bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect Of Mangrove Leaf Extract Dosage Rhizophora Mucronata Lmk. On The Viability Of Hela Cells
Authors: Alsy Rohadatul
Published: September 2021

This study aims to determine the IC50 value of the mangrove leaf extract type Rhizophora mucronata Lmk. against the viability of Hela cells. The samples extracted with three types of solvents were previously conducted preliminary research on phytochemical compounds and their toxicity values with the Meted Brine Shrimp Letality Test (BSLT). In the toxicity test, the highest level of toxicity was obtained in the ethanol extract with a value of 166.72± 7.72 ppm, then the sample was continued for the cytotoxicity test using the MTT method. The dosage variants used in this study were 62.5 ppm; 125 ppm; 250 ppm; 500 ppm; and 1000 ppm. The variation in dosage shows an effect on the viability of Hela cells, namely a decrease in the percentage of living cells along with the addition of the ethanol extract dose of Rhizophora mucronata Lmk leaves. which is given. And the IC50 value obtained from this study was 63.67 µg / mL with the toxic category
Initial Experience in Developing AI Algorithms in Medical Imaging Based on Annotations Derived From an E-Learning Platform
Authors: Henkel Maurice , Breit Hanns-Christian , Wiesner Patricia , Wasserthal Jakob , Parmar Victor , Weikert Thomas , Hofmann Verena , Eiden Sebastian , Schmülling Lena , Appelt Konrad , Winkel David , Paciolla Fabiano , Lechtenboehmer Christian A. , Vogt Moritz , Binsfeld Laurent , Sexauer Raphael , Wetterauer Christian , Mertz Kirsten D. , Sauter Alexander , Stieltjes Bram
Published: September 2021

Development of supervised AI algorithms requires a large amount of labeled images. Image labelling is both time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, we explored the value of e-learning derived annotations for AI algorithm development in medical imaging. Methods We have developed an e-learning platform that involves image-based single click labelling as part of the educational learning process. Ten radiology residents, as part of their residency training, trained the recognition of pneumothorax on 1161 chest X-rays in posterior-anterior projection. Using this data, multiple AI algorithms for detecting pneumothorax were developed. Classification and localization performance of the models was tested on an independent internal testing dataset and on the public NIH ChestX-ray14 dataset. Results The AI models F1 scores on the internal and the NIH dataset were 0.87 and 0.44, respectively. Sensitivity was 0.85 and 0.80 for classification and specificity 0.96 and 0.48 for classification. F1 scores were 0.72 and 0.66, sensitivity 0.72 and 0.72. False positive rate was 0.36 and 0.32 for localisation. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that e-learning derived annotations are a valuable data source for algorithm development. Further work is needed to include additional parameters such as user performance, consensus of diagnosis, and quality control in the development pipeline.
Surface Resistivity of Silicone Rubber Formulations Tested in Room Ambient Conditions: The Case of Silicone Rubber Formulations With and Without Filler Materials
Authors: Mushi Aviti , Kyaruzi Alexander
Published: September 2021

Silicone rubber formulations in the form of thin discs have been studied under room ambient conditions for their surface characteristics. The samples were silicone rubber manufactured in laboratory and those industrially manufactured. The measurements were done using an electrometer high resistance meter, applying dc voltage under normal room ambient conditions. The results show that the silicone rubber samples show higher values of surface resistivity when the dc voltage was applied. Silicone rubber samples manufactured in laboratory seem to exhibit erratic behaviour unlike their corresponding silicone rubbers manufactured in industry; this could be due to manufacturing shortcomings in laboratory and the irregularities in the way the silicone rubber adhered to the concentric ring electrodes. The empirical current traversing the surface of the silicone rubbers does not decay exponentially but rather it decays as an exponential power of the energization time.
Full Length Transcriptome Highlights the Coordination of Plastid Transcript Processing
Authors: Guilcher Marine , Liehrmann Arnaud , Seyman Chloé , Blein Thomas , Rigaill Guillem , Castandet Benoit , Delannoy Etienne
Published: September 2021

Plastid gene expression involves many post-transcriptional maturation steps resulting in a complex transcriptome composed of multiple isoforms. Although short read RNA-seq has considerably improved our understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling these processes, it is unable to sequence full-length transcripts. This information is however crucial when it comes to understand the interplay between the various steps of plastid gene expression. Here, the study of the Arabidopsis leaf plastid transcriptome using Nanopore sequencing showed that many splicing and editing events were not independent but co-occurring. For a given transcript, maturation events also appeared to be chronologically ordered with splicing happening after most sites are edited.
Quantum Process Semantics
Authors: Surov Ilya
Published: September 2021

The paper describes a model of subjective goal-oriented semantics extending standard "view-from-nowhere" approach. Generalization is achieved by using a spherical vector structure essentially supplementing the classical bit with circular dimension, organizing contexts according to their subjective causal ordering. This structure, known in quantum theory as qubit, is shown to be universal representation of contextual-situated meaning at the core of human cognition. Subjective semantic dimension, inferred from fundamental oscillation dynamics, is discretized to six process-stage prototypes expressed in common language. Predicted process-semantic map of natural language terms is confirmed by the open-source word2vec data.
The Role of Hydrogen in German Residential Buildings
Authors: Langenberg Lukas , Knosala Kevin , Pflugradt Noah , Kotzur Leander , Stolten Detlef , Stenzel Peter
Published: September 2021

As fossil-fueled heating in the building sector is responsible for 16 % of Germanys total CO2 emissions, it is of great importance to use climate-neutral alternatives for the decarbonization of this sector. Options for the climate-neutral heating of buildings include electricity or hydrogen as energy carriers, both explicitly considered by German policy. In this paper, bottom-up studies are conducted to investigate the role of hydrogen for the climate-neutral energy supply of ten selected residential buildings in comparison to electricity-based systems. Based on a selection of as different typical buildings as possible for single- (SFH) and multi-family houses (MFH) of different construction years, demand profiles are simulated for each building and the respective cost-optimal supply system is determined. For the construction of this system, the electricity-based technologies available are electric heater and heat pump as well as the hydrogen-based technologies hydrogen boiler and fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) system. Based on the results of the optimization, sensitivity analyses are performed. These analyses aim to identify threshold values of the hydrogen price for the use of hydrogen in building energy systems as well as to make the quantities of hydrogen consumed visible.The identified threshold values show the significant role of hydrogen-operated CHP in MFH if the hydrogen price reaches 0.17 €/kWhH2 in 2050 at an electricity price of 0.31 €/kWhel. So, hydrogen-based energy systems represent an economically viable alternative to electricity-based systems with heat pumps. We identify electricity to hydrogen price ratios for the economically viable use of hydrogen in the examined buildings that range from 1.67 to 2.82. According to these ratios, the economically reasonable use of hydrogen in buildings can be derived. For the individual building groups for the year 2050, a ratio of 2.5 can be determined for SFH and 1.8 for MFH, that is favored by the use of CHP which also supplies electricity to the buildings. However, the role hydrogen will finally play in German residential buildings in the future depends to a large extent on political decisions on distribution issues and price signals.
Pemberdayaan Potensi Masyarakat Melalui Pengembangan Perdagangan, Pendidikan, Sosial, dan Lingkungan Desa Gedangan Kecamatan Grogol Kabupaten Sukoharjo
Authors: Hatta Puspanda , Budiarto Agus , Prasetyo Imam , Karimah Putri , Yusron Abdillah
Published: September 2021

Gedangan is a village located in Grogol District, Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java. In 2021, Gedangan Village will become one of the partners of the Sebelas Maret University Student Community Services Program (KKN). In this village, KKN activities were carried out using a hybrid system due to the pandemic. KKN is carried out through online and offline activities with the theme of empowering community potential through counselling in the fields of animal husbandry, education, social and creative industries. The work programs that have been implemented are "Literacy Lanterns", Catfish Cultivation in Buckets, composter making, educational posters, PHBS counselling, Reading Houses, and murals to attract the public. The implementation strategy includes socialization, teaching, and various trainings. With this KKN team work program, the people of Gedangan Village are able to optimize the local potential of the village, especially in the fields of Education, Social, and Creative Industries. This activity is supported by the village government and local communities from various backgrounds. This activity is useful for developing Gedangan Village in managing village potential and can help the community be more interested in developing Gedangan in the future.
Sosialisasi Pencegahan Covid-19 yang Dikemas Dalam Poster Dan Video Edukasi 3M di Media Sosial
Authors: Jurdil Rizky Roland
Published: September 2021

Artikel ini merupakan artikel pengabdian yang memiliki latar belakang mengedukasi pencegahan covid-19 dalam kebiasaan hidup baru guna meminimalisir penyebaran covid-19. Dalam artikel ini penulis membuat program pembuatan poster dan video yang di posting di berbagai media sosisal seperti instagram, youtube, dan whatsapp. Program ini dilakukan melalui media sosial karena di era revolusi 4.0 ini sudah banyak pengguna media sosial mulai dari orang dewasa, remaja, hingga anak kecil. Harapan dalam program ini yaitu teredukasinya masyarakat dalam memulai kebiasaan hidup baru dengan selalu merapkan protokol kesehatan.
MISCONCEPTIONS ON THE CONCEPT OF MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION IN THE ACT ON INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS DISPUTES SETTLEMENT
Authors: Zamroni Mohammad
Published: September 2021

Mediation and conciliation are alternatives with varying characteristics acting as a third-party figure in settling disputes in industrial relations. These alternatives are perceived as the same in Act Number 2 of 2004 on Industrial Relations Disputes Settlement. It leads to conceptual errors and causes mistakes in formulating the mediator and conciliator's authority. Therefore, this study analyzed the concepts of mediation and conciliation as regulated in Act Number 2 of 2004 on Industrial Relations Disputes Settlement. This is a normative legal research carried out with the statutory, conceptual, and comparative law approaches. The result showed that the concept of mediation and conciliation formulated in the Act Number 2 of 2004 on Industrial Relations Disputes Settlement deviates from the basic concepts of the mediator and conciliator to make written recommendations. Conceptually, the mediator and conciliator are facilitators incapable and capable of making written recommendations, respectively
LEGAL AND HEALTH PROTECTION FOR CREATIVE ECONOMY ACTORS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: Maharani Andina Elok Puri , Gravitiani Evi , Purwaningtyas Niniek , Parwitasari Tika Andarasni , Kusumo Ayub Torry Satriyo , Hartanto Heri , Damayanti Kusmadewi Eka
Published: September 2021

This research examined Covid-19 from the perspective of legal and health protection by regional governments. Generally, regional governments are at the front line in protecting communities in this autonomy era due to their constitutional obligations. Data also shows that the creative economy actors in the micro, small, and medium business sector constitute over 90% of the workforce, necessitating their protection. This research used empirical-juridical research with an interdisciplinary approach examined the legislation and the community's reality. A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was conducted with relevant stakeholders and creative economy business actors in Surakarta, Bandung, and Madiun cities. Furthermore, concepts of legal, health, and economic theories were reviewed to formulate a regional government policy draft regarding these business actors during the Covid-19 emergency. The results showed an existing form of legal protection regulation related to health and the economy at the national level. However, three big cities (Bandung, Madiun, and Surakarta) representing three provinces  as research objects are yet to provide regional regulations concerning protection for creative economy actors, though the local government has encouraged an increase in their activities
REVITALIZATION OF FUNDING FOR SAVINGS AND LOANS COOPERATIVES AS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE STATE’S ECONOMY AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Authors: Haykal Hassanain , Negoro Theo , Adeline Livany
Published: September 2021

This research aims to analyze the government's possible strategies to empowering cooperatives as an alternative means of channeling financing after the Covid-19 Pandemic in Indonesia. Basically, cooperatives are business media for enhancing the standard of living in a family, and are referred to as the pillars of the national economy. The study was also carried out in order to provide a regulatory solution regarding the revitalization of cooperatives, in strengthening the organisation, especially in the financial aspect. The normative juridical approach, was used,  also known as the doctrinal legal technique. The results showed that the cooperatives required significant organizational changes, such as strengthening the implementation of good governance regulations, conducting financial agreements, as well as managing income and human resources. Furthermore, significant organizational changes were achieved by forming a ministerial regulation, to regulate good governance, enact internal rules, create a code of conduct, and establish a financial system with legal agreement among the cooperative members.
TRACING THE CRIMINAL POLICY ON CASTRATION AND COMMUNITY RESPONSE
Authors: Panggabean Mompang L
Published: September 2021

The act of chemical castration is now one of the sanctions in Indonesia's positive law. However, it is still limited to child protection based on Law Number 17 of 2016, which can be imposed on perpetrators of sexual crimes against children if the victim is more than one person, is seriously injured, has mental disorders, suffers from infectious diseases, reproductive system disorders, and lose their life. This paper analyzes criminal policy and people's reactions to castration concerning the objectives of punishment. This research is doctrinal research as prescriptive research using a legal approach regarding legal categories regarding castration, the relationship between rules, difficulties that arise and predicting future developments on criminal policy regarding castration in positive law as one of the new sanctions in the criminal system. The results of the study is that the birth of chemical castration in criminal policy reform is based on a balance between the interests of child victims of sexual crimes and perpetrators of crime, but its existence in positive law does not necessarily make the whole community accept even though the pros and cons of castration are still balanced based on the purpose of punishment based on Pancasila. The recommendations put forward are the need for socialization of castration for all levels of society in a balance between the interests of child victims of sexual crimes and the interests of criminals, increasing non-penal efforts and the application of selective castration sanctions, and providing assistance for child victims of sexual crimes.
Evaluasi Plasma Nutfah Padi Gogo terhadap Cekaman Naungan
Authors: Andarini Yusi Nurmalita , Risliawati Andari
Published: September 2021

Padi merupakan komoditas pertanian utama di Indonesia yang dapat tumbuh di berbagai ekosistem seperti lahan sawah, lahan rawa, dan lahan kering. Pemanfaatan lahan marjinal seperti lahan kering di bawah tegakan berpotensi untuk meningkatkanroduksi padi nasional, tetapi memerlukan genotipe padi yang adaptif pada kondisi tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi beberapa akskesi plasma nutfah padi gogo terhadap cekaman naungan. Sebanyak 19 aksesi padi gogo dievaluasi dalam rancangan tersarang faktorial tiga ulangan dengan taraf cekaman naungan 25%, 50%, dan tanpa naungan (kontrol). Plasma nutfah padi gogo yang dievaluasi toleransinya pada cekaman naungan menunjukkan keragaman fenotipe pada beberapa karakter yang diamati. Analisis klaster menghasilkan tiga klaster berdasarkan peubah dua komponen utama yang mampu menerangkan keragaman sebesar 76,2%. Klaster satu yang merupakan klaster dengan performa karakter tinggi tanaman, panjang malai, jumlah biji per malai, dan jumlah anakan produktif terbaik, terdiri atas tujuh aksesi yaitu aksesi Ndabulu, Sahang, Taun Suar, Ketan Tomang B, Umbang Putih, Umbang Hitam, dan Limar. Ketujuh aksesi ini performa tanamannya tidak berbeda nyata baik pada cekaman naungan 25 maupun 50%
La presencia de un gobernador incaico en el valle del Mapocho. La estatuilla antropomorfa del «orejón» incaico de la capacocha del cerro El Plomo
Authors: Bachraty P. Dagmar
Published: September 2021

Con esta investigación se pretende fundamentar la presencia política de un gobernador incaico en el valle del Mapocho, mediante un análisis multidisciplinario destina- do al estudio del dominio inca en la zona y el significado material y simbólico de la estatuilla antropomorfa masculi- na del «orejón» encontrada en 1988 en la cumbre del cerro El Plomo. La discusión se centra en la crónica de Gerónimo de Bibar y las Cartas de Pedro de Valdivia, principalmente, con el objetivo de destacar la problemática territorial in- caica y los posibles rasgos urbanos y simbólicos existentes dentro de los valles Aconcagua y Mapocho. Para ello, hay una aproximación desde la perspectiva etnohistórica de la información y antropológica de la materialidad y el sim- bolismo de las huacas o hitos demarcatorios, entendidos como mojones territoriales dentro de la ideología incaica. De esta manera, se permite teorizar acerca del posible ca- rácter de «huaca social» de la estatuilla del «orejón».
Reimagining protection: Dignity, wellbeing and safety
Authors: Cunningham Andrew
Published: September 2021

Core concepts in the humanitarian world are often used in ways that add to confusion rather than provide clarity. Research reports discuss technical details, propose theoretical frameworks or engage in policy debates, but rarely engage directly with key concepts themselves—their meaning, how they are used and understood, and their limitations. Protection is one important concept which begs for unpacking. The objective of this commentary is to spur discussion and reflection, to help clarify thinking around how we understand and use the term ‘protection’. A particular example from the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector is used to propose a more nuanced way of thinking and speaking about protection. Dignity, wellbeing and safety are proposed as useful concepts to embed protection in humanitarian activities.
Possible Relationship between Korean Heat Wave and Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Genesis Frequency
Authors: Cha Yumi , Choi JaeWon , Ahn Joong-Bae
Published: September 2021

This study conducted a correlation analysis between tropical cyclone genesis frequency (TCGF) in the western North Pacific (WNP) and heat wave days (HWD) in Korea during July and August for 46 years (1973–2018) and we found a strong positive correlation between them. This implied that the higher the TCGF in the WNP during July and August, the higher the HWD in Korea becomes. To examine the cause of the statistically significant positive correlation between the TCGF during July and August in the WNP and the HWD in Korea, 15 years with the highest frequency and the lowest frequency out of the 46 years in the TCGF time series were selected and defined as high TCGF years and low TCGF years, respectively. An analysis of the difference in 2m air temperature (Air2m) between the two groups showed that in the mid-latitude region of Asia, the Air2m was higher during the high TCGF years. Thus, it could be seen from this analysis that the increase of HWD during the high TCGF years is likely to occur in the entire mid-latitude region of East Asia as well as in Korea. According to the difference in atmospheric circulations between the two groups, in all layers of the troposphere, anomalous anticyclonic and cyclonic circulations were strengthened in the mid-latitude region of East Asia and in the WNP, respectively, which was similar to the Pacific-Japan (PJ) teleconnection pattern. Furthermore, the anomalous anticyclone strengthened in the mid-latitude region of East Asia was associated with the weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon, and the anomalous cyclone strengthened in the WNP was associated with the WNP summer monsoon. The difference in the vertical meridional circulation averaged over the longitude range where Korea is located showed that anomalous upward and downward flows were strengthened in the WNP and in the latitude where Korea is located, respectively. This implied that the local Hadley circulation was strengthened during the high TCGF years. An analysis of the difference in the mean sea surface temperature during July and August showed that the eastern Pacific (EP) La Niña was strengthened during the high TCGF years. To determine the cause of the formations of anomalous anticyclones in the mid-latitude region of East Asia and in the WNP during the high TCGF years, the 500 hPa wave activity flux was analyzed. The wave activity flux originated from the North Atlantic, passed through the Scandinavian Peninsula, the North coast of Russia, and East Siberia before reaching Korea and the WNP. This spatial distribution was similar to the Scandinavia teleconnection pattern. Therefore, we conclude that the anomalous anticyclone formed in the mid-latitude region of East Asia and the anomalous cyclone formed in the WNP during the high TCGF years are associated with the Scandinavia teleconnection pattern.
Curli-producing E. coli enhances the disease phenotype in an hSOD1 G93A mouse model of ALS
Authors: Kurlawala Zimple
Published: September 2021

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a rapid and fatal neuromuscular degenerative disease which has no known genetic cause in ~ 90% of cases. We explored the microbiome as a potential non-genetic contributing factor for the disease. Microbial dysbiosis in the gut can occur due to diet, lifestyle and environmental factors and differences in gut microbial communities have been detected between ALS subjects and healthy controls, including an increase in E. coli in ALS subjects. E. coli and other physiological gram-negative bacteria produce curli proteins which are functional bacterial amyloid fibrils. Curli fibrils form biomatrices and interact with several proteins in the extracellular matrix, such as CD14, Toll-like receptors and MHC1 molecules expressed on the surfaces of all nucleated cells. Over-exposure to curli in the gut enhanced neuroinflammation and alpha synuclein misfolding in the brain in a rodent model of Parkinson’s disease. In this study, we examined whether curli exposure can exacerbate the development and progression of ALS. We utilized the hSOD1 G93A mouse model of slow developing ALS, with their inherent microbiome on a normal chow diet. These mice were fed curli-producing or curli-nonproducing (mutant) E. coli in applesauce 3 times/week from 4 weeks of age to 6 months. Chronic consumption of E. coli was well-tolerated by all mice, measured regularly by signatures of general wellness. Male hSOD1 mice demonstrated faster ALS progression compared to female hSOD1 mice. Chronic exposure to E. coli significantly shifted bacterial and viral alpha and beta diversities in the gut of all mice. Curli-fed mice showed significant decrease in relative abundance of Proteobacteria phyla. Within the male hSOD1 cohort, curli-fed mice exhibited locomotive signs of faster ALS progression, increased markers of skeletal muscle atrophy, increased inflammation in the muscle and spinal cord, and suppressed peripheral immune responses compared to mutant-fed and vehicle mice. Within the female cohort, exposure to both curli-producing and mutant E. coli suppressed peripheral immune responses. In conclusion, over-exposure to curli-producing E. coli in the gut worsened the pathological, immunological and motor features of ALS, in the absence of overt signs of illness. These results suggest that opportunities for manipulation of the gut microbiome in ALS need to be explored.
Entirely Passive Remote Node Design And System Architecture For Bus Topology Based 80Gbps Symmetrical NG-PON2
Authors: Kaur Ramandeep , Tiwana Simranjit Singh , Singh Rajandeep , Singh Simranjit
Published: September 2021

The next generation passive optical network stage 2 (NG-PON2) is a broadcast network in which a large number of optical network units (ONUs) can be served using various network topologies. In this paper, a purely passive remote node (RN) design based on fiber bragg grating (FBG) is presented for the bus topology of a high split NG-PON2 system. The performance of the proposed node has been analysed for a symmetric 80 Gbps NG-PON2 system serving 1024 ONUs in terms of bit error rate (BER) and optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR). The working of the proposed node has been explained with the optical frequency spectrums for downstream and upstream signals. The observed OSNR levels for the ONUs operating at the 1st RN is 84.8743dB which decreases to 75.7973dB for the ONUs connected to the 8th RN. The BER level < 10-9 for both upstream and downstream confirms the correct working of the proposed node in the NG-PON2 system.
Prevalence and Determinants of Nutritional Status Among Women and Children in Pakistan
Authors: Waghmare Hanumant , Chauhan Shekhar , Sharma Santosh Kumar
Published: September 2021

Background: Nutrition has been a low-priority area in Pakistan, with low visibility from the political leadership. Despite various efforts, Pakistan has been reported to have one of the highest prevalence of child and women malnutrition compared to other developing counties. Therefore, this study intends to examine the prevalence and determinants of nutritional status of women and children in Pakistan.Methods: The present study uses the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data from Pakistan 2012-13 (PDHS-3). The nutritional status of women was examined through Body-Mass Index (Underweight, normal, overweight, & obese), and that of children was examined through stunting (severe and moderate), wasting (severe, moderate, overweight), and underweight (severe, moderate, overweight). Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis have been used along with multinomial logistic regression.Results: A higher proportion of children in rural areas were severely stunted (19.57% vs. 12.49%), severe wasted (2.36% vs. 2.23%), and severe underweight (9.37% vs. 6%) than their urban counterparts. A higher proportion of rural women (9.5% vs. 5.45%) were underweight than urban women, whereas a higher proportion of urban women were obese (24.32% vs. 19.01%) than rural women. The odds of severe stunting (OR= 0.24; C.I.=0.15-0.37), severe underweight (OR= 0.11; C.I.=0.05-0.22) were lower among children from the richest wealth quintile than their poorest counterparts. The Relative Risk Ratio (RRR) of being overweight (RRR= 3.7; C.I.=2.47-5.54) and Obese (RRR= 4.35; C.I.=2.67-7.07) than normal BMI were higher among women from richest wealth quintile than women belonged to poorest wealth quintile.Conclusion: This study has highlighted determinants associated with maternal and child nutritional status, whereby child’s nutritional status was measured by stunting, wasting, and underweight, and the mother’s nutritional status was measured by BMI. The main risk factors for child’s poor nutritional status include low household wealth, urban residence, and mother’s educational status. Similarly, the main risk factors for women’s poor nutritional status include increasing the women's age, educational status, rural residence, and household wealth. Emphasis should be placed on educating mothers as it would improve their nutritional status and improve their child’s nutritional status simultaneously.
Self-Regeneration Hybrid Hydrogel for Bisphenol A Adsorption in Water
Authors: Piao Mingyue , Du Hongxue , Sun Yuwei , Teng Honghui
Published: September 2021

Hybrid hydrogel was synthesized by immobilizing TiO2 in polyethylene glycol diacrylate (TiO2@PEGDA) as an efficient adsorbent with photocatalysis property for bisphenol A (BPA) elimination. TiO2@PEGDA exhibited spherical and rough structure with limited crystallinity and abundant functional groups. The contact angle was 61.96°, indicating that TiO2@PEGDA is hydrophilic. The swelling capacity of TiO2@PEGDA (9.0%) was decreased compared with pristine PEGDA (15.6%). Adsorption results demonstrated that the maximum adsorption capacity of TiO2@PEGDA (101.4 mg/g) for BPA was slightly higher than pristine PEGDA (97.68 mg/g). The adsorption capacity was independent with pH at pH ＜ 8.0, and decreased obviously when the value of pH was higher than 8.0. The adsorption behavior was fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic and the Freundlich isotherm model. Both ΔG0 and ΔH0 were negative, indicating that BPA adsorbed on TiO2@PEGDA was an exothermic and spontaneous process. Regeneration study was performed by photocatalysis, and the adsorption capacity was 85.6% compared with the initial capacity after four cycles of illumination, indicating that TiO2@PEGDA could be recycled without significant loss of adsorption capacity. Consequently, TiO2@PEGDA can serve as an eco-friendly and promising material for efficiently adsorbing BPA with self-clean property.
Feasibility and Efficacy of Prehospital Esmolol for Refractory Ventricular Fibrillation
Authors: Patrick Casey , Crowe Remle , Ward Brad , Mohammed Ali , Keene Kelly Rogers , Dickson Robert
Published: September 2021

Background: We aimed to assess the feasibility of prehospital bolus dose esmolol for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and refractory ventricular fibrillation (RVF) treated by a single, high-volume, ground-based emergency medical services (EMS) agency. Methods: This retrospective observational study evaluated EMS patients with RVF treated from June 10, 2017 to June 10, 2020. Esmolol (0.5mg/kg bolus) was added to the RVF protocol at the mid-point of the study period on December 10, 2018. Results: We analyzed 61 patients treated with prehospital esmolol and 63 patients treated without esmolol. Median time from EMS arrival to esmolol administration was 17 minutes (interquartile range: 13-22 minutes). Prehospital return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was higher in the esmolol group compared to the control group, though statistical significance was not reached (38% versus 24%, p=0.09). Overall, few patients survived to 24 hours (esmolol n=15, pre-esmolol n=16) and fewer survived to hospital discharge (esmolol n=5, pre-esmolol n=5), precluding stable statistical comparisons. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that esmolol is feasible in the prehospital setting and may lead to increased ROSC. Further large-scale studies are needed to determine the effect of prehospital esmolol for RVF as it relates to survival to hospital discharge.Trial Registration: This study was approved by the institutional review board at The Baylor College of Medicine and a waiver of informed consent was granted - protocol number H-48383.
Identification of Candidate Genes that Specifically Regulate Subcutaneous and Intramuscular Fat Deposition Using Transcriptomic and Proteomic Profiles in Dingyuan Pigs
Authors: Zhang Pan , Li Qinggang , Wu Yijing , Zhang Yawen , Zhang Bo , Zhang Hao
Published: September 2021

Background: Subcutaneous fat and intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition are closely related to meat production and pork quality. The Dingyuan pig is a local pig breed in Anhui Province, China, that has great potential for fat deposition. Individuals with extreme subcutaneous fat and intramuscular fat content can be found in this breed, which provides a good study system for investigating the molecular mechanisms regulating these two types of fat deposit.Results: In this study, we used RNA-Seq and tandem mass tags-based proteomics to analyze the key pathways and genes that specifically regulate subcutaneous fat and intramuscular fat deposition in Dingyuan pigs. We identified 191 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 61 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in the high backfat thickness (HBF) and low backfat thickness (LBF) groups. In the high intramuscular fat and low intramuscular fat groups, we found 85 DEGs and 12 DAPs. The gene ontology and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs and DAPs in the backfat groups were mainly involved in various metabolic pathways, such as those related to carbohydrates, amino acids, esters, and fatty acids, whereas the DEGs and DAPs of the IMF groups were involved in a wide range of signaling pathways, including metabolic pathways, the insulin pathway, ketone body synthesis and degradation, longevity, and some disease-related pathways. Among the genes related to the metabolic pathways of carbohydrates, amino acids, esters, and fatty acids, we found 26 candidate genes that specifically regulate subcutaneous fat deposition and 7 genes that specifically regulate IMF deposition in Dingyuan pigs.Conclusion: Our data show that subcutaneous fat deposition and IMF deposition are regulated by the same genes, but there are also genes that specifically regulate these two fat depositions. Our data provide insights into the mechanisms of pig fat deposition.
Steroid-Sparing Effect, Effectiveness, and Tolerability of Mepolizumab with EGPA in Real World Clinical Practice
Authors: Hatakeyama Yukihisa , Tsukamoto Rei , Masuta Kazumi , Fujimoto Shodai , Takamiya Rei , Ikeda Miho , Okamura Kayoko , Ohnishi Hisashi
Published: September 2021

BackgroundEosinophilic polyangiitisgranulomatosa (EGPA) is a vasculitis syndrome that affects small and medium-sized blood vessels throughout the body. The mainstay of treatment is steroids, but there are no standardized doses or durations for steroids in combination with mepolizumab. MethodsWe investigated the efficacy, steroid administration, and course of steroid reduction in five patients who were diagnosed with EGPA and treated with mepolizumab for 1 year. Five patients who were diagnosed with EGPA using the American College of Rheumatology criteria and treated with mepolizumab for 1 year were included in our study from 2018–2020.ResultsEosinophil levels as well as the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS), remission rate, annual relapse rate, and steroid dosage were observed at 1 year after mepolizumab treatment. Fifty-two weeks after mepolizumab treatment, eosinophils, BVAS, and the steroid dosage showed a trend toward improvement in four out of five patients. In the one patient who received no dose reduction, there was no exacerbation of bronchial asthma that had previously occurred during the follow-up period. Although neurological symptoms often remain even in remission, all patients with neurological symptoms at diagnosis improved. There were no cases of relapse in this study, including two anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-positive cases. ConclusionsManagement that includes early administration of mepolizumab may improve patients’ quality of life by alleviating lingering neurological symptoms that are caused by EGPA.
Occupancy of Semi-Aquatic Mammals in an Urban Landscape
Authors: Hoffer Devin , Nielsen Clayton , Rutter Andrew , Anile Stefano
Published: September 2021

Throughout midwestern North American ecosystems, semi-aquatic mammals including beaver (Castor canadensis), mink (Neovision vision), muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), and river otter (Lontra canadensis) co-exist in wetlands. These species are ecologically important through their manipulation of habitats and interactions with other species present. Although natural resource managers in urban ecosystems are interested in semi-aquatic mammals and factors affecting their ecology, few such studies exist in the literature. We studied impacts of restoration practices and other environmental covariates on detection and occupancy of the 4 aforementioned focal species on forest preserves managed by the Lake County Forest Preserve District (Lake County, Illinois, USA). Sign surveys were conducted during December-April in 2018-19 and 2019-20. We quantified 12 variables representing bank measurements, temperature, precipitation, soil type, and survey replicate to inform the detection process and quantified 12 variables representing forest cover measurements, aquatic plant measurements, dominant landcover, restoration practices, and anthropogenic disturbances for the occupancy process. Single species, multi-season occupancy models were run in RStudio using the package unmarked. Detection probabilities ranged from 0.10 ± 0.07 for river otters to 0.60 ± 0.03 for muskrats; occupancy probabilities ranged from 0.28 ± 0.18 for river otters to 0.90 ± 0.05 for muskrats. Detection and occupancy were influenced by similar environmental factors (bank measurements, precipitation, and survey replicate for detection; and stream measurements and food availability for occupancy) compared to more rural locations. We provide further evidence that muskrats are urban adapters and document the initial stages of river otter recolonization in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.
Conceptual Design, and Fluid-Structural Interaction Based Investigations on Highly Maneuverable Unmanned Amphibious Vehicle for Ravage Removal Applications at Various Oceanic Working Environments
Authors: Madasamy Senthil Kumar , Raja Vijayanandh , Ganesan Sangeetha , Murugan Dharshini , Raji Arul Prakash , Jayaram Darshan Kumar
Published: September 2021

Nowadays Unmanned Amphibious Vehicles [UAVs] are employed in many applications such as oceanic research, deep sea exploration, mapping, naval surveillance, and disaster monitoring and fisheries protection. The use of UAVs in military and other applications has steadily increased over the few years. On the other hand, there has been a tremendous increase in ocean exploitation. Though technologies are increasing incrementally, nature is exploited adversely. Advancement in ocean transportation, shipping, sewage wastes filled the ocean with tonnes and tonnes of debris and oil wastes. This ravage fills affect the complete marine ecosystem. This in turn makes the ocean toxic. Advancements have been made in recent years to clean up the oil spills. The noted projects such as Sea bin, super high-tech sponges etc. All these innovations are the static one which cannot move along the waves of the ocean. The static form of these inventions could not be used to clean to the larger extent. Therefore, this study aims to build an UAV which is a movable one, can detect the debris and clean those by incorporating existing cleaning techniques. Since the UAV has to sub merge under the water to some extent, it should be designed in such a way by considering both the hydro-dynamical and hydro structural aspects of it. The unique point in the paper covers the flexible cum efficient design of the UAV. The design of the tropical bird is chosen for the efficient model of the UAV. With the few known parameters of this species, the UAV has been designed to achieve the maximum efficiency. The tropical bird chosen has the higher rate of climb, which is the desired requirement for this study. The propeller is uniquely designed based on aerodynamic cum hydrodynamic data so as to balance both the effects. With the design data estimated using analytical formulae, the UAV has been constructed. Following the design, the complete analyses on aerodynamic, aero-structural, hydrodynamic and hydro structural computations are completed. Finally, the employment techniques such as ravage removal mechanism, integrated rotor for the selected application will be integrated. CATIA and ANSYS Workbench are the major tools involved in these comparative investigations, in which modelling of UAV is computed in CATIA and fluid pressure, structural deformations, stresses on UAV are computed through ANSYS Workbench.
MST1 Regulates Hepatocellular Lipophagy in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Li Wang , Jia Li , Li Yuhan , Li Jianning , Song Hui , Li Yan , Yang Yanhui , Sun Bo , Zhang Peng , Yang Yi
Published: September 2021

Background and Aims: Mammalia sterile 20-like kinase 1 (MST1) has recently been identified as an important regulator for the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the molecular mechanism of MST1 functions remains elusive. The current study is aiming to elucidate the impact and potential mechanism of MST1 in the disease progression of NAFLD. MethodsThe correlation of MST1 expression with NAFLD was determined in liver biopsy samples obtained from NAFLD patients by western blotting and IHC. The gain and loss of function analysis of MST1 was evaluated by the utilization of adenovirus or lentivirus mediated gene transfer. The impact of MST1 in lipophagy was examined by tracking the target protein markers through confocal microscopy and electron microscopy. Interaction of MST1 with the signaling molecule AMPKα/mTOR/ULK1 was evaluated by immune-blotting, in vitro kinase analysis and phosphorylation assays.Results: MST1 expression was inversely correlated with the hepatocellular lipid accumulation in both NAFLD patients and a mouse model. Impaired lipophagy was observed in the liver of Mst1-/- mice on a high fat diet. Restoration of MST1 promoted lipophagy and lipolysis in hepatocytes and the NAFLD mouse model. Further mechanistic approaches revealed that MST1 functioned to re-establish the dysfunctional autophagy/lipophagy pathway through targeting the AMPKα/mTOR/ULK1 interplay network. MST1 directly or indirectly activated ULK1 through coordination of AMPKα and mTOR/Raptor signaling pathways. Conclusions: MST1 may modulate hepatic lipid metabolism through restoration of dysfunctional autophagy and lipophagy, and thus might serve as an important therapeutic target for NAFLD.
Pathogenicity Reclassification of Genetic Variants Related to Early-Onset Breast Cancer among Buryat Women
Authors: Gervas Polina , Molokov Aleksey , Kiselev Artem , Zarubin Aleksei , Yumov Evgeny , Pisareva Lubov , Choynzonov Evgeny Choynzonov Evgeny , Cherdyntseva Nadezda
Published: September 2021

Background: Germline alterations in ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, and other genes are responsible for early-onset breast cancer. However, up to 20% of molecular tests report genetic variant of unknown significance (VUS) or novel variants that have never been previously described and their clinical significance are unknown. An existing open access databases (ClinVar, BIC, and ENIGMA and other) play an important role in the interpretation of VUS, but in Asian populations the interpretation of VUS is still difficult due to restricted data. This study aimed to reclassify the genetic variants by using the ActiveDriveDB database that annotates variants through the lens of sites of post-translational modifications.Methods: Our study included young Buryat BC patients, anthropologically belonging to the Central Asia. Genomic DNA was used to prepare libraries. NGS sequencing was performed on a NextSeq 500 System. Results: We re-examined 135 rare variants (41 VUS, 25 conflicting, 64 benign and 5 new variants). We identified 10 out of 135 (7.4%) mutations that affected the sites of post-translational modification in proteins. Of 135 rare mutations, 1 benign variant was reclassified as network-rewiring - motif loss mutation, 3 VUS and 1 new variant were reclassified as distal PTM- mutations, 2 new and 1 benign variant were classified as proximal PTM- mutations and 1 benign and 1 conflicting variant were classified as direct PTM- mutations.Conclusions: For the first time, 7.4% (10 out of 135) of mutations that affected the sites of post-translational modification in proteins were identified among Buryat women with early-onset breast cancer.
Mathematical Modeling of Crosslinked Polyacrylic Based Hydrogels: Physical Properties and Drug Delivery
Authors: Bisotti Filippo , Pizzetti Fabio , Storti Giuseppe , Rossi Filippo
Published: September 2021

Recently, hydrogels have gained significant importance in different applications, such as tissue engineering and drug delivery. They are 3D-structures of hydrophilic polymers held together through physical or chemical cross-linking. Important is their ability to swell in presence of solvents, forming elastic gels able to mantain their original shape. Furthermore, this scaffolds slowly degrade in the physiological environment, leading the growing tissue to replace the former filled site. In this work, hydrogels have been synthetized using branched polyacrilic acid (Carbomer) cross-linked with an aliphatic polyetherdiamine (elastamine). In particular, we focused on the description of their equilibrium conditions in swollen state and the dynamic simulation of the swelling process. These hydrogels exhibited a peculiar swelling behaviour characterized by an overshoot of the volume increase before reaching the equilibrium. Notably, such behavior was found at different pH values. In this manuscript, the swelling behavior was studied by mathematical modelling. Moreover, the ability of these devices to release drugs was also examined through a literature model to understand the different operating transport mechanisms.
Usefulness of Adapted Exotic Maize Lines Developed By Doubled Haploid and Single Seed Descent Methods
Authors: Santos Iara Goncalves , Verzegnazzi Anderson L. , Edwards Jode , Frei Ursula K. , Boerman Nicholas , Zuffo Leandro Tonello , Pires Luiz P. M. , Fuente Gerald N. de La , Lübberstedt Thomas
Published: September 2021

Adapted exotic maize (Zea mays L.) germplasm, such as BS39, provides a unique opportunity for broadening the genetic base of U.S. Corn Belt germplasm. In vivo doubled haploid (DH) technology has been used to efficiently exploit exotic germplasm. It can help to purge deleterious recessive alleles. The objectives of this study were to determine the usefulness of BS39-derived inbred lines using both SSD and DH methods, to determine the impact of spontaneous as compared to artificial haploid genome doubling on genetic variance among BS39-derived DH lines, and to identify SNP markers associated with agronomic traits among BS39 inbreds monitored at testcross level. We developed two sets of inbred lines directly from BS39 by DH and SSD methods, named BS39_DH and BS39_SSD. Additionally, two sets were derived from a cross between BS39 and A427 (SHGD donor) by DH and SSD methods, named BS39×A427_DH and BS39×A427_SSD, respectively. Grain yield, moisture, plant height, ear height, stalk lodging, and root lodging were measured to estimate genetic parameters. For genome-wide association (GWAS) analysis, inbred lines were genotyped using Genotype-by-Sequencing (GBS) and Diversity Array Technology Sequencing (DArTSeq). Some BS39-derived inbred lines performed better than elite germplasm inbreds and all sets showed significant genetic variance. The presence of spontaneous haploid genome doubling genes did not affect performance of inbred lines. Five SNPs were significant and three of them located within genes related to plant development or abiotic stresses. These results demonstrate the potential of BS39 to add novel alleles to temperate elite germplasm.