bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fostering Hotel-Employee Creativity Through Micro-Level Corporate Social Responsibility: A Social Identity Theory Perspective
Authors: Ahmad Naveed , Ullah Zia , AlDhaen Esra , Han Heesup , Araya-Castillo Luis , Ariza-Montes Antonio
Published: April 2022

Due to globalization, a dynamic business environment, and stiff rivalry, the importance of employee creativity (EC) has increased in the current era more than ever before. The hotel sector has no exception, rather the need for creativity is high in this sector because most hotels operate in ways that are easy to imitate. Recently, researchers have paid attention to micro-level corporate social responsibility (ML-CSR) and have linked it to achieve different employee-related outcomes such as EC. However, the above relationship was less explored in a hospitality context. To bridge this gap, the current analysis aims to investigate the relationship of ML-CSR and EC with the mediating effect of work engagement (WE) in the hotel sector of a developing country. The study also attempts to extend the boundary of social identity theory in a collectivistic culture to explain the link between ML-CSR and EC. The data were collected from hotel employees (n = 461) and were analyzed with the help of structural equation modeling. The findings validated that ML-CSR positively influenced EC, and WE mediated this relationship. The current work offers different contributions to the theory and the field which are discussed in detail.
The Public's Preferences for Psychological Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Li Hui-qin , Liu Shu-xiang , Xue Hui , Yuan Hua , Zhang Xiu-ying
Published: April 2022

Aims

To explore the public's preference for psychological interventions through a discrete choice experiment and to provide references for formulating psychological intervention policies and establishing psychological intervention procedures in response to public health emergencies.

Methods

This study is a discrete choice experiment. Attributes and levels were identified through literature reviews, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and expert consultations. Experimental design principles were applied to generate choice sets containing different attribute levels and develop a survey instrument. Convenience sampling was conducted nationwide, and 1,045 participants were investigated. A mixed logit model was used to evaluate the public's preferences.

Results

All attributes in our study were found to have a significant influence on the public's preferences for psychological interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The public's preferences for providers and duration were influenced by the public's levels of education and classifications. Furthermore, the most ideal scenario was found to be a one-on-one psychological intervention provided by family and friends through social network platforms, for which the frequency is twice per week, and the duration of each intervention is 0.5–1 h.

Conclusions

The public's preferences for psychological interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic are affected by the method, form, frequency, provider, and duration of interventions. Our findings provide references for the formulation of psychological intervention policies and the establishment of psychological intervention procedures in response to public health emergencies.
Relationship Between Time of Admission, Help-Seeking Behavior, and Psychiatric Outcomes: “From Dusk Till Dawn”
Authors: Knorr Marius , Hofmann Andreas B. , Miteva Dimitrina , Noboa Vanessa , Rauen Katrin , Frauenfelder Fritz , Seifritz Erich , Quednow Boris B. , Vetter Stefan , Egger Stephan T.
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Day and time of admission influence treatment outcomes and prognosis in several medical specialties; this seems related to resources' ability. It is largely unknown whether this also applies to mental health services. We investigate the relationship between time of admission, patients' demographic and clinical profile, and treatment outcomes.

Methods

Demographic and clinical profiles of admitted and discharged patients to a general psychiatric ward between January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2020, were analyzed. In addition, we used the last year (i.e., 2020) to monitor rehospitalization. Time of admission was defined as weekdays (working day, weekend) and dayshifts (daytime, dusk, and dawn).

Results

During the study period, 12,449 patient admissions occurred. The mean age of the sample was 48.05 ± 20.90 years, with 49.32% (n = 6,140) females. Most admissions (n = 10,542, 84%) occurred on working days. Two-fifths of admissions (39.7%, n = 4,950) were compulsory, with a higher rate outside daytime hours. Patients had slight differences in the clinical profile, resulting from evaluating the different items of the Health of Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS). Patients admitted on night shifts, weekends, and holidays showed a shorter length of stay; patients compulsorily admitted during daytime (disregarding the day of the week) had a longer length of stay. All patient groups achieved a robust clinical improvement (i.e., an HoNOS score reduction of around 50%), with similar readmission rates.

Discussion

The main finding of our study is the relationship between “daytime hours” and fewer compulsory admissions, a result of the interplay between demographics, clinical characteristics, and out-of-clinic service availability (such as ambulatory psychiatric- psychological praxis; day-clinic; home-treatment). The differing clinical profile, in turn, determines differences in treatment selection, with patients admitted after office hours experiencing a higher rate of coercive measures. The shorter length of stay for out-of-office admissions might result from the hospitalization as an intervention. These results should encourage the implementation of outpatient crisis-intervention services, available from dusk till dawn.
Cariprazine's Potential in Improving Social Dysfunction in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Perspective
Authors: Morozov Petr , Bekker Roman , Bykov Youri
Published: April 2022

Social dysfunction is one of the most debilitating aspects of schizophrenia. Treatment of this complex phenomenon, constituted by negative, cognitive, and affective symptoms, has been difficult with the available pharmacological agents, hence it represents an unmet medical need. Cariprazine, a novel, third-generation antipsychotic with a unique mechanism of action has been proven to sufficiently alleviate negative, cognitive, and affective symptoms of schizophrenia. These characteristics make this compound a valid candidate for addressing social dysfunction too. In this perspective, we argue that cariprazine can be viewed as a “socializing drug” that has the ability to improve the patient's functionality and ultimately their quality of life. Data from animal research, clinical trials, an observational study, and patient cases are provided.
Depression and Psychological Stress Among Health Workers in Remote Areas in Indonesia
Authors: Idaiani Sri , Waris Lukman
Published: April 2022

Background

The Indonesian government launched the Nusantara Sehat program in 2015, under which teams of health workers were assigned to community health care centers in remote, border, and island areas for 2 years. The deployment to remote areas is likely to affect their psychological condition if they are not equipped with facilities and strong motivation. This study aimed to describe the psychological condition of health workers in remote areas in Indonesia, focusing on the proportion of the prevalence of depression and psychological stress.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted between April and December of 2018. Participants were 140 health workers placed in 26 community healthcare centers in 13 provinces. Interviews were conducted by enumerators using a questionnaire that included questions from the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20).

Results

Of the participants, 7.1% experienced depression and 10.0% experienced psychological stress. Motivation was related to psychological stress in participants with an odds ratio of 0,218 (95% confidence interval = 0.065–0.729, p = 0.013). Health workers with high motivation tend not to experience psychological stress compared to individuals with lower motivation.

Conclusion

Health workers with high motivation experience relatively low levels of psychological stress. To overcome stress, high motivation is needed to control psychological risk factors before and during placement.
Perception of University Students Towards National Efforts at Controlling COVID-19 Pandemics, the Practice of Prevention Measures and its Associated Factors During School Reopening
Authors: Tadese Mesfin , Tessema Saba Desta , Altaye Girma , Mulu Getaneh Baye
Published: April 2022

Background

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected many communities including students. Even if restrictions are being lifted in some countries, i.e., Ethiopia, COVID-19 is not gone yet. Adjusting to the “new normal”, an emerging prevention response to the virus, can greatly recover public health and education. Thus, this study aimed to assess students' perception of national efforts at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, including approaches to prevention measures, and associated factors during campus re-entry.

Methods and Materials

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 682 Debre Berhan University (DBU) students from December 1 to 15, 2020, when students had just gone back to school. The data was entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25.0 statistical software for analysis. The perception and practice of the participants were assessed using a scoring system. Binary logistic regression was run to identify the significant (p ≤ 0.05) predictors of COVID-19 prevention practice.

Result

The overall high perception and good practice of prevention behaviors were 32%, 95% CI (28.8–35.2), and 37.5%, 95% CI (33.7–41.2), respectively. Being female [AOR (CI) = 1.67 (1.17–2.37)], have a rural residence [AOR (CI) = 1.56 (1.07–2.29)], fathers' education [AOR (CI) = 1.94 (1.06–3.56)], having respiratory disease [AOR (CI) = 2.81 (1.32–5.95)], and information sources from YouTube [AOR (CI) = 1.87 (1.19–2.91)] were significant factors for COVID-19 prevention practice. Besides, a high perception of national efforts at controlling COVID-19 [AOR (CI) = 2.94 (2.04–4.25)] was positively associated with the practice of prevention measures.

Conclusion

During school reopening, most students had a low perception of national efforts at controlling COVID-19 and poor prevention practices. Socio-demographics, having a chronic illness, information sources, and perception of national efforts were factors of COVID-19 prevention practice. Thus, raising the perception of the national efforts, promoting precautionary measures, managing chronic illnesses, and disseminating information through YouTube are critical to preventing and controlling COVID-19 during campus re-entry.
Facial Expression Manipulation for Personalized Facial Action Estimation
Authors: Niinuma Koichiro , Onal Ertugrul Itir , Cohn Jeffrey F. , Jeni László A.
Published: April 2022

Limited sizes of annotated video databases of spontaneous facial expression, imbalanced action unit labels, and domain shift are three main obstacles in training models to detect facial actions and estimate their intensity. To address these problems, we propose an approach that incorporates facial expression generation for facial action unit intensity estimation. Our approach reconstructs the 3D shape of the face from each video frame, aligns the 3D mesh to a canonical view, and trains a GAN-based network to synthesize novel images with facial action units of interest. We leverage the synthetic images to achieve two goals: 1) generating AU-balanced databases, and 2) tackling domain shift with personalized networks. To generate a balanced database, we synthesize expressions with varying AU intensities and perform semantic resampling. Our experimental results on FERA17 show that networks trained on synthesized facial expressions outperform those trained on actual facial expressions and surpass current state-of-the-art approaches. To tackle domain shift, we propose personalizing pretrained networks. We generate synthetic expressions of each target subject with varying AU intensity labels and use the person-specific synthetic images to fine-tune pretrained networks. To evaluate performance of the personalized networks, we use DISFA and PAIN databases. Personalized networks, which require only a single image from each target subject to generate synthetic images, achieved significant improvement in generalizing to unseen domains.
I Can’t Hear Myself Think! How the Brain Deals With Talking in Noisy Environments
Authors: Meekings Sophie
Published: April 2022

Imagine you are at party with loud music playing. What would it be like trying to speak to your friend in all that noise? Scientists call background noise like this “masking sound” because it covers up other sounds, in two ways. The background sound might be so loud that it blocks out other noises, or it might contain information that is distracting. Maybe it is your favorite song and you cannot help singing along! Which of these do you think affects you most when you are trying to talk? We decided to find out by putting people in a brain scanner and asking them to talk while we played various noises in the background. We found that the brain cares most about sounds that contain lots of information, even if they do not block out other noises very well. So, maybe being able to hear yourself is not as important as we thought!
How Math Helps us Predict Water Flows in Forests
Authors: Zabret Katarina , Šraj Mojca , Van Stan John T.
Published: April 2022

Water flows through forests in many ways, so it is difficult to understand and predict where and when it will flow. Understanding how water flows through forests is important, as it affects many of the services that forests offer to people, like lumber for houses and cleaner air. Water scientists (called hydrologists) have a way to reduce the complex water flow of a forest into something we can explain with simple math: they turn forests into buckets! In this article, we describe a forest “water park,” where leafy and bark buckets fill and empty into each other or onto the forest floor. These buckets help us describe and predict water flows in forests using simple arithmetic and statistics. We focus on the flow of rainwater as it drains through the canopy to the ground, contributing water needed for tree growth and filling the groundwater that we drink.
Pretreatment Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index Can Predict Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Cervical Cancer at Stages IB2-IIB
Authors: Liu Pingping , Jiang Yinan , Zheng Xiaojing , Pan Baoyue , Xiang Huiling , Zheng Min
Published: April 2022

Background: The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) has been identified as a predictor of chemotherapy efficacy for a variety of cancers, and we aimed to determine its ability to predict the response to chemotherapy and its long-term prognosis for patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) who have underwent platinum-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Methods: The date from 210 patients (133 in the training cohort and 77 in the validation cohort) with CSCC who received NACT were analyzed retrospectively. The association between SII and the pathological complete response (pCR) was determined using Pearson’s chi-square test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and Logistic regression analysis. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional regression model were used to assess the relationship between SII and progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS).

Results: The calculated optimal SII cutoff values for pCR and survival were 568.7051 and 600.5683, respectively, and patients were divided into two groups: a low SII group (≤568.7051 or ≤600.5683) and a high SII group (>568.7051 or >600.5683). A high SII was associated significantly with a lower pCR. Further analysis determined that SII was a more efficient predictor of pCR than the prognostic nutritional index, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio. Upon multivariate logistic analysis, SII proved to be an independent risk factor to predict the pCR of patients with CSCC. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that PFS and OS rates were significantly higher in the low-SII group compared with those in the high-SII group. Additional multivariate analysis indicated that the SII is an independent prognostic factor for patients with CSCC treated with NACT.

Conclusion: The results confirmed that the pre-treatment SII is not only an independent predictor of pCR but also an independent prognostic factor of CSCC patients treated with platinum based NACT.
High Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) Are Markers of Longer Survival After Metastasectomy of Patients With Liver-Only Metastasis of Rectal Cancer
Authors: Polk Nándor , Budai Barna , Hitre Erika , Patócs Attila , Mersich Tamás
Published: April 2022

Background: The literature data regarding colon cancer patients with liver-only metastases (CLM) show that NLR determined before metastasectomy is a prognostic marker of shorter relapse-free survival (RFS), but no results has been reported to date for rectal cancer patients with liver-only metastases (RLM). This study aimed to investigate the NLR and SII in CLM and RLM.

Methods: Relapse-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated in 67 CLM and 103 RLM patients with a median follow-up of 46.5 and 59.8 months, respectively. Pre- and/or postoperative chemotherapy ± targeted treatment was applied in 96% and 87% of CLM and RLM patients, respectively. The cut-off level for hematologic parameters were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Univariate analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method and log rank test. For multivariate analysis Cox regression was applied.

Results: In univariate analysis low NLR (cut-off 2) and SII (535) were predictors of longer RFS in case of CLM (p < 0.01). In contrast, for RLM high NLR (2.42) and SII (792) were predictors of longer RFS (p < 0.001). For RLM both NLR and SII proved to be independent markers of RFS (HR 0.66 (95% CI 0.52–0.84) and 0.73 (0.57–0.91), respectively) and OS (0.76 (0.58–0.99) and 0.66 (0.5–0.87), respectively). Only NLR (1.44 (1.04–1.99)) was independent marker of RFS for CLM. The preoperative treatment has not influenced the role of NLR or SII.

Conclusion: In contrast to CLM, in RLM the high NLR or SII determined before metastasectomy proved to be independent prognostic factors of longer RFS and OS.
Protective Impact of Chitosan Film Loaded Oregano and Thyme Essential Oil on the Microbial Profile and Quality Attributes of Beef Meat
Authors: Gaba Abdul Basit M. , Hassan Mohamed A. , Abd EL-Tawab Ashraf A. , Abdelmonem Mohamed A. , Morsy Mohamed K.
Published: April 2022

Edible films and essential oil (EO) systems have the potency to enhance the microbial quality and shelf life of food. This investigation aimed to evaluate the efficacy of chitosan films including essential oils against spoilage bacteria and foodborne pathogens associated with meat. Antimicrobial activity (in vitro and in vivo) of chitosan films (CH) incorporated with oregano oil (OO) and thyme oil (TO) at 0.5 and 1% was done against spoilage bacteria and foodborne pathogens, compared to the control sample and CH alone. Preliminary experiments (in vitro) showed that the 1% OO and TO were more active against Staphylococcus aureus compared to Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium. In in vivo studies, CH containing OO and TO effectively inhibited the three foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria linked with packed beef meat which was kept at 4 °C/30 days compared to the control. The total phenolic content of the EOs was 201.52 mg GAE L−1 in thyme and 187.64 mg GAE L−1 in oregano. The antioxidant activity of thyme oil was higher than oregano oil. The results demonstrated that the shelf life of meat including CH with EOs was prolonged ~10 days compared to CH alone. Additionally, CH-OO and CH-TO have improved the sensory acceptability until 25 days, compared to the control. Results revealed that edible films made of chitosan and containing EOs improved the quality parameters and safety attributes of refrigerated or fresh meat.
Weighted Similarity and Core-User-Core-Item Based Recommendations
Authors: Zhang Zhuangzhuang , Dong Yunquan
Published: April 2022

In traditional recommendation algorithms, the users and/or the items with the same rating scores are equally treated. In real world, however, a user may prefer some items to other items and some users are more loyal to a certain item than other users. In this paper, therefore, we propose a weighted similarity measure by exploiting the difference in user-item relationships. In particular, we refer to the most important item of a user as his core item and the most important user of an item as its core user. We also propose a Core-User-Item Solver (CUIS) to calculate the core users and core items of the system, as well as the weighting coefficients for each user and each item. We prove that the CUIS algorithm converges to the optimal solution efficiently. Based on the weighted similarity measure and the obtained results by CUIS, we also propose three effective recommenders. Through experiments based on real-world data sets, we show that the proposed recommenders outperform corresponding traditional-similarity based recommenders, verify that the proposed weighted similarity can improve the accuracy of the similarity, and then improve the recommendation performance.
High Efficiency Transformerless Photovoltaic DC/AC Converter with Common Mode Leakage Current Elimination: Analysis and Implementation
Authors: Cardoso Jorge , Orosco Rodolfo , Vazquez Nimrod , López Héctor , Hernandez Claudia , Vaquero Joaquin
Published: April 2022

Photovoltaic (PV) electricity is widely used because of its positive environmental impact. To properly feed this energy into the grid, an electronic power converter, known as a PV inverter, is needed, which may or may not use a transformer. This article details the analysis and design of a transformerless photovoltaic inverter topology for grid-connected applications. This converter offers high efficiency, a low number of elements, and negligible leakage current, which makes it a good alternative for this application. The converter has been validated through an experimental prototype and compared with other topologies with similar characteristics.
Exploring the Pro-Phagocytic and Anti-Inflammatory Functions of PACAP and VIP in Microglia: Implications for Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Jansen Margo I. , Thomas Broome Sarah , Castorina Alessandro
Published: April 2022

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), characterised by the infiltration of peripheral immune cells, multifocal white-matter lesions, and neurodegeneration. In recent years, microglia have emerged as key contributors to MS pathology, acting as scavengers of toxic myelin/cell debris and modulating the inflammatory microenvironment to promote myelin repair. In this review, we explore the role of two neuropeptides, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), as important regulators of microglial functioning during demyelination, myelin phagocytosis, and remyelination, emphasising the potential of these neuropeptides as therapeutic targets for the treatment of MS.
Toxic Effects on Thyroid Gland of Male Adult Lizards (Podarcis Siculus) in Contact with PolyChlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)-Contaminated Soil
Authors: Sciarrillo Rosaria , Falzarano Alessandra , Gallicchio Vito , Mileo Aldo , De Falco Maria
Published: April 2022

Skin exposure is considered a potentially significant but little-studied pathway for PolyChlorinated Biphenyls uptake in terrestrial reptiles. In this study, a native Italian lizard, Podarcis siculus, was exposed to PCBs-contaminated soil for 120 days. Tissues distribution of PCBs, thyroid hormone levels, and thyroid histo-physiopathology were examined. The accumulation of PCBs in skin, plasma, liver, kidney, and brain were highest at 120 days. The alteration of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels after different concentrations and times to exposure of PCBs was accompanied by the changes in the hormones involved in the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, namely Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone (TRH) and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). Moreover, hepatic levels of deiodinase II (5′ORDII) and content of T3 were positively correlated to exposure to PCBs. These results indicated that in lizards, PCBs exposure through the skin has the potential to disrupt the thyroid endocrine system. Overall, the observed results indicate that PCBs could be associated with changes in thyroid homeostasis in these reptiles, through direct interactions with the metabolism of T4 and T3 through the HPT axis or indirect interactions with peripheral deiodination.
Sample-Specific Perturbation of Gene Interactions Identifies Pancreatic Cancer Subtypes
Authors: Wei Ran , Zhang Huihui , Cao Jianzhong , Qin Dailei , Li Shengping , Deng Wuguo
Published: April 2022

Pancreatic cancer is a highly fatal disease and an increasing common cause of cancer mortality. Mounting evidence now indicates that molecular heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer significantly impacts its clinical features. However, the dynamic nature of gene expression pattern makes it difficult to rely solely on gene expression alterations to estimate disease status. By contrast, biological networks tend to be more stable over time under different situations. In this study, we used a gene interaction network from a new point of view to explore the subtypes of pancreatic cancer based on individual-specific edge perturbations calculated by relative gene expression value. Our study shows that pancreatic cancer patients from the TCGA database could be separated into four subtypes based on gene interaction perturbations at the individual level. The new network-based subtypes of pancreatic cancer exhibited substantial heterogeneity in many aspects, including prognosis, phenotypic traits, genetic mutations, the abundance of infiltrating immune cell, and predictive therapeutic efficacy (chemosensitivity and immunotherapy efficacy). The new network-based subtypes were closely related to previous reported molecular subtypes of pancreatic cancer. This work helps us to better understand the heterogeneity and mechanisms of pancreatic cancer from a network perspective.
Intramolecular Interaction with the E6 Region Stabilizes the Closed Conformation of the N-SH2 Domain and Concurs with the Self-Inhibitory Docking in Downregulating the Activity of the SHP2 Tyrosine Phosphatase: A Molecular Dynamics Study
Authors: Bellacchio Emanuele
Published: April 2022

The localization and activity of the SHP2 tyrosine phosphatase across different cellular compartments to the target substrates are steered by the binding of phosphotyrosine (pY) peptides to the tandem SH2 domains. The most N-terminal domain (N-SH2) can also keep the enzyme inactive by intramolecular occlusion of the catalytic site. Enzyme activity can be recovered by an allosteric disruption of this self-inhibitory docking upon the binding of pY peptides to the N-SH2 domain. Prior to this, the N-SH2 domain must abandon the closed conformation because it impedes the access of pY peptides to the binding cleft. Although it cooperates with the self-inhibitory docking in the negative regulation of the phosphatase activity, the structural determinants of the stability of the closed conformation in the self-inhibited phosphatase are still elusive. To address this issue, a molecular dynamics simulation study is carried out. It is shown that the closed conformation is stabilized by the interaction of the N-SH2 domain with a conserved peptide portion in the region encoded by PTPN11 exon 6 (E6).
Berberine Suppresses Leukocyte Adherence by Downregulating CX3CL1 Expression and Shedding and ADAM10 in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Vascular Endothelial Cells
Authors: Wu Yi-Hong , Wei Chen-Ying , Hong Wei-Chin , Pang Jong-Hwei Su
Published: April 2022

Berberine exerts therapeutic effects in inflammation-associated diseases. In a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxemic acute lung injury (ALI) rat model, berberine alleviated lung injury through different anti-inflammatory mechanisms; however, treatment effects on CX3CL1 expression and shedding remain to be examined. As these processes play important roles in promoting the binding of leukocytes to the endothelium, the CX3CL1/CX3CR1 axis and its related pathways may serve as potential targets for the clinical treatment of ALI. The anti-inflammatory effects of berberine were investigated in LPS-stimulated rats, human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and THP-1 monocytic cells. Cx3cl1 expression in rat pulmonary tissues was examined using immunohistochemistry. CX3CL1, CX3CR1, RELA, STAT3, and ADAM10 levels were examined using Western blotting. CX3CL1 and ADAM10 mRNA levels were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Soluble fractalkine levels in LPS-stimulated rats and HUVECs were examined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Berberine significantly mitigated the LPS-induced upregulation of fractalkine and soluble fractalkine in rats and cultured HUVECs. Berberine mitigated the LPS-induced activation of the NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathways. In THP-1 cells, berberine mitigated the LPS-induced upregulation of CX3CR1. Furthermore, the membrane expression of ADAM10 in LPS-stimulated HUVECs was suppressed by the berberine treatment. Berberine dose-dependently inhibited the LPS-induced activation of the CX3CL1/CX3CR1 axis and fractalkine shedding through ADAM10. These findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism underlying the inhibitory effect of berberine on monocyte adherence to the endothelium during inflammation.
Fighting the Huntington’s Disease with a G-Quadruplex-Forming Aptamer Specifically Binding to Mutant Huntingtin Protein: Biophysical Characterization, In Vitro and In Vivo Studies
Authors: Riccardi Claudia , D’Aria Federica , Digilio Filomena Anna , Carillo Maria Rosaria , Amato Jussara , Fasano Dominga , De Rosa Laura , Paladino Simona , Melone Mariarosa Anna Beatrice , Montesarchio Daniela , Giancola Concetta
Published: April 2022

A set of guanine-rich aptamers able to preferentially recognize full-length huntingtin with an expanded polyglutamine tract has been recently identified, showing high efficacy in modulating the functions of the mutated protein in a variety of cell experiments. We here report a detailed biophysical characterization of the best aptamer in the series, named MS3, proved to adopt a stable, parallel G-quadruplex structure and show high nuclease resistance in serum. Confocal microscopy experiments on HeLa and SH-SY5Y cells, as models of non-neuronal and neuronal cells, respectively, showed a rapid, dose-dependent uptake of fluorescein-labelled MS3, demonstrating its effective internalization, even in the absence of transfecting agents, with no general cytotoxicity. Then, using a well-established Drosophila melanogaster model for Huntington’s disease, which expresses the mutated form of human huntingtin, a significant improvement in the motor neuronal function in flies fed with MS3 was observed, proving the in vivo efficacy of this aptamer.
Violaxanthin and Zeaxanthin May Replace Lutein at the L1 Site of LHCII, Conserving the Interactions with Surrounding Chlorophylls and the Capability of Triplet–Triplet Energy Transfer
Authors: Carbonera Donatella , Agostini Alessandro , Bortolus Marco , Dall’Osto Luca , Bassi Roberto
Published: April 2022

Carotenoids represent the first line of defence of photosystems against singlet oxygen (1O2) toxicity, because of their capacity to quench the chlorophyll triplet state (3Chl) through a physical mechanism based on the transfer of triplet excitation (triplet–triplet energy transfer, TTET). In previous works, we showed that the antenna LHCII is characterised by a robust photoprotective mechanism, able to adapt to the removal of individual chlorophylls while maintaining a remarkable capacity for 3Chl quenching. In this work, we investigated the effects on this quenching induced in LHCII by the replacement of the lutein bound at the L1 site with violaxanthin and zeaxanthin. We studied LHCII isolated from the Arabidopsis thaliana mutants lut2—in which lutein is replaced by violaxanthin—and lut2 npq2, in which all xanthophylls are replaced constitutively by zeaxanthin. We characterised the photophysics of these systems via optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) and time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TR-EPR). We concluded that, in LHCII, lutein-binding sites have conserved characteristics, and ensure efficient TTET regardless of the identity of the carotenoid accommodated.
Implications of Heparanase on Heparin Synthesis and Metabolism in Mast Cells
Authors: Maccarana Marco , Jia Juan , Li Honglian , Zhang Xiao , Vlodavsky Israel , Li Jin-Ping
Published: April 2022

Heparin is a polysaccharide expressed in animal connective tissue-type mast cells. Owing to the special pentasaccharide sequence, heparin specifically binds to antithrombin (AT) and increases the inhibitory activity of AT towards coagulation enzymes. Heparin isolated from porcine intestinal mucosa has an average molecular weight of 15 kDa, while heparins recovered from rat skin and the peritoneal cavity were 60–100 kDa and can be fragmented by the endo-glucuronidase heparanase in vitro. In this study, we have examined heparin isolated from in vitro matured fetal skin mast cells (FSMC) and peritoneal cavity mast cells (PCMC) collected from wildtype (WT), heparanase knockout (Hpa-KO), and heparanase overexpressing (Hpa-tg) mice. The metabolically 35S-labeled heparin products from the mast cells of WT, Hpa-KO, and Hpa-tg mice were compared and analyzed for molecular size and AT-binding activity. The results show that PCMC produced heparins with a size similar to heparin from porcine intestinal mast cells, whilst FSMC produced much longer chains. As expected, heparanase overexpression resulted in the generation of smaller fragments in both cell types, while heparins recovered from heparanase knockout cells were slightly longer than heparin from WT cells. Unexpectedly, we found that heparanase expression affected the production of total glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and the proportion between heparin and other GAGs but essentially had no effect on heparin catabolism.
Liver Steatosis: A Marker of Metabolic Risk in Children
Authors: Neri Costanza Renata , Scapaticci Serena , Chiarelli Francesco , Giannini Cosimo
Published: April 2022

Obesity is one of the greatest health challenges affecting children of all ages and ethnicities. Almost 19% of children and adolescents worldwide are overweight or obese, with an upward trend in the last decades. These reports imply an increased risk of fat accumulation in hepatic cells leading to a series of histological hepatic damages gathered under the acronym NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease). Due to the complex dynamics underlying this condition, it has been recently renamed as ‘Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD)’, supporting the hypothesis that hepatic steatosis is a key component of the large group of clinical and laboratory abnormalities of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). This review aims to share the latest scientific knowledge on MAFLD in children in an attempt to offer novel insights into the complex dynamics underlying this condition, focusing on the novel molecular aspects. Although there is still no treatment with a proven efficacy for this condition, starting from the molecular basis of the disease, MAFLD’s therapeutic landscape is rapidly expanding, and different medications seem to act as modifiers of liver steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis.
Design of a Chipless RFID Tag to Monitor the Performance of Organic Coatings on Architectural Cladding
Authors: Savill Tim , Jewell Eifion
Published: April 2022

Coating degradation is a critical issue when steel surfaces are subject to weathering. This paper presents a chipless, passive antenna tag, which can be applied onto organically coated steel. Simulations indicated that changes associated with organic coating degradation, such as the formation of defects and electrolyte uptake, produced changes in the backscattered radar cross section tag response. This may be used to determine the condition of the organic coating. Simulating multiple aging effects simultaneously produced a linear reduction in tag resonant frequency, suggesting coating monitoring and lifetime estimation may be possible via this method. For coatings thinner than calculations would suggest to be optimum, it was found that the simulated response could be improved by the use of a thin substrate between the coated sample and the antenna without vastly affecting results. Experimental results showed that changes to the dielectric properties of the coating through both the uptake of water and chemical degradation were detected through changes in the resonant frequency.
Acuerdo comercial multipartes y su incidencia en las exportaciones de banano ecuatoriano al mercado alemán
Authors: Muñoz Carine Lázaro Ulises , Grazzo Soto Tommy Alberto , Valladares Valle Cindy Alexis
Published: April 2022

El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo analizar el estado comparativo de las exportaciones del banano ecuatoriano hacia Alemania para determinar el impacto antes y después del Acuerdo Comercial con la Unión Europea, durante el período 2015-2018. Bajo una modalidad de estudio no experimental, descriptivo, exploratorio y documental se buscó obtener suficiente información estadística y económica para determinar la tendencia de las exportaciones bananeras en el tiempo. A través del análisis de las exportaciones en valores FOB y toneladas para ver su evolución antes y después de que el acuerdo comercial entrara en vigor. Los resultados sugieren que las exportaciones de banano han presentado caída en las variaciones del 1% desde el 2015 hasta el 15% al 2017; y en el 2018 presentó un incremento de precios impactante para Alemania que se ubicó en el 19%, lo que provocó una gran caída en la participación de ventas. Se calculó la diferencia de medias entre las exportaciones indicando que efectivamente hay promedios distintos, resultando que las exportaciones del banano ecuatoriano hacia Alemania han disminuido a partir de la vigencia del acuerdo.
Optimización de portafolios de venta de productos en la post crisis Covid-19, aplicando programación lineal y pronósticos
Authors: Flores Tapia Carlos Ernesto , Flores Cevallos Karla Lissette
Published: April 2022

La crisis sanitaria del COVID-19, iniciada a finales de diciembre de 2019, ha provocó graves repercusiones en la mayoría de los países, particularmente en el Ecuador. En el ámbito económico, por ejemplo, las MIPYMES se vieron afectadas por la disminución de las ventas; es el caso de la comercializadora Gutiérrez, empresa objeto de estudio. En este escenario altamente complejo, se requirió la toma de decisiones sustentadas técnicamente que ayuden a las empresas a sobrellevar la post crisis. El objetivo principal de la investigación fue demostrar que es posible calcular un óptimo de combinaciones de cantidades de la oferta de ventas que permite maximizar las utilidades de la empresa objeto de estudio, en una situación post crisis como la generada por la pandemia del Covid-19 (OMS, 2021), mediante la aplicación combinada del método simplex de programación lineal y el método estadístico de pronósticos. Asimismo, se llegó a demostrar la utilidad del método simplex de programación lineal y del método estadístico de pronósticos en la búsqueda de una solución que permita la combinación óptima de ventas en el portafolio de productos de este tipo de empresas minoristas.
La identidad del niño: Casos de filiación extramatrimonial y la impugnación de paternidad en instituciones judiciales
Authors: Quijano Rojas Mónica Elvira , Suarez Cruz Janeth , Rodríguez Huaraya Jonathan Rudy
Published: April 2022

Esta identidad comprende a tener un nombre, un apellido, una fecha al nacer, así como al sexo y su nacionalidad, el cual se encuentra consagrados en nuestra Constitución Política del Estado. La identidad es la prueba más fehaciente que tiene una persona como parte de una sociedad, como sujeto de derecho, del cual forma parte del todo cuanto se le otorgue; por ello se caracteriza y se diferencia de los demás seres que lo rodea. El objetivo del presente artículo fue evidenciar derechos a la afinidad y/o consanguinidad en menores declarados por sus progenitores al nacer, el cual se encuentra circundado de derechos por el Estado. La metodología es de revisión descriptiva sistemática de enfoque cualitativo. La Identidad filiatoria, tiene únicamente el supuesto biológico el cual va de la mano con el interés superior que reconoce al niño, registrado en el art. 3° de la Convención sobre “Derechos de los Niños y Adolescentes”.
Derechos reproductivos de las mujeres y la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo por violación sexual
Authors: Peña Nontol Katia Gisela
Published: April 2022

A menudo que las mujeres han ido ganando espacios y responsabilidades que antes solo asumían o realizaban los hombres, sus derechos reproductivos también han evolucionado. El estudio muestra un análisis de la prohibición de la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo en especial si este fue a causa de una violación sexual. El estudio se llevó a cabo mediante la revisión bibliográfica de artículos científicos de revistas usando motores de búsquedas, como Google Académico, además de indexadores como Scielo, Redalyc, Scopus entre otras. Como resultado de la investigación, se identificó que penalizar la perdida voluntaria del embarazo en casos de violación sexual complica la salud pública, asimismo afecta profundamente derechos humanos, desapareciendo la justicia social. Se concluye que existen elementos que sustentan que la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo representa un progreso considerable en la salud reproductiva, en todo caso, la existencia de una posible permisibilidad de la interrupción del embarazo de por sí no garantiza que las mujeres opten por abortar.
COBERTURA VERDE COMO ALTERNATIVA SUSTENTÁVEL PARA GERAÇÃO DE RENDA EM HABITAÇÕES DE INTERESSE SOCIAL
Authors: Pereira Rondinelly Geraldo , Araújo Ernani Carlos de , Ribas Rovadávia Aline de Jesus
Published: April 2022

Frente ao déficit habitacional nacional, fazem-se necessárias propostas de Habitações de Interesses Social (HIS) que possam atenuar esse problema, atendendo às necessidades dos usuários quanto a critérios de segurança e habitabilidade e, também, aos aspectos sociais e econômicos. Sistemas construtivos industrializados, como as estruturas em aço, por suas características inerentes, podem contribuir consideravelmente com esses fatores. Diante do exposto, este trabalho tem por objetivo investigar se a implantação de cobertura verde em condomínio de HIS na cidade de Ouro Preto, MG, configura uma alternativa sustentável, capaz de gerar renda para auxiliar no custeamento de financiamento da edificação. A metodologia é pautada em um estudo de caso de caráter dedutivo, tendo sido realizados trabalho de campo em parceria com universidades brasileiras e norte-americanas. Os resultados mostraram que, além dos diversos benefícios ambientais das coberturas verdes em maior ou menor escala, o cultivo de horta em HIS pode contribuir significativamente com a complementação da renda familiar para pagamento das parcelas de compra do imóvel. Foram avaliados dois cenários: o primeiro com o cultivo de três espécies distintas em mesma proporção de área e o segundo com maior disposição de área para a espécie mais rentável. O segundo cenário se mostrou mais lucrativo e a renda mensal gerada corresponde a 65% e 99% do valor da 1ª e 234ª parcelas do financiamento, respectivamente e, a partir dessa parcela, a renda simulada cobriria o valor das parcelas gerando lucro, podendo alcançar até 130% na 420ª parcela, a última do financiamento.
Evaluasi Model SWAT-MODFLOW Dalam Simulasi Air tanah- Air Permukaan DAS Cisangkuy
Authors: Husna Abdullah , Suwarman Rusmawan , Ramdhan Agus Mochamad
Published: April 2022

Pemahaman komprehensif interaksi hidrologi–hidrogeologi dapat dilakukan dengan pendekatan pemodelan numerik. Salah satu perangkat coupled model interaksi hidrologi-hidrogeologi adalah SWAT-MODFLOW. Penelitian ini ditujukan untuk mengevaluasi kemampuan SWAT-MODFLOW dan memahami interaksi hidrologi dan hidrogeologi dengan studi kasus wilayah Daerah Aliran Sungai Cisangkuy, Kabupaten Bandung. Hasil dari simulasi SWAT-MODFLOW dapat memperlihatkan pengaruh air permukaan pada kondisi air tanah di daerah penelitian dengan cukup baik. Hasil ini ditunjukkan dengan nilai  = 0.52 hingga 0.67 dan fluktuasi muka air tanah sebesar 1 hingga 2 m sesuai dengan observasi di lapangan.
Kesalahan Berbahasa Tataran Morfologi dalam Iklan Produk Pangan di Televisi Selama Ramadan
Authors: Wijayanti Citra Putri , Kurniawati Leni , Setiawan Mohammad Iqbal , Hidayat Panji
Published: April 2022

Artikel ini akan mendeskripsikan bentuk kesalahan berbahasa pada tataran morfologi dalam iklan produk pangan di televisi selama Ramadan. Penelitian dilakukan dengan metode simak,  teknik dasar sadap, yang dilanjutkan dengan teknik lanjut catat. Data dianalis menggunakan metode padan referensial dengan alat penentu berupa referen dan dilanjutkan dengan teknik dasar pilah unsur penentu dan teknnik lanjut hubung banding sama. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat 21 iklan produk pangan di televisi selama Ramadan yang mengandung kesalahan berbahasa pada tataran morfologi dengan total 52 kesalahan. Kesalahan berbahasa tersebut meliputi kesalahan pada pembubuhan afiksasi sejumlah 47 kesalahan yang mencakup penghilangan afiksasi dan penggunaan afiksasi yang tidak tepat. Sementara itu, kesalahan pada penggantian morf ditemukan sejumlah 5 kesalahan, yakni berupa penyingkatan morf. Dengan penelitian ini, peneliti berharap para pembuat iklan dan produsen lebih memerhatikan kembali penggunaan bahasa dalam iklannya.Katakunci: iklan; kesalahan; morfologi; pangan; produk  Abstract:This article will describe language errors at the morphological level in food product advertisements on television during Ramadan. The research was conducted using listening, recording, and note-taking technique. The data were analyzed using the referential equivalent method with a determining tool in the form of a reference and continued with the basic technique of categorizing the determining elements and advanced technique of equal comparison. The results show that there were 21 advertisements for food products on television during Ramadan which contained language errors at the morphological level with a total of 52 errors. The language errors include errors in affixing affixes of 47 errors which include omitting affixes and using inappropriate affixes. Meanwhile, there were 5 errors in the replacement of morphs, in the form of morphing abbreviations. With this research, it is expected that advertisers and producers pay more attention to the use of language in their advertisements.Keywords: advertising; error; morphology; food; product