bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Культурні проєкти як інструменти цифрової дипломатії
Authors: Поплавський Михайло
Published: December 2020

Мета статті – з’ясування ролі медіа у реалізації культурних ініціатив як ефективних інструментів цифрової дипломатії. Методологія дослідження ґрунтується на застосуванні загальнонаукових принципів пізнання соціокультурних процесів, а також міждисциплінарного підходу у сфері культурології і менеджменту.Наукова новизна полягає в доведенні ролі культурних проєктів як ефективних інструментів цифрової дипломатії.Результати та висновки. Наголошено на вкрай високій значущості в сучасних соціокультурних процесах медіа, що впливає на сприйняття громадськістю соціокультурної реальності і задає моделі культурної поведінки. Це робить медіа важливим інструментом цифрової дипломатії, в реалізації якої особливу роль відіграють культурні проєкти, ініційовані недержавними структурами з використанням потенціалу мережі Інтернет. Наведено дані звіту Digital 2020, згідно з яким кількість осіб, які користуються інтернетом, невпинно зростає і глобальна комунікація може стати всеосяжною за умови збереження наведеної у звіті динаміки. Це вимагає врахування в реалізації культурних проєктів можливостей глобальної мережі, зокрема медіа як ефективних інструментів цифрової дипломатії. На прикладі мегапроєкту «Пісня об’єднує нас» звернено увагу на потребу популяризації багатого надбання українського народу, зокрема із залученням інтернет-ЗМІ, які є активним актором формування соціокультурного простору, слугуючи не лише засобом передання інформації, а й механізмом становлення особливої реальності – медіа­-простору. Зроблено висновок, що реалізація заходів публічної дипломатії з використанням інтернет-ЗМІ, як одного із головних засобів організації інформаційного співтовариства, сприяє залученню ширшого кола структур до лобіювання українських інтересів у новому глобальному світі, дає змогу на більш системній основі забезпечувати комунікацію з населенням країни тощо. Сьогодні цифрова дипломатія перетворюється на потужний інструмент реалізації значної кількості цілей публічної дипломатії. Вперше в історії традиційної дипломатії цифрові технології стали відігравати основну, а не допоміжну роль. Виразним прикладом впливу на розвиток культурного різноманіття, сприяння інтеграції суб’єктів культурної діяльності є телемарафон «Пісня об’єднує нас» – зразок підтримки необхідної культурної активності, привернення уваги до актуальних проблем соціокультурного розвитку, створення сприятливих умов для саморозвитку культурного життя за допомогою активізації креативного середовища.
Construction of Intuitionistic Fuzzy Mappings with Applications
Authors: MİLLES Soheyb , NART Ergün , ISMAİL Farhan , LATRECHE Abdelkrim
Published: December 2020

In a recent paper, Ismail and Massa'deh have introduced the notion of L-fuzzy mapping and some basic operations were proved. In this paper, we generalize this notion to the setting of intuitionistic fuzzy sets. Moreover, we study the main properties related to intuitionistic fuzzy mapping. As applications, we provide properties of intuitionistic fuzzy continuous mappings in intuitionistic fuzzy topological spaces and investigate the relation among various kinds of intuitionistic fuzzy continuity.
On Submanifolds of $N(k)$-Quasi Einstein Manifolds with a Type of Semi-Symmetric Metric Connection
Authors: ÜNAL İnan
Published: December 2020

In this study, we consider the $ N(k)- $quasi Einstein manifolds with respect to a type of semi-symmetric metric connection. We suppose that the generator of $ N(k)- $quasi-Einstein manifolds is parallel with respect to semi-symmetric metric connection and we classify such manifolds. In addition, we consider the submanifolds of a $ N(k)- $quasi Einstein manifold and we obtain some conditions on the totally geodesic and the totally umbilic submanifolds. Finally, we consider a para-Kenmotsu space form as an example of $ N(k)- $quasi-Einstein manifolds.
Low Power Consumption on Cloud Data Centers Using HSA Algorithm
Authors: Nuaimy Louay Al , Deressa Tadele Debisa , Mastan Mohammad , Umar Syed
Published: December 2020

The rapid development of knowledge and communication has created a new processing style called cloud computing. One of the key issues facing cloud infrastructure providers is minimizing costs and maximizing profitability. Power management in cloud centres is very important to achieve this. Energy consumption can be reduced by releasing inactive nodes or by reducing the migration of virtual machines. The second is one of the challenges of choosing the virtual machine deployment method to migrate to the right node. This article proposes an approach to reduce electricity consumption in cloud centres. This approach adapts Harmony's search algorithm to move virtual machines. Positioning is done by sorting nodes and virtual machines according to their priorities in descending order. Priority is calculated based on the workload. The proposed procedure is envisaged. The evaluation results show less virtual machine migration, greater efficiency and lower energy consumption.
Elements of administrative and legal status of the State executive service of Ukraine
Authors:   Academy of the State Penitentiary Service, Chernihiv, Ukraine, N.B. Shamruk , A.A. Makiienko ,   Academy of the State Penitentiary Service, Chernihiv, Ukraine
Published: December 2020

High-quality execution of court decisions and decisions of other bodies is one of the main priorities of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, as the state must not only ensure fair consideration of cases in courts and other bodies, but also guarantee fair, high-quality and fast execution of such decisions. This task is assigned to the bodies of the State Executive Service and private bailiffs.Reform of execution of court decisions in general and the bodies of the State Executive Service in particular is key one both for Ukraine and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. The steps already taken in the area of ​​judicial reform and are being implemented today are yielding positive results, but the reform should be continued. In future, it is necessary to ensure the protection of society by ensuring obligatory enforcement of court decisions by modernizing the service of state bailiffs and protecting private bailiffs for the execution of court decisions.Any state body must have a clear legal status in order to function effectively. The current legal status of the State Executive Service of Ukraine is determined by the Constitution of Ukraine, Laws of Ukraine “On Enforcement Proceedings” dated 02.06.2016 № 1404-VIII, “On bodies and persons carrying out enforcement decisions and decisions of other bodies” dated 02.06.2016 № 1403-VIII and other laws, as well as international treaties of Ukraine, the consent to the binding nature of which was given by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and regulations adopted for their implementation.In this article, the elements of the administrative and legal status of the State Executive Service of Ukraine are considered through the prism of the components, in particular: goals, objectives, functions, competence and powers, principles of the State Executive Service of Ukraine. Key words: purpose, tasks, functions, competence, powers, interaction of the State Executive Service of Ukraine.
Comparative and legal analysis of appying compulsory measures of educational nature to minors in Ukraine and some foreign countries
Authors:   Academy of the State Penitentiary Service, Chernihiv, Ukraine, O.V. Yermak , H.H. Suprun ,   Academy of the State Penitentiary Service, Chernihiv, Ukraine
Published: December 2020

Minors’ criminal behavior has become a significant problem for the state for a long time. Today it attracts a lot of public attention. Scholars state the need for a detailed analysis and reform of coercive measures of educational nature against minors in order to modernize the arsenal of special means of combating and preventing child crime. At the same time, special forms of criminal law response to children and adolescents’ criminal illegal actions remain poorly studied. In order to study the state of criminal law enforcement of some coercive measures of educational nature in more details, the authors turned to the legislation on criminal liability, which regulates the application of similar measures in foreign countries. This article is devoted to the study of coercive measures of educational nature against minors in Ukraine and abroad. In this scientific paper the comparative criminal-legal analysis of the concept and types of coercive measures of educational character concerning minors provided by the Criminal Code of Ukraine (further – CC of Ukraine) with similar norms of the criminal legislation of foreign states regulating questions of special criminal-legal measures concerning persons who at the time of committing a criminal offense did not reach the age of eighteen is carried out. The comparative analysis of the criminal legislation on applying coercive measures of an educational nature in Ukraine is carried out in comparison with the criminal laws of Switzerland, Latvia, Georgia, Bulgaria and Italy. The general conclusion is made in the article that the norms of the current Ukrainian criminal legislation need to be amended, improved and further adjusted both by scholars and by the legislator. Key words: coercive measures, criminal-legal measures, other measures of criminal-legal character, minors.
Some aspects of criminal characteristics of cyber crimes
Authors:   Chernihiv Region Scientific Research Forensic Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, М.M. Haryha , L.O. Verhun ,   ІТ agency WellDigital,  Kyiv, Ukraine, O.O. Kuznetsov ,   Academy of the State Penitentiary Service, Chernihiv, Ukraine
Published: December 2020

The article analyzes the dynamics of crimes in the use of computers, systems, computer networks and telecommunications networks for 2019-2020, and focuses on the high “adaptive” ability of this criminal segment as well as the need to improve existing and create new effective mechanisms to combat relevant criminal acts. One of the conditions for the existence of such mechanisms is the presence of thorough forensic characteristics of this group of crimes, which allows identifying and understanding the training, commission and concealment of the group of illegal acts. The research describes the main approaches to determining the mandatory and optional features of the crime in the use of computers, systems and computer networks. The article also provides a brief forensic description of cybercrime in accordance with the generally accepted system, which contains the following elements: the identity of the offender, methods of preparation for the crime; the victim, the subject of the offense; the circumstances of the crime, the consequences of any changes caused by the crime in the physical material damage reflected in the material situation of the crime. To determine the scope of the investigated illegal actions, a list is given to be solved by specialists of the Cyber Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine. Additionally, the main methods of hacking websites are described, including: SQL injection, Cross-site scripting, Phishing, Shared hosting, Cross-Site Scripting, Cross-Site Request, ForgeryCookie Faking, Man-In-The-Middle , Clickjacking, Brute-Force, Zero Day, Backdoor. An approximate list of tasks that may be assigned to forensic experts in the case of their participation in the investigation of crimes in the use of electronic computers, systems and computer networks. Key words: cybercrime, cyber crime actions, crime statistics, computer crimes.
Situational conditionality of construction and programs implementation of individual investigative (search) actions
Authors:   Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, Kharkiv, Ukraine, O.O. Khan
Published: December 2020

In forensic science, the theory of situational conditionality of pre-trial and judicial investigation is considered to be quite accepted. Programming the conduct of individual investigative (search) actions is a new means of solving tactical tasks by investigators during criminal proceedings. This raises the question of examining its situational conditionality. Under the situation of individual investigative (search) actions today, some scientists consider a set of conditions and circumstances that create the relevant situation – the situation during a specific investigative (search) action, which is due to the nature of the investigative (search) action, time and place, position and the behavior of the participants, the availability of evidence, the results of the investigator, and affect the tactics of this investigative (search) action. The article concludes that the situational approach is one of the most promising areas in criminology, which allows to strengthen the practical significance of scientific research. Given that the programs, which accumulate certain forensic knowledge aimed at application in investigative practice, are situationally determined, it is necessary to build programs for individual investigative (search) actions in accordance with typical situations identified in science on the basis of judicial analysis – investigative practice. In order to achieve the goal of forensic programming, investigative (search) action of any kind should be considered as a certain sequence of alternating situations. The most typical situations should be detailed and specific as possible. And the implementation of programs of investigative (search) actions within the framework of a specific act of investigation must also take place in accordance with the specific situations that arise. Key words: forensic programming; investigative (search) actions; typical investigative situations.
УПРАВЛІННЯ ФІНАНСОВИМИ РИЗИКАМИ ПІДПРИЄМСТВА
Authors: Бездітко О.Є.
Published: December 2020

У статті розглянуто сутність фінансового ризику, виокремлено джерела невизначеності та установлено походження фінансового ризику. Проаналізовано чистий прибуток (збиток) підприємств України та підприємств Житомирської області за основними видами економічної діяльності 2014-2018 років. Встановлено, що частка прибуткових підприємств збільшилась, але кількість збиткових підприємств є досить великою. Визначено основні етапи управління ризиками, за допомогою яких підприємство стає більш резистентним до непередбачуваних обставин, особливо до різних видів ризиків. Побудовано блок-схему моніторингу фінансових ризиків підприємства, за допомогою якої суб'єкти господарської діяльності зможуть швидко реагувати на непередбачувані події. Врахування основних етапів управління ризиками та застосування блок-схеми моніторингу фінансового ризику підприємств допоможе суб'єктам господарювання попереджати, ідентифікувати та уникнути досліджуваного ризику.
Intuitive judgments in depression and the role of processing fluency and positive valence: A preregistered replication study
Authors: Remmers Carina , Zimmermann Johannes , Topolinski Sascha , Richter Christoph , Zander-Schellenberg Thea , Weiler Matthias , Knaevelsrud Christine
Published: December 2020

Background

Recent preliminary evidence indicates that depression is associated with impaired intuitive information processing. The current study aimed at replicating these findings and to move one step further by exploring whether factors known as triggering intuition (positivity, processing fluency) also affect intuition in patients with depression.

Method

We pre-registered and tested five hypotheses using data from 35 patients with depression and 35 healthy controls who performed three versions of the Judgment of Semantic Coherence Task (JSCT, Bowers et al., 1990). This task operationalizes intuition as the inexplicable and sudden detection of semantic coherence.

Results

Results revealed that depressed patients and healthy controls did not differ in their general intuitive performance (Hypothesis 1). We further found that fluency did not significantly affect depressed patients’ coherence judgments (H2a) and that the assumed effect of fluency on coherence judgments was not moderated by depression (H2b). Finally, we found that triads positive in valence were more likely to be judged as coherent as compared to negative word triads in the depressed sample (H3a), but this influence of positive (vs. negative) valence on coherence judgments did not significantly differ between the two groups (H3b).

Conclusion

Overall the current study did not replicate findings from previous research regarding intuitive semantic coherence detection deficits in depression. However, our findings suggest that enhancing positivity in depressed patients may facilitate their ability to see meaning in their environment and to take intuitive decision.
Hygiene and social distancing as distinct public health related behaviours among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Wismans Annelot , Letina Srebrenka , Thurik Roy , Wennberg Karl , Franken Ingmar , Baptista Rui , Barrientos Marín Jorge , Block Joern , Burke Andrew , Dejardin Marcus , Janssen Frank , Mukerjee Jinia , Santarelli Enrico , Millán José María , Torrès Olivier
Published: December 2020

Prevailing research on individuals’ compliance with public health related behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic tends to study composite measures of multiple types of behaviours, without distinguishing between different types of behaviours. However, measures taken by governments involve adjustments concerning a range of different daily behaviours. In this study, we seek to explain students’ public health related compliance behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic by examining the underlying components of such behaviours. Subsequently, we investigate how these components relate to individual attitudes towards public health measures, descriptive norms among friends and family, and key demographics. We surveyed 7,403 university students in ten countries regarding these behaviours. Principal Components Analysis reveals that compliance related to hygiene (hand washing, coughing behaviours) is uniformly distinct from compliance related to social distancing behaviours. Regression analyses predicting Social Distancing and Hygiene lead to differences in explained variance and type of predictors. Our study shows that treating public health compliance as a sole construct obfuscates the dimensionality of compliance behaviours, which risks poorer prediction of individuals’ compliance behaviours and problems in generating valid public health recommendations. Affecting these distinct behaviours may require different types of interventions.
Identifying the Challenges of Involvement in Entrepreneurship Activities among a Group of Undergraduates
Authors: FARİD Sofeana , Abdul Rahman Shukran
Published: December 2020

Entrepreneurship activities have been promoted in Malaysian universities through entrepreneurship education, mainly with the aim to minimize youth unemployment rate in Malaysia. The effort may have been hindered due to many reasons that may explain the lack of effectiveness of entrepreneurship education found in previous studies. The present study was conducted to identify the challenges of involvement in entrepreneurship activities among a group of undergraduates from a public university in Malaysia. Qualitative data was collected from three males and seven female undergraduates who were selected to participate in semi-structured interviews. They were asked to provide insights on their lives as students who participated in entrepreneurship activities under the entrepreneurship center in the university they attended. Information gathered in the interviews was then analyzed using thematic analysis. There were two major themes found in this study which are external challenges and personal challenges. The findings are expected to provide insight on the key challenges faced by students as a result of their involvement in entrepreneurship activities. It could also contribute to the efforts to improve entrepreneurship education in Malaysia, and in turn inform the development of programs to develop interventions that improve entrepreneurship activities in higher learning institutions.
Розробка кошторисно-договірної документації: Навчально-методичний посібник
Authors:   Східноукраїнський національний університет імені Володимира Даля, Уваров Павло , Шпарбер Марина ,   Східноукраїнський національний університет імені Володимира Даля
Published: December 2020

У навчально-методичному посібнику висвітлено теоретичні та практичні аспекти ціноутворення у будівництві з врахуванням особливостей укладання та опрацювання проектно-кошторисної документації; наведено сучасні методики складання кошторисної і договірної документації. Посібник містить приклади розрахунку кошторисної і договірної документації, розробленої у відповідності з “Правилами визначення вартості будівництва” ДСТУ Б Д.1.1-1:2013 (з доповненнями та змінами). До складу посібника включені укрупнені показники визначення вартості будівництва на стадії инвесторської кошторисної документації. Призначений для здобувачів вищої освіти усіх форм навчання спеціальності 192 - «Будівництво та цивільна інженерія».
Dirichlet product and the multiple Dirichlet series over function fields
Authors:   Department of Applied Mathematics, Okayama University of Science, Ridai-cho 1-1, Okayama, 700-0005, Japan, Hamahata Yoshinori
Published: December 2020

We define the Dirichlet product for multiple arithmetic functions over function fields and consider the ring of the multiple Dirichlet series over function fields. We apply our results to absolutely convergent multiple Dirichlet series and obtain some zero-free regions for them.
La gestión de costos de la calidad en empresas bananeras de la Provincia El Oro: caso el Porvenir
Authors: Erreyes Gloria , Zumba Luis , Romero Wilton , Mora Norman
Published: December 2020

La presente investigación tiene como propósito determinar los costos de la calidad como herramienta de gestión administrativa en la producción de banano de tipo Cavendish, la información recopilada es de 3 haciendas bananeras que son parte de la asociación XYZ; para el cumplimiento del objetivo se aplica el método descriptivo, exploratorio de campo, inductivo deductivo; con las herramientas adecuadas se pudo determinar los costos de calidad de la empresa, dando como resultado que el 61% de los costos totales de la producción del año 2019 forman parte de los costos de la calidad donde se observa que el porcentaje más alto de los costos, se concentran en los costos de prevención mientras que los costos por fallas externas son los de menor incidencia en los costos de la calidad; resultados que ayudan a la toma de decisiones organizacionales, lo que permite realizar cambios en sus procesos enfocados en la mejora continua.
Yabani nohut genotiplerinin yüksek buhar basıncı açıklığında stoma iletkenlik indeksi değişimleri
Authors: BAŞDEMİR Fatma , YILDIRIM Mehmet
Published: December 2020

Yaygın olarak yetiştirilen kültür nohutları içerisinde kurağa ve sıcağa dayanım yönünden genetik varyasyon çok geniş değildir. Bu nedenle nohutta yabani türlerden dayanıklılık kaynaklarının ortaya çıkarılması önem arz etmektedir. Bu çalışmada yabani nohut genotiplerinin yüksek buhar basıncı açıklığı (VPD) koşullarında stoma iletkenlik indeksi değişimleri yüksek sıcaklık stresine tepki yönünden değerlendirilmiştir. Deneme materyali 26 yabani nohut genotipi ve 4 nohut çeşidinden oluşmaktadır. 26 yabani nohut genotipinin 20 tanesi Cicer reticulatum, 6 tanesi Cicer echinospermum türü içinde yer almaktadır. Bitkiler ölçüm zamanına kadar Dicle
Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi sera koşullarında tesadüf blokları deneme desenine göre 4 tekerrürlü olarak yetiştirilmiştir. Ölçümler kontrollü koşullarda sıcaklık ve nem ayarlanarak oluşturulan yüksek VPD stresi altında çiçeklenme öncesi ve bakla dolum döneminde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Her iki dönemde genotipler arasında bitki sıcaklığı ve stoma iletkenlik indeksi (lg) yönünden önemli farklılıklar belirlenmiştir. Genel anlamda yüksek genotipik varyasyona sahip yabani nohut genotiplerinde bitki sıcaklığı ve stoma iletkenliği yönünden değişim sınırları çok geniş bulunmuştur. Yabani türlerde çiçeklenme öncesi dönemde ortalama lg kültür enotiplerinden
yüksekken, generatif dönemde düşük bulunmuştur. Yüksek lg değeri genotiplerde bitki serinleme yeteneği ve yüksek transpirasyonun göstergesi olmuştur. Çiçeklenme öncesi dönemde 11, bakla dolum döneminde ise 5 yabani nohut genotipinde lg değeri kültür çeşitleri ortalamasından daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Yabani türlerden C. reticulatum’da lg değeri her iki dönemde de C. echinospermum genotip ortalamalarından yüksek bulunmuştur. Eğil-073 ve Sırnak 060 yabani genotipleri her iki dönemde kültür genotiplerinden yüksek lg’ye
sahip olarak, sıcaklık stresine karşı stabil dayanım göstermiştir. Sonuçlar mevcut genotiplerin nohutta sıcağa ve kurağa dayanıklılık ıslah programlarında başlangıç materyali olarak kullanılabileceğini göstermektedir.
Some Characterizations of $h$-Regular $\Gamma$-Hemiring in terms of Cubic $h$-Ideals
Authors: MANDAL Debabrata
Published: December 2020

The aim of this paper is to study $h$-hemiregular and $h$-intra-hemiregular $\Gamma$-hemiring using the combined concept of cubic set and \textit{h}-ideals.We have defined two types of compositions of cubic sets and used these to obtain some characterizations of $h$-hemiregular and $h$-intra-hemiregular $\Gamma$-hemiring.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ni–Cr–Y2O3 Alloy Sintered Powder Composed of Oxide-Embedded Metallic Particles
Authors: Kim Changjae , Gwak Jungho , Lim Jaewon , Oh Minsuk , Park Jeshin
Published: December 2020

In this study, oxide (Y2O3)-embedded Ni particles were fabricated via a new process. The process involves the mechanical hydrogenation of Ni–Y alloy into Ni–YH2 and the selective oxidation of Ni–YH2 to Ni–Y2O3. The alloy powders were prepared for sintering by the mechanical alloying of a mixed powder. The powder was prepared with a desired composition (Ni–20wt.%Cr–1.2wt.%Y2O3) by adding Ni and Cr powders to the Ni–Y2O3 composite prepared by the new process. For comparison, a mixed powder with the same composite was prepared using a conventional mechanical alloying (MA) approach. Samples of the two powders were sintered by SPS at 850, 900, 950, and 1,000 oC. The relative densities of all samples were higher than 99.7% at all sintering temperatures. The oxide particles and matrix grain sizes of the Ni–20Cr–1.2Y2O3 alloy prepared by this new process were finer than those in alloys fabricated by conventional MA processes. Therefore, the improvement in the mechanical properties of the Ni–20Cr–1.2Y2O3 alloy prepared by the new process was attributed to the refinement of the oxide particles.
Effect of Shielding Gases on the Wire Arc Additive Manufacturability of 5 Cr – 4 Mo Tool Steel for Die Casting Mold Making
Authors: Kim Jae-Deuk , Kim Jae Won , Cheon Joo Yong , Kim Yang-Do , Ji Changwook
Published: December 2020

Generally, molds are fabricated by the machining of massive billets of tool steels, such as AISI4140 or H13, but it has drawbacks, such as a large material loss and long-delivery time. The Wire-Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) process could be an alternative fabrication method. It has the advantages of less material loss, short-delivery time, and the chance to make a reinforced mold using dissimilar materials. 5 Cr – 4 Mo steel wire has high potential to produce molds via the WAAM process. This is a commercial tool steel solid wire initially designed for the repair and modification of tools and molds that has superior hot wear resistance and toughness. However, no study has examined the WAAM of tool steels, even though it has high potential and advantages. Shielding gas has a significant effect on the performance of the WAAM process, which is based on gas metal arc welding (GMAW). Argon (an inert gas) and carbon dioxide (a reactive gas) are generally used for the GMAW of steel alloys, and they are frequently used as mixed gases at various ratios. Shielding gases have a significant influence on the arc stability, weld quality, and formation of weld defects. Therefore, using a proper shielding gas for the material and process is important to sound WAAM performance. This paper discusses the effect of the shielding gas on the additive manufacturability of tool steel, as a first step for the WAAM of die casting molds. The experiments were conducted with two different shielding gases, M21 (Ar + 18% CO2) and C1 (100% CO2). The use of C1 showed neither surface contamination nor internal defects, and resulted in a larger amount of deposition than the M21.
Evaluation of Liquation Cracking Behavior and Susceptibility in Heat-Affected Zone of CM247LC Superalloy Welds for Turbine Blade Application
Authors: Jeong Ye-Seon , Kim Kyeong-Min , Lee Uijong , Lee Hyungsoo , Seo Seong-Moon , Chun Eun-Joon
Published: December 2020

In this study, the weldability of the as-cast CM247LC superalloy for turbine blade applications was metallurgically evaluated in terms of its hot cracking behavior and susceptibility. For this purpose, a real blade was manufactured using a directional solidification casting process, and gas tungsten arc welding was performed at the tip and cavity of the upper blade. Hot cracking was confirmed in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of gas tungsten arc welds, and the cracks were characterized as liquation cracks, since a cobble or dropletshaped crack surface consistent with a liquid film was clearly confirmed. Microstructural analysis of the cracking surface and thermodynamic calculations helped elucidate the metallurgical mechanisms of the liquation cracking. In other words, the cracking was attributed to liquation of the γ-γ’ eutectic colony and the constitutional liquation of the MC-type carbides: these phases existed in the as-cast microstructure. In particular, it was calculated that liquation of the γ-γ’ eutectic colony during welding occurs at least at 1488 K and that constitutional liquation of MC-type carbides begins at 1411 K, while the equilibrium solidus temperature of the CM247LC alloy is 1530 K. Finally, the liquation cracking susceptibility was quantitatively evaluated through a spot-Varestraint test, and it was confirmed for the first time that the higher susceptibility of as-cast samples can be suppressed by employing a pre-weld heat treatment such as solution treatment.
RA-UNet: A Hybrid Deep Attention-Aware Network to Extract Liver and Tumor in CT Scans
Authors: Jin Qiangguo , Meng Zhaopeng , Sun Changming , Cui Hui , Su Ran
Published: December 2020

Automatic extraction of liver and tumor from CT volumes is a challenging task due to their heterogeneous and diffusive shapes. Recently, 2D deep convolutional neural networks have become popular in medical image segmentation tasks because of the utilization of large labeled datasets to learn hierarchical features. However, few studies investigate 3D networks for liver tumor segmentation. In this paper, we propose a 3D hybrid residual attention-aware segmentation method, i.e., RA-UNet, to precisely extract the liver region and segment tumors from the liver. The proposed network has a basic architecture as U-Net which extracts contextual information combining low-level feature maps with high-level ones. Attention residual modules are integrated so that the attention-aware features change adaptively. This is the first work that an attention residual mechanism is used to segment tumors from 3D medical volumetric images. We evaluated our framework on the public MICCAI 2017 Liver Tumor Segmentation dataset and tested the generalization on the 3DIRCADb dataset. The experiments show that our architecture obtains competitive results.
Characteristics of Medical Products Comprising Human Cells, Genes, or Tissues Developed in Japan and the European Union Compared via Public Assessment Reports
Authors: Kurauchi Ryosuke , Kasai Hiroi , Ito Tatsuya
Published: December 2020

Medical products comprising human cells, genes, and tissues have been developed for clinical applications worldwide, and their developmental environment has been established. These products can be imported and exported, but marketing authorization regulations are complicated among regions. This investigation was conducted to identify the characteristics of medical products comprising human cells, genes, and tissues. We used website data, books from survey companies, and reports from public agencies to conduct two investigations. We used website data to conduct a general information survey of 143 cell-therapy and gene-therapy products sold in 24 countries and public assessment reports to individually survey non-clinical and clinical developments of 18 cell-therapy and gene-therapy products developed in Japan and the European Union (EU). The first survey revealed that the numbers of products used in orthopedic surgery and dermatology have increased since 2000, and the numbers of hematological products have increased since 2011. The second investigation revealed that fewer orphaned products were developed in Japan than in the EU. The most appropriate dose was 1.2 × 108 cells per injection per adult. Clinical trials to determine the most appropriate dose were conducted in the EU but not in Japan. No non-clinical immunogenicity tests for autogenous products were conducted in Japan or the EU. Pharmacokinetics tests were not individually performed for sheet-form products. Both in vivo and in vitro pharmacological tests were more likely to be conducted in the EU, while only one or the other was conducted in Japan. Furthermore, in Japan, carcinogenicity tests were performed based on non-clinical technical guidance, while in the EU, these tests were determined according to each product's features. Fewer clinical trials were performed, and fewer subjects per product were used in Japan than in the EU. Many aspects of the clinical and non-clinical development of medical products comprising human cells, genes, and tissues differ between Japan and the EU. Analyzing these differences will enable the safe and rapid distribution of these products to clinical sites.
Effects of Astragalus Polysaccharides Nanoparticles on Cerebral Thrombosis in SD Rats
Authors: Sun Qian , Shi Pengqiang , Lin Cuiling , Ma Jing
Published: December 2020

Objective

To investigate the efficacy and improvement of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) and APS-nano on cerebral thrombosis in rats.

Methods

A total of 72 SD rats were randomly divided into NC group, Model group, APS-Nano group, and APS group. The cerebral thrombosis Model of SD rats was established by injecting compound thrombus inducer into the internal carotid artery. After 14 days of different intervention treatments, the TTC staining of brain tissue were performed, and A/left brain wet weight ratio, left brain/right brain wet weight ratio, blood rheology indexes, and coagulation function indexes of cerebral thrombosis were measured. ELISA was used to measure the contents of thromboxane 2 (TXB2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α (6-Keto-PGF1α), tissue factor (TF), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S-100β, catenin (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as malondialdehyde (MDA). The binding specificity between miR-885-3p and TF was verified by the double-luciferin reporting experiment, and western blot was used to measure the expression level of TF protein.

Results

Compared with the Model group, after treatment with APS-nano or APS, the ratio of left brain/right brain wet weight decreased significantly. Whole blood low shear viscosity (WBLSV), whole blood high shear viscosity (WBHSV), plasma viscosity (PV), and erythrocyte aggregation index (Arbc) was all reduced. In addition, prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were increased, and fibrinogen (FIB) content was decreased. The expression of TXB2, 6-Keto-PGF1α, and TF showed a downward trend. Similarly, the expression of TF protein was decreased. Furthermore, the contents of NSE and S-100β proteins were all decreased, whereas the contents of CAT and SOD were increased, and the contents of MDA was decreased. At the same dose, compared with APS treatment, APS-nano treatment had a significant inhibitory effect on cerebral thrombosis in rats. Finally, we found that TF is a target gene of miR-885-3p and specifically binds to miR-885-3p.

Conclusion

APS has a significant inhibitory effect on the formation of cerebral thrombosis induced by compound thrombus inducers. Moreover, APS-nano has a more significant inhibitory effect on cerebral thrombosis. Meanwhile, the regulation of miR-885-3p regulating TF expression may be related to the occurrence of cerebral thrombosis.
Deform-nu: A DNA Deformation Energy-Based Predictor for Nucleosome Positioning
Authors: Liu Guoqing , Zhao Hongyu , Meng Hu , Xing Yongqiang , Yang Hui , Lin Hao
Published: December 2020

The structure and function of chromatin can be regulated through positioning patterns of nucleosomes. DNA-based processes are regulated via nucleosomes. Therefore, it is significant to determine nucleosome positions in DNA-based processes. A deformation energy model was proposed to predict nucleosome positions in our previous study. A free web server based on the model (http://lin-group.cn/server/deform-nu/) was firstly established to estimate the occupancy and rotational positioning of nucleosomes in the study. Then, the performance of the model was verified by several examples. The results indicated that nucleosome positioning relied on the physical properties of DNA, such as deformation energy.
EGCG Enhanced the Anti-tumor Effect of Doxorubicine in Bladder Cancer via NF-κB/MDM2/p53 Pathway
Authors: Luo Ke-Wang , Zhu Xiao-hong , Zhao Ting , Zhong Jin , Gao Han-chao , Luo Xin-Le , Huang Wei-Ren
Published: December 2020

Doxorubicin (DOX), the first-line chemotherapy for bladder cancer, usually induces side effects. We previously demonstrated that green tea polyphenol EGCG had potent anti-tumor effect in bladder cancer via down regulation of NF-κB. This study aimed to investigate the additive/synergistic effect EGCG and DOX against bladder cancer. Our results demonstrated that the combined use of DOX and EGCG inhibited T24 and SW780 cell proliferation. EGCG enhanced the apoptosis induction effect of DOX in both SW780 and T24 cells and resulted in significant differences. Besides, EGCG promoted the inhibitory effect of DOX against bladder cancer cell migration. In addition, the in vivo results demonstrated that DOX in combination with EGCG showed the most potent anti-tumor effects among DOX, EGCG and DOX+EGCG treatment groups. Further mechanistic studies determined that the combination of DOX and EGCG inhibited phosphorylated NF-κB and MDM2 expression, and up-regulated p53 expression in tumor, as assessed by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Western blot in SW780 cells also confirmed that the combined use of EGCG and DOX caused significant increase in p53, p21, and cleaved-PARP expression, and induced significant inhibition in phosphorylated NF-κB and MDM2. When NF-κB was inhibited, the expression of p53 and p-MDM2 were changed, and the combination of DOX and EGCG showed no obvious effect in transwell migration and cell viability. In conclusion, the novel application of chemotherapy DOX and EGCG demonstrated potent anti-tumor, anti-migration and anti-proliferation effects against bladder cancer. EGCG enhanced the anti-tumor effect of DOX in bladder cancer via NF-κB/MDM2/p53 pathway, suggesting the potential clinical application against bladder cancer patients.
Caspase-2 Substrates: To Apoptosis, Cell Cycle Control, and Beyond
Authors: Brown-Suedel Alexandra N. , Bouchier-Hayes Lisa
Published: December 2020

Caspase-2 belongs to the caspase family of proteins responsible for essential cellular functions including apoptosis and inflammation. Uniquely, caspase-2 has been identified as a tumor suppressor, but how it regulates this function is still unknown. For many years, caspase-2 has been considered an “orphan” caspase because, although it is able to induce apoptosis, there is an abundance of conflicting evidence that questions its necessity for apoptosis. Recent evidence supports that caspase-2 has non-apoptotic functions in the cell cycle and protection from genomic instability. It is unclear how caspase-2 regulates these opposing functions, which has made the mechanism of tumor suppression by caspase-2 difficult to determine. As a protease, caspase-2 likely exerts its functions by proteolytic cleavage of cellular substrates. This review highlights the known substrates of caspase-2 with a special focus on their functional relevance to caspase-2’s role as a tumor suppressor.
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli Effector Protein EspF Interacts With Host Protein ANXA6 and Triggers Myosin Light Chain Kinase (MLCK)-Dependent Tight Junction Dysregulation
Authors: Hua Ying , Wu Jiali , Fu Muqing , Liu Jinyue , Li Xiaoxia , Zhang Bao , Zhao Wei , Wan Chengsong
Published: December 2020

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is an important foodborne pathogen that can cause bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in humans. EspF is one of the best-characterized effector proteins secreted from the type three secretion system to hijack host cell functions. However, the crucial pathogen-host interactions and the basis for the intestinal barrier disruption during infections remain elusive. Our previous study screened and verified the interaction between host protein ANXA6 and EspF protein. Here, by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP), we verified that EspF interacts with ANXA6 through its C-terminal domain. Furthermore, we found that both the constitutive expression of EspF or ANXA6 and the co-expression of EspF-ANXA6 could decrease the levels of tight junction (TJ) proteins ZO-1 and occludin, and disrupt the distribution of ZO-1. Moreover, we showed that EspF-ANXA6 activated myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), induced the phosphorylation of myosin light chain (MLC) and PKCα, and down-regulated the expression level of Calmodulin protein. Collectively, this study revealed a novel interaction between the host protein (ANXA6) and EspF. The binding of EspF to ANXA6 may perturb TJs in an MLCK-MLC-dependent manner, and thus may be involved in EHEC pathogenic function.
Lipid Metabolism at Membrane Contacts: Dynamics and Functions Beyond Lipid Homeostasis
Authors: Xu Jiesi , Huang Xun
Published: December 2020

Membrane contact sites (MCSs), regions where the membranes of two organelles are closely apposed, play critical roles in inter-organelle communication, such as lipid trafficking, intracellular signaling, and organelle biogenesis and division. First identified as “fraction X” in the early 90s, MCSs are now widely recognized to facilitate local lipid synthesis and inter-organelle lipid transfer, which are important for maintaining cellular lipid homeostasis. In this review, we discuss lipid metabolism and related cellular and physiological functions in MCSs. We start with the characteristics of lipid synthesis and breakdown at MCSs. Then we focus on proteins involved in lipid synthesis and turnover at these sites. Lastly, we summarize the cellular function of lipid metabolism at MCSs beyond mere lipid homeostasis, including the physiological meaning and relevance of MCSs regarding systemic lipid metabolism. This article is part of an article collection entitled: Coupling and Uncoupling: Dynamic Control of Membrane Contacts.
Regulation of Mitochondrial Quality Control by Natural Drugs in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: Potential and Advantages
Authors: Chang Xing , Zhang Wenjin , Zhao Zhenyu , Ma Chunxia , Zhang Tian , Meng Qingyan , Yan Peizheng , Zhang Lei , Zhao Yuping
Published: December 2020

Mitochondria are double-membraned cellular organelles that provide the required energy and metabolic intermediates to cardiomyocytes. Mitochondrial respiratory chain defects, structure abnormalities, and DNA mutations can affect the normal function of cardiomyocytes, causing an imbalance in intracellular calcium ion homeostasis, production of reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis. Mitochondrial quality control (MQC) is an important process that maintains mitochondrial homeostasis in cardiomyocytes and involves multi-level regulatory mechanisms, such as mitophagy, mitochondrial fission and fusion, mitochondrial energy metabolism, mitochondrial antioxidant system, and mitochondrial respiratory chain. Furthermore, MQC plays a role in the pathological mechanisms of various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In recent years, the regulatory effects of natural plants, drugs, and active ingredients on MQC in the context of CVDs have received significant attention. Effective active ingredients in natural drugs can influence the production of energy-supplying substances in the mitochondria, interfere with the expression of genes associated with mitochondrial energy requirements, and regulate various mechanisms of MQC modulation. Thus, these ingredients have therapeutic effects against CVDs. This review provides useful information about novel treatment options for CVDs and development of novel drugs targeting MQC.
Use of Ionic Liquids in Protein and DNA Chemistry
Authors: Shukla Shashi Kant , Mikkola Jyri-Pekka
Published: December 2020

Ionic liquids (ILs) have been receiving much attention as solvents in various areas of biochemistry because of their various beneficial properties over the volatile solvents and ILs availability in myriad variants (perhaps as many as 108) owing to the possibility of paring one cation with several anions andvice-versaas well as formulations as zwitterions. Their potential as solvents lies in their tendency to offer both directional and non-directional forces toward a solute molecule. Because of these forces, ionic liquids easily undergo intermolecular interactions with a range of polar/non-polar solutes, including biomolecules such as proteins and DNA. The interaction of genomic species in aqueous/non-aqueous states assists in unraveling their structure and functioning, which have implications in various biomedical applications. The charge density of ionic liquids renders them hydrophilic and hydrophobic, which retain intact over long-range of temperatures. Their ability in stabilizing or destabilizing the 3D-structure of a protein or the double-helical structure of DNA has been assessed superior to the water and volatile organic solvents. The aptitude of an ion in influencing the structure and stability of a native protein depends on their ranking in the Hofmeister series. However, at several instances, a reverse Hofmeister ordering of ions and specific ion-solute interaction has been observed. The capability of an ionic liquid in terms of the tendency to promote the coiling/uncoiling of DNA structure is noted to rely on the basicity, electrostatic interaction, and hydrophobicity of the ionic liquid in question. Any change in the DNA's double-helical structure reflects a change in its melting temperature (Tm), compared to a standard buffer solution. These changes in DNA structure have implications in biosensor design and targeted drug-delivery in biomedical applications. In the current review, we have attempted to highlight various aspects of ionic liquids that influence the structure and properties of proteins and DNA. In short, the review will address the issues related to the origin and strength of intermolecular interactions, the effect of structural components, their nature, and the influence of temperature, pH, and additives on them.