bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of ductus closure and development of adverse clinical outcome by functional echocardiography in very low birth weight newborn
Authors: Sardar S.K. , Saha A.K. , Majhi B. , Chatterjee S.
Published: October 2019

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the role of functional echocardiography for prediction of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure and development of adverse outcome in very low birth weight newborn.

METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN:

Functional echocardiography was done in 143 neonates with birth weight less than 1250 g on day 3. Nine echocardiographic parameters were analyzed for babies with PDA for prediction of spontaneous closure and development of one or more adverse outcomes (bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis≥stage 2 and intraventricular hemorrhage > grade 2) during hospital stay.

RESULT:

The mean (±SD) birthweight and gestational age of the cohort were 1017 (±17) g and 30.8 (±2.7) weeks. PDA was found in 60 (41.9%) babies on day 3 among the recruited babies. Binary logistic regression model showed strong prediction ability of early (day 3) functional echocardiography markers in predicting future spontaneous closure of PDA and development of one or more adverse clinical outcome. In multivariate analysis, abnormal flow pattern (growing or pulsatile) was found to have increased risk for persistence of PDA (adjusted OR 22.9, CI 1.97-269) in comparison to PDA with closing/bidirectional pattern.

CONCLUSION:

Early functional echocardiography, especially the flow pattern, is useful for prediction of PDA closure. Adverse clinical outcome prediction is possible with functional echocardiography markers when combined with gestational age and PDA closure status.
One-dimensional input device of electric wheelchair for persons with severe Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Xi Lele , Yamamoto Yuki , Mikata Takashi , Shino Motoki
Published: October 2019

Persons with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) usually have difficult in operating electric wheelchairs (EWs) using standard input device due to the lack of muscular power and the deformation of their hands. To solve this problem, various kinds of input devices are developed considering their physical limits. However, as the disease progresses, persons with severe DMD will gradually lose the ability to operate the developed input devices. In this study, we first made an investigation of physical functions for persons with severe DMD and found that functions of upper limb, especially functions of the fingers, tended to remain better in at least one-dimensional direction. A novel one-dimensional input device (1DID) was developed for persons with severe DMD based on a quantitative evaluation of the hand functions. Thus, this device can be operated using slight force and one-dimensional movement of a finger. Therefore, persons with severe DMD can adjust the straight and turning motion of an EW using two 1DIDs with the cooperative operation by two fingers. The validity of this device was demonstrated by evaluation experiments of 10 persons with severe DMD including those who do not have a proper input device. The evaluation results also show that the developed 1DID has the possibility to be widely used as a generic input device with computers for persons with severe disabilities.
Bringing older informal caregivers and recipients to the digital age: Experiences of using digital services
Authors: Salin Sirpa , Laaksonen Hannele
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND:

Advancing informal caregivers’ and recipients’ health and functional capacity and enabling living at home are significant objectives in Finnish society. The purpose of this project is to create a model for supporting the welfare services of informal caregivers digitally.

METHOD:

The data were collected in late 2017 by interviewing the informal caregivers ([Formula: see text] 19) who took part in the project in one city ([Formula: see text] 9) and one rural municipality ([Formula: see text] 10). They filled the 15D quality of life instrument with added questions before and after intervention and evaluated the digital service after seven months of piloting. The recipients ([Formula: see text] 19) also filled a questionnaire on a memory game device.

RESULTS:

Informal caregivers considered their quality of life good, though approximately half felt mildly depressed and distressed. Their wishes for tablet programs included peer support, lectures, and live entertainment. Nearly all caregivers recommended the digital service to others despite technical problems. The difficulty of the game divided the recipients’ opinions. A functional service model is presented as a summary of the project.

CONCLUSIONS:

It is paramount to move the entire service to a single platform with large shortcuts to each segment. This will enable the user to easily use the programs and contact people.
Assistive activity technology as symbolic expressions of the self
Authors: Pedersen Heidi , Söderström S. , Kermit P.S.
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND:

Different types of assistive technologies can support participation for people with disability; nonetheless, technology can break with peoples self-image, sometimes resulting in technology abandonment.

OBJECTIVE:

This article focuses on how assistive activity technology can be used as symbolic expressions of identity among people with physical disability.

METHODS:

Qualitative, semistructured, in-depth interviews with people with physical disability using assistive activity technology.

RESULTS:

The use of assistive activity technology is most often voluntary and based on personal interest. The use of assistive activity technology affects how the informants experience themselves and their social surroundings, and how they act in social activities. Assistive activity technology provides people with disability the opportunity to show themselves from a positive perspective in recognisable and commonly valued activities in society. This phenomenon is changing how other people see and understand people with disability.

CONCLUSIONS:

Assistive activity technology has the potential to contribute as symbolic expressions of identity for people with physical disability. The technology contributes through positively changing how individuals experience themselves and how other people perceive them. A new finding is that assistive activity technology differs from other assistive technology because the choice of using assistive activity technology is normally based on individual preferences and interests.
The dual role of ribonucleases in tumor-host relationship
Authors: Shlyakhovenko V.O. , Samoylenko О.A.
Published: October 2019

Summary. Ribonucleases are enzymes that destroy RNA, play an important role in protein synthesis, epigenetic regulation of genetic activity, cell proliferation and apoptosis. Ribonucleases are important antimicrobial, antiviral and immune defense factors. Despite the same biochemical properties, they exhibit unequal, sometimes opposite biological effects. While mostly ribonucleases inhibit cell proliferation, induce apoptosis and inhibit the growth of tumors, some ribonucleases stimulate vascular growth, proliferation and tumor development. RNase inhibitors have an opposite effect. The correct use of these features of RNases can provide additional opportunities for the development of a strategy of targeted influence on tumor growth.
Cytostatic cancer therapy modulates monocyte-macrophage cell functions: how it impacts on treatment outcomes
Authors: Patysheva M. , Stakheyeva M. , Larionova I. , Fedorov A. , Kzhyshkowska J. , Cherdyntseva N.
Published: October 2019

Summary. Macrophages are important effectors of innate immunity and the key component of the tumor microenvironment strongly influencing cancer disease outcome and efficiency of cancer therapy. Moreover, recent data have shown that monocytes as macrophage precursors can impact on tumor ability to progression. It’s well known that although tumor-associated macrophages consist of diverse populations, in general, they have tumor-supporting activity. To change tumor-supporting state of tumor-associated macrophages toward tumor-inhibiting mode is one of prospective aims of modern cancer immunotherapy. Cytostatics seems to be possible tools to achieve this aim, because recently it has been shown that chemo- and radiotherapy possess immunomodulatory effects. Most of the findings are related to lymphocytes — T-lymphocytes and NK-cells, but not to monocyte/macrophage lineage. In the review, we have analyzed how cytostatic drugs influence the properties of monocyte/macrophage lineage cells to prospect using of chemotherapy to enhance their antitumor activity.
PENENTUAN SETTING OPTIMAL MESIN 3D PRINTER BERBASIS FUSED DEPOSITION MODELING MENGGUNAKAN METODE TAGUCHI
Authors: Prakasa Anggit , Sutisna Setya Permana , Ahmad Anton Royanto
Published: October 2019

The 3D printers process is applied to create prototype components, but at the last 3D Printers are often applied as last products. So, high accuracy is required in this case. In this research will find the optimal
setting of the dimensional accuracy 3D printers based fused deposition modeling. The method used is
the Taguchi method, the reason for using this method its efficiency, this is because the Orthogonal
Array matrix requires less number of experiments than the classical experimental design. Analysis of
Variance is also needed in this method to see the factors that significantly influence the response
variable. The results of this study indicate that the factors that significantly influence is printspeed by
contributing 53.08%, flowrate contributes 16.4%, and temperature heater block contributes 3.85% and
optimal setting is temperature heater block 190º, print speed 60mm/s and flowrate 6.28 mm3/s. (A1,
C3 dan D2).
SISTEM KONTROL PADA ROBOT PEMINDAH BARANG TIPE CARTESIAN CORDINAT MENGGUNAKAN ARDUINO UNO R3
Authors: Darmawan Dwiki , Sutisna Setya Permana , Sutoyo Edi
Published: October 2019

Robots are an option to help human jobs address issues of precision, security and flexibility. The robot
arm becomes one of the robot types that can help human work. The robot arm controller research is
to control the stepper motor's motion according to the command. Desai this cartesian coordinate
robot is 2 axis that is X and Y axis. Control of this robot arm using Visual Basic 6.0 programming for
controlled robot from PC to arduino Uno R3. Motor driver used is IC A4988, stepper motor movement
got input from PC with software visual basic 6.0. to move the stepper motor. Data sent from PC to
Arduino Uno R3 is a command from Visial Basic 6.0 with serial communication. The microcomputer
reads the serial data input and sends a step value data to the stepper motor driver to move the robot
arm. The end result of the robot arm controller research that has been achieved is the robot arm can
be controlled with the command to enter the distance that will be run by stepper motor as the
method of pemograman which is controlled through serial communication with Visual Basic 6.0. The
test results show an average error 22.26531 for the left and 52.61111 for the right direction on X axis
while for Y axis -5,36957 for the downward direction and 0.117647 for the upper direction
UJI KINERJA MOVABLE THERMOSTATIC BATH SEBAGAI ALAT KALIBRASI TERMOKOPEL
Authors: Nurdianto Gian , Rahmat Mamat , Nurrohman Nurrohman
Published: October 2019

Kalibrasi termokopel bertujuan agar termokopel memiliki  spesifikasi yang sesuai dengan standar nasional maupun international ISO/IEC 17025.  Manfaat dari kalibrasi adalah menjaga kondisi instrumen ukur dan bahan ukur agar tetap sesuai dengan spesifikasinya. Berdasarkan hal tersebut dilakukan desain dan pembuatan thermostatic bath untuk kalibrasi termokopel, dengan menggunakan thermoelectric cooler (TEC) sebagai media pendingin fluida.  Kemampuan thermostatic bath untuk kalibrasi termokopel dengan menggunakan TEC sebagai media pendingin fluida dan untuk mengetahui kinerja TEC. Melakukan set-up variasi temperatur uji di temperatur 25°C, 20°C, 15°C, 10°C, dan temperatur paling rendah (diperoleh 6°C). Setelah mencapai nilai set-up temperatur, kemudian dilakukan setting selama 3600 detik. Panas yang dihasilkan dari TEC diserap fluida melalui water block kemudian fluida dipompa menuju radiator untuk membuang panas ke lingkungan.  Kipas radiator digunakan untuk mempercepat pelepasan panas pada sirip-sirip radiator ke udara sehingga pelepasan dari system ke lingkungan berjalan lebih cepat. Termostat W1209 digunakan untuk mengatur set-up temperatur dan data logger sebagai pendeteksi perubahan temperatur.  Hasil pengujian thermostatic bath, TEC pada tegangan 12V, 10A mampu menurunkan temperatur air kapasitas 1,9 liter, dari temperatur awal 26,2°C    hingga 6°C membutuhkan waktu selama 11 jam 37 menit (41855 detik).
STUDI FAKTOR PERSEBARAN SUHU DAN ALIRAN FLUIDA DALAM PENGERING PAKAIAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE NUMERIK DAN CFD
Authors: Haryanto Aris , Sutoyo Edi , Sutisna Setya Permana
Published: October 2019

Pada desain sistem pengering supaya mendapatkan desain dengan kinerja efisiensi tinggi memerlukan lebih banyak biaya dan waktu karena terdapat banyak variabel yang perlu diperhitungkan. Untuk mengatasi masalah ini, penelitian ini melakukan simulasi distribusi suhu di ruang pengering menggunakan metode CFD. Ruang pengering akan dianalisis menggunakan 3 skenario geometri yaitu kotak (balok), bulat (tabung), dan poligon (prisma). Pada dasarnya, perbedaan dalam skenario ke-1 hingga ke-3 adalah dalam posisi geometri dan kipas inlet, sedangkan komponen dan dimensi (volume) dari ruang pengering dibuat sama sehingga data yang diperoleh lebih valid. Hasil simulasi skenario 1 mendapatkan suhu rata-rata 39,08 °C, hasil simulasi skenario 2 mendapatkan suhu rata-rata 38,98 °C, hasil simulasi skenario 3 mendapatkan suhu rata-rata 34,77 °C sehingga disimpulkan bahwa simulasi suhu paling seragam berada di skenario 2 dengan ruang pengering bulat.
Increasing Productivity of Malabar Spinach (Basella alba L. and Basella rubra L.) Grown in the Marginal Upland Area of Inopacan, Leyte Through Different Mulching Materials
Authors: Gonzaga Zenaida , Dimabuyu Hubert , Sumalinog Richielda , Capuno Othello
Published: October 2019

Basella or malabar spinach locally known as alugbati is a tropical leafy, indigenous vegetable commonly grown for its succulent, nutritious, and tender stems. It has also a number of medicinal applications. Despite its many uses and potential value, its importance is under estimated. The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different mulching materials on the growth and yield of two Basella species grown in a rolling soil in the marginal uplands of in Inopacan, Leyte. A factorial experiment was set-up with Alugbati species/varieties as the main plot factor and the different mulching materials as the sub-plot. Treatments were: T0 – control, T1- rice hull, T2 – rice straw and T3 – plastic mulch.
Basella alba, the green-stemed alugbati had significantly bigger stems, greater number and heavier shoots than the red-stemed Basella rubra. Leaf spot disease caused by Colletotrichum sp. was more evident in B. rubra. Regardless of the mulching materials used, mulched plants yielded higher than the unmulched plants or those planted in bare soil. Moreover, the use of silver plastic mulch resulted to the highest total yield. The results indicate the high potential of mulching in increasing the yield and thus the profitability of alugbati production.
Interactive acculturation of Turkish-Belgian parents and children in Flanders: A case study of Beringen
Authors: Ünver Özgün , Nicaise Ides
Published: October 2019

This article tackles the relationship between Turkish-Belgian families with the Flemish society, within the specific context of their experiences with early childhood education and care (ECEC) system in Flanders. Our findings are based on a focus group with mothers in the town of Beringen. The intercultural dimension of the relationships between these families and ECEC services is discussed using the Interactive Acculturation Model (IAM). The acculturation patterns are discussed under three main headlines: language acquisition, social interaction and maternal employment. Within the context of IAM, our findings point to some degree of separationism of Turkish-Belgian families, while they perceive the Flemish majority to have an assimilationist attitude. This combination suggests a conflictual type of interaction. However, both parties also display some traits of integrationism, which points to the domain-specificity of interactive acculturation.
Understanding waiting and wellbeing through liminal experiences of Syrian refugees
Authors: Mzayek May
Published: October 2019

Using the anthropological concept of liminality, this paper describes an ethnographic study examining the wellbeing of Syrian refugees as they recount narratives of forced displacement and resettlement. The author observed 37 Syrian participants who had been relocated to Austin, Texas, United States, and interviewed 15 Syrian participants about their migration experiences. Through observation, interviews, and field notes, the author examines the refugees’ ideas of wellbeing during periods of peace, war and displacement, and resettlement. Throughout the displacement journey, Syrian refugees implemented resilience tactics to escape instances of waiting in order to reach their desired destination—resettlement.
Vicente´s poison frog (Oophaga vicentei) in the wild: calling activity, bioacoustics and diet
Authors: Flores Eric
Published: October 2019

Calling activity, bioacoustics and the diet of males is reported for three different populations of Oophaga vicentei in central Panama. Calling activity was predicted by time of day, season and temperature with peaks between 08:00 h to 10:00 h and was more frequent during the dry season. Only at one location was calling activity positively correlated with air temperature.
The temperature was also positively correlated with call repetition rates and negatively with call duration. Within the ten first calls of a call-bout, there was a cline variation in dominant frequency, call duration and silent intervals. The stomach contents of males comprised mainly insects but also a large number of oribatid mites.
Racial Politics and Sexual Violence in Post-Apartheid Contemporary South Africa in John Maxwell Coetzee’s Disgrace (2000)
Authors: Diakhaté Babacar
Published: October 2019

The abolition of apartheid does not necessarily mean the resolution of social, political, racial and ethnic questions prevailing in South Africa. In Disgrace (2000), John Maxwell Coetzee depicts racial politics and gender, Sexism, social marginalization and alienation in South Africa. The aim of this article is to pinpoint sexual harassment and black females’ abuse by the whites in Post-Apartheid South Africa. It shows whether sexual violence such as rape happens more in black South Africa than in the white community.
Quantitative Assessment of Water Contaminants in the Rupsha River of Khulna Region for Irrigation Usage
Authors: Hossain MK , Rahman MM , Hoque S
Published: October 2019

Water samples were collected from the Rupsha river of Khulna region to determine ionic contamination for irrigation purpose. The chemical analyses included pH, EC, TDS and ions. pH values of water samples were slightly alkaline in nature. Samples were rated as fresh water based on TDS values. Samples were high salinity and low alkalinity hazards expressing C3S1. Regarding SAR and SSP values, samples were excellent and good classes, respectively. Samples were free from RSC and were very hard class. Regarding PI values, samples were under class-II implying 75% maximum soil permeability. Ca, Mg, Na, Cu, Ni, Zn, HCO3, SO4 and PO4 levels in samples were within safe limit. Cd, Cr and Cl ions in water samples were above the permissible limit and were treated as water contaminants for irrigation. From the present findings, it is noted that the detected ions as water contaminants should be considered for irrigation usage toward food safety.

J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 11(1-2): 145-151 2018
Cash Transfers For The Most Vulnerable and Poor Elderly People in Vietnam: An Ex-Ante Impact Evaluation
Authors: Giang Thanh Long , Hoang Chinh Thon
Published: October 2019

This paper applies micro-simulation techniques with a household survey, i.e., Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey (VHLSS) in 2010, to examine how a cash transfer program would have been able to help reduce poverty of the elderly. The results show that any cash transfer programs could have reduced poverty for older people. The paper also shows that cash transfer would help reduce expenditure inequality as the Gini coefficients for the whole population as well as for older people at different age thresholds would reduce when cash transfer was introduced. With a special focus on expansion of the current cash transfer program to older Vietnamese people, the paper provides scenario-based micro-simulation results for costs and poverty rate reduction for different programs covering groups of older people at different ages, and the results show that the total cost would be in line with that in many other developing countries.
Is Bangladesh A Beneficiary of South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)?
Authors: Tarikul Islam , Raihan Abdullah , Musharuf Hossain Mollah Muhammad
Published: October 2019

South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was primarily concerned with peace thus success in enhancing intraregional trade was minimally displayed. Therefore formation of a South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) was proposed with an aim of extending intraregional trade that came into force in 2006. SAFTA in terms of population is the largest of any economic bloc but has appeared as a least integrated bloc while taking trade among members into account, which is only 6.2% of total trade. To increase trade the list of commodities under sensitive categories has been revised in 2012. Taking an interpretivist approach this study reports that Bangladesh will be one of the significant beneficiaries of SAFTA as it will help reduce the longstanding trade deficit with India, create a large regional market and support its key industries such as; Readymade Garments (RMG) and pharmaceuticals to enhance competitiveness. Optimizing the benefits, however, may not be accomplished if nontariff barriers such as; mind-set, political tensions and bilateral conflicting issues are not dealt with extreme care beside tariff barriers.
EVOLUÇÃO DA PRODUÇÃO E DISPONIBILIDADE DE ALIMENTOS NO MUNICÍPIO DE SÃO CRISTÓVÃO (EVOLUTION OF FOOD PRODUCTION AND AVAILABILITY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF SÃO CRISTÓVÃO)
Authors: Miranda Paloma Aragão de , Dos Santos Adriana Correia , Voci Silvia Maria , Fagundes Andhressa
Published: October 2019

RESUMO:O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a evolução da produção e a disponibilidade de alimentos no município de São Cristóvão-SE na perspectiva da Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional, para isso foi realizado um estudo descritivo com base na análise dos indicadores municipais de Produção de Alimentos e Disponibilidade de Alimentos utilizando dados secundários de acesso público do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). A produção agrícola tem grande importância econômica para o município e está relacionada com a segurança e a soberania alimentar e nutricional da população. Este estudo mostrou que a produção de alimentos no município está voltada principalmente para a exportação e que o modelo agrícola predominante contribui para isto, e esse modelo pode influenciar a Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional da população. Palavras-chave: Produção agrícola; Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional; Soberania alimentar.  ABSTRACT:The objective of this work was to analyze the evolution of production and food availability in the city of São Cristóvão-SE from the perspective of food and nutritional security, for this was carried out a descriptive study based on the analysis of the municipal indicators of Food Production and Availability of Food using secondary data of public access of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Agricultural production has great economic importance for the municipality and is related to the food and nutritional security and sovereignty of the population. This study showed that food production in the municipality is mainly focused on exports and that the predominant agricultural model contributes to this, and this model can influence the food and nutritional security of the population.Keywords: Agricultural production; Food and nutrition security; Food sovereignty.
Pemanfaatan Media Pembelajaran LoggerPro Terhadap Pemahaman Konsep Fisika Pokok Bahasan Osilasi Sederhana pada Siswa Kelas XI
Authors: Subhan Muhammad , Fat Fatimah , Almaidah Nunung
Published: October 2019

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh pemanfaatan media pembelajaran logger pro terhadap pemahaman konsep fisika pokok bahasan osilasi sederhana pada siswa kelas XI SMA Negeri 1 Palibelo Tahun Pelajaran 2019/2020. Jenis penelitian ini adalah quasi experimental dengan desain untreated control group design  postest. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa XI SMA Negeri 1 Palibelo yang berjumlah 4 kelas dengan pengambilan sampel menggunakan teknik Clusster Ramdom Sampling. Ada dua sampel penelitian yang diambil yakni kelas XI IPA2 sebagai kelas eksperimen sebanyak 30 orang siswa yang diberikan perlakuan menggunakan media pembelajran logger pro dengan model pembelajaran discovery learning dan kelas XI IPA1 sebagai kelas kontrol sebeanyak 30 siswa hanya diberi perlakuan dengan menggunakan model pembelajaran discovery learning. Tehnik analisis data menggunakan uji t dua sampel. Berdasarkan hasil peneletian data menunjukkan nilai rata-rata kelas eksperimen = 72,44 dengan varians = 216,84 sedangkan kelas kontrol nilai rata-rata = 62,75 dengan varians = 150,56. Dari kedua data sampel ini dilakukan uji hipotesis dengan nilai thitung = 2,77 sedangkan nilai dari ttabel pada taraf signifikansi 0,05% dk-2 sehingga hasil menunjukkan thitung ≥ ttabel, oleh karena Ho ditolak sedangkan Ha diterima. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh pemanfaatan media pembelajaran logger pro terhadap pemahaman konsep fisika siswa.
Self-Improving Generative Artificial Neural Network for Pseudorehearsal Incremental Class Learning
Authors: Mellado Diego , Saavedra Carolina , Chabert Steren , Torres Romina , Salas Rodrigo
Published: October 2019

Deep learning models are part of the family of artificial neural networks and, as such, they suffer catastrophic interference when learning sequentially. In addition, the greater number of these models have a rigid architecture which prevents the incremental learning of new classes. To overcome these drawbacks, we propose the Self-Improving Generative Artificial Neural Network (SIGANN), an end-to-end deep neural network system which can ease the catastrophic forgetting problem when learning new classes. In this method, we introduce a novel detection model that automatically detects samples of new classes, and an adversarial autoencoder is used to produce samples of previous classes. This system consists of three main modules: a classifier module implemented using a Deep Convolutional Neural Network, a generator module based on an adversarial autoencoder, and a novelty-detection module implemented using an OpenMax activation function. Using the EMNIST data set, the model was trained incrementally, starting with a small set of classes. The results of the simulation show that SIGANN can retain previous knowledge while incorporating gradual forgetfulness of each learning sequence at a rate of about 7% per training step. Moreover, SIGANN can detect new classes that are hidden in the data with a median accuracy of 43 % and, therefore, proceed with incremental class learning.
A First Insight into a Draft Genome of Silver Sillago (Sillago sihama) via Genome Survey Sequencing
Authors: Li Zhiyuan , Tian Changxu , Huang Yang , Lin Xinghua , Wang Yaorong , Jiang Dongneng , Zhu Chunhua , Chen Huapu , Li Guangli
Published: October 2019

Sillago sihama has high economic value and is one of the most attractive aquaculture species in China. Despite its economic importance, studies of its genome have barely been performed. In this study, we conducted a first genomic survey of S. sihama using next-generation sequencing (NGS). In total, 45.063 Gb of high-quality sequence data were obtained. For the 17-mer frequency distribution, the genome size was estimated to be 508.50 Mb. The sequence repeat ratio was calculated to be 21.25%, and the heterozygosity ratio was 0.92%. Reads were assembled into 1,009,363 contigs, with a N50 length of 1362 bp, and then into 814,219 scaffolds, with a N50 length of 2173 bp. The average Guanine and Cytosine (GC) content was 45.04%. Dinucleotide repeats (56.55%) were the dominant form of simple sequence repeats (SSR).
The Impact of Immunoglobulin G1 Fc Sialylation on Backbone Amide H/D Exchange
Authors: Kuhne Felix , Bonnington Lea , Malik Sebastian , Thomann Marco , Avenal Cecile , Cymer Florian , Wegele Harald , Reusch Dietmar , Mormann Michael , Bulau Patrick
Published: October 2019

The usefulness of higher-order structural information provided by hydrogen/deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (H/DX-MS) for the structural impact analyses of chemical and post-translational antibody modifications has been demonstrated in various studies. However, the structure–function assessment for protein drugs in biopharmaceutical research and development is often impeded by the relatively low-abundance (below 5%) of critical quality attributes or by overlapping effects of modifications, such as glycosylation, with chemical amino acid modifications; e.g., oxidation or deamidation. We present results demonstrating the applicability of the H/DX-MS technique to monitor conformational changes of specific Fc glycosylation variants produced by in vitro glyco-engineering technology. A trend towards less H/DX in Fc Cγ2 domain segments correlating with larger glycan structures could be confirmed. Furthermore, significant deuterium uptake differences and corresponding binding properties to Fc receptors (as monitored by SPR) between α-2,3- and α-2,6-sialylated Fc glycosylation variants were verified at sensitive levels.
Acoustic Classification of Singing Insects Based on MFCC/LFCC Fusion
Authors: Noda Juan J. , Travieso-González Carlos M. , Sánchez-Rodríguez David , Alonso-Hernández Jesús B.
Published: October 2019

This work introduces a new approach for automatic identification of crickets, katydids and cicadas analyzing their acoustic signals. We propose the building of a tool to identify this biodiversity. The study proposes a sound parameterization technique designed specifically for identification and classification of acoustic signals of insects using Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) and Linear Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (LFCC). These two sets of coefficients are evaluated individually as has been done in previous studies and have been compared with the fusion proposed in this work, showing an outstanding increase in identification and classification at species level reaching a success rate of 98.07% on 343 insect species.
An Initial Value Estimation Method for the Kalman and Extended Kalman Filters in Underground Metal Detection
Authors: Wan Yadong , Wang Zhen , Wang Peng , Liu Zhiyang , Li Na , Zhang Chao
Published: October 2019

As an underground metal detection technology, the electromagnetic induction (EMI) method is widely used in many cases. Therefore, the EMI detection algorithms with excellent performance are worth studying. One of the EMI detection methods in the underground metal detection is the filter method, which first obtains the secondary magnetic field data and then uses the Kalman filter (KF) and the extended Kalman filter (EKF) to estimate the parameters of metal targets. However, the traditional KF methods used in the underground metal detection have an unsatisfactory performance of the convergence as the algorithms are given a random or a fixed initial value. Here, an initial state estimation algorithm for the underground metal detection is proposed. The initial state of the target’s horizontal position is estimated by the first order central moments of the secondary field strength map. In addition, the initial state of the target’s depth is estimated by the full width at half maximum (FWHM) method. In addition, the initial state of the magnetic polarizability tensor is estimated by the least squares method. Then, these initial states are used as the initial values for KF and EKF. Finally, the position, posture and polarizability of the target are recursively calculated. A simulation platform for the underground metal detection is built in this paper. The simulation results show that the initial value estimation method proposed for the filtering algorithm has an excellent performance in the underground metal detection.
Gradient Descent-Based Optimization Method of a Four-Bar Mechanism Using Fully Cartesian Coordinates
Authors: Orvañanos-Guerrero María T. , Sánchez Claudia N. , Rivera Mariano , Acevedo Mario , Velázquez Ramiro
Published: October 2019

Machine vibrations often occur due to dynamic unbalance inducing wear, fatigue, and noise that limit the potential of many machines. Dynamic balancing is a main concern in mechanism and machine theory as it allows designers to limit the transmission of vibrations to the frames and base of machines. This work introduces a novel method for representing a four-bar mechanism with the use of Fully Cartesian coordinates and a simple definition of the shaking force (ShF) and the shaking moment (ShM) equations. A simplified version of Projected Gradient Descent is used to minimize the ShF and ShM functions with the aim of balancing the system. The multi-objective optimization problem was solved using a linear combination of the objectives. A comprehensive analysis of the partial derivatives, volumes, and relations between area and thickness of the counterweights is used to define whether the allowed optimization boundaries should be changed in case the mechanical conditions of the mechanism permit it. A comparison between Pareto fronts is used to determine the impact that each counterweight has on the mechanism’s balancing. In this way, it is possible to determine which counterweights can be eliminated according to the importance of the static balance (ShF), dynamic balance (ShM), or both. The results of this methodology when using three counterweights reduces the ShF and ShM by 99.70% and 28.69%, respectively when importance is given to the static balancing and by 83.99% and 8.47%, respectively, when importance is focused on dynamic balancing. Even when further reducing the number of counterweights, the ShF and ShM can be decreased satisfactorily.
The Intensification of Hurricane Maria 2017 in the Antilles
Authors: Jury Mark R. , Chiao Sen , Cécé Raphael
Published: October 2019

Environmental influences on Hurricane Maria in the Antilles Islands are analyzed at the large-scale (1–25 September) and at the meso-scale (17–20 September 2017). The storm intensified rapidly prior to landfall in Dominica, going from category 1 to 5 in 15 h. As the storm progressed toward Puerto Rico (PR), its NE flank entrained air from seas cooled by the earlier passage of two hurricanes, and strengthened on its SW flank. Operational model forecasts tended to delay intensification until west of the Antilles Islands, thus motivating two independent weather research and forecasting (WRF) simulations. These gave minimal track errors at 1- to 3-day lead time. The simulation for landfall at Dominica on 19 September 2017 showed that a static nest with 0.8 km resolution using a Holland-type synthetic vortex and Yonsei University (YSU)/Kain-Fritsch schemes performed better; with a track error of 8 km and intensity error of 10 m/s. Our PR-area simulation of central pressure lagged 30 hPa behind observation; and caught up with reality by landfall in PR. The simulated rainband structure corresponded with Cloudsat observations over PR. Maria’s intensification occurred in an area of thermodynamic gradients included cooler SST in the right side of the track, so operational models with right-track bias were late in predicting intensification. Category-2 forecasts prior to 18 September 2017 left many Antilles islanders unprepared for the disaster that ensued.
Development of a Novel Quinoline Derivative as a P-Glycoprotein Inhibitor to Reverse Multidrug Resistance in Cancer Cells
Authors: Zhou Yuanyuan , Chung Po-yee , Ma Jessica Yuen-wuen , Lam Alfred King-yin , Law Simon , Chan Kwok-wah , Chan Albert Sun-chi , Li Xingshu , Lam Kim-hung , Chui Chung-hin , Tang Johnny Cheuk-on
Published: October 2019

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of conventional cancer chemotherapy’s limitations. Our group previously synthesized a series of quinoline-based compounds in an attempt to identify novel anticancer agents. With a molecular docking analysis, the novel compound 160a was predicted to target p-glycoprotein, an MDR candidate. The purpose of this study is to evaluate 160a’s MDR reversal effect and investigate the underlying mechanism at the molecular level. To investigate 160a’s inhibitory effect, we used a series of parental cancer cell lines (A549, LCC6, KYSE150, and MCF-7), the corresponding doxorubicin-resistant cell lines, an MTS cytotoxicity assay, an intracellular doxorubicin accumulation test, and multidrug resistance assays. The Compusyn program confirmed, with a combination index (CI) value greater than 1, that 160a combined with doxorubicin exerts a synergistic effect. Intracellular doxorubicin accumulation and transported calcein acetoxymethyl (AM) (a substrate for p-glycoprotein) were both increased when cancer cells with MDR were treated with compound 160a. We also showed that compound 160a’s MDR reversal effect can persist for at least 1 h. Taken together, these results suggest that the quinoline compound 160a possesses high potential to reverse MDR by inhibiting p-glycoprotein-mediated drug efflux in cancer cells with MDR.
ACSL1 Regulates TNFα-Induced GM-CSF Production by Breast Cancer MDA-MB-231 Cells
Authors: Thomas Reeby , Al-Rashed Fatema , Akhter Nadeem , Al-Mulla Fahd , Ahmad Rasheed
Published: October 2019

Overexpression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in different types of cancer is associated with tumor growth and progression. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) is involved in the induction of GM-CSF in different cells; however, the underlying molecular mechanism in this production of GM-CSF has not been fully revealed. Recently, it was noted that TNFα mediates inflammatory responses through long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1). Therefore, we investigated the role of ACSL1 in the TNFα mediated production of GM-CSF. Our results showed that MDA-MB-231 cells displayed increased GM-CSF mRNA expression and secretion after incubation with TNFα. Blocking of ACSL1 activity in the cells with triacsin C markedly suppressed the secretion of GM-CSF. However, inhibition of β-oxidation and ceramide biosynthesis were not required for GM-CSF production. By small interfering RNA mediated knockdown, we further demonstrated that TNFα induced GM-CSF production was significantly diminished in ACSL1 deficient cells. TNFα mediated GM-CSF expression was significantly reduced by inhibition of p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and NF-κB signaling pathways. TNFα induced phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2, and NF-κB was observed during the secretion of GM-CSF. On the other hand, inhibition of ACSL1 activity attenuates TNFα mediated phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, ERK1/2, and NF-κB in the cells. Importantly, our findings suggest that ACSL1 plays an important role in the regulation of GM-CSF induced by TNFα in MDA-MB-231 cells. Therefore, ACSL1 may be considered as a potential novel therapeutic target for tumor growth.
Pharmacophore Directed Screening of Agonistic Natural Molecules Showing Affinity to 5HT2C Receptor
Authors: Veeramachaneni Ganesh Kumar , Thunuguntla V B S C , Bhaswant Maharshi , Mathai Michael L. , Bondili Jayakumar Singh
Published: October 2019

Obesity prevalence continues to be a foremost health concern across the globe leading to the development of major health risk conditions like type II diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and even cancers. Because of the deprived drug-based management system, there is an urgent need for the development of new drugs aiming at satiety and appetite control targets. Among the reported satiety signaling targets, 5HT2C receptor plays a crucial role in decreasing appetite and has become a promising target for the development of anti-obesity drugs. Lorcaserin, a 5HT2C receptor agonist and the only drug available in the market, was designed based on the receptor mechanism of action. Due to limited drug options available and considering the adverse drug effects of Lorcaserin, the development of new drugs which are highly specific toward the 5HT2C target and with lesser side effects is essential. The present study is majorly focused on developing new 5HT2C agonists through computational approaches like screening, docking, and simulation using Phase, QikProp, Glide and Desmond applications of the Schrodinger suite. Screening protocols resulted in eight best hit molecules with affinity for the receptor and among them, five hits displayed binding affinity toward the conserved residue Asp 134 of the receptor. The stability of the five molecules in complex with the 5HT2C receptor was studied through molecular dynamic simulations. Three molecules, ZINC32123870, ZINC40312983 and ZINC32124535, maintained stable interactions with the Asp 134 residue throughout the 50 ns simulation run time. Further, due to the high sequence similarity seen among the receptors of 5HT2 family, the three potential hits were cross validated against other subtypes 5HT2A and 5HT2B of the 5HT2 family to determine the specificity of the molecules against the target. Among the three hits, ZINC32124535 was identified as the best potential hit based on the hydrogen bond interaction percentage with Asp residue [5HT2A (Asp 155:60%); 5HT2B (Asp155: No interaction); 5HT2C (Asp 134:86%)]. The ZINC32124535 molecule produced one salt bridge and hydrogen bond interactions with Asp 134, alike the known drug Lorcaserin. Based on the results, ZINC32124535 was identified as the best potential hit against the 5HT2C receptor.
STAT3 Activity Promotes Programmed-Death Ligand 1 Expression and Suppresses Immune Responses in Breast Cancer
Authors: Zerdes Ioannis , Wallerius Majken , Sifakis Emmanouil , Wallmann Tatjana , Betts Stina , Bartish Margarita , Tsesmetzis Nikolaos , Tobin Nicholas , Coucoravas Christos , Bergh Jonas , Rassidakis George , Rolny Charlotte , Foukakis Theodoros
Published: October 2019

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is an oncogene and multifaceted transcription factor involved in multiple cellular functions. Its role in modifying anti-tumor immunity has been recently recognized. In this study, the biologic effects of STAT3 on immune checkpoint expression and anti-tumor responses were investigated in breast cancer (BC). A transcriptional signature of phosphorylated STAT3 was positively correlated with PD-L1 expression in two independent cohorts of early BC. Pharmacologic inhibition and gene silencing of STAT3 led to decreased Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression levels in vitro, and resulted as well in reduction of tumor growth and decreased metastatic dissemination in a mammary carcinoma mouse model. The hampering of tumor progression was correlated to an anti-tumoral macrophage phenotype and accumulation of natural-killer cells, but also in reduced accrual of cytotoxic lymphocytes. In human BC, pro-tumoral macrophages correlated to PD-L1 expression, proliferation status and higher grade of malignancy, indicating a subset of patients with immunosuppressive properties. In conclusion, this study provides evidence for STAT3-mediated regulation of PD-L1 and modulation of immune microenvironment in BC.
Inhibitors of Oxidative Phosphorylation Modulate Astrocyte Inflammatory Responses through AMPK-Dependent Ptgs2 mRNA Stabilization
Authors: Astakhova Alina , Chistyakov Dmitry , Thomas Dominique , Geisslinger Gerd , Brüne Bernhard , Sergeeva Marina , Namgaladze Dmitry
Published: October 2019

Inflammatory activation of astroglia adds to the pathology of various neurological diseases. Astrocytes respond to microglia-derived cytokines such as interleukin-1α (IL-1α) with enhanced inflammatory signaling. This provokes pro-inflammatory gene expression of, among others, the eicosanoid-generating enzyme prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 (Ptgs2). Whereas metabolic regulation of innate immune cell inflammatory responses is intensely studied, pathways related to how metabolism modulates inflammatory signaling in astrocytes are underexplored. Here, we examined how mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation affects inflammatory responses towards IL-1α and tumor necrosis factor α in neonatal rat astrocytes. Blocking respiratory complex I and III or adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase did not affect activation of inflammatory signaling by IL-1α, but did elicit differential effects on inflammatory gene mRNA expression. Remarkably, mRNA and protein expression of Ptgs2 by IL-1α was consistently up-regulated when oxidative phosphorylation was inhibited. The increase of Ptgs2 resulted from mRNA stabilization. Mitochondrial inhibitors also increased IL-1α-triggered secretion of eicosanoids, such as prostaglandin E2, prostaglandin F2α, and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α, as assessed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Mechanistically, attenuating oxidative phosphorylation elevated adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK silencing prevented Ptgs2 up-regulation by mitochondrial inhibitors, while AMPK activators recapitulated Ptgs2 mRNA stability regulation. Our data indicate modulation of astrocyte inflammatory responses by oxidative metabolism, with relevance towards eicosanoid production.
Clonal Evolution of TP53 c.375+1G>A Mutation in Pre- and Post- Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy (NACT) Tumor Samples in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC)
Authors: Garziera Marica , Cecchin Erika , Giorda Giorgio , Sorio Roberto , Scalone Simona , De Mattia Elena , Roncato Rossana , Gagno Sara , Poletto Elena , Romanato Loredana , Ecca Fabrizio , Canzonieri Vincenzo , Toffoli Giuseppe
Published: October 2019

Carboplatin/paclitaxel is the reference regimen in the treatment of advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) in neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) before interval debulking surgery (IDS). To identify new genetic markers of platinum-resistance, next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of 26 cancer-genes was performed on paired matched pre- and post-NACT tumor and blood samples in a patient with stage IV HGSOC treated with NACT-IDS, showing platinum-refractory/resistance and poor prognosis. Only the TP53 c.375+1G>A somatic mutation was identified in both tumor samples. This variant, associated with aberrant splicing, was in trans configuration with the 72Arg allele of the known germline polymorphism TP53 c.215C>G (p. Pro72Arg). In the post-NACT tumor sample we observed the complete expansion of the TP53 c.375+1G>A driver mutant clone with somatic loss of the treatment-sensitive 72Arg allele. NGS results were confirmed with Sanger method and immunostaining for p53, BRCA1, p16, WT1, and Ki-67 markers were evaluated. This study showed that (i) the splice mutation in TP53 was present as an early driver mutation at diagnosis; (ii) the mutational profile was shared in pre- and post-NACT tumor samples; (iii) the complete expansion of a single dominant mutant clone through loss of heterozygosity (LOH) had occurred, suggesting a possible mechanism of platinum-resistance in HGSOC under the pressure of NACT.