bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring Farmers‘ Knowledge, Attitude and Adoption of Smart Agriculture Technology in Taiwan
Authors: Chuang Jui-Hsiung , Wang Jiun-Hao , Liou Yu-Chang
Published: September 2020

Climate change and food security are the most relevant issues to be considered in sustainable agricultural development. The FAO’s initiative of climate-smart agriculture has attracted international attention. Since then, the smart agriculture (SA) has been recognized as the most influential trends in contributing to agricultural development. Therefore, encouraging farmers to adopt digital technologies and mobile devices into farming practices becomes a policy priority worldwide. However, there is limited literature available on psychologic factors that drive farmers’ intentions to adopt SA technologies. The purpose of this study is to investigate how farmer’s knowledge and attitude toward SA affects their adoption of smart technologies in Taiwan. A total of 321 farmers participated in the project’s survey in 2017 and 2018, from which the data was used to perform an OLS regression model of SA adoption. This study contributes to a preliminary understanding of relationship between innovation and adoption of SA technologies in a small-scale farming economic context. The findings suggest that the policy makers and R&D institutes need to concentrate on improving market access for well-known and high important SA technologies.
Assessment of the Impacts of Anthropogenic Activities on a Large River Using Longfin Eel as a Bioindicator
Authors: Champeau Olivier , Ataria James , Northcott Grant , Kume Gen , Barrick Andrew , Tremblay Louis A.
Published: September 2020

The Matāura River is the sixth largest river system in New Zealand and has long been subject to agricultural, industrial, and residential land use activities. The catchment has geographic and economic value and is of great cultural importance for local Māori, who have concerns over potential adverse impacts that anthropogenic stressors exert on the health of the river. There is a dearth of information on the impacts of these stressors towards the health of native species such as the longfin eel Anguilla dieffenbachii. This study assessed the environmental status of the Matāura River using biological and chemical methodologies incorporating A. dieffenbachii as a bioindicator species for exposure to combined anthroprogenic stressors. A range of biomarker endpoints were measured in caged and wild-caught eels (when available) to characterize site-specific responses to combined anthropogenic stressors. While there was no clear indication of cumulative impacts moving from pristine headwaters to the lower reaches of the Matāura River biomarkers of xenobiotic metabolization were induced in A. dieffenbachia and there was evidence of chemical contamination in sediments and tissues.
A Simple Band-ratio Algorithm to Assess Suspended Particulate Matter from Remote Sensing Over Coastal and Inland Waters of Vietnam: Application to the VNREDSat-1/NAOMI Sensor
Authors: Ngoc Dat Dinh , Loisel Hubert , Vantrepotte Vincent , Chu Xuan Huy , Nguyen Minh Ngoc , Verpoorter Charles , Meriaux Xavier , Pham Thi Minh Hanh , Le Thi Huong , Le Vu Hong Hai , Nguyen Van Thao
Published: September 2020

VNREDSat-1 is the first Vietnamese satellite allowing the survey of environmental parameters such as vegetation and water coverages, or surface water quality at medium spatial resolution (from 2.5 to 10 meters depending on the considered channel). The NAOMI sensor on board VNREDSat-1 has the required spectral bands to assess the suspended particulate matter concentration, SPM. Because recent studies have shown that the remote sensing reflectance, Rrs(), at the blue (450 – 520 nm), green (530 – 600 nm), and red (620 – 690 nm) spectral bands can be assessed from NAOMI with a good accuracy, the present study is dedicated to the development and validation of an algorithm (hereafter referred to as V1SPM) to assess SPM from Rrs() over inland and coastal waters of Vietnam. For that purpose, an in situ data set of hyper-spectral Rrs() and SPM (from 0.47 to 240.14 g.m-3) measurements collected at 205 coastal and inland stations has been gathered. Among the different approaches, including 4 historical algorithms, the polynomial algorithms involving the red-to-green reflectance ratio presents the best performance on the validation data set (MAPD of 18,7%). Compared to the use of a single spectral band, the band ratio allows to reduce the scatter around the polynomial fit as well as the impact of imperfect atmospheric corrections. Due to the lack of matchup data points with VNREDSat-1, the full VNREDSat-1 processing chain (RED-NIR and V1SPM) aiming at estimate SPM from the top-of-atmosphere signal has been applied to the Landsat-8/OLI match-up data points with relatively low to moderate SPM concentration (3.33-15.25 g.m-3) showing a MAPD of 15,8%. An illustration of the use of this VNREDSat-1 processing chain during a flooding event occurring in Vietnam is provided.
Thermal Performance of Single-Storey Air-welled Terraced House in Malaysia: A Field Measurement Approach
Authors: Leng Pau Chung , Ahmad Mohd Hamdan , Ossen Dilshan Remaz , Hoh Teck Ling Gabriel , Aminudin Eeydzah , Chan Weng Howe
Published: September 2020

The provision requirement of 10% openings of the total floor area stated in the Uniform Building by Law 1984 Malaysia has been practiced by designers for building plan submission approval. However, the effectiveness of thermal performance in landed residential buildings, despite the imposition by the by-law, has never been empirically measured and proven. Although terraced houses in Malaysia have dominated 40.9% of the total property transaction in 2019, such mass production with typical designs hardly provides its occupants with thermal comfort due to the static outdoor air condition and lack of external windows, where the conventional ventilation technique does not work well, even for houses with an air well system. Consequently, the occupants need to rely on mechanical cooling, which is a high energy-consuming component contributing to outdoor heat dissipation and therefore urban heat island effect. Thus, encouraging more effective natural ventilation to eliminate excessive heat from the indoor environment is critical. Since most of the research focuses on simulation modelling lacking sufficient empirical validation, this paper drawing on field measurement investigates natural ventilation performance in terraced housing with an air well system. More importantly, the key concern as to what extent the current air well system serving as a ventilator is effective to provide better thermal performance in the single storey terraced house is to be addressed. By adopting an existing single storey air welled terrace house, the existing indoor environmental conditions and thermal performance were monitored and measured using scientific equipment, namely HOBO U12 air temperature and air humidity, the HOBO U12 anemometer and the Delta Ohm HD32.3 Wet Bulb Globe Temperature meter for a six-month duration. The findings show that the air temperature of the air well ranged from 27.48°C to 30.92°C, while the mean relative humidity were from 72.67% to 79.25%. The mean air temperature for a test room (single sided ventilation room) ranged from 28.04°C to 30.92°C with a relative humidity of 70.16% to 76%. These empirical findings are of importance, offering novel policy insights and suggestions to potentially revising the existing building code standard and by laws; since the minimum provision of 10% openings has been revealed to be less effective to provide a desired thermal performance and comfort, mandatory compliance with, and the necessity for, the bylaw requirement should be revisited and further studied.
Mosaic and Generalized Forms of Keratinopathic Ichthyoses
Authors: Tadini Gianluca , Guez Sophie , Brena Michela
Published: September 2020

Mutations in KRT1 (keratin 1) or KRT10 (keratin 10) underlie a spectrum of diseases known as keratinopathic ichthyoses. Epidermolytic ichthyosis (EI) is caused by heterozygous missense mutations in the genes KRT1 or KRT10, mutations in the gene KRT2 (keratin 2) lead to superficial epidermolytic ichthyosis, and congenital reticular ichthyosiform erythroderma is caused by frameshift mutations in the genes KRT10 or KRT1, which lead to the phenomenon of revertant mosaicism. Epidermolytic ichthyosis is also present in a mosaic pattern known as epidermolytic (acantholytic) nevus, isolated or diffuse. In the latter case, gonadic involvement is possible, leading to a rare pedigree in which a parent with diffuse epidermolytic nevus (linear EI) gives birth to a child affected by EI. We present here an update on the phenotypic presentations of keratinopathic ichthyoses and their molecular mechanisms.
Forecasting COVID 19 Confirmed Cases Using Machine Learning: the Case of America
Authors: Jojoa Mario , Garcia-Zapirain Begoña
Published: September 2020

This paper presents a Multilayer Perceptron and Support Vector Machine algorithms approach to predict the number of COVID19 infections in different countries of America. It intends to serve as a tool for decision-making and tackling the pandemic that the world is currently facing. The models were trained and tested using open data from the European Union repository where a time series of confirmed contagious cases was modeled until May 25, 2020. The hyperparameters as number of neurons per layer were set up using a tabu list algorithm. The countries selected to carry out the study were Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and the United States. The metrics used are Pearson's correlation coefficient (CP), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Mean Percentage Error (MPE). For the testing stage we obtained the following results: Brazil, CP=0.65, MAE=2508 and MPE=17%; Chile, CP=0.64, MAE=504, MPE=16%; Colombia, CP=0.83, MAE=76, MPE=9%; Mexico, CP=0.77, MAE=231, MPE=9%; Peru, CP=0.76, MAE=686, MPE=18% and the United States of America, CP=0.93, MAE=799, MPE=4%. This resulted in powerful machine learning tools although it is necessary to use specific algorithms depending on the data and the stage of the country’s pandemic.
General Assessment of the Operational Utility of National Water Model Reservoir Inflows for Bureau of Reclamation Facilities
Authors: Viterbo Francesca , Read Laura , Nowak Kenneth , Wood Andrew W. , Gochis David , Cifelli Robert , Hughes Mimi
Published: September 2020

This work investigates the utility of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Water Model (NWM) for water management operations by assessing the total inflow into a select number of reservoirs across the Central and Western U.S. Total inflow is generally an unmeasured quantity, though critically important for anticipating both floods and shortages in supply over a short-term (hourly) to sub-seasonal (monthly) time horizon. The NWM offers such information at over 5,000 reservoirs across the U.S., however, its skill at representing inflow processes is largely unknown. The goal of this work is to understand the drivers for both well performing and poor performing NWM inflows such that managers can get a sense of the capability of NWM to capture natural hydrologic processes and in some cases, the effects of upstream management. We analyzed the inflows for a subset of Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) reservoirs within the NWM over the long-term simulations (retrospectively, seven years) and for short, medium and long-range operational forecast cycles over a one-year period. We utilize ancillary reservoir characteristics (e.g. physical and operational) to explain variation in inflow performance across the selected reservoirs. In general, we find that NWM inflows in snow-driven basins outperform those in rain-driven, and that assimilated basin area, upstream management, and calibrated basin area all influence the NWM’s ability to reproduce daily reservoir inflows. The final outcome of this work proposes a framework for how the NWM reservoir inflows can be useful for reservoir management, linking reservoir purposes with the forecast cycles and retrospective simulations.
Changes in Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activity and Nutritional Quality of Blood Orange Cultivars at Different Storage Temperatures
Authors: Habibi Fariborz , Ramezanian Asghar , Guillén Fabian , Castillo Salvador , Serrano María , Valero Daniel
Published: September 2020

The changes in nutritional quality, bioactive compounds and antioxidant enzymes in the juice of four blood orange cultivars (‘Moro’, ‘Tarocco’, ‘Sanguinello’ and ‘Sanguine’) stored during 6 months at 2 and 5 °C plus 2 days at 20 °C for shelf life were studied. Sucrose was the sugar found at higher concentration and decreased during storage for all cultivars, as did glucose and fructose. Organic acids decreased at both temperatures and the highest content was found in ‘Sanguinello’, especially the major (citric acid) and ascorbic acid. Total phenolics content (TPC), total anthocyanins (TAC), and the individual (cyanidin 3-glucoside and cyanidin 3-(6″-malonylglucoside)) increased for all cultivars, the ‘Sanguinello’ having the higher concentrations. Antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were higher also in ‘Sanguinello’ and increased during storage. Overall, these results together with the sensory analysis suggest that ‘Sanguinello’ would be the best cultivar for prolonged storage.
Gravitational Waves Carry Information about the Infalling Matter out of Black Holes: a Resolution of the Black Hole Information Paradox
Authors: Tian Xueyi
Published: September 2020

The black hole information paradox is one of the most puzzling paradoxes in physics. Black holes trap everything that falls into them, while their mass may leak away through purely thermal Hawking radiation. When a black hole vanishes, all the information locked inside, if any, is just lost, thus challenging the principles of quantum mechanics. However, some information does have a way to escape from inside the black hole, that is, through gravitational waves. Here, a concise extension of this notion is introduced. When a black hole swallows something, whether it is a smaller black hole or an atom, the system emits gravitational waves carrying the information about the “food”. Although most of the signals are too weak to be detected, the information encoded within them will persist in the universe. This speculation provides an explanation for a large part, if not all, of the supposed “information loss” in black holes, and thus reconciles the predictions of general relativity and quantum mechanics.
Сравнение двух моделей силы аэродинамического торможения для определения орбитального движения МКС
Authors: Сазонов Василий Викторович , Sazonov Vasilii Viktorovich
Published: September 2020

Рассматривается подход к аппроксимации данных датчика автономной системы навигации, установленного на Российском сегменте Международной космической станции, c применением математической модели орбитального движения космического аппарата, где при учете сил аэродинамического торможения используется вычисление площади миделева сечения с помощью геометрической модели внешней поверхности станции. Описываемый в работе подход применялся для анализа данных интервалов до десяти суток полета Международной космической станции в январе и июне 2018 г. В работе приводятся результаты математического моделирования с использованием предлагаемой математической модели и стандартной математической модели с баллистическим коэффициентом. Предлагаемая математическая модель показывает существенно лучшие показатели аппроксимации.
Quality of Selected Anti-Retroviral Medicines: Tanzania Mainland Market As A Case Study
Authors: Mziray Sophia , MAGANDA BETTY , Mwamwitwa Kissa , Fimbo Adam M. , Kisenge Seth , Sambu Gerald , Mwalwisi Yonah H. , Bitegeko Adonis , Alphonce Emmanuel , Khea Akida , Shewiyo Danstan H. , Kaale Eliangiringa
Published: September 2020

Background: Antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) have significantly reduced morbidity, mortality and improved the quality of life of people living with HIV infection. Poor quality ARVs may result in harmful consequences such as adverse drug reactions, treatment failure, and prolonged illness, development of drug resistant strains and sometimes death, which in turn may undermine the healthcare delivery system. Thus, to ensure optimal treatment outcomes, medicines quality control must be undertaken regularly. This study was aimed at evaluating the quality of ARVs circulating on the Tanzania Mainland market.Methods: This was a survey study. ARVs samples were collected in 20 regions of Tanzania Mainland, between 2012 and 2018. All collected samples were subjected to screening testing using the Global Pharma Health Fund® Mini-Lab kits. Sampled ARV’s that failed screening test or yielded doubtful results and ten percent (10%) of all that complied with the screening test requirements were selected for full quality control testing in the World Health Organisation prequalified laboratory at Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA). Samples collected from the medicine distribution outlets were also subjected to product information review. Results: A total of 2,630 samples were collected, of which 83.7% (2200/2630) were from port of entry (POEs). Of the 2200 samples screened, all conformed to the specifications, except of the fixed dose combination (FDC) lopinavir/ritonavir 0.27% (7/2630) and lamivudine/zidovudine/nevirapine 0.27% (7/2630) that failed the disintegration test. Also, of the 100 samples selected for full quality control testing, 3% of them failed to compile with the specifications, of which FDC stavudine/lamivudine/nevirapine failed disintegration and assay tests 2% (2/100) and 1% (1/100), respectively. Samples failing the assay test had low content of stavudine (86.6%) versus specification limits (90% -110%). Out of the 430 samples which were subjected to product information review, 25.6% (110/430) failed to comply with the packaging and labelling requirements. Conclusion: The quality of majority of ARVs circulating on the Tanzania Mainland market was good but, significant deficiencies on labelling and packaging were observed. These results call for continuous monitoring of quality of medicines circulating on the Tanzania market.
Association between Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Breast Cancer Susceptibility Genes and Clinicopathological Characteristics
Authors: Zhang Kejing , Tang Lili , Wang Shouman , Yang Yuan , Wang Hao , Zhou Zhiyang , Pang Jian , Chen Feiyu
Published: September 2020

Background: The incidence rate of breast cancer ranks highest in both China and the United States. Understanding the associations between genetic polymorphisms and clinicopathological features of breast cancer may ultimately result in improvements in prevention, early detection, and treatment.The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the associations between seven tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) and risk of breast cancer assessed by tumor pathological characteristics and body mass index (BMI). Methods: Seven tSNPs of four breast cancer susceptibility genes were analyzed in 734 Chinese women with breast cancer and 672 age-matched healthy controls, then the association with clinicopathological characteristics, BMI, molecular subtype, TNM staging and lymph node status, was determined. Results: Two tSNPs, rs12951053 located in TP53 and rs16945628 in BRIP1, displayed increased risk of breast cancer in the BMI ≧ 25 kg/m2 group (OR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.02-2.21, P=0.041 and OR=1.92, 95% CI: 1.13-3.26, P=0.015, respectively). The other five tSNPs (rs1805812, rs2735385 and rs6999227 in NBS1, rs7220719 in BRIP1 and rs2299941 in PTEN) displayed a decreased risk of breast cancer in the 18.5≤BMI<25 kg/m2 group. Two tSNPs, rs12951053 in TP53 and rs7220719 in BRIP1 exhibited an increased risk of triple‐negative breast cancer(TNBC) (OR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.05-2.15, P=0.026 and OR=2.13, 95% CI: 1.05-4.29, P=0.032, respectively), and the three tSNPs in NBS1 (rs1805812, rs2735385 and rs6999227) all displayed negative association with both luminal B breast cancer and TNBC. The tSNP rs2299941 in PTEN also exhibited a negative association with each breast cancer molecular subtype, except TNBC. The majority of tSNPs displayed a negative association with stage II or III breast cancer. A number of tSNPs showed a negative association with breast cancer that was lymph node negative or with 1-3 positive nodes. Only one tSNP, rs12951053 in TP53 displayed a positive association with lymph node negative breast cancer (OR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.08-1.91, P=0.013). Conclusions: The majority of tSNPs displayed a negative association with breast cancer and only a few tSNPs (rs12951053 in TP53, rs16945628 and rs7220719 in BRIP1) showed an increased risk of breast cancer as defined by clinicopathological characteristics.
Embedded Internet of Things Applications of SQLite Based on WinCE Mobile Terminal
Authors: Yu Yuanhui
Published: September 2020

As we all know, embedded systems are becoming more and more widely used. All devices with digital interfaces, such as watches, microwave ovens, video recorders, automobiles, etc., use embedded systems, but most embedded systems are implemented by a single embedded application program to achieve the entire control logic.At present, embedded applications on the WinCE platform are extending towards microservices and miniaturization. More embedded device application data requires small, embedded database systems to organize, store, and manage. The embedded database SQLite has many advantages such as zero-configuration, lightweight, multiple interfaces, easy portability, readable source code, and open source. It is currently widely used in the WinCE embedded operating system. This article discusses the technical characteristics of the SQLite database in detail, SQLite data manipulation, SQLite transplantation under the WinCE platform, and finally implements SQLite data management on WinCE mobile terminal based on MFC programming.
Low-voltage and fully flexible analogue/digital mixed-signal circuits based on carbon nanotubes for epidermal sensor applications
Authors: Kashima Taikga , Kishimoto Shigeru , Hirotani Jun , Kataura Hiromichi , Ohno Yutaka
Published: September 2020

Epidermal electronics that can be mounted directly onto human skin to monitor biological signals have wide applicability, such as in healthcare and sports. This requires integrating various analogue and analogue/digital mixed-signal circuits on a flexible film as well as sensors. Flexible analogue circuits based on oxide semiconductors or amorphous Si have been realised, but so far they do not allow robust digital signal transmission to an external system, and they have a high operating voltage. Here, we report a low-voltage and fully flexible analogue/digital mixed-signal circuits based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The key contribution is a novel operational amplifier with a high gain and low operating voltage, which is important for negative-feedback circuits and dramatically suppresses the influence of device variability and instability. Fully flexible CNT-based mixed-signal circuits were realised monolithically on a plastic film for the first time and demonstrated stable and continuous operation at a low supply voltage.
Correlations between Morphine Use and Adverse Outcomes in Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction with Acute Heart Failure: a retrospective study 
Authors: dong shaohong , Lin Yaowang , Yuan Jie , Zhu Yong , Liu Huadong , Pang Xinli
Published: September 2020

Background: Studies examining the safety of intravenous morphine use for acute heart failure (AHF) have reported inconsistent results. Objective: The comprehensive meta-analysis assessed and compared the clinical outcomes of intravenous morphine use in AHF.Methods: We formally searched electronic databases before June 2020 to identify potential studies. All clinical trials were eligible for inclusion if they compared intravenous morphine or not in patients with AHF.Results: 3 propensity-matched cohorts and 2 retrospective analysis with a total of 151867 patients met the inclusion criteria were included in our meta-analysis (intravenous morphine group=22072, without morphine group=127895). The use of intravenous morphine was associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality [over all odds ratio (OR)=5.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.20 to 5.79, p<0.001, I2=96.7%; subgroup analysis: OR=1.60, 95%CI 1.27-2.02, I2=0%; OR=1.53, 95%CI 1.20-1.96, I2=7%] and invasive mechanical ventilation (OR=6.08, 95% CI 5.79 to 6.40, p<0.001, I2=94.2%; subgroup analysis: OR=1.74, 95%CI 1.21-2.49, I2=62.3%). However, there was no significant association of longtime time mortality with intravenous morphine (Hazards ratio =1.17; 95% CI 0.99–1.36, p=0.14; I2 32%).Conclusion: In AHF patients, intravenous morphine administration for relieving dyspnea was associated with in-hospital mortality and invasive mechanical ventilation, but not for longtime mortality.
Observation of non-Bloch parity-time symmetry and exceptional points
Authors: Xue Peng , Xiao Lei , Deng Tianshu , Wang Kunkun , Wang Zhong , Yi Wei
Published: September 2020

Parity-time (PT)-symmetric Hamiltonians have widespread significance in non-Hermitian physics. A PT-symmetric Hamiltonian can exhibit distinct phases with either real or complex eigen spectrum, while the transition points in between, the so-called exceptional points, give rise to a host of critical behaviors that holds great promise for applications. For spatially periodic non-Hermitian systems, PT symmetries are commonly characterized and observed in line with the Bloch band theory, with exceptional points dwelling in the Brillouin zone. Here, in non-unitary quantum walks of single photons, we uncover a novel family of exceptional points beyond this common wisdom. These "non-Bloch exceptional points" originate from the accumulation of bulk eigenstates near boundaries, known as the non-Hermitian skin effect, and inhabit a generalized Brillouin zone. Our finding opens the avenue toward a generalized PT-symmetry framework, and reveals the intriguing interplay among PT symmetry, non-Hermitian skin effect, and non-Hermitian topology.
Manifestation of idiosyncratic rater effect in employee performance appraisal
Authors: Hunuganahalli Paramesh Athmeeya , Samartha Vishal , Thekkekutt Mathukutti Rajesha , Thonse Hawaldar Iqbal
Published: September 2020

Performance appraisal is the bedrock of talent management and has received much attention from scholars and researchers alike in their pursuit to develop accurate, objective, and robust Performance Management Systems (PMS). Through survey questionnaire the present study examines the prevalence of idiosyncratic rater biases on the performance appraisal systems and evaluates the measure of its impact. The correlations between the personality traits and the similarities of the raters’ workplace characteristics with the raters’ performance ratings are also determined. The study has provided empirical evidence of the manifestation of idiosyncratic rater bias in the company under study. The idiosyncratic rater tendencies showed a significant impact on performance ratings. It was seen that about one-third of the variations in the ratings were resultant of the idiosyncratic factors, such as similarities in the personality traits and workplace identities. It is also found that there exists a positive correlation between the similarities in the identities, as well as the personality traits of the raters and the ratees, and the way the rating awarded by the rater.
ESTUDO DA COMPOSIÇÃO E ABUNDÂNCIA DE ARANHAS (ARACHNIDA: ARANEAE) DE SOLO EM DUAS FITOFISIONOMIAS DO CERRADO, MARANHÃO, BRASIL
Authors: Soares Francisco Ideilson Lima , Soares Luciana Alves da Luz , Reis Luana da Luz dos , Martins Alana Ellen de Sousa , Rodrigues Judson Chaves , Brescovit Antonio Domingos , Formiga Luiza Daiana Araujo da Silva
Published: September 2020

O Brasil é um dos países com a maior diversidade de aranhas do mundo. No entanto, as estimativas em relação a real diversidade desses animais são bastante incipientes no Nordeste, principalmente no Maranhão. Foram coletados um total de 543 espécimes de aranhas de solo em duas fitofisionomias de Cerrado (Mata de Galeria e Cerrado sensu stricto) localizadas na APA Municipal do Inhamun, Caxias, Maranhão. Foram identificadas 23 famílias, 37 gêneros e 43 espécies (infraordem Araneomorphae), sendo que a maioria das espécies encontradas são registradas pela primeira vez para o estado do Maranhão. As famílias Corinnidae e Oonopidae apresentaram maior riqueza de espécies, enquanto a família Zodariidae a maior abundância de indivíduos. As espécies mais abundantes neste estudo foram Leprolochus birabeni e Corinna sp.1.
ES-MDA: Enhanced Similarity-based MiRNA-Disease Association
Authors: Xu Li , Jiang Ge-Ning
Published: September 2020

:

Accumulating evidence demonstrate that miRNAs can be treated as critical biomarkers
in various complex human diseases. Thus, the identifications on potential miRNA-disease associations
have become a hotpot for providing better understanding of disease pathology in this field.
Recently, with various biological datasets, increasingly computational prediction approaches have
been designed to uncover disease-related miRNAs for further experimental validation. To improve
the prediction accuracy, several algorithms integrated miRNA similarities of known miRNA-disease
associations to enhance the miRNA functional similarity network and disease similarities of
known miRNA-disease associations to enhance the disease semantic similarity network. It is anticipated
that machine learning methods would become an effective biological resource for clinical experimental
guidance.
Inducing Tumor Cell Apoptosis: Mediated Survivin miRNA by Ultrasound and Cationic Lipid Contrast Agent
Authors: Yang Feng , Chun Liu-Fu , Chen Zhi-Yi
Published: September 2020

Background:

Non-viral delivery systems is a promising method for gene or
drug delivery. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) is a double-edged sword. It internalizes itself into
the cell through endocytosis and promotes gene transfer efficiency. However, the strong
positive charge also makes PEI highly toxic to cells. Ultrasound-targeted microbubble
destruction (UTMD) is a promising non-viral method for gene and drug delivery, but its
efficiency still needs to be improved.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to explore a system that combines ultrasound with
non-viral gene delivery for the treatment of cervical cancer HeLa cells.

Methods:

In this study, we synthesized a kind of cationic ultrasound contrast agent(CUCA)
that the physical and chemical properties, gene carrying capacity and cytotoxicity
were verified. On the basis of previous studies, we further optimized the following
transfusion parameters including ultrasound parameters, microbubble concentration,
plasmid concentration, cell density and other parameters. The experiment was designed
to compare the following six groups: (1) Plasmid group (P group), plasmid 15 μg; (2) PEI
+ plasmid group (PEI + P group),1 μl of PEI containing 10 nmol nitrogen and 1 μg of
DNA containing 3 nmol phosphate for a PEI/DNA ratio equal to a nitrogen/phosphate
ratio of 7 for transfection; (3) Ultrasound + plasmid group (US + P), plasmid 15 μg; (4)
Ultrasound + cationic liposomal ultrasound contrast agent + plasmid group (UTMD + P
group), plasmid 15 μg and cationic liposomal ultrasound contrast agent 5%; (5)
Ultrasound + cationic liposomal ultrasound contrast agent + PEI + plasmid group (UTMD
+ PEI + P group), PEI/DNA ratio equal to a nitrogen/phosphate ratio of 7 for transfection
and cationic liposomal ultrasound contrast agent 5%; and (6) Blank group, no
treatment), The influence on Hela cells was observed under microscope, the efficiency
of apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry, and cell viability was tested in CCK 8.

Results:

The optimized transfection parameters can improve the transfection efficiency
of ultrasound combined with C-UCA to a certain extent, but its transfection efficiency is
still lower than that of branched polyethyleneimine (bPEI) 25 kDa. By investigating the
effect of HeLa cells apoptosis induced by UTMD in combination with PEI mediated
survivin miRNA, we found that both PEI alone and ultrasound in combination with CUCA
were able to transfect cells with survivin miRNA to effectively induce HeLa cell
apoptosis. However, the synergistic effect between the two methods was not significant.

Conclusion:

In contrast, the combined use of ultrasound, C-UCA and PEI may
significantly reduce the transfection efficiency of UTMD and PEI, and the specific
mechanism remains to be further studied.
Madhuca longifolia Embedded Silver Nanoparticles Attenuate Diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-Induced Renal Cancer via Regulating Oxidative Stress
Authors: Singh Deepika , Yadav Ekta , Kumar Vikas , Verma Amita
Published: September 2020

Objective:

Madhuca longifolia has been used for the treatment of renal cancer. Therefore, the current study describes the protective effects of biofabricated silver nanoparticles (MLAgNPs) using Madhuca longifolia aqueous leaves extract against diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in rats.

Methods:

Animals were categorized into five groups and treated with doses of silver nanoparticles for 16 weeks. Antineoplastic effect in renal cancer was dose dependent to control the macroscopical variations when compared to DEN induced group. Significant changes were observed in biochemical parameters and dose graded improvement in the level of antioxidants parameters were accountable for its protective nature.

Result:

Silver nanoparticles in dose dependent manner was effective to modify the raised levels of
pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory mediators during renal cancer. Alteration in renal
histopathology were also detected in the silver nanoparticles treated group, which show its safety
concern. Biofabricated silver nanoparticles (MLAgNPs) using Madhuca longifolia can convey significant
chemo-protective effect against renal cancer by suppressing the IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β by
nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway.

Conclusion:

Our outcomes implicates that biofabricated MLAgNPs exhibited a chemoprotective potential in the prevention
and intervention of RCC.
Nutritional, Biochemical and Haematological Indices of White Albino Rats Fed Complementary Diets Developed from Selected Cereals and Legumes
Authors: Yohannes Tsehayneh G. , Makokha Anselimo O. , Okoth Judith K. , Tenagashaw Mesfin W.
Published: September 2020

Background:

Childhood malnutrition is a common public health problem in Ethiopia.
This animal study aims to evaluate the haematological, biochemical, and nutritional indices of
weanling albino rats fed on complementary diets developed from selected cereals and legumes.

Methods:

The nutritional qualities of the formulated blends were assessed biologically by feeding
white albino rats in order to determine feed intake, the growth rate, protein quality parameters, biochemical
and haematological properties. The commercial weaning diet (cerifam) and casein were
used as control diets. On the 28th day, blood samples were collected from three randomly selected
rats by decapitation. Full blood count analysis was carried out using the Automated Haematologic
Analyzer to determine haematological parameters. All the biochemical parameters were determined
using Mindray diagnostic kits.

Results and Discussion:

The food intake pattern showed that animals placed on diet 3, diet 4, casein,
and cerifam consumed more food than those fed on diet 1, diet 2, and diet 7. The mean
growth rate of animals fed on diet 3 and diet 4 was significantly (p<0.05) higher than those placed
on diet 1, diet 2, and diet 7 but similar to those fed with commercial diet and casein. The protein
quality evaluation of the diets showed that the protein efficiency ratio ranged from 1.20 to 2.43
while the biological value was in the range of 54.53 to 69.48%. The net protein utilization and true
digestibility were 65.62 to 70.21% and 59.01 to 64.01%, respectively. Serum total protein, albumin,
and globulin levels in rats given diet 3 and diet 4 were comparable to the controls and within
the normal range. Comparatively, the creatinine and urea levels of rats fed on the control and formulated
diets were within the normal range. The serum alanine aminotransferase values of rats fed
on the control and formulated diets ranged from 22.03 IU/L in diet 2 to 37.76 IU/L in diet 4 and
were not significantly different from each other. In this study, the packed cell volume and haemoglobin
values of the control and formulated diets were within the recommended range. Evidently,
diet 3 and diet 4 gave the best growth performance after the feeding trials.

Conclusion:

The haematological and biochemical indices indicate that these diets can support effective
growth and development in rats, and consumption of these diets has no detrimental effects
on the liver and renal function.
New Oxazolidines Inhibit the Secretion of IFN-γ and IL-17 by PBMCS from Moderate to Severe Asthmatic Patients
Authors: Santos Renata Virgínia Cavalcanti , Cunha Eudes Gustavo Constantino , de Mello Gabriela Souto Vieira , Rizzo José Ângelo , de Oliveira Jamerson Ferreira , do Carmo Alves de Lima Maria , da Rocha Pitta Ivan , da Rocha Pitta Maira Galdino , de Melo Rêgo Moacyr Jesus Barreto
Published: September 2020

Background:

Moderate to severe asthma could be induced by diverse proinflammatory
cytokines, as IL-17 and IFN-γ, which are also related to treatment resistance and airway hyperresponsiveness.
Oxazolidines emerged as a novel approach for asthma treatment, since some chemical peculiarities
were suggested by previous studies.

Objective:

The present study aimed to evaluate the IL-17A and IFN-γ modulatory effect of two new
oxazolidine derivatives (LPSF/NB-12 and -13) on mononucleated cells of patients with moderate and
severe asthma.

Methods:

The study first looked at potential targets for oxazolidine derivatives using SWISS-ADME.
After the synthesis of the compounds, cytotoxicity and cytokine levels were analyzed.

Results:

We demonstrated that LPSF/NB-12 and -13 reduced IFN-γ and IL-17 production in peripheral
blood mononucleated cells from asthmatic patients in a concentrated manner. Our in silico analysis
showed the neurokinin-1 receptor as a common target for both compounds, which is responsible
for diverse proinflammatory effects of moderate and severe asthma.

Conclusion:

The work demonstrated a novel approach against asthma, which deserves further studies
of its mechanisms of action.
Acute Neurological Manifestations of Porphyrias and its Types: A Systematic- Review
Authors: Barletta Enrico A. , Belsuzarri Telmo A. B. , Urena Augusto R. B. , Iunes Eduardo A.
Published: September 2020

Introduction:

Acute porphyrias cause life-threatening attacks of neurovisceral non-specific
symptoms, so this condition mimics many acute medical and psychiatric diseases. The disease
is very misdiagnosed, probably due to its low incidence and non-pathognomonic symptoms, this delays
the effective treatment onset. Early diagnosis and treatment highly improve the prognosis and
can prevent the development of neuropathic manifestations.

Methods:

We assembled a systematic review, following the PRISMA guidelines and using
Pubmed as our database. Our aim was to show some peculiarities among patients that present neurological
manifestations in acute porphyria attack. We obtained the patients’ age, sex, clinical presentation,
eurological manifestations and porphyria type of 16 patients. We also evaluated the time
between symptoms onset and neurological manifestations. The average age was 28,4 ± 11,1; 50%
of patients were male.

Results:

AIP was the most prevalent porphyria type. The average time between symptoms onset
and neurological manifestations was of 9,53 ± 11,6 days. Abdominal pain; nausea and vomiting
and psychiatric manifestations were the most common symptoms preceding neurological attacks.
Seizures and consciousness disturbance were the most prevalent findings within an attack. We also
presenting a case to illustrate how difficult this diagnosis can be.
Molecular Evaluation of HIF-1α Gene Variation and Determination of Its Frequency and Association with Breast Cancer Susceptibility in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Mir Rashid , Abu-Duhier Faisel M. , Albalawi Ibrahim A.
Published: September 2020

Aim:

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1α) is responsible in regulating oxygen homeostasis
in tissues and is a central effector of the hypoxic response besides its protein overexpression has been
shown to have prognostic relevance in several cancers including breast cancer. Several reports indicated
that HIF-1α gene variation C1772T (Pro582Ser) is associated with increased breast susceptibility
but results remained controversial. Therefore, we performed the molecular evaluation of HIF-1α gene
variation and determined its frequency and association with Breast Cancer susceptibility in Saudi Arabia.

Methods:

This study was conducted on histologically confirmed Breast cancer patients and gender
matched healthy women. HIF-1α C1772T (Pro582Ser) genotyping was done by Amplification refractory
mutation system PCR method. The HIF-1α gene genotypes were correlated with different clinicopathological
characteristics of breast cancer patients.

Results:

A significant difference was observed in genotype distribution of HIF-1α gene variation
C1772T (Pro582Ser) between breast cancer cases and gender matched healthy controls (P=0.010). Our
findings showed that the HIF- 1α variant was associated with an increased risk of Breast cancer for
HIF-1α CC vs CT genotype OR = 2.20, 95% CI = (1.28 -3.77), P = 0.004) in codominant inheritance
model. The significant association was reported for HIF1A for genotypes CC vs (CT+ TT) OR = 1.98,
95% CI = (1.17-3.34), P = 0.010) in dominant inheritance model tested. In case of recessive inheritance
model, a non-significant association of HIF-1 alpha gene variants was reported for (CC+ CT) vs
TT) OR = 1.03, 95% CI = (0. 064-16.79), P = 0.97). During the allelic comparison, a non-significant
association was reported between A vs C allele among Breast cancer patients. A significant association
of HIF- 1α polymorphism was reported with stage as well as distant metastasis of the disease.

Conclusion:

A significant difference was observed in genotype distribution of HIF-1α gene variation
C1772T (Pro>Ser) between breast cancer cases and gene matched healthy controls (P=0.010). HIF-1α-
CT heterozygosity and CC genotype increased the susceptibility .The HIF-1α polymorphism was reported
to be significantly associated with the distant metastasis of Breast cancer. Further studies with
larger data set and well-designed models are required to validate our findings.
Influence of ESR1 Variants on Clinical Characteristics and Fibromyalgia Syndrome in Turkish Women
Authors: Arslan Habibe S. , Nursal Ayse F. , Inanir Ahmet , Karakus Nevin , Yigit Serbulent
Published: September 2020

Background:

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal
pain. It is more common in women than in men, and sex hormones may play a role in
this predominance. Therefore, this research investigated the clinical findings among Turkish females
and whether Estrogen-α (ESR1) gene variants are associated with FMS.

Methods:

A total of 219 individuals were enrolled in this study. ESR1 variants (PvuII/XbaI) were
genotyped using PCR-RFLP methods. The results of the analyses were evaluated for statistical significance.

Results:

There was a significant association between the ESR1 PvuII and FMS risk among Turkish
women. The ESR1 PvuII CC genotype and C allele were higher in the patients than those in the
controls (p=0.021, p=0.007, respectively). A more statistically significant association was observed
between the patients and the controls in terms of TT genotype vs. TC+CC genotypes
(p=0.022). Also, there was a statistically significant association between the patients and the controls
in terms of TT+TC genotype vs. CC genotypes (p =0.028). There was no significant association
between patients and the control group concerning the genotype distribution and allele frequencies
of ESR1 XbaI (p>0.05). Headache was seen more frequently in the XbaI GA genotype
(p=0.025), while XbaI AA genotype was associated with dysmenorrhea in patients with FMS
(p=0.041).

Conclusion:

Our results indicate that ESR1 PvuII/XbaI variants are possibly effective in the development
of FMS and some clinical features.
Work Engagement and its Relationship with State and Trait Trust: A Conceptual Analysis
Authors: Chughtai Amir Ali , Buckley Finian
Published: September 2020

The main objective of this paper is to highlight the vital role that both state trust (trust in top management, trust in immediate supervisor and trust in co-workers) and trait trust or trust propensity play in the advancement of employee work engagement. This study posits that the relationship between trust and work engagement is mutually reinforcing and leads to an upward spiral effect. That is, high levels of state and trait trust boost work engagement, which in turn augments both forms of trust and so on. Additionally, the current paper also examines the interaction effects of state and trait trust on employees’ work engagement.
Jeremia 52: Oordeel en hoop
Authors: De Waard H.
Published: September 2020

This article examines the place and function of Jeremiah 52 in the book of Jeremiah, with a focus on the Masoretic text. It argues that the first part of Jeremiah 52, which describes the 587 BC fall of Jerusalem, shows how Jeremiah’s judgment oracles were fulfilled—pre-exilic Judah collapsed completely. The second part of the chapter, which describes the 561 BC release of King Jehoiachin, alludes to the book’s prophecies of hope for the exilic community in Babylon. From a biblical-theological perspective, this hope was partially realized in post-exilic Yehud; it has found and will find its full realization in the work of Christ.
Синтез и фотолюминесценция наноразмерных структур на основе сульфидов цинка, кадмия и марганца в полиакрилатной матрице
Authors: Исаева А.А. , Смагин В.П.
Published: September 2020

Photoluminescence of nanoscale structures based on zinc, cadmium and manganese sulfides depending on the conditions of synthesis and doping in the medium (poly)methylmethacrylate (PMMA). Photoluminescence excitation is associated with interband transitions of electrons in the semiconductor structures, absorption of optical radiation energy by defects in the crystal structure, as well as with the transfer of energy to the excited energy levels of Mn2+ ions. Luminescence occurs as a result of recombination processes at the levels of defects in the structure of the surface of particles and 4T1 → 6A1 transitions between the proper energy levels of Mn2+ ions. Based on changes in the photoluminescence spectra and photoluminescence excitation of PMMA/(Zn,Cd,Mn)S compositions, assumptions are made about the structure of particles. It is shown that their photoluminescence is affected by the distribution of Mn2+ ions in the structure of layers and on the surface of particles.
Описание осцилляций намагниченности кремниевой наноструктуры в слабых полях при комнатной температуре. Формула Лифшица--Косевича с переменной эффективной массой носителей
Authors: Романов В.В. , Кожевников В.А. , Машков В.А. , Баграев Н.Т.
Published: September 2020

Развит формализм статистического подхода к описанию осцилляций де Гааза--ван Альфена, известного как формула Лифшица--Косевича, применительно к низкоразмерной системе с зависящей от внешнего магнитного поля эффективной массой носителей. Статистический подход позволяет провести более детальную интерпретацию полученных в эксперименте результатов и провести анализ взаимосвязи обнаруженной нами зависимости эффективной массы носителя с индивидуальными особенностями структуры кремниевого наносандвича, обусловленными формированием в его составе negative-U delta-барьеров. Ключевые слова: формула Лифшица--Косевича, эффект де Гааза-ван Альфена, кремниевый наносандвич, эффективная масса, размерное квантование.