bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In-silico discovery of common molecular signatures for which SARS-CoV-2 infections and lung diseases stimulate each other, and drug repurposing
Authors: Alamin Muhammad Habibulla , Rahaman Md. Matiur , Ferdousi Farzana , Sarker Arnob , Ali Md. Ahad , Hossen Md. Bayazid , Sarker Bandhan , Kumar Nishith , Mollah Md. Nurul Haque
Published: July 2024

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is a global health issue. It is yet a severe risk factor to the patients, who are also suffering from one or more chronic diseases including different lung diseases. In this study, we explored common molecular signatures for which SARS-CoV-2 infections and different lung diseases stimulate each other, and associated candidate drug molecules. We identified both SARS-CoV-2 infections and different lung diseases (Asthma, Tuberculosis, Cystic Fibrosis, Pneumonia, Emphysema, Bronchitis, IPF, ILD, and COPD) causing top-ranked 11 shared genes (STAT1, TLR4, CXCL10, CCL2, JUN, DDX58, IRF7, ICAM1, MX2, IRF9 and ISG15) as the hub of the shared differentially expressed genes (hub-sDEGs). The gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses of hub-sDEGs revealed some crucial common pathogenetic processes of SARS-CoV-2 infections and different lung diseases. The regulatory network analysis of hub-sDEGs detected top-ranked 6 TFs proteins and 6 micro RNAs as the key transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory factors of hub-sDEGs, respectively. Then we proposed hub-sDEGs guided top-ranked three repurposable drug molecules (Entrectinib, Imatinib, and Nilotinib), for the treatment against COVID-19 with different lung diseases. This recommendation is based on the results obtained from molecular docking analysis using the AutoDock Vina and GLIDE module of Schrödinger. The selected drug molecules were optimized through density functional theory (DFT) and observing their good chemical stability. Finally, we explored the binding stability of the highest-ranked receptor protein RELA with top-ordered three drugs (Entrectinib, Imatinib, and Nilotinib) through 100 ns molecular dynamic (MD) simulations with YASARA and Desmond module of Schrödinger and observed their consistent performance. Therefore, the findings of this study might be useful resources for the diagnosis and therapies of COVID-19 patients who are also suffering from one or more lung diseases.
A cohort study of the effects of social support on cerebral cardiovascular disease in subjects with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Kim Sung-Kyung , Jeong Yong Whi , Kang Dae Ryong , Kim Jang Young , Lee Hunju , Koh Sang-baek
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Previous studies have extensively examined the relationship between social support and various health outcomes. However, little is known about the distinct longitudinal associations between perceived social support and the development of cardiovascular events in patients with metabolic syndrome. In this cohort study, we investigated whether the levels of perceived social support in patients with metabolic syndrome were associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events.

Methods

The level of social support was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) in 2,721 individuals living in Wonju and Pyeongchang, South Korea. The presence of metabolic syndrome was determined by physical measurements and blood tests, and the occurrence of cerebral cardiovascular disease in relation to the presence of metabolic syndrome and the level of social support was analyzed using Cox proportional-hazards models.

Results

The median follow-up period was 2,345 days (2,192–2,618). Overall, in the group with metabolic syndrome and low social support, low social support was associated with an increased risk of later cerebral cardiovascular events; in this group, the hazard ratio after adjusting for confounding variables was 1.97 times (95% confidence interval, 1.01–3.85) higher than that in the group without metabolic syndrome and low social support.

Conclusion

This study shows, for the first time, that the level of social support is a risk factor for preventing cerebral cardiovascular disease in patients with metabolic syndrome and suggests that social support status should be incorporated into multifactorial risk assessment and intervention procedures to prevent metabolic syndrome and cerebral cardiovascular disease.
The evolutionary game of establishing a remote consultation system based on the downward allocation of medical resources in a medical alliance
Authors: Du Tao , Li Jinyu , Guo Liuyuanyuan , Wang Xiaohu , Zhu Qiuyue
Published: July 2024

As a crucial component of hierarchical diagnosis and treatment systems, medical alliances in China are responsible for promoting the downward allocation of high-quality medical resources. Remote consultation, as an essential means to achieve this goal, is of practical importance in the realization of resource sharing between hospitals within medical alliances in China. The existing research on the construction of remote consultations within medical alliances has achieved fruitful results in both theory and practice. However, the establishment of remote consultation involves many factors, and the current research mainly focuses on the influence of traditional economic profit and loss on the construction of remote consultation. In view of the practical problems existing in the operation of medical and health services in China, such as the need to improve the capacity of primary medical and health services and the poor sinking effect of high-quality medical resources, it is of great importance to systematically study the promotion strategy of the construction of remote consultation within the medical alliance to build a reasonable order of medical treatment. Therefore, by determining the logical path formed by the remote consultation channel and on the basis of traditional profit and loss parameters, this paper fully considers the relevant influence of the resource sinking utility caused by the remote consultation channel. The stability of the evolutionary system is analyzed, and a numerical simulation is used to explore the impact of key parameters on system evolution. The research results indicate that the establishment of a remote consultation system between hospitals at different levels is primarily influenced by factors such as the initial proportion of the establishment strategy chosen by both parties, the establishment cost, the distribution proportion of the government subsidy, the distribution proportion of the economic benefit, and the effectiveness proportion in the utility derived from the downward allocation of resources and reputational damage. The findings suggest that moderate to high levels of reputation loss do not significantly influence the final decision-making process for either party. Government subsidies can have an impact on hospital decision-making in the early stages, and in the long term, the resource sinking utility is more appealing than the economic benefits. To a certain extent, this study enriches the related research on remote consultation and the sinking of high-quality medical resources, provides reliable theoretical and method support for the sinking of high-quality medical resources, promotes the construction of remote consultation in medical alliances in China, and provides a decision-making reference and basis for the government and health administrative departments to formulate relevant policies.
Mutation accumulation in H. sapiens F508del CFTR countermands dN/dS type genomic analysis
Authors: Hong Jeong S. , Tindall Janice M. , Tindall Samuel R. , Sorscher Eric J.
Published: July 2024

Understanding the mechanisms that underlie de novo mutations (DNMs) can be essential for interpreting human evolution, including aspects such as rapidly diverging genes, conservation of non-coding regulatory elements, and somatic DNA adaptation, among others. DNM accumulation in Homo sapiens is often limited to evaluation of human trios or quads across a single generation. Moreover, human SNPs in exons, pseudogenes, or other non-coding elements can be ancient and difficult to date, including polymorphisms attributable to founder effects and identity by descent. In this report, we describe multigenerational evolution of a human coding locus devoid of natural selection, and delineate patterns and principles by which DNMs have accumulated over the past few thousand years. We apply a data set comprising cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) alleles from 2,393 individuals homozygous for the F508del defect. Additional polymorphism on the F508del background diversified subsequent to a single mutational event during recent human history. Because F508del CFTR is without function, SNPs observed on this haplotype are effectively attributable to factors that govern accumulating de novo mutations. We show profound enhancement of transition, synonymous, and positionally repetitive polymorphisms, indicating appearance of DNMs in a manner evolutionarily designed to protect protein coding DNA against mutational attrition while promoting diversity.
A new two-step road extraction method in high resolution remote sensing images
Authors: Lu Wei , Shi Xiaoying , Lu Zhiping
Published: July 2024

High-resolution remote sensing technology is an efficient and low-cost space-to-earth observation strategy, which can carry out simultaneous monitoring of large-scale areas. It has incomparable advantages over ground monitoring solutions. Traditional road extraction methods are mainly based on image processing techniques. These methods usually only use one or a few features of images, which is difficult to fully deal with the real situation of roads. This work proposes a two-steps network for the road extraction. First, we optimize a pix2pix model for image translation to obtain the required map style image. Images output by the optimized model is full of road features and can relief the occlusion issues. It can intuitively reflect information such as the position, shape and size of the road. After that, we propose a new FusionLinkNet model, which has a strong stability in the road information by fusing the DenseNet, ResNet and LinkNet. Experiments show that our accuracy and learning rate have been improved. The MIOU (Mean Intersection Over Union) value of the proposed model in road extraction is over 80% in both DeepGlobe and Massachusetts road dataset. The figures are available from https://github.com/jsit-luwei/training-dataset.
Association of birth weight, childhood obesity, and age at menarche with the risk of ovarian dysfunction: A mendelian randomization study
Authors: Dang Chunxiao , Li Jianjuan , Yu Xiao , Liu Jinxing , Liu Pengfei , Yang Xiaoling
Published: July 2024

Background

Observational studies have revealed associations between birth weight, childhood obesity, age at menarche, and ovarian dysfunction. However, these studies are susceptible to unavoidable confounding factors, leading to ongoing debates regarding their conclusions and making causal relationships challenging to infer. In light of these challenges, Mendelian randomization was employed in this study to investigate the causal relationships between birth weight, childhood obesity, age at menarche, and ovarian dysfunction.

Methods

This study employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach using genetic variation as instrumental variables to investigate causal relationships. Genetic variation data were sourced from summary data of genome-wide association studies in European populations. Instrumental variables were selected based on the principles of Mendel’s three assumptions. The study utilized the inverse variance weighted method to assess the relationships between birth weight, childhood obesity, age at menarche, and ovarian dysfunction. Supplementary analyses were conducted using MR-Egger regression, the weighted median method, and the weighted median mode to complement the IVW results. Furthermore, the study conducted heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, and sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of the results.

Results

Based on the inverse variance weighted method, it was found that there exists a causal relationship between childhood obesity (OR = 1.378, 95% CI: 1.113∼1.705, p = 0.003), age at menarche (OR = 0.639, 95% CI: 0.468∼0.871, p = 0.005), and ovarian dysfunction, while no causal relationship was observed between birth weight and ovarian dysfunction. Heterogeneity tests, multiplicity tests, and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses did not detect any heterogeneity or multiplicity effects in the estimated impact of these three exposure factors on the risk of ovarian dysfunction.

Conclusions

This study represents the first evidence suggesting a potential causal relationship between childhood obesity, age at menarche, and ovarian dysfunction. Childhood obesity was found to increase the risk of ovarian dysfunction, while a later age at menarche was associated with a reduced risk of ovarian dysfunction.
Prevalence and help-seeking for infertility in a population with a low fertility rate
Authors: Lee Mei-Chuan , Chien Pei-Shan , Zhou Yue , Yu Tsung
Published: July 2024

Background

In Taiwan there has been limited research of epidemiological surveys on prevalence of infertility. This study aimed to provide the updated prevalence of primary infertility and of help-seeking among residents in Taiwan.

Methods

Between February and March 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional population-based telephone survey of 1,297 men and women aged 20–49 years who were residing in Taiwan. We used computer-assisted telephone interviewing techniques to collect data regarding sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics. Using two approaches to defining infertility, we estimated the prevalence of infertility and the prevalence of help-seeking behaviors. Our analyses accounted for survey weighting.

Results

The response rate was 27.9%. Among 1,297 respondents, 829 (63.9%) were married or cohabiting, including 404 men and 425 women. The prevalence of primary infertility using definition 1 was 5.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.2% - 7.4%); the prevalence of primary infertility using definition 2 was 6.7% (5.1% - 8.6%). Regarding professional help-seeking, 11.1% (9.2%-13.5%) had ever consulted a doctor about getting pregnant; 9.9% (8.1%-12.2%) had ever received diagnostic tests/treatment to help with conceiving; 2.6% (1.6% - 4.0%) were currently receiving diagnostic tests/treatment to help with conceiving.

Conclusion

Our nationwide survey of the prevalence of primary infertility in Taiwan suggests that the prevalence was not as high as what is often seen in the news reports (about 14%). These findings also suggest there may be a gap between those who are currently experiencing infertility and those who are currently being treated; hence, we call for raising awareness of infertility and improving access to infertility healthcare.
Link prediction accuracy on real-world networks under non-uniform missing-edge patterns
Authors: He Xie , Ghasemian Amir , Lee Eun , Schwarze Alice C. , Clauset Aaron , Mucha Peter J.
Published: July 2024

Real-world network datasets are typically obtained in ways that fail to capture all edges. The patterns of missing data are often non-uniform as they reflect biases and other shortcomings of different data collection methods. Nevertheless, uniform missing data is a common assumption made when no additional information is available about the underlying missing-edge pattern, and link prediction methods are frequently tested against uniformly missing edges. To investigate the impact of different missing-edge patterns on link prediction accuracy, we employ 9 link prediction algorithms from 4 different families to analyze 20 different missing-edge patterns that we categorize into 5 groups. Our comparative simulation study, spanning 250 real-world network datasets from 6 different domains, provides a detailed picture of the significant variations in the performance of different link prediction algorithms in these different settings. With this study, we aim to provide a guide for future researchers to help them select a link prediction algorithm that is well suited to their sampled network data, considering the data collection process and application domain.
Remote work transition amidst COVID-19: Impacts on presenteeism, absenteeism, and worker well-being—A scoping review
Authors: Nowrouzi-Kia Behdin , Haritos Alexia M. , Long Bao-Zhu Stephanie , Atikian Chantal , Fiorini Luke A. , Gohar Basem , Howe Aaron , Li Yiyan , Bani-Fatemi Ali
Published: July 2024

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition to remote work, leading to increased attention on presenteeism and absenteeism among remote workers. Understanding the implications of these phenomena on worker health and productivity is crucial for optimizing remote work arrangements and developing policies to improve employee well-being.

Objectives

This scoping review aims to examine the occurrence of presenteeism and absenteeism among remote workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and the interrelated physical and mental health issues during these periods.

Methods

PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Eric, Business Source Premier, SCOPUS, and sociological abstracts were searched resulting in 1792 articles. Articles were included if the population of interest was 18+ (i.e., working age), engaged in full or part-time work, and the employees shifted from in-person to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All study designs, geographical areas, and papers written post-onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were included; however, systematic reviews were excluded. Data was charted into Microsoft Excel by 2 independent reviewers.

Results

The literature search identified 10 studies (i.e., seven cross-sectional studies, two qualitative studies, and one observational study). Five major overarching themes were identified specifically (1) telework and mental health (2) telework and physical health (3) worker benefits (4) gender dynamics and (5) difficulty navigating the teleworking environment. While remote work offers flexibility in terms of saved commute time and flexible work schedules, it also exacerbates challenges related to presenteeism, absenteeism, and work-life balance. These challenges include experiencing psychological distress, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep deprivation, musculoskeletal pain, difficulties concentrating at work for both women and working parents, struggles disconnecting after hours, and the inability to delineate between the work and home environment.

Discussion

The findings suggest that remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has both positive and negative implications for worker well-being and productivity. However, future research needs to incorporate the potential effects of telework frequency (full time vs. part time) on employee productivity and its role on presenteeism and absenteeism, to gain a more comprehensive understanding on remote work difficulties. Addressing these challenges requires proactive interventions and support mechanisms to promote worker health and productivity in remote settings.
ENCAP: Computational prediction of tumor T cell antigens with ensemble classifiers and diverse sequence features
Authors: Yu Jen-Chieh , Ni Kuan , Chen Ching-Tai
Published: July 2024

Cancer immunotherapy enhances the body’s natural immune system to combat cancer, offering the advantage of lowered side effects compared to traditional treatments because of its high selectivity and efficacy. Utilizing computational methods to identify tumor T cell antigens (TTCAs) is valuable in unraveling the biological mechanisms and enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapy. In this study, we present ENCAP, a predictor for TTCA based on ensemble classifiers and diverse sequence features. Sequences were encoded as a feature vector of 4349 entries based on 57 different feature types, followed by feature engineering and hyperparameter optimization for machine learning models, respectively. The selected feature subsets of ENCAP are primarily composed of physicochemical properties, with several features specifically related to hydrophobicity and amphiphilicity. Two publicly available datasets were used for performance evaluation. ENCAP yields an AUC (Area Under the ROC Curve) of 0.768 and an MCC (Matthew’s Correlation Coefficient) of 0.522 on the first independent test set. On the second test set, it achieves an AUC of 0.960 and an MCC of 0.789. Performance evaluations show that ENCAP generates 4.8% and 13.5% improvements in MCC over the state-of-the-art methods on two popular TTCA datasets, respectively. For the third test dataset of 71 experimentally validated TTCAs from the literature, ENCAP yields prediction accuracy of 0.873, achieving improvements ranging from 12% to 25.7% compared to three state-of-the-art methods. In general, the prediction accuracy is higher for sequences of fewer hydrophobic residues, and more hydrophilic and charged residues. The source code of ENCAP is freely available at https://github.com/YnnJ456/ENCAP.
Allometric multi-scaling of weight-for-height relation in children and adolescents: Revisiting the theoretical basis of body mass index of thinness and obesity assessment
Authors: Ogata Hitomi , Isoyama Yosuke , Nose-Ogura Sayaka , Nagai Narumi , Kayaba Momoko , Kruse João Gabriel Segato , Seleznov Ivan , Kaneko Miki , Shigematsu Taiki , Kiyono Ken
Published: July 2024

The body mass index (BMI), defined as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, has been widely used to assess thinness and obesity in all age groups, including children and adolescents. However, the validity and utility of BMI as a reliable measure of nutritional health have been questioned. This study discusses the mathematical conditions that support the validity of BMI based on population statistics. Here, we propose a condition defined as allometric uni-scaling to ensure the validity of BMI as an objective height-adjusted measure. Any given centile curve, including the median curve, in a weight-for-height distribution should be approximated using power-law functions with the same scaling exponent. In contrast, when the scaling exponent varies depending on the position of the centile curve, it is called allometric multi-scaling. By introducing a method for testing these scaling properties using quantile regression, we analyzed a large-scale Japanese database that included 7,863,520 children aged 5-17 years. We demonstrated the remarkable multi-scaling properties at ages 5-13 years for males and 5-11 years for females, and the convergence to uni-scaling with a scaling exponent close to 2 as they approached 17 years of age for both sexes. We confirmed that conventional BMI is appropriate as an objective height-adjusted mass measure at least 17 years of age, close to adulthood, for both males and females. However, the validity of BMI could not be confirmed in younger age groups. Our findings indicate that the growth of children’s weight-for-height relation is much more complex than previously assumed. Therefore, a single BMI-type formula cannot be used to assess thinness and obesity in children and adolescents.
Willingness to help women victims of intimate partner violence in a Spanish context: Differential factors, interactions and predictors
Authors: Nardi-Rodríguez Ainara , Sánchez-Prada Andrés , Delgado-Álvarez Carmen , Bosh-Fiol Esperanza , Vázquez-González Leila I. , Ferrer-Pérez Victoria A.
Published: July 2024

This article presents two cross-sectional studies that group the most relevant (and potential) factors contemplated in the bystander literature on Intimate Partner Violence Against Women, (IPVAW). We analyzed their relationship with the intention to respond to hypothetical scenarios with specific helping behaviors based on the witnesses’ gender, political ideology and on the bystander effect (study 1). We also studied them as predictors of helping behaviors (study 2). In total, 1,563 Spanish people participated in study 1 and 755 Spanish people in study 2. Participants had to study an IPVAW vignette (with a single bystander or multiple bystanders) and a control scenario (a robbery with a woman as victim or a man) and assess the perceived severity of the situation, the perceived responsibility of the victim and the aggressor(s), the personal perceived responsibility of the bystander and the intention to perform 8 helping behaviors. They also fulfilled a social desirability scale (study 1 and 2), the Inventory of Distorted Thoughts about Women and Violence and the Scale on Gender Ideology (study 2). Women tend to assess the IPVAW scenario in a way that favors displaying active helping behaviors to a greater extent than men. An individual’s political opinion has also shown to affect the assessment and, to a lesser extent, the intention to help an IPVAW victim. The bystander effect only takes place when negative attitudes are present. When analyzing the interaction between the type of violence (gender versus non-gender-based violence) and the above-mentioned variables, the results tend to confirm previous studies. Regarding the predictors of the helping behaviors, perceived personal responsibility is key, together with victim blaming attitudes or the perceived severity of the situation. This study expands the knowledge on bystander behaviors in IPVAW contexts and offers elements to work on awareness campaigns.
Effect of IL-17A on the immune response to pulmonary tuberculosis induced by high- and low-virulence strains of Mycobacterium bovis
Authors: Rodríguez-Míguez Yadira , Lozano-Ordaz Vasti , Ortiz-Cabrera Angel E. , Barrios-Payan Jorge , Mata-Espinosa Dulce , Huerta-Yepez Sara , Baay-Guzman Guillermina , Hernández-Pando Rogelio
Published: July 2024

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious, chronic, and progressive disease occurring globally. Human TB is caused mainly by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), while the main causative agent of bovine TB is Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). The latter is one of the most important cattle pathogens and is considered the main cause of zoonotic TB worldwide. The mechanisms responsible for tissue damage (necrosis) during post-primary TB remain elusive. Recently, IL-17A was reported to be important for protection against M. tuberculosis infection, but it is also related to the production of an intense inflammatory response associated with necrosis. We used two M. bovis isolates with different levels of virulence and high IL-17A production to study this important cytokine’s contrasting functions in a BALB/c mouse model of pulmonary TB. In the first part of the study, the gene expression kinetics and cellular sources of IL-17A were determined by real time PCR and immunohistochemistry respectively. Non-infected lungs showed low production of IL-17A, particularly by the bronchial epithelium, while lungs infected with the low-virulence 534 strain showed high IL-17A expression on Day 3 post-infection, followed by a decrease in expression in the early stage of the infection and another increase during late infection, on Day 60, when very low bacillary burdens were found. In contrast, infection with the highly virulent strain 04–303 induced a peak of IL-17A expression on Day 14 of infection, 1 week before extensive pulmonary necrosis was seen, being lymphocytes and macrophages the most important sources. In the second part of the study, the contribution of IL-17A to immune protection and pulmonary necrosis was evaluated by suppressing IL-17A via the administration of specific blocking antibodies. Infection with M. bovis strain 534 and treatment with IL-17A neutralizing antibodies did not affect mouse survival but produced a significant increase in bacillary load and a non-significant decrease in inflammatory infiltrate and granuloma area. In contrast, mice infected with the highly virulent 04–303 strain and treated with IL-17A blocking antibodies showed a significant decrease in survival, an increase in bacillary loads on Day 24 post-infection, and significantly more and earlier necrosis. Our results suggest that high expression of IL-17A is more related to protection than necrosis in a mouse model of pulmonary TB induced by M. bovis strains.
Protocol of the study for predicting empathy during VR sessions using sensor data and machine learning
Authors: Kizhevska Emilija , Šparemblek Kristina , Luštrek Mitja
Published: July 2024

Virtual reality (VR) technology is often referred to as the ‘ultimate empathy machine’ due to its capability to immerse users in alternate perspectives and environments beyond their immediate physical reality. In this study, participants will be immersed in 3-dimensional 360° VR videos where actors express different emotions (sadness, happiness, anger, and anxiousness). The primary objective is to investigate the potential relationship between participants’ empathy levels and the changes in their physiological attributes. The empathy levels will be self-reported with questionnaires, and physiological attributes will be measured using different sensors. The main outcome of the study will be a machine learning model to predict a person’s empathy level based on their physiological responses while watching VR videos. Despite the existence of established methodologies and metrics in research and clinical domains, our aim is to contribute to addressing the gap of a universally accepted “gold standard” for assessing empathy. Additionally, we expect to deepen our understanding of the relationship between different emotions and psychological attributes, gender differences in empathy, and the impact of narrative context on empathic responses.
Programes de millora genètica: de les pràctiques de selecció en animals a la impossibilitat de l’eugenèsia liberal.
Authors: Vidal Oriol
Published: July 2024

Els objectius i els mètodes de l’eugenèsia humana són compartits amb la millora genètica animal. En animals domèstics es fan servir de manera habitual gairebé tots els mètodes disponibles per fer selecció, i aquesta connexió permet analitzar l’eugenèsia liberal posant el focus en l’aplicabilitat que puguin tenir les seves propostes. Les pràctiques eugèniques haurien de funcionar no només en teoria, sinó també tenint en compte les condicions reals en què s’han de desenvolupar: com s’hereten els caràcters fenotípics que es volen seleccionar, com és el material genètic i què implica garantir els postulats liberals. La gran majoria de caràcters d’interès són caràcters quantitatius, i la capacitat de seleccionar-los es veu restringida pel lligament, les correlacions genètiques i el context genòmic entre d’altres. Per superar les limitacions d’aquestes tres característiques cal seleccionar poblacions senceres, i això és incompatible amb l’elecció individual que s’hauria de produir en l’eugenèsia liberal.  Tenint en compte tots aquest factors, només es pot arribar a la conclusió que l’eugenèsia liberal és impossible, o bé perquè no funciona (i per tant no és eugenèsia) o bé perquè no és liberal.
Design of TOEC/IKLA Online Examination Service Application: Case Study of the Centre of Language Development UIN Sunan Kalijaga
Authors: Nurain  , Arif Budiman  , Fuad Arif Fudiyartanto  , Ervan Yogi Arifianto  , Roger Bayuki Sofyan
Published: July 2024

The Language Center offers standardized tests for Arabic and English in the form of IKLA and TOEC exams. When conducted on paper, they are corrected manually and can have problems such as being less efficient, effective, and accurate. This research aims to design an online test application for TOEC/IKLA that can overcome these problems. This research uses a specific method called a waterfall. The research stages include needs analysis, design, implementation, and testing. A need analysis is carried out to understand the necessity of the application from the user’s perspective. Design is carried out to produce an application design that meets user needs. Implementation is carried out to build applications according to the design that has been created. Testing is carried out to ensure that the application can function properly and meet user needs. The research results show that the designed TOEC/IKLA online test application can overcome the problems found in the manual TOEC/IKLA test. This application can provide more efficient, effective, and accurate exam services. This application is a new and better service that UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta delivers for everyone, whether internal or external test takers. This application can even be utilized by other institutions that require online examination services.
Abstrak
Tes standar untuk bahasa Arab dan Inggris ditawarkan oleh Pusat Pengembangan Bahasa (P2B) dalam bentuk ujian IKLA dan TOEC. Ketika dilakukan di atas kertas, tes tersebut dikoreksi secara manual dan memiliki beberapa masalah seperti kurang efisien, efektif, dan akurat. Tujuan penelitian ini fokus pada merancang sebuah aplikasi tes online TOEC/IKLA. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode khusus yang disebut waterfall. Model pengembangan waterfall terdiri dari tahap analisis kebutuhan, desain, implementasi, pengujian, dan pemeliharaan. Analisis kebutuhan dilakukan untuk memahami kebutuhan aplikasi dari sudut pandang pengguna. Desain dilakukan untuk menghasilkan rancangan aplikasi yang sesuai dengan kebutuhan pengguna. Implementasi dilakukan untuk membangun aplikasi sesuai dengan desain yang telah dibuat. Pengujian dilakukan untuk memastikan aplikasi dapat berfungsi dengan baik dan memenuhi kebutuhan pengguna. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa system aplikasi ujian online TOEC/IKLA ini merupakan layanan baru yang disediakan P2B UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta untuk semua orang, baik peserta ujian internal maupun eksternal. Desain system aplikasi ujian TOEC/IKLA online dikembangkan sesuai dengan tahap pengembangan. Namun, belum dilakukan pengujian untuk melihat efisiensi, efektifitas dan akurasi karena keterbatasan penulis. Oleh karena itu rekomendasi penelitian lebih lanjut tentang system aplikasi ini untuk melihat efektivatas, efisiensi, dan akurasi secara lebih valid. Rancangan ini juga dapat dimanfaatkan oleh institusi lain yang membutuhkan layanan ujian secara online.
INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS TENTANG WORK FAMILY BALANCE IBU BEKERJA YANG MEMILIKI ANAK CEREBRAL PALCY
Authors: Evani Imelda , Rahayu Ananda Sri , Putri Dinda Maulana , Dewi Eka Puspita , Amanda Erfi , Sari Putri Mayang
Published: July 2024

Penelitian ini bertujuan mengkaji secara mendalam mengenai work family balance ibu bekerja yang memiliki anak cerebral palcy. Pendekatan dalam penelitian ini yaitu Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Partisipan dipilih menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan wawancara mendalam pada dua orang ibu bekerja dan memiliki anak cerebral palcy. Dalam penelitian ini ditemukan tiga tema induk, yaitu (1) penyesuaian diri, (2) peran ibu, dan (3) keseimbangan pemasaran kerja dan keluarga. Selain itu, ditemukan satu tema khusus yaitu usaha dalam keamanan anak. Penelitian ini memberikan pengalaman bagaimana keseimbangan kerja dan pengasuhan anak cerebral palcy yang dialami ibu berkerja.
KAWAN DALAM KEBERAGAMAN: REALITAS HUBUNGAN PERTEMANAN BEDA AGAMA DI INDONESIA
Authors: Oktawirawan Dwi Hardani , Kristiyanti Bertha
Published: July 2024

Keberagaman ras, suku, maupun agama yang ada di Indonesia membuat masyarakat belajar bahwa mereka tetap akan saling membutuhkan. Kebutuhan satu sama lain dapat terwujud ketika seseorang mampu mengembangkan sikap toleransi dan menjunjung tinggi nilai keberagaman termasuk agama. Kerukunan yang sudah tercipta sejak lama dalam masyarakat Indonesia memperkuat potensi terjalinnya pertemanan beda agama. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengulas pertemanan beda agama di Indonesia yang berfokus pada bahasan terkait aktivitas bersama teman beda agama, kedekatan yang terjalin dengan teman beda agama, sisi positif pertemanan beda agama, tantangan dalam pertemanan beda agama, dan cara menjaga keharmonisan dalam pertemanan beda agama. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini berupa tinjauan literatur dengan melibatkan 14 artikel tentang pertemanan beda agama di Indonesia. Pertemanan beda agama melibatkan berbagai macam aktivitas hingga akhirnya terjalin kedekatan. Teruwujudnya aktivitas bersama akan memunculkan rasa saling memahami dan saling memberikan dukungan satu sama lain. Tidak menutup kemungkinan akan muncul tantangan dalam pertemanan beda agama, namun melalui sikap toleransi dan komunikasi yang baik maka akan tercipta kenyamanan serta keharmonisan dalam pertemanan beda agama.
“MELAWAN KOTAK KOSONG”: ANALISIS MARKETING POLITIK ENAM PASANGAN CALON TUNGGAL PADA PILKADA 2020 DI JAWA TENGAH
Authors: Sanjaya Andreas Ryan , Budiarsa Yohanes Thianika
Published: July 2024

This study aims to understand the political marketing strategies implemented by campaign teams of single candidates in the contest of 2020 local election. Based on the literature review, there are only a few studies investigating the political marketing of single candidates in Indonesia’s local election. Given that, this study attempted to understand how the campaign teams of six electoral regencies in Central Java undertook their strategies to defeat the empty box. Data were collected by documenting the campaign materials uploaded on social media accounts that are officially registered to the General Election Commission (KPU). In addition, a series of interviews were administered to get data from several campaign team leaders. Afterward, the data analysis was done using the qualitative method. This study found that (1) the message formation process is very dependent on the characteristics of the prospective voters; 2) the campaign leader manages the cyber team to run campaigns through social media more effectively; 3) the campaign team integrates online and offline campaigns to build relationships with potential voters; and 4) the campaign team carries out a special strategy to deal with the power of the empty box movement.
Wczesne schematy nieadaptacyjne jako predyktory inteligencji emocjonalnej osób dorosłych
Authors: Karbowski Mariusz G. , Łukomski Bartosz K.
Published: July 2024

The aim of the research was an attempt to capture the influence of Early Maladaptive Schemas and it’s connection to Emotional Intelligence in the population of adults between age 18 and 54. After some hypotheses were made, it became clear that they all go down to making the Early Maladaptive Schemas as a really impactful tool in the process of emerging and shaping emotional intelligence. This also draws our attention to how important this might be and how having multiple and intense Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS) can impact the way we perceive the world around us and how do we look at ourselves. During the research process of this study the data was collected by electronic devices. 102 people took part in the research (68 females and 34 males). To measure occurrence, intensification and quantity of maladaptive schemas areas The Young Schema Questionnaire YSQ-S3-PL, second version in Polish translation by Justyna Oettingen, Jan Chodkiewicz, Dorota Mącik and Ewa Gruszczyńska (2018) was used. In order to take possession of Emotional Intelligence data, Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire in Polish adaptation by Anna Ciechanowicz, Aleksandra Jaworowska, Anna Matczak (2000) played a major role. After gathering and analyzing data conclusion was made that in deed Early Maladaptive Schemas have a moderate negative connection with Emotional Intelligence. Results suggest that high EMS values comes with low EI levels. The more and intense EMS get, the less a person can manage their own emotions in positive ways to effectively reduce stress and use EI to improve thinking and functioning to overcome challenges. However there is no indication of statistically significant correlations between high levels of EMS and the emotional recognition abilities.
Pacjenci onkologiczni w środowisku pracy – reakcje i wsparcie ze strony współpracowników
Authors: Ulaniecka Natalia
Published: July 2024

The article discusses the challenges cancer patients face in the workplace, with a focus on the reactions and support they receive from their colleagues. The study involved indepth interviews with cancer patients, employers representatives, and trade union  representative. Specific examples of support and negative reactions were discussed - during treatment and in return-to-work process (RTW) after absence. The article also provides quotes from the respondents to highlight the diverse experiences of cancer patients in the workplace. The study revealed knowledge deficits among colleagues regarding the specificities of cancer, particularly in relation to long-term side effects. It also highlighted the persistent stereotypes and fears associated with cancer. Therefore, there is a need for social education to increase awareness about cancer and its long-term consequences, better communication among colleagues, and constructive support for cancer patients in the workplace.
Corrosion mechanism of K411 superalloy in sulfur-containing environment: sulfidation promoting internal nitridation
Authors: Yu Ren , Wang Yao , Wang Lei , Jiang Xiangwei , Dong Jiasheng
Published: July 2024

Corrosion exposure study was conducted on the commercial nickel-based K411 superalloy in a simulated gas turbine operating environment (air + 2 vol% SO2) at 900 °C up to 2000 h. The corrosion behavior of the alloy was quantificationally analyzed from both morphological and chemical points with SEM, XRD, EDS, and EPMA. The results show that the formation of fine TiN inside the oxide layer can be strongly accelerated with the introduction of SO2. Sulfide is assumed as diffusion channels for gas molecules that accelerate internal nitridation. Large-volume variation caused by the TiN formation leads to a stress gradient, which induces Cr and Ni elements from inside to the surface of the alloy. The oxide scales release the compressive stresses generated by internal nitridation through forming protrusions on the surface, which is a potential risk for alloy failure. The corrosion behavior of K411 superalloy is controlled by a combination of oxidation, sulfidation, and internal nitridation whereby the relevant corrosion mechanism has been given.
Alcohol promotes liver fibrosis in high fat diet induced diabetic rats
Authors: Gopinath Veena , Mariya Davis Aleena , Menon Thara K. , Raghavamenon Achuthan C.
Published: July 2024

Objectives

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and alcoholism are considered to be lifestyle-associated independent risk factors in fatty liver diseases (FLD) mediated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A combined effect of both these conditions may exacerbate the pathological changes and a pre-clinical exploration of this is expected to provide a mechanical detail of the pathophysiology. The present study aims to understand the effect of alcohol on pre- diabetic and type 2 diabetic female Wistar rats.

Methods

In this experimental study, 12 Wistar rats (180–220 g) were randomly assigned into three groups: Normal (fed normal rat chow), alcohol (20 %) fed diabetic (HFD + STZ), and pre-diabetic rats (HFD alone). After, two months of the experimental period, blood and liver tissues were collected lipid metabolic alteration, liver injury, and fibrosis were determined following biochemical and histological methods. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Dunnett’s Post Hoc test.

Results

Significant dyslipidemia was observed in the liver tissues of diabetic and pre-diabetic rats following alcohol ingestion. A significant (p<0.05) increase in lipid peroxidation status, and hepatic marker enzyme activities (p<0.0001) were observed in diabetic animals. In corroborating with these observations, hematoxylin and eosin staining of hepatic tissue revealed the presence of sinusoidal dilation along with heavily damaged hepatocytes and inflammatory cell infiltration. Further, significantly (p<0.001) increased hepatic hydroxyproline content and extended picrosirius red stained areas of collagen in liver tissue indicated initiation of fibrosis in alcohol-fed diabetic rats.

Conclusions

Overall, the results indicate that alcohol consumption in T2DM conditions is more deleterious than pre diabetic conditions in progressing to hepatic fibrosis.
Effect of wettability on paper literature deacidification by ultrasonic atomization
Authors: Ma Zhuoyao , Fan Huiming , Liao Yunfei , Yun Baihe , Wang Zehao , Wu Ting , Liu Jianan
Published: July 2024

Acidification is an important factor in the aging of paper literature. Since most of the paper is sized and the surface tension of water is high, it is usually difficult for aqueous phase deacidification agent to penetrate the paper resulting in uneven deacidification. The addition of surfactant can effectively reduce the liquid surface tension and enhance the effect of deacidification with wetting properties improvement. In this paper, polysorbate-80 and polyether-modified trisiloxane surfactants were added to sodium propionate aqueous deacidification agent separately, researching the effect of wettability on the paper literature deacidification by ultrasonic atomization. The results show that SP-TRSE is effective, the maximum enhancement of deacidification agent absorption after adding wetting additives is 238.20 %, the minimum standard deviation of water content and alkali reserve after treatment is 3.87 and 0.005 respectively, the maximum increase in the internal mass fraction of sodium is 0.29 %.
Linear instability of the vertical throughflow in a porous layer saturated by a power-law fluid with variable gravity effect
Authors: Challa Lakshmi Sireesha , Ragoju Ravi , Veerappampalayam Easwaramoorthy Sathishkumar , Cho Jaehyuk
Published: July 2024

The present study investigates the thermal convection of a power-law fluid in a horizontal porous layer that is heated from below. The study of flow in a porous medium is important because of its applications in various fields such as agriculture, geothermal sciences, and engineering. Linear instability analysis is performed using the normal mode method to solve the governing equations after non-dimensionalization. The bvp4c routine in MATLAB R2020a has been used to solve the raised problem for linear instability. The impact of gravity parameter, Peclet number, and power-law index on linear instability has been investigated. Linear and quadratic variations of gravity field are considered. From the results, it is evident that the critical Rayleigh number exhibits a non-monotonic relationship with the Peclet number. Increasing the gravity variation parameter leads to a more stable system, particularly in the case of linear gravity variation.
Preliminary optimization of composite compositions based on modified Sosnowsky’s Heracleum
Authors: Zhukov Alexey , Stepina Irina , Sodomon Mark , Bazhenova Sofia
Published: July 2024

Composite materials based on modified stems of Heracleum sosnowskyi (Sosnowsky’s hogweed) and polyurethane binder are used for thermal insulation of building structures. The purpose of this study was to create a mathematical model for the optimization of composite compositions and the prediction of their properties. Numerical methods of mathematical statistics were used and nomogram plots were obtained. It was possible to select optimal compositions for the given characteristics of composites based on modified stems of H. sosnowskyi and polyurethane binder and predict the thermophysical properties of composites by knowing their composition. To produce thermal insulation boards with a thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.05 W/(m°C) it was necessary to use particles of H. sosnowskyi with a size of approximately 5 mm. The ratio of plant raw material and polyurethane binder was approximately 3:1 by weight. The bending strength of the thermal insulation boards was 1.56 MPa, and the compressive strength was 0.27 MPa.