bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Faktor yang Memengaruhi Asertivitas Perempuan di Kabupaten Nias
Authors: Wigunawati Eustalia
Published: April 2020

Abstrak: Masyarakat Kabupaten Nias merupakan penganut budaya patriarki. Perempuan masih dianggap sebagai pelengkap bagi laki-laki dan bukan individu yang berdaya. Kondisi ini membuat perempuan rentan mengalami kekerasan. Kekerasan yang dialami perempuan menggambarkan seorang yang tidak memiliki asertivitas. Asertivitas penting dimiliki oleh perempuan dalam menghadapi banyak situasi yang kurang menguntungkan. Apa yang menyebabkan perempuan di Nias kurang memiliki asertivitas? Artikel ini mencoba menguraikan faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi asertivitas perempuan di Kabupaten Nias. Adapun faktor yang mempengaruhi asertivitas antara lain jenis kelamin, budaya, pendidikan, situasi tertentu yang dialami, dan harga diri. Adapun tujuan dari artikel ini adalah untuk mengetahui gambaran mengenai faktor-faktor yang memengaruhi asertivitas perempuan di Nias. Harapannya, kajian ini dapat menjadi langkah awal dalam melakukan intervensi untuk meningkatkan asertivitas perempuan di Nias.

Kata Kunci: Asertivitas, Perempuan, Nias, Patriarki

Abstract:

Key Words: The Nias District community is a follower of patriarchal culture. Women are still considered to be complementary to men and not empowered individuals. This condition makes women vulnerable to violence. Violence experienced by women describes a person who does not have assertiveness. Asertivity is important for women to face in many disadvantaged situations. What causes women in Nias District to have low assertiveness? This article tries to describe the factors that influence women's assertiveness in Nias District. The factors that influence assertiveness include gender, culture, education, certain situations experienced, and self-esteem. The purpose of this article is to find out an overview of the factors that influence women's assertiveness in Nias District. The hope, this study can be the first step in intervening to improve women's assertiveness in Nias.

Key words: Asertivity, Women, Nias, Patriarchal
Yoksulların ve SYDV Görevlilerinin Kendi Deneyimleri Çerçevesinde Bir Utanç ve Mücadele Meselesi Olarak "Yoksulluk ve Sosyal Yardım"
Authors: SAYGI DOĞRU Emma
Published: April 2020

Bu makalede yoksulluk yardımı alan yoksul kimseler ve yoksulluk yardımı dağıtmakla sorumlu olan Sosyal Yardımlaşma ve Dayanışma Vakfı (SYDV) çalışanlarının yoksulluk yardımını nasıl değerlendirdikleri, hangi kavramlar üzerinden bu olguyu anlamaya çalıştıkları ve bu iki grubun yoksulluk, yoksulluk yardımı ve yoksul kimselere ilişkin düşüncelerinin benzerlik veya farklılıkları ele alınmaktadır. Bu makaleye konu olan çalışma, 2016 yılında SYDV’ den yardım almak için başvuruda bulunmuş 40 başvuru sahibi ve 20 SYDV çalışanı ile nitel yöntem izlenerek yapılmış olan bir doktora tezi çalışmasıdır(Saygı Doğru, 2016). Çalışma sonucunda elde edilen veriler, SYDV görevlilerinin iddialarının yoksulların çalışmaya isteksiz, devlet yardımlarına bağımlı yaşamayı tercih eden bir toplumsal grup olduğu, utanç duygularını kaybetmiş oldukları ve devletin bu kimselerin her türlü ihtiyacını “yurttaşlık hakkı” kapsamında karşılamaya çalıştığı yönündedir. Diğer taraftan, yoksul başvuru sahipleri açısından yoksulluktan kurtulmanın yegane yolu çalışmaktır. Devlet yardımına başvuru yapmak bu kimseler açısından utanç vericidir ve devlet yardımları neo liberal politikaların yarattığı eşitsiz sistem ve yarattığı olumsuz koşullar çerçevesinde değerlendirildiğinde hem nitelik hem nicelik yönünden yaşanan yoksulluğun karşısında oldukça yetersizdir.
Ilgaz Dağları Periglasyal Şekillerinde Oluşmuş Toprakların Fizikokimyasal Özellikleri ile Bazı Erozyon Duyarlılık Parametreleri Arasındaki İlişkilerin Belirlenmesi
Authors: DEDE Volkan , DENGİZ Orhan , DEMİRAĞ TURAN İnci , TÜRKEŞ Murat , GÖKÇE Caner , SERİN Soner
Published: April 2020

Çalışmanın amacı, Ilgaz Dağları’nın zirve kuşağında farklı yüksekliklerde gelişmiş periglasyal şekillerden girland, taş kümesi, çember, tufur ve konjelitürbasyon depoları içerisinde oluşmuş toprakların farklı fizikokimyasal özellikleri ile erozyon duyarlılık parametreleri arasındaki ilişkinin belirlenmesidir. Ayrıca bu çalışmada, erozyon duyarlılık parametrelerinin yükseklik ile olan ilişkisi de ele alınmıştır. Bu amaçla, 1943 m ile 2398 m yükseltileri arasında oluşmuş periglasyal şekillerden 27 adet toprak örneklemesi yapılmıştır. Toprakların bünye, pH, EC, organik madde, kireç, hacim ağırlığı, hidrolik geçirgenlik özellikleri analiz edilmiş ve erozyon duyarlılık parametrelerinden agregat stabilitesi (AS), dispersiyon oranı (DO), strüktür stabilitesi indeksi (SSI), kil oranı (KO) ve kabuk oluşumu (CF) arasındaki ilişkilerin önemli olduğu gösterilmiştir. Ayrıca, yükseklik ile AS, DO ve CF arasında anlamlı farklılaştırma olduğu belirlenmesine karşın, yükseklik ile SSI ve KO’nun anlamlı bir farklılaştırma göstermediği bulunmuştur.
Stakeholder Equity
Authors: LOH Kok Choy
Published: April 2020

Abstract: Pay inequality, tax avoidance, abuse of superior bargaining power, pollution…the list of corporate misdeeds keeps growing. No company wants to be labelled as being guilty of these practices. Therefore some mention of corporate social responsibility has become de rigueur in corporate annual reports. But short of making high sounding declarations how can a company show that its practices have been fair and socially responsible? This article starts with the premise that society, employees, suppliers, creditors and shareholders have a collective stake in the wellbeing of the company, and that the company’s performance should be judged by its returns to all stakeholders. This view contrasts with the usual shareholder centric measurements of corporate performance. This article demonstrates that it is feasible, by using information that is available in a corporation’s annual report, and in particular information in its financial statements, to measure corporate performance that maximises returns to all stakeholders.
Phrase indexing and the identification of related academic research content
Authors: Powell Alexander
Published: April 2020

Work to automate the identification of related articles in corpora of academic research content is described. Pairs of related articles are recognised on the basis of the phrases they contain, using a similarity measure that emphasizes the importance of phrase overlap. Phrases are weighted according to their significance, evaluated in terms of statistical under- or over-representation relative to corpus-level frequency, and the significance scores of n-grams with higher n values are boosted. The measure proves broadly effective at identifying meaningfully related pairs of content items and may provide a useful basis for the development of ‘see also’-type functionality.
Increased Azithromycin Susceptibility of Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria on RPMI-1640 Agar Assessed by Disk Diffusion Testing
Authors: Meerwein Milton , Tarnutzer Andrea , Böni Michelle , Van Bambeke Françoise , Hombach Michael , Zinkernagel Annelies S.
Published: April 2020

Increasing antibiotic resistances and a lack of new antibiotics render the treatment of Gram-negative bacterial infections increasingly difficult. Therefore, additional approaches are being investigated. Macrolides are not routinely used against Gram-negative bacteria due to lack of evidence of in vitro effectiveness. However, it has been shown that Pseudomonas spp. are susceptible to macrolides in liquid RPMI-1640 and clinical data suggest improvement in patients’ outcomes. So far, these findings have been hardly applicable to the clinical setting due to lack of routine low-complexity antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for macrolides. We therefore optimized and compared broth microdilution and disk diffusion AST. Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were tested for azithromycin susceptibility by disk diffusion and broth microdilution in Mueller–Hinton and RPMI-1640 media. Azithromycin susceptibility of Enterobacteriaceae and a subgroup of P. aeruginosa increased significantly on RPMI-1640 agar compared to Mueller–Hinton agar. Further, a significant correlation (Kendall, τ, p) of zone diameters and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) was found on RPMI-1640 agar for E. coli (−0.4279, 0.0051), E. cloacae (−0.3783, 0.0237) and P. aeruginosa (−0.6477, <0.0001). Performing routine disk diffusion AST on RPMI-1640 agar may lead to the identification of additional therapeutic possibilities for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in the routine clinical diagnostic setting.
High-Value Plant Species Used for the Treatment of “Fever” by the Karen Hill Tribe People
Authors: Phumthum Methee , Sadgrove Nicholas J.
Published: April 2020

The symptom “fever” is generally not itself a terminal condition. However, it does occur with common mild to severe ailments afflicting the world population. Several allopathic medicines are available to attenuate fever by targeting the pathogen or the symptom itself. However, many people in marginal civilizations are obligated to use locally grown medicinal plants due to limited access to common pharmaceuticals. The Karen ethnic group is the biggest ethnic minority group in the hill-tribes of Thailand. They utilise a vast repertoire of medicinal plant species. Since many modern drugs were discovered out of traditional therapies, it is possible to discover new allopathic drugs in the treatment of fever and associated pathogens from the Karen people. Thus, this study aims to identify and record the ethnomedicinal plants they used for the treatment of “fever”. The names of plants used by the Thai Karen people for the treatment of fever were mined from publications on ethnomedicinal uses. Useful plant species and families were identified using the Cultural Importance Index (CI). With the mined data, 125 plant species from 52 families were identified, distributed across 25 Karen villages. A chemical cross-examination of these species provided valuable insights into chemical classes worthy of further investigation in the context of fever and associated pathogens.
Do Antioxidant Vitamins Prevent Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage? A Systematic Review
Authors: Martinez-Ferran María , Sanchis-Gomar Fabian , Lavie Carl J. , Lippi Giuseppe , Pareja-Galeano Helios
Published: April 2020

Free radicals produced during exercise play a role in modulating cell signaling pathways. High doses of antioxidants may hamper adaptations to exercise training. However, their benefits are unclear. This review aims to examine whether vitamin C (VitC) and/or vitamin E (VitE) supplementation (SUP) prevents exercise-induced muscle damage. The PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus databases were searched, and 21 articles were included. Four studies examined the effects of acute VitC SUP given pre-exercise: in one study, lower CK levels post-exercise was observed; in three, no difference was recorded. In one study, acute VitE SUP reduced CK activity 1 h post-exercise in conditions of hypoxia. In three studies, chronic VitE SUP did not reduce CK activity after an exercise session. Chronic VitE SUP did not reduce creatine kinase (CK) concentrations after three strength training sessions, but it was effective after 6 days of endurance training in another study. Chronic SUP with VitC + E reduced CK activity post-exercise in two studies, but there was no such effect in four studies. Finally, three studies described the effects of chronic VitC + E SUP and long-term exercise, reporting dissimilar results. To conclude, although there is some evidence of a protective effect of VitC and/or VitE against exercise-induced muscle damage, the available data are not conclusive.
Comparative Performance of a Hybrid Renewable Energy Generation System with Dynamic Load Demand
Authors: Piero Rojas Jhan , Valencia Ochoa Guillermo , Duarte Forero Jorge
Published: April 2020

This article presents the modeling and simulation of a hybrid generation system, which uses solar energy generation, wind energy, and the regulation of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) cell to raise the demanded load, empowering the use of these hydride systems worldwide. This generation system was simulated for different locations in Puerto Bolivar (Colombia), Bremen (Germany), Beijing (China), and Texas (USA), for two demand profiles. The data used for the simulation was calculated using the mathematical solar model proposed by Beistow and Campbell for solar radiation. In contrast, for the wind resource evaluation, the Weibull probability distribution was used to calculate the most probable wind speed for each day, according to the historical data for each of the studied locations. Considering these data, the process transfer functions were used for tuning the control parameters for the hydrogen and oxygen production system. For the evaluation of the performance of these controllers, the indices of the absolute value of the error (IAE), the integral of the square of the error (ISE), the integral of the absolute value of the error for time (ITAE), and the integral of the square of the error for time (ITSE) were used. It was found that in the second load profile studied, better performance of the ITSE performance parameter was obtained, with stabilization times lower than those of the first profile.
Determination of the Optimum Amount of Superplasticizer Additive for Self-Compacting Concrete
Authors: Sainz-Aja Jose A. , Carrascal Isidro A. , Polanco Juan A. , Sosa Israel , Thomas Carlos , Casado Jose , Diego Soraya
Published: April 2020

Self-compacting concrete modifies its workability with small variations in the amount of superplasticizer additive. For this reason, large number of tests are required to monitor its workability. In order to determine the appropriate amount of additive for a single mix, the evolution of the power consumption of the concrete mixer during the addition of small amounts of additive to the concrete was analyzed. These results were compared both with typical workability characterization for self-compacting concrete and with the saturation point results, determined by the Marsh cone method. After this comparison, a good correlation was obtained between the results from the traditional tests and the proposed “concrete mixer method”.
Biodegradable Polylactide Scaffolds with Pharmacological Activity by Means of Ultrasound Micromolding Technology
Authors: Olmo Cristian , Franco Lourdes , del Valle Luis J. , Puiggalí Jordi
Published: April 2020

Ultrasound micromolding technology has been applied to get microporous polylactide scaffolds from the subsequent leaching of incorporated NaCl salts. A small amount of water-soluble polyethylene glycol (PEG) was required in order to improve the leaching process and get compact pieces with interconnected pores. Distribution of polymers in the processed specimens was quite homogeneous due to the small PEG content, although it was more concentrated in the regions close to the feeding channels due to its higher viscosity. Hydrophobic drugs like triclosan could be incorporated causing a minimum degradation during ultrasound processing and suffering an insignificant solubilization during the leaching step. Final scaffolds showed clear bactericide or bacteriostatic effects before and after 10 h of exposure. Cell proliferation of MDCK epithelial cells was higher for TCS loaded porous scaffolds (200%) than for unloaded samples (170%) and non-porous polylactide (PLA) specimens (100%, control). Micrographs showed the absence of non-inhibition areas in both the specimens and the container, confirming the biocompatibility of PLA specimens.
Experimental Study of Bridge Foundation Reinforced with Front and Back Rows of Anti-Slide Piles on Gravel Soil Slope under El Centro Waves
Authors: Zou Zuyin , Lei Da , Jiang Guanlu , Luo Bin , Chang Shuzhen , Hou Chaoping
Published: April 2020

A shaking table test for a bridge foundation reinforced with the front and back rows of anti-slide piles on a gravel soil slope was designed. The test results were obtained by loading El Centro waves with different peak accelerations. It was not an advantage for the deformation of bridge pile foundation while the distance between the front-row anti-slide piles and pier was large. The back-row anti-slide piles played a major role in seismic reinforcement, and the peak bending moment of the pile shaft and the peak earth pressure behind the pile had a triangular distribution. The distance from the crack to the sliding surface of the anti-slide pile was approximately one fifth of the length of the anchoring section. As the crack propagated, the bearing capacity of the pile shaft decreased gradually. Since the influence of pier inertia force and soil horizontal thrust, a peak negative bending moment and a peak positive bending moment were observed near the pile top and the sliding surface respectively. The rate of attenuation of the bending moment from the top of the pile along its depth was related to the resistance of the soil around the pile. The stress-induced deformation of the pile foundation behind the pier was larger than that in front of the pier. The peak ground acceleration (PGA) amplification factor of the slope had a vertical amplification effect and a layered distribution. The acceleration responses of the sliding section and the steep slope section were strong, while the acceleration responses of the region between the bridge pier and the back-row anti-slide piles were weak. With the increase in the vibration intensity, the soil damping ratio increased and the PGA amplification factor decreased. The feasibility of analyzing the acceleration response of the slope model by the two-dimensional equipotential map was experimentally verified.
Investigation on Sensorless Estimating Method and Characteristics of Friction for Ball Screw System
Authors: Chen Ye , Zhang Siyu , Zhang Yanzhou , Lu Zechen , Zhao Chunyu
Published: April 2020

In this study, a novel sensorless method is developed to estimate the friction in a ball screw system using asynchronous experimental data for a worktable position (WP) and the servo motor torque current (SMTC), which is collected by the FOCAS library functions from a FANUC digital control system. The corresponding time stamps are retrieved by a high-resolution performance counter in Windows. The fluctuations in friction over the whole travel distance of the worktable (WTDOW) are analyzed using a piecewise polynomial fitting algorithm to extract the instantaneous average friction value (IAFV) and the friction fluctuating signal (FFS). The IAFVs can describe the effect of the WP and the pitch errors of the shaft on the friction. The FFT results of the FFS show that the friction depends on the rolling tool, the pitch of the shaft and the refeeding of the balls in the ball screw and linear ball rail guides. The experimental results show that the estimated friction can capture the characteristic spectra of the FFS. The effects of the feed velocity and direction, the effects of the WP on the IAFV, and the frequencies and amplitudes of the significant FFT components are discussed. The nonuniform pitch errors of the shaft impact the repeatability of the IAFVs at a given WP. The variations in the mean value of the IAFVs with the feed velocity for tests at a fixed WP show nonconventional Stribeck behavior. These results also demonstrate that the friction force varies with the WP, which is not captured by Stribeck characteristics. This study provides an effective method to evaluate the performance of a ball screw system and to predict the friction in that system without the use of sensors.
Weighted Bergman Kernels and Mathematical Physics
Authors: Barletta Elisabetta , Dragomir Sorin , Esposito Francesco
Published: April 2020

We review several results in the theory of weighted Bergman kernels. Weighted Bergman kernels generalize ordinary Bergman kernels of domains Ω ⊂ C n but also appear locally in the attempt to quantize classical states of mechanical systems whose classical phase space is a complex manifold, and turn out to be an efficient computational tool that is useful for the calculation of transition probability amplitudes from a classical state (identified to a coherent state) to another. We review the weighted version (for weights of the form γ = | φ | m on strictly pseudoconvex domains Ω = { φ < 0 } ⊂ C n ) of Fefferman’s asymptotic expansion of the Bergman kernel and discuss its possible extensions (to more general classes of weights) and implications, e.g., such as related to the construction and use of Fefferman’s metric (a Lorentzian metric on ∂ Ω × S 1 ). Several open problems are indicated throughout the survey.
Nanocellulose-Based Inks for 3D Bioprinting: Key Aspects in Research Development and Challenging Perspectives in Applications—A Mini Review
Authors: Wang Xiaoju , Wang Qingbo , Xu Chunlin
Published: April 2020

Nanocelluloses have emerged as a catalogue of renewable nanomaterials for bioink formulation in service of 3D bioprinting, thanks to their structural similarity to extracellular matrices and excellent biocompatibility of supporting crucial cellular activities. From a material scientist’s viewpoint, this mini-review presents the key research aspects of the development of the nanocellulose-based bioinks in 3D (bio)printing. The nanomaterial properties of various types of nanocelluloses, including bacterial nanocellulose, cellulose nanofibers, and cellulose nanocrystals, are reviewed with respect to their origins and preparation methods. Different cross-linking strategies to integrate into multicomponent nanocellulose-based bioinks are discussed in terms of regulating ink fidelity in direct ink writing as well as tuning the mechanical stiffness as a bioactive cue in the printed hydrogel construct. Furthermore, the impact of surface charge and functional groups on nanocellulose surface on the crucial cellular activities (e.g., cell survival, attachment, and proliferation) is discussed with the cell–matrix interactions in focus. Aiming at a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for end-users in biomedical and pharmaceutical fields, challenging aspects such as biodegradability and potential nanotoxicity of nanocelluloses call for more fundamental comprehension of the cell–matrix interactions and further validation in in vivo models.
Emerging Allergens in Goji Berry Superfruit: The Identification of New IgE Binding Proteins towards Allergic Patients’ Sera
Authors: Uasuf Carina Gabriela , De Angelis Elisabetta , Guagnano Rocco , Pilolli Rosa , D’Anna Claudia , Villalta Danilo , Brusca Ignazio , Monaci Linda
Published: April 2020

The goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.) (GB) is gaining increasing attention with high consumption worldwide due to its exceptional nutritional value and medicinal benefits displayed in humans. Beyond their beneficial properties, GBs contain renowned allergenic proteins, and therefore deserve inclusion among the allergenic foods capable of inducing allergic reactions in sensitive consumers. GB allergy has been frequently linked to the panallergen lipid transfer protein (LTP), especially across the population of the Mediterranean area. Methods: In this study, we investigated the protein profile of GBs focusing on the most reactive proteins against immunoglobulins E (IgE) of allergic patients’ sera, as ascertained by immunoblot experiments. The protein spots displaying a clear reaction were excised, in-gel digested, and analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) followed by data searching against a restricted database for a reliable protein identification. Results: According to our data, three main spots were identified in GB extract as IgE binding proteins after immunoblot analysis. Some major proteins were identified and the three proteins that provided the highest reactivity were putatively attributed to vicilin and legumin proteins followed by a protein matching with 11S globulin belonging to the cupin superfamily. Finally, the whole GB protein extract was also submitted to bottom-up proteomics followed by a software-based database (DB) screening and a more exhaustive list of GB proteins was compiled.
Vascular Lipidomic Profiling of Potential Endogenous Fatty Acid PPAR Ligands Reveals the Coronary Artery as Major Producer of CYP450-Derived Epoxy Fatty Acids
Authors: Edin Matthew L. , Lih Fred B. , Hammock Bruce D. , Thomson Scott , Zeldin Darryl C. , Bishop-Bailey David
Published: April 2020

A number of oxylipins have been described as endogenous PPAR ligands. The very short biological half-lives of oxylipins suggest roles as autocrine or paracrine signaling molecules. While coronary arterial atherosclerosis is the root of myocardial infarction, aortic atherosclerotic plaque formation is a common readout of in vivo atherosclerosis studies in mice. Improved understanding of the compartmentalized sources of oxylipin PPAR ligands will increase our knowledge of the roles of PPAR signaling in diverse vascular tissues. Here, we performed a targeted lipidomic analysis of ex vivo-generated oxylipins from porcine aorta, coronary artery, pulmonary artery and perivascular adipose. Cyclooxygenase (COX)-derived prostanoids were the most abundant detectable oxylipin from all tissues. By contrast, the coronary artery produced significantly higher levels of oxylipins from CYP450 pathways than other tissues. The TLR4 ligand LPS induced prostanoid formation in all vascular tissue tested. The 11-HETE, 15-HETE, and 9-HODE were also induced by LPS from the aorta and pulmonary artery but not coronary artery. Epoxy fatty acid (EpFA) formation was largely unaffected by LPS. The pig CYP2J homologue CYP2J34 was expressed in porcine vascular tissue and primary coronary artery smooth muscle cells (pCASMCs) in culture. Treatment of pCASMCs with LPS induced a robust profile of pro-inflammatory target genes: TNFα, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, MCP-1 and CD40L. The soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor TPPU, which prevents the breakdown of endogenous CYP-derived EpFAs, significantly suppressed LPS-induced inflammatory target genes. In conclusion, PPAR-activating oxylipins are produced and regulated in a vascular site-specific manner. The CYP450 pathway is highly active in the coronary artery and capable of providing anti-inflammatory oxylipins that prevent processes of inflammatory vascular disease progression.
Targeting the IGF-Axis for Cancer Therapy: Development and Validation of an IGF-Trap as a Potential Drug
Authors: Chen Yinhsuan Michely , Qi Shu , Perrino Stephanie , Hashimoto Masakazu , Brodt Pnina
Published: April 2020

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-axis was implicated in cancer progression and identified as a clinically important therapeutic target. Several IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) targeting drugs including humanized monoclonal antibodies have advanced to phase II/III clinical trials, but to date, have not progressed to clinical use, due, at least in part, to interference with insulin receptor signaling and compensatory signaling by the insulin receptor (IR) isoform A that can bind IGF-II and initiate mitogenic signaling. Here we briefly review the current state of IGF-targeting biologicals, discuss some factors that may be responsible for their poor performance in the clinic and outline the stepwise bioengineering and validation of an IGF-Trap—a novel anti-cancer therapeutic that could bypass these limitations. The IGF-Trap is a heterotetramer, consisting of the entire extracellular domain of the IGF-IR fused to the Fc portion of human IgG1. It binds human IGF-I and IGF-II with a three-log higher affinity than insulin and could inhibit IGF-IR driven cellular functions such as survival, proliferation and invasion in multiple carcinoma cell models in vitro. In vivo, the IGF-Trap has favorable pharmacokinetic properties and could markedly reduce metastatic outgrowth of colon and lung carcinoma cells in the liver, outperforming IGF-IR and ligand-binding monoclonal antibodies. Moreover, IGF-Trap dose-response profiles correlate with their bio-availability profiles, as measured by the IGF kinase receptor-activation (KIRA) assay, providing a novel, surrogate biomarker for drug efficacy. Our studies identify the IGF-Trap as a potent, safe, anti-cancer therapeutic that could overcome some of the obstacles encountered by IGF-targeting biologicals that have already been evaluated in clinical settings.
Editorial for the Special Issue “Sustainable Agriculture for Climate Change Adaptation”
Authors: Lewis Kathy , Warner Douglas
Published: April 2020

As we lie firmly entrenched within what many have termed the Anthropocene, the time of humans, human influence on the functioning of the planet has never been greater or in greater need of mitigation [...]
Generating Trees for Comparison
Authors: Mlinarić Danijel , Mornar Vedran , Milašinović Boris
Published: April 2020

Tree comparisons are used in various areas with various statistical or dissimilarity measures. Given that data in various domains are diverse, and a particular comparison approach could be more appropriate for specific applications, there is a need to evaluate different comparison approaches. As gathering real data is often an extensive task, using generated trees provides a faster evaluation of the proposed solutions. This paper presents three algorithms for generating random trees: parametrized by tree size, shape based on the node distribution and the amount of difference between generated trees. The motivation for the algorithms came from unordered trees that are created from class hierarchies in object-oriented programs. The presented algorithms are evaluated by statistical and dissimilarity measures to observe stability, behavior, and impact on node distribution. The results in the case of dissimilarity measures evaluation show that the algorithms are suitable for tree comparison.
The Influence of Methylating Mutations on Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Preliminary Analysis on 56 Patients
Authors: Pasca Sergiu , Turcas Cristina , Jurj Ancuta , Teodorescu Patric , Iluta Sabina , Hotea Ionut , Bojan Anca , Selicean Cristina , Fetica Bogdan , Petrushev Bobe , Moisoiu Vlad , Zimta Alina-Andreea , Sas Valentina , Constantinescu Catalin , Zdrenghea Mihnea , Dima Delia , Tomuleasa Ciprian
Published: April 2020

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by abnormal proliferation and a lack of differentiation of myeloid blasts. Considering the dismal prognosis this disease presents, several efforts have been made to better classify it and offer a tailored treatment to each subtype. This has been formally done by the World Health Organization (WHO) with the AML classification schemes from 2008 and 2016. Nonetheless, there are still mutations that are not currently included in the WHO AML classification, as in the case of some mutations that influence methylation. In this regard, the present study aimed to determine if some of the mutations that influence DNA methylation can be clustered together regarding methylation, expression, and clinical profile. Data from the TCGA LAML cohort were downloaded via cBioPortal. The analysis was performed using R 3.5.2, and the necessary packages for classical statistics, dimensionality reduction, and machine learning. We included only patients that presented mutations in DNMT3A, TET2, IDH1/2, ASXL1, WT1, and KMT2A. Afterwards, mutations that were present in too few patients were removed from the analysis, thus including a total of 57 AML patients. We observed that regarding expression, methylation, and clinical profile, patients with mutated TET2, IDH1/2, and WT1 presented a high degree of similarity, indicating the equivalence that these mutations present between themselves. Nonetheless, we did not observe this similarity between DNMT3A- and KMT2A-mutated AML. Moreover, when comparing the hypermethylating group with the hypomethylating one, we also observed important differences regarding expression, methylation, and clinical profile. In the current manuscript we offer additional arguments for the similarity of the studied hypermethylating mutations and suggest that those should be clustered together in further classifications. The hypermethylating and hypomethylating groups formed above were shown to be different from each other considering overall survival, methylation profile, expression profile, and clinical characteristics. In this manuscript, we present additional arguments for the similarity of the effect generated by TET2, IDH1/2, and WT1 mutations in AML patients. Thus, we hypothesize that hypermethylating mutations skew the AML cells to a similar phenotype with a possible sensitivity to hypermethylating agents.
Qualitative Study of the Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Macao Students in Mainland China
Authors: Lee Chia-Wen , Wu Weidong , Tan Zhi-Yu , Yang Cheng-Fu
Published: April 2020

Education research is increasingly paying attention to students’ cross-cultural adaption in Mainland China. As a special administrative region of China, educational systems and language of instruction of Macao are different from those of Mainland China. This study analyzes the cross-cultural adaptation of Macao students in Mainland China by using qualitative semi-structured interviews. The results show that study motivation, medium of instruction, and social integration are important factors determining how Macao students adapt to university programs. Failure to adapt to the language of instruction is the most direct, prominent, and enduring problem that Macao students encounter when studying in the Mainland. The current study’s findings have practical implications for faculties who provide support and training to Macao students in Mainland China. The study discovers that strengthening the Mandarin language skills of Macao students is currently a priority.
Correction: Ortiz-Gomez, F.G. et al. Forward Link Optimization for the Design of VHTS Satellite Networks. Electronics 2020, 9, 473
Authors: Ortiz-Gomez Flor G. , Martínez Ramón , Salas-Natera Miguel A. , Cornejo Andrés , Landeros-Ayala Salvador
Published: April 2020

We, the authors, wish to make the following correction to our published paper [...]
Comparison of Chemical Composition and Safety Issues in Fish Roe Products: Application of Chemometrics to Chemical Data
Authors: Vasconi Mauro , Tirloni Erica , Stella Simone , Coppola Chiara , Lopez Annalaura , Bellagamba Federica , Bernardi Cristian , Moretti Vittorio Maria
Published: April 2020

Processed fish roes are acquiring considerable importance in the modern food market, entering more and more often as an ingredient in food preparation and as caviar substitutes. In this study, we defined quality, traceability and safety issues related to processed fish roe products from different species. The results obtained allowed to distinguish eggs originated from different fish species and to discriminate between fish roes and caviar samples obtained from four different sturgeons species. We observed that roes showed a trend of grouping according to ecological and reproductive habits of fish species. We highlighted the differences between eggs originated by farmed and freshwater fish, enriched in n6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and all the others, in which n3 PUFAs were prevalent. In addition, we evaluated processed fish roes under a food safety point of view, combining microbiological analysis with the determination of organic acids, used in some products as authorized preservatives. Microbiological characterization has proved a general good hygienic level for these products. Organic acids determination showed values in compliance with European Union (EU) regulations in almost of samples; in some cases, we found a mismatch between the organic acids detected and what was reported in labels. Processed fish roes could be considered a safe product that can provide to human nutrition a valuable content of essential fatty acids.
Predictions and Outcomes for the Dynamics of Rotating Galaxies
Authors: McGaugh Stacy
Published: April 2020

A review is given of a priori predictions made for the dynamics of rotating galaxies. One theory—MOND—has had many predictions corroborated by subsequent observations. While it is sometimes possible to offer post hoc explanations for these observations in terms of dark matter, it is seldom possible to use dark matter to predict the same phenomena.
Comparison of the Measurement of Long-Term Care Costs between China and Other Countries: A Systematic Review of the Last Decade
Authors: Zeng Qingjun , Wang Qingqing , Zhang Lu , Xu Xiaocang
Published: April 2020

Background: The rapid aging of populations in some countries has led to a growing number of the disabled elderly, creating a huge need for Long-Term Care (LTC) and meeting its costs, which is a heavy economic burden on the families of the disabled elderly and governments. Therefore, the measurement of Long-Term Care (LTC) costs has become an important basis for the government to formulate Long-Term Care (LTC) policies, and academic research on Long-Term Care (LTC) costs is also in the process of continuous development and deepening. Methods: This is a systematic review that aims to examine the evidence published in the last decade (2010–2019) regarding the comparison of the measurement of Long-Term Care (LTC) costs between China and other countries. Results: Eighteen Chinese studies and 17 other countries’ studies were included in this review. Most Chinese scholars estimated long-term care costs based on the degree of disability among the disabled elderly. However, the studies of European and American countries are more and more in-depth and comprehensive, and more detailed regarding the post-care cost of specific diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and epilepsy. Conclusion: In future academic research, we should fully consider the human value of long-term care providers and further study the differences in the long-term care costs of different chronic diseases. In China’s future policymaking, according to the experience of Germany, Sweden, and other countries, it may be an effective way to develop private long-term care insurance and realize the effective complementarity between private long-term care insurance and public long-term care insurance (LTCI).
How Employee’s Leadership Potential Leads to Leadership Ostracism Behavior: The Mediating Role of Envy, and the Moderating Role of Political Skills
Authors: Xue Ying , Li Xiyuan , Wang Hongmei , Zhang Qiu
Published: April 2020

Recently, research on the leadership potential of employees has gradually attracted the attention of scholars. However, further exploration is required to better understand the upward influence of employee’s leadership potential on their leaders. This study examined the mechanisms behind the impact of employee’s leadership potential on leadership ostracism behavior. Moreover, the mediating role of leader’s envy and the moderating role of employee’s political skills in the relationship between employee’s leadership potential and leadership ostracism behavior were investigated. The results of an empirical analysis of 221 employee–leader pairs, studied over multiple periods, are as follows: employee’s leadership potential had a significant positive impact on leader’s envy and leadership ostracism behavior; leader’s envy had a significant positive impact on leadership ostracism behavior; and leader’s envy mediated the relationship between leadership potential and leadership ostracism behavior. In addition, employee’s political skills negatively moderated the indirect effect of leadership potential on leadership ostracism behavior through leader’s envy. The leadership potential of employees with more political skills appeared to have less influence on organizational ostracism via leader’s envy. This study explored the “dark-side” of employee’s leadership potential by understanding its impact on their leaders; the findings have theoretical and practical significance for companies.
Detection of Platelet-Activating Antibodies Associated with Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Tardy Brigitte , Lecompte Thomas , Mullier François , Vayne Caroline , Pouplard Claire
Published: April 2020

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a prothrombotic immune drug reaction caused by platelet-activating antibodies that in most instances recognize platelet factor 4 (PF4)/polyanion complexes. Platelet activation assays (i.e., functional assays) are more specific than immunoassays, since they are able to discern clinically relevant heparin-induced antibodies. All functional assays used for HIT diagnosis share the same principle, as they assess the ability of serum/plasma from suspected HIT patients to activate fresh platelets from healthy donors in the presence of several concentrations of heparin. Depending on the assay, donors’ platelets are stimulated either in whole blood (WB), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), or in a buffer medium (washed platelets, WP). In addition, the activation endpoint studied varies from one assay to another: platelet aggregation, membrane expression of markers of platelet activation, release of platelet granules. Tests with WP are more sensitive and serotonin release assay (SRA) is considered to be the current gold standard, but functional assays suffer from certain limitations regarding their sensitivity, specificity, complexity, and/or accessibility. However, the strict adherence to adequate preanalytical conditions, the use of selected platelet donors and the inclusion of positive and negative controls in each run are key points that ensure their performances.
Influence of Anesthesia and Clinical Variables on the Firing Rate, Coefficient of Variation and Multi-Unit Activity of the Subthalamic Nucleus in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Bos Michael J. , Alzate Sanchez Ana Maria , Bancone Raffaella , Temel Yasin , de Greef Bianca T.A. , Absalom Anthony R. , Gommer Erik D. , van Kranen-Mastenbroek Vivianne H.J.M. , Buhre Wolfgang F. , Roberts Mark J. , Janssen Marcus L.F.
Published: April 2020

Background: Microelectrode recordings (MER) are used to optimize lead placement during subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS). To obtain reliable MER, surgery is usually performed while patients are awake. Procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) is often desirable to improve patient comfort, anxiolysis and pain relief. The effect of these agents on MER are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of commonly used PSA agents, dexmedetomidine, clonidine and remifentanil and patient characteristics on MER during DBS surgery. Methods: Data from 78 patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who underwent STN-DBS surgery were retrospectively reviewed. The procedures were performed under local anesthesia or under PSA with dexmedetomidine, clonidine or remifentanil. In total, 4082 sites with multi-unit activity (MUA) and 588 with single units were acquired. Single unit firing rates and coefficient of variation (CV), and MUA total power were compared between patient groups. Results: We observed a significant reduction in MUA, an increase of the CV and a trend for reduced firing rate by dexmedetomidine. The effect of dexmedetomidine was dose-dependent for all measures. Remifentanil had no effect on the firing rate but was associated with a significant increase in CV and a decrease in MUA. Clonidine showed no significant effect on firing rate, CV or MUA. In addition to anesthetic effects, MUA and CV were also influenced by patient-dependent variables. Conclusion: Our results showed that PSA influenced neuronal properties in the STN and the dexmedetomidine (DEX) effect was dose-dependent. In addition, patient-dependent characteristics also influenced MER.
Rethinking Radical Surgery in Interval Debulking Surgery for Advanced-Stage Ovarian Cancer Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Authors: Lee Yong Jae , Lee Jung-Yun , Nam Eun Ji , Kim Sang Wun , Kim Sunghoon , Kim Young Tae
Published: April 2020

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects on survival outcomes of the disease burden before interval debulking surgery (IDS), surgical complexity, and residual disease after IDS in advanced-stage ovarian cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). We reviewed the data of 268 epithelial ovarian cancer patients who had received three or four cycles of NAC and undergone optimal resections through IDS. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression analysis were used to assess the effects of disease burden (peritoneal cancer index (PCI)), degree of complexity of surgery (surgical complexity score/s (SCS)), and extent of residual disease. In no residual disease (R0) patients, those with intermediate/high SCS had shorter progression-free survival (PFS; p = 0.001) and overall survival (OS; p = 0.001) than patients with low SCS. An analysis of a subset of patients with R0 and low PCIs showed those with intermediate/high SCS had worse PFS and OS than patients with low SCS (p = 0.049) and OS (p = 0.037). In multivariate analysis, patients with R0 as a result of intermediate/high SCS fared worse than patients whose R0 was achieved by low SCS (PFS hazard ratio (HR) 1.80, 95% CI 1.05–3.10; OS HR 5.59, 95% CI 1.70–18.39). High PCIs at the time of IDS, high SCS, and residual disease signal poor prognoses for patients treated with NAC.
A New Method of Measuring the Volumetric Change of Alveolar Bone Around Dental Implants Using Computed Tomography
Authors: Lim Young-Wook , Lim Young-Jun , Kim Bongju , Lee Seung-Pyo
Published: April 2020

This study proposes a method for measuring the volumetric change of alveolar bone after dental implant surgery using computed tomography (CT). A total of 40 implants in 20 patients (15 males and 5 females) were selected. The types of implants used were group 1: 24 CMI IS-II Active implants (Neobiotech Co., Seoul, Republic of Korea) and group 2: 16 SLActive Bone Level implants (Institut Straumann AG, Basel, Switzerland). The OnDemand3D software (CyberMed, Seoul, Korea) was used for analysis. The volumetric change of the alveolar bone around an implant fixture is measured as follows: (1) Establish two cylinders: the main cylinder with the implant axis as the central axis (radius of implant + 3 mm) and the error correction cylinder (radius of implant + 1 mm). (2) The height of the cylinder extended from the top of the fixture to a 3 mm coronal portion. (3) Calculate the volumetric change of the alveolar bone (Vd) by subtracting the volume of the error correction cylinder from the main cylinder between CT images taken immediately after the implant placement and 12 months later. After a one-year installation, the volumetric change of alveolar bone, ΔV (cc) had increased in both groups (group 1: −0.011 ± 0.015 cc, group 2: −0.012 ± 0.017 cc) with statistical significance (p < 0.05), and the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). This three-dimensional assessment method would be a useful clinical reference for the assessment of marginal bone change after implant surgery.