bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of supplementation of graded level of glutamic acid to crude protein reduced diets on the performance of growing pigs
Authors: Upadhaya Santi Devi , Lee Sang Seon , Kim Young Hwa , Wu Zhenlong , Kim In Ho 
Published: August 2021

AbstractA total of 150 growing pigs ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) with an initial average body weight (BW) of 24.45 kg were used in a 6‐week trial to estimate the optimum lysine to glutamic acid ratio in pigs fed low‐protein diets supplemented with increasing level of synthetic glutamic acid (Glu). Pigs were randomly allotted to 5 dietary treatments consisting of either control diet (CON) formulated to have 157 g crude protein (CP) or negative control diets (NC, NC1, NC2 and NC3) with 20 g CP reduction and addition of Glu (1.1, 3.9, 6.8 and 9.6 g/kg feed respectively). Supplementing the increasing level of Glu to low CP diets did not exert any linear or quadratic responses in the growth performance parameters as well as nutrient digestibility. The serum creatinine concentration in pigs receiving CON diet showed trends (p = 0.063) in increment compared with pigs receiving NC diet. However, with the increase in the supplementation of Glu, there were no linear or quadratic responses on serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine concentrations. There was a tendency in the reduction (p = 0.088,p = 0.064) of backfat thickness and lean percentage, respectively, at week 3 and a trend in the reduction (p = 0.092) in lean percentage at week 6 in pigs fed NC diet compared with those fed CON diet. The increase in the supplemental level of Glu tended to show quadratic responses in the backfat thickness and lean percentage at week 3 and 6. In conclusion, the growth performance parameters as well as carcass traits with Lys: Glu ratio 1: 2.71 were very close with the mean values of CON diet indicating that 6.8 g Glu when supplemented to 2% CP reduced diet could achieve the comparable growth performance and carcass trait as that of standard basal diet.
Adjusted calcium concentration as a predictor of ionized hypocalcemia in hypoalbuminemic dogs
Authors: De Witte Fiamma , Klag Alan , Chapman Peter 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundIonized calcium (iCa) is the biologically active fraction of total calcium (tCa) with clinical relevance to evaluate calcium homeostasis, but not all primary veterinarians have access to serum iCa. Formulas that adjust tCa to correct for variability in serum protein concentrations were not designed to predict iCa and are considered unreliable surrogates for iCa.ObjectivesTo determine whether adjusted calcium concentration (aCa) can predict ionized hypocalcemia in hypoalbuminemic dogs without hyperphosphatemia.AnimalsA total of 262 hypoalbuminemic dogs without hyperphosphatemia.MethodsRetrospective review of paired tCa and iCa. Patients were included if serum albumin concentration was ≤2.5 g/L and serum phosphorus concentration was ≤5 mg/dL. The aCa was calculated using tCa (mg/dL) − serum albumin concentration (g/dL) + 3.5 (g/dL). Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPVs) and negative (NPVs) predictive values, and accuracy were determined for tCa and aCa at predicting any (<1.13 mmol/L) and moderate (<1.02 mmol/L) ionized hypocalcemia. Patients also were stratified into mild‐to‐moderate (2.0‐2.5 g/dL) and severe hypoalbuminemia (<2.0 g/dL).ResultsA total of 4296 dogs had paired results of which 262 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 35 (13.4%) dogs had iCa < 1.13 mmol/L and 13 dogs (5.0%) had concentrations <1.02 mmol/L. The sensitivity, specificity, NPVs and PPVs of a decreased tCa and aCa for detecting moderate ionized hypocalcemia were 100% and 92.3%, 57.8% and 94.8%, 100% and 99.6%, and 11.0% and 48.2%, respectively, and accuracy was 60.0% and 94.7%, respectively.ConclusionsA low aCa was useful to detect ionized hypocalcemia in hypoalbuminemic nonhyperphosphatemic dogs. A normal aCa indicated that moderate ionized hypocalcemia was unlikely.
Price discrimination and market concentration: Evidence from the laundry detergent market
Authors: Cacicedo Thiago 
Published: August 2021

AbstractI analyse the relationship between price discrimination, with respect to the package size of the product, and market concentration in the liquid laundry detergent market. Specifically, I study how quantity discounts change with market concentration. I estimate a fixed effects model and find that this relationship is non‐monotonic and I provide evidence that it is U‐shaped. These results suggest that firms offer more quantity discounts in less and more concentrated markets, while they offer less quantity discounts in moderately concentrated markets.
Cophylogenetic analyses ofTrachymyrmexant‐fungal specificity: “One to one with some exceptions”
Authors: Beigel Katherine , Matthews Alix E. , Kellner Katrin , Pawlik Christine V. , Greenwold Matthew , Seal Jon N. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractOver the past few decades, large‐scale phylogenetic analyses of fungus‐gardening ants and their symbiotic fungi have depicted strong concordance among major clades of ants and their symbiotic fungi, yet within clades, fungus sharing is widespread among unrelated ant lineages. Sharing has been explained using a diffuse coevolution model within major clades. Understanding horizontal exchange within clades has been limited by conventional genetic markers that lack both interspecific and geographic variation. To examine whether reports of horizontal exchange were indeed due to symbiont sharing or the result of employing relatively uninformative molecular markers, samples ofTrachymyrmex arizonensisandTrachymyrmex pomonaeand their fungi were collected from native populations in Arizona and genotyped using conventional marker genes and genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Conventional markers of the fungal symbionts generally exhibited cophylogenetic patterns that were consistent with some symbiont sharing, but most fungal clades had low support. SNP analysis, in contrast, indicated that each ant species exhibited fidelity to its own fungal subclade with only one instance of a colony growing a fungus that was otherwise associated with a different ant species. This evidence supports a pattern of codivergence betweenTrachymyrmexspecies and their fungi, and thus a diffuse coevolutionary model may not accurately predict symbiont exchange. These results suggest that fungal sharing across host species in these symbioses may be less extensive than previously thought.
A self‐sparse generative adversarial network for autonomous early‐stage design of architectural sketches
Authors: Qian Wenliang , Xu Yang , Li Hui 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThis study develops an autonomous design method for architectural shape sketches by a novel self‐sparse generative adversarial network (self‐sparse GAN), thereby overcoming the problems regarding excessive reliance on sufficient aesthetic knowledge and excessive time consumption in traditional human design. First, a new architectural shape dataset denoted “Sketch” is built by using the eXtended difference‐of‐Gaussians operator. Second, a self‐adaptive sparse transform module (SASTM) is designed following each deconvolution layer of the proposed self‐sparse GAN to utilize the sparsity of sketch images by the sparsity decomposition and feature‐map recombination. Third, the Frechet inception distance (FID) is adopted to evaluate the quality of the generated sketches by comparing the distribution of the real and generated datasets. Finally, two common image generation approaches, Wasserstein GAN with gradient penalty and self‐attention GAN, are compared with the proposed self‐sparse GAN, and results show the proposed method achieves the best performance with a relative decrease in the FID score of 11.87%. The proposed autonomous design method can give tens of thousands of sketches for a class of buildings in a few seconds using the trained network, which can help architects to choose the architectural form and/or inspire architects to consider unique schemes in the early stages of design.
Structure‐PoseNet for identification of dense dynamic displacement and three‐dimensional poses of structures using a monocular camera
Authors: Zhao Jin , Hu Fangqiao , Xu Yang , Zuo Wangmeng , Zhong Jiwei , Li Hui 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThis study proposesStructure‐PoseNet to recognize three‐dimensional (3D) poses and dense dynamic displacement of a structure with known geometry using a monocular camera. The 3D poses are employed to calculate the structural displacement of both visible and invisible elements in videos. The proposed framework consists of two consecutive deep learning modules, CompNet and ParaNet, to provide semantic image segmentation and extract pose parameters, respectively. CompNet converts natural video images into semantic classification masks. ParaNet uses the recognized masks from CompNet as input and outputs the pose parameters. The dense dynamic displacement at measurement points with an intervaldistance of 2% of the size of the structure (along the direction with the maximum size) is then obtained using the coordinates of each 3D model vertex. The identification accuracy is discussed for different cases. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed method was validated through the shaking table test results of the two scale models. Finally, the proposed method was applied to a full‐scale suspension bridge and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940) using Internet videos.
Clinical outcomes associated with anti‐obesity medications in real‐world practice: A systematic literature review
Authors: Ahmad Nadia N. , Robinson Susan , Kennedy‐Martin Tessa , Poon Jiat Ling , Kan Hong 
Published: August 2021

SummaryAnti‐obesity medications (AOMs) are efficacious and well tolerated in randomized controlled trials, but findings may not be generalizable to routine clinical practice. This systematic literature review aimed to identify real‐world (RW) evidence for AOMs to treat adults ( ≥ 18 years) with obesity or overweight (BMI  ≥  27 kg/m2). Searches conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Database, National Health Service (NHS) Economic Evaluation Database, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for studies of relevant FDA‐approved AOMs yielded 41 publications. Weight loss (WL) was consistently observed, with 14% to 58.6% of patients achieving ≥ 5% WL on orlistat, phentermine/topiramate, naltrexone/bupropion, phentermine, or liraglutide in studies of 3–6 months' duration where this was measured. When cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed, AOMs reduced or had no impact on blood pressure, lipids, or glycemia. RW data on the impact of AOMs on existing obesity‐related comorbidities and mortality were generally lacking. AOMs were associated with various adverse events, but these were of mild to moderate severity and no unexpected safety signals were reported. A pattern of poor adherence and persistence with AOMs was observed across studies. Overall, the review confirmed the effectiveness of AOMs in RW settings but demonstrated large gaps in the evidence base.
Relationship form and function: Exploring meaning‐making in young adults' romantic histories
Authors: Jamison Tyler B. , Sanner Caroline M. 
Published: August 2021

AbstractForming stable, supportive romantic relationships is an important determinant of well‐being for adults. Yet, there has been limited research about if and how prior romantic experiences help individuals develop the capacity to enter into such unions. Using grounded theory methods, relationship history interviews were conducted with 35 young adults who provided data about 256 romantic and sexual relationships. The different relationship forms (e.g., hooking up, casual dating, committed partnering) were found to contribute in nuanced ways to romantic development. Specifically, romantic development was characterized by gaining romantic experience, identifying preferences for partners and partnership, and learning to maintain healthy relational boundaries through a variety of romantic and sexual relationships. These findings contribute to existing knowledge by highlighting the meaning‐making processes that promote development through tangible experiences and self‐discovery.
The longitudinal relations between disciplinary practices and emotion regulation in early years
Authors: Liu Chao , Younkin Felisha , Hardman Moriah , Buchanan Brynn , Nugent Nicole , Pettus Matthew , Lawrence Breanna 
Published: August 2021

AbstractThis article examines the reciprocal relationships between parental disciplinary practices and child emotion regulation in the first 3 years of life. Using three‐wave cross‐lagged panel models, more salient effects are found from parent to child than from child to parent at the very first stage. The stronger parent–child effects hold for both corrective and harsh disciplinary practices. Furthermore, the results indicate significant gender differences in the bidirectionality across time: for girls a parent–child–parent association is found in which corrective discipline significantly predicts child emotion regulation and child emotion regulation in turn predicts corrective discipline, whereas for boys, only a child–parent link emerges such that emotion regulation at time 2 is associated with corrective discipline at time 3. These findings portray the early transactional characteristics of parental disciplinary action and child emotion development as well as the gender‐differentiated effects in reciprocity.
Spontaneous rapid leaf movements and action potentials in Mimosa pudica L.
Authors: Stolarz Maria , Trębacz Kazimierz 
Published: August 2021

AbstractMovements and action potentials of Mimosa pudica L. plants, commonly known for their sensitivity to touch, were measured using time‐lapse photography and extracellular electrical potential recording methods in 4‐day experiments. In intact plants, spontaneous rapid leaf movements (RLMs) were revealed. The rapid downward movement of the leaf lasted approx. 1 s and the return to the previous position took approx. 17 min. Additionally, spontaneous action potentials (SAPs) with amplitudes of 3–100 mV and half‐time of approx. 15 s were observed for the first time in M. pudica. Spontaneous APs propagated basipetally or acropetally with a velocity of 3–75 cm min−1. 36% of SAPs passing along the shoots were accompanied by RLMs. There was a delay between the appearance of SAP and RLM, indicating that SAPs may trigger the RLMs.
The short‐run impact of COVID‐19 on the activity in the insurance industry in the Republic of North Macedonia
Authors: Stojkoski Viktor , Jolakoski Petar , Ivanovski Igor 
Published: August 2021

AbstractRecent studies suggest that the COVID‐19 pandemic will induce drastic changes in the business models of the insurance industry. However, despite an abundance of predictions, the literature still lacks empirical investigations of the impact of the pandemic. In this paper, we perform a first of a kind analysis and investigate the short‐run impact of COVID‐19 on the activity in the insurance in one country—North Macedonia. By utilizing a seasonal autoregressive model, we find that during the first half of 2020, the activity in the insurance industry shrank by more than 10% to what was expected. The total loss in the industry amounted to approximately 8.2 million euros. This was much less than the volume of reserves that the Insurance Supervision Agency made available as funds for dealing with the potential crisis. In addition, the pandemic induced changes in the insurance activity structure—the share of motor vehicles class in the total industry activity fell at the expense of the property classes. Our results suggest that the insurance industry in North Macedonia was well prepared to tackle the consequences of the pandemic and that automatic stabilizers had a major influence on weakening the overall negative impact.
Covariate selection for generalizing experimental results: Application to a large-scale development program in Uganda
Authors: Egami Naoki , Hartman Erin 
Published: August 2021

AbstractGeneralizing estimates of causal effects from an experiment to a target population is of interest to scientists. However, researchers are usually constrained by available covariate information. Analysts can often collect many fewer variables from population samples than from experimental samples, which has limited applicability of existing approaches that assume rich covariate data from both experimental and population samples. In this article, we examine how to select covariates necessary for generalizing experimental results under such data constraints. In our concrete context of a large-scale development program in Uganda, although more than 40 pre-treatment covariates are available in the experiment, only 8 of them were also measured in a target population. We propose a method to estimate a separating set—a set of variables affecting both the sampling mechanism and treatment effect heterogeneity—and show that the population average treatment effect (PATE) can be identified by adjusting for estimated separating sets. Our algorithm only requires a rich set of covariates in the experimental data, not in the target population, by incorporating researcher-specific constraints on what variables are measured in the population data. Analysing the development experiment in Uganda, we show that the proposed algorithm can allow for the PATE estimation in situations where conventional methods fail due to data requirements.
Perceptions of providing safe care for frail older people at home: A qualitative study based on focus group interviews with home care staff
Authors: Silverglow Anastasia , Johansson Lena , Lidén Eva , Wijk Helle 
Published: August 2021

AbstractBackgroundProviding safe care is a core competence in healthcare. The concept usually refers to hospitals but, consistent with the increasing importance of integrated care, the provision of safe care needs to be extended to the context of home care, and more research is needed concerning home healthcare providers’ perspectives in this context.AimThe aim of this study was to describe care providers’ perceptions of providing safe care for frail older persons living at home.MethodA qualitative methodology was chosen. In total, 30 care providers agreed to participate. Data were collected through five focus group interviews and analysed using a phenomenographic approach.ResultsThree themes regarding care providers’ perceptions of providing safe care emerged from the data: ‘safe care is created in the encounter and interaction with the older person’, ‘safe care requires responsibility from the caregiver’ and ‘safe care is threatened by insufficient organisational resources’. The findings show that providing safe care is an endeavour that requires a holistic view among the care providers as well as effective collaboration within the team, but insufficient competence or a lack of time can make it difficult to safeguard the psychological and existential needs of older persons.ConclusionProviding safe care in home environments encompasses more than just risk reduction. The findings highlight the importance of establishing and integrating team‐based and person‐centred care into home care settings. Traditional communication structures for inpatient care also need to be adapted to the cross‐disciplinary work in municipalities. Care providers should be given the opportunity to develop and maintain their competences and to prioritise relationship‐oriented care.
INTEGRATED SLOPE STABILITY ANALYSIS (SSA) WITH TRANSIENT GROUNDWATER FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR EMBANKMENT ANALYSIS
Authors: Sujatono Supandi 
Published: August 2021

The content of level has a big enough role in the value of the physical characteristic and the mechanical of material. The behavior of water in these materials needs to be analyzed first in order to support the slope stability analysis. Modeling of water behavior in materials in the construction of Tailing Storage Facilities (TSF) will be integrated in the slope stability analysis. This study aims to provide an explanation about the analysis of the Fishing Storage Facilities (TSF) which integrates transient groundwater analysis using the finite element method in supporting the stability analysis of the embankment of Tailing Storage Facilities (TSF). The variables that are used in the analysis, they are the parameters of physical properties and mechanic material for embankment and permeability parameters in analyzing groundwater. The analysis method for geotechnical and geohydrology modeling uses the finite element method. The results of analysis showed that groundwater behavior in the embankment material can be known in detail so that it can be integrated with stability analysis. It can be seen that there is a decrease in the value of the slope safety factor using the Integrated Slope Stability Analysis method compared to the conventional method. Adding an impermeable layer using a thickness of 5 m of clay material and a thickness of 20-30 m to support the retaining wall/foot is the criterion of optimal stability. The required lining material thickness (D) can be expressed by the following drawdown percentage equation function: reduction percentage = (1-0.8661D (-0.031)) * 100%.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THERMOSTABLE BETA-1,4-GALACTANASE AND ITS APPLICATION IN HYDROLYSIS OF PECTIN FROM SWEET POTATO (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) PEELS
Authors: Ismail Noor Faizah , Abang Zaidel Dayang Norulfairuz , Mat Isa Mohd Noor 
Published: August 2021

Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) synthesis has received much attention due to its prebiotic function. Beta-1,4-galactanase responsible for the hydrolysis of galactan plays an important role in producing GOS from biodegradation of this pectin component. In this study, beta-1,4-galactanase (BgcGC) from a thermophilic Geobacillus mahadii Geo-05 was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) and characterized. The optimum temperature of BgcGC was at 60°C and stable from 20-60°C while optimum pH was at 6 and stable from pH 4-10. BgcGC showed high catalytic efficiency towards potato galactan (873.8 ml mg-1 s-1) and lupin galactan (1694.4 ml mg-1 s-1). The activity of BgcGC was not significantly affected with the presence of 100 mM K+, Tween-20 and 2-mercaptoethanol. Application of BgcGC towards pectin-containing galactan oligomer extracted from sweet potato peels resulted in galactose and GOS synthesis as revealed by high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Thus, this enzyme has a potential to be one of the enzyme candidates involves in pectin complex degradation to produce GOS.