bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creation of a Self-Powered, Real-Time Sensor for Therapeutics in Blood: from Protein Engineering to Electronic Integration
Authors: Ajo-Franklin Caroline , Cai Rong , Ngwadom Chiagoziem , Saxena Ravindra , Soman Jayashree , Bruggeman Chase , Hickey David , Verduzco Rafael
Published: July 2023

Precision medicine is expected to revolutionize healthcare by prioritizing accuracy and efficacy over the traditional "one-fits-all" approach. Point-of-care (POC) sensors, which are low-cost and user-friendly, play a crucial role in driving this trend by providing quick results for individuals. Modeled after the 5G network, we conceptualized an innovative approach for transmitting biomolecular signals - encoding biomolecular binding by modulating the electrical signal from glucose oxidation. We implement this concept by engineering a hybrid protein that incorporates a biomarker binding domain within a glucose oxidoreductase. By constructing an effective bioelectrochemical interface, we could detect 4-hydroxytamoxifen, an estrogen antagonist, in human blood samples, as real-time changes in the electrical signal. Moreover, our design uses blood glucose to power this real-time sensor and an additional transistor, which yields a self-powered prototype with high signal-to-noise. We foresee this novel approach transforming the conventional glucometer into a therapeutic biosensor with add-in functions.
Cardiovascular Disease Pathogenicity Predictor (CVD-PP): A tissue-specific tool for discriminating pathogenicity cardiovascular disease gene variants
Authors: Shah Svati , Ramaker Megan , Abdulrahim Jawan , Corey Kristin , Ramaker Ryne , Kwee Lydia , Kraus William
Published: July 2023

Introduction.
The interpretation of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) remains a challenge in the care of patients with established or familial cardiovascular diseases. 56% of potential variants within known cardiovascular risk genes are characterized as VUS and unbiased machine learning algorithms trained upon large data resources can stratify VUS into higher vs. lower probability of contributing to a cardiovascular disease phenotype.
Methods.
ClinVar pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) and benign or likely benign (B/LB) from 47 genes previously associated with monogenic cardiovascular diseases (MCVDs) were identified. A random forest model was trained using six-fold cross validation on these variants to build a predictive model of variant pathogenicity using measures of evolutionary constraint, deleteriousness, splicogenicity, local pathogenic variation, cardiac-specific exon expression, and population allele frequency. Predicted pathogenicity was computed as a linear outcome coupled with a naïve Bayes classifier to determine an optimal cut-off to distinguish VUS of pathogenic interest versus VUS with low likelihood of pathogenicity. Performance of our model was validated using variants for which ClinVar pathogenicity assignment changed between 2014 to 2022. As a proof-of-concept we demonstrated the utility of our model in the (CATHeterization GENetics [CATHGEN]) cohort.
Results.
Random forest identified a top-ranked model using ClinVar known P/LP and B/LB variants that weighted evolutionary constraint (CADD score) most heavily. The model accurately prioritized variants for which ClinVar clinical significance had changed from 2014 to 2022 (precision recall AUC = 0.97) and had equal or greater performance when compared to conventional in-silico methods for predicting variant pathogenicity. In the CATHGEN cohort, there was a higher burden of VUS of pathogenic interest in individuals with DCM as compared to controls without DCM (p = 8.2x10− 15). Individuals in CATHGEN who harbored model predicted and ACMG/AMP reviewed pathogenic VUSs demonstrated that 27.6% had clinical evidence of the relevant disease. Lastly, variant prioritization using this model provided genetic diagnosis in 11.9% of CATHGEN patients diagnosed with HCM clinically who did not harbor a HCM genetic P/LP variant by initial ACMG/AMP review.
Conclusion.
We have developed a cardiac-specific model for prioritizing variants underlying familial cardiovascular disease syndromes. CVD-PP proves to have high performance in discriminating pathogenicity of VUS in MCVD genes. ACMG/AMP review and phenotyping of individuals carrying VUS of pathogenic interest in a large cardiovascular cohort support the clinical utility of this model.
Genetic Diversity and Genome-Wide Association Study for some agronomic traits in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) Using whole genome DArTseq Markers
Authors: Ebrahimi Peyman , Karami Ezzat , Etminan Alireza , Talebi Reza , Mohammadi Reza
Published: July 2023

This research was conducted to study genetic diversity, population structure, linkage disequilibrium, and marker-trait relationship in durum wheat using DArTseq technology. Therefore, 94 durum wheat genotypes were evaluated in the form of augmented design (augment) with six repeated controls during the two cropping years, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Some Agronomic traits including the number of days to spike emergence, number of days to physiological maturity, plant height, thousand kernel weight, and grain yield were measured and recorded. The DNA samples were processed for DArTseq genotyping, using the Genotyping by Sequencing (GBS) platform at Diversity Array Technology Pty, Ltd, Australia. The values of polymorphism information content (PIC) of SilicoDArT markers varied from 0.023 to 0.499 with an average of 0.38. The average repeatability and readability of the sequences in all linkage groups were above 0.98 and 0.92, respectively. The number of mapped SilicoDArT markers varied from 300 markers in the linkage group (Chr1A) to 853 markers in the linkage group (Chr7B). The chromosome size covered by SilicoDArT markers ranged from 829200.1 kbp in the linkage group (Chr3B) to 589293.79 kbp in the linkage group (Chr1A). The studied durum wheat genotypes were grouped into four separate groups based on the Bayesian model. The four subpopulations showed a relatively high genetic diversity, which was variable, ranging from 0.02 in the subpopulation (POP4) to 0.34 in the subpopulation (POP3). LD analysis between A and B genomes showed that there is a high number of significant marker pairs (82052) in the B genome compared to the A genome (68885). In general, during two cropping years, 29 markers related to the studied traits were found, and out of these 29 related markers, 19 markers were identified in the first year and 10 markers were identified in the second year. The results revealed that the DArTseq markers are a very powerful tool for evaluating the genetic diversity and population structure of durum wheat genotypes and can be used in genotype screening as breeding parents and marker-assisted selection in breeding programs.
SMYD3: a new regulator of the early steps of adipocyte differentiation
Authors: Gilardi Federica , Sajic Tatjana , Gasser Marie , Caputo Tiziana , Bararpour Nasim , Augsburger Marc , Walter Nadia , Hainard Alexander , Fracasso Tony , Thomas Aurelien
Published: July 2023

Background In obesity, adipose tissue undergoes a remodeling process characterized by increased adipocyte size (hypertrophia) and number (hyperplasia). The individual ability to tip the balance toward the hyperplastic growth, with recruitment of new fat cells through adipogenesis, seems to be critical for a healthy adipose tissue expansion, as opposed to the development of inflammation and detrimental metabolic consequences. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this fine-tuned regulation are far from being understood.
Methods We analyzed by mass spectrometry-based proteomics visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT) samples collected from C57BL6 mice fed with a HFD for 8 weeks. A subset of these mice, called low inflammation (Low-INFL), showed a low susceptibility to the onset of adipose tissue inflammation, as opposed to those developing the expected inflammatory response (Hi-INFL). We identified the discriminants between Low-INFL and Hi-INFL vWAT samples and explored their function in Adipose Derived human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (AD-hMSCs) differentiated to adipocytes.
Results We quantified 6051 proteins. Among the candidates that most differentiate Low-INFL from Hi-INFL vWAT, we found proteins involved in adipocyte function, including adiponectin and hormone sensitive lipase, suggesting that adipocyte differentiation is enhanced in Low-INFL, as compared to Hi-INFL. The chromatin modifier SET and MYND Domain Containing 3 (SMYD3), whose function in adipose tissue was so far unknown, was another top-scored hit. SMYD3 expression was significantly higher in Low-INFL vWAT, as confirmed by western blot analysis. In vitro, we found that SMYD3 mRNA and protein levels decrease rapidly along the differentiation process of AD-hMSCs. Moreover, SMYD3 knock-down at the beginning of adipocyte differentiation resulted in reduced cell proliferation and, at longer term, reduced lipid accumulation in adipocytes.
Conclusions Our study describes an important role for SMYD3 as a newly discovered regulator of adipocyte proliferation during the early steps of adipogenesis.
Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio reflects tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, tumor associated macrophages and independently predicts poor outcome in breast cancers with neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Li Joshua , Ni Shelly Y. B. , Tsang Julia Y. S. , Chan Wai Yin , Hung Ray K. W. , Lui Joshua W. H. , Ng Sally W. Y. , Shum Leong Kwong , Tang Ying Fei , Tse Gary M.
Published: July 2023

Introduction
The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a systemic reflection of cancer-associated inflammation and a prognostic marker for breast cancer. For the local tumor microenvironment, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are also highly correlated with breast cancer survival. This study aims to explore the relationship between the circulating and local immune microenvironment, and to further delineate the prognostic role of NLR in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).
Methods
A cohort of breast cancer patients receiving NAC with subsequent was retrieved. Clinical data were reviewed. Histologic slides and CD8 immunohistochemistry from biopsy (pre-chemotherapy) and excision (post-chemotherapy) specimens were assessed for TILs and TAMs.
Results
Totally 146 patients were included. There was significant positive correlation between pre-chemotherapy and post-surgery NLR at a cutoff of 2.6 (median pre-chemotherapy NLR) (p<.001). NLR pre-chemotherapy was associated positively with necrosis on biopsy (p=.027) and excision (p=.021) and TAMs on excision (p=.049). NLR one-year post-surgery was associated with high tumor stage (p=.050) and low histologic grade (p=.008). TIL count was lower in NLR-high cases at nearly all time points, by histologic assessment and CD8 immunostaining (p<.050). In multivariate analysis, post-surgery NLR is an independent predictor for overall survival (OS) (HR=9.524, p<.001), breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) (HR=10.059, p=.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR=2.824, p=.016).
Conclusion
The association between NLR with tumor necrosis, TAM and TIL illustrates an interaction between the circulating and local immune microenvironment. Late NLR is a strong indicator of outcome and may be useful for prognostication and disease monitoring.
An atypical presentation of Retain Product of Conception in the Cervix
Authors: Livani Somayeh , Fatemi Alireza , Jahanshahi Moghadese
Published: July 2023

Background: Retained product of conception (RPOC) occurs when fragments of the placenta or decidual tissues are retained in the uterus, often leading to postpartum hemorrhage. Early and accurate diagnosis, aided by ultrasonography, is essential for appropriate management and prevention of complications.
Case presentation: We reported a case of a 22 years old woman admitted to our tertiary medical department with irregular vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain and no past medical history. Her abdominal ultrasonography revealed a normal-sized uterus and homogenous myometrial echogenicity. an heterogenous echogenic mass containing considerable vascularity and feeding vessels from the endometrial cavity was observed in the cervix. Additionally, the patient’s beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (Beta-HCG) concentration was positive despite her claiming to be a virgin. Subsequently, the patient underwent hysteroscopy, and the infected and malodorous lesion was removed from the uterus with the diagnosis of RPOC. In the follow up she had no complications.
Conclusion: Assuming the expected location of RPOC, which is in the endometrial cavity, no case of RPOC in the cervix has been reported heretofore. The purpose of this study is to report our experience in considering the differential diagnosis of RPOC as a cervical lesions and the importance of ultrasonography in early pregnancy.
Amyloid-beta peptides trigger premature functional and gene expression alterations in human-induced neurons
Authors: de Farias Ana Raquel Melo , Pelletier Alexandre , Iohan Lukas da Cruz Carvalho , Saha Orthis , Bonnefond Amelie , Amouyel Philippe , Delahaye Fabien , Lambert Jean-Charles , Costa Marcos R.
Published: July 2023

Background
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia in the elderly, characterized by the presence of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, neuroinflammation, synapse loss and neurodegeneration in the brain. The amyloid cascade hypothesis postulates that deposition of Aβ peptides is the causative agent of AD pathology, but we still lack comprehensive understanding about the molecular mechanisms connecting Aβ peptides to neuronal dysfunctions in AD. In this work, we investigated the early effects of Aβ peptides accumulation on the functional properties and gene expression profiles of human-induced neurons (hiNs).
Methods
We exposed 6-weeks-old hiNs to low concentrations of cell-secreted Aβ oligomers or synthetic Aβ and performed time-lapse time microscopy to detect fast calcium transients as an indirect readout of neuronal electrical function. Next, we used single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to probe early Aβ-mediated gene expression alterations in hiNs and human-induced astrocytes (hiAs). Lastly, we leveraged snRNA-seq data to identify patterns of intercellular communication modulated by Aβ oligomers.
Results
We show that hiNs acutely exposed to low concentrations of both cell-secreted Aβ peptides or synthetic Aβ1−42 exhibit alterations in the frequency of calcium transients suggestive of increased neuronal excitability. We also show that cell-secreted Aβ up-regulates the expression of several synaptic-related genes and down-regulates the expression of genes associated with metabolic stress mainly in glutamatergic neurons and to a lesser degree in GABAergic neurons and astrocytes. These neuronal alterations correlate with activation of SEMA5, EPHA and NECTIN signaling pathways, which are important regulators of synaptic plasticity.
Conclusions
Our findings indicate that slight elevations in Aβ concentrations are sufficient to elicit transcriptional changes in human neurons with long lasting consequences to neural network activity and suggest that at least part of the effects of Aβ on synapses might be mediated by semaphorin, ephrin and nectin signaling pathways.
ATR-Dependent Activation of S-Phase Checkpoint: The Influence of Replication Stress Severity and Duration on Cdc6 Mediation
Authors: Musiałek Marcelina W. , Rybaczek Dorota
Published: July 2023

The CDC6 protein is well-known to facilitate replication origin activation in eukaryotic cells. The Cdc6 protein is part of the pre-replication complex, which initiates DNA replication by binding to specific sites on the genome called origins of replication. In doing so, it helps recruit other proteins that are required for DNA synthesis. It is also an important factor in response to replication stress, where it has been shown to physically interact with ATR in order to activate the S-phase checkpoint response. The ATR, though, can also activate the S-phase checkpoint without interacting with Cdc6. Up to this day, the Cdc6-ATR binding was thought occur where there is a low level of replication stress. Here we show that it can also occur when high levels of replication stress persist for long time. Our research shows that in root meristem cells of V. faba, subjected to long-term replication stress (24–32 hours) induced by hydroxyurea, some DNA damage sites express ATR activity through binding with Cdc6. We conclude that the Cdc6-ATR cooperation may not only depend on the dose of the stressor but also on the longitude of the treatment.
Quality of Life of Colorectal Cancer patients and its association with Anxiety and Depression: Cross sectional study at a tertiary care hospital in low-middle income country
Authors: Siddiqui Muhammad Tayyab , Shaukat Fatima , Khan Muhammad Rizwan , Zahid Nida , Shahzad Shumaila
Published: July 2023

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) and its therapy have an enormous impact on the health related quality of life (QoL) of cancer patients. The emotional distress like anxiety & depression also negatively affect wellbeing of such patients. This study aims to evaluate the QoL, anxiety & depression in CRC patients and their association with clinic-pathological features at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi Pakistan, a low middle income country (LMIC).
Methods: An analytical cross sectional study was conducted on adult patients with CRC presenting to Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, QoL questionnaire C30 and CR29 were used to assess the QoL; while Hospital Anxiety & Depression Score (HADS) was utilized to evaluate the anxiety and depression. Data were analyzed using STATA version 12. Multivariable linear and MANOVA were performed to analyze the correlation between independent factors and the global QoL as well as the item specific QoL scores, respectively. A p value of <0.05 was considered as significant.
Results: A total of 127 CRC patients were included in this study with a mean age of 53±15 years. Majority were male (70%), married (83.5%), and living in combined family system (52.7%). Mean Global QoL score in our patients was 69.08±1.78. Among symptoms scales, stoma care problem, dry mouth and urinary frequency were 3 worst symptoms respectively. Among functional scales, sexual interest (women > men) was the most significantly affected aspect. Anxiety and Depression were seen in 26 (20.9%) and 24 (18.9%) patients, respectively. On multivariable linear regression adjusted for covariates, lower global QoL was significantly associated with depression (Adjusted Beta Coefficient: -25.33 [95% Confidence Interval: −34.4, −16.23]), patients on adjuvant treatment (−15.14 [−21.84, −8.44]), and those who received neo adjuvant treatment (-11.75 [-19.84, -3.65]).
Conclusions: This is the first study to assess the QoL in CRC patients in Pakistan. Depression was found to be significantly associated with poor quality of life. Numerous factors were identified which correlated with QoL indicating the need to develop local guidelines to help our patients cope with the psychological distress.
High-performance Intrusion Detection Systemusing eBPF with Machine Learning algorithms
Authors: ANAND NEMALIKANTI , A SAIFULLA M , Aakula Pavan Kumar
Published: July 2023

Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed DoS (DDoS) attacks are standard prob-lems organizations that rely on network services face. Detecting these attackspromptly and accurately is crucial to mitigating the damage caused. This paperproposes an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) that utilizes the extended Berke-ley Packet Filter (eBPF) with machine learning algorithms, namely Decision Tree(DT), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and TwinSVM.eBPF is a bytecode-based virtual machine that runs programs without modifyingthe kernel source code. It can implement various services, such as observabil-ity, security, and networking. Socket filters are an eBPF program attached tothe socket in the Linux kernel that allows for efficient filtering and manip-ulation of network packets at the socket after packets are received from thenetwork stack. Packets that are filtered at the socket level before enteringthe user space. The steps involved in the proposed model are: a) collectingdata from famous repository, CIC-IDS-2017. b) Once the raw data is obtained,it undergoes preprocessing, which includes data transmission, cleaning, reduc-tion, and discretization. c) Following the preprocessing step, an ANOVA F-testextracts specific features from the preprocessed data. d) Lastly, the extractedfeatures are analyzed for intrusion detection using various ML algorithms:DT, RF, SVM, and TwinSVM. e) The eBPF program captures network traf-fic and utilizes trained model parameters to detect attacks within the kernel.Our experimental results show that the accuracy of our proposed ML algo-rithms, DT, RF, SVM, and TwinSVM, outperforms the existing related work:99.38, 99.44, 88.73, and 93.82, respectively. The experimental code available inhttps://github.com/NemalikantiAnand/Project.git
Biocontrol Management Practises of Fusarium wilt of Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) Caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lini and its morphological studies
Authors: Raghuvanshi Himendra Raj
Published: July 2023

The experiment was carried out in a wirehouse at the Department of Plant Pathology at the C.S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The experiment used an RBD design On eleven cultivars out of eleven cultivars (Jeevan, Shweta, Parvati, Surbhi, Shekhar, NDL-2004-05, Kiran, RLC-92, Indira Alsi, Dipika and Chambal) tested, minimum percentage of wilting was recorded in cultivar RLC-92 (6.64 per cent) followed by Jeevan (8.85 per cent) and Indira Alsi (9.70 per cent), respectively but all were at par statistically, with 13 treatments, by reducing plant wilting, all treatments were found to be noticeably better than the control (untreated) at reducing disease severity, among all treatments minimum per cent wilting with maximum disease control was recorded with treatment T4 [seed treatment (5g/kg seed) + soil treatment with Trichoderma harzianum (10g/kg soil)] followed by T 2 [(5 g /kg seed) + soil treatments with Trichoderma viride (10 g/soil)] (19.46 per cent) and T12 [seed and soil treatment with carbendazin (0.2 per cent)] (23.50 per cent), respectively under pot culture condition
Studie zu klinischen Langzeitbewährung von Galvano-Konusprothesen im Oberkiefer mit keramischen Primärteilen
Authors:   , Bauer Dorothea
Published: July 2023

Ziel: Ziel dieser Studie war es die Verweildauerraten, sowie die komplikationslosen Verweil-dauerraten von rein zahn, rein implantat und kombiniert zahn-implantatgetragenen Galvano-Konusprothesen auf keramischen Primärteilen im Oberkiefer zu untersuchen. Zusätzlich wurden durchgeführte Reparaturen, sowie die Patientenzufriedenheit ausgewertet. Methode: 83 Patienten, welche im Zeitraum von 1999-2012 am ZZMK eine Galvano-Konusprothese im Oberkiefer erhalten haben wurden retrospektiv nachuntersucht. Die Patientenzufriedenheit wurde anhand eines Fragebogens erhoben, welcher mittels 22 Fragen die Bereiche „Ästhetik“, „Prothesenhalt-bzw. funktion“ und die „Reinigungsmöglichkeit der Prothese“ aus Patientensicht evaluiert. Als Zielereignis der Kaplan-Meier Verweildaueranalyse wurde die erste Reparatur, das Versagen der Prothese, sowie der Pfeiler- bzw. der Implantatverlust definiert. Reparatur- und Nachsorgemaßnahmen wurden deskriptiv erhoben. Ergebnisse: Es konnten 83 Prothesen und 477 Pfeiler nachuntersucht werden. Der mittlere Beobachtungszeitraum betrug 3,9 Jahre. Die 3- ,5- und 10- Jahres Verweildauerraten der Prothesen lagen bei 98,2%, 95,5% bzw. 70,7%. Die konstruktionsbezogene Pfeilerüberlebensrate bis zum ersten Pfeilerzahnverlust betrug 98,2% nach 3 Jahren, 92,9% nach 5 Jahren und 29,2% nach 10 Jahren. Die häufigste Ursache eines Versagens war der Mehrfachverlust von Pfeilern (n=5). Eine Prothese versagte aufgrund eines Gerüstbruchs (n=1). Es konnte keine signifikanten Unterschiede in der Verweildauerrate bis zum Prothesenverlust, sowie in der komplikationslosen Verweildauerrate zwischen rein zahn, rein implantat und kombiniert zahn-implantagetragenen Prothesen festgestellt werden. Zu den häufigsten Reparaturen zählten Erweiterungen nach Pfeilerverlusten, Verblendreparaturen, Dezementierungen der Primärkronen und Frakturen von Prothesenzähnen. Die häufigste Nachsorgemaßnahme war die Druckstellenentfernung. Die Patientenzufriedenheit mit der Galvano-Konusprothese erwies sich als sehr hoch. Die Ästhetik, der Prothesenhalt und die Reinigungsmöglichkeit des Zahnersatzes wurden unabhängig der Verankerungsart durchgängig positiv bewertet. Schlussfolgerung: Die Galvano-Konusprothese hat sich als hochwertiger herausnehmbarer Zahnersatz bewährt, welcher hohe Verweildauerraten aufweist und dessen Reparaturanfälligkeit vergleichbar mit anderen Doppelkronenversorgungen ist.
The impact of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 on the microcirculation of the eye
Authors: Markelova O. I. , Petrov S. Yu. , Okhotsimskaya T. D.
Published: July 2023

The challenge of the coronavirus pandemic, and the research into the mechanism of development of the symptom complex that appears in patients who had COVID-19 (post-COVID syndrome), is a topical issue of modern medicine. Obviously, as the incidence of COVID increases, the number of patients suffering from the post-COVID syndrome increases, too. According to recent estimates, 10 to 20 % of patients who have experienced an acute symptomatic phase of SARS-CoV-2 suffer from the effects of the disease over 12 weeks from the primary diagnosis. COVID-19 has been shown to have a variety of long-term effects on virtually all body systems, including the eye. The ocular surface can serve as a gateway for the virus to enter the body, so that patients experience nonspecific changes in the conjunctiva, cornea, retina, and eye vessels. Thus, the issues of diagnosis and treatment of the COVID-19 infection itself and, notably, its complications and conditions that have arisen and continue after the disease, are of essential research and clinical interest. SARS-CoV-2 has a negative impact on the state of the vascular wall and contributes to the development of hypercoagulable conditions, which increases the risk of thrombosis and possible complications in the cardiovascular system. The review summarizes the analyses of eye vessels blood flow in patients who have undergone COVID-19.
The use of combined interferon alpha-2b-based medicine in the complex treatment of herpetic keratitis in patients after coronavirus infection
Authors: Surov A. V. , Medvedeva M. V. , Sagirova S. F. , Konstantinova T. N. , Gabatova L. V. , Moroz O. G.
Published: July 2023

Purpose: to assess the effectiveness of the combined interferon alpha-2b-based medicine (Ophtalmoferon, eye drops) in the complex treatment of herpetic keratitis in patients who had coronavirus infection caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Materials and methods. The study group included 53 people aged 18 to 74 years (mean age 46.0 ± 7.8 years) with the following complaints: decreased vision, redness, eye pain, lacrimation, photophobia and foreign body sensation under the eyelid. Criteria for selection and inclusion of patients were: typical for herpetic keratitis corneal infiltrates detected by biomicroscopy; herpetic infection detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in the affected eye corneal scrape; a medical history of the novel coronavirus infection confirmed by PCR. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 32) received complex treatment with the combined interferon alpha-2b-based medicine (Ophtalmoferon®, eye drops) at early stages of the disease (from the 1st to 7th day after the first complaints). Group 2 (n = 21) received complex treatment with Ophtalmoferon® at later stages (from the 14th day of the first complaints). The effectiveness and tolerability of Ophtalmoferon were assessed during the dynamic monitoring of the patients.

Results. A positive trend was noted in 79.2 % (n = 42) of all patients who received Ophtalmoferon for the complex treatment of herpetic keratitis: a gradual improvement in visual acuity, reduction or disappearance of photophobia, lacrimation and eye pain. In 20.8 % (n = 11) of all cases, mostly related to the late start of etiological therapy, the treatment effectiveness was lower, the disease lasted longer and was accompanied by the involvement of the choroid, the development of more severe opacities in the place of corneal infiltrates. Due to later start of etiotropic therapy the inflammatory process affected deeper layers of the cornea up to the development of corneal ulcer with perforation, which required surgical intervention.

Conclusion. The etiotropic treatment of herpetic keratitis in patients after COVID-19, if started in the first days of the disease, can quickly stop the inflammatory process and prevent its spread to deeper layers of the cornea. Ophtalmoferon is a highly effective medicine for etiotropic treatment of keratitis caused by herpesviruses. Due to high patient compliance, Ophtalmoferon can be recommended for wide use in the complex therapy of herpetic keratitis.
KÜRESELLEŞME, YERELLEŞME VE YÖNETİŞİM PERSPEKTİFİNDEN BÖLGESEL KALKINMA AJANSLARI
Authors: BADEM Hakan
Published: July 2023

Küreselleşme ile birlikte daha da belirginleşen bölgeler arası gelişmişlik farklılıkları sosyoekonomik, politik ve kültürel birçok olumsuz yansımayı da beraberinde getiren ülkelerin karşı karşıya kaldıkları en önemli sorunlardan biridir. Bu nedenle dünyadaki tüm ülkeleri tehdit eden bölgesel gelişmişlik eşitsizliklerinin azaltılması ülkelerin öncelikli hedeflerinden biri hâline gelmiştir. Bu durum, yerel dinamiklere odaklanan yeni bir yapılanmaya olan ihtiyacı ortaya çıkarmış ve bunun sonucunda kalkınma ajansları gündeme gelmiştir. Bölgesel kalkınma ajansları ilk olarak Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nde ortaya çıkmış, İkinci Dünya Savaşı’ndan sonra Avrupa’da yaygınlaşmış ve Türkiye’de Avrupa Birliği’ne katılım süreci ile birlikte ön plana çıkmıştır. Yönetişimin temeli, kamu-özel sektör-sivil toplum kuruluşlarının dayanışması ve işbirliğidir. Bu da yönetişimin çok aktörlü bir yönetime odaklandığını göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda bölgesel ölçekte uygulanacak politika ve uygulamaların başarısı, kalkınma ajansları ile yerel aktörler arasındaki iş birliği ve dayanışmaya bağlıdır. Dolayısıyla bu çalışma, bölgesel yönetişim anlayışının önemli aktörlerinden biri olan kalkınma ajanslarının oluşumunu, gelişimini ve etkinliğini küreselleşme ile birlikte önemi artan yerelleşme ve yönetişim perspektifinden açıklamayı hedeflemiştir.
Use of High-Efficiency Lignocellulose-Based Materials for Toxic Ions Removal: Impact of Surface Chemistry and Mathematical Modeling
Authors: Melo Diego , Amorim Lucas , Oliveira Juliene , da Cunha Junior João , de Oliveira André , de Oliveira André , Vidal Carla , do Nascimento Ronaldo
Published: July 2023

Low-cost adsorbents promote the valorization of locally sourced waste materials and are still a significant challenge for removing toxic metal ions from industrial effluents. In this sense, Castor (Ricinus communis L.) stalks (CS) were activated with an alkaline solution and tested as an adsorbent to remove nickel, copper, cadmium, and lead ions. A 24-1 factorial design was carried out and showed a correlation and influence of the variables, such as pH, adsorbent mass, agitation rate, and initial concentration in the adsorption process. The adsorbents in their natural, activated, and saturated states were characterized. After activation, X-ray diffraction results revealed a change from cellulose I to cellulose II. The X-ray fluorescence showed that the ion exchange adsorption mechanism occurred. For the kinetic adsorption studies, the equilibrium time was reached up to 15 min. Different isotherm models described the adsorption process, with the Sips model providing the best fit to the experimental data. Five cycles of sorption/desorption using 0.1 mol L-1 HCl elution were carried out with a minimal loss in sorption capacity and physical degradation. Nickel and copper ions exhibited the lowest desorption rates. Due to their efficiency, CS can be a promising and low-cost alternative for removing metal ions.
Education to Reduce Food Waste through Bye Waste Social Business
Authors: Elzagi Verliana , Putra Edy Yulianto , Febiana Anjela Rini , Yeronica Fernanda , Eviyani Estin Rose , Risvi Hellena , Melissa Melissa
Published: July 2023

The issue of food waste is very important as it affects various aspects of human life and the surrounding environment. Business ideas on food waste management are important to help people maintain cleanliness and environmental sustainability. Therefore, an e-booklet business idea with the title "Bye Waste" can be an effective solution for providing such business ideas. The "Bye Waste" e-booklet will contain information on how to manage food waste generated every day. In the e-booklet, it will explain the types of food waste, how to sort and process food waste, and how to use it as organic fertilizer. The "Bye Waste" e-booklet will be sold at an affordable price so that people can easily access it. In order to expand its reach, this e-booklet will be marketed through online platforms such as websites or social media.
Pengaruh Karakteristik Wirausaha dan Lingkungan Eksternal pada Keberhasilan Usaha di Era Pandemi Covid-19
Authors: Zega Erwin Putra Rahmat Jaya , Indrawati Henny , Asmit Brilliant
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of entrepreneurial characteristics and the external environment on the success of the Tampan District makanan ringan micro business in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. MSMEs, especially micro businesses, are threatened with closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has not only damaged the health sector but the Indonesian and even the world's economic sector. This research was conducted on 71 makanan ringan micro entrepreneurs in Tampan District with quantitative research methods and analyzed using descriptive analysis, Multiple Linear Regression and Hypothesis Testing. From this study, it was found that entrepreneurial characteristics and the external environment had a positive effect on the success of the Tampan District makanan ringan micro business in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minat Berwirausaha Pada Siswa SMKN
Authors: Putri Amemiya Maneko , Setiawati Tati , Nurhayati Ai
Published: July 2023

Catering graduates at SMKN 9 Bandung who have become entrepreneurs in the last 3 years have the lowest percentage compared to those who are working or continuing. Even though students have been provided with Creative Projects and Entrepreneurship (PKK) subjects that support entrepreneurship, The purpose of this study was to determine the factors influencing interest in entrepreneurship among students at SMKN 9 Bandung. The method used in this study is descriptive-quantitative data collection using a questionnaire. The population in this study was 101 who had passed the Creative and Entrepreneurship Project (PKK) subject, and we used the total sample so that the number of samples was equal to the total population. The results showed that the internal factors of students’ interest in entrepreneurship were in the high category. The highest internal factor score is on the feeling of pleasure indicator and is in the high-high category. Meanwhile, the lowest internal factor score is on the motivation indicator and is in the high category. The highest score is based on external factors, namely the school environment, and is in the high category. Meanwhile, the lowest external factor score is on the community environment indicator and is in the high category
Development of the Non-CO2 GHG Emissions Database for the GTAP 10A Data Base
Authors: Chepeliev Maksym
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this note is to document data sources and steps used to develop the non-CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions database for the GTAP Data Base Version 10A. Emissions are reported for three types of non-CO2 GHGs – CH4 (methane), N2O (nitrous oxide) and the group of fluorinated gases (F-gases), and cover four reference years – 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2014. FAOSTAT dataset is used for sourcing agricultural non-CO2 emissions, EDGAR v5.0 and v4.2 databases are used to source non-agricultural emissions. Each emission flow is associated with one of the four sets of emission drivers: output by industries, endowment by industries, input use by industries and consumption by households.
The East Asian Economic Crisis: It's not All Bad News
Authors: Ianchovichina Elena , Hertel Thomas , McDougall Robert
Published: July 2023

The East Asian crisis is not all bad news for the United States and Canada (North America). Net debtors in North America – be they individual families refinancing their mortgages, businesses financing their expansion, or the U.S. government financing its debt – should benefit from the crisis, as it continues to put downward pressure on interest rates. While the crisis hurts North American farm exports, it presents opportunities for expansion in North American exports of processed foods. The study estimates that the benefits accruing to North American food producers far outweigh the losses to farmers in the region over the long term.
China in 2005 Revisited: The Implications of International Capital Mobility
Authors: Ianchovichina Elena , McDougall Robert , Hertel Thomas
Published: July 2023

This paper revisits the analysis of the implications of China's economic growth on her trading partners presented in Arndt et al. (1997) using a dynamic, applied general equilibrium model that features international capital mobility. We find that accounting for the impact of China's growth on international capital markets reverses some of the findings in the paper by Arndt et al. In particular, net creditor regions lose while net debtor regions benefit from an economic slowdown in China due to the resulting decline in the cost of capital. Our analysis also reveals the importance of capital accumulation effects which interact with non-capital factor productivity and tax distortions in determining regional welfare.
Labor Market Distortions, Rural-Urban Inequality and the Opening of China’s Economy
Authors: Zhai Fan , Hertel Thomas , Wang Zhi
Published: July 2023

This paper evaluates the impact of some key labor market reforms on rural-urban inequality and income distribution, using a household-disaggregated, recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of China. We also explore how these factor market reforms interact with product market reforms currently underway as part of China’s WTO accession process. The simulation results show that the reforms in rural land rental market and Hukou system, as well as increasing off-farm labor mobility would reduce the urban-rural income ratio dramatically. Furthermore, the combination of WTO accession and factor market reforms improves both efficiency and equality significantly. Keywords: Labor market, Income distribution, WTO, Computable general equilibrium, China JEL Classification Code: C68; J60; D30; F13; O53
Assessing Global CGE Model Validity Using Agricultural Price Volatility
Authors: Valenzuela Ernesto , Hertel Thomas , Keeney Roman , Reimer Jeff
Published: July 2023

Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models are commonly used for global agricultural market analysis. However, concerns are sometimes raised about the quality of their output since key parameters may not be econometrically estimated and little emphasis is generally given to model assessment. This article addresses the latter issue by developing an approach to validating CGE models based on the ability to reproduce observed price volatility in agricultural markets. We show how patterns in the deviations between model predictions and validation criteria can be used to identify the weak points of a model and guide development of improved specifications with firmer empirical foundations.
Poverty Analysis Using an International Cross-Country Demand System
Authors: Cranfield John , Preckel Paul , Hertel Thomas
Published: July 2023

This paper proposes a new method for ex ante analysis of the poverty impacts arising from policy reforms. Three innovations underlie this approach. The first is the estimation of a global demand system using a combination of micro-data from household surveys, and macro-data from the International Comparisons Project. Estimation is undertaken in a manner that reconciles these two sources of information, explicitly recognizing that per capita national demands are an aggregation of the disaggregated, individual household demands. The second innovation relates to a methodology for post-estimation calibration of the global demand system, giving rise to country specific demand systems and an associated expenditure function which, when aggregated across the expenditure distribution, reproduce observed per capita budget shares exactly. The third innovation is use of the calibrated expenditure function to calculate the change in the head-count of poverty, poverty gap and squared poverty gap arising from policy reforms, where the poverty measures are derived using a unique poverty level of utility, rather than an income or expenditure-based measure. We employ these techniques with a demand system for food, other non-durables and services estimated using a combination of 1996 ICP data set and national expenditure distribution data. Calibration is demonstrated for three countries for which household survey expenditure data are utilized during estimation; namely, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. To illustrate the usefulness of these calibrated models for policy analysis, we assess the impacts of an assumed five percent food price rise as might be realized in the wake of a multilateral trade agreement. Results illustrate the important role of subsistence expenditures at low per capita income levels, but of discretionary expenditure at higher per capita income levels. The welfare analysis underscores the relatively large impact of the price hike on poorer households, while a modified Foster-Greer-Thorbecke poverty measure shows that the five percent price rise has a differential effect on poverty across the three focus countries, although it increases the incidence and intensity of poverty in all three cases.
Why How and When did GTAP Happen? What has it Achieved? Where is it Heading?
Authors: Powell Alan
Published: July 2023

Presented at the 10th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis, Purdue University, USA Team research has been much more widespread in the natural sciences than in economics. Yet when it comes to modeling an economy (especially the global economy) in detail, the quantity and range of inputs necessary makes team work the only viable option. Drawing some inspiration from Australian experience, GTAP’s founder, Tom Hertel, realized this from his Project’s inception in 1993. The data base required to model international trade flows could not have been developed without the enthusiastic cooperation of many individuals and institutions around the world. Funding GTAP’s central team at Purdue required external support. National agencies in Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Japan, and the US are members of the supporting research consortium. The natural interest of international economic agencies led to GTAP having five such supporting agencies by 1997, which grew to ten by 2006. GTAP has striven to put the maximum feasible amount of its data, methodology and models into the public domain. It has run numerous residential intensive training courses in the use of the GTAP data and model: these have been held in the US, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. The success of these courses reflects the modeling experience of the teams of course instructors and the availability of special-purpose software which allows simulations to be run without programming skill or previous knowledge of the software used. Researchers making use of GTAP have been prolific in number, and in their output. In mid April 2007, applications on the GTAP web site numbered 781. There were 366 subscribers to the GTAP data base at the end of April 2007, but the number of individuals making use of GTAP data exceeded 4,000.
Book Review: Victory City by Salman Rushdie
Authors:   Faculty, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology Warangal, India., Ajeesh A K
Published: July 2023

Victory City, the latest literary masterpiece by acclaimed author Salman Rushdie, is a compelling and thought-provoking work of fiction that delves into the complexities of identity, power, and the struggle between tradition and change. Set in a dynamic city in southern India, the novel presents a vivid and detailed exploration of the lives of several individuals as they navigate the tumultuous waters of a metropolis in transition. Through his exquisite prose and masterful storytelling, Rushdie creates a surreal and dreamlike setting that is both alluring and terrifying, capturing the essence of the miraculous and the everyday as two halves of the same whole.
Scientific Discovery and the Scientist’s Gaze: Galileo’s Lunar Science and the Lacanian Theory of Art
Authors:   College of Paideia, Sungkyul University, Republic of Korea., Sohn Hyun
Published: July 2023

One dominant explanation for Galileo’s telescopic discovery of the rough and uneven surface of the moon is that he was well-versed in painting techniques such as perspective and chiaroscuro, which emphasize a realistic representation of objects. This allowed him to grasp the appearance of the moon most accurately. This paper proposes a new interpretation of the relationship between science and art through the Galilean case, which highlights the creative process rather than realistic representation as they pertain to the beneficial role of art in advancing science. Tracing the trajectory of Galileo’s telescopic observation as described in Sidereus Nuncius, the author demonstrates that what Galileo saw were simply unidentifiable spots and that the discovery of the moon’s rough surface was an inference—the key factor being a self-distancing imagination that allowed him to see, at an imaginary distance, the homogeneous relationship of the moon and the earth to the sun. The author discusses how this self-distancing imagination, which involves re-establishing the relationship of objects through light, is uniquely connected to pictorial artistic sensibility, especially through the Lacanian theory of art. Finally, the author suggests that a love for numerous partial objects, rather than for truth, constitutes the real ethical foundation of a scientist.