from which physical parameters are extracted.
Impact of gender on use of wasta among human resources management practitioners
Authors: Alsarhan Fadi , Ali Sa'ad , Weir David , Valax Marc 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe practice of wasta dominates all aspects of Arabs' lives; it is a parallel inegalitarian system that categorizes people according to their connections. One of the epicenters of wasta is human resources management (HRM). This article studies the concept of wasta in the Arab world by examining its use in HRM according to gender, in the case of the Jordanian public sector. Results obtained from 27 semi‐structured interviews of HR managers indicate that though wasta is an important feature of HRM in general, there is a notable discrepancy between male and female employees, with the former displaying higher tendencies for using wasta than the latter. An explanation for this finding is the prevalent masculine nature of Jordanian society, which entails social caveats related to the traditional role of women. Professional determinants, such as gendered job segregation and variance in qualifications, also affect men's and women's access to wasta.
Evolution and genetic diversity of atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) from piglets with congenital tremor in Guangxi Province, Southern China
Authors: Shi Kaichuang , Xie Shouyu , Sun Wenchao , Liu Huixin , Zhao Jing , Yin Yanwen , Si Hongbin , Qu Sujie , Lu Wenjun 
Published: December 2020

AbstractAtypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) was identified and associated with congenital tremor (CT) type A‐II in new born piglets and has been reported in many countries. In China, the first APPV identification in swine herds was reported in Guangdong province in 2016. To investigate the genetic characteristics of APPV in Guangxi province, 53 tissue samples from neonatal piglets with CT were collected and detected from October 2017 to May 2019. Five APPV strains which were named as GX04/2017, GX01‐2018, GX02‐2018, GX01‐2019 and GX02‐2019 were obtained. Sequence analysis revealed that all six APPV strains from Guangxi province, including five strains from this study and one from a previous report, shared 83.3%‐97.5% nucleotide identity of complete genome and 91.7%‐99.1% amino acid identity of the open reading frame (ORF), and shared 77.7%‐97.7% nucleotide identity of complete genome and 90.6%‐99.3% amino acid identity of ORF with reference strains. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all APPV strains could be divided into three clades based on the complete genome, Npro, Erns and E2 gene sequences, respectively; and the APPV strains from Guangxi province distributed in two clades (clades I and II). No sign of recombination was observed from Guangxi strains. Evolution analysis performed on the complete genome of 58 APPV strains showed that America, Europe and Asia strains during 2006–2019 evolved at a mean rate of 1.37 × 10–4 substitutions/site/year, and the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) of them was estimated as 1,700.5 years ago. The findings of this study indicated that there existed a high degree of genetic diversity of APPV from Guangxi province, Southern China, which provided important information on the epidemiological features and evolutionary relationships of APPV.
Role of Small Grains in Adapting to Climate Change: Zvishavane District, Zimbabwe
Authors: Nciizah Tendai , Nciizah Elinah , Mubekaphi Caroline , Nciizah Adornis D. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractClimate change has become one of the most profound threats to smallholder agriculture in semi-arid and arid areas. Farmers in this sector are especially vulnerable to climate change due to reliance on rain-fed agriculture, limited access to capital and technology among other challenges. While several potential adaptation options exist, many barriers hinder effective adoption of these practices, hence production in marginal areas remains very low. This chapter discusses crop adaptation through the adoption of small grains in Zvishavane rural, a semi-arid area in Zimbabwe. Small grains are conducive in hot areas; their drought-tolerant nature enables them to thrive in marginal areas making them an appropriate strategy in responding to climate change. However, several production and policy challenges associated with small grain production hinder their adoption by farmers. In view of this, this chapter discusses the potential of small grains as an adaptation strategy to climate change in Zvishavane District, Zimbabwe, and addresses potential challenges and opportunities for increased adoption and future research. The review showed that farmers in Zvishavane have perceived climate change due to noticeable changes in rainfall and temperature patterns in the past years. Despite small grain production being the best strategy due to drought and high temperature tolerance, an insignificant number of Zvishavane farmers is involved in small grain production. This is due to numerous barriers such as high labor demand associated with small grain production, the challenge posed by the quelea birds, food preferences, low markets, and low extension services and government support. It is therefore necessary to encourage adoption of small grains by developing improved varieties, adoption of climate smart agricultural practices, improved technical support, and access to markets among other interventions.
“Writing by Prescription”: Creative Writing as Therapy and Personal Development
Authors: Van Goidsenhoven Leni , Masschelein Anneleen 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThis chapter investigates how-to books on creative “life writing” for therapy, transformative learning, and personal development, in short, therapeutic writing. This subgenre of writing advice is situated in two different domains with psychology and pedagogy on the one hand, and life writing and creative writing on the other hand. After a brief overview of the history of therapeutic writing, we focus on Jessica Kingsley Publishers (JKP), a leading international niche publisher in the field of neurological and cognitive differences. JKP offers a combination of popular-science books, memoirs, and self-help publications, as well as a series of how-to books on writing for therapy or personal development. By this specific grouping of genres and formats, JKP turns its readers into writers and also guides the process of writing by setting out standards for narratives about neurological illness and disability, both in content and form. Combining both textual and contextual analysis, we examine the advice oeuvres of three JKP authors, Gillie Bolton, Kate Thompson, and Celia Hunt, to see how they relate to the therapeutic and self-help ethos as well as to more literary forms of creative writing, and how they negotiate the ideas of becoming a writer through craft, therapy, and self-expression.
“Mostrar, no decir”: The Influence of and Resistance Against Workshop Poetics on the Hispanic Literary Field
Authors: Franco Harnache Andrés 
Published: December 2020

AbstractUntil recently, due to the Romantic imaginary of the artist-as-genius, the Hispanic literary tradition has been wary of a literary advice industry or academic programs of creative writing. This wariness hindered the professionalization of Hispanic authors, but at the same time it kept Hispanic literature out of anglicized uniformity which permitted, by the mid-twentieth century, a reinterpretation of western literature by writers such as Gabriel García Márquez, Jorge Luis Borges, and Mario Vargas Llosa. Nonetheless since the early 2000s a series of MFA programs in creative writing, first in the United States, but more recently in Latin America and Spain, have been changing Hispanic literature. These programs, with syllabi imported from the Anglophone canons, have influenced a new generation of writers who mirror the Englishsavoir-faireand reject their own literary traditions, which were more experimental, less rooted in realism, and even somewhat baroque. There is, however, also resistance in the field, where workshop-inspired developments coincide with a return to a more Hispanic tradition of innovation.
Tools for Shaping Stories? Visual Plot Models in a Sample of Anglo-American Advice Handbooks
Authors: Hoek Liorah 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThis chapter examines the “storyology” in writing manuals, focusing on the verbal and the visual plot models in a corpus of sixteen mainstream creative writing handbooks on plot, novels, and screenplays, still in use today. We will focus on the prevalence of dramatic writing and the predominance of the “Mountain Model,” a model which combines earlier linear models, such as the “three-act structure,” “Field’s paradigm,” “Fichtean Curve,” “Freytag’s Pyramid,” and the polar model, built on the alternation of good and bad fortune, along with Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey.” The Mountain Model visualizes a concept of writing particularly suited for stories capable of being resolved within a limited time frame, combining the perspectives of protagonist and reader. While this model is usually presented as ideal and universal, changing the representation from a linear to a topographical model alters the kinds of plots which can be imagined.
The Phases of the Development of Mental Actions
Authors: Engeness Irina 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThe focus of lecture 2 is the executive part of the action, which comprises three subsystems: (i) the conditions for constructing the action (a scheme of the orienting basis of the action); (ii) the acquisition of the desired properties of the action; and (iii) the transfer of the original external action to the mental plane of the learner and the transformation of the action into a new psychological process. Galperin elaborates in detail the first and the second subsystems of the executive part of the action.
Soziale Arbeit, nach acht
Authors: Bücheli Alexander 
Published: December 2020

ZusammenfassungDie Soziale Arbeit blickt im Bereich Nachtleben in Europa auf eine über dreissigjährige Geschichte zurück. Die ersten Präventionsangebote wurden Mitte der 1980er‐Jahre in Holland ins Leben gerufen. Anlass dafür waren eine sich schnell ausbreitende Rave‐Kultur, die damit einhergehende Verbreitung des XTC‐Konsums und die Erfahrung, dass die damaligen, oft auf Abschreckung abzielenden Präventionsangebote in der Partyszene nur auf wenig Akzeptanz stiessen.
Die SIP der Stadt Luzern als Akteurin der vermittelnden Sozialarbeit
Authors: Rubin Christina , Sidler Lucia 
Published: December 2020

ZusammenfassungIm Jahre 2005 formulierte der Stadtrat von Luzern Folgendes: «Die politische Strategie der Stadt Luzern ist es, eine SIP zu bilden, damit es in der Stadt Luzern zu keiner erneuten Bildung einer offenen Drogenszene kommt. Auf der anderen Seite soll der öffentliche Raum von allen Bevölkerungsgruppen genutzt werden können. Einer gesellschaftlichen Spaltung von ökonomisch und sozial verschieden starken Bevölkerungsgruppen soll entgegengewirkt werden» (Stadt Luzern 2009: 6).
Soziale Arbeit in der Suchtprävention – eine Suche
Authors: Buchli Martina 
Published: December 2020

ZusammenfassungDer Frage nach dem Stellenwert der Sozialen Arbeit in der Suchtprävention geht die Frage voraus, welche Aufgaben die Soziale Arbeit in der Suchtprävention überhaupt übernimmt. Was ist ihr Beitrag, ihre Expertise und ihre Legitimation. Der folgende Text bezieht sich auf den Fachbereich Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention (nachfolgend GuP genannt) der Stiftung Berner Gesundheit.
Eine Selbstverständlichkeit: Soziale Arbeit in der ambulanten Suchtberatung und Therapie Arbeitsfeld Ambulante Beratung
Authors: Rihs Ruth 
Published: December 2020

ZusammenfassungDie Berner Gesundheit ist eine Stiftung mit Leistungsaufträgen der Gesundheits‐und Fürsorgedirektion des Kantons Bern (GEF) in den Bereichen Gesundheitsförderung, Prävention, Sexualpädagogik sowie Suchtberatung und Suchttherapie. Diese Leistungsaufträge betreffen sowohl die erste (Prävention) wie die zweite (Beratung) der vier Säulen der schweizerischen Drogenpolitik. Mit vier Regionalzentren und zusätzlichen Standorten ist die Berner Gesundheit im ganzen Kanton Bern vertreten. Die Angebote sind vielfältig, um die individuellen Bedürfnisse der KlientInnen abzudecken.
Soziale Teilhabe durch Arbeitsintegration
Authors: Stalder Martin , Stoop Karin 
Published: December 2020

ZusammenfassungDer nachfolgende Artikel beleuchtet das Thema der Arbeitsintegration suchtmittelabhängiger Menschen. Die Ziele der Arbeitsintegration sind breit gefächert. Beginnend bei der sozialen Integration im Rahmen von Beschäftigungsangeboten von sozialen Einrichtungen bis hin zur Vermittlung in Arbeitsstellen im ersten Arbeitsmarkt unterstützen Sozialarbeitende ihre Klientinnen und Klienten.