bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of active vitamin D on insulin resistance and islet β-cell function in non-diabetic chronic kidney disease patients: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Lu Yongxin , Wang Yi’an , Sun Yang , Li Yongyan , Wang Jingrui , Zhao Yanhong , Yang Fang , Gao Xiufang , Xu Jianqing , Tong Zongwu 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to observe the effects of active vitamin D supplementation on insulin resistance and islet β-cell function (HOMA-β) in patients with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (NDCKD).

Methods
A total of 134 patients with NDCKD who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the prospective controlled study and categorized as such: 60 patients in the non-dialysis (ND) group; 36, hemodialysis (HD) group; and 38, peritoneal dialysis (PD) group. Each group was divided into two equal-numbered subgroups for vitamin D supplementation. Those in the experimental subgroups received calcitriol 0.5 ug/day orally, and were followed-up for 6 months. A total of 117 patients were followed-up, including 57 patients in the ND group; 29, HD group; and 31, PD group. Changes in the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and HOMA-β index were calculated and compared at the time of enrollment and after 1, 3, and 6 months of intervention.

Results
(1) Mean HOMA-IR value: In the ND group, mean HOMA-IR value of the experimental group significantly decreased compared with that of the control group after 3 months of intervention (P = 0.02). In the HD and PD groups, there was no statistical difference between the experimental and control groups (P > 0.05). (2) Mean HOMA-β index: In the ND group, mean HOMA-β index of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group after 1 month of active vitamin D treatment (P = 0.03), and, with an extended intervention time, the index gradually increased (P < 0.001). In the HD group, mean HOMA-β index of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group after 3 months of active vitamin D treatment (P = 0.01). Among PD patients, mean HOMA-β index of the patients in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group after 6 months of active vitamin D treatment (P = 0.02).

Conclusions
Active vitamin D supplementation improved insulin resistance and HOMA-β after 6 months in ND patients, but only improved HOMA-β in the dialysis patients, with no significant effect on insulin resistance.
Elucidating the effect and mechanism of the brown coal-based amendment on plant availability of zinc, lead and cadmium in a Haplic Luvisols
Authors: Maciejewska Alina , Kwiatkowska-Malina Jolanta 
Published: November 2021

AbstractPlants are a key link in the trophic chain and therefore may determine the global circulation of pollutants, including heavy metals (HMs). In the context of sustaining soil functions associated with food safety, the bioavailability of HMs should be reduced to a minimum needed for adequate plant nutrition. The objective of the study was to analyse the bioavailability of zinc, lead and cadmium in phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth.) under conditions of varied soil pH and doses of brown coal-based organo-mineral amendment so-called the Rekulter. The experiment was carried out on Haplic Luvisols in field stone pots that sank into the ground, with the following HM content (in mg kg−1 of soil): 90.0 (Zn), 60.4 (Pb) and 0.80 (Cd). The Rekulter was applied to the soil in the amounts of 180, 360 and 720 g per pot. The bio-accumulation index (BI) was calculated as a ratio of a HM content in a plant to its total content in a soil sample, and it was used to evaluate bioavailability. The application of the Rekulter reduced the bioavailability of the studied heavy metals: the lowest BI values were found in the case of Pb. The uptake of HMs by phacelia was the smallest for the highest applied Rekulter dose at a soil pH of approximately 6.0. The bioavailability of Zn, Pb and Cd was influenced by soil pH and organic matter content, reducing their mobility and possible environmental risks. The Rekulter reduced HM bioavailability: the lowest bio-accumulation index (BI) values were found in the case of Pb. The application of the Rekulter into soil improved the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil, including the reduction of contaminant bioavailability.
Solidarität mit Geflüchteten und Fallstricke des Helfens
Authors: van Dyk Silke , Boemke Laura , Haubner Tine 
Published: November 2021

ZusammenfassungDer Beitrag untersucht am Beispiel des Engagements für Geflüchtete Stärken, Herausforderungen und Probleme freiwilligen Engagements und arbeitet zugleich die Spezifika dieser Form der Hilfe und Solidarität heraus. Die Analyse rekurriert auf eine qualitative Erhebung, die problemzentrierte Interviews mit Engagierten und Leitfadeninterviews mit Expert*innen sowie eine Dokumentenanalyse von politischen, medialen, zivilgesellschaftlichen und wissenschaftlichen Quellen für den Zeitraum von 2011 bis 2018 umfasst. Im Zentrum der Analyse stehen (1) der mediale und gesellschaftliche Außenblick auf die ehrenamtliche Flüchtlingshilfe, (2) multiple Grenzziehungen, -überschreitungen und -erfahrungen im Engagement sowie (3) die Bewältigung von Problemen und Herausforderungen seitens der Engagierten – durch den Ausstieg aus dem Engagement, die Kritik an Engagementbedingungen, die Verheimlichung des Engagements oder die Politisierung der Rolle freiwilliger Hilfe im Strukturwandel des Wohlfahrtsstaats.
Characterization of the Corrosion Resistance of Composite Peened Aluminum
Authors: Flachmann Malte L. , Seitz Michael , Liebig Wilfried V. , Weidenmann Kay A. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractComposite peening offers the opportunity to introduce ceramic blasting particles into metallic base material. By embedding Al2O3 particles, mechanical properties of aluminum can be improved. However, those surface modifications might negatively impact corrosion resistance and thus shorten the lifetime of components. This study analyzes corrosion properties of peened aluminum in chloride solution via immersion, scanning electron microscopy and polarization. The data of observed microstructures indicate that peening accelerates corrosion and that intergranular corrosion is the main force of degradation in contrast with pitting corrosion of monolithic aluminum.
Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) Exhibit Wide Variation in Spawning Behavior: An Investigation of Substrate Type, Diel Timing, and Participants
Authors: Tsai Yi-Jiun Jean , Chase Samantha Noel , Carson Evan W. , Zweig Leanna , Hung Tien-Chieh 
Published: November 2021

AbstractStudies of cultured populations can be invaluable to the conservation of imperiled species for which little is known and whose very low abundance in the wild can preclude studies with robust sample sizes. For example, in endangered delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), conservation measures developed to mitigate population decline are hindered by a lack of knowledge regarding spawning behavior. However, the availability of a cultured population allows important questions about spawning to be addressed experimentally. We examined the effect of substrate type on spawning behavior and egg fertilization success in cultured H. transpacificus under laboratory conditions. We also examined the diel frequency of spawning and the sex and number of spawning participants. We found that the frequency of spawns and resulting egg fertilization success did not differ between sand, gravel, and control (acrylic) substrates. We also demonstrated that spawning was predominantly nocturnal, though rare diurnal spawns were observed. Of the five mature males and five ripe females available within a given trial, spawns included up to seven participants, but most frequently occurred between a single female and one or two males. Our results highlight the wide behavioral variation exhibited by H. transpacificus during spawning, particularly in terms of substrate use, diel timing, and participants. These findings provide the most detailed and experimentally robust data regarding H. transpacificus spawning behavior to date and thereby provide ongoing conservation efforts with much-needed information.
Polymyxin B1 within the E. coli cell envelope: insights from molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Weerakoon Dhanushka , Petrov Kamen , Pedebos Conrado , Khalid Syma 
Published: November 2021

Abstract
Polymyxins are used as last-resort antibiotics, where other treatments have been ineffectual due to antibiotic resistance. However, resistance to polymyxins has also been now reported, therefore it is instructive to characterise at the molecular level, the mechanisms of action of polymyxins. Here we review insights into these mechanisms from molecular dynamics simulations and discuss the utility of simulations as a complementary technique to experimental methodologies.
Focal adhesion kinase inhibitors, a heavy punch to cancer
Authors: Wu Yueling , Li Ning , Ye Chengfeng , Jiang Xingmei , Luo Hui , Zhang Baoyuan , Zhang Ying , Zhang Qingyu 
Published: November 2021

AbstractKinases are the ideal druggable targets for diseases and especially were highlighted on cancer therapy. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase and its aberrant signaling extensively implicates in the progression of most cancer types, involving in cancer cell growth, adhesion, migration, and tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling. FAK is commonly overexpressed and activated in a variety of cancers and plays as a targetable kinase in cancer therapy. FAK inhibitors already exhibited promising performance in preclinical and early-stage clinical trials. Moreover, substantial evidence has implied that targeting FAK is more effective in combination strategy, thereby reversing the failure of chemotherapies or targeted therapies in solid tumors. In the current review, we summarized the drug development progress, chemotherapy strategy, and perspective view for FAK inhibitors.
Seasonal adjustment of the Spanish sales daily data
Authors: Cuevas Ángel , Ledo Ramiro , Quilis Enrique M. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractWe present a procedure to perform seasonal adjustment over daily sales data. The model adjusts daily information from the Immediate Supply of Information System for Value Added Tax declaration forms compiled by the Spanish Tax Agency. The procedure performs signal extraction and forecasting at the daily frequency, by means of an unobserved components model. The daily information allows a permanently updated monitoring of the short-term economic conditions of the Spanish economy.
A fuzzy ontology: on the relevance of ecocentrism in marine environmental ethics
Authors: von Negenborn Colin 
Published: November 2021

AbstractGoverning human interaction in the maritime space implicitly rests on the ascription of value to this space. Environmental ethics helps to disentangle the many concepts of value that may come in conflict. As a particularly contested concept, ecocentrism assigns value not just at the atomistic level, but also at the holistic one. It has, however, been subject to criticism, thus challenging the validity of recent approaches to ocean management implicitly resting on ecocentric grounds. This paper provides a new justification for ecocentrism in the marine realm. Instead of relying on notions of community or teleonomy in nature, this paper builds on its ontology. It considers “the Area” beyond national jurisdiction and its declaration as “common heritage.” While a shared understanding of this concept is necessary to put it to practice in the intergovernmental sphere, the paper argues that any characterization of its ontology is subject to fuzziness. In the light of disagreement, fluctuation, and uncertainty on the atomistic level, a holistic perspective on the Area is necessary. Ecocentrism thus allows to overcome the conceptual hindrances and facilitates the implementation of a genuinely common heritage.
The red-beard evolutionary explanation of human sociality
Authors: Koliofotis Vaios 
Published: November 2021

AbstractRecent evolutionary studies on cooperation devote specific attention to non-verbal expressions of emotions. In this paper, I examine Robert Frank’s popular attempt to explain emotions, non-verbal markers and social behaviours. Following this line of work, I focus on the green-beard explanation of social behaviours. In response to the criticisms raised against this controversial ultimate explanation, based on resources found in Frank’s work, I propose an alternative red-beard explanation of human sociality. The red-beard explanation explains the emergence and evolution of emotions, a proximate cause, rather than patterns of behaviour. In contrast to simple evolutionary models that invoke a green-beard mechanism, I demonstrate that the red-beard explanation can be evolutionary stable. Social emotions are a common cause of a social behaviour and a phenotypic marker and therefore cooperative behaviour cannot be suppressed without also changing the marker.
Higher-dimensional Calabi–Yau varieties with dense sets of rational points
Authors: Suzuki Fumiaki 
Published: November 2021

AbstractWe construct higher-dimensional Calabi–Yau varieties defined over a given number field with Zariski dense sets of rational points. We give two elementary constructions in arbitrary dimensions as well as another construction in dimension three which involves certain Calabi–Yau threefolds containing an Enriques surface. The constructions also show that potential density holds for (sufficiently) general members of the families.
The Dingo Barrier Fence: Presenting the case to decommission the world’s longest environmental barrier in the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030
Authors: Philip Justine 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe longest environmental barrier in the world is Australia's 5614 km Dingo Barrier Fence. The structure was completed in the 1950s, designed to facilitate the eradication of the country's apex predator and cultural keystone species the dingo (Canis dingo) from sheep (Ovis aries) grazing areas to the south-east of the continent. The fence and its support systems now present an immense obstacle to ecological restoration in Australia's arid zone, preventing traditional management practices, and are hazardous to all terrestrial wildlife in the immediate vicinity. The barrier presents a worst-case scenario for animal-generated seed dispersal patterns over the wider region and limits genetic transfer. Plummeting biodiversity inside the fence line and increasing pressures of climate change have left this region highly vulnerable to ecological collapse. Concurrently, sheep numbers have contracted over 75% in the arid zone since 1991, due to market forces and climate change, while demand for ethically produced goods such as predator-friendly meat production and organic produce is increasing. Decommissioning the Dingo Barrier Fence, moving the stock protection zone south and diversifying land use would not impact significantly on the current livestock production. It offers a sound economic alternative for the region, with the potential for regeneration of 82 million hectares of land, a scale encouraged for inclusion in the global initiative the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). This would restore connectivity across the region, including vital access to the waters of the Murray Darling Basin. This would provide mitigation for the effects of climate change, new markets in organic and sustainable industries, and support ecological and cultural renewal.
Dauerhaftes Sporttreiben im Sportverein und motorische Entwicklung: Ergebnisse der MoMo-Längsschnittstudie (2003–2017)
Authors: Hanssen-Doose Anke , Oriwol Doris , Niessner Claudia , Schmidt Steffen Christian Eckehard , Klemm Katja , Woll Alexander , Worth Annette 
Published: November 2021

ZusammenfassungBereits im Kindes- und Jugendalter gilt die motorische Leistungsfähigkeit als wichtiger Gesundheitsmarker. Auf Basis von Daten der Motorik Modul-Studie wird in diesem Artikel längsschnittlich über die Jahre 2003–2017 untersucht, inwieweit sich Sportvereinsmitglieder, die konstant im Sportverein aktiv waren, hinsichtlich ihrer motorischen Entwicklung von denjenigen unterscheiden, die nie im Sportverein aktiv waren. Es wurden Daten aus drei Messwellen untersucht: T1 (2003–2006), T2 (2009–2012) und T3 (2014–2017). Aus insgesamt N = 1092 Teilnehmenden, von denen über T1 bis T3 Daten zur Motorik vorlagen, wurden all diejenigen mit konstanter Mitgliedschaft und Nicht-Mitgliedschaft im Sportverein über drei Messwellen ausgewählt. Das sind 46 % der Gesamtstichprobe (N = 498). Von den N = 498 Teilnehmer*innen (Alter T1: 8,9 ± 3,8 Jahre, T2: 15,1 ± 3,9 Jahre, T3: 20,3 ± 4,0 Jahre) waren 15 % dauerhafte Sportvereinsmitglieder mit Wettkampfengagement, 53 % dauerhafte Sportvereinsmitglieder ohne Wettkampfengagement sowie 32 % dauerhaft Sportvereinsabstinente. Zur Ermittlung der motorischen Leistungsfähigkeit wurden konditionelle und koordinative Fähigkeiten anhand des MoMo-Testprofils erhoben (Kondition: Standweitsprung, Liegestütz, Fahrrad-Ausdauertest, Koordination: Seitliches Hin- und Herspringen, Einbeinstand, Balancieren rückwärts). Die Unterschiede in der Entwicklung wurden anhand von alters- und geschlechtsadjustierten Perzentilen mittels Varianzanalysen mit Messwiederholung berechnet, mit dem Sozialstatus als Kovariate. Innerhalb der Sportvereinsmitglieder waren Teilnehmende mit niedrigem Sozialstatus deutlich unterrepräsentiert. Insgesamt betrachtet, ist die Entwicklung der koordinativen und konditionellen Fähigkeiten bei Sportvereinsmitgliedern als signifikant besser zu beurteilen im Vergleich zu Sportvereinsabstinenten (Modell Koordination * Sportverein: df = 3,870 | F = 2,931 | p = 0,021 | ETA = 0,015 | f = 0,123; Modell Kondition * Sportverein: df = 4 | F = 3,794 | p = 0,005 | ETA = 0,048 | f = 0,225). Die Ergebnisse untermauern die Wichtigkeit der Sportvereine für die motorische Entwicklung von Kindern, Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen in Deutschland.
Approximations of geometrically ergodic reversible markov chains
Authors: Negrea Jeffrey , Rosenthal Jeffrey S. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractA common tool in the practice of Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) is to use approximating transition kernels to speed up computation when the desired kernel is slow to evaluate or is intractable. A limited set of quantitative tools exists to assess the relative accuracy and efficiency of such approximations. We derive a set of tools for such analysis based on the Hilbert space generated by the stationary distribution we intend to sample,$L_2(\pi)$. Our results apply to approximations of reversible chains which are geometrically ergodic, as is typically the case for applications to MCMC. The focus of our work is on determining whether the approximating kernel will preserve the geometric ergodicity of the exact chain, and whether the approximating stationary distribution will be close to the original stationary distribution. For reversible chains, our results extend the results of Johndrowet al.(2015) from the uniformly ergodic case to the geometrically ergodic case, under some additional regularity conditions. We then apply our results to a number of approximate MCMC algorithms.
Exact simulation of coupled Wright–Fisher diffusions
Authors: García-Pareja Celia , Hult Henrik , Koski Timo 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIn this paper an exact rejection algorithm for simulating paths of the coupled Wright–Fisher diffusion is introduced. The coupled Wright–Fisher diffusion is a family of multivariate Wright–Fisher diffusions that have drifts depending on each other through a coupling term and that find applications in the study of networks of interacting genes. The proposed rejection algorithm uses independent neutral Wright–Fisher diffusions as candidate proposals, which are only needed at a finite number of points. Once a candidate is accepted, the remainder of the path can be recovered by sampling from neutral multivariate Wright–Fisher bridges, for which an exact sampling strategy is also provided. Finally, the algorithm’s complexity is derived and its performance demonstrated in a simulation study.
Clinical Utility of Dual Anterior Nares and Oropharynx MRSA Screening PCR for Patients with Suspected Pneumonia
Authors: Kessler Michael A. , Biswas Sandip , Choera Tsokyi , Chen Derrick J. , Lepak Alexander J. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractWe reviewed the electronic health records of 1,419 inpatients with anterior nares (AN) and oropharynx (OP) MRSA PCR tests. Concordance was 96.5%. In discordant cases, AN negative–OP positive results increased detection of probable MRSA pneumonia by only 0.3%. A dual testing approach has limited utility in detecting MRSA pneumonia and increases resource utilization.
The semiotics of the deictic field: Reckoning language and experience in East Los Angeles
Authors: Osborne Dana 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThis analysis examines the ways in which a single speaker, Ana, born in mid-century East Los Angeles, organizes and reflects upon her experiences of the city through language. Ana’s story is one that sheds light on the experiences of many Mexican Americans who came of age at a critical time in a transitioning L.A., and the slow move of people who had been up until mid-century relegated largely in and around racially and socioeconomically segregated parts of L.A. These formative experiences are demonstrated to have informed the ways that speakers parse the social and geographical landscape along several dimensions, and this analysis interrogates the symbolic value of a special category of everyday language, deixis, to reveal the intersection between language and social experience in the cityscape of L.A. In this way, it is analytically possible to not only approach the habituation and reproduction of specific deictic fields as indexical of the ways that speakers parse the city, but also to demonstrate the ways in which key moments in the history of the city have shaped the emergence and meaning of those fields.
Two poisson limit theorems for the coupon collector’s problem with group drawings
Authors: Schilling Judith , Henze Norbert 
Published: November 2021

AbstractIn the collector’s problem with group drawings, s out of n different types of coupon are sampled with replacement. In the uniform case, each s-subset of the types has the same probability of being sampled. For this case, we derive a Poisson limit theorem for the number of types that are sampled at most
$c-1$
times, where
$c \ge 1$
is fixed. In a specified approximate nonuniform setting, we prove a Poisson limit theorem for the special case
$c=1$
. As corollaries, we obtain limit distributions for the waiting time for c complete series of types in the uniform case and a single complete series in the approximate nonuniform case.