bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organizational Performance and Competitive Advantage Determinants of Creative SMEs
Authors: Muafi  , Roostika Ratna
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants that associated with IT utilization and further how IT utilization influences competitive advantage and organizational performance in creative SMEs sector. The samples used in this research were 400 creative SMEs in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Purposive sampling method was taken. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) by using Partial Least Squares (PLS) was conducted to examine the validity, reliability, and the proposed hypotheses. The determinants of IT utilization covering management commitment, and direct and indirect supports from government were significantly influence IT utilization. IT utilization does not significantly influence performance directly. The influence of IT utilization on performance is indirect via competitive advantage. Considering that management commitment and government supports is vital to IT utilization, management and government collaborations should be developed and improved. Strategic IT development is vital to create competitive advantage and further to achieve higher organizational performance. The management commitment to build people equity for employees and management is urgent since it provides the basis for IT successful engagement.
Peningkatan Pengetahuan Masyarakat dalam Upaya Pencegahan Stunting di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Umban Sari Pekan Baru
Authors: Misrawati  , Lestari Widia , Wahyuni Sri , Predy  , Pratiwi Luthi , Oktavia Aulia , Sari Yoni Amalia Deswila , Syafna Habibah
Published: January 2023

Stunting terjadi mulai dari dalam kandungan dan baru terlihat saat anak berusia dua tahun. Adanya kejadian stunting terhadap perkembangan otak sangat merugikan performance anak. Hal ini disebabkan karena 80-90% jumlah sel otak terbentuk semenjak masa dalam kandungan sampai usia 2 tahun.. Anak yang mengalami stunting  akan memiliki tingkat kecerdasan tidak maksimal, menjadikan anak rentan terhadap penyakit dan di masa depan dapat berisiko pada menurunnya tingkat produktivitas. Pada akhirnya secara luas stunting  akan dapat menghambat pertumbuhan ekonomi, meningkatkan kemiskinan, dan memperlebar ketimpangan.  Dengan adanya kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat dengan menggunakan media leaflet dan booklet ini maka dapat sedini mungkin untuk melakukan pencegahan terjadinya stunting di tengah-tengah masyarakat wilayah kerja Puskesmas Umban Sari. Hasilnya didapatkan bahwa pengetahuan masyarakat sasaran meningkat setelah diberikan edukasi dan penyuluhan terkait stunting, dibuktikan dari nilai hasil post-test (91/100) yang mengalami peningkatan dari nilai hasil pre-test (69/100).
Principles for Designing Green, Lean, and Smart Microfactories: Chicken as a Model
Authors: Sriram Sundar Pratap , Chowdhury Chandan , Kamarthi Sagar
Published: January 2023

Industrial revolutions have gone through four phases: steam, electricity, electronics, and Industry 4.0. Through all these four industrial revolutions, efficiency, productivity, quality, and automation have been greatly improved. However, the manufacturing processes created by humans have had disastrous consequences on the environment leading to a gigantic “climate change” problem. To mitigate climate change, engineers, and manufacturers all over the world have stepped up the research into cradle-to-cradle designs and sustainable manufacturing practices inspired by the designs and value cycles in nature. Bio-inspired designs have been gaining momentum to create products and manufacturing methods that are eco-friendly. All manufacturing (of a fruit, an organism such as a human baby) in nature happens in microfactories such as a womb, a leaf, a flower, or a chicken oviduct whose products are eggs. The product (egg) and the manufacturing process (chicken oviduct) are both green (eco-effective), lean (built with minimal resources), and smart (sensors and Internet of Things). Using a chicken as a model, this book chapter presents a set of metrics for green, lean, and smart attributes, which engineers can use to design products and microfactories.
Institutional Policies and Initiatives for the Internationalization of HE: A Case of Southeast Asia and Pakistan
Authors: Jamil Hazri , Jaffar Khadija
Published: January 2023

The internationalization of higher education is an important agenda explored and undertaken by public and private universities to improve the quality of education as well as the skills and competencies of graduates. There is great potential for cross-border engagement and internationalization efforts in the context of higher education in ASEAN countries and Pakistan. In this case study, the discussion on strategies and initiatives to embrace higher education at the university level is not limited to the goals and needs of higher education institutions but is also guided by the views and priorities of the country’s economic and strategic development. This has implications for how individual universities design their policies and implement initiatives at the institutional level and their strategic direction for internationalization.
Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Enteropathy-associated T-cell Lymphoma
Authors: Miao Yudi , Zhao Qiaojiajie
Published: January 2023

To investigate the clinical characteristics of enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma(EATL) and to give treatment strategies. METHODS:  From 2019. 02-2022. 02, 10 patients with enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma were seen in our hospital, their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed, and practical treatment plans were provided. Results:None of the patients had a history of intestinal disease and all presented to the hospital because of symptoms occurring in the gastrointestinal tract.Five patients had intestinal perforation and underwent dissection, three had small bowel masses and underwent surgery, and two had T-cell lymphoma and underwent related treatment. Six patients had lesions in the small intestine and the others had lesions in the rectum. According to AnnArbor clinical d staging, 9 patients(90%) had stage I+II and 1 patient(10%) had stage III. Gastrointestinal lymphoma AnnArbor clinical staging was the same as lugano clinical staging. 6 patients with B symptoms, 6 with physical status score ≥ 2, 5 with IPI > 2, 6 with PIT > 6; all patients had normal examination regardless of bone marrow examination, β2-microglobulin, or glycoconjugate antigen-125, erythrocyte sedimentation rate. 1 patient with anemia, 6 with decreased albumin, 2 with with elevated lactate dehydrogenase, and 1 case with increased C-reactive protein. According to immunohistochemical hints, 6 cases were CD56 positive and 4 in situ hybridization EBER positive; in the mid-term evaluation of combined patients, the complete remission(CR) rate was 90% in 10 patients; in the DA-EPOCH regimen, the complete remission(CR) rate was 80% in 10 patients. At the completion of 6 chemotherapy courses, all chemotherapy patients were in complete remission(CR) at the end of the period assessment, but 3 of them relapsed within one year, and the disease could not be controlled with the implementation of second-line regimen and chemotherapy again. The follow-up period was 1-25 months, with a high follow-up rate of 100% up to the follow-up time, and 6 patients died, with an overall 2-year survival rate of 40%. Conclusion: Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma is highly aggressive, and after chemotherapy, patients can be treated but are prone to relapse. The use of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(ASCT) becomes the first-line consolidation therapy, which cannot obtain long-term efficacy and needs to be explored.
Visual Analysis of Research on Chinese Psychological Skills Training Based on CiteSpace V
Authors: Yang Zhuangzhuang
Published: January 2023

In order to explore the progress, evolution trend and frontier hotspots of the research on psychological skills training in China, 320 scientific research documents on psychological skills training included in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database from 1990 to 2020 were taken as the research objects, and the literature method was used to , visual analysis, bibliometrics and other research methods, using CiteSpace V software and Excel software to draw knowledge maps and statistical charts for visual analysis and bibliometrics analysis. The results show that the research on psychological skills training in China in the past 30 years can be divided into four stages: initial development (1990-2000), rapid development (2001-2008), steady development (2009-2015), and developmental decline (2016-2020). In this stage of development, the number of published papers shows an inverted U-shaped curve overall ; Zhang Zhongqiu, Liu Shuhui, Zhang Liwei, Si Gangyan , etc. are the main representatives of the research; "Modern Sports Psychology Research Review" is the most frequently cited Literature; "Psychological skills training", "Psychological training", "Psychological skills", "Representational training" and "Psychological quality" are research hotspots. Suggestion: Strengthen exchanges and cooperation between research scholars and research institutions, broaden research ideas, enrich research objects, innovate research methods, and make theoretical results better serve research practice.
Research on Physical Fitness Training of Youth Basketball Players
Authors: Yang Chen
Published: January 2023

With the successive holding of basketball competitions at home and abroad, basketball has become one of the most popular sports for young people. As the main reserve force for professional basketball teams and national teams, young basketball players are the core and key to the sustainable development of basketball. Especially under the current high intensity and short interval competition intensity, the physical fitness and physical fitness of young basketball players become a powerful guarantee for competitive performance. In view of this, on the basis of literature research, combined with the characteristics of physical and mental development of young people, this paper discusses the significance of physical fitness training for basketball players at this age, and further analyzes the problems in this process, aiming to provide reference and help for the improvement of physical fitness level of young basketball players.
ELECTRON BEAM PLASMA INSTABILITY IN HALL THRUSTER DEVICES
Authors: Bharti Saty Prakash , Singh Sukhmander , Kumar Sanjeev , Meena Shravan Kumar
Published: January 2023

Hall thrusters are frequently used by geostationary satellites and long range mission from Earth to Moon. Hall thruster has higher fuel efficiency, less fuel consumption, therefore less propellant storage is required on-board. The stream of electrons are used from the virtual cathode to neutralize the outer surface of the Hall thruster to overcome the charging related problems. This electron beam alter the density of the plasma inside the Hall thruster channel. It affects the oscillations of plasma and triggers the instability called as electron beam instability. In this paper, we use magnetohydrodynamics theory to obtain the modified dispersion relation under the presence of electron beam with the help of the Poissons equation. We obtain dispersion relation as polynomial of the order of five under the various parameters. The real part of the root give phase velocity of the wave and the imaginary part give growth rate of the instability. The growth rate and the real frequency depend on the various parameters like magnetic field, density of electron, ion and electron beam, mass of the electron, ion and electron beam, initial velocity. The density and velocity of the electron beam affect the growth rate and real frequency of the wave. Therefore the electron beam play important role to control the growth rate and phase velocity of the wave. The effect of various parameters on the growth rate and phase velocity are investigated.
A COMMON FIXED POINT THEOREM FOR WEAKLY COMPATIBLE MAPPINGS
Authors: N. Chandra  , Joshi Bharti , Arya M. C. , C. Joshi Mahesh
Published: January 2023

The aim of the paper is to obtain a common fixed point theorem for a (ψ, φ)-weak contraction under a generalized rational type condition in a complete metric space. Our result generalizes many well known theorems of literature
A New Era of Automated Market-Makers (AMM) powered by Non-Fungible Tokens- A Review
Authors: Gupta Vimal , Malsa Komal
Published: January 2023

The most well-known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, is one of many that are sweeping the globe. Along with them, fungible tokens traded on numerous centralised or decentralised exchanges are different from non-fungible tokens traded on NFT marketplaces. The majority of NFTs are currently digital, and in the future, producers may innovate in this area to allow for more innovative user experiences. The blockchain and its NFTs can provide fantastic chances for artists and content producers to profit from their work. The NFT Marketplace intends to be at the centre of all these fantastic use cases for NFTs by giving users a platform to produce and exchange non-fungible tokens. NFTs offer a wide range of application cases. Automated Market Makers, which are essentially decentralised markets for crypto-tokens and offer users three core operations—depositing crypto tokens in exchange for AMM shares, performing a dual operation in which shares are obtained in exchange for base tokens, and exchanging two tokens for one another—are some of the main applications of DeFi. This conceptual research discusses AMMs that are already in existence on the Ethereum blockchain and their developments, including the AMM that is now being created on the Tezos blockchain. The goal of this study is to present a thorough understanding of blockchain technology and all of its practical uses, including voting, trading NFTs, etc. It then focuses on how NFTs are traded on various platforms before aiming for improved NFT trading marketplaces, namely Automated Market Makers on various blockchains like Ethereum and Tezos.
Assessment of Human Resource Management Practices among State Universities and Colleges in MIMAROPA Region
Authors: Gaac Elvin
Published: January 2023

Human resources management is one of the most important areas in the educational system which is directly concerned about the development, capability enhancement of, innovativeness and potentials of people in the community in particular and in the country in general. This paper assessed the extent of the practice of SUCs in MIMAROPA Region on the Civil Service Commission's rules and regulations on recruitment, selection and appointment, promotion, and faculty and staff development. The study was anchored on the motivation hygiene theory which distinguishes job satisfaction and dissatisfaction at work called "motivators"and "hygiene"needs respectively. This study employed descriptive-developmental research method using Input-Throughput-and0Output (ITO) process in determining the extent of practice on CSC's merit system policies. The process of data gathering employed distribution og questionnaires to administrators, support staff and faculty members of six state universities and colleges in Region IV-B coupled with guided informal interviews with selected respondents to generate qualitative data that support quantitative figures. Results of the study revealed that SUCs in MIMAROPA region practice Civil Service Commission's (CSC) merit system to moderate extent.
Influence of Age Combination and Protein Supplementation on the Rate of Lay, Egg Quality and Chick Viability
Authors: Ylagan Arthur
Published: January 2023

Farm trail was conducted to determine the effect of short-term game fowl management interventions on egg production and chick viability. It involved two studies. In study 1, the experimental treatments were: a) brood cock x brood pullets, b) brood stag x brood hens, c) brood cock x brood hens, and d) brood stag x brood pullets. In Study 2, protein supplementation at different day intervals with different dosage (number of capsule) were used: a) zero supplementation, b) one capsule per week, c) two capsules per week, and d) three capsules per week. Results showed that egg production, egg shape index, hatchability and chick viability were not influenced by age combination of brood fowls. with high protein concentrate and energy utilization enhancer did not influence egg production and egg and chick viability. There were relative improvements in egg and chick viability, suggesring that those may be with long term supplementation. It is recommended that a study for longer duration of time of pairing of different combinations be conducted to further test the productive efficiency in terms of rate of lay, hatchability and chick viability, and supplementing brood fowl with energy utilization enhancer for a longer duration of time and with a bigger experimental bird population.
The Cracking Tradition: Heritage Tourism Potentials of Banton Island and the Challenges Inherent to Indigenous Practices and External Forces
Authors: Mapalad Gina V. , Manzo Orfelina I. , Fornal Mae Stella A. , Motin Borromeo B.
Published: January 2023

Cultural heritage reflects one’s history, tradition, culture, and identity that made up a composite of a nation’s pride. MIMAROPA’s regional development plan noted the Province of Romblon with rich natural attraction and ecotourism potentials. Banton is an island municipality in the northern part of the province of Romblon known for its historical, cultural, and archaeological treasures. Using the emic and etic perspectives, this qualitative research presents Banton's gifts of history exhibited by archeological artifacts as the niche of heritage tourism and the fading tradition as a lost opportunity to present and future generations. It also discusses the culture, tradition, and practices best known to Bantoanons and the behavioral change influenced by government programs, technology, social media, and outmigration. Lastly, it presents an eye-opener proposition to counter the eroding culture through a holistic strategic planning through consensus building among members of the community.
Integrated Project Eureka Intervention: Effect on the Discourse Skills in English Among Grade 11 Students
Authors: Llorca Alma Gay , Blancia Garry Vanz , Villanueva Emelyn
Published: January 2023

This quasi-experimental study was conducted to determine the effect of Integrated Project Eureka Intervention (IPEI) on the Discourse Skills (DS) in English of Grade-11 Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students at Odiongan National High School. Two intact HUMSS classes were selected and assigned each to control and experimental groups, respectively. In determining the DS, a 20-item standardized assessment for communicative/discourse test was adapted from University of Louisville. T-test for independent samples was used to compare the mean pre-test scores in DS of the experimental and control classes. Analysis of Covariance was used to compare the post-test mean scores in DST between the two classes, using DST mean pre-test scores as covariates. Results of the investigation revealed that the IPEI was effective (ηp2 = 0.4) in improving the discourse skills of HUMSS students. A longer period of experimentation to fully ascertain the dosage of the intervention and to test the intervention to different strands in the senior high school program are recommended.
Effects of Four Teaching Strategies on the Academic Performance of Senior High School Students
Authors: Libo-on Joefel , Perez Jeannie
Published: January 2023

Determining the effects of four teaching strategies on the academic performance of senior high school students was the main objective of this study. The quasi-experimental design, specifically the equivalent pretest-posttest design was used. A grade-11 class was divided into four sections, the three sections served as the experimental classes subjected to game-based, outcome-based, and technology-based teaching strategies, and one section served as the control group who undertook the traditional teaching method. Results showed that all groups were at a "satisfactory" level of performance before the treatment. Although the means of the experimental groups increased a little than that of the control group after the treatment, still all groups were at a "satisfactory” level. Before treatment, all groups were comparable, but difference was observed after the treatment. Improvement from pretest to posttest performance of the experimental groups and control group was found for outcome-based and traditional teaching methods. However, no significant statistical differences were found between the pretest-posttest for the other pairings. The utilization of outcome-based teaching strategies is an effective way of enhancing the level of performance of students in Mathematics compared to other teaching strategies.  In the mean gain scores, statistical significance existed in the mathematics performance of the experimental groups and control group. Students exposed to outcome-based strategy performed better than those students who are exposed to other teaching strategies; while game-based, outcome-based, technology-based, and traditional teaching methods also improved the mathematics performance of students.
Design and Development of Romblon State University Romblon Campus Accreditation Data Warehouse
Authors: Mindoro-Mesana Joy Mariz , Mesana James Patrick , Mariño Lynie
Published: January 2023

Accreditation is conducted to assess and upgrade the educational quality of higher education institutions and programs, which requires complete documents for the precise information specification before the expert's review. Therefore, the documents and records of an institution must be effectively preserved to facilitate compliance with accreditation requirements. However, the data generally comes from different sources of various types, unstructured and distributed. This study designed a data warehouse to incorporate all the documents in preparation for college accreditation. The data warehouse was developed in a five-step process, considering the accreditation assessment with an emphasis on academics. Systems Development Life Cycle model was used in the development of the system. The ISO/IEC 25010:2011 standard was used to evaluate the system's acceptability using the eight characteristics. However, only applicable sub-characteristics such as suitability, efficiency, compatibility, usability, reliability, security, and maintainability were applied to evaluate the system. This standard ensures that the system meets the user's preference with the system being satisfied, and the essential features like uploading, viewing, and system maintenance by the administrator, are at their most excellent functional operation. The parameters which were created by the system can be used by other satellite campuses of Romblon State University, as well as other universities applying for accreditation of the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP).
Emotional Intelligence, Consumer-Perceived Values, and E-Shopping Satisfaction: A Mediation Analysis
Authors: Eusebio Ellaine Joy , Faeldan Feve , Moreno Evaliza
Published: January 2023

Filipinos’ interest in online shopping is growing, and businesses know that they should adapt to this new marketing landscape. To win, business managers should strategize on how to compete in satisfying their online customers. This paper explores the effects of emotional intelligence (EI) on consumers’ shopping satisfaction (SS). Further, it studies if consumer perceived values, namely utilitarian values (UV) and hedonic values (HV), mediate their relationship. The respondents were the regular faculty of the Romblon State University, main campus, who have engaged in online shopping. The researchers used descriptive statistics (i.e., mean, standard deviation), and the linear and mediated regression analysis. The results show that EI affects HD, UV, and SS, while HD and UV affect SS. Moreover, the results reveal that UV fully mediates and HD partially mediates the relationship between EI and SS.
Succession of Multijurisdictional Estates: Conflict of Laws, Conflict of Jurisdictions and Substantive International Regulatory Treatment
Authors: Novikov Vladislav Sergeevich
Published: January 2023

An essential part of contemporary international civil law practice consists of matters concerning succession of multijurisdictional estates, which in turn accounts for the practical significance and relevance of the scientific study of the regulatory treatment of the respective matters. An understanding of the subject matter of conflict of laws and international civil procedure is essential to effective succession of international estates for clients who own assets in or otherwise have significant contacts with more than one jurisdiction. The primary focus of this article is to describe the approaches to resolving the most typical problems in the practice of succession of multijurisdictional estates on the basis of analysis of the legal doctrine, legislative enactments and case law of foreign jurisdictions. The author considers the approaches to solving the most typical problems of succession of multinational estates, in particular: the practical importance of the location of a testator's assets, the formal validity of testamentary dispositions, establishment of the true domicile of a person, the advantages and disadvantages of a single multijurisdictional will disposing of international property, etc. In the context of these problems the author analyses Regulation EU № 650/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and acceptance and enforcement of authentic instruments in matters of succession and on the creation of a European Certificate of Succession; Convention of 5 October 1961 on the Conflicts of Laws Relating to the Form of Testamentary Dispositions; Convention of 25 November 1973 providing a Uniform Law on the Form of an International Will.
Making Sense of the Response to COVID-19 in Higher Education: A Case Study of Crisis Communication in Two Universities
Authors: Palumbo Giuseppe , Hill Duin Ann
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic brought extreme challenges and disruption to higher education, resulting in hurried adoption of online teaching. From the point of view of crisis communication, the COVID-19 pandemic as experienced in HE institutions represents an interesting case, because crisis management and communication were primarily, if not exclusively, directed at internal stakeholders (essentially, students and staff ). We present a case study that compares and contrasts the COVID-related responses of two different universities: the University of Minnesota, in the U.S., and the University of Trieste, in Italy. In particular, we look at the sets of documents issued by the leadership of these universities over a period of 23 months between February 2020 (the start of the health crisis) and December 2021. The analysis of the documents revealed that unexpected spaces of freedom empowered instructors. We identify four discursive traits associated with these spaces: definitional change, code glossing, and the use of engagement markers and permissives. However, this empowerment changed over time, as universities became eager to go back to “normal” and reinstate restrictions from pre-pandemic times.
Periodontal Status of Active Age Population in the Republic of Bulgaria
Authors: Nenov Stanislav , Bozhinov Petar , Bonev Boyko
Published: January 2023

Periodontal health is an important component of oral health. Numerous studies prove the progressing nature of periodontal diseases and their dependence on a number of demographic and socio-economic factors.

The purpose of the study is to examine the periodontal status of the active age population in the Republic of Bulgaria and to define its dependence on social and demographic factors.

To accomplish the study goals epidemiological and survey cards were developed and approbated and epidemiological study was conducted, including clinical dental examination and anonymous survey among 416 Bulgarian citizens aged 18 to 65 years. The results were statistically analyzed to establish the dependencies between the periodontal status and socio-demographic factors.

Only 69 (16.59%) of the study subjects have no periodontal problems (CPI = 0) in all sextants, while all other patients have different degrees of periodontal disease. One can witness an increase of the periodontal disease incidence, proportional to the age of the patients, as well as its decrease with increasing the frequency of dental visits on behalf of the patients and their oral health self-assessment. Healthy periodontal tissues prevail in young patients and urban population. Gingival inflammation and calculus are prevalent among middle-aged people, rural population as well as in individuals of lower educational level. Periodontal pockets of varying depths are being registered mostly among the older people and the subjects with low and average income. Higher severity of the periodontal pathology is observed in individuals of lower educational levels and lower income.

These facts verify the conclusion about an inadequate state commitment as regards the dental health problems of the population, while bearing in mind that the treatment of periodontal conditions is not reimbursed by NHIF.
Growth Performance, Carcass Composition and Tenderness of Meat in Male Layer-type Chickens Slaughtered at Different Age
Authors: Teodora Teodora , Petkov Evgeni , Ignatova Maya , Dragoev Stefan , Vlahova-Vangelova Desislava , Balev Desislav , Kolev Nikolay
Published: January 2023

An experiment with male layer-type chickens was carried out in the Institute of Animal Science-Kostinbrod, aiming to investigate their growth performance and carcass composition, as well as the cooking loss and tenderness of the meat at the age of 5 and 9 weeks. The birds were reared in controlled microclimate, with initial stocking density of 22 birds/m2. After 5 weeks of age, fragmentation of the stocking density was applied and it was diminished to 7 birds/m2. Chickens were slaughtered at 5 and 9 weeks of age, and 10 chickens of each age group were subjected to carcass analysis. The average live weight of the birds at 5 weeks was 329 g, while the 9 weeks old chickens reached 1096 g. In order to attain the weight of the first age of slaughter (5 weeks) the chickens gained 294.03 g with a feed conversion ratio of 2.97, whereas for the whole period the feed conversion ratio was 2.91. The dressing percentage of the 5 weeks old chicks was 51.26%. For the 9 weeks old it was 77.62%. The age affected the yield of the main carcass components and the older birds had higher yield of breast (P=0.0035) and thighs (P<0.0001). The cooking loss for both breast and thigh meat was higher in younger chickens (P<0.0001). The tenderness measured as Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of breast and thigh remained unaffected by the age at slaughter. Its values classified the meat of the male layer-type chickens from this trial as “very tender”.
Geometric control of myosin II orientation during axis elongation
Authors: Lefebvre Matthew F , Claussen Nikolas H , Mitchell Noah P , Gustafson Hannah J , Streichan Sebastian J
Published: January 2023

The actomyosin cytoskeleton is a crucial driver of morphogenesis. Yet how the behavior of large-scale cytoskeletal patterns in deforming tissues emerges from the interplay of geometry, genetics, and mechanics remains incompletely understood. Convergent extension in Drosophila melanogaster embryos provides the opportunity to establish a quantitative understanding of the dynamics of anisotropic non-muscle myosin II. Cell-scale analysis of protein localization in fixed embryos suggests that gene expression patterns govern myosin anisotropy via complex rules. However, technical limitations have impeded quantitative and dynamic studies of this process at the whole embryo level, leaving the role of geometry open. Here, we combine in toto live imaging with quantitative analysis of molecular dynamics to characterize the distribution of myosin anisotropy and the corresponding genetic patterning. We found pair rule gene expression continuously deformed, flowing with the tissue frame. In contrast, myosin anisotropy orientation remained approximately static and was only weakly deflected from the stationary dorsal-ventral axis of the embryo. We propose that myosin is recruited by a geometrically defined static source, potentially related to the embryo-scale epithelial tension, and account for transient deflections by cytoskeletal turnover and junction reorientation by flow. With only one parameter, this model quantitatively accounts for the time course of myosin anisotropy orientation in wild-type, twist, and even-skipped embryos, as well as embryos with perturbed egg geometry. Geometric patterning of the cytoskeleton suggests a simple physical strategy to ensure a robust flow and formation of shape.
An atrial fibrillation-associated regulatory region modulates cardiac Tbx5 levels and arrhythmia susceptibility
Authors: Bosada Fernanda M , van Duijvenboden Karel , Giovou Alexandra E , Rivaud Mathilde R , Uhm Jae-Sun , Verkerk Arie O , Boukens Bastiaan J , Christoffels Vincent M
Published: January 2023

Heart development and rhythm control are highly Tbx5 dosage-sensitive. TBX5 haploinsufficiency causes congenital conduction disorders, whereas increased expression levels of TBX5 in human heart samples has been associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). We deleted the conserved mouse orthologues of two independent AF-associated genomic regions in the Tbx5 locus, one intronic (RE(int)) and one downstream (RE(down)) of Tbx5. In both lines, we observed a modest (30%) increase of Tbx5 in the postnatal atria. To gain insight into the effects of slight dosage increase in vivo, we investigated the atrial transcriptional, epigenetic and electrophysiological properties of both lines. Increased atrial Tbx5 expression was associated with induction of genes involved in development, ion transport and conduction, with increased susceptibility to atrial arrhythmias, and increased action potential duration of atrial cardiomyocytes. We identified an AF-associated variant in the human RE(int) that increases its transcriptional activity. Expression of the AF-associated transcription factor Prrx1 was induced in Tbx5RE(int)KO cardiomyocytes. We found that some of the transcriptional and functional changes in the atria caused by increased Tbx5 expression were normalized when reducing cardiac Prrx1 expression in Tbx5RE(int)KO mice, indicating an interaction between these two AF genes. We conclude that modest increases in expression of dose-dependent transcription factors, caused by common regulatory variants, significantly impact on the cardiac gene regulatory network and disease susceptibility.
Discrimination of foreign bodies in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) grains using convolutional neural networks with a transfer learning approach
Authors: Avila-George Himer , De-la-Torre Miguel , Sánchez-Garcés Jorge , Coaquira Quispe Joel Jerson , Prieto Jose Manuel , Castro Wilson
Published: January 2023

The rising interest in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is due to its high protein content and gluten-free condition; nonetheless, the presence of foreign bodies in quinoa processing facilities is an issue that must be addressed. As a result, convolutional neural networks have been adopted, mostly because of their data extraction capabilities, which had not been utilized before for this purpose. Consequently, the main objective of this work is to evaluate convolutional neural networks with a learning transfer for foreign bodies identification in quinoa samples. For experimentation, quinoa samples were collected and manually split into 17 classes: quinoa grains and 16 foreign bodies. Then, one thousand images were obtained from each class in RGB space and transformed into four different color spaces (L*a*b*, HSV, YCbCr, and Gray). Three convolutional neural networks (AlexNet, MobileNetv2, and DenseNet-201) were trained using the five color spaces, and the evaluation results were expressed in terms of accuracy and F-score. All the CNN approaches compared showed an F-score ranging from 98% to 99%; both color space and CNN structure were found to have significant effects on the F-score. Also, DenseNet-201 was the most robust architecture and, at the same time, the most time-consuming. These results evidence the capacity of CNN architectures to be used for the discrimination of foreign bodies in quinoa processing facilities.
Exploring the mechanisms by which camel lactoferrin can kill Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium and Shigella sonnei
Authors: Almehdar Hussein A. , Abd El-Baky Nawal , Mattar Ehab H. , Albiheyri Raed , Bamagoos Atif , Aljaddawi Abdullah , Uversky Vladimir N. , Redwan Elrashdy M.
Published: January 2023

There is a continuously increasing pressure associated with the appearance of Salmonella enterica Serovar typhimurium (S. typhimurium) and Shigella sonnei (S. sonnei) that have developed pathogenic multiple antibiotic resistance and the cost of cure and control of these enterobacteriaceae infections increases annually. The current report for first time demonstrated the distinguished antimicrobial action of camel lactoferrin (cLf) obtained from the milk of different clans of camel in Saudi Arabia against S. typhimurium and S. sonnei. These cLf subtypes showed comparable antimicrobial potential when tested against the two bacterial strains but were superior to either bovine (bLf) or human lactoferrin (hLf). The synergism between lactoferrins and antibiotics concerning their antibacterial efficacies against the two bacterial strains was evident. Exploring mechanisms by which camel lactoferrin can kill S. typhimurium and S. sonnei revealed that cLf affects bacterial protein profile. Besides, it interacts with bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and numerous membrane proteins of S. typhimurium and S. sonnei, with each bacterial strain possessing distinctive binding membrane proteins for lactoferrin. Furthermore, as evidenced by electron microscopy analysis, cLf induces extracellular and intracellular morphological changes in the test bacterial strains when used alone or in combination treatment with antibiotics. Lactoferrin and antibiotics combination strongly disrupts the integrity of the bacterial cells and their membranes. Therefore, cLf can kill S. typhimurium and S. sonnei by four different mechanisms, such as iron chelation, affecting some bacterial proteins, binding to bacterial LPS and membrane proteins, and impairing the integrity of the bacterial cells and their membranes.
Sanctity
Authors: Farid Huma
Published: January 2023

In this narrative medicine essay, an obstetrician finds relief from the frenetic intrusions of text messages, pages, and emails when in the operating room, where all devices are turned off and all her attention is turned on to her patient.
Felix, procurator of Judaea
Authors: Curran John
Published: January 2023

(Marcus?) Antonius Felix was a freedman of the emperor Claudius and brother of Pallas, one of the most trusted of emperor Nero's freedmen.
Bitumen, ancient Egypt
Authors: Harrell James A.
Published: January 2023

Bitumen is a general term for natural hydrocarbons, including asphalt, tar, and petroleum. It was widely used in antiquity for many practical applications with the most notable of these a preservative for ancient Egyptian mummies. The principal source of bitumen was the Dead Sea in Palestine, but Egypt also had other sources in the form of petroleum seeps on the shores of the Gulf of Suez. The best documented of these is the one at Gebel Zeit on the gulf's west coast. Bitumen‐impregnated limestone was also employed by the Egyptians to a minor extent for architectural and sculptural applications.
Mineralogy
Authors: Harrell James A.
Published: January 2023

Most of what we understand about the ancient knowledge of the origins and properties of rocks and minerals comes from the surviving works of two classical writers: the
On Stones
of Theophrastus (ca. 372–287
bce
), and the
Natural History
(books 33–37) of Pliny the Elder (ca. 23–79
ce
). There are also scattered mineralogical references in other texts, such as the
Library of History
of Diodorus of Sicily, the
Geography
of Strabo of Amaseia, and the epigrams of Posidippus of Pella. Many of the names given to stones by the ancient authors survive in the modern mineralogical and petrological nomenclature.
Tumor Microenvironment Responsive Hollow Nanoplatform for Triple Amplification of Oxidative Stress to Enhance Cuproptosis‐Based Synergistic Cancer Therapy
Authors: Xu Weijun , Wang Yaping , Hou Guanghui , Wang Jinlei , Wang Taibing , Qian Junmin , Suo Aili
Published: January 2023

Cuproptosis is a recently discovered form of programmed cell death and shows great potential in cancer treatment. Herein, a copper‐dithiocarbamate chelate‐doped and artemisinin‐loaded hollow nanoplatform (HNP) is developed via a chelation competition‐induced hollowing strategy for cuproptosis‐based combination therapy. The HNP exhibits tumor microenvironment‐triggered catalytic activity, wherein liberated Cu2+ catalyzes artemisinin and endogenous H2O2 to produce C‐centered radicals and hydroxyl radicals, respectively. Meanwhile, the disulfide bonds‐rich HNP can deplete intracellular glutathione, thus triply amplifying tumor oxidative stress. The augmented oxidative stress sensitizes cancer cells to the cuproptosis, causing prominent dihydrolipoamide S‐acetyltransferase oligomerization and mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, the HNP can activate ferroptosis via inhibiting GPX4 activity and trigger apoptosis via dithiocarbamate‐copper chelate‐mediated ubiquitinated proteins accumulation, resulting in potent antitumor efficacy. Such a cuproptosis/ferroptosis/apoptosis synergetic strategy opens a new avenue for cancer therapy.
Zn‐Loaded SBA‐1 and SBA‐15 Molecular Sieves for Combined Antimicrobial and Osteogenic Activity
Authors: Trinh Hoang Trung , Tran Thi Kim Anh , Arora Shuchi , George Suchi Mercy , Sheri Jolitta , Li Zhixuan , Yang Jae‐Hun , Naruphontjirakul Parichart , Balani Kantesh , Karakoti Ajay , Vinu Ajayan
Published: January 2023

Mesoporous silica‐based materials are currently being explored as a new type of bioscaffold for bone regeneration applications. Zinc(Zn) ion incorporation is shown to play an important role in promoting bone regeneration and also providing antimicrobial activity to the scaffold materials. In this work, the role of pore size, geometry, and ordered structure on the Zn loading and release performance of two different mesoporous silica, SBA‐1 and SBA‐15, are compared. Zn loading is varied from 2.5 to 10 wt% for both samples, and its effect on the antibacterial and osteogenic activity is evaluated. Zn loading up to 10 wt% has a negligible effect on the morphology and textural properties of the mesoporous silica samples. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) analysis reveals that SBA‐15 exhibits significantly higher Zn release in Luria‐Bertani (LB) broth as compared to SBA‐1 that is reflected in the higher antibacterial activity of SBA‐15 against both gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria. Various assays show that 5 wt% Zn loading is sufficient to produce both bactericidal and inhibitory effects on bacterial cells. The 5 wt% Zn‐loaded samples induce osteogenic differentiation ofavianized bone marow‐derived stromal cells (TVA‐BMSCs) though SBA‐15 samples show better compatibility compared to SBA‐1, suggesting that Zn incorporation can produce sufficient antibacterial effect and osteogenic differentiation of TVA‐BMSCs.
Membrane Targeted Azobenzene Drives Optical Modulation of Bacterial Membrane Potential
Authors: de Souza‐Guerreiro Tailise Carolina , Bondelli Gaia , Grobas Iago , Donini Stefano , Sesti Valentina , Bertarelli Chiara , Lanzani Guglielmo , Asally Munehiro , Paternò Giuseppe Maria
Published: January 2023

Recent studies have shown that bacterial membrane potential is dynamic and plays signaling roles. Yet, little is still known about the mechanisms of membrane potential dynamics regulation—owing to a scarcity of appropriate research tools. Optical modulation of bacterial membrane potential could fill this gap and provide a new approach for studying and controlling bacterial physiology and electrical signaling. Here, the authors show that a membrane‐targeted azobenzene (Ziapin2) can be used to photo‐modulate the membrane potential in cells of the Gram‐positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. It is found that upon exposure to blue–green light (λ = 470 nm), isomerization of Ziapin2 in the bacteria membrane induces hyperpolarization of the potential. To investigate the origin of this phenomenon, ion‐channel‐deletion strains and ion channel blockers are examined. The authors found that in presence of the chloride channel blocker idanyloxyacetic acid‐94 (IAA‐94) or in absence of KtrAB potassium transporter, the hyperpolarization response is attenuated. These results reveal that the Ziapin2 isomerization can induce ion channel opening in the bacterial membrane and suggest that Ziapin2 can be used for studying and controlling bacterial electrical signaling. This new optical tool could contribute to better understand various microbial phenomena, such as biofilm electric signaling and antimicrobial resistance.
The Ghost of Separability Continues to Haunt the English Courts
Authors: Samuel Adam
Published: January 2023

The ghost of separability continues to haunt English law.
The New Corporate Counsel Guide for Arbitration in Brazil: Preparation, and the Role of the In‐House Counsel
Authors: Costa Monica
Published: January 2023

An engaged in‐house counsel is a key player on an arbitration team. Depending on the style, some may be more active and become directly involved in every step of the case. Others may prefer to work on strategic issues and leave the execution of tasks for external counsels. But in no circumstances should the in‐house counsel be absent or distant from the arbitration proceeding and the external team.
The Law Is Enforced by ADR Processes. They Work
Authors: Bleemer Russ
Published: January 2023

Into its fourth decade, the Americans with Disabilities Act has taken its place alongside the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a successful step in addressing discriminatory conduct in the United States. The law prohibits discrimination in hiring and on the job, in governmental and public activities, transportation, at public accommodations like hotels, restaurants, and theaters, and ensures access to telecommunications systems for speech and hearing impaired individuals.
Revisiting 30 Years of Disabilities Practice
Authors: Cohen Judy , Braun Joan , Frost Lynda , Wood Erica F.
Published: January 2023

This four‐installment set of Alternatives articles adapts the second part of a web feature on the Americans with Disabilities Act Mediation Guidelines (available at https://bit.ly/ADAMediationGuidelinesWeb). The first part of the web examination was serialized starting May 2, 2021—a series of weekly refresher posts on the NYC‐DR listserv (see https://bit.ly/CUNYDRCListservSub) of the CUNY Dispute Resolution Center (available at https://bit.ly/CUNYDRC). It walks through the first section of the Guidelines on program and case administration, which includes program development, disability access to mediation, and mediator recruitment and selection. The posts in the first part of the ADA Mediation Guidelines refresher series are available at https://bit.ly/GuidelinesRefresherSeriesPartI.