bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Altered Expression Profile of Phosphatidylinositols in Erythrocytes of Alzheimer’s Disease and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients
Authors: Chen Yanxing , Lin Caixiu , Guo Zhangyu , Zhao Shuai , Zhu Yueli , Huang Fude , Shui Guanghou , Lam Sin Man , Pu Jiali , Yan Yaping , Liu Zhirong , Zhang Baorong
Published: December 2019

Background:

Studies have demonstrated that the levels of phospholipids, including phosphatidylinositols (PIs), were decreased in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain, presenting as a potential biomarker for AD. The plasma phospholipids levels have also been discovered to predict the conversion of cognitively normal elderly adults to amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) or demented patients.

Objective:

To investigate the expression profile of PIs in erythrocytes of AD and aMCI patients, which would serve as a blood-based method to distinguish AD and aMCI patients from normal controls (NC).

Methods:

In this study, we used anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography to analyze PIs alterations in erythrocytes from a total of 86 prospectively recruited subjects (including 24 NC, 21 aMCI patients, and 41 AD patients).

Results:

We found that the levels of PI40 : 4, PI3/5P, and PI(3,4)P2 in aMCI patients, and the levels of PI4P, PI(3,4)P2, and PI3/5P in AD patients were significantly decreased compared to NC. The changed expression profile of PIs could effectively discriminate AD and aMCI patients from NC (AUC = 0.964, 0.938, respectively).

Conclusion:

The altered expression profile of erythrocytes PIs might be a potential blood-based biomarker for AD and aMCI. This alteration of PIs probably reflected the impaired deformability and oxygen-carrying capacity of erythrocytes in AD and aMCI patients.
Mild Cognitive Impairment in the Migrant Population Living in Europe: An Epidemiological Estimation of the Phenomenon
Authors: Canevelli Marco , Zaccaria Valerio , Lacorte Eleonora , Cova Ilaria , Remoli Giulia , Bacigalupo Ilaria , Cascini Silvia , Bargagli Anna Maria , Pomati Simone , Pantoni Leonardo , Vanacore Nicola
Published: December 2019

Background:

The construct of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is triggering growing clinical and research interest. The detection of MCI may be affected by diverse ethno-cultural determinants possibly influencing the personal and social perception of the individual cognitive functioning as well as the reliability of objective cognitive assessment. These challenges may acquire special relevance in subjects with a migration background and composing ethnic minority groups.

Objective:

The present study is aimed at providing an estimate of the number of MCI cases occurring in the migrant population living in the extended European Union (EU) in 2018.

Methods:

The number of MCI cases in older migrants living in Europe and in each of the 32 considered countries was estimated by multiplying the number of migrants, provided by Eurostat, with the age-specific prevalence rates, derived by the harmonized data produced by the COSMIC collaboration and based on different operational definitions of MCI.

Results:

Nearly 686,000 cases of MCI were estimated in the extended EU by applying age-specific prevalence rates based on the International Working Group criteria. Higher figures were obtained when the Clinical Dementia Rating- and the Mini Mental State Examination-based criteria were applied. The proportion of MCI cases in migrant subjects ranged from 1.1% (Romania) to 54.1% (Liechtenstein) (median: 8.4%; IQR: 4.7%–14.2%).

Conclusions:

MCI represents and will increasingly constitute a relevant issue in the migrant population living in Europe. The present data reinforce the need of developing approaches and models of care that may be diversity-sensitive and inclusive for a culturally variegated population.
Supporting a Decision for Informal Settlements Development using the Analytical Network Process
Authors: Zakaria Eraqi Ayman M. , Hamed Issa Usama , A. A. Elminiawy Mary
Published: December 2019

Developing informal settlements has become an important issue for improving urban structures in developing countries. An Informal Settlements Development Fund (ISDF) was presented to Egypt for supporting urban, economic, social and environmental plans. Development plans do not clearly take into account population priorities or satisfaction criteria. Furthermore, evaluating several alternatives was based on usual statistical methods that cannot deal with multiple criteria or complex problems, leading to imprecise results. Nowadays, adding value to the developed area, restoring cost, and studying social and economic plan impacts on the population, represent high priorities. In this study, a model concerns the optimal decision evaluation for multi-criteria in informal settlements development was proposed. Five clusters (criteria) were identified and included the efficiencies of urban structure, economic, social, and environmental, in addition to population satisfaction. Twenty one internal factors represented in nods were categorized under the five clusters and affecting proposed four alternatives. The model depended on the Analytic Network Process (ANP) technique which is used to support multi-criteria decision making. ANP was selected for its capability to deal with complex problems, create dependencies and feedbacks as well as use the relative weights of all interactions. This technique confirms a logical decision and accurate prediction amongst numerous alternatives. The model was validated and applied to an informal settlements area as a case study in Egypt. The results supported to use first alternative by 38.20%, while the ISDF results selected the third alternative. Moreover, the detailed analysis emphasized that the first alternative was more balanced between the social elements and the direct economic requirements of the population, while the third alternative tended to achieve restoring cost despite its negative social effects. Lastly, the proposed model can be used appropriately in similar cases to improve informal settlements.
Combined Multiple Attenuation Methods and Geological Interpretation : Seram Sea Case Study 2D Marine Seismic Data
Authors: Nainggolan Tumpal Bernhard , Rasidin Said Muhammad , Setiadi Imam
Published: December 2019

Multiple often and always appear in marine seismic data due to very high acoustic impedance contrasts. These events have undergone more than one reflection. This causes the signal to arrive back at the receiver at an erroneous time, which, in turn, causes false results and can result in data misinterpretation. Several types of multiple suppression have been studied in literature. Methods that attenuate multiples can be classified into three broad categories: deconvolution methods; filtering methods and wavefield prediction subtraction methods. The study area is situated on Seram Sea in between 131°15’E – 132°45’E and 3°0’S – 4°0’S, Seram Trough which is located beneath Seram Sea at northern part of the Banda-Arc – Australian collision zone and currently the site of contraction between Bird’s Head and Seram. This research uses predictive deconvolution and FK-filter to attenuate short period multiple from their move out, then continued by SRME method to predict multiple that cannot be attenuated from previous method, then followed by Radon transform to attenuate multiple that still left and cannot be attenuated by SRME method. The result of each method then compared to each other to see how well multiple attenuated. Predictive deconvolution and F-K filter could not give satisfactory result especially complex area where multiple in dipping event is not periodic, SRME method successfully attenuate multiple especially in near offset multiple without need subsurface information, while SRME method fails to attenuate long offset multiple, combination of SRME method and Radon transform can give satisfactory result with careful selection of the Radon transform parameters because it can obscure some primary reflectors. Based on geological interpretation, Seram Trough is built by dominant structural style of deposited fold and thrust belt. The deposited fold and thrust belt has a complexly fault geometry from western zone until eastern of seismic line.
Osteopathic Correction of Mild Myopia in 7-10 Years Old Children
Authors: Bobrova E. . , Aptekar I. . , Abramova E. .
Published: December 2019

The article presents the results of examination and treatment of 34 children aged 7-10 years old with mild myopia. The study showed the efficiency of osteopathic correction of mild myopia in early school aged children.
Проектований ботанічний заказник «Старошведський» (Херсонська область, Україна)
Authors: МОЙСІЄНКО ІВАН ІВАНОВИЧ , КУНС БРАЯН , ДАЙНЕКО ПОЛІНА МИХАЙЛІВНА
Published: December 2019

Проектований ботанічний заказник місцевого значення «Старошведський» площею 263 га розташовується між селами Змієвка та Червоний Маяк у Бериславському районі Херсонської області (Україна). До його складу входять нерозорані частини Костирської та Широкої балок і розташований між ними фрагмент тераси Дніпра. Територія проектованого заказника відрізняється досить високою диференціацією рослинності та оселищ. Тут представлені степи, луки, чагарникові зарості, штучні лісові насадження, відслонення гірських порід (вапняків, лесів та глин), кліф, узбережжя та акваторія водосховища та рудеральні оселища. Проектований заказник має велике созологічне значення. На його території нами було виявлено 21 вид судинних рослин, що охороняються, в тому числі 1 вид включений до Резолюції № 6 (Додаток І) Бернської конвенції та Додатку ІІ Оселищної директиви ЄС – Jurinea cyanoides; 10 видів включених до Червоної книги України (Astragalus dasyanthus, A. ponticus, Elytrigia stipifolia, Ornithogalum boucheanum, Stipa capillata, S. lessingiana, S. pulcherrima, S. ucrainica, Tulipa biebersteiniana, T. gesneriana) та 10 видів занесені до Червоно списку Херсонської області (Amygdalus nana, Bellevalia sarmatica, Bromopsis heterophylla, Ephedra distachya, Hyacinthella leucophaea, Jurinea stoechadifolia, Poa sterilis, Quercus robur, Vinca herbacea, Vitis sylvestris). Також тут представлено 6 раритетних угруповань включених до Зеленої книги України (Amygdaleta nanae, Elytrigieta stipifoliae, Stipeta capillatae, Stipeta lessingianae, Stipeta pulcherrimae, Stipeta ucrainicae). Саме враховуючи велике значення проектованого об’єкту природно-заповідного фонду «Старошведський» для збереження фіторізноманіття нами пропонується створити тут ботанічний заказник. Проектований заказник є важливим для збереження раритетних оселищ, так як більша частина його території є оселищами Резолюції № 4 Бернської конвенції (E1.2 Багаторічні трав’яні кальцифітні угруповання та степи та F3.247 Понтично-сарматські листопадні чагарникові зарості).
The spread of Reynoutria species (Polygonaceae) in Kampinos National Park and its vicinity (Central Poland)
Authors: KIRPLUK IZABELLA , BOMANOWSKA ANNA , OTRĘBA ANNA
Published: December 2019

Knotweed taxa: Reynoutria japonica, R. sachalinensis and R. ×bohemica have been classified as the most dangerous invasive plants in Europe, North America, and other regions with cool climates. In Poland they are included on the list of 16 alien plant species which, when introduced into the natural environment, pose a threat to native biodiversity or natural habitats. Despite the serious threat they pose, Reynoutria species are still grown as ornamental plants, and are sometimes planted in hedges. Studies aimed at the identification of the range and the method of spread of knotweeds in settlement areas in Kampinos National Park and its vicinity were carried out from 2012. In mid-2018 there were 176 known sites where different species of Reynoutria were found. Most of these sites (118) were formed by R. japonica. R. ×bohemica was found on 54 sites, and R. sachalinensis only on four sites. Home gardens are a source of Reynoutria species spread in the region of Kampinoska Forest (national park with its buffer zone). Our results showed that the most of the Reynoutria species sites were located within the administrative borders of investigated localities, at different distances from home gardens, where these plants are grown. Although the distribution of knotweeds is largely limited to ruderal habitats, these invasive plants, especially R. japonica and R. ×bohemica, create a threat to semi-natural and natural biocoenoses at Kampinos National Park. R. sachalinensis was found only in villages on the periphery of KNP. Giant knotweed usually occupies large areas and form dense, homogeneous populations. It is necessary to constantly monitor the existing sites of knotweeds and prevent the formation of new stands in the area of Kampinos National Park and its close vicinity.
Лишайники та ліхенофільні гриби Трикратського гранітного масиву (Україна)
Authors: ХОДОСОВЦЕВ ОЛЕКСАНДР ЄВГЕНОВИЧ , ДАРМОСТУК ВАЛЕРІЙ ВІКТОРОВИЧ , ХОДОСОВЦЕВА ЮЛІЯ АНАТОЛІЇВНА , ГАЙЧЕНЯ ЮЛІЯ ВОЛОДИМИРІВНА
Published: December 2019

У результаті досліджень виявлено 156 видів лишайників та 44 види ліхенофільних грибів. Ліхенофільні гриби Cercidospora xanthoriae, Endococcus fusiger, Rosellinula frustulosae, Stigmidium squamariae, Tremella phaeophysciae, Xenonectriella leptaleae та лишайник Coenogonium pineti виявились новими для степової зони України. 79 видів лишайників та 36 ліхенофільних грибів є новими для Національного природного парку «Бузький Гард». 7 видів лишайників та 2 види ліхенофільних грибів визначені до роду і потребують подальшої детальнішої ідентифікації. Наявність експонованих та затінених гранітних поверхонь, місць з тимчасовими та постійними водостоками, прошарок ґрунту в Актовському, Арбузинському, Петропавлівському каньйонах, старі штучні лісові листяні масиви в урочищах «Василева Пасіка» та особливо «Лабіринт» обумовлює високе гамма-різноманіття Трикратського гранітного масиву. Природні біотопи ландшафту цього масиву займають близько 750 га і містять 200 видів лишайників та ліхенофільних грибів, тому цей ландшафт можна вважати одним із «гарячих точок» біорізноманіття рівнинної частини України. Найбільше видів лишайників (84) зростає на гранітних відслоненнях, трохи менше на корі дерев (64) і лише 12 видів виявлено на ґрунті та прошарках пилу між гранітними брилами. Ліхенофільні гриби Трикратського кристалічного масиву репрезентують високий рівень видового різноманіття, 36 видів із 44 виявлених приурочені до лишайників, що зростають на відслоненнях гранітів. У межах масиву охороняється лишайник Lasallia pustulata, внесений до Червоної книги України. Лишайники Acrocordia gemmata, Bacidia fraxinea, B. rubella, Caloplaca monacensis, Chaenotheca chlorella, C. trichialis, Cladonia uncialis, Coenogonium pineti, Lichinella nigritella, L. stipatula, Opegrapha niveoatra, Pseudoschismatomma rufescens, Ramalina intermedia, Scytinium gelatinosum, Xanthoparmelia loxodes та X. pokornyi включені до списку видів, що потребують охорони в межах Миколаївської області.
ECOCÍDIO COMO INSTRUMENTO DE PROTEÇÃO TRANSNACIONAL DO MEIO AMBIENTE
Authors: Piffer Carla , Miglioranzi de Rosso Andyara Luisa
Published: December 2019

O presente estudo aborda o ecocídio como a prática de condutas lesivas ao meio ambiente caracterizadas como crimes ambientais de grandes proporções, globais e de alcance internacional. Seu objetivo geral é verificar se o ecocídio se apresenta como um instrumento de proteção transnacional do meio ambiente. A fim de alcançar o objetivo geral ora proposto, este estudo inicia sua análise na seara dos direitos humanos e direitos fundamentais, a fim de enquadrar o meio ambiente na categoria de novos direitos. Na sequência, são tecidas considerações acerca do surgimento dos estudos sobre o ecocídio e, ao final, analisa-se a necessidade de seu reconhecimento para a efetiva proteção transnacional do meio ambiente. Em sede de considerações finais, justifica-se que o ecocídio necessita, urgentemente de regulamentação na seara internacional, vez que os danos causados ao meio ambiente são de proporções transnacionais, apresentando-se este, portanto, como instrumento de efetiva proteção transnacional do planeta terra. Na fase de investigação foi utilizado o método indutivo, na fase de tratamento de dados o método cartesiano, e no relatório dos resultados foi empregada a base lógica indutiva.
Crónica parlamentaria del séptimo y octavo períodos de sesiones de la VI Legislatura en el Congreso de los Diputados
Authors: Moreno Fernández-Santa Cruz Mónica
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: I. Introducción. II. La función legislativa. III. La función de control. IV. Otras actividades.
La reforma de 1997 del Reglamento de la Cámara de los Diputados italiana: hacia la recuperación de la centralidad del parlamento
Authors: Tomás Mallén Beatriz S.
Published: December 2019

SUMARIO: I. El contexto de la reforma. II. La reorganización del procedimiento legislativo y los instrumentos para mejorar la calidad de las leyes. 1. El Comité para la Legislación. 2. Modificaciones relativas a la organización de los trabajos parlamentarios. 3. Medidas de racionalización del procedimiento legislativo. III. La reorganización interna del grupo mixto. 1. La Constitución de agrupaciones políticas en el seno del Grupo Mixto. 2. La constitución de una agrupación específica de las minorías lingüísticas en el Grupo Mixto. IV. El reforzamiento de los instrumentos de control político. V. La incorporación de sanciones por absentismo en la actividad parlamentaria. VI. Consideración final.
TANGGUNG JAWAB HUKUM AMERIKA SERIKAT DAN INDONESIA ATAS PENAHANAN TANPA BATAS WAKTU DAN TANPA PROSES PERADILAN YANG FAIR TERHADAP HAMBALI (WNI) DI PENJARA GUANTANAMO BAY KUBA
Authors: Galingging Ridarson
Published: December 2019

Artikel ini akan mengeksplorasi dan membuktikan bahwa penahanan tanpa batas waktu (indefinite detention) dan penahanan tanpa proses peradilan yang fair  (detention without fair trial) serta berbagai bentuk perlakuan yang tidak manusiawi (inhuman treatment) yang telah dilakukan otoritas Amerika Serikat (AS)  terhadap para tahanan, khususnya Hambali (WNI) di penjara Guantanamo dapat dikategorikan sebagai pelanggaran terhadap Hukum Humaniter Internasional (International Humanitarian Law) dan Hukum HAM Internasional (International Human Rights Law). Penulis juga akan memperlihatkan dan membuktikan bahwa tidak hanya pemerintah AS yang dapat dimintakan pertanggung jawaban hukumnya, tetapi  pemerintah Indonesia pun dapat dimintakan pertanggung jawaban hukumnya atas pelanggaran terhadap hukum nasional yaitu UU No.37 Tahun 1999 Tentang Hubungan Luar Negeri dan UU No.39 Tahun 1999 Tentang Hak Asasi Manusia.
Fine-scale horizontal distributions of multiple species of larval tuna off the Nansei Islands, Japan
Authors: Tawa A , Kodama T , Sakuma K , Ishihara T , Ohshimo S
Published: December 2019

To quantitatively evaluate the distribution of tuna larvae relative to oceanographic conditions, we conducted investigations off the Nansei Islands in the western North Pacific in June from 2015 to 2017. Five species, namely Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis (PBF), yellowfin tuna T. albacares (YFT), skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis (SKJ), frigate tuna Auxis thazard, and bullet tuna A. rochei (BT), were collected in each year. The most dominant species was BT throughout the 3 yr period, followed by SKJ in 2015 and YFT in 2016 and 2017. The horizontal larval distributions of the 5 species were largely influenced by the Kuroshio Current: larvae of the 2 Auxis species were distributed in the Kuroshio and the Kuroshio inshore waters, whereas those of the other species were found in the Kuroshio offshore waters. These differences are consistent with the differences in spawner distributions among the tunas. Generalized additive models (GAMs) indicated that the larval densities were affected by the sea surface height anomaly and that the larvae were not always amassed by horizontal transport. Sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity possibly influenced the larval physiology and survival, thereby determining their densities. In the GAMs, PBF and YFT showed similar responses to SST, and YFT and SKJ similarly responded to salinity. To avoid overlapping their ecological niches, the larvae of 3 species (PBF, YFT, and SKJ) are expected to differ in other ways, including their vertical distributions and feeding habits.
Evidence for inter- and intraspecific trophic niche separation among deepwater elasmobranchs on the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Authors: Munroe SEM , Rigby CL , Hussey NE
Published: December 2019

Quantifying the trophic structure and interactions of deepwater (>200 m depth) elasmobranch assemblages is required to improve our understanding of deepwater ecosystems and the impacts of increased deepwater exploitation. To this end, we investigated the trophic ecology of deepwater elasmobranchs on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) using a stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) approach. Our study included 4 species captured in the southern GBR deepwater eastern king prawn trawl fishery: the eastern spotted gummy shark Mustelus walkeri, the piked spurdog Squalus megalops, the pale spotted catshark Asymbolus pallidus, and the Argus skate Dentiraja polyommata. The δ13C and δ15N values of all 4 species ranged from -18.6 to -16.2‰ and 8.3 to 13.8‰, respectively. The small δ13C range was likely due to the limited number of unique carbon baseline sources typically found in deepwater environments. Despite this, 3 of the 4 species exhibited relatively low core (40% SEAb) isotopic niche overlap (<1 to 44%). Isotopic niche separation may be driven by multiple interacting factors including morphology, feeding strategies, or resource partitioning to reduce competition. Isotope analysis also provided evidence for intraspecific variation; S. megalops, D. polyommata and M. walkeri exhibited significant increases in δ15N (~3‰) and δ13C (~2‰) with size. Latitude, longitude, and depth had statistically significant but comparatively minor effects on isotope values (≤1‰) of the 4 species. Cumulatively, our results indicate that isotopic variation among deepwater elasmobranchs on the GBR is principally driven by size and species-level differences in resource use.
Developing Students� Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in Reading: English Teachers� Strategies in Selected Junior High Schools
Authors: Indriyana Bernadeta Siska , Kuswandono Paulus
Published: December 2019

The 2013 curriculum in Indonesia mandates that teachers should develop students� Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). One of the learning goals through HOTS is to make sure that students can analyze, evaluate, and create their knowledge. However, studies on HOTS issues in English learning, particularly in reading skills, are still very limited. Therefore, this study aimed at describing the teachers� strategies in developing HOTS in teaching reading skills. The researcher used a mixed-method, as it is relevant to the methodology needed in this study. The participants were 22 English teachers of Junior High Schools in Yogyakarta. The data were collected through questionnaires, observations, and interviews. The findings indicated that the strategies by the teachers to develop HOTS were as follows: (1) asking divergent questions to the students, (2) using group discussions, (3) informing learning objectives to the students, (3) giving feedback to invite the students to review, refine, and improve understanding about learning materials, and (5) giving motivation to the students to think critically. The recommendation for further study is also discussed.
Contrafactual Counterpoint: Revisiting the Polyphonic Novel Metaphor with Faulkner'sThe Wild Palms
Authors: Delazari Ivan
Published: December 2019

The article theorises the notion of contrapuntal polyphony as applied to literary narrative and sketches out an algorithm for reading William Faulkner's 1939 The Wild Palms in terms of the musical analogy. Contrapuntal fiction is contrafactual, since neither actual sound nor simultaneous parts of equal importance are presented in literary narrative. Such notions as ‘the polyphonic novel’ and ‘novelistic counterpoint’ are attacked from the vein of restrictionism by scholars who are dissatisfied with the metaphoricity of these terms despite their coiner Mikhail Bakhtin's disclaimer that no literal link to music is originally intended. Leaning on the heuristic and perceptual value of metaphors as illuminated by cognitive studies, this paper outlines an extensionist audionarratological alternative to the restrictionist approach by arguing that perceptual methods of processing parallel melodic lines and consecutive segments of narrative information share the common gestalt basis discussed in the auditory scene analysis of psychoacoustics. Opting to register and internalise certain details in the two apparently unrelated alternating stories of The Wild Palms, the reader begins to assemble a mental score and to learn performing the parts simultaneously, toward an integrated polyphonic whole.
“Incredibly Difficult, Tragically Needed, and Absorbingly Interesting”: Lessons from the AFSC School Program for Palestinian Refugees in Gaza, 1949 to 1950
Authors: Kelcey Jo
Published: December 2019

This article examines a school program operated by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) for Palestinian refugees in Gaza in 1949 and 1950. Drawing on historical records from organizations involved in the broader relief effort, it examines why the school program was set up and how it operated, and considers the lessons it offers for contemporary refugee education efforts. I argue that, while AFSC adopted an atypical approach to humanitarian relief that prioritized education from the outset of the crisis, the school program it developed was invariably constrained by the overarching humanitarian paradigm within which it operated. Funding for education was limited, which left the schools vulnerable to competing political objectives. This article underscores the importance of understanding the history of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in order to understand its present, and to inform contemporary education efforts for other refugee populations. The article also highlights the need for a critical appraisal of attempts to align refugee education programs with the generally accepted principles of humanitarianism.
Black Hole Suns: Binarism and Gravity in Cultural Fields
Authors: Gerber Alison
Published: December 2019

Sociologicial analyses of artistic practice have long drawn on theoretical traditions grounded in binaries and dualisms. Such analytical strategies, exemplified here by field theoretical approaches, center art objects and their movements in and across markets, where binaristic visions of art worlds do offer significant leverage. But when the analyst moves away from markets for art objects and looks to artistic practices the binaristic lens provides, at best, a blurred image with meaningful blind spots. This article suggests an alternative vision of artistic practice —one based on gravity rather than polarity—that captures the ways individuals and their actions make sense in a specific universe of meaning without forcing them into fundamentally competitive and economistic relationships. It leverages findings enabled by a unique sampling strategy in a four year study of visual artists in the United States to illuminate some limitations of binary theoretical frameworks, and outlines a generative alternative to dualism that promotes new analytical and theoretical directions for sociological analyses of artists and artistic practice. This alternative model provides new leverage on four persistent issues in analyses of artistic work: cultural change in occupational fields; actors’ attempts to manage overlapping but incommensurate forms of recognition, reputation, attention, and success; the persistent hegemony of markets for objects in both vernacular and sociological understandings of artistic practice; and questions of visibility and legitimacy central to understanding boundary formation and boundary work in creative fields. The gravitational metaphor promotes a distict set of strategies for the study of artistic work as well as other nontraditional occupations.
An Unknown Radar Emitter Identification Method Based on Semi-Supervised and Transfer Learning
Authors: Feng Yuntian , Wang Guoliang , Liu Zhipeng , Feng Runming , Chen Xiang , Tai Ning
Published: December 2019

Aiming at the current problem that it is difficult to deal with an unknown radar emitter in the radar emitter identification process, we propose an unknown radar emitter identification method based on semi-supervised and transfer learning. Firstly, we construct the support vector machine (SVM) model based on transfer learning, using the information of labeled samples in the source domain to train in the target domain, which can solve the problem that the training data and the testing data do not satisfy the same-distribution hypothesis. Then, we design a semi-supervised co-training algorithm using the information of unlabeled samples to enhance the training effect, which can solve the problem that insufficient labeled data results in inadequate training of the classifier. Finally, we combine the transfer learning method with the semi-supervised learning method for the unknown radar emitter identification task. Simulation experiments show that the proposed method can effectively identify an unknown radar emitter and still maintain high identification accuracy within a certain measurement error range.
Status of Wheat Rust Research and Progress in Rust Management-Indian Context
Authors: Bhardwaj Subhash C. , Singh Gyanendra P. , Gangwar Om P. , Prasad Pramod , Kumar Subodh
Published: December 2019

The rusts of wheat, caused by three species of Puccinia, are very devastating diseases and are major biotic constraints in efforts to sustain wheat production worldwide. Their capacity to spread aerially over long distances, rapid production of infectious uredospores, and abilities to evolve new pathotypes, makes the management of wheat pathogens a very challenging task. The development and deployment of resistant wheat varieties has proven to be the most economic, effective and efficient means of managing rust diseases. Rust resistance used in wheat improvement has included sources from the primary gene pool as well as from species distantly related to wheat. The 1BL/1RS translocation from cereal rye was used widely in wheat breeding, and for some time provided resistance to the wheat leaf rust, stripe rust, and stem rust pathogens conferred by genes Lr26, Yr9, and Sr31, respectively. However, the emergence of virulence for all three genes, and stripe rust resistance gene Yr27, has posed major threats to the cultivation of wheat globally. To overcome this threat, efforts are going on worldwide to monitor rust diseases, identify rust pathotypes, and to evaluate wheat germplasm for rust resistance. Anticipatory breeding and the responsible deployment of rust resistant cultivars have proven to be effective strategies to manage wheat rusts. Efforts are still however being made to decipher the recurrence of wheat rusts, their epidemiologies, and new genomic approaches are being used to break the yield barriers and manage biotic stresses such as the rusts. Efficient monitoring of pathotypes of Puccinia species on wheat, identification of resistance sources, pre-emptive breeding, and strategic deployment of rust resistant wheat cultivars have been the key factors to effective management of wheat rusts in India. The success in containing wheat rusts in India can be gauged by the fact that we had no wheat rust epiphytotic for nearly last five decades. This publication provides a comprehensive overview of the wheat rust research conducted in India.
Digestibility and Retention Time of Coastal Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) Hay by Horses
Authors: Hansen Tayler L. , Chizek Elisabeth L. , Zugay Olivia K. , Miller Jessica M. , Bobel Jill M. , Chouinard Jessie W. , Adkin Angie M. , Skurupey Leigh Ann , Warren Lori K.
Published: December 2019

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and other warm-season grasses are known for their increased fiber concentrations and reduced digestibility relative to cool-season grasses and legumes. This study investigated the digestive characteristics and passage kinetics of three maturities of Coastal bermudagrass hay. A 5 × 5 Latin square design experiment was used to compare the digestion of five hays: alfalfa (Medicago sativa, ALF), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata, ORCH), and Coastal bermudagrass harvested at 4 (CB 4), 6 (CB 6), and 8 weeks of regrowth (CB 8). Horses were fed cobalt-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (Co-EDTA) and ytterbium (Yb) labeled neutral detergent fiber (NDF) before an 84-h total fecal collection to determine digesta retention time. Dry matter digestibility was greatest for ALF (62.1%) and least for CB 6 (36.0%) and CB 8 diets (36.8%, SEM = 2.1; p < 0.05). Mean retention time was longer (p < 0.05) for Coastal bermudagrass (particulate 31.3 h, liquid 25.3 h) compared with ORCH and ALF (28.0 h, SEM = 0.88 h; 20.7 h, SEM = 0.70 h). Further evaluation of digesta passage kinetics through mathematical modeling indicated ALF had distinct parameters compared to the other diets. Differences in digestive variables between forage types are likely a consequence of fiber physiochemical properties, warranting further investigation on forage fiber and digestive health.
Young Broiler Feeding Kinematic Analysis as A Function of the Feed Type
Authors: Neves Diego Pereira , Mehdizadeh Saman Abdanan , Santana Mayara Rodrigues , Amadori Marlon Sávio , Banhazi Thomas Michael , de Alencar Nääs Irenilza
Published: December 2019

Past publications describe the various impact of feeding behavior of broilers on productivity and physiology. However, very few publications have considered the impact of biomechanics associated with the feeding process in birds. The present study aims at comparing the kinematic variables of young broiler chicks (3–4 days old; 19 specimens) while feeding them with three different feed types, such as fine mash (F1), coarse mash (F2), and crumbled feed (F3). The feeding behavior of the birds was recorded using a high-speed camera. Frames sequences of each mandibulation were selected manually and classified according to the temporal order that occurred (first, second, third, or fourth, and further). The head displacement and the maximum beak gape were automatically calculated by image analysis. The results did not indicate strong correlations between birds’ weight, beak size (length and width), and the kinematic variables of feeding. The differences between the tested feed were found mostly in the first and second mandibulations, probably explained by the higher incidence of “catch-and-throw” movements in F3 (33%) and F1 (26%) than F2 (20%). The “catch-and-throw” movements in F1 (the smallest feed particle) mostly occurred in the first mandibulation, as in F3 (the largest feed particle) also occurred in the latest mandibulations. It might be suggested that the adoption of “catch-and-throw” in the latest mandibulations increases with larger particles. The kinematic variables in the latest mandibulations (from the third one on) seem to be similar for all feed types, which represent the swallowing phase. It might be inferred that the temporal sequence of the mandibulations should be essential to describe the kinematics of a feeding scene of broiler chickens, and the first and second mandibulations are potentially the key factors for the differences accounted by the diverse feed particle sizes.
Reliability Modelling and Evaluation for LTD System Based on Load-Sharing Model
Authors: Chu Jiayun , Zhao Tingdi , Jiao Jian , Chen Zhiwei , Ren Fuchun
Published: December 2019

Based on power adding technology, the linear transformer driver (LTD) scheme is widely used to generate high-energy pulsed outputs and adopts a hierarchical and modular structure. Although robust design and fault analysis for basic components have been conducted recently, there is still a lack of enough reliability analysis studies of the whole system. Taking an actual LTD system as an object, this paper presents a system reliability model based on a load-sharing mechanism. A unified load-sharing rule structure is established and four typical rules corresponding to equal, linear, exponential, and local-equal relationships are discussed in detail while evaluating the impact of the load-sharing mechanism. Subsequently, simulation experiments are performed to illustrate the effects of different load-sharing rules as well as analyzing the system reliability in which we simultaneously propose a self-adaptive Monte Carlo simulation flow to achieve the sampling probability adjustment according to the random failure sequence. The simulation results can serve as a suggestion for further improvement of the system reliability. Moreover, the model framework and the simulation analysis method described here are universal and can be applied to evaluate the reliability of other LTD-based systems with tiny modifications.
Sodar Observation of the ABL Structure and Waves over the Black Sea Offshore Site
Authors: Lyulyukin Vasily , Kallistratova Margarita , Zaitseva Daria , Kuznetsov Dmitry , Artamonov Arseniy , Repina Irina , Petenko Igor , Kouznetsov Rostislav , Pashkin Artem
Published: December 2019

Sodar investigations of the breeze circulation and vertical structure of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) were carried out in the coastal zone of the Black Sea for ten days in June 2015. The measurements were preformed at a stationary oceanographic platform located 450 m from the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula. Complex measurements of the ABL vertical structure were performed using the three-axis Doppler minisodar Latan-3m. Auxiliary measurements were provided by a temperature profiler and two automatic weather stations. During the campaign, the weather was mostly fair with a pronounced daily cycle. Characteristic features of breeze circulation in the studied area, primarily determined by the adjacent mountains, were revealed. Wave structures with amplitudes of up to 100 m were regularly observed by sodar over the sea surface. Various forms of Kelvin–Helmholtz billows, observed at the interface between the sea breeze and the return flow aloft, are described.
Identification of a Subtype of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Poor Prognosis Based on Expression of Genes within the Glucose Metabolic Pathway
Authors: Zhang Xiaoli , Li Jin , Ghoshal Kalpana , Fernandez Soledad , Li Lang
Published: December 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent primary cancer and a highly aggressive liver malignancy. Liver cancer cells reprogram their metabolism to meet their needs for rapid proliferation and tumor growth. In the present study, we investigated the alterations in the expression of the genes involved in glucose metabolic pathways as well as their association with the clinical stage and survival of HCC patients. We found that the expressions of around 30% of genes involved in the glucose metabolic pathway are consistently dysregulated with a predominant down-regulation in HCC tumors. Moreover, the differentially expressed genes are associated with an advanced clinical stage and a poor prognosis. More importantly, unsupervised clustering analysis with the differentially expressed genes that were also associated with overall survival (OS) revealed a subgroup of patients with a worse prognosis including reduced OS, disease specific survival, and recurrence-free survival. This aggressive subtype had significantly increased expression of stemness-related genes and down-regulated metabolic genes, as well as increased immune infiltrates that contribute to a poor prognosis. Collectively, this integrative study indicates that expressions of the glucose metabolic genes could be used as potential prognostic markers and/or therapeutic targets, which might be helpful in developing precise treatment for patients with HCC.
Mutant IDH1 Differently Affects Redox State and Metabolism in Glial Cells of Normal and Tumor Origin
Authors: Biedermann Julia , Preussler Matthias , Conde Marina , Peitzsch Mirko , Richter Susan , Wiedemuth Ralf , Abou-El-Ardat Khalil , Krüger Alexander , Meinhardt Matthias , Schackert Gabriele , Leenders William P. , Herold-Mende Christel , Niclou Simone P. , Bjerkvig Rolf , Eisenhofer Graeme , Temme Achim , Seifert Michael , Kunz-Schughart Leoni A. , Schröck Evelin , Klink Barbara
Published: December 2019

IDH1R132H (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1) mutations play a key role in the development of low-grade gliomas. IDH1wt converts isocitrate to α-ketoglutarate while reducing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+), whereas IDH1R132H uses α-ketoglutarate and NADPH to generate the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). While the effects of 2-HG have been the subject of intense research, the 2-HG independent effects of IDH1R132H are still ambiguous. The present study demonstrates that IDH1R132H expression but not 2-HG alone leads to significantly decreased tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle metabolites, reduced proliferation, and enhanced sensitivity to irradiation in both glioblastoma cells and astrocytes in vitro. Glioblastoma cells, but not astrocytes, showed decreased NADPH and NAD+ levels upon IDH1R132H transduction. However, in astrocytes IDH1R132H led to elevated expression of the NAD-synthesizing enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT). These effects were not 2-HG mediated. This suggests that IDH1R132H cells utilize NAD+ to restore NADP pools, which only astrocytes could compensate via induction of NAMPT. We found that the expression of NAMPT is lower in patient-derived IDH1-mutant glioma cells and xenografts compared to IDH1-wildtype models. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analysis confirmed lower NAMPT expression in IDH1-mutant versus IDH1-wildtype gliomas. We show that the IDH1 mutation directly affects the energy homeostasis and redox state in a cell-type dependent manner. Targeting the impairments in metabolism and redox state might open up new avenues for treating IDH1-mutant gliomas.
Expression of GP88 (Progranulin) Protein Is an Independent Prognostic Factor in Prostate Cancer Patients
Authors: Abdulrahman Amer , Eckstein Markus , Jung Rudolf , Guzman Juan , Weigelt Katrin , Serrero Ginette , Yue Binbin , Geppert Carol , Stöhr Robert , Hartmann Arndt , Wullich Bernd , Wach Sven , Taubert Helge , Lieb Verena
Published: December 2019

Prostate cancer, the second most common cancer, is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality among men worldwide. The expression of the survival and proliferation factor progranulin (GP88) has not yet been comprehensively studied in PCa tumors. The aim of this study was to characterize GP88 protein expression in PCa by immunohistochemistry and to correlate the findings to the clinico-pathological data and prognosis. Immunohistochemical staining for GP88 was performed by TMA with samples from 442 PCa patients using an immunoreactive score (IRS). Altogether, 233 cases (52.7%) with negative GP88 staining (IRS < 2) and 209 cases (47.3%) with positive GP88 staining (IRS ≥ 2) were analyzed. A significant positive correlation was found for the GP88 IRS with the PSA value at prostatectomy and the cytoplasmic cytokeratin 20 IRS, whereas it was negatively associated with follow-up times. The association of GP88 staining with prognosis was further studied by survival analyses (Kaplan–Meier, univariate and multivariate Cox’s regression analysis). Increased GP88 protein expression appeared as an independent prognostic factor for overall, disease-specific and relapse-free survival in all PCa patients. Interestingly, in the subgroup of younger PCa patients (≤65 years), GP88 positivity was associated with a 3.8-fold (p = 0.004), a 6.0-fold (p = 0.008) and a 3.7-fold (p = 0.003) increased risk for death, disease-specific death and occurrence of a relapse, respectively. In the PCa subgroup with negative CK20 staining, GP88 positivity was associated with a 1.8-fold (p = 0.018) and a 2.8-fold increased risk for death and disease-specific death (p = 0.028). Altogether, GP88 protein positivity appears to be an independent prognostic factor for PCa patients.
Aberrant DNA Methylation Predicts Melanoma-Specific Survival in Patients with Acral Melanoma
Authors: Pradhan Dinesh , Jour George , Milton Denái , Vasudevaraja Varshini , Tetzlaff Michael T. , Nagarajan Priyadharsini , Curry Jonathan L. , Ivan Doina , Long Lihong , Ding Yingwen , Ezhilarasan Ravesanker , Sulman Erik P. , Diab Adi , Hwu Wen-Jen , Prieto Victor G. , Torres-Cabala Carlos Antonio , Aung Phyu P.
Published: December 2019

Acral melanoma (AM) is a rare, aggressive type of cutaneous melanoma (CM) with a distinct genetic profile. We aimed to identify a methylome signature distinguishing primary acral lentiginous melanoma (PALM) from primary non-lentiginous AM (NALM), metastatic ALM (MALM), primary non-acral CM (PCM), and acral nevus (AN). A total of 22 PALM, nine NALM, 10 MALM, nine PCM, and three AN were subjected to genome-wide methylation analysis using the Illumina Infinium Methylation EPIC array interrogating 866,562 CpG sites. A prominent finding was that the methylation profiles of PALM and NALM were distinct. Four of the genes most differentially methylated between PALM and NALM or MALM were HHEX, DIPK2A, NELFB, and TEF. However, when primary AMs (PALM + NALM) were compared with MALM, IFITM1 and SIK3 were the most differentially methylated, highlighting their pivotal role in the metastatic potential of AMs. Patients with NALM had significantly worse disease-specific survival (DSS) than patients with PALM. Aberrant methylation was significantly associated with aggressive clinicopathologic parameters and worse DSS. Our study emphasizes the importance of distinguishing the two epigenetically distinct subtypes of AM. We also identified novel epigenetic prognostic biomarkers that may serve to risk-stratify patients with AM and may be leveraged for the development of targeted therapies.
Improving the Quantification of DNA Sequences Using Evolutionary Information Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Tayara Hilal , Chong Kil To
Published: December 2019

It is known that over 98% of the human genome is non-coding, and 93% of disease associated variants are located in these regions. Therefore, understanding the function of these regions is important. However, this task is challenging as most of these regions are not well understood in terms of their functions. In this paper, we introduce a novel computational model based on deep neural networks, called DQDNN, for quantifying the function of non-coding DNA regions. This model combines convolution layers for capturing regularity motifs at multiple scales and recurrent layers for capturing long term dependencies between the captured motifs. In addition, we show that integrating evolutionary information with raw genomic sequences improves the performance of the predictor significantly. The proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art ones using raw genomics sequences only and also by integrating evolutionary information with raw genomics sequences. More specifically, the proposed model improves 96.9% and 98% of the targets in terms of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and the precision-recall curve, respectively. In addition, the proposed model improved the prioritization of functional variants of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) compared with the state-of-the-art models.