bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discursive Practices of Doctor-Patient Online-Communication (the Case of “Health.mail.ru”)
Authors: Iskanderova L. V.
Published: December 2020

Introduction. Nowadays medical online services are evolving rapidly and become more and more popular. Telemedicine is developed as a part of the Russian government program “The medical system 4P”. However, doctor-patient online communication has rarely been the subject of research in modern sociology. Nevertheless, online-services are valuable resource for researchers to study and analyze information that is difficult to obtain in other ways.

Methodology and sources. The paper is devoted to the research of doctor-patient discursive practices on the internet medical advice forums by the example of “Health.mail.ru”. The general method  of  research  is  critical  discourse  analysis,  based  on the theory and methodology of N. Fairclough, which gives an opportunity to make suggestions about  social practices using text analysis  and  discursive practices analysis. A non-reactive strategy was used in the empirical research. During the research 28 800 messages, which include 14 400 messages from patients and 14 400 messages from doctors, were analyzed. Data analysis was performed in the “R” program.

Results and discussion. As a result, some assumptions about social practices and discursive practices on the online forum were formulated. The main patient’s goal on online forums is avoiding face-to-face interaction with doctors in a hospital. One of doctor’s goals is promoting their services. Interaction is carried out in a form of request from the patient and expert assessment from the doctor in response. Usually, patients send their messages anonymously. Doctors, by contrast, emphasize their identity. It helps them to maintain their image and to legitimate their expertise. Doctor’s and patient’s discourses are using special medical terminology, and they are not interpreting it. It demands from the patients being experts.

Conclusion. Online communication is a new type of doctor-patient communication, which is more democratic, more complementary and more impersonal than face-to-face communication. Usually doctor-patient online communication on the internet medical advice forums does not involve thorough analysis of individual patient’s situation and maintaining sustainable interpersonal relationships.
THE EFFECT OF FIRM VALUE AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE ON EARNINGS MANAGEMENT IN SHARIA ISSUERS: EVIDENCE FROM THE INDONESIA STOCK EXCHANGE
Authors: Muslim Ade Imam
Published: December 2020

Earnings management is still an interesting focus of research from year to year. Research does not only focus on conventionally based entities but also moves to Sharia entities. This study aims to investigate the effect of firm value and financial performance on earning management. From the 20 sharia issuers that were successfully analyzed as samples, we found that, in general, there is no strong evidence that Islamic issuers practice earnings management, this can be seen from the positive average discretionary accruals. Referring to the discussion of the influence of firm value as measured by Tobin’s Q on the practice of earnings management, it was concluded that firm value had a significant effect on earnings management practices. This research has two contributions. Firstly this research is expected to contribute to market-based accounting research. Secondly, this study provides evidence of earnings management practices for Islamic entities.
IMPACT OF LAISSEZ-FAIRE, TRANSACTIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Authors: Rajbanshi Bijendra
Published: December 2020

While the concept of leadership has been extensively explored, there is limited research investigating which leadership style is good for employees to increase their motivation level in the ICT sector. This research explores the impact of Laissez-faire, Transactional and Transformational leadership styles on the motivation of employees in the ICT sector in Nepal in quantitative methods. The survey questionnaire method was chosen for the data collection. Data were collected from 45 employees working in 5 different ICT companies inside the Kathmandu Valley, where they responded about the head of their organization's leadership style and their level of motivation. Convenience sampling was used. This research used multiple linear regression analysis to investigate the impact of Laissez-faire, Transactional and Transformational leadership on employees' motivation level. The result showed that Transformational leadership has a significant impact on the motivation level of employees in ICT sector in Nepal, while the same could not be said in the case of Laissez-faire and Transactional leadership styles.
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT OF INSTAGRAM ON IMPULSE BUYING
Authors: Lestari Fitri
Published: December 2020

Today technology is one of the most important business aspects as a facility that can give a company a competitive advantage by using social media. The high number of social media users makes the business producers use it as a promotion media. Bandung is a city center that offers all kinds of needs; one of them is fashion. The rapid development of fashion’s creative industries is marked by the number of distribution outlets (distro), clothing, and factory outlets (FO) that increase from year to year. This research is conducted to determine the social media content of Instagram used by the Bandung fashion industries and its influence on impulse buying. The method used in this research is descriptive verification. The data collection technique is carried out through a questionnaire and interview. The respondents of this research are 100 consumers of 85 outlets. Based on the hypothesis testing using simple linear regression, it can be stated that the validity (significant) is “there is an influence of social media content of Instagram on impulse buying.”
علاقة واثر التسويق الداخلي في رضا الزبون دراسة استطلاعية لعينة من مديري المصارف الخاصة في بغداد
Authors: Mahdi Ahmed Ghazi , Jathir Saadoun Hammoud
Published: December 2020

بحثت هذه الدراسة تأثير عناصر انشطة التسويق الداخلي على رضا الزبائن من خلال دراسة استطلاعية للخدمات المصرفية في مدينة بغداد, اذا تبلورت مشكلة البحث من خلال طرح مجموعة من التساؤلات اهما(هل توجد علاقة ارتباط وتأثير بين ابعاد التسويق الداخلي ورضا الزبون ,تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تحديد تأثير الاتصالات الداخلية والتدريب و بحوث السوق الداخلية على رضا الزبائن والمتمثل بجودة الخدمة والولاء والحصة السوقية. وجسدت هدف هذه الدراسة بالتعرف على مستوى توافر انشطة وبرامج التسويق الداخلي في المصارف المبحوثة, تم جمع البيانات باستخدام مسح قائم على الاستبانة يتكون من (24) سؤالًا وتم توزيعه على 102)) مديرا من  مدراء المصارف الخاصة في مدينة بغداد. من أجل تحليل البيانات التي تم الحصول عليها من الاستبانات، باستخدام الأساليب الكمية مثل الوسط الحسابي والانحراف المعياري ومعامل الاختلاف ومعامل الارتباط البسيط ونمذجة المعادلة المهيكلة, وتوصل الباحث الى عدد من الاستنتاجات اهمها  وجود علاقات ارتباط وتأثير ذات دلالة معنوية بين التسويق الداخلي وابعاده, ورضا الزبون وابعاده وهذا يؤكد ان المصارف المبحوثة تهتم بأنشطة التسويق الداخلي الثلاثة(الاتصالات الداخلية, التدريب, بحوث السوق الداخلية) والتي ستؤدي بالنتيجة بالوصول الى رضا الزبون. وعليه اوصى البحث بضرورة قيام المصارف المبحوثة بإيعاز على الإدارة تحسين انشطة التسويق الداخلي من خلال تطبيق الانشطة الملائمة لعمل المصرف للحصول على رضا الزبون, واقتصر البحث على المصارف الخاصة لذا لايمكن تعميم النتائج على باقي المنظمات الخدمية ,وان توفير انشطة وبرامج التسويق الداخلي في المصارف المبحوثة يسهم في الوصول الى رضا الزبون, سهم البحث بدعم المسؤولية الاجتماعية للمصارف المبحوثة للزبائن ,وذلك باعتبار الافراد جزء من هذا المجتمع وان اي تأثير عليه يؤثر ذلك على المجتمع ككل.
التلوث البيئي بالنفايات الصــلبة والاساليب المتبعة في ادارتها دراسة حالة في بلدية الرمادي
Authors: Abid Jasem Firas Hamed , Ismaeel Feras Mohammed
Published: December 2020

البحث يهدف الى معرفة تقنية الأساليب الحديثة في الإدارة السليمة والصحيحة للنفايات  والمخلفات الصلبة والتقليل من الصـعوبات التي تواجههـا البلـدان كافـة ،  ومنها يتم تحقيق الإدارة البيئية الامنة. وسبب اختيار الم وضوع هو الأساليب القديمة والتقليدية المستخدمة في جميع م ارحل عملية إدارة النفايات في بلدية الرمادي، لذلك لا بـد مـن التعرف على الاساليب الحديثة المتبعة في الدول المتقدمة في ادا رتها للنفايات غـير أنهـا تـزداد حـدة في المدن المتقدمة لأن اقتصاداتها تنمـو بسرعة، ويستدعي استخدام الأساليب الحديثة بإدارة النفايات جهودا منسقة تبـذلها الوكـالات الدوليـة داخل الحدود المسؤولة عنها،  ويمكن تحديد مشكلة الدارسة في عدم وضوح إجراءات الإدارة البيئية المتبعة في إدارة النفايات والمخلفات الصلبة في بلدية ال رمادي.

تسهم أهمية البحث في توفير قدرة أكبر للقيادات الإدارية والفنية في مديرية بلدية الرمادي لتحديد الوسائل  والاساليب المناسبة لإدارة المخلفات الصلبة ومعالجتها بالطرق الصحيحة والتي تتكون سبب في الحفاظ على البيئة من التلوث،  ولغرض تحقيق أهداف البحث واستكمال متطلباته يتوجب الخوض في الواقع الفعلي لمديرية بلدية الرمادي، والأساليب المتبعة في ادارتها للنفايات الناتجة في المدينة ،  وتضمنت أربع عوامل أساسية وسائل وأساليب معالجة النفايات لتشمل وسائل الخفض من المنبع، ووسائل الجمع والفرز بعد الجمع ووسائل الفرز  واعادة التدوير وست ارجع الطاقة  والتأثيرات الصحية والتأثيرات الاقتصادية  والاجتماعية.

تم الاستعانة بعدد كبير من الدارسات والبحوث العربية والاجنبية ذات الصلة بمتغيرات البحث،  ولغرض تحليل البيانات الإحصائية الخاصة بمتغيرات الدارسة واختبار فرضياتها، تم الاستعانة ببرنامج الاكسيل (Microsoft Office Excel 2013) لغرض توضيح الأشكال البيانية للبيانات الشخصية للمبحوثين. فقد توصلت الدارسة الى عدد من الاستنتاجات ومنها ضعف الوعي البيئي لدى المواطن من ساكني هذه المدينة في استخدام الوسائل الحديثة السليمة بيئياً للتعامل مع النفايات الصلبة المتولدة. افتقار الى المعايير المحددة والمدروسة مسبقا من قبل البلدية في كيفية توزيع أكياس وحاويات النفايات على الاحياء السكنية. المسار العشوائي لأليات جمع النفايات ولم يتم اختيار الطريق المثالي والاقتصادي. لا توجد ندوات أو برامج لزيادة الوعي لدى السكان، لكي يتعرفوا بخطورة التلوث الذي ينتج من النفايات الصلبة. ومن التوصيات لمتطلبات نجاح استخدام الاساليب الحديثة في إدارة النفايات الصلبة يحتاج لتوفر تخصيص الموارد المالية اللازمة والامكانيات البشرية للإدارة الذاتية للنفايات الصلبة .تنمية الوعي البيئي لدى الفرد والمجتمع ، والاهتمام بالدارسات والأبحاث في مجالات إعادة التدوير  واعادة استخدام بعض النفايات المنزلية التي من الممكن استخدامها مره أخرى. وتشمل الوسائل والاساليب المستخدمة في جميع م ارحل إدارة النفايات والمخلفات الصلبة من اللحظة الأولى لتولد النفايات والتقليل منها  واعادة الاستخدام المنزلي ومرحلة الجمع المنزلي والنقل والفرز والتدوير والمعالجة والطمر والتخلص. الحدود المكانية للبحث الحدود الإدارية لعمل مديرية بلدية الرمادي ضمن التصميم الأساسي الخاص بالمدينة، ومجتمع البحث مديرية بلدية الرمادي، وعينة البحث العاملين في شعبة إدارة النفايات والمخلفات الصلبة وشعبة الاليات والمشاريع في بلدية الرمادي.
Escore contínuo de risco metabólico em escolares com diferentes níveis de aptidão cardiorrespiratória
Authors: Marques Kelin Cristina , De Castro Silveira João Francisco , De Borba Sichmeiders Loeticia , De Souza Lonimar , De Mello Elza Daniel , Reuter Cézane Priscila
Published: December 2020

Objetivo: Comparar o escore de risco metabólico em escolares com diferentes níveis de aptidão cardiorrespiratória.

Método: Estudo transversal, retrospectivo, realizado com escolares, no município de Santa Cruz do Sul (Brasil). Foram convidados alunos de 25 escolas públicas e privadas do município, que apresentassem idade entre 7 e 17 anos com termo de autorização assinado pelos pais/responsáveis. A amostra final foi composta por 1250 crianças e adolescentes. Foi realizada coleta de sangue para análise do perfil lipídico. Foi avaliada a pressão arterial, a circunferência da cintura e a aptidão cardiorrespiratória. O escore de risco metabólico foi calculado por meio da soma do escore Z dos seguintes parâmetros: circunferência da cintura, pressão arterial sistólica, triglicerídeos, colesterol total, colesterol LDL e colesterol HDL. Os dados foram expressos de forma contínua, sendo que, quanto maior o valor do escore de risco metabólico, maior o risco metabólico.

Resultados: Observa-se, em ambos os sexos, uma diminuição do escore de risco metabólico com o aumento da aptidão cardiorrespiratória. Dessa forma, escolares no 5º quintil, os quais apresentam maiores níveis de aptidão cardiorrespiratória, possuem menor risco metabólico. Entre os meninos, observou-se diferença significativa entre o 1º quintil com o 2º (p=0.037), 4º (p=0.009) e 5º quintil da aptidão cardiorrespiratória (p<0.001), com uma diferença média de 0.56 para este último. Entre as meninas, o escore de risco metabólico foi significativamente diferente na comparação do 1º quintil da aptidão cardiorrespiratória para o 5ª quintil (p=0.018).

Conclusão: Escolares com baixa aptidão cardiorrespiratória apresentam maior escore de risco metabólico, tanto entre os meninos, quanto nas meninas.
Estudo da assimetria corporal em praticantes de artes marciais através da baropodometria eletrônica
Authors: Monterrosa Quintero Armando , Pereira-Moro Antônio Renato
Published: December 2020

Objetivo: O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar e comparar os resultados das assimetrias, entre atletas de Jiu-jitsu e Muay-thai por médio da baropodometria.

Método: Participaram deste estudo 15 atletas de Muay-thai, idade 29.4±6.3 anos, experiência no esporte 8.5±4.0 anos, massa corporal 77.8±12.5 Kg, altura 178.2±8.6 cm e percentual de gordura corporal 11.2±4.9 e 16 atletas de Jiu-jitsu, idade 32.2±4.5 anos, experiência no esporte 6.3±3.4 anos, massa corporal 80±9.6 kg, altura 176±5.2 cm e percentual de gordura corporal 10.5±2.1. A presente investigação realizou medidas da pressão dos pés numa plataforma Tekscan® versão 5.1, com os indivíduos na posição ortostática. Foram analisados o percentual de força, pico de força e força de pressão plantar. Para analise estatística foi aplicado o T Students para mostras independentes e para medir o nível de significância foi utilizado o Effect Size.

Resultados: Os atletas de ambas modalidades apresentaram valores médios semelhantes na avaliação por baropodometria apresentando diferenças significativas entre lado direito e lado esquerdo, com valores maiores no percentual de força, sendo o maior Effect Size no Muay-thai.

Conclusão: A assimetria bilateral ocorreu entre os dois tipos de lutas, entretanto, com mais ênfase no grupo referente ao grupo Muay-thai, devido possivelmente ao uso constante de golpes com os pés tanto com o pé esquerdo, quanto o direito.
Masquerade of Neoliberal Concepts Revealed: Self-Regulation Skills in Ontario’s Full Day Kindergarten Program
Authors: Sharma Manu
Published: December 2020

This study examines an action research project that included four kindergarten teachers who taught in the first year of the Ontario’s mandated full day kindergarten (FDK) program, which began in September 2016. This action research project focused on the teachers’ concerns about the constant unsafe violence, bullying and disruptive behaviour that characterized their FDK classrooms, which led them to explore self-regulation skills. According to the FDK program developers and school administrators, self-regulation was the key to eliminating such difficult behaviours and actions. However, the findings of the action research study revealed there were many challenges in sustaining and having students understand self-regulation, and there was a disconnect between the theoretical understanding of self-regulation and the practical reality of how self-regulation was used in the classroom. The findings of this action research study bring forth an interesting argument: the practical use of self-regulation in FDK classrooms (un)consciously gives permission to the reach and subsequent impact of neoliberalism in schools.
Ecological risk assessment for the ecosystem of the Caspian shelf on the basis of modeling
Authors: Solovjova Natalia V.
Published: December 2020

Based on ecoscreening models, results of dynamic (ecosystem) modeling and field observations, environmental risk assessments for the Northern Caspian ecosystem were calculated. The proposed method is effective in assessing the risk from the combined action of natural, anthropogenic, and invasive factors in the development of oil resources in offshore waters. Calculations of ecological risk and the acceptable probability of impact for the ecosystem were carried out for three frequency ranges of anthropogenic impacts such as "technical system accidents" during the spring phytoplankton outbreak, taking into account the natural and low illumination of the Northern Caspian water area. The results obtained for spring and summer-autumn maxima of phytoplankton biomass of various durations revealed ranges of practically safe, with a probability of acceptable impact from 80 to 100%, ecosystem conditions, and extremely dangerous, with a probability of acceptable impact less than 5%. The results obtained showed that conclusions about ecosystem vulnerability in conditions of intense anthropogenic pressure are not trivial and that it is necessary first to calculate the environmental risk and then evaluate the acceptable probability of impact. The proposed approach is important for overcoming difficulties in the practical harmonization of environmental and economic requirements for the safe development of shelf resources.
What's wrong with the Kingdom of environmental journals?
Authors: Silkin Vladimir A.
Published: December 2020

The article analyzes the problems in ecological scientific Russian periodicals raised in the book by G.S. Rosenberg et al. “Space of eco-journals (a short guide for masters, postgraduates and others)” (Tolyatti: Anna, 2020. – 156 p.) Analysis of domestic environmental journals shows that they have low international ratings. To change the situation, it is necessary to develop tools to motivate scientists to publish articles in Russian periodicals. In addition, it is necessary to reform and strengthen the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, conduct accelerated training of highly qualified scientific personnel through the expansion of postgraduate studies. The logs themselves should be more flexible and time-appropriate.
INDUSTRIA DE ALOJAMIENTO DEL BARRIO SAN MARCOS: UN ESTUDIO DE CARACTERÍSTICAS E INDICADORES HOTELEROS EN QUITO-ECUADOR
Authors:   Universidad UTE, Quintana Lombeida María Dolores , Díaz Muñoz Gabriel Alejandro ,   Universidad UTE
Published: December 2020

El Barrio San Marcos es parte del Centro Histórico de Quito, es un icono de cultura y patrimonio de la ciudad capital del Ecuador. El Barrio forma parte de una de las dos zonas especiales turísticas ZET de Quito, por lo cual son espacios que guardan importante atractivo histórico, cultural y turístico. Esta investigación surge de la necesidad de contar con las características más actualizadas de un territorio que no prescribe información de carácter bibliográfico y referencias de fuentes primarias por lo cual se ha levantado; datos de huéspedes, de clientes y de los establecimientos que operan en el sector orientados al sector de alojamiento, lo que permitirá evidenciar la viabilidad de información a los principales actores de la industria de alojamiento para la generación de estrategias que mejoren la competitividad de los establecimientos y de la calidad de los servicios de alojamiento enfocados al verdadero nicho de mercado y con las necesidades específicas. Entre los resultados hallados se identificó seis hostales y ocho hoteles donde se destacan que la mayoría de los huéspedes son extranjeros y mantienen una estadía entre uno a tres días y el mayor país del que proceden es desde Estados Unidos.
DeepCSO: A Deep-Learning Network Approach to Predicting Cysteine S-Sulphenylation Sites
Authors: Lyu Xiaru , Li Shuhao , Jiang Chunyang , He Ningning , Chen Zhen , Zou Yang , Li Lei
Published: December 2020

Cysteine S-sulphenylation (CSO), as a novel post-translational modification (PTM), has emerged as a potential mechanism to regulate protein functions and affect signal networks. Because of its functional significance, several prediction approaches have been developed. Nevertheless, they are based on a limited dataset fromHomo sapiensand there is a lack of prediction tools for the CSO sites of other species. Recently, this modification has been investigated at the proteomics scale for a few species and the number of identified CSO sites has significantly increased. Thus, it is essential to explore the characteristics of this modification across different species and construct prediction models with better performances based on the enlarged dataset. In this study, we constructed several classifiers and found that the long short-term memory model with the word-embedding encoding approach, dubbed LSTMWE, performs favorably to the traditional machine-learning models and other deep-learning models across different species, in terms of cross-validation and independent test. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for LSTMWEranged from 0.82 to 0.85 for different organisms, which was superior to the reported CSO predictors. Moreover, we developed the general model based on the integrated data from different species and it showed great universality and effectiveness. We provided the on-line prediction service called DeepCSO that included both species-specific and general models, which is accessible throughhttp://www.bioinfogo.org/DeepCSO.
Ca2+ Dependence of Volume-Regulated VRAC/LRRC8 and TMEM16A Cl– Channels
Authors: Centeio Raquel , Ousingsawat Jiraporn , Schreiber Rainer , Kunzelmann Karl
Published: December 2020

All vertebrate cells activate Cl–currents (ICl,swell) when swollen by hypotonic bath solution. The volume-regulated anion channel VRAC has now been identified as LRRC8/SWELL1. However, apart from VRAC, the Ca2+-activated Cl–channel (CaCC) TMEM16A and the phospholipid scramblase and ion channel TMEM16F were suggested to contribute to cell swelling-activated whole-cell currents. Cell swelling was shown to induce Ca2+release from the endoplasmic reticulum and to cause subsequent Ca2+influx. It is suggested that TMEM16A/F support intracellular Ca2+signaling and thus Ca2+-dependent activation of VRAC. In the present study, we tried to clarify the contribution of TMEM16A to ICl,swell. In HEK293 cells coexpressing LRRC8A and LRRC8C, we found that activation of ICl,swellby hypotonic bath solution (Hypo; 200 mosm/l) was Ca2+dependent. TMEM16A augmented the activation of LRRC8A/C by enhancing swelling-induced local intracellular Ca2+concentrations. In HT29cells, knockdown of endogenous TMEM16A attenuated ICl,swelland changed time-independent swelling-activated currents to VRAC-typical time-dependent currents. Activation of ICl,swellby Hypo was attenuated by blocking receptors for inositol trisphosphate and ryanodine (IP3R; RyR), as well as by inhibiting Ca2+influx. The data suggest that TMEM16A contributes directly to ICl,swellas it is activated through swelling-induced Ca2+increase. As activation of VRAC is shown to be Ca2+-dependent, TMEM16A augments VRAC currents by facilitating Hypo-induced Ca2+increase in submembraneous signaling compartments by means of ER tethering.
Intramolecular Annulation of Gossypol by Laccase to Produce Safe Cottonseed Protein
Authors: Wang Lin , Chen Ming , Luo Xuecai , Fan Yanan , Zheng Zai , He Zongqin , Yin Ruochun , Meng Tao , Xu Shuyang , Pan Yu , Su Jihu , Du Jiangfeng , Zhang Liang , Tian Xiaohe , Tian Yupeng , Chen Dongdong , Ge Honghua , Zhang Nannan , Li Ping
Published: December 2020

The presence of the phenol gossypol has severely limited the utilization of cottonseed meal and oil in the food and animal feed industries. Highly efficient means of biodegradation of gossypol and an understanding of the cytotoxicity of its degradation products remain outside current knowledge and are of universal interest. In this work, we showed for the first time that laccase can catalyze the intramolecular annulation of the aldehyde and hydroxyl groups of gossypol for the o-semiquinone radical and originate the released ·OH radical. It was further found that the oxidation of aldehyde groups significantly decreases reproductive toxicity and hepatotoxicity. These results indicate a novel detoxification pathway for gossypol and reveal the crucial role played by radical species in cyclization. This discovery could facilitate the development of safe, convenient, and low-cost industrial methods for the detoxification of cotton protein and oil resources.
Assessing the Quality of Milk Using a Multicomponent Analytical Platform MicroNIR/Chemometric
Authors: Risoluti Roberta , Gullifa Giuseppina , Materazi Stefano
Published: December 2020

In this work, an innovative screening platform based on MicroNIR and chemometrics is proposed for the on-site and contactless monitoring of the quality of milk using simultaneous multicomponent analysis. The novelty of this completely automated tool consists of a miniaturized NIR spectrometer operating in a wireless mode that allows samples to be processed in a rapid and accurate way and to obtain in a single click a comprehensive characterization of the chemical composition of milk. To optimize the platform, milk specimens with different origins and compositions were considered and prediction models were developed by chemometric analysis of the NIR spectra using Partial Least Square regression algorithms. Once calibrated, the platform was used to predict samples acquired in the market and validation was performed by comparing results of the novel platform with those obtained from the chromatographic analysis. Results demonstrated the ability of the platform to differentiate milk as a function of the distribution of fatty acids, providing a rapid and non-destructive method to assess the quality of milk and to avoid food adulteration.
Differential Induction of the ADAM17 Regulators iRhom1 and 2 in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Babendreyer Aaron , Rojas-González Diana M. , Giese Anja Adelina , Fellendorf Sandra , Düsterhöft Stefan , Mela Petra , Ludwig Andreas
Published: December 2020

Background: Endothelial function significantly depends on the proteolytic release of surface expressed signal molecules, their receptors and adhesion molecules via the metalloproteinase ADAM17. The pseudoproteases iRhom1 and 2 independently function as adapter proteins for ADAM17 and are essential for the maturation, trafficking, and activity regulation of ADAM17. Bioinformatic data confirmed that immune cells predominantly express iRhom2 while endothelial cells preferentially express iRhom1.

Objective: Here, we investigate possible reasons for higher iRhom1 expression and potential inflammatory regulation of iRhom2 in endothelial cells and analyze the consequences for ADAM17 maturation and function.

Methods: Primary endothelial cells were cultured in absence and presence of flow with and without inflammatory cytokines (TNFα and INFγ). Regulation of iRhoms was studied by qPCR, involved signaling pathways were studied with transcriptional inhibitors and consequences were analyzed by assessment of ADAM17 maturation, surface expression and cleavage of the ADAM17 substrate junctional adhesion molecule JAM-A.

Results: Endothelial iRhom1 is profoundly upregulated by physiological shear stress. This is accompanied by a homeostatic phenotype driven by the transcription factor KLF2 which is, however, only partially responsible for regulation of iRhom1. By contrast, iRhom2 is most prominently upregulated by inflammatory cytokines. This correlates with an inflammatory phenotype driven by the transcription factors NFκB and AP-1 of which AP-1 is most relevant for iRhom2 regulation. Finally, shear stress exposure and inflammatory stimulation have independent and no synergistic effects on ADAM17 maturation, surface expression and JAM-A shedding.

Conclusion: Conditions of shear stress and inflammation differentially upregulate iRhom1 and 2 in primary endothelial cells which then results in independent regulation of ADAM17.
Species Sensitivity to Toxic Substances: Evolution, Ecology and Applications
Authors: Spurgeon David , Lahive Elma , Robinson Alex , Short Stephen , Kille Peter
Published: December 2020

Because it is only possible to test chemicals for effects on a restricted range of species and exposure scenarios, ecotoxicologists are faced with a significant challenge of how to translate the measurements in model species into predictions of impacts for the wider range of species in ecosystems. Because of this challenge, within ecotoxicology there is no more fundamental aspect than to understand the nature of the traits that determine sensitivity. To account for the uncertainties of species extrapolations in risk assessment, “safety factors” or species sensitivity distributions are commonly used. While valuable as pragmatic tools, these approaches have no mechanistic grounding. Here we highlight how mechanistic information that is increasingly available for a range of traits can be used to understand and potentially predict species sensitivity to chemicals. We review current knowledge on how toxicokinetic, toxicodynamic, physiological, and ecological traits contribute to differences in sensitivity. We go on to discuss how this information is being used to make predictions of sensitivity using correlative and trait-based approaches, including comparisons of target receptor orthologs. Finally, we discuss how the emerging knowledge and associated tools can be used to enhance theoretical and applied ecotoxicological research through improvements in mechanistic modeling, predictive ecotoxicology, species sensitivity distribution development, mixture toxicity assessment, chemical design, biotechnology application and mechanistically informed monitoring.
Distinguishing Between Nile Tilapia Strains Using a Low-Density Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Panel
Authors: Hamilton Matthew G. , Lind Curtis E. , Barman Benoy K. , Velasco Ravelina R. , Danting Ma. Jodecel C. , Benzie John A. H.
Published: December 2020

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is among the most important finfish in aquaculture, particularly in Asia. Numerous genetically improved strains of Nile tilapia have been developed and disseminated through formal and informal channels to hatcheries, many of which operate at a relatively small scale in developing countries. The primary objective of this study was to assess the extent to which molecular genetic tools can identify different and interrelated strains of Nile tilapia in Bangladesh and the Philippines, two globally significant producers. A tool was developed using a low-density panel of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), genotyping-by-sequencing and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC). When applied to 2,057 samples from 205 hatcheries in Bangladesh and the Philippines, for hatcheries where the hatchery-identified strain was one of the sampled core populations used to develop the tool, hatchery-identified and DAPC-assigned hatchery-level strains were in agreement in 74.1% of cases in Bangladesh and 80.6% of cases in the Philippines. The dominant hatchery-identified and DAPC-assigned strains were GIFT, in Bangladesh, and GET-ExCEL—a composite strain partially derived from GIFT—in the Philippines.
A Distributed Whole Genome Sequencing Benchmark Study
Authors: Corbett Richard D. , Eveleigh Robert , Whitney Joe , Barai Namrata , Bourgey Mathieu , Chuah Eric , Johnson Joanne , Moore Richard A. , Moradin Neda , Mungall Karen L. , Pereira Sergio , Reuter Miriam S. , Thiruvahindrapuram Bhooma , Wintle Richard F. , Ragoussis Jiannis , Strug Lisa J. , Herbrick Jo-Anne , Aziz Naveed , Jones Steven J. M. , Lathrop Mark , Scherer Stephen W. , Staffa Alfredo , Mungall Andrew J.
Published: December 2020

Population sequencing often requires collaboration across a distributed network of sequencing centers for the timely processing of thousands of samples. In such massive efforts, it is important that participating scientists can be confident that the accuracy of the sequence data produced is not affected by which center generates the data. A study was conducted across three established sequencing centers, located in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, constituting Canada’s Genomics Enterprise (www.cgen.ca). Whole genome sequencing was performed at each center, on three genomic DNA replicates from three well-characterized cell lines. Secondary analysis pipelines employed by each site were applied to sequence data from each of the sites, resulting in three datasets for each of four variables (cell line, replicate, sequencing center, and analysis pipeline), for a total of 81 datasets. These datasets were each assessed according to multiple quality metrics including concordance with benchmark variant truth sets to assess consistent quality across all three conditions for each variable. Three-way concordance analysis of variants across conditions for each variable was performed. Our results showed that the variant concordance between datasets differing only by sequencing center was similar to the concordance for datasets differing only by replicate, using the same analysis pipeline. We also showed that the statistically significant differences between datasets result from the analysis pipeline used, which can be unified and updated as new approaches become available. We conclude that genome sequencing projects can rely on the quality and reproducibility of aggregate data generated across a network of distributed sites.
Improved Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Liposomal Astaxanthin on a Phthalic Anhydride-Induced Atopic Dermatitis Model
Authors: Lee Yong Sun , Jeon Seong Hee , Ham Hyeon Joo , Lee Hee Pom , Song Min Jong , Hong Jin Tae
Published: December 2020

Previously, we found that astaxanthin (AST) elicited an anti-inflammatory response in an experimental atopic dermatitis (AD) model. However, the use of AST was limited because of low bioavailability and solubility. We hypothesized that liposome formulation of AST could improve this. In this study, we compared the anti-inflammatory and anti-dermatotic effects of liposomal AST (L-AST) and free AST. We evaluated the effect of L-AST on a phthalic anhydride (PA)-induced animal model of AD by analyzing morphological and histopathological changes. We measured the mRNA levels of AD-related cytokines in skin tissue and immunoglobulin E concentrations in the serum. Oxidative stress and transcriptional activities of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB were analyzed via western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PA-induced dermatitis severity, epidermal thickening, and infiltration of mast cells in skin tissues were ameliorated by L-AST treatment. L-AST suppressed AD-related inflammatory mediators and the inflammation markers, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in PA-induced skin conditions. Oxidative stress and expression of antioxidant proteins, glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx-1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), were recovered by L-AST treatment in skin tissues from PA-induced mice. L-AST treatment reduced transcriptional activity of STAT3 and NF-κB in PA-induced skin tissues. Our results indicate that L-AST could be more effective than free AST for AD therapy.
Osteoporosis in Inflammatory Arthritides: New Perspective on Pathogenesis and Treatment
Authors: Rotta Denise , Fassio Angelo , Rossini Maurizio , Giollo Alessandro , Viapiana Ombretta , Orsolini Giovanni , Bertoldo Eugenia , Gatti Davide , Adami Giovanni
Published: December 2020

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by impaired bone strength and increased risk of fragility fracture and is among the most relevant comorbidities of rheumatic diseases. The purpose of the present review is to discuss the pathogenesis of local and systemic bone involvement in inflammatory arthritides, especially Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Spondyloarthritides, as well as the effect of anti-rheumatic treatments and anti-osteoporotic medication on bone health and fracture incidence, including recent data on novel therapeutic perspective.
Differential Adaptation of Propionibacterium freudenreichii CIRM-BIA129 to Cow’s Milk Versus Soymilk Environments Modulates Its Stress Tolerance and Proteome
Authors: Tarnaud Florian , Gaucher Floriane , do Carmo Fillipe Luiz Rosa , Illikoud Nassima , Jardin Julien , Briard-Bion Valérie , Guyomarc’h Fanny , Gagnaire Valérie , Jan Gwénaël
Published: December 2020

Propionibacterium freudenreichii is a beneficial bacterium that modulates the gut microbiota, motility and inflammation. It is traditionally consumed within various fermented dairy products. Changes to consumer habits in the context of food transition are, however, driving the demand for non-dairy fermented foods, resulting in a considerable development of plant-based fermented products that require greater scientific knowledge. Fermented soymilks, in particular, offer an alternative source of live probiotics. While the adaptation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to such vegetable substrates is well documented, little is known about that of propionibacteria. We therefore investigated the adaptation of Propionibacterium freudenreichii to soymilk by comparison to cow’s milk. P. freudenreichii grew in cow’s milk but not in soymilk, but it did grow in soymilk when co-cultured with the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum. When grown in soymilk ultrafiltrate (SUF, the aqueous phase of soymilk), P. freudenreichii cells appeared thinner and rectangular-shaped, while they were thicker and more rounded in cow’s milk utltrafiltrate (MUF, the aqueous phase of cow milk). The amount of extractable surface proteins (SlpA, SlpB, SlpD, SlpE) was furthermore reduced in SUF, when compared to MUF. This included the SlpB protein, previously shown to modulate adhesion and immunomodulation in P. freudenreichii. Tolerance toward an acid and toward a bile salts challenge were enhanced in SUF. By contrast, tolerance toward an oxidative and a thermal challenge were enhanced in MUF. A whole-cell proteomic approach further identified differential expression of 35 proteins involved in amino acid transport and metabolism (including amino acid dehydrogenase, amino acid transporter), 32 proteins involved in carbohydrate transport and metabolism (including glycosyltransferase, PTS), indicating metabolic adaptation to the substrate. The culture medium also modulated the amount of stress proteins involved in stress remediation: GroEL, OpuCA, CysK, DnaJ, GrpE, in line with the modulation of stress tolerance. Changing the fermented substrate may thus significantly affect the fermentative and probiotic properties of dairy propionibacteria. This needs to be considered when developing new fermented functional foods.
Quantum-Based Creative Generation Method for a Dancing Robot
Authors: Mei Peng , Ding GangYi , Jin QianKun , Zhang FuQuan , Jiao YangFan
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we propose a creative generation process model based on the quantum modeling simulation method. This model is mainly aimed at generating the running trajectory of a dancing robot and the execution plan of the dancing action. First, we used digital twin technology to establish data mapping between the robot and the computer simulation environment to realize intelligent controllability of the robot's trajectory and the dance movements described in this paper. Second, we conducted many experiments and carried out a lot of research into information retrieval, information fidelity, and result evaluation. We constructed a multilevel three-dimensional spatial quantum knowledge map (M-3DQKG) based on the coherence and entangled states of quantum modeling and simulation. Combined with dance videos, we used regions with convolutional neural networks (R-CNNs) to extract character bones and movement features to form a movement library. We used M-3DQKG to quickly retrieve information from the knowledge base, action library, and database, and then the system generated action models through a holistically nested edge detection (HED) network. The system then rendered scenes that matched the actions through generative adversarial networks (GANs). Finally, the scene and dance movements were integrated, and the creative generation process was completed. This paper also proposes the creativity generation coefficient as a means of evaluating the results of the creative process, combined with artificial brain electroenchalographic data to assist in evaluating the degree of agreement between creativity and needs. This paper aims to realize the automation and intelligence of the creative generation process and improve the creative generation effect and usability of dance movements. Experiments show that this paper has significantly improved the efficiency of knowledge retrieval and the accuracy of knowledge acquisition, and can generate unique and practical dance moves. The robot's trajectory is novel and changeable, and can meet the needs of dance performances in different scenes. The creative generation process of dancing robots combined with deep learning and quantum technology is a required field for future development, and could provide a considerable boost to the progress of human society.
Influence of Aging on the Retina and Visual Motion Processing for Optokinetic Responses in Mice
Authors: Sugita Yuko , Yamamoto Haruka , Maeda Yamato , Furukawa Takahisa
Published: December 2020

The decline in visual function due to normal aging impacts various aspects of our daily lives. Previous reports suggest that the aging retina exhibits mislocalization of photoreceptor terminals and reduced amplitudes of scotopic and photopic electroretinogram (ERG) responses in mice. These abnormalities are thought to contribute to age-related visual impairment; however, the extent to which visual function is impaired by aging at the organismal level is unclear. In the present study, we focus on the age-related changes of the optokinetic responses (OKRs) in visual processing. Moreover, we investigated the initial and late phases of the OKRs in young adult (2–3 months old) and aging mice (21–24 months old). The initial phase was evaluated by measuring the open-loop eye velocity of OKRs using sinusoidal grating patterns of various spatial frequencies (SFs) and moving at various temporal frequencies (TFs) for 0.5 s. The aging mice exhibited initial OKRs with a spatiotemporal frequency tuning that was slightly different from those in young adult mice. The late-phase OKRs were investigated by measuring the slow-phase velocity of the optokinetic nystagmus evoked by sinusoidal gratings of various spatiotemporal frequencies moving for 30 s. We found that optimal SF and TF in the normal aging mice are both reduced compared with those in young adult mice. In addition, we measured the OKRs of 4.1G-null (4.1G–/–) mice, in which mislocalization of photoreceptor terminals is observed even at the young adult stage. We found that the late phase OKR was significantly impaired in 4.1G–/– mice, which exhibit significantly reduced SF and TF compared with control mice. These OKR abnormalities observed in 4.1G–/– mice resemble the abnormalities found in normal aging mice. This finding suggests that these mice can be useful mouse models for studying the aging of the retinal tissue and declining visual function. Taken together, the current study demonstrates that normal aging deteriorates to visual motion processing for both the initial and late phases of OKRs. Moreover, it implies that the abnormalities of the visual function in the normal aging mice are at least partly due to mislocalization of photoreceptor synapses.
Genetic Variants Shaping Inter-individual Differences in Response to Dietary Intakes—A Narrative Review of the Case of Vitamins
Authors: Niforou Aikaterini , Konstantinidou Valentini , Naska Androniki
Published: December 2020

Recent advances in the field of nutrigenetics have provided evidence on how genetic variations can impact the individuals' response to dietary intakes. An objective and reliable assessment of dietary exposures should rely on combinations of methodologies including frequency questionnaires, short-term recalls or records, together with biological samples to evaluate markers of intake or status and to identify genetic susceptibilities. In an attempt to present current knowledge on how genetic fingerprints contribute to an individual's nutritional status, we present a review of current literature describing associations between genetic variants and levels of well-established biomarkers of vitamin status in free-living and generally healthy individuals. Based on the outcomes of candidate gene, genome-wide-association studies and meta-analyses thereof, we have identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in the vitamins' metabolic pathways. Polymorphisms in genes encoding proteins involved in vitamin metabolism and transport are reported to have an impact on vitamin D status; while genetic variants of vitamin D receptor were most frequently associated with health outcomes. Genetic variations that can influence vitamin E status include SNPs involved in its uptake and transport, such as in SCAR-B1 gene, and in lipoprotein metabolism. Variants of the genes encoding the sodium-dependent vitamin C transport proteins are greatly associated with the body's status on vitamin C. Regarding the vitamins of the B-complex, special reference is made to the widely studied variant in the MTHFR gene. Methodological attributes of genetic studies that may limit the comparability and interpretability of the findings are also discussed. Our understanding of how genes affect our responses to nutritional triggers will enhance our capacity to evaluate dietary exposure and design personalized nutrition programs to sustain health and prevent disease.
miR-100-5p Downregulates mTOR to Suppress the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Prostate Cancer Cells
Authors: Ye Yun , Li Su-Liang , Wang Jian-Jun
Published: December 2020

Background

Previous studies have shown that miR-100-5p expression is abnormal in prostate cancer. However, the role and regulatory mechanism of miR-100-5p requires further investigation. Thus, the aim of this study was to observe the effects of miR-100-5p on the proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate cancer (PCa) cells and to explore the potential related regulatory mechanism.

Materials and Methods

Differential miRNA expression analysis was performed using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in the patients with PCa and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The expression levels of miR-100-5p were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). PCa cells were transfected with NC-mimics or miR-100-5p mimics, inhibitor by using liposome transfection. Moreover, the CCK-8 proliferation assay, colony formation assay, cell scratch assay and Transwell assay were used to detect the effects of miR-100-5p on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, the target gene of miR-100-5p was verified by luciferase reporter gene assay, and the influence of miR-100-5p on the expression of mTOR mRNA by qRT-PCR and the expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein was detected by western blot and immunohistochemical staining.

Results

Differential expression analysis of high-throughput sequencing data showed low expression of miR-100-5p in the patients of PCa. It was further confirmed by qRT-PCR that the expression of miR-100-5p in PCa cells was significantly lower than that in RWPE-1 cells (P<0.01). miR-100-5p expression in lymph node carcinoma of prostate(LNCaP) cells was markedly upregulated after transfection with miR-100-5p mimics (P<0.01), while cell proliferation, migration and invasion capacities were clearly reduced (P<0.01). mTOR mRNA and protein expression was also substantially lowered (P<0.01) and mTOR adjusted the expression of NOX4. Finally, we further confirmed by immunohistochemical staining that miR-100-5p regulated the expression of mTOR and NOX4.

Conclusion

miR-100-5p is expressed at low levels in PCa cells, and it can suppress PCa cell proliferation, migration and invasion, the mechanism of which is related to downregulating the expression of mTOR.