bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reflections of International Relations theories in selected TV series distributed by Netflix
Authors: Madarászová Alexandra , Zemanová Michaela
Published: August 2021

This article demonstrates how Netflix, the current leading SVOD provider, can be a plat­form of global cultural exchange, which not only provides entertainment, but also offers a critical reflection on international affairs to its subscribers. Despite the fact that most Netflix content is fic­tional, its distributed and produced films and TV series still portray various theoretical approaches of international relations. This claim is based on the premises of critical discourse, which see our reality in terms of the social context.The aim of the article is to reveal what principles of main international relations theories (name­ly realism, liberalism, feminism, constructivism, or other critical theories) can Netflix subscribers find in the selected TV series. Using a visual qualitative analysis as a research method, the authors study five TV series, specifically Traitors (UK), 1983 (PL), Nobel (NOR), Pine Gap (AU) and Homeland (US). These TV series were selected with regard to their diverse origins of production, the topic’s central focus being politics, security or international relations, and their high ratings and numbers of viewers.The analysis of each TV series is based on answering three questions, which are used in defining basic premises of the portrayed theories. The following questions are: What role does the state play as an actor in the international system? What is the dominant cultural identity of the society? What is the status of an individual in a country? Processes of forming opinions and building images of social reality are influenced by the context in which the individual acts. As such, cultural exchange can influence the evolution of contemporary media society and thus affect viewers who are indirectly led to critical reflection. The results indicate that the global cultural exchange through the medium of mass entertainment is still driven mainly by traditional theoretical premises.
Muzyka instrumentalna i język. Stanowisko Herdera w osiemnastowiecznej debacie muzyczno-estetycznej
Authors: Moraczewski Krzysztof
Published: August 2021

Filozofia muzyki zawarta w pismach Johanna Gottfrieda Herdera podejmuje dwa zasadnicze wątki osiemnastowiecznej debaty muzyczno-estetycznej: relację muzyki i języka oraz status muzyki instrumentalnej. Umieszczone na mapie zajmowanych w tej debacie stanowisk poglądy Herdera cechują się nie tylko odmiennością proponowanych rozwiązań, ale przede wszystkim zdolnością przekroczenia horyzontu samej debaty, umożliwiającego wyjaśnienie podstaw możliwości oraz zakresu ważności poszczególnych koncepcji. Fundament koncepcji Herdera stanowią trzy elementy: idea językowej prefiguracji znaczeń dla muzyki instrumentalnej, przekonanie o językowym charakterze percepcji zmysłowej oraz wizja opartej na tych dwóch elementach jednolitej hermeneutyki dla sztuk nielingiwstycznych.
Around Johann Gottfried Herder’s “Auch eine Philosophie der Geschichte zur Bildung der Menschheit”
Authors: Rygielska Małgorzata
Published: August 2021

Johann Gottfried Herder in his early work, Auch eine Philosophie der Geschichte zur Bildung der Menschheit (1774), thus far translated into Polish only in fragments (E. Namowicz 1973, T. Namowicz 2001), deals with the problem of constructing historical syntheses and cross-sections that do not take into account the dynamic variability of cultures over time. He is also interested in the critique of the Enlightenment idea of progress. At the same time, he draws attention to the role of general concepts in the description of things, phenomena, and processes, as well as ideas related to them, culturally conditioned, but also individually processed and modified. The author of the article puts forward a thesis that the pamphlet and polemical form of Auch eine Philosophie… enables the German philosopher to formulate in a radical manner questions that are important also for modern researchers of culture. These questions concern not only the problems related to the description of cultural reality, but also the multitude of definitions of concepts, and sometimes the excess of specialised terms, difficult to translate.
Pengaruh Allogenic Freeze-Dried Platelet-Rich Plasma (Prp) Dalam Meningkatkan Jumlah Fibroblas dan Neovaskularisasi pada Penyembuhan Luka
Authors: Saputro Iswinarno , Rizaliyana Sitti , Noverta Dhitta
Published: August 2021

Pendahuluan. Masalah luka adalah masalah yang sering dihadapi oleh setiap dokter, terutama di bidang Bedah Plastik Rekonstruksi dan Estetik. Banyak penelitian tentang berbagai produk atau faktor yang dapat mempercepat penyembuhan luka, salah satunya adalah platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Allogenic PRP dapat menjadi alternatif pada kondisi yang tidak memungkinkan diambilnya autologus PRP. Tehnik freeze-dried dilakukan untuk menurunkan reaksi imun pada sediaan allogenic PRP.Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengevaluasi efektivitas penggunaan allogenic freeze-dried platelet-rich plasma (PRP) terhadap proses penyembuhan luka full-thickness pada hewan coba (kelinci).Metode Penelitian. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian eksperimental dengan rancangan post test only design, simple randomized. Variabel terikatnya adalah jumlah fibroblas dan jumlah neovaskularisasi, sedangkan variabel bebas adalah pemberian Paraffin gauze dan Allogenic freeze-dried platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Lima belas ekor kelinci dirandomisasi ke dalam enam kelompok. Luka full thickness dengan kedalaman 2mm dibuat pada punggung setiap kelinci. Luka pada kelompok kontrol diberikan perawatan menggunakan paraffin gauze dan diberikan allogenic freeze-dried PRP pada kelompok perlakuan, pengamatan dilakukan pada hari ke-3, hari ke-9, dan hari ke-14.Hasil. Didapatkan perbedaan bermakna rerata jumlah fibroblas antara kelompok kontrol hari ke-3 dengan perlakuan hari ke-3 (p<0.05), kelompok kontrol hari ke-9 dengan perlakuan hari ke-9 (p<0.05), dan kelompok kontrol hari ke-14 dengan perlakuan hari ke-14 (p<0.05). Didapatkan juga perbedaan bermakna rerata jumlah neovaskularisasi antara kelompok kontrol hari ke-3 dengan perlakuan hari ke-3 (p<0.05), kelompok kontrol hari ke-9 dengan perlakuan hari ke-9 (p<0.05), dan kelompok kontrol hari ke-14 dengan perlakuan hari ke-14 (p<0.05). Kesimpulan. Penggunaan allogenic freeze-dried platelet-rich plasma (PRP) terbukti dapat meningkatkan jumlah fibroblas dan jumlah neovaskularisasi pada proses penyembuhan luka full thickness di kelinci.
Perception and Prevalence of Bullying Among Junior High School Students of Biliran Province State University
Authors: Saniel Jovy Dia R. , Opeña Charlotte C. , Balondo Joice Balondo , Bunda Allyza Mariz B. , Tambis Liezl B.
Published: August 2021

Introduction: A school is where a student learns and molds into the desired individual but sometimes, a place where the famous and beautiful are honored and respected while the poor little ones are experience bullying. This study aims to determine the perceptions and prevalence of bullying to design a plan addressing issues on students' predicaments in Biliran Province State University (BiPSU).Methods: The researchers made use of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)-Descriptive Statistics’ frequency, percentile and central tendency, where variables as to profile, perception and prevalence of  bullying among secondary students  are statistically analyzed.Results: Students' perception of bullying is significant than its prevalence. Students have increased knowledge and awareness of bullying. However, though less notable than the perception, the pervasiveness of bullying is still considerable.Conclusion: The majority of the respondents have not experienced bullying. Students think that bullying at school happens once or twice a term. Student's perception of bullying is more eminent than its prevalence. These pervasion results are meaningful because students' reflection in bullying is distinguished.
Editorial: Community Adaptation to Photobiomodulation Near-Infrared Based on Post-Partum Culture Care
Authors: Rosnani Rosnani
Published: August 2021

Editorial: Community Adaptation to Photobiomodulation Near-Infrared Based on Post-Partum Culture Care
COMMUNITY PERCEPTION AROUND HALFWAY HOUSE ABOUT CARE OF MENTAL DISORDERS
Authors: Nughraini Farah Aulia , Yusuf Ah , Alit Armini Ni Ketut
Published: August 2021

Introduction: The high stigma in the community towards mental disorders does not only affect families and mental disorders patients but also on the patterns of care and care, for example, mental disorders patients are isolated so they do not interact with the community with shackles. The purpose of this research is perceptions in the community about how to treat patients with mental disorders.Method: This study used a qualitative research design with a phenomenological approach with ten participants. The technique of selecting participants was purposive sampling with the criteria of men and women aged > 17 years, living around halfway house and who had interacted with mental patients at halfway house. Retrieval of data on ten participants with in-depth interviews and field notes were then analyzed using the Colaizzi method.Results: In this study, 8 themes were identified, namely 5 themes (community understanding of mental disorders, community stigma, community response, community expectations and community experiences with mental patients) for the first specific purpose and 3 themes (treatment, form of care and caregiver factors nurse) for the second special purpose.Conclusion: Community perception is influenced by several factors including the factor of maintaining distance from mental patients, tolerance and support factors, social limitation factors, and factors of prejudice and misunderstanding. Future research can explore in-depth people's perceptions about the treatment of mental disorders patients, more specifically, for example, the care of mental patients in hospitals and at home.
RESEARCH OF SDN NETWORK PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS USING MININET NETWORK EMULATOR
Authors: Romanov Oleksandr , Saychenko Ivan , Marinov Anton , Skolets Serhii
Published: August 2021

Background. The implementation of the new modern services on existing networks requires replacement or modernization of the old equipment. This negatively affects the efficiency of providing users with new types of services and their cost. Therefore, the issues/tasks of implementing SDN technology in the construction of networks are in the center of attention of representatives of science-research organizations and telecom operators. SDN networks have the advantages of flexible scaling of the system without replacing existing server and network equipment, eliminating operator dependence on specific vendor solutions, and rapid implementation of the new network technologies and services. To determine the numerical values of indicators of the functioning of SDN networks and check their compliance with the requirements, it is proposed to use in working process simulation modelling. For these goals, the Open Networking Foundation consortium developed the Mininet network emulator, the elements of that are published publicly. The formation of the simulation model and the procedure for determining the performance indicators of the SDN network that uses Mininet has a number of features that are considered in the work.

Objective. The purpose of the article is to build a simulation model based on the Mininet network emulator and to determine the performance indicators of SDN networks of various structures/topologies.

Methods. Creation of a SDN network segment for testing process of its functioning in the overload mode of various communication routes.

Results. The Mininet network emulator allows simulating SDN networks of a rather complex structure, change the performance of network branches and the amount of load in communication routes, to create a network-wide overload mode. During the simulation, it is possible to determine a number of indicators of network performance, such as the RTT (Round Trip Time) parameter for each route of communication, the bandwidth of branches and routes of communication, the amount of delay on network elements, loading of OpenFlow Switch ports/interfaces, network elements with the highest delay, the number of served and lost packets.

Conclusions. Use of the Mininet network emulator is a fairly convenient tool for determining the performance indicators of SDN networks. However, there are also some problems. First of all, setting up the system's operability requires writing programs to ensure the interaction among standard elements from the Mininet library. Secondone, is when congestion occurs in the communication routes, the Floodlight Controller does not automatically balance traffic along the work-around route. This task has to be solved manually by making changes to the OpenFlow Switch routing tables.

Keywords: Software Defined Networking; SDN; Mininet; OpenFlow; Floodlight Controller; OpenFlowSwitch; NFV; virtualization.
Conceptualizing and Measuring the Promotion of Nonprofit Organizations’ Evidence Use by U.S. Social Service Funding Programs
Authors: Horne Christopher S. , Brock John K. , Freeman J. Kenzie , Odell Holly S.
Published: August 2021

Previous research on U.S. federal promotion of evidence-based programming has focused on evidence-based program registries and concludes their usefulness is undermined by prioritizing internal validity over external validity. This research explores how federal funding programs are actually promoting funded nonprofit organizations’ evidence use instead of what we might infer from registries alone. An inductively developed conceptual framework is applied to describe all 53 fiscal year (FY) 2019 social service funding programs that include nonprofit organizations among the eligible applicants, finding they promote multiple types of evidence use, with generally low coerciveness, and with applicants frequently co-determining what counts as evidence. These findings point to promotion of evidence use that balances evidence-driven prescriptiveness and enabling nonprofits’ innovation.
Microbial Interactions between Amylolytic and Non-Amylolytic Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains Isolated during the Fermentation of Pozol
Authors: Bolaños-Nuñez Sandra , Santiago-Urbina Jorge A. , Guyot Jean-Pierre , Díaz-Ruiz Gloria , Wacher Carmen
Published: August 2021

Pozol is a Mexican beverage prepared from fermented nixtamalized maize dough. To contribute to understanding its complex microbial ecology, the effect of inoculating on MRS-starch pure and mixed cultures of amylolytic Sii-25124 and non-amylolytic W. confusa 17, isolated from pozol, were studied on their interactions and fermentation parameters. These were compared with L. plantarum A6, an amylolytic strain isolated from cassava. Microbial growth, kinetic parameters, amylolytic activity, lactic acid production, and hydrolysis products from starch fermentation were measured. The population dynamics were followed by qPCR. L. plantarum A6 showed higher enzymatic activity, lactic acid, biomass production, and kinetic parameters than pozol LAB in pure cultures. Mixed culture of each pozol LAB with L. plantarum A6 showed a significant decrease in amylolytic activity, lactic acid yield, specific growth rate, and specific rate of amylase production. The interaction between Sii-25124 and W. confusa 17 increased the global maximum specific growth rate (µ), the lactic acid yield from starch (Ylac/s), lactic acid yield from biomass (Ylac/x), and specific rate of lactic acid production (qlac) by 15, 30, 30, and 40%, respectively compared with the pure culture of Sii-25124. Interactions between the two strains are essential for this fermentation.
Fusion of Unobtrusive Sensing Solutions for Sprained Ankle Rehabilitation Exercises Monitoring in Home Environments
Authors: Ekerete Idongesit , Garcia-Constantino Matias , Diaz Yohanca , Nugent Chris , Mclaughlin James
Published: August 2021

The ability to monitor Sprained Ankle Rehabilitation Exercises (SPAREs) in home environments can help therapists to ascertain if exercises have been performed as prescribed. Whilst wearable devices have been shown to provide advantages such as high accuracy and precision during monitoring activities, disadvantages such as limited battery life, users' inability to remember to charge and wear the devices are often the challenges for their usage. Also, video cameras, which are notable for high frame rates and granularity, are not privacy-friendly. This paper, therefore, proposes the use and fusion of unobtrusive and privacy-friendly sensing solutions for data collection and processing during SPAREs in home environments. Two Infrared Thermopile Array (ITA-32) thermal sensors and two Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) Radar sensors were used to simultaneously monitor 15 healthy participants during SPAREs which involved twisting their ankle in 4-fundamental movement patterns namely (i) extension, (ii) flexion, (iii) eversion and (iv) inversion. Experimental results indicated the ability to identify thermal blobs of participants performing the 4 fundamental movement patterns of the human ankle. Cluster-based analysis of data gleaned from the ITA-32 sensors and the FMCW Radar sensors indicated average classification accuracy of 96.9% with K-Nearest Neighbours, Neural Network, AdaBoost, Decision Tree, Stochastic Gradient Descent and Support Vector Machine, amongst others.
Gender Based Comparison and Effects of Multi-Year Physical Exercise Program on Motor Skills in Preschool Children
Authors: Plazibat Kristian , Karuc Josip , Vidranski Tihomir
Published: August 2021

The aim of this study was to determine gender differences in the level of motor skills and effects of a multi-year exercise program on the level of motor skills in 161 preschool children (5-6 yo). Patricipants were deployed into one control and three experimental groups. Motor skills were assessed with the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2). To determine difference in scores for each BOT-2 tests between control and experimental groups, one-way ANOVA was used for girls and boys separately while two-way ANOVA was employed to determine difference between the gender in the overall BOT-2 score. The results indicates that one-year multilateral exercise program has a positive effect on the level of motor skills in preschool children. Interestingly, additional years of participation in exercise program yielded in maintenance of acquired motor skills level. Also, exercise program affected more girls than preschool boys considering both individual and composite BOT-2 scores. According to the findings of this study, presented exercise program could have potential benefits on multilateral development of the motor skills in preschool children which could facilitate balance of locomotor and manipulative skills. Therefore, integration of multilateral program intended for preschool children could be considered for implementation within the kindergarten curriculum.
Cardiac Arrest After Interscalene Block Before Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery
Authors: Scott Jasmine A. , Schuett Dustin , Hauff Niels
Published: August 2021

Case:

A 42-year-old previously healthy woman developed profound hypotension, bradycardia, and asystolic cardiac arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation after an interscalene block before being placed in the beach-chair position for shoulder arthroscopy.

Conclusion:

Activation of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex, a vagally mediated reflex leading to hypotensive bradycardic episodes, is a rare but devastating complication of shoulder arthroscopy when performed with the combination of interscalene blocks and the beach-chair position. Our case shows that the Bezold-Jarisch reflex may occur in patients before placement in the beach-chair position and may even lead to extreme reactions in healthy patients including asystolic cardiac arrest.
Surgical Technique for the Removal of a Bullet From the Sacroiliac Joint in a Child
Authors: Bosakhar Batool , Liu Kathy , Thornley Patrick , Kishta Waleed
Published: August 2021

Case:

This report presents a logical and effective technique for removing a bullet from the sacroiliac joint (SIJ). The surgery involved a fluoroscopy-guided anterior extraperiosteal lateral window approach. Other than a transient femoral nerve neuropraxia, there were no complications. A literature review identified 3 reports on bullet removal from the SIJ of adult patients.

Conclusion:

An anterior extraperiosteal approach for removing bullets from the SIJ in pediatric patients provides satisfactory results. When deciding whether to remove a bullet from the SIJ, the location, joint diastasis, and patient’s age should be considered.
Climate vulnerability scenario of the agricultural sector in the Bicol 2 River Basin, Philippines
Authors: Laureta Ricky , Regalado Ric Ryan , Cruz Ermar De La
Published: August 2021

This paper investigated the vulnerability of the agriculture sector and rural agriculture livelihoods in the Bicol River Basin (BRB) of the Philippines to projected changes in climate. The geographical characteristics of the BRB feature eight major sub-basins or watersheds consisting of Libmanan-Pulantuna, Ragay Hills, Thiris, Naga-Yabo, Pawili River, Waras-Lalo, Naporog, and Quinali. The study applied the combination of the participatory tools and the Climate Risk Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) framework to gather information on local climate vulnerabilities and contexts. Briefly, the CRVA employed geospatial modeling and utilized several indicators which are presumed to affect vulnerability including exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity which were aggregated to provide an index of vulnerability. This enabled us to identify areas of exposure and vulnerability and pointed areas of greatest need for strengthened adaptive capacity and risk management. Our findings revealed that vulnerability in the BRB was perceived to be relatively prevalent and that typhoons, flooding, and drought were identified to contribute significant impacts to rural livelihood. Furthermore, our findings in the CRVA suggested significant regional differences in vulnerability in the BRB. The majority of the towns in the central and northwestern portions of the BRB will largely experience increased vulnerability, particularly, in the Thiris sub-basin including some parts of Ragay Hills, Waras-Lalo, and the northwestern Libmanan-Pulantuna sub-basins. On the contrary, the entire Quinali region on the south is revealed to have the lowest vulnerability index. The clear policy implication of these accounts will be on how to mobilize developmental thrusts in both areas of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation at the sub-national level to reinforce local-based climate priority setting in adaptation interventions and policies.
Deprescribing Clonazepam in Primary Care Older Patients: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Silva Luanna Gabriella Resende da , Resende Athos Wellington da Silva , de Resende Warlen Eduardo , Resende Cleiton Cláudio , Blatt Carine Raquel , Oliveira Marcio Galvão , Pimentel Ana Cristina de Lima , Elseviers Monique , Resende André de Oliveira
Published: August 2021

Background: Inappropriate use of clonazepam by the elderly patients is associated with cognitive impairment, delirium and falls. Strategies to optimize its use are important to increase patient safety. Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of a clonazepam deprescription protocol in the elderly. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study. Elderly people with chronic use of clonazepam and attended in primary care units in two Brazilian municipalities were selected. A deprescription protocol was used, which included five fortnightly meetings between the older adults and the research team, to reduce the dose by 25 %. Patients received instructions on sleep hygiene behaviors and the advantages of clonazepam deprescription; family physicians followed a flowchart for gradual dose reduction. In the 1st and 5th meetings, there were medical appointments for anamnesis and discharge. The monitoring of patients and the application of tests were carried out by the research team. Results: Of the 35 elderly people included in the study, 27 reached the end; 81.5 % achieved deprescription: 22.2 % stopped completely and 59.3 % decreased the dose. At the last meeting, 20 % of elderly patients reported an increase in blood pressure. Conclusions: The high rate of deprescription and the little relevance of clonazepam withdrawal reactions, showed that the use of the protocol was effective. However, the increase in blood pressure and the worsening of sleep quality in the last meeting show the need for adjustment in the last stage of the deprescription process.Trial Registration: The Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC) RBR-524ys9; registered June 10, 2019.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Africa: A scoping review
Authors: Ackah Betty B. B. , Woo Michael , Ukah Ugochinyere Vivian , Fazal Zahra A. , Stallwood Lisa , Okpani Arnold , Adu Prince A.
Published: August 2021

Background: Vaccination against the novel coronavirus is one of the most effective strategies for combating the global Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy has however emerged as a major obstacle in several regions of the world, including Africa.Objective: To rapidly summarize the literature on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Africa.Methods: We searched OVID Medline, Google Scholar, African Journals Online, and African Index Medicus for studies published from January 1, 2020, to July 5, 2021, examining acceptance or hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine in Africa. Information on study characteristics study participants’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine were extracted from the included articles. Factors associated with vaccine hesitancy or uptake were grouped as themes and summarized.Results: A total of 16 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Majority of the studies were conducted in Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo. Studies conducted in Ghana, Somalia, Uganda, Benin, Cameroon, Malawi, Mali, Ethiopia, and South Africa were also included in the review. The vaccine acceptance rate ranged from 15.4 to 88.8 %. The major reasons for vaccine hesitancy were concerns with vaccine safety and side effects, lack of trust for pharmaceutical industries and vaccination trials, and misinformation or conflicting information from the media. Factors associated with positive attitudes towards the vaccine included being male, having a higher level of education, and fear of contracting the virus.Conclusion: Our review provides important considerations for addressing the challenge of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and blunting the impact of the pandemic in Africa.
New Private Types for the Cubic-Quartic Optical Solitons in Birefringent Fibers in Its Four Forms of Nonlinear Refractive Index
Authors: Zahran Emad H.M. , Bekir Ahmet
Published: August 2021

From the point power of view of the extended simple equation method, multiple new private distinct types for the cubic-quartic optical soliton birefringent fibers with four forms nonlinear refractive index which have and play a vital effective effect in all modern telecommunications process have been extracted. The suggested method which continuously gives surprise accurate results for most nonlinear science problem has been implemented to extract multiple new accurate cubic-quartic soliton for the different forms of the NLSE which are, the cubic-quartic in polarization-preserving fibers with the kerr-low nonlinearity, quadratic-cubic law nonlinearity, parabolic law nonlinearity and non-local law nonlinearity. Actual comparison between the achieved results and that demonstrated by other authors has been established.
Coexistence of electron whispering-gallery modes and atomic collapse states in graphene/WSe2 heterostructure quantum dots
Authors: Zheng Qi , Zhuang Yu-Chen , Sun Qingfeng , He Lin
Published: August 2021

The relativistic massless charge carriers with a Fermi velocity of about c/300 in graphene enable us to realize two distinct types of resonances (c, the speed of light in vacuum). One is electron whispering-gallery mode in graphene quantum dots arising from the Klein tunneling of the massless Dirac fermions. The other is atomic collapse state, which has never been observed in experiment with real atoms due to the difficulty of producing heavy nuclei with charge Z > 170, however, can be realized near a Coulomb impurity in graphene with a charge Z ≥ 1 because of the “small” velocity of the Dirac excitations. Here, unexpectedly, we demonstrate that both the electron whispering-gallery modes and atomic collapse states coexist in graphene/WSe2 heterostructure quantum dots due to the Coulomb-like potential near their edges. By applying a perpendicular magnetic field, evolution from the atomic collapse states to unusual Landau levels in the collapse regime are explored for the first time.
Lymph node tissue homeostasis and adaptation to immune challenge resolved by fibroblast network mechanics
Authors: Horsnell Harry , Tetley Robert , De Belly Henry , Makris Spyridon , Millward Lindsey , Benjamin Agnesska , de Winde Charlotte , Paluch Ewa , Mao Yanlan , Acton Sophie
Published: August 2021

Emergent physical properties of tissues are not readily understood by reductionist studies of their constituent cells. Here, we show molecular signals controlling cellular physical properties, collectively determining tissue mechanics of lymph nodes, an immunologically-relevant, adult mammalian tissue. Lymph nodes paradoxically maintain robust tissue architecture in homeostasis yet are continually poised for extensive tissue expansion upon immune challenge. We find that following immune challenge, cytoskeletal mechanics of a cellular meshwork of fibroblasts determine tissue tension independently of extracellular matrix scaffolds. We determine that CLEC-2/podoplanin signalling regulates the cell surface mechanics of fibroblasts, permitting cell elongation and interdigitation through expedited access to plasma membrane reservoirs. Increased tissue tension through the stromal meshwork gates the initiation of fibroblast proliferation, restoring homeostatic cellular ratios and tissue structure through expansion.
Chiral monoterpenes reveal forest emission mechanisms and drought responses
Authors: Byron Joseph , Kreuzwieser Juergen , Purser Gemma , Haren Joost van , Ladd S. , Meredith Laura , Werner Christiane , Williams Jonathan
Published: August 2021

Monoterpenes exist in mirror image forms called enantiomers, but their individual formation pathways in plants and ecological functions are poorly understood, as enantiomers are usually measured and modelled together. Here we present enantiomerically separated atmospheric monoterpene and isoprene data from an enclosed tropical rainforest ecosystem without photo-chemistry during a four-month controlled drought and rewetting experiment. Surprisingly, the enantiomers showed distinct diel emission peaks, which responded differently to progressive drying. Isotopic labelling established that vegetation emitted (-)-α-pinene mainly de novo while (+)-α-pinene was emitted from storage pools. As drought stress increased, (-)-α-pinene emis-sions shifted to storage pools, which are released later in the day, favouring cloud formation. The α-pinene enantiomers each correlated better with other monoterpenes than with each other, indicating different enzymatic controls. These results show that enantiomeric distribution is key to understanding the processes driving monoterpene emission from ecosystems and to predict-ing atmospheric feedbacks in response to climate change.
Potential Neuroprotective Effect of Stem Cells from Apical Papilla Derived Extracellular Vesicles enriched by Lab-on-Chip approach during Retinal Degeneration
Authors: Hadady Hanieh , Karamali Fereshteh , Ejeian Fatemeh , Sorooshzadeh Sareh , Nasr-Esfahani Mohammad Hossein
Published: August 2021

Retinal degeneration (RD) is recognized as a frequent cause of visual impairments, including inherited (Retinitis pigmentosa) and degenerative (age-related macular) eye diseases. Recently, dental stem cells (DSCs) have demonstrated a promising neuroprotection potential for ocular diseases through a paracrine manner carried out by extracellular vesicles (EVs). However, effective isolation of EVs is still challenging, and isolation methods determine the composition of enriched EVs and the subsequent biological and functional effects. In the present study, we assessed two enrichment methods (micro-electromechanical systems and ultrafiltration) to isolate the EVs from stem cells from apical papilla (SCAP). The size distribution of the corresponding isolates exhibited the capability of each method to enrich different subsets of EVs, which significantly impacts their biological and functional effects. We confirmed the neuroprotection and anti-inflammatory capacity of the SCAP-EVs in vitro. Further experiments revealed the possible therapeutic effects of subretinal injection of SCAP-EVs in the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat model. We found that EVs enriched by the micro-electromechanical-based device (MEMS-EVs) preserved visual function, reduced retinal cell apoptosis, and prevented thinning of the outer nuclear layer (ONL). Interestingly, the effect of MEMS-EVs was extended to the retinal ganglion cell/nerve fiber layer (GCL/NFL). This study supports the use of the microfluidics approach to enrich valuable subsets of EVs, together with the choice of SCAP as a source to derive EVs for cell-free therapy of RD.
Data-driven lithium-ion battery capacity estimation from voltage relaxation
Authors: Zhu Jiangong , Huang Yuan , Knapp Michael , Liu Xinhua , Wang Yixiu , Gopaluni R. Bhushan , Cao Yankai , Heere Michael , Mühlbauer Martin J , Mereacre Liuda , Dai Haifeng , Senyshyn Anatoliy , Wei Xuezhe , Ehrenberg Helmut
Published: August 2021

Accurate capacity estimation is critical for reliable and safe operation of lithium-ion batteries. A proposed approach exploiting features from the relaxation voltage curve enables battery capacity estimation without requiring previous cycling information. Machine learning methods are used in the approach. A dataset including 27,330 data units are collected from batteries with LiNi0.86Co0.11Al0.03O2 cathode (NCA battery) cycled at different temperatures and currents until reaching about 71% of their nominal capacity. One data unit comprises three statistical features (variance, skewness, and maxima) derived from the relaxation voltage curve after fully charging and the following discharge capacity for verification. Models adopting machine learning methods, i.e., ElasticNet, XGBoost, Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Deep Neural Network (DNN), are compared to estimate the battery capacity. Both XGBoost and SVR methods show good predictive ability with 1.1 % root-mean-square error (RMSE). The DNN method presents a 1.5% RMSE higher than that obtained using ElasticNet and SVR. 30,312 data units are extracted from batteries with LiNi0.83Co0.11Mn0.07O2 cathode (NCM battery). The model trained by the NCA battery dataset is verified on the NCM battery dataset without changing model weights. The test RMSE is 3.1% for the XGBoost method and 1.8% RMSE for the DNN method, indicating the generalizability of the capacity estimation approach utilizing battery voltage relaxation.
Quasi-Static Strain Governing Ultrafast Spin Dynamics
Authors: Shin Yooleemi , Vomir Mircea , Kim Dong-Hyun , Van Phuoc , Jeong Jong-Ryul , Kim Ji-Wan
Published: August 2021

The quasi-static strain (QSS) is the product induced by the lattice thermal expansion after ultrafast photo-excitation. Although the QSS and thermal effects are barely distinguishable in time, they should be treated separately because of their different fundamental actions to ultrafast spin dynamics. By employing ultrafast Sagnac interferometry and the magneto-optical Kerr effect, we demonstrate quantitatively the existence of QSS and the decoupling of two effects counteracting each other in typical polycrystalline Co and Ni films. The Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert and Kittel equations considering a magnetoelastic energy term showed that QSS, rather than the thermal energy, in ferromagnets plays a governing role in ultrafast spin dynamics. This demonstration provides an essential way to analyze ultrafast photo-induced phenomena.
Rapid Directed Molecular Evolution of Fluorescent Proteins in Mammalian Cells
Authors: Babakhanova Siranush , Jung Erica , Namikawa Kazuhiko , Zhang Hanbin , Wang Yangdong , Subach Oksana , Korzhenevskiy Dmitry , Rakitina Tatiana , Xiao Xian , Wang Wenjing , Shi Jing , Drobizhev Mikhail , Park Demian , Eisenhard Lea , Tang Hongyun , Köster Reinhard , Subach Fedor , Boyden Edward , Piatkevich Kiryl
Published: August 2021

In vivo imaging of model organisms is heavily reliant on fluorescent proteins with high intracellular brightness. Here we describe a practical method for rapid optimization of fluorescent proteins via directed molecular evolution in cultured mammalian cells. Using this method, we were able to perform screening of large gene libraries containing up to 2·107 independent random genes of fluorescent proteins expressed in HEK cells completing one iteration directed evolution in a course of ~ 8 days. We employed this approach to develop a set of green and near-infrared fluorescent proteins with enhanced intracellular brightness. The developed near-infrared fluorescent proteins demonstrated high performance for fluorescent labeling of neurons in culture and in vivo in model organisms such as C.elegans, Drosophila, zebrafish, and mice. Spectral properties of the optimized near-infrared fluorescent proteins enabled crosstalk-free multicolor imaging in combination with common green and red fluorescent proteins, as well as dual-color near-infrared fluorescence imaging. The described method has a great potential to be adopted by protein engineers due to its simplicity and practicality. We also believe that the new enhanced fluorescent proteins will find wide application for in vivo multi-color imaging of small model organisms.
Understanding the design of warning signals: a predator’s view
Authors: Pennacchio Olivier , Halpin Christina , Cuthill Innes C. , Lovell P. George , Wheelwright Matthew , Skelhorn John , Rowe Candy , Harris Julie M.
Published: August 2021

Animal warning signals show remarkable diversity, yet subjectively appear to share visual features that make defended prey stand out and look different from more cryptic palatable species. Here we develop and apply a computational model that emulates avian visual processing of pattern and colour to Lepidopteran wing patterns to show that warning signals have specific neural signatures that set them apart not only from the patterns of undefended species but also from natural scenes. For the first time, we offer an objective and quantitative neural-level definition of warning signals based on how the pattern generates neural activity in the brain of the receiver. This opens new perspectives for understanding and testing how warning signals function and evolve, and, more generally, how sensory systems constrain general principles for signal design.
Tyrosine Inhibits TyrRS-mediated DNA Repair and Induces Neuronal Oxidative DNA Damage
Authors: Jhanji Megha , Rao Chintada Nageswara , Zhou Xueyan , Keene C , Ma Tao , Stewart Jason , Sajish Mathew
Published: August 2021

Human aging and neurodegenerative diseases accumulate oxidative DNA damage-associated mutations in neurons. Circadian-regulated tyrosine (Tyr) is increased during aging and in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Tyr exacerbates the cognitive decline in the elderly and AD patients. Tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS) that activates Tyr for protein synthesis and participates in DNA repair is depleted in the affected brain regions of AD patients through an unknown mechanism. Here, we found that increased Tyr levels decrease the nuclear and neurite levels of TyrRS in neurons and cause oxidative DNA damage. Although Tyr inhibits protein synthesis at the elongation step, dopamine (DA)- a neurotransmitter derived from Tyr increases TyrRS levels. We previously showed that Tyr inhibits TyrRS-mediated activation of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1), a modulator of DNA repair. We now found that trans-resveratrol (trans-RSV) that binds to TyrRS mimicking ‘Tyr conformation’ decreases TyrRS, inhibits DNA repair and induces neurotoxicity. Conversely, cis-RSV binds to TyrRS mimicking a ‘Tyr-free conformation,’ increases TyrRS, facilitates DNA repair, and protects neurons against multiple neurotoxic agents in a TyrRS-dependent manner. Our results suggest that increased Tyr levels may have causal effects in human aging and neurocognitive disorders and offer a plausible explanation to divergent results obtained in clinical trials using RSV.
SUMOylation Inhibition Enhances Dexamethasone Sensitivity in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Du Li , Liu Wei , Aldana-Masangkay Grace , Pozhitkov Alex , Pichiorri Flavia , Chen Yuan , Rosen Steven T.
Published: August 2021

BackgroundMultiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable plasma cell malignancy. Although Dexamethasone (Dex) is the most widely used therapeutic drug in MM treatment, patients develop Dex resistance leading to progressive disease, demanding an urgent need to investigate the mechanisms driving Dex resistance and develop new reagents to address this problem. We propose SUMOylation as a potential mechanism regulating Dex resistance and SUMOylation inhibition can enhance Dex sensitivity in MM.MethodsUsing MM cell lines and primary MM samples from relapsing MM patients, we evaluated the effects of knockdown of SUMO E1 (SAE2) or using TAK-981, a novel and specific SUMO E1 inhibitor, on Dex sensitivity. Xenograft mouse models were generated to determine the in vivo anti-MM effects of TAK-981 as a single agent and in combination with Dex. miRNA-seq, RNA-seq and GSEA analysis were utilized for evaluating key factors mediating Dex resistance. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was performed to determine the binding occupancy of c-Myc on promoter region of miRs. ResultsWe observed a significant negative correlation between SUMO E1 (SAE2) expression and Dex sensitivity in primary MM samples. Knockdown of SAE2 or using TAK-981 significantly enhances myeloma sensitivity to Dex in MM cell lines. Moreover, the enhanced anti-MM activity by TAK-981 and Dex combination has been validated using primary relapsing MM patient samples and xenograft mouse models. SUMOylation inhibition increased glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression via downregulation miR-130b. Using RNA and microRNA sequencing, we identified miR-551b and miR-25 as important miRs mediating Dex resistance in MM. Overexpression of miR-551b and miR-25 caused resistance to Dex, however, knockdown of miR-551b and miR-25 significantly enhanced Dex sensitivity in MM. SAE2 knockdown or TAK-981 treatment downregulated the expression of miR-551b and miR-25, leading to induction of miR targets ZFP36, ULK1 and p27, resulting in apoptosis and autophagy. We demonstrated c-Myc as a major transcriptional activator of miR-130b, miR-551b and miR-25 and SUMOylation inhibition downregulates these miRs level by decreasing c-Myc level. ConclusionOur study proves SUMOylation plays a crucial role in Dex resistance in MM and SUMOylation inhibition appears to be an attractive strategy to advance to the clinic for MM patients.
Association of Helicobacter pylori Infection with the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Azami Mobin , Baradaran Hamid Reza , Kohnepoushi Parisa , Saed Lotfolah , Moradkhani Asra , Moradpour Farhad , Moradi Yousef
Published: August 2021

Background
Conflicting results of recent studies on the association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome explored the need for updated meta-analysis on this issue. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to estimate the pooled effect of H. pylori infection on the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
Methods
To identify case-control studies and cohort studies evaluating the association of H. pylori infection with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, a comprehensive literature search was performed from international databases including Medline (PubMed), Web of Sciences, Scopus, EMBASE, and CINHAL from January 1990 until January 2021. We used odds ratio with its 95% confidence interval (95%CI) to quantify the effect of case-control studies and risk ratio with its 95%CI for the effect of cohort studies.
Results
22 studies with 206911 participants were included for meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of odds ratio between H. pylori infection and metabolic syndrome in case-control studies was 1.19 (95%CI: 1.05, 1.35; I2 = 0%), and in cohort studies, the pooled risk ratio was 1.31 (95%CI: 1.13, 1.51; I2 = 0%). Besides, case-control studies showed the pooled odds ratio of 1.54 (95%CI: 1.19, 1.98; I2 = 6.88%) for the association between H. pylori infection and insulin resistance.
Conclusion
A positive association was found between H. pylori infection and insulin resistance as well as metabolic syndrome, so planning to eliminate or eradicate H. pylori infection could be an effective solution to improve metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance, and vice versa.
Declining risk of ischemic heart disease over time in rheumatoid arthritis: 1821 patients from 1972 to 2017.
Authors: Alsing Christian Lillebø , Nystad Tone Wikene , Igland Jannicke , Gjesdal Clara Gram , Midtbø Helga , Tell Grethe S. , Fevang Bjørg-Tilde Svanes
Published: August 2021

Objectives: To evaluate trends of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients compared with the general population over time. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 1821 RA patients diagnosed from 1972 to 2013. The total population of the same county (Hordaland, Norway) and time period was used for comparison. Information on AMI and IHD events was obtained from hospital patient administrative systems or cardiovascular registries. We estimated incidence rates and standardized event ratios (SER) compared with the general population by Poisson regression.Results: There was an average annual decline of 1.6% in age- and sex-adjusted AMI incidence rates from 1972 to 2017 (incidence rate ratio 0.984, 95% CI 0.971–0.998). Excess events in RA patients compared with the general population declined on average 1.3% per year for AMI and 2.3% for IHD from 1972 to 2014. The total RA cohort had 49% (SER 1.49, 95% CI 1.30–1.69) more AMI events and 63% (SER 1.63, 95% CI 1.52–1.74) more IHD events compared with the general population. There were no significant excess AMI and IHD events for RA patients diagnosed after 1998 compared with the general population.Conclusion: Incidence rates and excess events of AMI and IHD in RA patients declined from 1972 to 2017. There were no excess AMI or IHD events in RA patients diagnosed after 1998 compared with the general population.