bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Concept of Low‑Value in the Context of Fixed Assets
Authors: Hołda Artur , Staszel Anna
Published: January 2021

This article aims to present the possibilities of making simplifications to accounting, particularly in the recognition of fixed assets and other carrying value items, according to the principle of relevance and fair presentation. In order to achieve this aim, the authors used deductive and inductive research methods, such as a literature review, analyses of the content of financial statements, and statistical verifications of the findings.
Simplifications may be made to accounting provided that this does not distort a given entity’s true financial picture, and thereby does not mislead the users of the financial statement; making it irrelevant. Establishing the levels at which some type of information should be deemed relevant is difficult but crucial in reporting and financial audit. The authors of the article propose a model to enable establishing the levels of relevance (with regard to both the financial statement as a whole and its components) in each economic entity, regardless of its size and industry in which it operates. This model was created based on the reporting data of Polish companies, constituting a correction of similar models applied in Western Europe. It facilitates the definition of an objectified level of partial relevance basically for all reporting items.
The authors used this model to research 148 companies by analysing their financial reports of 2007–2014, thereby reviewing the data of 1,184 financial statements, and other 337 smaller entities by analysing their financial reports of 2010–2017, thereby reviewing the data of 2,696 financial statements. In total, the authors analysed data from 3,880 financial statements. As a result, they drew conclusions as to the possibility of making simplifications in the recognition of fixed assets by entities. This research made it possible to establish the levels of relevance for the entities listed on WIG30, mWIG40, and sWIG80 as well as for the stock exchange companies not listed on any of the indices named, par ticularly the partial relevance considered for depreciation (amortisation). The analysis of the research results, including the application of the Chi square test, has led to the question whether from the financial accounting point of view making one‑off depreciations in the amounts of approx. PLN 10,000 (which the entities may want to practice in relation to the amendment to tax regulations) does not distort a given entity’s financial picture in the view of its financial statement. The research hypothesis of the study assumes that not all entities maintaining accounting books may apply tax regulations in the field of recognition of low‑value fixed assets. The analysis of the data contained in 3,880 financial statements of both larger and smaller entities has shown that the following research hypothesis should be adopted: not all entities maintaining accounting records may apply tax regulations for the recognition of low‑value fixed assets.
A Content Management System as an Information Management System in Interdisciplinary Research
Authors: Rola Paweł , Kuchta Dorota
Published: January 2021

Teams of scientific specialists have replaced independent researchers, simultaneously the research team size has increased by 50% over the 19‑year period. Better collaborations between project team members might improve research outcomes or R&D project products. Knowledge needs to be communicated among a research team effectively and shared among all research team members as it is created collaboratively. Collaboration can be successfully supported by providing a knowledge sharing environment and communication facilities. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility and discuss novel communication among scientists using a content management system (CMS) which operates based on the Software‑as‑a‑Service (SaaS) cloud‑computing model. This study presents the use of CMS for the collaboration of a research team carrying out a research project funded by the Polish National Science Centre.
Institutions of Culture in Contemporary Social and Cultural Dynamics
Authors: Rashkovskaya K. , Rashkovskii E.
Published: January 2021

This paper is a kind of response to Prof. Irina S. Semenenko’s article “New Dimensions of Identity Politics: Contested Memories in History Museums of the 20th Century” (Mirovaya ekonomika i mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya (World Economy and International Relations), 2020, vol. 64, no. 5). The paper attempts to ground the notion of institutions of culture and their necessary, though sometimes ambiguous role in social, cultural as well as political dynamics of the current history. Studies of the present experience in economic, information and demographic globalization, digital technologies, pandemics, etc. offer new opportunities for rethinking the role of cultural institutions in the whole socio-historical process, including the current history. The complex of these problems is displayed not only on macro-historical or global level, but also on the levels of micro-histories and everyday history in different social and cross-cultural contexts. The field of cultural institutions seems to be responsible for the whole shifting of basic human values in history as well as for the “subtle customization” of interpersonal communications and “le phenomene humaine” itself.
Overcoming COVID-19 Impact in the EU: Supranational Financial Aspect
Authors: Sidorova E.
Published: January 2021

The COVID 19 pandemic has led to an acute socio-economic crisis in the world, including in Europe. Anti-crisis measures at the supranational level are considered. The pandemic, which, after the Brexit decision, became another test for European integration, led to the development of a number of anti-crisis measures by the European Commission. On May 27, 2020, the European Commission presented a draft of measures to combat the pandemic, where the main role assigned to the EU Common Budget. The crisis has demonstrated that more funds and powers at the supranational level need to respond to emergencies. The Europeans were forced to take an unprecedented step – a possible “temporary increase in the Own resources ceiling,” which is legally limited and very slowly changing. The results of the meeting of the European Council in July 2020, dedicated to the Commission project were analyzed. A comparison made between the final indicators adopted at the Council, with the figures of the current Multiannual Financial Framework and the project of the European Commission for 2018–2020. Sources of financing for the European Economic Recovery Plan presented. The modern system of own resources does not contribute to the implementation of all the most important EU strategies and initiatives in the field of sustainable economic growth and development. New own resources will not only complement traditional ones, but also demonstrate priorities in the field of environmental policy and fair taxation. The Commission new project enhances the role of the Common Budget in integration and links it closely with the implementation of the long-term strategic priorities of the EU’s economic development. The conclusion is about the multi-vector impact of COVID 19. This force majeure circumstance, if the member states effectively unite their efforts to prepare the foundations for economic recovery, may become an impetus for further deepening European integration.
Middle East Conflicts Today: Between Religion and Geopolitics
Authors: Shumilin A.
Published: January 2021

The article is an attempt to analyze the genesis of conflicts in the Middle East, the transformation of their nature over the past two decades. While in the first years after the World War II, the chain of the main conflict situations in the region was closed on the confrontation between the Arab countries and Israel, now something different is obvious: the regional centers of power (Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia) established by the end of the second decade of the 21st century confront each other in the context of geopolitical rivalry and contradictions associated with their common religion – Islam. This was caused by two titan shifts in the political landscape of the region: the Islamic Revolution in Iran (1979), which sharply exacerbated the confrontation along the Sunnism-Shiism line, and the end of the Cold War, the disappearance of the USSR (1991) as an ideologically motivated factor that influenced the situation in The Middle East and North Africa. The disagreements between the states of the region were significantly aggravated by the events of the Arab Spring. Today, the main conflicts there are developing in the dimension of intra-Islamic confrontation – both between Sunnis and Shiites, and within the Sunni segment of this religion, which is associated with the establishment of Turkey as a third center of power promoting the Islamist concept of the Muslim Brotherhood. The transformation of the Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul into a mosque is becoming a symbol of Turkey’s political identity as an important part of the Islamic world.
Russian Policy in the Balkans: Current Situation and Perspectives
Authors: Khudolei K. , Koloskov E.
Published: January 2021

The article discusses the current situation and prospects of Russian policy in the Balkans. Officially, today, the Balkans are not assigned to the priorities of the Russian foreign policy, but there is one of the lines of the “Cool War” against the West. It is Russia’s desire to oppose the expansion of NATO and the EU, to create an infrastructure for the transportation of energy resources; it is also the emergence of sanctions and counter-sanctions. The purpose of this article is to characterize the foreign policy of the Russian Federation in the Balkans in the context of the current confrontation between Russia and the West. The authors try to identify possible scenarios for further development of international relations in the region. The term “Cool War” is used as the most accurate for characterizing the confrontation between Russia and the West, because – the authors believe – it differs from the “Cold War” in content, directions and its severity, although it is waged with the same methods and tools. The analysis of the Russian foreign policy in the Balkans and the method of constructing scenarios are used in the article as a research methodology. In this paper, five groups of states are distinguished in the Balkans according to their relations with Russia. Also it is assumed that three scenarios are possible in the future: weakening of Russia’s position, its maintaining at the current level, and its strengthening. This will largely depend on the confrontation degree and Russia’s activity, especially in the economic and humanitarian spheres.
The grouping of industrial enterprises by capacity utilization rate and level of debts to banks (I Quarter of 2020)
Authors: Aukutsionek S. , Dyomina N. , Bashirova I. , Serzhantova T. , Belyakov S.
Published: January 2021

Russian industrial enterprises, examined by the Russian Economic Barometer are grouped according to two criteria: the level of capacity utilization rate, as well as the level of debts to banks. This grouping allows you to see how key characteristics of enterprises differ depending on how their production capacities are loaded and what level of debts to banks they have. Data are presented for the first quarter of 2020.
Virtual Reality in Biology: Can We Become Virtual Naturalists?
Authors: Morimoto Juliano , Ponton Fleur
Published: January 2021

Technological advances made Virtual and Mixed Reality (VMR) accessible at our fingertips. However, only recently VMR has been explored for the teaching of biology. Here, we highlight how VMR applications can be useful in biology education, discuss about caveats related to VMR use that can interfere with learning, and look into the future of VMR applications in the field. We then propose that the combination of VMR with Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence can provide unprecedented ways to visualise how species evolve in self-sustained immersive virtual worlds, thereby transforming VMR from an educational tool to the centre of biological interest.
High Volume Injection (Hydrodissection) for Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome Using Peripheral Nerve Stimulation: Treatment Protocol
Authors: Reilly Ian , Uddin Akram
Published: January 2021

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a focal compressive neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve or one of its associated branches. Brief mention is made in the literature of the use of corticosteroid injections for this condition. The basic technique of hydrodissection is used for other nerve entrapments and includes identifying the region of nerve compression, and the injection of a fluid medium to dissect between structures or fascial planes. We introduce our treatment protocol using a methylprednisolone/sterile water/ropivacaine hydrochloride injectate mix and peripheral nerve stimulation to a perform hydrodissection technique for tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Electrochemical Behaviour of a Gold Film- Glassy Carbon Electrode for Determination of Chromium (VI)
Authors: Broli Nevila , Vallja Loreta , Vasjari Majlinda
Published: January 2021

A gold nanostructured film modified glassy carbon electrode (Aufilm/GCE) was developed for the determination of chromium (VI) in water sample. GCE was immersed into HAuCl4 solution (10-3M) and electrodeposition of thin gold layer was conducted at –0.4 V (vs Ag/AgCl) for 10 min. The strong affinity between Au and Cr species resulted with increasing of Cr (VI) signal, compared with the bare glassy carbon electrode. The electrodepositing time, type of supporting electrolyte, pH, the scan rate, modulation amplitude, and modulation time were optimized using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DP-ASV). The calibration graph using accumulation time of 120 s was linear from 10 to 120 µgL-1 with a sensitivity 1.3 x 10-2 µA/µgL-1. Under optimum experimental conditions, a good correlation coefficient R2=0.9971, and a low detection limit 5.5 µg/L Cr (VI) was obtained. The signal was reproducible with a relative standard deviation ±4.5 %. The developed Aufilm/GCE sensor was applied for the Cr (VI) determination of in sewage water samples.
Climatic Sensitivity Profile of Abies Species – A Key to Their Future Role in the Adaptive Silviculture of Central-Southeast Europe
Authors: Mátyás Csaba , Beran František , Dostál Jaroslav , Čáp Jiří , Fulín Martin , Vejpustková Monika , Božič Gregor , Balázs Pál , Frýdl Josef
Published: January 2021

Research Highlights: Adult grand fir displayed significantly faster growth and better resilience than native silver fir, tolerating the drastic reduction of annual rainfall at the provenance test. The reason is its adaptation to "Submediterranean-type” summer aridity at origin. When transferred to Central Europe, grand fir enjoys a substantial improvement of summer climate through higher rainfall, displaying its generally observed superiority. Background and Objectives: Published results of Frýdl and co-workers [1] were reanalyzed to assess resilience of fir species to summer drought stress. The primary aim was to detect the effects of transfer into changed climatic conditions, and less the within- and between-species adaptive differentiation shaped by past climates. Materials and Methods: Height growth of European and North American species was compared at adult age in three Czech provenance tests. Species profiles of climate sensitivity were estimated by comparing height response and climate transfer distance applying a Summer Aridity Index. Results: Silver fir showed relatively high sensitivity to summer aridity while the species A. cephalonica and A. borisii-regis were less sensitive but slower growing. Exposed to drastic climatic change, A. pinsapo and A. cilicica exhibited total mortality. The response of grand and noble fir provenances followed the pattern of sympatric Douglas fir. Grand fir surpassed native silver fir in growth and resilience. Conclusions: The sensitivity profile of fir species appears to be linked to adaptation to summer aridity at their origin, contrasting the recognition of rainfall in the wettest quarter as the best predictor. In the future, native silver fir will retreat from low-elevation, drought-exposed sites and will require silvicultural support. The introduction of Balkan firs may improve the stability of forest ecosystems. Grand fir may be considered for cautious introduction at higher elevations. When selecting provenances for future climate scenarios, the safeguarding of stability and resilience has first priority.
Multifrequency Gravitational Wave Background From Continuous Sources
Authors: Sivaram C , Kenath Arun
Published: January 2021

Gravitational waves have been detected in the past few years from several transient events such as merging stellar mass black holes, binary neutron stars, etc. These waves have frequencies in a band ranging from a few hundred hertz to around a kilohertz to which LIGO type instruments are sensitive. LISA would be sensitive to much lower range of frequencies from SMBH mergers. Apart from these cataclysmic burst events, there are innumerable sources of radiation which are continuously emitting gravitational waves of all frequencies. These include a whole mass range of compact binary and isolated compact objects as well as close planetary stellar entities. In this work, quantitative estimates are made of the gravitational wave background produced in typical frequency ranges from such sources emitting over a Hubble time and the fluctuations in the h values measured in the usual devices. Also estimates are made of the high frequency thermal background gravitational radiation from hot stellar interiors and newly formed compact objects.
Purposeful Evaluation of Scholarship in the Open Science Era
Authors: Pagliaro Mario
Published: January 2021

In most world’s countries, scholarship evaluation for tenure and promotion continues to rely on conventional criteria of publications in journals of high impact factor and grant funding. Continuing to hire and promote scholars for their achievements in research and in securing research funds exposes universities at risk because students, directly and indirectly through government funds, are the main source of revenues for academic institutions, whereas talented young researchers are those who actually carry out most of the published research. Purposeful scholarship evaluation needs to include all three areas of scholarly activity: research, teaching and mentoring, and service to society. Young scholars seeking tenure and promotion benefit from the practice of open science because it provides better and more impactful results with respect to each of the three areas of scholarship.
KAJIAN PARAMETER MARSHALL DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN LIMBAH SERBUK KERANG HIJAU SEBAGAI FILLER CAMPURAN LAPIS ASPAL BETON
Authors: Putra Andhika , Mulyono Tri , Chrisnawati Yusfita
Published: January 2021

This inquiry aims to investigate whether the use of green mussels shell powder as an alternate filler in Laston mix can meet the Marshall parameter or not. Method used in this inquiry is experimental method that examines Marshall parameter at various percentages of green mussels shell powder use in which their level are 0%, 6,5%, 7,5%, and 8,5% as an alternate of half of filler. The experiment of green mussels shell powder is generate a maximum level of filler at 7,5% percentage with stability value in 987,478 kgs, flow value in 3,70 mm, Marshall Quotient value in 266,738 kgs/mm, Void in Mineral Aggregates value in 17,597%, Void Filled with Bitumen value in 71,958% and Void In the Mix value in 4,709%. By this result, it can be concluded that green mussels shell powder can be used as an alternate filler in AC-WC asphalt mix for heavy traffic road with 7,5% percentage of filler level.
ANALISA KAPASITAS PENYEBERANGAN SEBIDANG DI JALAN ASIA AFRIKA SENAYAN JAKARTA
Authors: Alamsyah M Subhan , Hadi Winoto , Daryati Daryati
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study is to provide an evaluation on pedestrian crossing facility on Asia Afrika street, Senayan Jakarta based on requirement on Directorate General of Transportation and also provided a new suggestion for an alternative pedestrian crossing facility on Asia Afrika street especially in front of Senayan City. The alternative of pedestrian facility obtained by observation on site of the location by observing the traffic of pedestrian whose crossed the street of Asia Afrika and the traffic of all vehicle that crossed the street at peak hours. The observation also included a geometric condition of the street and pedestrian facility on site. As additional study, a survey on 100 pedestrians also being held to determine the characteristic of pedestrian. The result of this study found that the available pedestrian crossing facility on site which is a zebra cross is not capable of providing comfort and safety to pedestrian. Because based of all calculation requirement on MKJI 2007 the Asia Afrika street should provide a pedestrian crossing bridge or a pedestrian crossing tunnel for pedestrian crossing facility which is safer and more comfortable.
PEMANFAATAN LIMBAH KOTORAN SAPI SEBAGAI PENGGANTI SEBAGIAN SEMEN DALAM PEMBUATAN BATAKO
Authors: Kurniawan Kiki , Prihantono Prihantono , Saleh Rosmawita
Published: January 2021

The results showed the use of cow dung waste can increase the compressive strength of hollow brick from any composition of waste. Hollow brick with cow dung substitution of 0% has an average compressive strength value 44.75 Kg/Cm2 has an average water absorption of 14.31%, hollow brick with cow dung substitution of 5% has a value of compressive strength average 47.47 Kg/Cm2 has an average water absorption of 15.67%, Batako perforation with cow dung substitution of 7.5% has an average compressive strength value of 51.83 Kg/Cm2 has the absorption water averaging 13.71%, batako perforated with substitution of cow dung waste of 10% has an average compressive strength value 53.81 Kg/Cm2 has an average water absorption of 10.04%, hollow brick with substitution cow dung waste of 12.5% has an average compressive strength value of 50.66 Kg/Cm2 has an average water absorption of 23.6%, hollow brick with cow dung substitution of 15% average 48.84 Kg/Cm2 has an average water absorption of 19.72%. The optimum compressive strength value was obtained from percentage substitution of cow dung waste at 10% with mean value of compressive strength 53,81 Kg/Cm2 with average water absorption 10,04%.
STUDI PENAMBAHAN SUPEPRPLASTCIZER PADA KUAT TEAN BETON DENGAN VARIASI FAS 0,4 – 0,5 MENGGUNAKAN AGREGAT KASAR YANG DI PECAH (SPLIT)
Authors: Kurniawan Muhamad Farhan , Mulyono Tri , Daryati Daryati
Published: January 2021

This study aims to determine the effect of superplasticizer usage on concrete compressivestrenght with variation of water cement ratio using subdivided crude aggregates (split).This research cylindrical test object with diameter 15 cm and height 30 cm. Compressivestrength concrete design fc’ 35 MPa, with variation of water cement ratio W/C 0,4; 0,45; 0,5 andusing Superplasticizer Sikament LN materials 0,5% of the weight of cement and slump value 12 ± 2cm.The result of research showed an increase the value of concrete compressive strength withthe addition of superplasticizer. The average of concrete compressive strength without the addition ofsuperplasticizer and variation of water cement ratio W/C 0,4; 0,45; 0,5 at 28 days in a row is 36,14MPa, 34,73 MPa, 29,82 MPa. While the value of concrete compressive strength with the addition ofsuperplasticizer increase to 39,73 MPa, 37,18 MPa, 31,23 MPa.
La romantización del Parnaso español. Fernando de Herrera, poeta oriental y cristiano
Authors: Admin Ojs
Published: January 2021

La narrativa histórico-literaria del Romanticismo caracterizó la tradición poética española como oriental y cristiana. El orientalismo de su sustrato árabe se quiso localizar no solamente en la poesía popular, sino que también algunos de los poetas del canon fueron elegidos para demostrar la conexión del Parnaso español con esa pretendida raíz última de nuestra identidad. El caso más significativo y en el que más se insistió fue Fernando de Herrera. Se elogió el hebraísmo de algunas de sus canciones y se hizo especial hincapié en sus supuestos rasgos orientales y en la sublimidad de su musa cristiana.
Love in the Poetry of Francisco de Aldana: Beyond Neoplatonism | Paul Joseph Lennon
Authors: Admin Ojs
Published: January 2021

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Escritura de estío | Alejandro Duque Amusco
Authors: Admin Ojs
Published: January 2021

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Estirpe de sombras | José Lara Garrido
Authors: Admin Ojs
Published: January 2021

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Teatro de ayer y de hoy a escena | José Romera Castillo
Authors: Admin Ojs
Published: January 2021

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Editorial
Authors: Mann Tony
Published: January 2021

Editorial for MSOR Connections Vol 19 No 1
Zinc limitation in Klebsiella pneumoniae profiled by quantitative proteomics influences transcriptional regulation and cation transporter-associated capsule production
Authors: Sukumaran Arjun , Pladwig Samanta , Geddes-McAlister Jennifer
Published: January 2021

Background: Microbial organisms encounter a variety of environmental conditions, including changes to metal ion availability. Metal ions play an important role in many biological processes for growth and survival. As such, microbes alter their cellular protein levels and secretion patterns in adaptation to a changing environment. This study focuses on Klebsiella pneumoniae, an opportunistic bacterium responsible for nosocomial infections. By using K. pneumoniae, we aim to determine how a nutrient-limited environment (e.g., zinc depletion) modulates the cellular proteome and secretome of the bacterium. By testing virulence in vitro, we provide novel insight into bacterial responses to limited environments in the presence of the host. Results: Analysis of intra- and extracellular changes identified 2,380 proteins from the total cellular proteome (cell pellet) and 246 secreted proteins (supernatant). Specifically, HutC, a repressor of the histidine utilization operon, showed significantly increased abundance under zinc-replete conditions, which coincided with an expected reduction in expression of genes within the hut operon from our validating qRT-PCR analysis. Additionally, we characterized a putative cation transport regulator, ChaB that showed significantly higher abundance under zinc-replete vs. -limited conditions, suggesting a role in metal ion homeostasis. Phenotypic analysis of a chaB deletion strain demonstrated a reduction in capsule production, zinc-dependent growth and ion utilization, and reduced virulence when compared to the wild-type strain. Conclusions: This is first study to comprehensively profile the impact of zinc availability on the proteome and secretome of K. pneumoniae and uncover a novel connection between zinc transport and capsule production in the bacterial system.
A hybrid cost-sensitive ensemble for heart disease prediction
Authors: Qi Zhenya , Zhang Zuoru
Published: January 2021

Background: Heart disease is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. It includes numerous problems and symptoms. The diagnosis of heart disease is difficult because there are too many factors to analyze. What's more, the misclassification cost could be very high. Methods: A cost-sensitive ensemble method was proposed to improve the efficiency of diagnosis and reduce the misclassification cost. The proposed method contains five heterogeneous classifiers: random forest, logistic regression, support vector machine, extreme learning machine and k-nearest neighbor. T-test was used to investigate if the performance of the ensemble was better than individual classifiers and the contribution of Relief algorithm. Results: The best performance was achieved by the proposed method according to ten-fold cross validation. The statistical tests demonstrated that the performance of the proposed ensemble was significantly superior to individual classifiers, and the efficiency of classification was distinctively improved by Relief algorithm. Conclusions: The proposed ensemble gained significantly better results compared with individual classifiers and previous studies, which implies that it can be used as a promising alternative tool in medical decision making for heart disease diagnosis.
AQI Predication Using Temporal Data Mining
Authors: Bhushan Shashi , Tiwari Sanjay Kumar
Published: January 2021

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is an air quality standards indicator based on air pollutants that have negative impacts on human health and the environment. Because of several human activities, air pollution is growing very quickly, and it is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter or biological materials into the atmosphere that cause human suffering and also harms the natural environment. Indeed, air pollution in metropolitan and industrial cities is one of the major environmental problems. So predicting pollution and avoiding these issues is very crucial. One of the most exciting and difficult functions is the forecast of air pollution using data mining. Many systems are designed to help data storage, inventory management and convenient statistics generation. India's air quality indicator is a standard measure used to indicate pollution (so2, no2, rspm, spm, etc.) from time to time. The main purpose of the current study is to predict the temporal AQI used by the previous day AQI and climate change is used to predict and visualize the temporary data mine using a gradient break and an unreasonable forecasting process. In Navigation Forecast, we divide the database into 85% data and 15% data based on data testing and training to determine seasonal variations and styles. Balance problems are often exploited by problems and forecasting uses an unreasonable prediction process and gradient downtime. Air quality forecasts based on historical data of previous years and predictions for less than a year as a reputable gradient using a recurring problem.
Co-loading of Levodopa and Curcumin Using Brain-targeted Protocells for Improving the Efficacy of Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Zhou Wenkai , Liu Chang , Yu Feifei , Niu Xia , Wang Xiaomei , Li Guiling , Li Xinru
Published: January 2021

Parkinson's disease (PD), one of the most common movement and neurodegenerative disorders, is challenging to treat. Levodopa is a common clinical drug for controlling the symptoms of PD, but it only replenishes the missing dopamine, can’t protect dopaminergic neurons. While curcumin as a neuroprotective agent has been reported for treatment of PD. Herein, we present a novel organic-inorganic composite nanoparticle with brain targeting (lf-protocells) for co-delivery of levodopa and curcumin, and demonstrate its attractive use as a biocompatible platform for PD treatment. The nanoparticle system is comprised of a lactoferrin (lf) modified lipid bilayer (LB) containing curcumin as its outer membrane and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) containing levodopa as its supporting inner core. Our studies illustrate that the lf-protocells have a spherical morphology, and can be used to co-load levodopa and curcumin efficiently; the combination of curcumin and levodopa alleviates the apoptosis of PD cells, decreases the expression of a-synuclein and increase the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in SH-SY5Y cells as compared to single drug; the binary-drug loaded lf-protocells ameliorate oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction as compared to combination of free drugs; lf-protocells improve significantly the distribution in brain compared with unmodified protocells; binary-drug loaded lf-protocells have better performance of motor function in mouse than unmodified protocells and combination of free drugs. In conclusion, binary-drug loaded lf-protocells show better therapeutic efficacy in both cell model and mouse model of PD than combination of free drugs and lower toxicity than bare MSNs. These results suggest that lf-protocells can be used as a promising drug delivery platform for targeted therapy against PD and other diseases of the central nervous system.
Spreading Predictability in Complex Networks
Authors: Zhao Na , Wang Jian , Yu Yong , Zhao Junyan , Chen Duanbing
Published: January 2021

Many state-of-the-art researches focus on predicting infection scale or threshold in infectious diseases or rumor and give the vaccination strategies correspondingly. In these works, most of them assume that the infected probability and initially infected individuals are known at the very beginning. Generally, infectious diseases or rumor has been spreading for some time when it is noticed. How to predict which individuals will be infected in the future only by knowing the current snapshot becomes a key issue in infectious diseases or rumor control. In this paper, a prediction model based on snapshot is presented to predict the potentially infected individuals in the future. Experimental results on synthetic and real networks demonstrate that the predicted infected individuals have rather consistency with the actual infected ones.
PCBP2 maintains antiviral signaling homeostasis by regulating cGAS enzymatic activity via antagonizing its condensation
Authors: Gu Haiyan , Yang Jing , Zhang Jiayu , Zhang Pengfei , Li Lin , Chen Dahua , Sun Qinmiao
Published: January 2021

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) plays a major role in detecting pathogenic DNA. It produces cyclic dinucleotide cGAMP, which subsequently binds to the adaptor protein STING and further triggers antiviral innate immune responses. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating cGAS enzyme activity remain largely unknown. Here, we characterize the cGAS-interacting protein Poly(rC)-binding protein 2 (PCBP2), which plays an important role in controlling cGAS enzyme activity, thereby mediating appropriate cGAS-STING signaling transduction. We found that PCBP2 overexpression reduced cGAS-STING antiviral signaling, whereas loss of PCBP2 significantly increased cGAS activity. Mechanistically, we showed that PCBP2 negatively regulated anti-DNA viral signaling by specifically interacting with cGAS but not other components. Moreover, PCBP2 inhibited cGAS enzyme activity by antagonizing cGAS condensation, thus ensuring the normal production of cGAMP and balancing cGAS-STING signal transduction. Collectively, our findings provide novel insight into mechanisms regulating cGAS-mediated antiviral innate immune signaling.
Mutation analysis of the ATP7B gene and genotype-phenotype correlation in Chinese patients with Wilson disease
Authors: Li Mingming , Ma Jing , Wang Wenlong , Yang Xu , Luo Kaizhong
Published: January 2021

AIM To discover the novel ATP7B mutations in 103 southern Chinese patients with Wilson disease (WD), and to determine the spectrum and frequency of mutations in the ATP7B gene and genotype-phenotype correlation in a large-scale sample of Chinese WD patients. Methods One hundred three WD patients from 101 unrelated families in southern China were enrolled in this study. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood. Direct sequencing of all 21 exons within ATP7B was performed. Subsequently, an extensive study of the overall spectrum and frequency of ATP7B mutations and genotype-phenotype correlation was performed in all Chinese patients eligible from the literature, combined with the current southern group.Results In 103 patients with WD, we identified 48 different mutations (42 missense mutations, 4 nonsense mutations and 2 frameshifts). Of these, 7 mutations had not been previously reported: 1510_1511insA, 2075T>C (Leu692Pro), 2233C>A (Leu745Met), 3209C>G (Pro1070Arg),3677C>T (Thr1226Ile), 3793G>T (Val1265Leu) and 3824T>C (Leu1275Ser). The 2333G>T (Arg778 Leu) at exon 8, was the most common mutation with an allelic frequency of 18.8%, followed by 2975C>T (Pro992Leu) at exon 13, with an allelic frequency of 13.4%. In the comprehensive study, 233 distinct mutations were identified, including 154 missense mutations, 23 nonsense mutations and 56 frameshifts. Eighty-five variants were identified as novel mutations. The 2333G>T (Arg778 Leu) and 2975C>T (Pro992Leu) were the most common mutations, with allelic frequencies of 28.6% and 13.0%, respectively. Exons 8, 12, 13, 16 and 18 were recognised as hot spot exons. Phenotype-genotype correlation analysis suggested that 2333G>T (Arg778 Leu) was significantly associated with lower levels of serum ceruloplasmin (P=0.034). 2975C>T (Pro992Leu) was correlated with earlier age of disease onset (P=0.002). Additionally, we found that the 3809A>G (Asn1270Ser) mutation significantly indicated younger onset age (P=0.012), and the 3884C>T (Ala1295Val) mutation at exon 18 was significantly associated with hepatic presentation (P=0.048). Moreover, the patients with mixed presentation displayed the initial WD features at an older onset age than the groups with either liver disease or neurological presentation (P=0.039, P=0.015, respectively). No significant difference was observed in the presence of KF rings among the three groups with different clinical manifestations. Conclusion In this study, we identified seven novel mutations in 103 WD patients from the southern part of China, which could enrich the previously established mutational spectrum of the ATP7B gene. Moreover, we tapped into a large-scale study of a Chinese WD cohort to characterise the overall phenotypic and genotypic spectra and assess the association between genotype and phenotype, which enhances the current knowledge about the population genetics of WD in China.
Evidence for New Enantiospecific Interaction Force in Chiral Biomolecules
Authors: Kapon Yael , Saha Abhijit , Duanias-Assaf Tal , Stuyver Thijs , Ziv Amir , Metzger Tzuriel , Yochelis Shira , Shaik Sason , Naaman Ron , Reches Meital , Paltiel Yossi
Published: January 2021

Enantiospecific biorecognition interactions are key to many biological events. Commonly, bio-affinity values, measured in these processes, are higher than those calculated by available methods. We report here the first direct measurement of the interaction force between right and left handed helical polyalanine peptides using atomic force microscope (AFM) and calculations based on a simple theoretical model. A force difference of 60pN between same and opposite enantiomer interactions is measured. Additional measurements show spin dependency and fast decay of the interaction term, consistent with spin exchange interactions. This short range enantiospecific interaction term is especially relevant in crowded biological systems. The results shed light on the importance of spin and exchange interactions in biological processes, providing explanation to the discrepancies between past calculations and experiments.
Dentistry Faculty Members’ Lived Experiences of Obstacles in Institutionalizing Performance Assessments to Implement Professional Competency-Based Evaluation: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Bilan Nemat , Moghaddam Saeid Foroughi , Hazrati Hakimeh , Negahdari Ramin
Published: January 2021

Background Evaluation is one of the main components of the learning and teaching process, which indicates the achievement rate of educational goals and also quality of education. The objective of this study was to evaluate dentistry faculty members’ lived experiences of obstacles in institutionalizing performance assessments to implement professional competency-based evaluation as a qualitative study.Methods This study was conducted with a qualitative approach by using a semi-structured interview in a focus group discussion, in which the experiences of clinical dentistry faculty members regarding obstacles of using performance assessments and faculty members’ approaches to conducting professional competency-based evaluation were analyzed. The participants of the study were faculty members of the dentistry and medical education faculties. The purposive sampling technique was used and continued until reaching saturation. Five focus group discussions were conducted with 14 dentistry faculty members and three medical education faculty members. The data was analyzed by using thematic analysis.Results Analysis of interviews yielded 450 codes which were placed in three general categories of “current condition of clinical education”, “obstacles of implementing new evaluation methods”, and “requirements for effective evaluation of clinical skills”.Conclusions Based on the analysis of dentistry faculty members’ responses, creating changes by the faculty members appeared to be necessary. They are in fact moving towards creating changes in traditional evaluation methods. This change of paradigm requires support from the department and provision of infrastructures is deemed necessary. Also, in order to enhance motivation, spiritual support of the active faculty members should be taken into consideration and educational innovation should find its place in the promotion of faculty members.
Dual targeting of FGFR3 and the ERBB receptor family or AXL enhances the efficacy of FGFR inhibitors in FGFR3 fusion-driven bladder cancer
Authors: Lau David , Hodgson-Garms Margeaux , Lavis Austen , Luk Ian , Jenkins Laura , Vukelic Natalia , Ioannidis Paul , Mariadason John , Weickhardt Andrew
Published: January 2021

BackgroundMutations and fusions in Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 (FGFR3) occur in 10-20% of metastatic urothelial carcinomas, and can confer sensitivity to FGFR inhibitors such as BGJ398 and erdafitinib. However, responses to these agents are often short-lived due to the development of acquired resistance. The objective of this study was to identify mechanisms of acquired resistance to FGFR inhibitors in two previously uncharacterized bladder cancer cell lines harbouring FGFR3 fusions, and assess rational combination therapies to enhance their activity. MethodsAcquired resistance to FGFR inhibitors was generated in two FGFR3 fusion harbouring cell lines, SW780 (FGFR3-BAIAP2L1 fusion) and RT4 (FGFR3-TACC3 fusion), by either long-term exposure to increasing concentrations of BGJ398 or sustained exposure to high concentrations of drug. Alterations in levels of key cell signalling regulators was assessed in resistant lines by phospho-RTK arrays and immunoblotting. Synergy between BGJ398 and alternate targeted therapies was explored using cell viability and apoptosis assays.ResultsAcquired resistance to BGJ398 in SW780 and RT4 cells was associated with increased expression of members of ERBB family of receptor tyrosine kinases and pAXL. Combination treatment of resistant cells with an FGFR inhibitor and either a pan-ERBB or an AXL inhibitor overcame this resistance. We also noted rapid reactivation of pERK in parental FGFR3 fusion-driven lines within 4-72 hours of BGJ398 treatment, with concomitant increase in pERBB3. Up-front combination treatment with BGJ398 and the pan-ERBB inhibitor AZD8931 delayed the reactivation of pERK, and induced a synergistic inhibition of cell viability and a concomitant increase in apoptosis.ConclusionsWe identify increased activation of AXL and ERBB family receptors as mechanisms of resistance to FGFR inhibition. Our findings suggest that upfront combination treatment with FGFR and pan-ERBB inhibitors warrants further investigation for FGFR3-fusion harbouring bladder cancers.
Tropical Drivers of Interannual Vegetation Variability in Eastern Africa
Authors: Kim In-Won , Stuecker Malte , Timmermann Axel , Kug Jong-Seong , Park So-Won , Kim Jin-Soo
Published: January 2021

Mechanisms by which tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures influence vegetation in Eastern Africa and which role drought-induced fires play have not been fully explored. Here, we use a suite of idealized Earth system model simulations to elucidate the governing processes for eastern African interannual vegetation changes. Our analysis focuses on Tanzania. In the absence of ENSO-induced sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Tropical Indian Ocean (TIO), El Niño causes during its peak phase negative precipitation anomalies over Tanzania due to a weakening of the tropical-wide Walker circulation and anomalous descending motion over the Indian Ocean and southeastern Africa. Resulting drought conditions increase the occurrence of wildfires, which leads to a marked decrease in vegetation cover. Subsequent wetter La Niña conditions in boreal winter reverse the trend in vegetation, causing a gradual 1-year-long recovery phase. The 2-year-long vegetation response in Tanzania can be explained as a double-integration of the local rainfall anomalies, which originate from the seasonally-modulated ENSO Pacific-SST forcing (Combination mode). In the presence of interannual TIO SST forcing, the southeast African precipitation and vegetation responses to ENSO are muted due to Indian Ocean warming and the resulting anomalous upward motion in the atmosphere.
On-field Phenotypic Evaluation of Sunflower Germplasm: Breeding for Broad-spectrum Resistance to Verticillium Leaf Mottle and Wilt
Authors: Montecchia Juan , Fass Mónica , Cerrudo Ignacio , Quiroz Facundo , Nicosia Salvador , Maringolo Carla , Rienzo Julio Di , Troglia Carolina , Hopp H. , Escande Alberto , González Julio , Álvarez Daniel , Heinz Ruth , Lia Verónica , Paniego Norma
Published: January 2021

Sunflower Verticillium Wilt and Leaf Mottle (SVW), caused by Verticillium dahliae (Kleb.; Vd), is a soil-borne disease affecting sunflower worldwide. A single dominant locus, known as V1, was formerly effective in controlling North-American Vd races, whereas races from Argentina, Europe and an emerging race from USA overcome its resistance. This emphasizes the need for identifying broad-spectrum genetic resistance (BSR) sources. Here we characterize two sunflower Mapping Populations (MPs) for SVW resistance: a biparental MP and the association MP from the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), under field growing conditions. Nine field-trials (FTs) were conducted in highly infested fields in the most SVW-affected region of Argentina. Several disease descriptors (DDs), including incidence and severity, were scored across four phenological stages. Generalized linear models were fitted according to the nature of each variable, adjusting mean phenotypes for inbred lines (IL) across and within FTs. Comparison of these responses allowed the identification of novel BSR sources. Furthermore, we present the first report of SVW resistance heritability, with estimates ranging from 35% to 45% for DDs related to disease incidence and severity, respectively. This study constitutes the largest SVW resistance characterization reported to date in sunflower, identifying valuable genetic resources for BSR-breeding to cope with a pathogen of increasing importance worldwide.