bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
City Tourism Product Development and Marketing: The Case of the Provincial Capital city of Mahikeng
Authors: Chambwe Michael , Tseane-Gumbi Lisebo , Wessels Walter
Published: December 2023

This article explores the city tourism product composition of Mahikeng, the capital city of South Africa’s North West Province. Its goal is twofold: to capture the industry’s views on the city’s current urban tourism product offering and to identify the necessary marketing activities for tourism development in Mahikeng. The study used quantitative data from an online survey involving 62 tourism businesses operating in Mahikeng. The results highlight a limited level of tourism product offerings, ineffective marketing activities, and the need to develop a more diverse city tourism product mix to ensure the success of Mahikeng as a tourist city. The authors recommend the development of a varied product mix and, through this, the implementation of marketing activities more suited to cities with a provincial status.
The centrality of (mis)trust in pandemic preparedness in Sub-Saharan Africa: a conceptual framework
Authors: Grant Catherine
Published: December 2023

Trust is central to pandemic preparedness and the degree to which the population has trust in policymakers and health authorities during an outbreak is based upon historical and social context as well as policy decisions. This paper aims to translate complex ethnographic knowledge into a conceptual framework to simplify multiple temporalities and spatialities of trust. This model is based on the literature, consulting experts and experience conducting research and providing technical assistance in a policy environment during the 2014–16 West Africa Ebola outbreak and the 2019–23 COVID-19 pandemic. Trust varies according to past and present decisions and realities and the model focuses on the complexities of trust depending upon populations’ historical experience with medicine, (in)effective health systems, social context, colonial history, (dis)trust in public authority and social determinants of health. The world is increasingly interconnected and transdisciplinary and new approaches are needed to deal with these changes. A holistic, context-driven approach which forefronts the importance of gaining the trust of populations and addresses the new problems created during modern experiences of pandemics and epidemics is key to future preparedness efforts.
Nakit Bulundurma Güdüsü Belirleyicileri ve Firma Değeri İlişkisi: BİST İmalat Sanayii Üzerinde Ekonometrik Bir Uygulama
Authors: Öztürkmen Reyhan
Published: December 2023

Bu çalışmanın amacı işletmelerin nakit bulundurma belirleyicileri ve bu belirleyicilerin firma değeri üzerindeki etkisinin incelenmesi için güncel ekonometrik modeller kurmaktır. Bu bağlamda Borsa İstanbul’da imalat sektöründe faaliyet gösteren 91 firmanın 2005-2020 dönemlerine ait üçer aylık verileri kullanılarak nakit bulundurma belirleyicilerinin tahmin edilmesi ve bu belirleyicilerin firma değerine etkisini gösterecek model kurulmuştur. Çalışmada iki model kurulmuş olup birinci modelde, imalat sektöründe faaliyet gösteren firmaların nakit bulundurma güdüsü belirleyicilerinin tahmin edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Kurulan ikinci modelde ise nakit bulundurma belirleyicilerinin firma değeri üzerindeki etkisi incelenmiştir. Öncelikle değişkenler arası korelasyonun bulunmadığı tespit edilmiş ardından her değişken için birim kök testleri yapılmıştır. Çalışma panel veri analizi ile yapılmış olup her iki model için de yatay kesit bağımlılığını dikkate alan güçlü tahmincilerden olan Genişletilmiş Ortalama Grup Tahmincisi (AMG) kullanılmıştır.  Genişletilmiş Ortalama Grup Tahmincisi (AMG)’nin yatay kesit bağımlılığını dikkate alarak sonuçlar üretmesi nedeniyle değişkenlere yatay kesit bağımlılığı ön testleri yapılmamıştır. Analizden elde edilen bulgular değerlendirildiğinde örnekleme dahil edilen işletmelerin model 1’de incelenen nakit bulundurma güdüsünü olumlu etkileyen faktörler nakit akışı, Araştırma geliştirme harcamaları iken negatif etkileyen faktörler ise duran varlık/toplam varlık oranı ile işletme büyüklüğü olarak tespit edilmiştir. Model 2’de incelenen nakit bulundurma güdüsü ve firma değeri ilişkisinde nakit akışı ile firma değeri ilişkisi pozitif olarak tespit edilmiştir.
Analisis Faktor Pendorong Nasabah Perbankan Melakukan Transaksi Digital Menggunakan Mobile Banking
Authors: Nuryanti Asih , Satria Fajar
Published: December 2023

Persaingan industri perbankan semakin ketat, diikuti dengan pergeseran konsumsi masyarakat ke arah digital yang didorong oleh kemudahan penggunaan, efisiensi transaksi, nilai ekonomi, pilihan produk, promosi/diskon, hingga sistem pembayaran yang aman sehingga mendasari faktor kepercayaan bagi pengguna. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk menganalisis hubungan variabel yang diadopsi dari Teori TAM serta kepercayaan nasabah sebagai variabel mediasi untuk mengetahui faktor pendorong nasabah melakukan transaksi digital menggunakan OCTO Mobile By CIMB Niaga. Dengan metode deskriptif-kuantitatif, penelitian ini menggambarkan hubungan beberapa variabel yang didukung dengan data-data studi kepustakaan dan data berupa angka atas hasil penelitian yang dilakukan dengan teknik pengambilan data melalui kuesioner dan wawancara. Hasil Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa faktor pendorong nasabah perbankan melakukan transaksi digital menggunakan OCTO Mobile dipengaruhi oleh Rasa Ingin Tahu nasabah terhadap OCTO Mobile, Kepercayaan terhadap layanan transaksi dan kemudahan penggunaan. Penelitian selanjutnya dapat melibatkan kualitas layanan dan pengalaman nasabah untuk lebih mempresentasikan pengaruh kualitas layanan dan pengalaman nasabah terhadap keputusan dan keberlangsungan penggunaan Mobile Banking. Dalam persaingan sektor keuangan yang semakin ketat, perbankan di Indonesia harus mampu bersaing dengan kompetitor dengan mempertimbangkan kepercayaan nasabah, hal tersebut bertujuan untuk menciptakan niat penggunaan dan kesetiaan nasabah. Hal tersebut tentunya berguna untuk pencapaian perusahaan untuk dapat berkembang dan bersaing di sektor industri keuangan.
Nondegeneracy of the entire solution for the n-Laplace Hénon equation of Liouville type
Authors:   Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), College of Science, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, BARAKET Sami , CHETOUANE Rima ,   Freres Mentouri Constantine 1 University, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Department of Mathematics, Algeria, MTIRI Foued ,   King Khalid University, Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Mathematics Department, Muhayil Asir, Saudi Arabia
Published: December 2023

"Motivated by the work of Takahashi [10], we establish nondegeneracy of the explicit family of solutions of the n-Laplace H´enon equation of Liouville type on the whole space."
Some characterizations of Lipschitz spaces via commutators of the Hardy-Littlewood maximal operator on slice spaces
Authors:   Xinjiang University, College of Mathematics and System Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830017, China, YANG Heng , ZHOU Jiang ,   Xinjiang University, College of Mathematics and System Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830017, China
Published: December 2023

Let M be the Hardy-Littlewood maximal operator and b be a locally integrable function. Denote by M_b and [b,M] the maximal commutator and the nonlinear commutator of M with b. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the boundedness of M_b and [b,M] on slice spaces when the function b belongs to Lipschitz spaces, by which a new characterization of non-negative Lipschitz functions is obtained.
Fabrication of hollow composite structure microfluidic double-end clamped beam
Authors:   Tiangong University, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Tianjin 300380, China, XU Baozheng , WANG Jingjing ,   Tiangong University, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Tianjin 300380, China
Published: December 2023

Double-end clamped beam is one of the most important miniaturized structures in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). In recent years, they have achieved extensive application in a variety of fields, including environmental monitoring, food detection, and disease diagnosis, since they have high sensitivity, high throughput, good specification and fast response. To meet the market demand for precise three-dimensional microstructures and tiny device sizes，the rationalization of the process design of micro-nano technology is essential. In previous research, the function of the microcantilever sensor was finally realized through eight lithography cycles. High performance piezoresistive microcantilever arrays were successfully developed with a yield of 90% in our work. In this paper, a hollow composite microfluidic double-end clamped beam structure is proposed, a reasonable process flow is developed. Simulations show that the hollow microfluidic structure’s sensitivity can reach the order of 10–12 g, and the quality factor is nearly stable above 10,000. It is crucial for the development of double-end clamped beam sensors because it offers a low-cost, portable, and rapid detection method for the detection of biomolecules.
Two-level cascade model for tracking pedestrians using thermal infrared video information
Authors:   Harbin Engineering University, School of Computer Science and Technology, Harbin, China, BING Xinyang , MAO Xiaofeng ,   Alibaba Group, Hangzhou, China, ZHENG Liying ,   Harbin Engineering University, School of Computer Science and Technology, Harbin, China, ZHANG Yubo ,   Harbin Engineering University, School of Computer Science and Technology, Harbin, China, LI Zhongxiao ,   JD.com, Beijing, China
Published: December 2023

Thermal infrared pedestrian tracking is a challenging task due to factors such as energy attenuation, sensor noise, occlusion, and complex backgrounds. In this paper, we design a two-level cascade model that tracks pedestrians in a thermal infrared video by the coarse-to-fine strategy to improve the tracking accuracy and success rate. The base tracker in the first level of our model is initialized and fine-tuned to get the first representation of a target which is then used to locate the target roughly. Aiming at finely locating a target, the second level consists of modality-specific part correlation filters that can capture patterns of thermal infrared pedestrians. The outputs of part correlation filters are aggregated together by normalized joint confidence that can effectively suppress low confidence predictions to make a final decision. We adaptively update each part filter by a weighted learning rate and accurately estimate pedestrian scale by a scale filter to improve tracking performance. The experimental results on the PTB-TIR benchmark show that the proposed cascade tracker further emphasizes crucial thermal infrared features. Thus it can effectively relieve the problem of object occlusion. Our experimental results show the superiority of the proposed tracker over the state-of-the-art trackers, including SRDCF, GFS-DCF, MCFTS, HDT, HCF, MLSSNet, HSSNet, SiamFC_tir, SVM, and L1APG.
Calculation of the mean emission power in a mobile network cell as a function of users’ density distribution
Authors:   IRITEL a.d., Department of Radiocommunications, Batajnički put 23., Belgrade, Serbia, LEBL Aleksandar , MITIC Dragan ,   IRITEL a.d., Department of Optical Communications, Batajnički put 23., Belgrade, Serbia, MARKOV Žarko ,   IRITEL a.d., Department of Radiocommunications, Batajnički put 23., Belgrade, Serbia
Published: December 2023

In this paper we consider two random variables in a cell in the network of mobile users. The first random variable (RV) is the distance of active mobile user from a base station. The second RV is emission power for the random active user if the control of emission power exists. RV emission power is dependent RV of the first RV. That’s why the calculations of mean values for these RVs differ one from the other. The first RV depends only on the users’ density area distribution. The second RV depends on the signal attenuation value in the considered environment. It is proved that, in real conditions, emission power to a user at the mean value of distance from a base station is always lower than mean value of emission power to a user. The difference between these two power values increases as the signal attenuation coefficient increases. These two values are calculated for three characteristic user density distributions in a cell. The results are verified by original computer simulation programs.
Modulation of ACE2 Glycosylation as a Therapeutic Target for SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Chinese Populations
Authors: Fangyin Chou  , Wei Tang
Published: December 2023

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has presented a significant global health challenge. The virus utilizes the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor for host cell entry, a process mediated by the viral spike protein. Glycosylation of ACE2 plays a crucial role in this interaction. This study investigates the potential of modulating ACE2 glycosylation as a therapeutic strategy for SARS-CoV-2 infection, specifically focusing on Chinese populations.
Methods: A multi-faceted approach was employed. Bioinformatic analysis of ACE2 glycosylation patterns in Chinese populations was conducted using publicly available genomic data. In vitro experiments were performed using human cell lines expressing different ACE2 glycoforms to assess the impact of glycosylation on viral binding and entry. Clinical data from a cohort of Chinese COVID-19 patients were analyzed to correlate ACE2 glycosylation profiles with disease severity and outcomes.
Results: Bioinformatic analysis revealed distinct ACE2 glycosylation patterns in the Chinese population compared to other global populations. In vitro experiments demonstrated that specific ACE2 glycoforms significantly influenced SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding and viral entry efficiency. Clinical data analysis showed a correlation between certain ACE2 glycosylation profiles and increased disease severity in COVID-19 patients.
Conclusion: Modulation of ACE2 glycosylation represents a promising avenue for developing novel therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 infection in Chinese populations. Further research is needed to translate these findings into clinical applications, including developing targeted therapies that can alter ACE2 glycosylation to reduce viral entry and disease severity.
Analisis Pertanggungjawaban Pelaku Pinjaman Online Menggunakan Akun Orang Lain Berdasarkan Perspektif Hukum Positif
Authors: Maudila R. Anisatul Mukaromah , Firmansyah Rheza
Published: December 2023

Perkembangan teknologi yang banyak membawa perubahan / globalisasi pada kemajuan suatu negara. Hal ini dibuktikan dengan banyak munculnya inovasi alat canggih yang dibuat untuk memudahkan segala aktivitas manusia. Namun selain membawa dampak positif juga  dampak negatif ,dimana manusia hidupnya serba instan, cepat, dan efektif. Hal itu dikarenakan  aktivitas manusia banyak bergantung kepada alat canggih yang tersedia. Salah satu inovasi canggih yaitu adanya fintech yang merupakan aplikasi dalam bidang jasa keuangan. Dengan adanya jenis sistem ini dapat memudahkan manusia untuk melakukan pinjam meminjam , penawaran ataupun jual beli tanpa harus terjalin kontak fisik. Tetapi dampak dari pinjam online ini , data pribadi kita mudah untuk dilacak oleh orang lain dan disalahgunakan. Hal itu perlu dipelajarin oleh manusia agar tetap waspada dalam melakukan sesuatu. Dalam aturan hukum terkait   penyalahgunaan akun orang lain untuk melakukan pinjaman online ada yang sudah diatur, ada yang belum tergantung dengan bentuk penyalahgunaanya. Oleh karena itu dalam bnetuk pertanggungjawaban ini , kita sendiri yang dapat mewaspadai akan terjadinya hal hal buruk dalam akun pribadi kita
Adult Neural Stem Cells: Redefining the Physio- and Pathology of the CNS
Authors:   National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, Taupin Philippe
Published: December 2023

Stem cells are the "building blocks" of the body; they are self-renewing undifferentiated cells that give rise to the specialized cells of the tissues. In adult, stem cells are multipotent, they contribute to homeostasis of the tissues and regeneration after injury. Until recently, it was believed that the adult brain was devoid of stem cells, hence unable to make new neurons and regenerate. The recent confirmation that neurogenesis occurs in the adult brain and neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in the adult central nervous system (CNS) suggests that the adult brain has the potential to regenerate and may be amenable to repair. The advent of adult neurogenesis and NSC research will redefine our understanding of the physio- and pathology of the nervous system, and provide new avenues and opportunities to treat a broad range of neurological diseases, disorders and injuries. Adult NSC-based therapies will involve cellular therapy, but also pharmacology.
Experimental Studies on the Differentiation of Fibroblasts into Myoblasts induced by MyoD Genes in vitro
Authors:   Division of Cardiology Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China, Liu Zhongmin , Zheng Song Guo ,   Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA, Fan Huimin , Li Yang ,   Division of Cardiology Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China
Published: December 2023

To evaluate the biological functions of myogenic regulatory factors, we have examined the effects of ectopic expression of MyoD and Cx43 genes in the fibroblasts on the differentiation of myoblast in vitro. The expression of MyoD and Cx43 in the transfectants was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot. More than 50% of fibroblasts transfected with MyoD or both MyoD and Cx43 genes displayed typical morphological features of myoblast-like cells at 20 days following gene transfection, including cell elongation, cytoplasm enrichment and granule manifold. Moreover, these myoblast-like cells also expressed both desmin and α-actin. These results demonstrate that direct exogenous expression of the myogenic regulatory factors is sufficient to induce transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into a myoblast-like lineage and provide new insights into the trauma repair after myocardial infraction.
Role of Raf-1 kinase in Diabetes-induced Accelerated Apoptosis of Retinal Capillary Cells
Authors:   Department of Ophthalmology, Kresge Eye Institute, USA, Kowluru Renu A. , Rayappa Steven P.
Published: December 2023

Small molecular weight G-proteins serve as fundamental signaling switches that regulate cell fates by coupling receptor activation to downstream effector pathways. H-Ras, a small molecular weight G-protein, in its active form, recruits Raf. Activated Raf via a signaling transduction pathway regulates apoptosis. Our previous studies have shown that H-Ras has an important role in the loss of retinal capillary cells in diabetes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of Raf-1 in the development of diabetic retinopathy. Bovine retinal endothelial cells were incubated in 5 mM or 20 mM glucose in the presence of Raf-1 kinase inhibitor (10μM of GW5074), activator (200μM of ZM336374) or mitogen activated protein kinase inhibitor (30μM of PD098059) for five days. Apoptosis of endothelial cells was analyzed by ELISA and activation of Raf-1 and its downstream signaling proteins by determining genes and protein expressions. Inhibition of Raf-1 kinase repressed glucose-induced apoptosis of the cells by 75%, and this was accompanied by attenuation of activation of MAP kinase, ERK-1, nuclear transcriptional factor and caspase-3. In contrast, ZM336374 further increased glucose-induced apoptosis by 50%, and activated the signaling molecules and caspase 3 by over 30%. Further, PD098059 alone also attenuated glucose-induced apoptosis of retinal endothelial cells. These findings demonstrate that accelerated loss of retinal capillary cells in diabetes is mediated via Raf-1 kinase activation. Modulation of Raf-1 kinase activity could, in part, regulate apoptosis of retinal endothelial cells, which may ultimately contribute to the development of diabetic retinopathy.
Neutralization of IL-4 and IFN-γ Facilitates inducing TGF-β-induced CD4+Foxp3+ Regulatory Cells
Authors:   Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA, Zheng Song Guo , Wang Juhua ,   Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, USA, Tao Xiaojuan , Ma Jilin , Zhang Yonghua , Yu Jianning , Cai Long ,   Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Nephrology, Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Hospital, Hangzhou, People′s Republic of China
Published: December 2023

It has been well recognized that TGF-β is able to induce CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ suppressor/regulatory T (iTreg) cells and IL-2 facilitates iTreg induction and expansion, however, only half of TGF-β-induced CD4+CD25+ cells express Foxp3 and remaining CD4+CD25+Foxp3- cells may represent effector cells. Whether other factor(s) can increase Foxp3 expression by CD4+CD25+ cells induced with TGF-β is still unclear. Here we show that addition of exogenous IFN-γ or IL-4 diminished the ability of TGF-β to induce Foxp3 expression and IL-2 failed to rescue this decreased Foxp3 expression. Conversely, neutralization of IFN-γ and IL-4 significantly enhanced the ability of TGF-β to induce Foxp3 and develop the suppressive activity, indicating that different cytokine profiles affect the differentiation of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ subset induced by TGF-β. These results show that combination of antibodies against IFN-γ and IL-4 and TGF-β enhances the efficacy of generation and function of iTreg cells and may therefore provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of autoimmune and other chronic inflammatory diseases.
Bioinformatic Analysis of Functional Proteins Involved in Obesity Associated with Diabetes
Authors:   International Center for Bioinformatics, Department of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Andhra University, India, Gedela Srinubabu , Thota Hanuman , Changalasetty Suresh Babu ,   Department of Computer Sciences and Engineering, Acharya Nagarjuna University, India, Thota Lalitha Saroja ,   Annamailai University, India, Rao Allam Appa , Tayaru N. Manga ,   International Center for Bioinformatics, Department of Computer Science and Systems Engineering, Andhra University, India
Published: December 2023

The twin epidemic of diabetes and obesity pose daunting challenges worldwide. The dramatic rise in obesity-associated diabetes resulted in an alarming increase in the incidence and prevalence of obesity an important complication of diabetes. Differences among individuals in their susceptibility to both these conditions probably reflect their genetic constitutions. The dramatic improvements in genomic and bioinformatic resources are accelerating the pace of gene discovery. It is tempting to speculate the key susceptible genes/proteins that bridges diabetes mellitus and obesity. In this regard, we evaluated the role of several genes/proteins that are believed to be involved in the evolution of obesity associated diabetes by employing multiple sequence alignment using ClustalW tool and constructed a phylogram tree using functional protein sequences extracted from NCBI. Phylogram was constructed using Neighbor-Joining Algorithm a bioinformatic tool. Our bioinformatic analysis reports resistin gene as ominous link with obesity associated diabetes. This bioinformatic study will be useful for future studies towards therapeutic inventions of obesity associated type 2 diabetes.
Analysis of peptidases in non-infected and Trypanosoma cruzi-infected mouse embryo hepatocyte cells
Authors:   Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Prof Paulo de Goes (IMPPG), Centro de Ciencias da Saude (CCS), Bloco I, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Ilha do Fundao, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, Vermelho Alane Beatriz , Meirelles Maria Nazareth Leal ,   Laboratorio de Ultraestrutura Celular, Departamento de Ultraestrutura e Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Avenida Brasil 4365, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil., Nogueira de Melo Ana Cristina , Souza dos Santos Andre Luis , Branquinha Marta Helena ,   Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Prof Paulo de Goes (IMPPG), Centro de Ciencias da Saude (CCS), Bloco I, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Ilha do Fundao, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Published: December 2023

Cellular peptidase profiles from non-infected and Trypanosoma cruzi-infected hepatocyte cell cultures were characterized by substrate-SDS-PAGE containing different copolymerized proteins. A 100-kDa metallopeptidase had the ability to degrade exclusively gelatin. In the non-infected and in the infected hepatocytes, a cysteine peptidase migrating in gelatin-SDS-PAGE at 60 kDa presented the broadest specificity, since it was also able to hydrolyze casein and hemoglobin. The 100 kDa component was only detected at alkaline pH and predominantly expressed in non-infected hepatocytes. Conversely, the 60 kDa cysteine peptidase was only observed in acidic condition and its production was robustly augmented in T. cruzi-infected cells, probably due to the cysteine peptidase synthesized by the parasites, as corroborated by immunoblotting assay using anti-cruzipain antibody. Collectively, these results suggest that peptidases may be involved in the interaction process between T. cruzi and hepatocytes in vitro.
Inhibition of Endotoxin-Induced Hepatotoxicity by Melatonin in Rats
Authors:   Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, Rishi Praveen , Koul Ashwani ,   Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India;, Chopra Kanwaljit ,   University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India, Bharrhan Sushma , Singh Bhalla Manmeet Pal ,   Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
Published: December 2023

Bacterial endotoxin or lipopolysaccharide causes extensive damage to various organs including the liver. This is due to an increased production of tumor necrosis factor α induced- reactive intermediates. These intermediates are known to cause extensive damage to a variety of cellular biomolecules leading to oxidative stress. In the present study, the role of the pineal hormone melatonin was evaluated as an antioxidant against endotoxin induced- hepatotoxicity using Wistar rats. Bacterial endotoxin was injected (i.v) and animals were sacrificed 8h post-challenge. Endotoxemia was associated with a statistically significant rise in the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and also caused histopathological changes. Administration of melatonin could significantly attenuate these enzymatic and associated histological alterations. Melatonin was administered (i.p) pre and/or post endotoxin challenge. A significant reduction in the levels of malondialdehyde and tumor necrosis factor-α in the hepatic tissue was also observed with melatonin supplementation. Reduction in the levels of endogenous antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione after endotoxin challenge was effectively attenuated by the administration of melatonin. Endotoxin challenge caused a marked increases in the levels of nitrite, and this was significantly lowered by melatonin administration. The above mentioned changes might have resulted in endotoxin associated hepatocellular necrosis which was minimized by melatonin supplementation in the present study.
Is There a Correlation between Vitamin C Status and Catecholamines Concentrations in Hemodialysis Patients?
Authors:   L.P.P.C.E., Facultes de Medecine et Pharmacie, 7 boulevard Jeanne d’Arc, 21033 Dijon Cedex, France, Rochette Luc , Coquet Isaline , Doise Jean-Marc ,   Service de Reanimation Medicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, 2 boulevard Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, BP 77908, 21079 Dijon Cedex, France, Guilland Jean-Claude , Vergely Catherine ,   L.P.P.C.E., Facultes de Medecine et Pharmacie, 7 boulevard Jeanne d’Arc, 21033 Dijon Cedex, France, Mousson Christiane ,   Service de Nephrologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, 2 boulevard Marechal de Lattre de Tassigny, 21079 Dijon Cedex, France
Published: December 2023

It is well established that there is a high incidence of cardiovascular diseases in hemodialysis patients, and involvement of oxidative stress has been hypothesised in these phenomena. Plasma norepinephrine is an independent predictor of many causes of mortality in general, and high norepinephrine levels predict cardiovascular complications in end stage renal disease. The aim of our study was to evaluate the potential link between vitamin C status, a marker of oxidative stress, and catecholamine concentrations before and after hemodialysis sessions. In a prospective study of 16 chronic hemodialysis patients, ascorbyl free radical levels were directly measured using electron spin resonance spectroscopy. These values were expressed with respect to vitamin C concentrations to obtain a direct index of oxidative stress. Vitamin C, epinephrine and norepinephrine were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. The data were examined for correlations between these compounds and clinical parameters including blood pressure and heart rates. In hemodialysis patients, ascorbyl free radical/vitamin C ratios increased significantly after dialysis. No differences were observed for catecholamine concentrations during hemodialysis sessions. In multivariate analysis, the ascorbyl free radical/vitamin C ratio did not correlate with epinephrine or norepinephrine levels. In our study, plasma norepinephrine and ascorbyl free radical/vitamin C ratios were not related among patients with end-stage renal disease. From these findings, we conclude that although these two factors are likely to be involved in the same causal pathway leading to cardiovascular events, it is likely that they seem to be independent.
Quantitative Thin-Layer Chromatographic Method for Determination of Amantadine Hydrochloride
Authors:   Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Egypt, Darwish Ibrahim A. , Mahmoud Ramadan M. ,   Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt, Askal Hassan F. , Khedr Alaa S. ,   Department of Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Egypt
Published: December 2023

A simple and accurate thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) method for quantitative determination of amantadine hydrochloride (AMD) was developed and validated. The method employed TLC aluminum plates pre-coated with silica gel 60F-254 as a stationary phase. The solvent system used for development consisted of n-hexane-methanol-diethylamine (80: 40: 5, v/v/v). The separated spots were visualized as brown spots after spraying with modified Dragendorff’s reagent solution. Amantadine hydrochloride was subjected to accelerated stress conditions: boiling, acid and alkaline hydrolysis, oxidation, and irradiation with ultraviolet light. The drug was found to be stable under all the investigated stress conditions. The method was validated for linearity, limits of detection (LOD) and quantitation (LOQ), precision, robustness, selectivity and accuracy. The optical densities of the separated spots were found to be linear with the amount of AMD in the range of 5-40 µg/spot with good correlation coefficient (r=0.9994). The LOD and LOQ values were 0.72 and 2.38 µg/spot, respectively. Statistical analysis proved that the method is repeatable and accurate for the determination of AMD. The method, in terms of its sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and robustness met the International Conference of Harmonization/Federal Drug Administration regulatory requirements. The proposed TLC method was successfully applied for the determination of AMD in bulk and capsules with good accuracy and precision; the label claim percentages were 99.0 ± 1.0%. The results obtained by the proposed TLC method were comparable with those obtained by the official method. The proposed method is more advantageous than the previously published chromatographic methods as it involved the most simple chromatographic technique; TLC. In addition, method relies on the use of inexpensive equipment, a scanner and software, and not critical derivatizing reagent, thus maximizing the ability of laboratories worldwide to analyze samples of AMD.
Association between Interleukin-10 Gene Promoter Haplotype and Schizophrenia in a Han-Chinese Study
Authors:   Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan, ROC, Lung For-Wey , Shu Bih-Ching ,   Institute of Allied Health Sciences and Department of Nursing, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC, Peng Hsin-Yi , Ku Yu-Chi ,   Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC
Published: December 2023

Schizophrenia is a multi-factorial genetic disease, and it is caused by a combination of different gene polymorphisms and not individual ones, however, its pathogenesis is still unclear. The purpose of this study was explored the association between the -1082G/A, -819T/C, and -592C/A polymorphisms of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in schizophrenia. A total of 659 schizophrenics were recruited from a teaching hospital, whereas 411 healthy non-schizophrenic individuals were recruited from community in the same geographical area. The -1082G/A, -819T/C and -592C/A polymorphisms were genotyped by using PCR-RFLP, direct sequencing and TaqMan SNP assay. Both maximum likelihood method of UNPHASED program and Bayesian method of PHASE software were utilized for haplotypic analysis. An allelic frequency difference was found between the schizophrenics and community controls at -1082G/A polymorphism of IL-10 promoter (x2 =4.678, P=0.031). A haplotype of ACA was observed to be associated with schizophrenia after performing UNPHASED, PHASE and multivariate logistic regression analysis (P<0.001; P=0.001). In addition, the persons who carry haplotype ACA of IL-10 promoter SNPs were estimated for 5.789 fold higher risk to develop schizophrenia than controls. We postulated this haplotype association might due to variant-specific effect on IL-10 gene regulation, which leads to imbalance secretion of Th1/Th2 cytokines. Nevertheless, more detailed mechanism needs to be elucidated in further investigations in order to confirm this hypothesis.
Die Implementation der IHRA-Arbeitsdefinition Antisemitismus ins deutsche Recht – eine rechtliche Beurteilung
Authors: Ambos Kai , Barskanmaz Cengiz , Bönnemann Maxim , Fischer-Lescano Andreas , Goldmann Matthias , Mangold Anna Katharina , Markard Nora , Michaels Ralf , Montag Jerzy , Steinbeis Maximilian , Tabbara Tarik , Wihl Tim , Zechlin Lothar
Published: December 2023

Diese Beurteilung wurde am 5. Dezember 2023 an die Fraktionsvorsitzenden, an die Mitglieder der Ausschüsse Inneres und Recht sowie an die Ausschussbüros der anderen beteiligten Ausschüsse des Bundestags versandt. Nachdem in der Presse über dieses Papier berichtet wurde, haben wir uns entschieden, sie zu veröffentlichen.
Правовий моніторинг як складова правотворчої та правозастосовчої діяльності
Authors: Атаманчук Наталія Іванівна , Бодюл Євген Миколайович , Великанова Марина Миколаївна , Гриняк Андрій Богданович , Дзера Олександр Васильович , Колодій Анатолій Миколайович , Лапко Анатолій Григорович , Міловська Надія Василівна , Олійник Олександр Миколайович , Тернавська Вікторія Миколаївна , Томкіна Олена Олексіївна
Published: December 2023

Монографія присвячена актуальним питанням правового моніторингу як складової правотворчої та правозастосовчої діяльності, спрямованого на спостереження, аналіз та оцінку чинного законодавства України та практики його застосування з метою вдосконалення правових норм, усунення колізій та прогалин у правовому регулюванні суспільних відносин, відповідності повноти й змістовності наповнення законодавства сучасним вимогам розвитку держави та її інститутів. Особлива увага приділена сутності, принципам і функціям правового моніторингу як дієвого інструменту забезпечення якості та ефективності нормативно-правових актів, з’ясуванню місця та значення правового моніторингу в правотворчій та правозастосовчій діяльності. Визначені об’єкти та суб’єкти правового моніторингу, методика його здійснення, перспективи закріплення механізму судового моніторингу законодавчих положень за результатами узагальнення судової практики, а також особливості реалізації результатів правового моніторингу. Сформульована низка пропозицій щодо підвищення ефективності правового моніторингу як складової правотворчої та правозастосовчої діяльності.    Видання адресовано науковим і науково-педагогічним працівникам, докторантам, аспірантам, практикуючим юристам та всім, хто цікавиться актуальними питаннями правотворчої діяльності.
Impact factor surge in Korean medical journals during the COVID-19 era: a bibliometric study
Authors: Park Chansu , Park Sejin , Seo Hyeonseok , Oh Janghyeog , Kim Dongryeong , Kang Junha , Kang Hanul , Kang Hyunsung , Kim Yaechan , Han Mi Ah
Published: December 2023

Purpose: The multiyear COVID-19 pandemic has affected the volume and speed of publications in scientific journals. This study evaluated trends in the impact measures of international medical journals published in Korea, including the journal impact factor (JIF).Methods: We selected Science Citation Index Expanded journals with the country/region set to Korea and the academic category classified as “clinical medicine” in Journal Citation Reports. Trends in indicators such as the JIF and Journal Citation Indicator (JCI) were assessed for journals with JIF information from 2018 to 2022. Ratios and differences between the measures were calculated to determine the extent of the change.Results: We identified 43 journals, and the average JIF of those journals increased from 2.33 in 2018 and 2.50 in 2019 to 3.45 in 2020 and 3.86 in 2021. Other measures, such as the 5-year JIF and JCI, steadily increased, and the proportion of gold open access journals also increased significantly. However, the JCI and Eigenfactor scores remained steady or showed relatively small increases. Furthermore, impact measures declined in 2022, including a JIF decrease to 3.55.Conclusion: We presented trends in quantitative measurements for international medical journals in Korea, and found an overall increase. Journals need to maintain a rigorous publication process to improve the quality of their research and the research community needs to exercise caution when using quantitative measures to evaluate journals. Further research is required to examine the quantitative indicators of journals, including their publication policies, research topics, and long-term trends.
Justicia social y educación superior en las prácticas pedagógicas de docentes universitarios
Authors: Duarte López Fredy Eduardo
Published: December 2023

El artículo presenta una aproximación teórica y conceptual enfocada en comprender la relación entre el concepto de justicia social con la educación superior, así como su presencia y desarrollo en las prácticas pedagógicas de docentes universitarios. Desde una revisión analítica y explicativa, se ha propuesto como horizonte de sentido una concepción integradora y multidimensional de la justicia social, donde se establece una interrelación y reciprocidad en sus tres dimensiones fundamentales: redistribución, reconocimiento y representación. Bajo este enfoque, se estableció un diálogo con un posicionamiento ético – político de la educación, el cual se concreta y dinamiza en los procesos pedagógicos y la visión institucional frente a la formación de sujetos comprometidos con la transformación social. A partir de ahí, se proponen unas líneas de acción para que las concepciones, sentidos y prácticas en el ámbito universitario, se orienten hacia el fortalecimiento de una educación superior en, desde y para la justicia social.
O FUNCIONAMENTO DISCURSIVO SOBRE O ESTUPRO EM O CONTO DA AIA
Authors: Fernandes Fernanda Surubi , Maluf-Souza Olimpia
Published: December 2023

Os estudos da linguagem permitem que demos visibilidade a temáticas sociais, colocando em evidência processos de significação para se compreender como os sentidos são constituídos. Nesse caso, os sentidos sobre o corpo da mulher e a violência perpassam formações imaginárias e as condições de produção para poderem reverberar e produzir outros efeitos, deslocamentos daquilo que já está posto. Assim, é analisando uma cena de “Cerimônia” da série The Handmaid’s Tale (O conto da aia), a partir da Análise de Discurso, com base em Pêcheux (2009) e Orlandi (2007), que passamos a compreender a posição-sujeito mulher interpelada por suas condições históricas e sociais, mas dando abertura a outros sentidos.
O POP-ROCK BRASILEIRO CONTRA O DRAGÃO DA CENSURA: Discurso e Repressão no período de redemocratização
Authors: VALE RONY PETTERSON GOMES DO , COSTA EMANUEL DE PAULA
Published: December 2023

Este artigo tem por objetivo fazer uma análise sociodiscursiva das músicas do Pop-rock brasileiro no período de redemocratização, desvelando seus efeitos de sentido e contrapondo estes aos pareceres reais dos censores, de modo a compreender a argumentação deste discurso e os imaginários sociodiscursivos ao redor de temas essenciais para a sociedade da época. Para isto, utilizou-se os pressupostos teóricos da Análise do Discurso e da teoria Semiolinguística de Patrick Charaudeau.  Verificamos que os efeitos de sentido presentes nas canções nem sempre correspondiam aos pareceres reais dos censores, também concluímos que o discurso do pop-rock possuía uma postura anárquica em relação à ordem e aos valores da sociedade da época.
Championing Health Equity Through Inclusive Leadership
Authors: Mehta Krutagni
Published: December 2023

In the dynamic landscape of healthcare innovation, the fusion of artificial intelligence (AI) and medicine represents a gateway to transformative advancements. These innovations, ranging from predictive analytics enhancing diagnostics to personalized treatments tailored to individual patients, hold immense potential to reshape healthcare delivery. However, amid this technological promise, an enduring concern persists: the prevalence of health disparities across diverse socio-economic and demographic spectra. The integration of AI in medicine not only presents solutions but also brings forth critical challenges, necessitating deliberate and inclusive leadership to steer toward health equity.
الزلازل وأثرها في تغيير الأحكام الشرعية) الطهارة أنموذجا(
Authors: م.د.صلاح صادق مجيد مبارك
Published: December 2023

تناول البحث الموسوم " الزلازل وأثرها في تغيير الأحكام الشرعية– الطهارة أنموذجا-" بيان أحكام الطهارة من أقوال الفقهاء عند وقوع الزلازل وكيفية تأثير الزلازل على هذه الأحكام.

وتبرز أهمية الموضوع في حاجة الإنسان للتيسير في الطهارة إذا ما وقعت الزلازل, وقد جاءت الشريعة باليسر ورفع الحرج عن المكلفين فاردنا في بحثنا أن نبين مدى سعة الشريعة وسماحتها والاخذ بالأيسر من أقوال الفقهاء لرفع الحرج عن المكلف, وقد اقتضت طبيعة البحث على مقدمة ومبحثين وخاتمة

أما المقدمة فقد اشتملت على أهمية الموضوع وأسبابه, وأما المبحث الأول فقد تضمن بيان مفهوم الزلزلة وأسبابها والالفاظ ذات الصلة, واما المبحث الثاني فقد تضمن بيان المسائل المتعلقة بالطهارة عند وقوع الزلزلة, وأما الخاتمة فقد اودعت فيها خلاصة ما توصلت إليه .
Psychological Disclosure of a World within Human Mind: A Study of Eugene O’neill’s The Emperor Jones
Authors: Instructor Dr. Humam Salah Sameen
Published: December 2023

The Emperor Jones is a psychological study of the mind, fears, visions, and dreams of Brutus Jones, the protagonist of the work. In the same piece, Tom-Tom symbolizes the last heartbeat and death of a person. Jones's awareness is expressed in his technique of cinematic flashbacks linking past and present. Symbolism and psychology merge here and the whole play becomes one long drama. Eugene O'Neill compresses the summary of an event of trauma into eight scenes, expressing the personal and collective trauma of an individual and a society caused by a distorted sense of self and one’s concept of identity with respect to political repression as well as cultural colonization. By externalizing the symptoms of psychological trauma in the reconstruction of Black identity together with nationalism, O'Neill’s play symbolically lets readers participate in perceptions of the evolution of trauma and the ongoing threat of psychosocial trauma.
تقييم الأداء الاعلامي لمقدمي البرامج السياسية في القنوات الفضائية العراقية
Authors: م.د.علياء هيجان صكبان
Published: December 2023

المستخلص :يهدف البحث الى معرفة مدى التزام مقدمي البرامج السياسية في القنوات الفضائية العراقية بالمعايير المهنية والاخلاقية والمسؤولية من وجهه نظر الاكاديمين في مجال الاعلام ، واعتمدت الباحثة منهج المسح عن طريق توزيع الاستبانة على عينة قصدية من اساتذة  كليات الاعلام في مدينه بغداد  بلغت (90) مبحوثا ،  وتأتي اهمية البحث من ندرة الدراسات التي تناولت الاداء الاعلامي لمقدمي البرامج ،ولاسيما السياسية منها على الصعيد المحلي ما تشكل مصدرا  اعلاميا جديدا للباحثين  وتوصل البحث الى نتائج اهمها:

1/  التزام مقدمي البرامج السياسية في القنوات الفضائية العراقية بمعايير الاداء الاعلامي المهنية على نحو عام مرتفع وبنسبة بلغت 76%.

2/ التزام مقدمي البرامج السياسية في القنوات الفضائيه العراقية بمعايير الاداء الاعلامي الاخلاقية على نحو عام متوسط وبنسسبة بلغت 69,29%.

3/  التزام مقدمي البرامج السياسية في القنوات الفضائية العراقية بمعايير الاداء الاعلامي في المسؤوليه الاجتماعية وبنسبه جيدة بلغت 71,67%
The Fragmented Family Relationships in Sam Shepard's Buried Child
Authors: Inst.  Adnan Taher Rahma
Published: December 2023

Sam Shepard ( 1943 – 2017 ), USA. He was a celebrated American dramatist author, actor, a screenwriter and a director. He lived a difficult childhood through moving around several American army bases until his father’s retirement from the army. Due to Shepard’s father’s growing alcoholism and lack of responsibility for his family, young Shepard developed a disagreed relationship with his father, admiring his courage and hard-working personality, yet scorning him for his irresponsibility and unpredictable moods. Shepard's Buried Child, was first presented at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, where Shepard was a playwright in residence from 1974 to 1984. The first appearance of the play was in 1978 and it won a unique prize, the Pulitzer Prize in 1979. The play was described by its author as a "typical Pulitzer Prize winning play". Buried Child, then received fine critical appreciation that reflected its successful revival.