bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single cell analysis reveals altered tumor microenvironments of relapse- and remission-associated pediatric acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Ulukaya Gulay B. , Thomas Beena E. , Bhasin Swati S. , Mumme Hope , Dwivedi Bhakti , Perumalla Pruthvi , Sarkar Debasree , Sabnis Himalee S. , Park Sunita I. , DeRyckere Deborah , Raikar Sunil , Pauly Melinda , Summers Ryan J. , Castellino Sharon M. , Wechsler Daniel S. , Porter Christopher C. , Graham Douglas K. , Bhasin Manoj
Published: August 2021

Relapse- and continuous complete remission (CCR)-associated pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient bone marrows collected at the time of diagnosis (Dx), end of induction (EOI) and relapse were analyzed by single cell RNA sequencing. A novel AML blasts-associated 7-genes signature (CLEC11A, PRAME, AZU1, NREP, ARMH1, C1QBP, TRH) displayed a strong correlation with blast percentages and overall survival in the TARGET AML dataset (HR = 2.3; P-value = .007). Distinct clusters of AML-blasts at Dx were observed for relapse- and CCR-associated samples with differential expression of genes associated with survival. Relapse-associated samples demonstrated enrichment of exhausted T cells and M2 macrophages as opposed to inflammatory M1 macrophages in CCR-associated samples at Dx. EOI treatment resistant blast cells overexpressed fatty acid oxidation, tumor growth and stemness genes. Also, a relapse-associated EOI samples T cells subset showed downregulation of MHC Class I and regulatory genes. Altogether, this study deeply characterizes pediatric AML relapse-/CCR-associated tumor microenvironment transcriptome landscape.
Complete Model-Free Siding Mode Control (CMFSMC)
Authors: Zhu Quanmin
Published: August 2021

This study presents a Complete Model-Free Sliding Mode Control (CMFSMC) framework for the control of continuous-time nonaffine nonlinear dynamic systems with unknown models. The novelty lies in the introduction of two equalities to assign the derivative of the sliding functions, which generally bridges the designs of those model-based SMC and model-free SMC. The study includes a double SMC (DSMC) design, state observer design, and desired reference state vector design (whole system performance), which all do not require plant nominal models. The preconditions required in the CMFSMC are the plant dynamic order and the boundedness of plant and disturbances. U-model based control (U-control) is incorporated to configure the whole control system, that is 1) taking model-free double SMC as a robust dynamic inverter to cancel simultaneously both nonlinearity and dynamics of the underlying plants, 2) taking a model-free state observer to estimate the state vector, 3) taking invariant controller to specify the whole control system performance in a linear output feedback control and to provide desired reference state vector. The related properties are studied to support the concept/configuration development and the analytical formulations. Simulated case studies demonstrate the developed framework and show off the transparent design procedure for applications and expansions.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Lymphocytosis in Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis with Elimination of Incorporation Bias
Authors: Hill Meghan , Petnak Tananchai , Moua Teng
Published: August 2021

Background: Recent studies support the diagnostic role of bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytosis (BALL) in patients with suspected hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). Our study aim was to determine the spectrum of BALL findings with elimination of incorporation bias and assess correlates of positive BALL cut-off and BALL association with long-term outcomes in those with fibrotic disease (f-HP).Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was pursued of patients undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy for interstitial lung disease. Strict study enrollment was based on recent ATS/JRS/ALAT diagnostic guidance meeting ‘moderate’ or higher diagnostic confidence. BALL findings were assessed in both fibrotic and non-fibrotic HP patients with regression and survival analysis pursued for correlates of positive BALL cut-off and long-term outcome. Results: A total of 148 patients (88 fibrotic and 60 non-fibrotic) meeting moderate or higher diagnostic confidence were included. Median BALL in f-HP was 15% compared to 19% in non-fibrotic patients, with only 28% of f-HP meeting diagnostic cut-off (≥ 30%) compared to 41% of non-fibrotic. For f-HP, centrilobular nodules on computed tomography was positively correlated with a diagnostic BALL (OR 4.07; p = 0.018) while honeycombing was negatively correlated (OR 6.9 x e-8; p = 0.001). Higher BALL was also associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR 0.98; p = 0.015). Conclusion: With elimination of incorporation bias, most patients with well-described HP did not meet diagnostic BALL thresholds. Higher BALL was associated with better long-term survival in those with fibrosis, but its diagnostic role may be more additive than characteristic or distinguishing.
Stimulation Calculation of Desulfurization Mechanisms Dominated by Free Radicals Reactions During Pyrolysis of Thiophenes Under Water Vapor Atmosphere
Authors: Cheng Ya , Chen Jianping , Guo Huiqing , Lei Yanqiu , Liu Fenrong
Published: August 2021

The desulfurization mechanisms of thiophene and 2-methyl thiophene were investigated by the density functional theory (DFT) during pyrolysis under water vapor atmosphere. All possible reaction pathways of these desulfurization mechanisms were explored at M06-2X/6-311g (d) level. The Multwfn3.0 and VMD1.9.2 programs were used to analyze weak interactions between thiophene compounds and H2O molecule. It can be seen that hydrogen bonds can be formed in the reactions of thiophene sulfurs and H2O. Since H2O molecule can decompose at higher temperature and generate free radicals, such as·H and·OH,, the desulfurization mechanisms of thiophene and 2-methyl thiophene with free radicals need to be further considered. The reaction energy barriers (∆G≠) and reaction energies (∆GP) of thiophene and 2-methyl thiophene with H2O molecule (g) or free radicals (·H and·OH) have been stimulated and calculated in detail. Based on the transition state theory (TST), the rate constants corresponding to these elementary reactions are also calculated, meanwhile the speed and spontaneity of every reaction can be obtained from the aspect of kinetics. Theoretically, it is found that H2O (g) directly attacking C-S bonds of thiophene and 2-methyl thiophene cannot easily generate COS and H2S even at 1200 K in terms of thermodynamics and kinetics. If the desulfurization mechanisms of thiophenes are investigated by free radicals mechanisms under steam atmosphere, their initial energy barriers needing to be overcome significantly reduce. Therefore, desulfurization mechanisms of thiophenes and H2O (g) are the most possibly dominated by radical reactions at higher temperatures and H2S is mainly generated.
Deep Meta Tool: GUI tool to obtain Mean and Standard Deviation (SD) from Median and Interquartile range (IQR)
Authors: Sharma Deepanshu , Ulaganathan Surya Priya , Sharma Vinay , Piplani Sakshi , Niraj Ravi Ranjan Kumar
Published: August 2021

Background and objectivesMeta-analysis is a statistical procedure which enables the researcher to integrate the results of various studies that were conducted for the same purpose. However, more often than not, researchers find themselves in a position unable to proceed further due to the complexity of the mathematics involved and unavailability of raw data. To alleviate the said difficulty, we are presenting a tool that will enable researchers to process raw data.MethodsThe GUI tool is written in python. The tool offers an automated conversion and obtainment of mean and standard deviation (SD) from median and interquartile range, utilizing the methods offered by Hozo et al. 2005 and Bland 2015.ResultsThe tool is tested on some sample data and validation is performed for Bland method on the data provided in the Bland method publication (14).ConclusionsThe provided tool is an easy alternative for the preparation of input data required for clinical meta-analysis in the required format.
Changing SARS-CoV-2 variants in Karachi, Pakistan from alpha to delta through COVID-19 waves three and four
Authors: Hasan Zahra , Aamir Uzma Bashir , Nasir Asghar , Kanji Akbar , Samreen Azra , Bukhari Ali Raza , Syed M Asif , Wassan Mansoor , Mahmood Syed Faisal , Hasan Rumina
Published: August 2021

We investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC) in Karachi, Pakistan between April and July 2021 in specimens received at the Aga Khan University Clinical Laboratories. VoC were identified using a PCR based approach targeting lineage specific mutation. Of the 710 clinical isolates tested, 63% were VoC comprising; 36% alpha, 37% beta, 7% gamma and 21% delta variants. Alpha variants remained the majority whilst, delta strains increased to 43% of cases in July. Thirty-six per cent of all cases were admitted COVID-19 in-patient samples. Of the in-patient cases, 41% were alpha, 28% were beta, 8% were gamma and 24% were delta variants. Overall, we report an increase of delta variants in Karachi over the past two months which is concordant with the currently observed exacerbation in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.
Role of tourist motivation as mediating variable on visitor decisions at Indonesian tourism village
Authors: Martaleni Martaleni , Hadiyati Ernani , Isna Pertiwi Yussi , Nyoman Kerti Yasa Ni
Published: August 2021

The tourism sector has become a truly global force for promoting economic growth and development. Therefore, the study of tourism has become an interesting topic for researchers lately. On the other hand, local tourism, generally in developing countries, is often neglected by academics and policymakers. For this reason, this study aims to examine and analyze the role of tourist motivation in mediating accessibility, amenities, and attractions on visiting decisions. This study is a survey research with an explanatory method. The population is tourists who visit the tourism village of Bumiaji, Indonesia, in the low and busy seasons. The population is infinite and the number of respondents who were interviewed is 100 respondents; data were collected by distributing questionnaires to domestic tourists who came from outside the tourist village of Bumiaji, then the data were processed and analyzed using Warp Partial Least Squares. The findings indicate that the effect of accessibility on visiting decisions is not mediated by tourist motivation. This shows that the decision of tourists to visit can be directly influenced by the time and means of transportation available. Meanwhile, the influence of amenities and attractions on the decision to visit is mediated by the motivation of tourists. This means that amenities and attractions can influence a tourist’s decision to visit if there is an urge from tourist to relax or make friends or enjoy the culture at tourist attractions, etc.
Historical Science and Petersburg Historian Froianov. Part 1
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Dvornichenko Andrey Yu.
Published: August 2021

This article is devoted to the scholarly work of the prominent Russian historian Igor Iakovlevich Froianov who died last December. He is a brilliant representative of the Petersburg Historical School, and first and foremost — a well-known specialist in the history of so called Kievan Rus. He created a complex concept of the “obcshinno-vechevaia” civilization of Old Rus. His concept is ultimately comprehensive because he studied in consecutive order practically all sides of such a phenomenon as Kievan Rus: economy, political life, social struggle, culture. His concept emerged in confrontation with the prevalent Soviet vision of this history, and at the same time from the very beginning it became a creative continuation and development of pre-revolution historiography. He also devoted several interesting and important works to the period of Moscow Rus, particularly to the process of formation of the Russian monarchy. These works made an excellent foundation for the new original view of this epoch of the Russian history, different from other concepts. Froianov’s legacy is divided into two parts: before and after the middle of the 1990s when so called “perestroika” took place in the USSR. On the one hand, he continued to study the old time. On the other hand, a number of his later works are devoted to the history of Russian revolution (1917) and to the above-mentioned “perestroika”. These works are closely connected with a publicistic genre which captivated him in those years. However, it is to a certain extent a continuation of his previous interests as these works are dedicated to the same Russian-Orthodox Civilization.
Public Schools of Dorpat District in the Beginning of the Reign of Emperor Alexander the First
Authors:   St. Tikhon’s Orthodox University, Gracheva Yulia E.
Published: August 2021

The purpose of the article is to show the nature of the relationship between Emperor Alexander I, professor of the University of Dorpat Georg Friedrich Parrot and members of the Ministry of Public Education in the process of discussing the reform of parish schools in the Dorpat educational district at the beginning of the 19th century. Professor Parrot became the author of a project on the establishment of parish schools in the district, and his close friendship with the king made it possible to hope for the approval of his ideas by the minister. However, having received the initial support of the emperor, the Dorpat professor faced resistance from some members of the Main Directorate of Schools who did not want to amend the decisions which had already been adopted, and then the military conflict with France became a serious obstacle to the implementation of the planned transformations. Over the course of two years, Parrot had made changes to the text of the draft three times, but could not achieve the final consent of Alexander I. The author comes to the conclusion that Parrot’s desire to get special conditions and partial state maintenance for parish schools of the Dorpat district was unfeasible given the context of the protracted war and the worst financial crisis. The article introduces into scholarship an unpublished correspondence between the emperor and the Dorpat professor, which significantly supplements the idea of the reforms of public education in the first decade of the 19th century.
Looking for Arabia Nova
Authors:   Institute of World History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Bukharin Mikhail D.
Published: August 2021

The administrative structure of the Roman Empire is still not fully understood. Some questions remain unanswered due to the unique nature of historical sources. A number of notions are mentioned only once or in a very unclear context. For example, the notion of “New Arabia” (ἡ νέα (ἐπαρχεία) Ἀραβία) is raised in a several papyri of the 2nd and 4th century AD. The explanation for the earlier documents is clear: the newly created province of Arabia is mentioned there. A letter P. Oxy 50. 3574 (beginning of the 4th century AD) is a much more complicated example of such denomination. Scholars believe that it refers to a province although Roman sources do not mention any province called “Arabia”, except for the one created in 106 AD under Trajan. In fact, “New Arabia” in P. Oxy 50. 3574 does not allude to a newly created province (ἐπαρχία) around Eleutheropolis instead of the former nomos Arabia in Egypt or in Idumaea, as is assumed in contemporary studies. “New Arabia” in this document most likely refers to τοπαρχία (“district”, normally, a part of a nomos). The borders of this τοπαρχία had changed several times, and it moved from Lower to Upper Egypt. The enigmatic notion of “ἀπὸ ὁρίων Ἐλευθεροπόλεως τῆς Νέας Ἀραβείας” maybe interpreted that the “New Arabia” did not refer to the city of Eleutheropolis but rather to its borders: “…from the Eleutheropolis — the border of New Arabia”. Whether Eleutheropolis lay inside or outside this border, remains an open question. “New Arabia” cannot be connected with information of Laterculus Veronensis or Tabula Peutingeriana either.
Archaeology at the Crossroads between the Humanities and Natural Sciences
Authors:   Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Bochkarev Vadim S. ,   St. Petersburg State University
Published: August 2021

In this study archaeological sites are defined as objects comprised of two major components. One of them is regarded as culturological, and the other one — as natural-historical. The first component is mainly represented by the artefacts, and thus it supplies cultural-historical information, examination and interpretation of which is one of the primary tasks of archaeology as a discipline of the humanities. The second component includes eco-facts, nature-facts and so-called cultural-natural objects. All оf them have natural origin or were shaped under a strong influence of the natural environment, which makes it reasonable to deem this second component the basis for natural-scientific repository of archaeology. It provides materials for geological, palaeobotanical, palaeozoological, chemical and other researches. It must be strongly emphasized that such knowledge without a cultural-historical context has no purpose or focus. This article demonstrates that the natural-historical component is an integral part of any archaeological site. It is inseparable from the culturological component. A vivid material embodiment of the link between the two is provided by the cultural layer. Essentially, it is impossible to meaningfully examine the two components in isolation — independently of each other. As a result, the actual material archeologists work with, its content and character place archaeology at the crossroads between the humanities and natural sciences. It is hoped that in the future it will develop as a multi-disciplinary subject with a prevalence of the humanitarian dimension.
Information Achievements of Prehistory in the Panorama of Archaeological Cultures in the Urals and Western Siberia
Authors:   Ural Federal University, Кorochkova Olga N.
Published: August 2021

Our focus is the type of responses the population of the taiga zone of the Urals and Western Siberia gave to cognitive challenges, as well as dynamics and rhythms of information breakthroughs of the Stone-Early Iron Age. The existence of multi-directional migration corridors indicated formation of an extremely diverse anthropological, linguistic and cultural composition of the taiga pioneer population, thus creating natural communication barriers in the context of severe inter-group competition for resources. Against this background, in the Neolithic (7th–5th millenniums BC), a practice of building fortified settlements, hill-forts, and “sacrificial hills” became widespread — and that was not typical of hunters and fishermen. Erection of those complex and labor-consuming structures required mobilization of a significant number of people, as well as resources and expertise, and contributed to group consolidation in a new territory. It was that type of dramatic disruption that occurred at the turn of the 3rd and 2nd millenniums BC. Considerable changes in the way of life of the taiga population came as a direct result of the “metallurgical revolution”. The development of independent metallurgical centers in the Middle Urals traditional ideas about the inability of the population of the appropriating lifestyle to adopt transformative strategies. The northernmost regions became another watershed in the region. The turn of the Eras was marked by development in reindeer herding, which was accompanied by a series of discoveries in the fields of food production, transport development, communications, trade, and symbolic activities. Archaeological data directly indicate the formation of adequate responses and information breakthroughs to the cognitive challenges of the high latitudes of Eurasia, and explain the variety of forms of socio- ideological adaptations and evolutionary alternatives.
On the mythological songs of the “Elder Edda” as a system
Authors:   Institute of Linguistics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Toporova Tatyana
Published: August 2021

This article is a systemic linguistic and stylistic analysis of the corpus of mythological songs of the “Elder Edda” in a wide cultural and historical context: folklore, ritual, literary. This approach made it possible to propose an interpretation of the mythological songs of the “Elder Edda” as a system and take a fresh look at their semantics, composition, structure, style and lexical organization. The most relevant results of the study of the linguistic and stylistic features of the Eddic songs of the mythological cycle can be considered the definition of linguo-stylistic features of various genre structures in their composition, the explanation of their coexistence, the identification of their source and the building of a hierarchy of mythological songs of the “Elder Edda” depending on the degree of representation in them of various genres. For the first time, the study of the mechanism of cultural dynamics makes it possible to use genres, plot, structure, images, motives of the Eddic text in the reconstruction of the mythopoetic model of the world. The author singles out the most representative genres (tula, cosmological and epistemological song, vision, memory, conspiracy, competition in wisdom, travel, afterlife poetry) and markers (the time of creation, the substance that served as material for the creation of the universe, subjects and objects of creation), allowing to evaluate their productivity and give a comparative description. On the basis of a detailed linguostylistic analysis of the mythological cycle of the “Elder Edda”, a different degree of closeness between mythological songs is established and their plot-genre classification is proposed. The author’s scientific hypothesis consists in the assumption of the deduction of linguostylistic methods of the Eddic cycle from the mythological situation of primordial creation, the dominance of the sacred sphere, which determines the strategy of the characters’ behavior and the results of their activities, anthropocentric orientation, which is expressed in the description of cosmogenesis in genealogical terms.
The new Scandinavian zoomorphic amulet with runic inscription, through the lense of ancient germanic mythological system of the world
Authors:   Free International University of Moldova, Bondar Igor А.
Published: August 2021

The new rhombus-shaped cast amulet of the 10th century, made in the Borre style by means of the openwork metalworking technique, is a unique example of the Scandinavian jewelry tradition. The amulet originated from the region of the middle Dniester. The amulet and graffito are unique and they have no direct known analogies. This article is devoted to the study of semiotics and semantics of a zoomorphic pendant and elements of its image. The study carried out a structural-semantic analysis of the composition and individual elements of ornament through the paradigm of cosmological and cosmogonic representations of the ancient Germans. The work used the comparative method as well as a wide range of archaeological and literary sources. The picture stones and runic stones, Hogback stones, objects of material culture of the ancient Germans, results of comprehensive archaeological research, Old Norse songs about the gods and heroes of the “Younger Edda”, a set of Scandinavian sagas, Icelandic Viking sagas about Old Rus’ and materials from written sources of the XI– XIII Centuries were examined in detail and compared. The novelty of the research lies not only in the uniqueness of the new early medieval Scandinavian amulet, but also in the comparison and study of the object through the lens of the literary heritage of German- Scandinavian mythology. This approach was first applied in the detailed study of the “Gnezdovo-type” pendants. The methodological approach of the research and the historical-typological and semantic-semiotic analysis led to a scientific interpretation of the depicted story of the amulet within the context of the ancient Germanic mythological system and cosmogony.
On the correspondence of theoretical models of longitudinal vibrations of a rod with experimental data
Authors:   Ishlinsky Institute for Problems in Mechanics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Popov Alexander L. , Sadovsky Sergei A. ,   National Research Moscow State University of Civil Engineering
Published: August 2021

A number of theoretical models are known for describing longitudinal vibrations of a rod. The simplest and most common is based on the wave equation. Next comes a model that takes into account lateral displacement (Rayleigh correction). The Bishop model is considered to be more perfect, taking into account both transverse displacement and shear deformation. It would seem that the more perfect the theoretical model, the better it should be consistent with experimental data. Nevertheless, when comparing with a really defined experimental spectrum of longitudinal vibrations of a rod on a large base of natural frequencies, it turns out that this is not quite so. Moreover, in the relative loss is the most complex Bishop model. Comparisons were made for a smooth long cylindrical rod. The questions of refinement with the help of experimentally found frequencies of the velocity of longitudinal waves and the Poisson’s ratio of the rod material are also touched.
Buckling of the cylindrical shell joint with annular plates under external pressure
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Filippov Sergei B.
Published: August 2021

By means of an asymptotic method the buckling under the uniform external pressure of the thin cylindrical shell supported by identical annular plates is analyzed. Boundary conditions on an internal parallel of the shell joined to a thin plate are obtained. At the edges of the shell the free support conditions are introduced. We seek the approximate solutions of the eigenvalue problem as a sum of slowly varying functions and edge effect integrals. On a parallel, where the plate joint with the shell, the main boundary conditions for the formulation of an eigenvalue problem of zero approximation are obtained. This problem describes also vibrations of a simply supported beam stiffened by springs. Its solution we seek as linear combinations of Krylov’s functions. It is shown, that in zero approximation it is possible to replace a narrow plate with a circular beam. At increase in width of a plate stiffness of the corresponding spring tend to a constant. It occurs because of localization plate deformations near to the internal edge of a plate. As an example the dimensionless critical pressure for the case when the shell is supported by one plate is found. The replacement of a narrow plate with a circular beam does not lead to appreciable change of the critical pressure, however for a wide plate the beam model gives the overestimated value of critical pressure.
Different types of stable periodic points of diffeomorphism of a plane with a homoclinic orbit
Authors:   St. Petersburg State University, Vasil’eva Ekaterina V.
Published: August 2021

A diffeomorphism of the plane into itself with a fixed hyperbolic point is considered; the presence of a nontransverse homoclinic point is assumed. Stable and unstable manifolds touch each other at a homoclinic point; there are various ways of touching a stable and unstable manifold. In the works of Sh. Newhouse, L. P. Shilnikov and other authors, studied diffeomorphisms of the plane with a nontranverse homoclinic point, under the assumption that this point is a tangency point of finite order. It follows from the works of these authors that an infinite set of stable periodic points can lie in a neighborhood of a homoclinic point; the presence of such a set depends on the properties of the hyperbolic point. In this paper, it is assumed that a homoclinic point is not a point at which the tangency of a stable and unstable manifold is a tangency of finite order. Allocate a countable number of types of periodic points lying in the vicinity of a homoclinic point; points belonging to the same type are called n-pass (multi-pass), where n is a natural number. In the present paper, it is shown that if the tangency is not a tangency of finite order, the neighborhood of a nontransverse homolinic point can contain an infinite set of stable single-pass, double-pass, or three-pass periodic points with characteristic exponents separated from zero.
Application of model fitting technique to enhance bacterial regrowth potential (BRP) measurement for drinking water supply monitoring
Authors: Xue Wenjin , Chow Christopher W. K. , van Leeuwen John
Published: August 2021

The bacterial regrowth potential (BRP) method was utilised to indirectly measure the assimilable organic carbon (AOC) as an indicator for the assessment of the microbial regrowth potential in drinking water distribution systems. A model using various microbial growth parameters was developed in order to standardise the experimental interpretation for BRP measurement. This study used 82 experimental BRP data sets of water samples collected from the water treatment plant to locations (customer taps) in the distribution system. The data were used to model the BRP process (growth curve) by a data fitting procedure and to obtain a best-fitted equation. Statistical assessment and validation of the model obtained equation by fitting these 82 sets of data were conducted, and the results show average R2 values were 0.987 for treated water samples (collected at the plant prior to chlorination) and 0.983 for tap water (collected at the customer taps). The F values obtained from the F-test are all exceeded their corresponding F critical values, and the results from the t-test also showed a good outcome. These results indicate this model would be successfully applied in modelling BRP in drinking water supply systems.
Determination of groundwater potential distribution of Ceylanpinar Plain (Turkey) in Upper Mesopotamia by using geographical information techniques and Fuzzy-AHP with MCDM
Authors: Dilekoglu Mehmet Fatih , Aslan Veysel
Published: August 2021

The Ceylanpinar Plain is an important part of Upper Mesopotamia and one of the largest plains of Turkey, is in danger of facing water scarcity due to global climate change. For this reason, the potential of groundwater resources is important. In this study, groundwater potential zones in the Ceylanpinar Plain basin were investigated utilizing a weighted overlay analysis method combined with fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches and geoinformation technologies. The groundwater potential zone map was created using 10 theme layers that were produced and processed in a geographic information system (GIS) environment (GPZM). After that, possible groundwater zones were identified and classified into five categories: very good, good, medium, poor, and very poor. By assessing the present open well distribution and yield data of selected wells within the research catchment, the predicted groundwater potential zones (GWPZ) was confirmed. As a result, 17% of the study area was found to be very good, 39% good, 20% moderate, 21.4% poor and 2.6% very poor. This study provides a key estimate and crucial information for regional water administrators and officials in southeast Turkey by giving a map of the groundwater potential region, in order to ensure sustainable groundwater management.
Effect of hydrodynamic conditions on the water quality in urban landscape water
Authors: Kang Mengxin , Tian Yimei , Zhang Haiya , Wan Cheng
Published: August 2021

In this study, a 2D hydrodynamic and water quality model was built based on MIKE 21 to investigate the relationship between hydrodynamic condition and water quality, and then applied in an urban landscape lake in Tianjin, China. Moreover, an engineering experiment was carried out to confirm the comprehensive degradation coefficients of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP), nitrogen ammonia (NH4+-N), and total nitrogen (TN) (0.014 d−1, 0.024 d−1, 0.019 d−1, and 0.005 d−1, respective). Circulation system was the main force that expedited water changes and pollutant movement, increased the lake average water speed from 0.003 m/s to 0.008 m/s, and could effectively reduce the COD, NH4+-N and TN concentration nearly by 35, 32, and 5%. The high concentrations nitrogen and phosphorus in the reclaimed water would accelerate the deterioration of water quality, and the concentrations of TP, NH4+-N, and TN in the lake increased from 0.080 mg/L, 0.53 mg/L, and 1.53 mg/L to 0.090–0.096 mg/L, 0.71–0.81 mg/L, and 1.89–2.08 mg/L, respectively. The circulation system could slow the water quality deterioration but cannot eliminate the eutrophication risk. Improving the hydrodynamic conditions was proposed for enhancing water quality in urban landscape lakes.
Measurement and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals accumulated in sediment and water collected from Gomishan international wetland, Iran
Authors: Kalani Nazanin , Riazi Borhan , Karbassi Abdolreza , Moattar Faramarz
Published: August 2021

This study aimed to measure and ecologically assess heavy metals, including As, Cr, Pb, Cd, and Ni in water and sediment samples taken from Gomishan, an international wetland located in Golestan, Iran. Four sampling stations were selected to cover all parts of the wetland. The analyses of the heavy metals were performed by ICP-MS. Based on the content of the heavy metals in the sediments, the values of risks for individual heavy metals, as Er, and for total heavy metals, as IR, were estimated. Igeo and EF also presented the soil quality in terms of accumulated contamination. The average content of the heavy metals in water was 23.12, 4.14, 10.04, 6.71, and 94.48 μg/L for As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb, respectively. The heavy metal concentrations in sediments were decreased in the following order: Pb (2130 ppb) > As (655 ppb) > Cr (295 ppb) > Ni (148.8 ppb) > Cd (148.8 ppb). The potential risk values for individual heavy metals were in the low range, Er < 40, except for Cd, which mostly posed a moderate ecological risk. The values of EF and Igeo showed that the sediments sampled from the Gomishan wetland were minimally enriched and contaminated. As the Gomishan wetland has a moderate risk of heavy metal contamination, conservative and monitoring activities should be performed.
Effects of pollution on hydrogeochemistry and water quality of the Damietta branch (Nile River, Egypt)
Authors: Elhadad Engy , Ibrahim Majed , Al-Fawwaz Abdullah
Published: August 2021

Currently, different sources of contamination threaten water quality in Damietta, Egypt. The aim of this study was to assess the pollution, hydrogeochemistry and suitability for use in agriculture of water collected atseven stations along the Damietta branch of the Nile River. In addition to pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and electrical conductivity (EC), levels of Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, Na+, Cl−, HCO3−, SO42− and CO32− were measured. From the highest to the lowest, the concentrations of cations were Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+, whereas those of anions were HCO3− > SO42− > Cl− in water samples collected at seven stations along the Damietta branch. Moreover, water quality indexes, such as sodium percentage (Na%) ranged between 21.6 and 71.4, Kelly's ratio from 0.37 to 3.85, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) varied from 1.73 to 61.8, residual sodium carbonate (RSC) found to be in range of 0.2 to 3.8. Also, the potential salinity (PS) and permeability index (PI), magnesium hazard (MH), were calculated. Most samples (71%) belonged to the Mg–Ca–Na–HCO3 watertype. Fertilization wastes were identified as the main contributors of alkaline earth metals, whereas ion exchange was the main source of alkali metals. This work also provides information on distinguishing geochemical behaviors and the pollution of water samples.
The Therapeutic Value and Molecular Mechanisms of lncRNA FENDRR in Human Cancer
Authors: Xu Wen , Wang Bei , Cai Yuxuan , Chen Jinlan , Meng Enqing , Guo Chong , Zhou Gang , Yuan Chengfu
Published: August 2021

Background:

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) fetal-lethal non-coding developmental regulatory
RNA (FENDRR), a newly known lncRNA, has been reported to be abnormally expressed in diverse tumors.
This review is focused on clarifying the mechanism of FENDRR to regulate the biological process of tumors,
affirming its value as a target for tumor therapy.

Methods:

The pathophysiological mechanism of FENDRR acting on tumors has been analyzed and summarized
by reviewing PubMed.

Results:

The expression of lncRNA FENDRR is abnormally altered in clinical cancers, promoting the malignant
transformation of a variety of tumors, including colon cancer, cervical cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma,
prostate cancer, Malignant melanoma, lung cancer, osteosarcoma, breast cancer, etc. Cellular processions, including
proliferation, invasion, apoptosis and migration affected by FENDRR, have been revealed.

Conclusion:

Specific evidences for the involvement of LncRNA FENDRR in cancer regulatory processes suggest
that FENDRR has the potential to be a biomarker or clinical therapeutic target for malignant tumors.
A Recent Update on Intranasal Delivery of High Molecular Weight Proteins, Peptides, and Hormones
Authors: Sharma Mayank , Waghela Simran , Mhatre Riddhi , Saraogi Gaurav K.
Published: August 2021

Proteins and hormones have a wide range of therapeutic uses that have emerged throughout the
years. The increase in their clinical application nowadays has outgrown the need to deliver these macromolecules
without deterioration. This is where the nasal route of delivery has proven to be the most helpful tool in
providing ease of administration. Despite the obstacles, smart polymers, nasal enhancers, nanotechnology-based
delivery systems, and computational modeling tools have all been used to increase the nasal route's residence
time and absorption window. This review highlights the systemic delivery of macromolecules such as protein
and hormones, which can also be delivered via nose-to-brain through various transportation pathways. This
strategy has proved beneficial in treating several neurological disorders like brain tumors, Alzheimer's, Ischemic
stroke, etc. Except for the marketed preparation and patents, several other drugs are still under clinical trials.
We also like to conclude that many of the newer proteins and hormones are still under developmental stages,
for which nasal delivery will be a boon in administering these newer molecules.
Construction and Evaluation of Liraglutide Delivery System based on Milk
Exosomes: A New Idea for Oral Peptide Delivery
Authors: Shi Yanan , Guo Shiqi , Liang Yanzi , Liu Lanze , Wang Aiping , Sun Kaoxiang , Li Youxin
Published: August 2021

Background:

Increasing the bioavailability of peptide or protein drugs have always been an important topic in the field of pharmacy. Milk exosomes as a carrier for oral drug delivery systems have begun to attract attention in recent years. The application of oral milk exosomes carriers to peptide drugs, such as liraglutide, is worth trying.

Objective:

Milk-derived exosomes are used in this study to try to encapsulate the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide and the feasibility of using this drug delivery system for oral biomolecules delivery in the future is explored.

Methods:

The size and morphology of milk exosomes were characterized. The gastrointestinal stability of milk exosomes was evaluated in a dialysis bag. The cellular uptake of milk exosomes in the intestinal cells was observed. Six drug loading methods have been evaluated and compared preliminarily and they are incubation method, sonication method, extrusion method, freeze-thaw cycles method, saponin-assisted method and electroporation method.

Results:

As demonstrated in this study, milk exosomes showed significant stability in the gastrointestinal environment and excellent affinity with intestinal cells, indicating their unique benefits used for drug oral delivery. Effective drug loading method for exosomes is challenging. Among the six drug loading methods used in this study, the liraglutide-Exo prepared by the extrusion method obtained the largest drug load, which was 2.45 times the direct incubation method. The liraglutide-Exo obtained by the freeze-thaw cycles method has the smallest morphological change.

Conclusion:

The study showed that milk exosome-based oral drug delivery systems are promising.
Natural Crude Dye from Cucurbita Pepo Leaves for Dying, Antimicrobial, and Antioxidant Activities
Authors: Shah Nasrullah , Farman Shehla , Rehan Touseef , Khan Abbas , Khan Sher B. , Bakhsh Esraa M.
Published: August 2021

Owing to environmental concerns, a great attention is given to use plant waste for obtaining
natural dyes. Cucurbita pepo (C. pepo) is one of the most abundantly grown seasonal
vegetable plants in Pakistan. However, its leaves are of no use after crop season, and consequently,
they are usually discarded. Hence, in this study an attempt is made to extract dye from
C. pepo leaves for dying textiles and antimicrobial applications. The fractionation of the obtained
dye was done by column chromatography while TLC, UV-Vis and FTIR analyses were performed
to further evaluate the composition and nature of the obtained dye. The principal constituents
of the obtained dye such as alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, proteins and sugar were identified
by chemical tests. The dye was successfully applied for dying of synthetic and cotton
cloths which showed resistivity and high color fastness even after successive washings. Interestingly,
the obtained dye changed color with change in temperature. For evaluating potential biomedical
importance of the obtained dye, antibacterial and antioxidant activities were checked.
Effective antioxidants as well as antimicrobial activity against E. coli were observed. From the
present study, we concluded that the nature, composition, washing, and thermal stability, as well
as the potential biomedical applicability of the obtained natural dye from C. Pepo leaves, can be
a better option for commercialization in future.
ÇEVRİMİÇİ SATIN ALMA KARARINA TÜKETİCİ DEĞERLENDİRMELERİNİN ETKİSİ
Authors: ÇATI Kahraman , İLHAN KÜÇÜK Hatice
Published: August 2021

Amaç: Çevrimiçi alışveriş alışkanlığı, internetin her geçen gün daha vazgeçilmez hale geldiği 21.yüzyıl şartlarında, ciddi bir artış göstermektedir. Özellikle 2020 yılı itibariyle yaşanan Covid-19 salgını ile insanların evlerinde kalma zorunluluğu, çevrimiçi alışverişin yükseliş ivmesini artırmıştır. Çevrimiçi alışverişte, ürün kalitesinin ve satıcı güvenilirliğinin net olmaması, tüketiciler için önemli bir risktir. Bu riskleri en aza indirmek için tüketiciler artık, daha önce deneyimleyen kişilerin değerlendirme, yorum ve puanlamalarını inceleyerek satın alma kararı vermektedir. Aynı zamanda kendileri de deneyimledikleri mal ve hizmet hakkında, çevrimiçi içerik oluşturarak memnuniyet seviyelerini paylaşmaktadır. Bu çalışma, tüketicilerin çevrimiçi satın alma kararında, yorumlara verdikleri önemin ve içerik oluşturmalarının etkisini incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. Yöntem: Bu kapsamda çevrimiçi olarak elde edilen 443 adet anketin analizi yapılmıştır. Bulgular: Yapılan analizler, tüketicinin kendi deneyimi ile ilgili çevrimiçi içerik oluşturma eyleminin satın alma kararını çok güçlü olmasa da pozitif yönde etkilediğini; yorum ve deneyimlere önem vermesinin ise satın alma kararını orta güçlülükte pozitif yönde etkilediğini göstermiştir.Sonuç: Tüketici değerlendirme ve yorumlarının, satın alma kararı üzerinde etkili olması nedeniyle firmaların çevrimiçi kanallarda yorum ve değerlendirme imkânı oluşturması ve bu mecraları dikkate alması önerilmektedir.
Sosyal Medyada Etkileşimi Etkileyen Faktörlerin İncelenmesi: Kuyumculuk Sektöründe Bir Örnek Olay İncelemesi
Authors: İŞLER Fatma
Published: August 2021

Amaç: Günümüzde pek çok firma ürün ve hizmetlerini daha kolay pazarlamak için sosyal medya platformlarını kullanarak müşterilerine daha hızlı ulaşabilmekte, geribildirimleri kolaylıkla sağlayabilmektedir. Firmalar aldıkları geri bildirimler sayesinde müşterilerinin taleplerine yönelik adımlar atabilmekte, bu sayede müşteri memnuniyeti sağlamaya çalışmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Konya ilinde faaliyet gösteren büyük bir altın ve saat firmasının, sosyal medya platformu Instagram’da paylaştığı içeriklerde müşteri etkileşimini etkileyen faktörlerin tespiti amaçlanmıştır.Yöntem: Bu amaç doğrultusunda, bu çalışmada ilk olarak incelenen firmanın Instagram’da 2019 Kasım-2020 Nisan ayları arası paylaştığı içeriklerin etkileşim oranları hesaplanarak içerik analiz yöntemi ile analizi yapılmıştır. Firmaya gönderilen mesajlar ise ilk olarak manuel olarak çekilmiş, analizleri yapmak ve yorumlamak için açık kaynaklı bir metin madenciliği sunan Voyant kullanılmıştır.Bulgular: Yapılan analizler sonucu firmanın sosyal medya platformunda, özel günler ile ilgili paylaşımları ve buna yönelik kampanya ve indirim mesajı içeren içerikleri en fazla etkileşimi almıştır. Yalnızca ürün gruplarının paylaşıldığı içerikler ise en az etkileşimi almıştır. Araştırma sonucunda pozitif yönlü tutumlarda çoğunlukla firmadan daha önce satın alınan ürünlerin yeniden yaptırılmak istenmesi, negatif yönlü tutumlarda ise yüksek ürün fiyatı şikayeti ve mesajlara geri dönüş alınamaması görülmektedir. Ayrıca pozitif yönlü çıkarımların çoğunlukta olduğu gözlemlenirken, negatif yönlü tutumlara yönelik önerilerde de bulunulmuştur.Sonuç: Bu araştırma, kuyumculuk sektöründe bulunan firmaların hangi içerikler ile takipçilerinin beğenisini kazanabileceği ve daha fazla etkileşime ulaşabileceği ile ilgili bir çalışmadır. İncelenen altın firmasının sosyal medya platformlarında gelecek paylaşımlarını yönlendirmesi adına firmaya katkıda bulunacak, aynı zamanda bu sektörde bulunan diğer firmalara da fayda sağlaması adına örnek bir çalışma olabilir.
AİLE ŞİRKETLERİNDE SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİRLİK AÇISINDAN MUHASEBE VE RAPORLAMANIN ÖNEMİ: ÖRNEK OLAYLAR
Authors: DEMİR Zekeriya
Published: August 2021

Amaç: Aile şirketleri hemen hemen tüm ekonomilerde yaygın olan bir şirket türü olmakla birlikte sürdürülebilirlik açısından dezavantajlara sahiptir. Sürdürülebilirlikle ilgili dezavantajların ortadan kaldırılması hem ailenin servetinin korunmasına hem de ülke kalkınmasına önemli katkılar sağlayacaktır. Bu çalışmanın amacı aile şirketlerinde sürdürülebilirlik açısından muhasebe ve raporlamanın önemini örnek olaylarla ortaya koymaktır.Yöntem: Çalışmada aile şirketlerinde sürdürülebilirlik açısından muhasebe ve raporlamanın önemini ortaya koymak için nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden biri olan örnek vaka yöntemi seçilmiştir. Kapsama alınan aile şirketlerinde yapılan denetim, gözlem ve görüşmelerden elde edilen bilgiler ile muhasebe kayıtları ve finansal tabloları değerlendirilmiş ve bu durumların sürdürülebilirlik üzerindeki etkileri yorumlanmıştır.Bulgular: Çalışma kapsamındaki şirketlerde etkin bir muhasebe ve raporlama sistemlerinin olmadığı, şirket öz kaynaklarının kişisel servetlere dönüştürüldüğü ve bu nedenle işletme sermayelerinin yetersiz kaldığı, nakit yönetimlerinde sorun yaşandığı, maliyet ve karlılık konusunda sağlıklı raporlamalar yapılamadığı, stok yönetimi ve iç kontrol sistemlerinin yetersiz olduğu, suiistimal ve yolsuzluk vakalarının görüldüğü, fiyatlama konusunda hatalar yapıldığı tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç: İncelenen şirketlerde etkin bir muhasebe ve raporlama sistemlerinin olmadığı ve bu nedenle de 2000’li yıllardan itibaren enflasyon oranlarındaki düşüşlerin karlılık üzerindeki etkisinin anlaşılamadığı tespit edilmiştir. Karlılıktaki düşüşler işletme sermayesi açıkları ortaya çıkarmış ve bu açıklar öz kaynaklarla karşılanmak yerine banka kredileri ile karşılanmıştır. Zamanla bu durum sürdürülemez hale gelmiş ve şirketlerin batmasına neden olmuştur.