bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Voluntary Wheel Running Has Beneficial Effects in a Rat Model of CKD-Mineral Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD)
Authors: Avin Keith G. , Allen Matthew R. , Chen Neal X. , Srinivasan Shruthi , O’Neill Kalisha D. , Troutman Ashley D. , Mast Garrison , Swallow Elizabeth A. , Brown Mary Beth , Wallace Joseph M. , Zimmers Teresa A. , Warden Stuart J. , Moe Sharon M.
Published: September 2019

Significance Statement

Impaired musculoskeletal health in individuals with CKD reduces their ability to participate in activities and quality of life, and increases the risk of illness, injury, and death. Exercise studies in animals or people with CKD have produced inconsistent results about the potential benefits on the musculoskeletal system and few studies have examined the systemic effects of exercise in CKD. The authors show that 10 weeks of voluntary wheel running in rats with CKD improved multiple systems, including mineral metabolism, left ventricular mass, physical function, and bone health. The results suggest physical activity may help patients with CKD, but further studies are needed to establish the most efficacious modalities and optimal dose.

Background

Reduced bone and muscle health in individuals with CKD contributes to their higher rates of morbidity and mortality.

Methods

We tested the hypothesis that voluntary wheel running would improve musculoskeletal health in a CKD rat model. Rats with spontaneous progressive cystic kidney disease (Cy/+ IU) and normal littermates (NL) were given access to a voluntary running wheel or standard cage conditions for 10 weeks starting at 25 weeks of age when the rats with kidney disease had reached stage 2–3 of CKD. We then measured the effects of wheel running on serum biochemistry, tissue weight, voluntary grip strength, maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max), body composition and bone micro-CT and mechanics.

Results

Wheel running improved serum biochemistry with decreased creatinine, phosphorous, and parathyroid hormone in the rats with CKD. It improved muscle strength, increased time-to-fatigue (for VO2max), reduced cortical porosity and improved bone microarchitecture. The CKD rats with voluntary wheel access also had reduced kidney cystic weight and reduced left ventricular mass index.

Conclusions

Voluntary wheel running resulted in multiple beneficial systemic effects in rats with CKD and improved their physical function. Studies examining exercise interventions in patients with CKD are warranted.
Patrón de crecimiento durante la primera gestación de vaquillonas cruza con padre Brahman y diferente genotipo materno
Authors: Quinteros Pozo Orlando Roberto , José Di Masso Ricardo , Marini Pablo Roberto
Published: September 2019

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar el patrón de crecimiento durante la primera gestación de vaquillonas cruza con padre Brahman y diferente genotipo materno, en la Amazonía Ecuatoriana. Se utilizaron datos retrospectivos de 2304 pesos individuales de 48 vacas cruzas lecheras.  Con ello, se evaluó el comportamiento dinámico del peso corporal de cuatro genotipos: Brahman x Gyr (Gyr) (n=12), Brahman x Brown Swiss (BS) (n=12), Brahman x Jersey (J) (n=12) y Brahman x Sahiwal (S) (n=12), pertenecientes al rodeo lechero del Centro de Investigación, Posgrado y Conservación de la Biodiversidad Amazónica (CIPCA) – Ecuador. Las diferencias entre genotipos en el peso corporal a la preñez y al primer parto no fueron estadísticamente significativas. Se observaron diferencias en la edad a la primera preñez correspondiendo la mayor precocidad a la cruza con madre Brown Swiss y la menor precocidad a las cruzas con Gyr y Sahiwal. Las hembras producto del cruzamiento con Jersey presentaron un comportamiento intermedio. Se observó que, durante su primera gestación, las vaquillonas F1 con padre Brahman y diferente genotipo materno, presentan similar patrón de crecimiento en las condiciones limitantes de la Amazonía Ecuatoriana, respuesta interpretable en términos de interacción genotipo-ambiente negativa.
La Izquierda en la tormenta posmoderna: Los escollos para pensar una política de más justicia social en la era postfáctica
Authors: Dupret Marie-Astrid
Published: September 2019

Para muchos no existe mayor diferencia programática entre la Izquierda y la Derecha. El objetivo de este trabajo es intentar encontrar explicar las razones de este sentimiento de confusión que refleja el malestar político actual. En efecto, con la posmodernidad y la disrupción numérica, la organización social y las subjetividades se han transformado. La promoción de una post-truth politics en la llamada era postfáctica muestra una pérdida de valores éticos, remplazados por discursos fundados en la emotividad. La visión transhumanista del mundo, apoyada por la cibernética y la digitalización, pone de manifiesto la promoción de un ser cuantificado, individualista y liberado del lazo social. Pero encubre el aspecto profundamente antisocial de este nuevo modelo de sociedad que no podría implementarse sin una acentuación de la crisis ecológica. La Izquierda por lo general no ha reflexionado sobre estos cambios ni para reelaborar sus objetivos frente a las presiones mediáticas, ni para repensarse a sí misma, por lo que no ofrece alternativas para contrarrestar al neoliberalismo y a sus efectos desestructuradores. La lucha hacia la reapropiación colectiva de la vida humana y de la naturaleza en contra de la desigualdad, de la privatización y de la monetización podría ser la vía hacia un nuevo ideal de Bien Común, Justicia social e igualdad.
Constitucionalismo abusivo y tutela judicial efectiva El comienzo del quiebre institucional venezolano
Authors: Laise Luciano Damian , Manzo Ugas Gustavo
Published: September 2019

durante las últimas dos décadas Venezuela ha estado sometida a un proceso de cambios políticos muy importantes. En tal lapso se ha aprobado la Constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela (1999) y luego han tenido lugar diversos intentos orientados a reformarla y enmendarla. Además, su texto ha sido interpretado mediante los diferentes mecanismos de control constitucional que ella prevé. Sin embargo, el Tribunal Supremo de Justicia venezolano desde el 2015 ha producido, en sus diferentes Salas, al menos cien sentencias en las cuales se ha influido progresivamente sobre las competencias o atribuciones del poder legislativo; es decir, la Asamblea Nacional. Este trabajo pretende examinar si la sentencia 001 de la Sala Electoral del Tribunal Supremo de Venezuela, del siete de diciembre de 2016 y sus subsecuentes resoluciones judiciales, configuran un caso del llamado ‘constitucionalismo abusivo’ que afecta el derecho fundamental a la tutela judicial y efectiva de las personas afectadas por el citado precedente constitucional. La relevancia de tal precedente es tal que se podría afirmar que en él se consuma la debacle institucional venezolana. Con todo, esa decisión judicial no cayó del cielo, sino que es el resultado final de un ejercicio abusivo de la función judicial que ha emprendido el Tribunal Supremo venezolano desde hace años, como se argumentará en el presente trabajo.
Representaciones sociales en las elites empresariales de la ciudad de Lima, Perú
Authors: López Lozano Rafael Baldomero
Published: September 2019

El presente artículo expone las representaciones de los actores sociales que componen la nación entre un grupo de empresarios y ejecutivos pertenecientes a diversos gremios empresariales de Lima. En ese sentido, el trabajo recoge una serie de narrativas de los entrevistados en donde hacen un recorrido entre su trayectoria personal junto con el contexto que les tocó vivir. De esa forma, el objetivo del presente estudio es compartir las representaciones de las elites económicas más desde la narrativa y el testimonio que desde la estructura. Estas representaciones giran en torno a la representación sobre empresarios, el Estado y distintos grupos sociales. Así, la investigación nace de la necesidad de estudiar a los sectores más privilegiados desde la antropología porque ayuda a entender como en las sociedades latinoamericanas se ejerce el poder. Por ese motivo, exponemos primero el caso de estudio, la metodología empleada y los estudios realizados sobre elites económicas en el Perú.
Methodological Approaches to Homogenous Regional Clusters Formation for Human Capital and Quality of Life Assessment in the Yenisei Siberia Macro-Region
Authors: Bukharova Evgenia B. , Vorontsova Irina P. , Vitkovskaya Ludmila K. , Popelnitskaya Irina M. , Drobyshev Ivan A.
Published: September 2019

The article addresses the approaches to measuring and assessing the limited and specific resource for the economy – human capital – in terms of information support for the quality of life management in the regions where “Yenisei Siberia” integrated investment project is being implemented (hereinafter – “Yenisei Siberia”), given the settlement system features and its professional structure, the current level of economic development and trends in production and demography, as well as the impact of ethnocultural, natural and geographical factors. The quality of life here is considered both as a statistically measurable quantity and as an estimated, subjective category determined by human behavior. It is the peoples’ well-being, based on the quality of life interpretation in the region that supports the human capital formation and its investment behavior, as well as the basis for cutting spatial inequality in the regions through coordination and joint management of the socio-economic spatial development. Taking into account such asymmetry in the socio-economic and socio-cultural situation in the regions, the authors propose an approach to the formation of homogeneous regional clusters for measuring the level of human capital and QOL in the territories of the macro-region of the Yenisei Siberia
Fine-analytic Functions in C ⁿ
Authors: Sadullaev Azimbai
Published: September 2019

In this paper we study class of fine-analytic functions in the multidimensional space C ⁿ: The definition of fine-analytic functions in the multidimensional case differs somewhat from the well-known definition of fine-analytic functions on the plane. We give a relationship between classical notion of fine-analyticity and fine-analyticity in C ⁿ
The de Rham Cohomology through Hilbert Space Methods
Authors: Malass Ihsane , Tarkhanov Nikolai
Published: September 2019

We discuss canonical representations of the de Rham cohomology on a compact manifold with boundary. They are obtained by minimising the energy integral in a Hilbert space of differential forms that belong along with the exterior derivative to the domain of the adjoint operator. The corresponding Euler- Lagrange equations reduce to an elliptic boundary value problem on the manifold, which is usually referred to as the Neumann problem after Spencer
Estado democrático de direito: deslocamentos e ambiguidades na argumentação
Authors: Ericson Sóstenes
Published: September 2019

Neste trabalho, considerando dizeres pronunciados por Dilma Rousseff (2016) e Michel Temer (2017), são analisados os deslocamentos e ambiguidades em funcionamento na argumentação acerca do “Estado Democrático de Direito”. Tendo em conta as contribuições de Courtine (2006) sobre o discurso político, e fazendo uma aproximação com Corten (1999) no que diz respeito ao político “como cena das forças políticas” (p. 38), considera-se o conceito de condições de produção do discurso apresentado por Pêcheux (2009), para analisar as cenas enunciativas (GUIMARÃES, 2002) e nelas os deslocamentos e ambiguidades. Os enunciados apontam para contradições não somente entre governos, mas também entre projetos distintos, orientados a partir de perspectivas de classes sociais antagônicas, produzindo efeitos de sentido sob o simulacro do Estado Democrático de Direito.
As oscilações de estilo no Já Paraíba
Authors: Fulaneti Oriana De Nadai , De Melo Dina Pereira
Published: September 2019

O presente artigo consiste na análise da cobertura de um infanticídio ocorrido em 2013, o caso Fernanda Ellen, pelo jornal sensacionalista Já Paraíba. A leitura das manchetes e reportagens com depoimentos de parentes e policiais envolvidos na investigação mostrou que o éthos do diário sofreu variações que construíram um discurso particularmente distinto da média das matérias comumente publicadas no Já, dada a gravidade das circunstâncias que a tragédia envolvia. Nesse contexto, surge a questão: pode o mesmo diário operar com dois ethé distintos nas coberturas de crimes? Para respondê-la, a contribuição da Semiótica Tensiva pareceu bastante pertinente. Uma análise comparativa entre a cobertura de crimes “previsíveis” contra mulheres e do Caso Fernanda Ellen mostra a existência de gradações de um mesmo ethos no Já Paraíba, além de um frutífero casamento entre Ethos e Semiótica Tensiva.
Epidemic of Loneliness in a Digital Society: Hikikomori as a Cultural and Psychological Phenomenon
Authors: Voiskounsky A.E. , Soldatova G.U.
Published: September 2019

The article discusses the problem of desocialization, namely, loneliness at a young age in relation to the hikikomori phenomenon. Hikikomori are young people who have not left their parental home for at least 6 months, have no friends, refuse to study and work and are not in contact with their closest relatives. This kind of loneliness manifests most vividly in Japan. A number of Japanese psychiatrists believe that hikikomori suffer from a previously non-diagnosed mental disease specific to the Japanese culture. The peculiarities of socialization processes characteristic of the Japanese society are considered. We analyze the specifics of hikikomori’s application of digital technologies, namely, their use of the Net for communication and information exchange. While hikikomori shy away from traditional socializing, they accept digital socializing and socialize more than their peers did before the digital era. Conclusion: mental health professionals are going to come across more young people identifying themselves as hikikomori and adopting their lifestyle if only in some ways.
Features of the Development of the Cognitive Sphere in Children with Different Online Activities: Is There a Golden Mean?
Authors: Soldatova G.U. , Vishneva A.E.
Published: September 2019

The paper presents the results of a comparative study of cognitive functions in preschoolers (5—7 years old, n=50), elementary school students (7—11 years old, n=50), younger adolescents (12—13 years old, n=53), and older adolescents (14—16 years old, n=47) with different intensity of daily use of digital devices: low, medium, controlled high, and uncontrollably high. A battery of neuropsychological methods was used to study the state of cognitive functions. The main differences in accordance with online activity were found in groups of elementary school students and younger adolescents: results were obtained confirming that children using the Internet at medium frequency (1—3 hours per day) are effective in performing a number of cognitive tasks (regulation, control, dynamical praxis, verbal and visual-spatial functions, and neurodynamics). In this study, a certain optimum of online activity time was outlined for different age groups, in the presence of which higher levels of development of certain cognitive functions are recorded.
Psychological Factors of Problematic Internet Use in Adolescent and Young Girls
Authors: Kholmogorova A.B. , Gerasimova A.A.
Published: September 2019

The article introduces a study of the problematic Internet use (PIU) interrelationship with psychological well-being, psychopathological symptoms, and various personality traits. The study involved 432 females aged 14 to 23 years old (M = 17.2, SD = 2) and evaluated with Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale (GPIUS3), Ten Item Personality Measure (TIPI), Perfectionism Inventory, Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale (HSNS), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Well-Being Index (WHO-5), and Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). The results indicate that PIU is associated with various psychopathological symptoms and a decrease in psychological well-being. According to multiple linear regression analysis, hypersensitive narcissism, perfectionism, and phobic anxiety are found to be significant predictors of PIU. Protective factors are Conscientiousness of the Big Five and the level of psychological well-being. The paper suggests risk and protective factors that must be considered when preventing the Problematic Internet Use in adolescent and young girls.
Dynamics of Risk Factors of Heart Diseases Under Influence of Remote Medical-Psychological Consulting
Authors: Sirota N.A. , Sivakova O.V. , Yaltonsky V.M.
Published: September 2019

The problem of preventive treatment of people displaying risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (RF CVD) is extremely important. At the same time, despite the proven high efficacy of prevention of CVD, the compliance is still low. In this regard, it is important to develop new approaches to control and improve the profile of RF CVD. The article presents the results of the application of innovative methods of medical and psychological counseling. This methodology combines the most important achievements of three major developing areas of work with the patient: 1) medical psychology (using the methods of motivational counseling, coping prevention, etc.); 2) therapy and cardiology; 3) the use of modern remote digital technologies. The results of the study show the effectiveness of the method of remote medical and psychological counseling to monitor and improve the profile of RF CVD.
Políticas curriculares em Santa Catarina: exercício coletivo e alcances de um observatório de pesquisa
Authors: Thiesen Juares Silva , Cerny Rosely Zen , Durli Zenilde
Published: September 2019

O artigo resulta de pesquisa em desenvolvimento no âmbito do Observatório de Políticas Curriculares de Santa Catarina (OPCSC), vinculado à Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. E tem por objetivo analisar aspectos relativos ao processo e ao alcance do exercício coletivo de pesquisa-formação a partir da trajetória do Observatório. Com base na abordagem qualitativa, orientou-se pela observação participante nos encontros dos pesquisadores e na análise dos documentos/textos produzidos no âmbito da pesquisa coletiva. No conjunto, as evidências em termos de resultados, demonstram o exitoso exercício da pesquisa-formação e a potência da investigação coletiva envolvendo os objetos de interesse do Observatório no campo dos estudos curriculares.
As teias de interesses e influências nas redes de políticas educativas na América Latina e Caribe
Authors: Fiera Letícia
Published: September 2019

Neste artigo procura-se compreender as múltiplas determinações em relação ao compromisso com a privatização da educação pública latino-americana. Observa-se a constituição de uma rede política de grupo de empresários, grupos econômicos, instituições financeiras e organismos multilaterais que se organizaram e se articularam para incidir nas tomadas de decisões nas políticas educativas dos países latino-americanos, notadamente o Movimento Todos pela Educação, no Brasil, e a Rede Latino-americana de Organizações da Sociedade Civil para a Educação. No desenvolvimento metodológico, procedemos ao levantamento e análise de fontes primárias (documentos oficiais, institucionais e relatórios) e secundárias (pesquisas e produções sobre o tema). Além disso, utilizamos a metodologia de análise de redes sociais. Como resultado, observamos que as redes influenciam nas estratégias e alianças que nos permitem compreender de forma mais complexa a interdependência e o contexto da política públicas em educação.
A SZAKFORDÍTÁS GONDJAI KÉTNYELVŰ KÖZÖSSÉGBEN
Authors: ANDRIĆ Edit
Published: September 2019

A dolgozatban a fordításnak, mint az emberi tevékenység sajátos formájának általános kérdéseivel foglalkozom, majd rátérek a szakterminológia és a szakfordítás jellemzőire. Ezek után a szakfordítás problémáit taglalom kisebbségi viszonyokban. Tekintettel arra, hogy a Vajdaságban fordított szakszövegek túlnyomó többségét a jogi tárgykörű szövegek fordításai képezik, a szerbiai nyelvhasználati jogok bemutatását követően a dolgozat további részében a kisebbségi magyar jogi terminológia sajátosságait mutatom be.
Implications of Hf Isotopes for the Evolution of the Mantle Source of Magmas Associated with the Giant El Teniente Cu-Mo Megabreccia Deposit, Central Chile
Authors: Stern Charles R. , Pang Kwan-Nang , Lee Hao-Yang , Skewes M. Alexandra , Arévalo Alejandra
Published: September 2019

We have determined Hf isotopic compositions of 12 samples associated with the giant El Teniente Cu-Mo deposit, Chile. The samples range in age from ≥8.9 to 2.3 Ma and provide information about the temporal evolution of their magmatic sources from the Late Miocene to Pliocene. Together with previously published data, the new analysis indicate a temporal decrease of 10 εHf(t) units, from +11.6 down to +1.6, in the 12.7 m.y. from 15 to 2.3 Ma. These variations imply increasing incorporation of continental crust through time in the magmas that formed these rocks. The fact that the samples include mantle-derived olivine basalts and olivine lamprophyres suggests that these continental components were incorporated into their mantle source, and not by intra-crustal contamination (MASH). We attribute the increase, between the Middle Miocene and Pliocene, of crustal components in the subarc mantle source below El Teniente to be due to increased subduction erosion and transport of crust into the mantle. The deposit formed above a large, long-lived, vertically zoned magma chamber that developed due to compressive deformation and persisted between the period ~7 to 4.6 Ma. Progressively more hydrous mantle-derived mafic magmas feed this chamber from below, providing heat, H2O, S and metals, but no unique “fertile” Cu-rich magma was involved in the formation of the deposit. As the volume of these mantle-derived magmas decreased from the Late Miocene into the Pliocene, the chamber crystallized and solidified, producing felsic plutons and large metal-rich magmatic-hydrothermal breccias that emplaced Cu and S into the older (≥8.9 Ma) mafic host rocks of this megabreccia deposit.
Groundwater Quality Assessment for Drinking and Agricultural Purposes in Tabriz Aquifer, Iran
Authors: Asadi Esmaeil , Isazadeh Mohammad , Samadianfard Saeed , Ramli Mohammad Firuz , Mosavi Amir , Shamshirband Shahab , Chau Kwok-Wing
Published: September 2019

The key goal of the current study was to determine suitable areas of water pumping for drinking and agricultural harvest in Tabriz aquifer, located in East Azerbaijan province, northwest Iran. In the study area, groundwater is the key foundation of water for drinking and farming requirements. Groundwater compatibility study was conducted by analyzing Electrical conductivity (EC), Total dissolved solids (TDS), Chloride (Cl), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Sulfate (SO4), Total hardness (TH), Bicarbonate (HCO3), pH, carbonate (CO3) and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) obtained from 39 wells in the period of 2003 to 2014. For this purpose, the Water Quality Index (WQI) and irrigation water quality (IWQ) index were utilized. The WQI index zoning exposed that the groundwater of the study area for drinking purposes is categorized as excellent, good and poor water. Most drinking water harvested for urban and rural areas are in the class of 'excellent water'. The results revealed that about 37 percent (296 km2) of groundwater has high compatibility, and 63 percent of the study area (495 km2) has average compatibility for agricultural purposes. The trend of IWQ and WQI indexes demonstrates that the groundwater is getting worse over the time.
Predictive and Prognostic Factors in HCC Patients Treated with Sorafenib
Authors: Brunetti Oronzo , Gnoni Antonio , Licchetta Antonella , Longo Vito , Calabrese Angela , Argentiero Antonella , Delcuratolo Sabina , Solimando Antonio Giovanni , Casadei Gardini Andrea , Silvestris Nicola
Published: September 2019

Sorafenib is an oral kinase inhibitor that enhances survival in patients affected by advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). According to the results of two registrative trials, this drug represents a gold quality standard in the first line treatment of advanced HCC. Recently, lenvatinib showed similar results in terms of survival in a non-inferiority randomized trial study considering the same subset of patients. Unlike other targeted therapies, currently predictive and prognostic markers in HCC patients treated with sorafenib are lacking. Their identification could help clinicians in the daily management of these patients, mostly in light of the new therapeutic options available in the first.
Immunoinformatics-guided Designing of Peptide Vaccine against Lassa Virus with Dynamic and Immune Simulation Studies
Authors: Sayed Sifat Bin , Nain Zulkar , Abdullah Faruq , khan Md. Shakil Ahmed , Haque Zahurul , Rahman S.M. Raihan , Tasmin Rubaia , Adhikari Utpal Kumar
Published: September 2019

Lassa virus (LASV) is responsible for a type of acute viral haemorrhagic fever referred to as Lassa fever. Lack of adequate treatment and preventive measures against LASV resulted in a high mortality rate in its endemic regions. In this study, a multi-epitope vaccine was designed using immunoinformatics as a prophylactic agent against the virus. Following a rigorous assessment, the vaccine was built using T-cell (NCTL=8 and NHTL=6) and B-cell (NLBL=4) epitopes from each LASV-derived protein with suitable linkers and adjuvant. The physicochemistry, immunogenic potency and safeness of the designed vaccine (~68 kDa) were assessed. In addition, chosen CTL and HTL epitopes of our vaccine showed 97.37% worldwide population coverage. Besides, disulphide engineering also improved the stability of the chimeric vaccine. Molecular docking of our vaccine protein with toll-like receptor (TLR2) showed binding efficiency followed by dynamic simulation for stable interaction. Furthermore, higher levels of cell-mediated immunity and rapid antigen clearance were suggested by immune simulation and repeated-exposure simulation, respectively. Finally, the optimized codons were used in in silico cloning to ensure higher expression within E. coli K12 bacterium. With further assessment both in vitro and in vivo, we believe that our proposed peptide-vaccine would be potential immunogen against Lassa fever.
Immunoinformatics-Guided Designing of Peptide Vaccine against Lassa Virus with Dynamic and Immune Simulation Studies
Authors: Bin Sayed Sifat , Nain Zulkar , Abdullah Faruq , khan Md. Shakil Ahmed , Haque Zahurul , Rahman S.M. Raihan , Tasmin Rubaia , Adhikari Utpal Kumar
Published: September 2019

Lassa virus (LASV) is responsible for a type of acute viral haemorrhagic fever referred to as Lassa fever. Lack of adequate treatment and preventive measures against LASV resulted in a high mortality rate in its endemic regions. In this study, a multi-epitope vaccine was designed using immunoinformatics as a prophylactic agent against the virus. Following a rigorous assessment, the vaccine was built using T-cell (NCTL=8 and NHTL=6) and B-cell (NLBL=4) epitopes from each LASV-derived protein with suitable linkers and adjuvant. The physicochemistry, immunogenic potency and safeness of the designed vaccine (~68 kDa) were assessed. In addition, chosen CTL and HTL epitopes of our vaccine showed 97.37% worldwide population coverage. Besides, disulphide engineering also improved the stability of the chimeric vaccine. Molecular docking of our vaccine protein with toll-like receptor (TLR2) showed binding efficiency followed by dynamic simulation for stable interaction. Furthermore, higher levels of cell-mediated immunity and rapid antigen clearance were suggested by immune simulation and repeated-exposure simulation, respectively. Finally, the optimized codons were used in in silico cloning to ensure higher expression within E. coli K12 bacterium. With further assessment both in vitro and in vivo, we believe that our proposed peptide-vaccine would be potential immunogen against Lassa fever.
Intelligent Active Queue Management Using Explicit Congestion Notification
Authors: Gomez Cesar A. , Wang Xianbin , Shami Abdallah
Published: September 2019

As more end devices are getting connected, the Internet will become more congested. A variety of congestion control techniques have been developed either on transport or network layers. Active Queue Management (AQM) is a paradigm that aims at mitigating the congestion on the network layer by active buffer control to avoid overflow. However, finding the right parameters for an AQM scheme is challenging, due to the complexity and dynamics of the networks. On the other hand, the Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) mechanism is a solution that makes visible incipient congestion on the network layer to the transport layer. In this work, we propose to exploit the ECN information to improve AQM algorithms by applying Machine Learning techniques. Our intelligent method uses an artificial neural network to predict congestion and an AQM parameter tuner based on reinforcement learning. The evaluation results show that our solution can enhance the performance of deployed AQM, using the existing TCP congestion control mechanisms.
Network of Interactions between ZIKA Virus Non-structural Proteins and Human Host Proteins
Authors: Golubeva Volha A. , Nepomuceno Thales C. , de Gregoriis Giuliana , Mesquita Rafael D. , Li Xueli , Garcez Patricia P. , Suarez-Kurtz Guilherme , Izumi Victoria , Koomen John , Carvalho Marcelo A. , Monteiro Alvaro N.A.
Published: September 2019

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne Flavivirus and can be transmitted through an infected mosquito bite or through human-to-human interaction by sexual activity, blood transfusion, breastfeeding or perinatal exposure. After the 2015-2016 outbreak in Brazil, a strong link between ZIKV infection and microcephaly emerged. ZIKV specifically targets human neural progenitor cells, suggesting that proteins encoded by ZIKV bind and inactivate host cell proteins leading to microcephaly. Here, we present a systematic annotation of interactions between human proteins and the seven non-structural ZIKV proteins corresponding to a Brazilian isolate. The interaction network was generated by combining tandem-affinity purification followed by mass spectrometry with yeast two-hybrid screens. We identified 150 human proteins, involved in distinct biological processes, as interactors to ZIKV non-structural proteins. Our interacting network is composed of proteins that have been previously associated with microcephaly in human genetic disorders and/or animal models. This study builds on previously published interacting networks of ZIKV and genes related to autosomal recessive primary microcephaly to generate a catalog of human cellular targets of ZIKV proteins implicated in processes related to microcephaly in humans. Collectively, this data can be used as a resource for future characterization of ZIKV infection biology and help create a basis for the discovery of drugs which may disrupt the interaction and reduce the health damage to the fetus.
Current Status of Stem Cell Therapy for Thromboangiitis Obliterans (Buerger's Disease)
Authors: Peyvandi Hassan , Dash Biraja C. , Ndon Sifon U. , Gabrick Kyle Steven , Alipour Athena  Alipour , Persing John A. , Hsia Henry C.
Published: September 2019

Buerger's disease or Thromboangiitis Obliterans (TAO) is a nonatherosclerotic segmental vascular disease which affects small and medium arteries and veins in the upper and lower extremities. Based on pathological findings, TAO can be considered as a distinct form of vasculitis that is most prevalent in young male smokers. There is no definitive cure for this disease as therapeutic modalities are limited in number and efficacy. Surgical bypass has limited utility and 24% of patients will ultimately require amputation. Recently, studies have shown that therapeutic angiogenesis and immunomodulatory approaches through the delivery of cells to target tissues are potential options for ischemic lesion treatment. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of TAO treatment and provide an overview of stem cell-based treatment modalities.
InSAR and Landsat ETM+ incorporating with CGPS and SVM to Determine Subsidence Rates and Effects on Mexico City
Authors: Poreh Davod , Pirasteh Saied
Published: September 2019

This study presents an analysis of subsidence rates and their effects on Mexico City. Mexico City is well known for its subsidence as a result of excess water withdrawal for many years. This study focuses on this problem utilizing the integration of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), Continuous Global Positioning Systems (CGPS), and optical remote sensing data. Fifty-two ENVISAT-ASAR, nine GPS stations, and one Landsat ETM+ image from Mexico City area have been analyzed to prepare a better understanding of the subsidence rates and its effects on Mexico City’s commune. This study has utilized InSAR methods. It includes differential interferometry and Persistent Scatter Interferometry (PSI) to monitor the existing subsidence in the Mexico City area. The InSAR data covers the temporal baseline between 2002 until June 2010, and the GPS data include temporal baseline from 1998 until 2012. Maximum of 352 mm annually change in Line Of Sight (LOS) direction is in agreement with the previous geodetic studies. InSAR data have been compared with CGPS data at the same time interval. The finding of this study reveals a high amount of correlation (up to 0.98) between two independent geodetic methods. We also implemented the Support Vector Machine (SVM) analysis method based on Landsat ETM+ image to classify Mexico City’s populated density area. This method performed comparing the subsidence rates with populated area buildings. This integrated study shows that the fastest subsidence zone (i.e., areas greater than 100 mm/yr) in the over mentioned temporal baseline occurs in the high and sparsely populated areas
Orbits Connectivity and the False Asymptotic Behavior at Iterated Functions with Lyapunov Stability
Authors: Roberto Telles Charles
Published: September 2019

By defining a constant probabilistic orbit of and iterated functions, the stability dynamics of these functions in possible interactions through connectivity provides the formation of a dynamic fixed point as a metric space between both iterated functions. The presence of a dynamic fixed point identifies qualitatively phases of iteration time lengths and interaction orbits of the event. Qualitative results show that the greater the average distance from one of the functions to the fixed point of the other (all possible solutions), the higher the iteration expression on time (false asymptotic effect) of one of the functions and in the opposite hand, the lower the average distance, the higher orbit’s interactions proximity between iterated functions (stability). This feature reveals asymptotic (well-defined) behavior between functions f and g within a well-defined Lyapunov stability.
Electrochemical Synergies of Heterostructured Fe2O3-MnO Redox Couple for Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Water Splitting
Authors: Kim Junyeong , Heo Jun Neoung , Do Jeong Yeon , Chava Rama Krishna , Kang Misook
Published: September 2019

For efficient electrode development in an electrolysis system, Fe2O3, MnO, and heterojunction Fe2O3-MnO materials were synthesized via a simple sol-gel method. These particles were coated on a Ni-foam electrode, and the resulting material was used as an electrode to be used during an oxygen evolution reaction (OER). A 1000-cycle OER test in a KOH alkaline electrolyte indicated that the heterojunction Fe2O3-MnO/NF electrode exhibited the most stable and highest OER activity: it exhibited a low overvoltage (n) of 370 mV and a small Tafel slope of 66 mV/dec. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated that the excellent redox performance contributed to the synergy of Mn and Fe, which enhanced the OER performance of the Fe2O3-MnO/NF electrode. Furthermore, the effective redox reaction of Mn and Fe indicated that the structure maintained stability even under 1000 repeated OER cycles.
Are Karst Rocky Desertification Areas Affected by Increasing Human Activity in Southern China? An Empirical Analysis from Nighttime Light Data
Authors: Shi Kaifang , Yang Qingyuan , Li Yuanqing
Published: September 2019

Due to remarkable socioeconomic development, an increasing number of karst rocky desertification areas have been severely affected by human activities in southern China. Effectively analyzing human activities in karst rocky desertification areas is a critical prerequisite for managing and restoring areas with tremendous negative impacts from desertification. At present, a timely and accurate way of quantifying the spatiotemporal variations of human activities in karst rocky desertification areas is still lacking. In this communication, we attempted to quantify human activities from the corrected NPP-VIIRS nighttime light data from 2012 to 2018 based on statistical analysis. The results show that a significant increase of night lights could be clearly identified during the study period. The total nighttime lights (TL) related to severe karst rocky desertification (S) were particularly concentrated in Guizhou and Yunnan. The nighttime light intensity (LI) related to the S areas in Chongqing were the strongest due to its rapid socioeconomic development. The annual growth rate of nighttime lights (GL) has been slow or even negative in Guangdong because of its various karst rocky desertification restoration programs. This communication could provide an effective approach for quantifying human activities and provide useful information about where prompt attention is required for policy-making on the restoration of the karst rocky desertification areas.
Performance of Winter Wheat Cultivars Grown Organically and Conventionally with Focus on Fusarium Head Blight
Authors: Góral Tomasz , Łukanowski Aleksander , Małuszyńska Elżbieta , Stuper-Szablewska Kinga , Buśko Maciej , Perkowski Juliusz
Published: September 2019

Growing acreage and changing consumer preferences cause increasing interest in the cereal products originating from organic farming. Lack of results of objective test, however, does not allow drawing conclusions about the effects of cultivation in the organic system and comparison to currently preferred conventional system. Field experiment was conducted in organic and conventional fields. Thirty modern cultivars of winter wheat were sown. They were characterized for disease infection including Fusarium head blight, seed sowing value, the amount of DNA of the six species of Fusarium fungi as well as concentration of ergosterol and trichothecenes in grain. The intensity of the diseases occurring in wheat canopy was at a similar level in both systems. Increased Fusarium colonization expressed as ergosterol level or DNA concentration for the organic system did not reflect in an increased accumulation of trichothecenes in grain. However, we found lower sowing value of organically produced seeds. Significant differences between analyzed cropping systems and experimental variants were found. The selection of the individual cultivars for organic growing in terms of resistance to diseases and contamination of grain with Fusarium toxins was possible. Effects of organic growing differ significantly from the conventional and grain obtained such way can be recommended to consumers. There are indications for use of particular cultivars bred for conventional agriculture in the case of organic farming, and the growing organic decreases plant stress resulting from intense fertilization and chemical plant protection.
Associations of Various Nighttime Noise Exposure Indicators with Objective Sleep Efficiency and Subjective Sleep Quality: A Field Study
Authors: Röösli Martin , Brink Mark , Rudzik Franziska , Cajochen Christian , Ragettli Martina S. , Flückiger Benjamin , Pieren Reto , Vienneau Danielle , Wunderli Jean-Marc
Published: September 2019

It is unclear which noise exposure time window and noise characteristics during nighttime are most detrimental for sleep quality in real life settings. We have conducted a field study with 105 volunteers wearing a wrist actimeter to record their sleep during seven days, together with concurrent outdoor noise measurements at their bedroom window. Actimetry recorded sleep latency increased by 5.6 minutes (95% confidence interval: 1.6 to 9.6 minutes) per 10 dB(A) increase in noise exposure during the first hour after bedtime. Actimetry assessed sleep efficiency was significantly reduced by 2-3 percent per 10 dB(A) increase in measured outdoor noise (Leq, 1h) for the last three hours of sleep. For subjectively reported sleepiness, noise exposure during the last hour prior to wake up was most crucial with an increase in the sleepiness score of 0.31 units (95% CI: 0.08 to 0.54) per 10 dB(A) Leq,1h. Associations for estimated indoor noise were not more pronounced than for outdoor noise. Considering noise events in addition to equivalent sound pressure levels (Leq) only marginally improved the statistical models. Our study provides evidence that matching the nighttime noise exposure time window to the individual’s diurnal sleep-wake pattern results in a better estimate of detrimental nighttime noise effects on sleep. We found that noise exposure at the beginning and the end of the sleep is most crucial for sleep quality.
Role of Infill Drilling in Increasing Reserves of the Western Desert of Egypt: Case Studies
Authors: Awaad Ahmed H. , El-Maraghi Ahmed M. , Gawad Ashraf Abdel , El-Banbi Ahmed H.
Published: September 2019

In 2010, Qarun Petroleum Company (QPC) started an extensive infill-drilling campaign in the Western Desert of Egypt for nine fields, aiming to improve recovery after waterflooding. The well spacing was reduced to half of its original value, and all infill wells were producers. In this paper, we present some key findings from the success stories and lessons learned from the failure cases.

The fields of Samra, Asala, Diyur, North Diyur, Yomna, E Bah-C, E Bah-D, E Bah-E, and E Bah-F were developed by waterflooding either from the start of production or after a short period of depletion production. After approximately 2 years of production, high-water-production rates were observed although these fields did not achieve their planned recovery. Several analyses were carried out and showed that significant remaining oil existed. Reasons identified for bypassed oil include lateral-pay discontinuities, completion inconsistencies, and a high level of heterogeneity.

Drilling a significant number of infill wells was the key technology suggested to recover bypassed reserves. Initially, the well spacing was approximately 450 m between producer/producer and injector/injector pairs. The well spacing was reduced to a maximum of 300 m to connect pay intervals better, especially for the Upper Baharyia (UBah) Formation reservoir, owing to its high complexity and heterogeneity level.

After implementing the infill drilling within the nine main fields, a comprehensive monitoring plan was executed to observe the recovery improvement. Six fields (i.e., Samra, Asala, Diyur, North Diyur, Yomna, and E Bah-D) recorded additional reserves by infill drilling and the other three fields (i.e., E Bah-C, E Bah-E, and E Bah-F) did not achieve the expected increase. Comprehensive integrated analyses revealed that the heterogeneity level and maturity (age) of the waterflood were the main controlling factors in the success of infill drilling.

Five main lessons learned are presented (supported with data) for the successful implementation of infill drilling in low-permeability and heterogeneous reservoirs. Analysis workflows are presented for waterflood-candidate selection and for infill-drilling evaluation.
Adaptive laboratory evolution of heat tolerance in Streptococcus thermophilus BIOPOP-1 and BIOPOP-2 under gradually increasing heat temperature
Authors: Min Bonggyu , Kim Kkotnim , Li Vladimir , Kim Younghoon , Kim Heebal
Published: September 2019

Background Streptococcus thermophilus is one of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), as such, has been commonly used in the production of fermented dairy foods during past decades. However, LAB including S. thermophilus struggle to survive at temperatures above 60°C, which are applied during manufacturing processes, such as pasteurization that can inhibit cell proliferation and promote cell death. Although there are many studies on S. thermophilus , no research regarding its heat tolerance in over 60°C has been done yet. In this study, a method of adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was implemented in an attempt to increase the upper thermal threshold of two S. thermophilus strains of LAB found in South Korea. Results To develop heat tolerant LABs, heat treatment was continuously applied to bacteria by increasing temperature from 60°C until the point of not being detected. The results indicated significant increase in temperature tolerance of ALE strains compared to the wild type (WT) strains. In addition, ALE strains acquired cross protection from various stress conditions like acid, bile salts and salinity. The improved heat tolerance of ALE strains showed higher survival rate during long term storage at sub-zero temperatures compared to the wild type strains. Fatty acid analysis indicated that saturated fatty acid ratio of ALE strains was higher than that of WT cells. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrated that this ALE method can be utilized to improve bacterial tolerance against various environmental stresses. Adaptive evolution under heat stress might be applied in the various industries.
A proteomic approach to understand the impact of nodulation on salinity stress response in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
Authors: Wang Yafang , Zhang Pan , Hu Tianming , Wu Yajun , Yang Peizhi
Published: September 2019

Background Symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legumes is an important source of nitrogen supply in sustainable agriculture. Salinity is a key abiotic stress that negatively affects host plant growth, rhizobium-legume symbiosis and nitrogen fixation.Results To explore how the symbiotic relation impacts plant response to salinity, we assayed the proteome profile of alfalfa plants with active nodules (NA), inactive nodules (NI) or without nodules (NN) when plants were subjected to salinity stress. Our data suggested that NA plants respond to salinity stress through some unique signaling regulations. NA plants showed an upregulation of proteins related to cell wall remodeling and reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and a down-regulation of proteins involved in protein synthesis and degradation. The data also showed that NA plants, together with NI plants, upregulated proteins in photosynthesis, carbon fixation and respiration, anion transport, and plant defense to pathogens.Conclusions The data suggest that the symbiotic relations conferred the host plant a better capacity to adjust the key processes, probably to more efficiently use energy and resources, deal with oxidative stress, and maintain ion homeostasis and healthy status during salinity stress.