bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uncertainty-aware workflow migration among edge nodes based on blockchain
Authors: Xu Zhanyang , Geng Qingfan , Cao Hao , Wang Chuanjian , Liu Xihua
Published: November 2019

Workflow is one of the most typical applications in distributed computing, which makes a variety of complex computing work orderly. However, assigning workflow tasks to nodes in the process of multi-node collaboration is still a challenge, because there are some unpredictable emergencies, i.e., uncertainty, in the process of workflow scheduling. The paper proposes a blockchain-powered resource provisioning (BPRP) method to solve the above problems. Technically, we use the directed acyclic graph in the graph theory to represent the workflow task and optimize the workflow scheduling strategy in the presence of uncertainty. The processing time and energy consumption of workflow tasks are also optimized by using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm III (NSGA-III). Finally, we carry out experimental simulations to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Prognostic prediction models for pregnancy complications in women with gestational diabetes: a protocol for systematic review, critical appraisal and meta-analysis
Authors: Cooray Shamil D. , Boyle Jacqueline A. , Soldatos Georgia , Wijeyaratne Lihini A. , Teede Helena J.
Published: November 2019

Background

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is increasingly common and has significant implications during pregnancy and for the long-term health of the mother and offspring. However, it is a heterogeneous condition with inter-related factors including ethnicity, body mass index and gestational weight gain significantly modifying the absolute risk of complications at an individual level. Predicting the risk of pregnancy complications for an individual woman with GDM presents a useful adjunct to therapeutic decision-making and patient education. Diagnostic prediction models for GDM are prevalent. In contrast, prediction models for risk of complications in those with GDM are relatively novel. This study will systematically review published prognostic prediction models for pregnancy complications in women with GDM, describe their characteristics, compare performance and assess methodological quality and applicability.

Methods

Studies will be identified by searching MEDLINE and Embase electronic databases. Title and abstract screening, full-text review and data extraction will be completed independently by two reviewers. The included studies will be systematically assessed for risk of bias and applicability using appropriate tools designed for prediction modelling studies. Extracted data will be tabulated to facilitate qualitative comparison of published prediction models. Quantitative data on predictive performance of these models will be synthesised with meta-analyses if appropriate.

Discussion

This review will identify and summarise all published prognostic prediction models for pregnancy complications in women with GDM. We will compare model performance across different settings and populations with meta-analysis if appropriate. This work will guide subsequent phases in the prognosis research framework: further model development, external validation and model updating, and impact assessment. The ultimate model will estimate the absolute risk of pregnancy complications for women with GDM and will be implemented into routine care as an evidence-based GDM complication risk prediction model. It is anticipated to offer value to women and their clinicians with individualised risk assessment and may assist decision-making. Ultimately, this systematic review is an important step towards a personalised risk-stratified model-of-care for GDM to allow preventative and therapeutic interventions for the maximal benefit to women and their offspring, whilst sparing expense and harm for those at low risk.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO registration number CRD42019115223
The influence of ergonomic breastfeeding training on some health parameters in infants and mothers: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Afshariani Raha , Kiani Marjan , Zamanian Zahra
Published: November 2019

Background

Breastfeeding is considered as a protective factor against non-communicable diseases in infants and mothers. The first aim of this study was to assess the influence of ergonomic breastfeeding training on the infants’ growth. The second aim was to investigate the effectiveness of this training for improving musculoskeletal disorders in mothers.

Methods

In this randomized control trial, 104 participants who were referred to the health centers in Shiraz for breastfeeding care were randomly allocated into the intervention or comparison group using a size-four block sampling method. At birth, 2, 4, and 6 months later childbirth, Rapid Upper Limb Assessment was used to assess musculoskeletal disorders in participants, and the severity of their discomfort was measured with the Visual Analog Scale. During the 6 months of the study (March to September, 2017), the weight and height of the neonates were measured every 2 months.

Results

Significant differences were found between groups in the priority level for corrective action in mothers’ postures determined by Rapid Upper Limb Assessment at 2, 4 and 6 months after childbirth (p < 0.001). Based on the Visual Analog Scale results in mothers at 6 months after childbirth, fewer back pain was reported by the intervention group (p = 0.03). No significant difference were found in the infants’ weights and heights in boys and girls at all growing stages between the two study groups (p > 0.05). However, the mean height for age of the girl infants at age of 6 months was higher among intervention groups compared to the controls (p = 0.01).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that ergonomic breastfeeding training reduced the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in mothers but seems not to have any significant and consistent impact on the infants’ growth.

Trial registration

fa.irct.ir IRCT2014042317398N1.
Advances and perspectives of PARP inhibitors
Authors: Yi Ming , Dong Bing , Qin Shuang , Chu Qian , Wu Kongming , Luo Suxia
Published: November 2019

DNA damage repair deficiency leads to the increased risk of genome instability and oncogenic transformation. In the meanwhile, this deficiency could be exploited for cancer treatment by inducing excessive genome instability and catastrophic DNA damage. Continuous DNA replication in cancer cells leads to higher demand of DNA repair components. Due to the oncogenic loss of some DNA repair effectors (e.g. BRCA) and incomplete DNA repair repertoire, some cancer cells are addicted to certain DNA repair pathways such as Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-related single-strand break repair pathway. The interaction between BRCA and PARP is a form of synthetic lethal effect which means the simultaneously functional loss of two genes lead to cell death, while defect in any single gene has a slight effect on cell viability. Based on synthetic lethal theory, Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) was developed aiming to selectively target cancer cells harboring BRCA1/2 mutations. Recently, a growing body of evidence indicated that a broader population of patients could benefit from PARPi therapy far beyond those with germline BRCA1/2 mutated tumors. Numerous biomarkers including homologous recombination deficiency and high level of replication pressure also herald high sensitivity to PARPi treatment. Besides, a series of studies indicated that PARPi-involved combination therapy such as PARPi with additional chemotherapy therapy, immune checkpoint inhibitor, as well as targeted agent had a great advantage in overcoming PARPi resistance and enhancing PARPi efficacy. In this review, we summarized the advances of PARPi in clinical application. Besides, we highlighted multiple promising PARPi-based combination strategies in preclinical and clinical studies.
A review of the seismotectonics of the Makran Subduction Zone as a baseline for Tsunami Hazard Assessments
Authors: Mokhtari Mohammad , Ala Amjadi Ahmad , Mahshadnia Leila , Rafizadeh Mandana
Published: November 2019

The Makran Accretionary Wedge (900 km across) is a consequence of northward subduction of the oceanic part of the Arabian Plate beneath the Lut and Afghan blocks in the northwestern Indian Ocean. It has a complicated tectonic setting as it is located at a triple junction with the Indian Plate. Thick sedimentary layers, a shallow angle of the subducting slab and a large width of the subduction zone, ca. 500–600 km from volcanic arc to active wedge front, are some of the foremost and distinctive characteristics of the Makran Subduction Zone (MSZ). The MSZ is likely divided into at least two segments: the west and the east possibly separated by a sinistral fault known as the Sonne Fault. A division is also inferred from seismicity as it is higher in the east when compared to the west. With the exception of a notable trench, all other characteristics of an accretionary prism observed in well-studied subduction zone can be identified or inferred in the Makran. Three long seismic profiles of the western Makran (200 km long each, with shot points interval of 20 km and receivers interval of 700 m) have recently been acquired. Using these datasets, improved structural/velocity models for the western Makran were developed. This review aims to contribute to achieving a better understanding of the seismotectonic setting and dynamics of the Makran Subduction Zone as it feeds to a refined understanding of the tsunami hazard in the region.
Augmented reality-based navigation system applied to tibial bone resection in total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Tsukada Sachiyuki , Ogawa Hiroyuki , Nishino Masahiro , Kurosaka Kenji , Hirasawa Naoyuki
Published: November 2019

Background

This pilot study was performed to examine the accuracy of the AR-KNEE system, an imageless navigation system using augmented reality (AR) technology for total knee arthroplasty. The AR-KNEE system enables the surgeon to view information from the navigation superimposed on the surgical field on a smartphone screen in real time.

Methods

Using the AR-KNEE system, one surgeon resected 10 tibial sawbones with viewing the tibial axis and aiming varus/valgus, posterior slope, internal/external rotation angles, and resection level superimposed on the surgical field. We performed computed tomography of the resected sawbones and measured the varus/valgus, posterior slope, and internal/external rotation angles using a designated computer software. The thickness of the resected bone was measured using digital calipers.

Results

The absolute differences between the values displayed on the smartphone screen and the measurement values for varus/valgus, posterior slope, internal/external rotation angles, and thickness of the resected bone were 0.5° ± 0.2°, 0.8° ± 0.9°, 1.8° ± 1.5°, and 0.6 mm ± 0.7 mm, respectively.

Conclusions

This pilot study using sawbones suggested that the AR-KNEE system may provide reliable accuracy for coronal, sagittal, and rotational alignment in tibial bone resection during total knee arthroplasty.
Drivers of nest survival rate in a southern Tunisian population of Laughing Doves (Spilopelia senegalensis)
Authors: Boukhriss Jihen , Selmi Slaheddine
Published: November 2019

Background

Investigating the ecological factors and processes shaping nest survival is of great importance for assessing the breeding success of bird populations and understanding their spatio-temporal dynamics. Here, this question is addressed for the Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis), an expanding Afro-tropical bird in the Tunisian oasis habitat.

Methods

This study took place in Kettana oasis, in south-eastern Tunisia. Natural Laughing Dove nests were searched for and monitored by means of regular visits, from the discovery date until the end of the breeding attempt (i.e. fledging or failure). Data were then used to investigate the relevance of laying date, nest age (days after clutch initiation), nest height and vegetation structure in the close nest tree environment as predictors of daily nest survival rate, using logistic-exposure models that accounted for heterogeneity in monitoring period among the studied nests. Models including different combinations of covariates were ranked according to their AICc scores, and the model-averaging technique was used for the assessment of the effects of covariates on daily nest survival rate.

Results

Vegetation structure in the close nest tree environment and nest age provided important predictors of daily nest survival rate, whereas neither nest height nor laying date showed significant effects. Daily nest survival rate was negatively associated with the presence of date palm trees in the close nest tree environment, but it was positively related to nest age. Daily nest survival rate was higher during the post-hatching stage than during the pre-hatching stage.

Conclusions

Nests placed on fruit trees close to clumps of palm trees suffered higher predation risks compared to those placed on fruit trees situated far from palm trees. This is probably because palm tree clumps provided refuges for nest predators, notably the Black Rat (Rattus rattus) which has been reported to be the main nest predator in the oasis habitat. The predatory activity of this rodent seemed more directed against eggs than nestlings, which may explain the observed increase in daily survival rate with nest age.
Down regulation of cotton GbTRP1 leads to accumulation of anthranilates and confers resistance to Verticillium dahliae
Authors: MIAO Yuhuan , ZHU Longfu , ZHANG Xianlong
Published: November 2019

Background

Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae, is called a “cancer” disease of cotton. The discovery and identification of defense-related genes is essential for the breeding of Verticillium wilt-resistant varieties. In previous research we identified some possible broad-spectrum resistance genes. Here, we report a tryptophan synthesis-related gene GbTRP1 and its functional analysis in relation to the resistance of cotton to V. dahliae.

Results

Expression analysis shows that GbTRP1 is suppressed at 1 h and 6 h post V. dahliae infection, but activated at 12 h and 24 h, and the expression of GbTRP1 is highly induced by treatment with salicylic acid and jasmonic acid. Sub-cellular localization studies show that GbTRP1 is localized in the chloroplast. Suppression of GbTRP1 expression leads to lesion-mimic phenotypes and activates the immune response in cotton by showing enhanced resistance to V. dahliae and B. cinerea. Metabolomic analysis shows that anthranilic compounds significantly accumulated in GbTRP1-silenced plants, and these metabolites can inhibit the growth of V. dahliae and B. cinerea in vitro.

Conclusions

Our results show that suppression of GbTRP1 expression dramatically activates the immune response and increases resistance of cotton to V. dahliae and B. cinerea, possibly due to the accumulation of anthranilate compounds. This study not only provides genetic resources for disease resistance breeding, but also may provide a basis for new chemical control methods for combatting of fungal disease in cotton.
Genotypes and phenotypes of patients with Lafora disease living in Germany
Authors: Brenner David , Baumgartner Tobias , von Spiczak Sarah , Lewerenz Jan , Weis Roger , Grimmer Anja , Gaspirova Petra , Wurster Claudia D. , Kunz Wolfram S. , Wagner Jan , Minassian Berge A. , Elger Christian E. , Ludolph Albert C. , Biskup Saskia , Döcker Dennis
Published: November 2019

Background

Lafora progressive myoclonus epilepsy (Lafora disease) is a rare, usually childhood-onset, fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by biallelic mutations inEPM2A(Laforin) orEPM2B(NHLRC1; Malin).The epidemiology of Lafora disease in Germany is largely unknown. The objective of this retrospective case series is to characterize the genotypes and phenotypes of patients with Lafora disease living in Germany.

Methods

The patients described in this case series initially had the suspected clinical diagnosis of Lafora disease, or unclassified progressive myoclonus epilepsy. Molecular genetic diagnostics including next generation sequencing-based diagnostic panel analysis or whole exome sequencing was performed.

Results

The parents of four out of the 11 patients are nonconsanguineous and of German origin while the other patients had consanguineous parents. Various variants were found inEPM2A(six patients) and inEPM2B(five patients). Eight variants have not been reported in the literature so far. The patients bearing novel variants had typical disease onset during adolescence and show classical disease courses.

Conclusions

This is the first larger case series of Lafora patients in Germany. Our data enable an approximation of the prevalence of manifest Lafora disease in Germany to 1,69 per 10 million people. Broader application of gene panel or whole-exome diagnostics helps clarifying unclassified progressive myoclonus epilepsy and establish an early diagnosis, which will be even more important as causal therapy approaches have been developed and are soon to be tested in a phase I study.
Impact of vitamin D supplementation on cardio-metabolic status and androgen profile in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: placebo-controlled clinical trial
Authors: Rashad Nearmeen M. , Abd El-Fatah Azza H. , Lashin Mohamed El-Bakry , Abomandour Hala G. , Allam Reem M.
Published: November 2019

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous disorder of reproductive, endocrine, and metabolic functions. Vitamin D has an influence on metabolic and reproductive functions. This study was designed to explore the levels of free 25 hydroxycholecalciferol [25(OH)-D] in PCOS patients. We also aimed to clarify the impact of vitamin D supplementation on cardio-metabolic status, androgen profile, and clinical features of PCOS.

Results

Our results revealed significant lower levels of serum 25(OH)-D in PCOS women compared with healthy controls. Even more importantly, our results reported that 25(OH)-D levels were negatively correlated with cardio-metabolic risk factors, androgenic profile, and clinical features of PCOS. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), fasting serum insulin (FSI), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were the main predictors of 25(OH)-D levels among other clinical and laboratory biomarkers. Considering the impact of VD supplementation in the PCOS group, there were significant improvements of cardio-metabolic risks, PCOS phenotype, and androgenic profile. Even more important, these results are associated with increasing 25(OH)-D serum levels after VD supplementations. Logistic regression analysis observed that androstenedione, FSI, and hirsutism score were independent predictors of response to VD supplementation.

Conclusion

The supplementation of VD for 12 weeks improved the cardio-metabolic and androgenic profiles of PCOS. Furthermore, VD supplementation could be a promising treatment of PCOS and its associated morbidity in PCOS-deficient women.

Trial registration

NCT04117750
Energy-Representation Theory of Solutions: Its Formulation and Application to Soft, Molecular Aggregates
Authors: Matubayasi Nobuyuki
Published: November 2019

The energy-representation theory of solutions is developed to address the dissolution of a molecule in homogeneous fluid as well as the partitioning into such nanoscale structures as micelle and lipid membrane and the physisorption onto gas-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces in a unified manner as solvation in an extended sense. The present review describes the formulation of the solution theory with illustrative applications to the peptide configuration in lipid membrane, the water dissolution into polymer, and the physisorption on urea crystal in contact with liquid water. The solution theory in the energy representation is a density-functional scheme formulated by adopting the solute-solvent pair interaction energy as a one-dimensional coordinate for distribution functions and provides an approximate functional for the solvation free energy in terms of energy distribution functions in the reference-solvent and solution systems of interest. Each of the solute and solvent molecules is treated as a single unit as a whole, and due to this feature, a species with intramolecular flexibility and a solvent system with nano-scale inhomogeneity or interface can be analyzed in a common framework. The role of water is pointed out in determining the configuration of a peptide in lipid membrane, and the dissolution of water into polymer medium is described at chemical accuracy. Some directions of future developments are also discussed.
Putative autoantibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer’s disease patients
Authors: Lim Bryant , Tsolaki Magda , Batruch Ihor , Anastasiou Anna , Frontistis Antonis , Prassas Ioannis , Diamandis Eleftherios P.
Published: November 2019

Background: Recent efforts have described an immunogenic component to the pathobiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, current methods of studying fluid autoantibodies, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and immunohistochemistry, are hypothesis-driven and not optimal for discovering new autoantibody biomarkers by proteome-wide screening. Recently, we developed a general mass spectrometry-based approach to identify tissue-specific autoantibodies in serum, at a proteome-wide level. In this study, we adapted the method to explore novel autoantibody biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AD and PD patients.

Methods: CSF samples were obtained from 10 headache control individuals, 10 AD patients and 10 PD patients. Antibodies present in the CSF were isolated by immobilization to protein-G magnetic beads. These antibodies were incubated with a brain tissue extract, prepared from frontal cortex, pons, cerebellum and brain stem. Protein antigens captured by the protein-G magnetic bead-bound antibodies were digested with trypsin and analyzed using mass spectrometry. Autoantibody candidates were selected by 1) detection in one or less individuals of the control group and 2) identification in at least half of the patient groups.

Results: There were 16 putative autoantibody biomarkers selected from the AD group. Glia-derived nexin autoantibody was detected in eight of ten AD patients and was absent in the control group. Other AD pathology-related targets were also identified, such as actin-interaction protein, quinone oxidoreductase, sushi repeat-containing protein, metalloproteinase inhibitor 2, IP3 receptor 1 and sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2. An additional eleven autoantibody targets were also identified in the present experiment, although their link to AD is not clear. No autoantibodies in the PD group satisfied our selection criteria.

Conclusion: Our unbiased mass spectrometry method was able to detect new putative CSF autoantibody biomarkers of AD. Further investigation into the involvement of humoral autoimmunity in AD and PD pathobiology may be warranted.
Access to family planning for youth: perspectives of young family planning leaders from 40 countries
Authors: Cartwright Alice F. , Otai Jane , Maytan-Joneydi Amelia , McGuire Courtney , Sullivan Emily , Olumide Adesola , Baye Easton Catherine , Speizer Ilene S.
Published: November 2019

Background: With growing populations of young people, low and middle-income countries have renewed focus on reaching both unmarried and married youth with family planning (FP) services. Young people themselves bring an important perspective to guide future programmatic directions.

Methods: In October 2018, 207 youth leaders in FP from around the world completed an online survey prior to their participation at the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP). These youth leaders provided their perspectives on the most important influencers for youth FP use, how easy or hard it is for youth to obtain FP, preferred sources of FP methods for youth, and perceptions of commonly used terms in FP programming. We examined differences in perceptions of unmarried and married youth’s access to and use of FP using bivariate analyses.

Results: Respondents reported that peers/friends were the most important influencer on use of FP among unmarried youth (80.2%), while spouse/partner was the most important for married youth (80.4%). Oral contraceptive pills, injectable contraception, and contraceptive implants were perceived as significantly harder for unmarried youth to access. Privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity were all important factors for the locations to access FP for unmarried youth, while married youth were more influenced by cost. None of the commonly used terms for FP were perceived positively by a majority of respondents, with the exception of ‘birth spacing’ by African respondents (51.0%).

Conclusions: These findings indicate that the preferences and needs of unmarried youth are different than married youth, but that all young people face barriers accessing FP. Unmarried youth seeking FP are more influenced by peers and friends and continue to face difficulty accessing methods compared to married youth. These findings indicate the importance of including youth perspectives in development of youth-focused family planning programs.
Actual problems and methodology of construction science
Authors: Федоров Виктор , Fedorov Viktor , Субботин Сергей , Subbotin Sergey , Баркая Темур , Barkaya Temur , Скудалов Павел , Skudalov Pavel
Published: November 2019

The manual is focused on the formation of a General idea of modern construction science, its main achievements and problems. The typology of the main scientific directions, key and actual problems of construction science is offered, bases of methodology of their decision are considered. The presented systematic approach to the phenomenon of construction science is designed to provide the level of training necessary to solve the most complex professional problems.
Meets the requirements of the Federal state educational standards of higher education of the last generation.
For graduate students studying in the direction of training 08.04.01 "Construction", and graduate students.
Formation of Change Support Teams As a New Tool for Personnel Management in the Organization
Authors: Brykalov S. , Balyberdin A. , Krylova E.
Published: November 2019

The article describes the main principles of Change management in the organization, the main barriers rising out of the Change management implementation in terms of employees’ attitude to innovations. Approaches to change management in the organization according to John Kotter are analyzed as well. This article is devoted to describing the original experience of forming change support teams at one of the industrial enterprises of the nuclear industry (JSC Afrikantov OKBM), reviewing the original organization of work and the matrix of distribution of functions between the main participants, as well as presenting practical results and economic eff ects from the work of the TOC.
The Mothership and Drone Routing Problem
Authors: Poikonen Stefan , Golden Bruce
Published: November 2019

The mothership and drone routing problem (MDRP) considers the routing of a two-vehicle tandem. The larger vehicle, which may be a ship or an airplane, is called the mothership; the smaller vehicle, which may be a small boat or unmanned aerial vehicle, is called the drone. We assume that there exists a set of target locations T. For each t in T, the drone must launch from the mothership, visit t, and then return to the mothership to refuel. The drone has a limited range of R time units. In the MDRP, we assume that both mothership and drone operate in the “open seas” (i.e., using the Euclidean metric). We also introduce the mothership and infinite-capacity drone routing problem (MDRP-IC), where a drone launches from the mothership and visits one or more targets consecutively before returning to the mothership. Our exact approach uses branch and bound, where each node of the branch-and-bound tree corresponds to a potential subsequence of the order of target visits. A lower bound at each node is given by solving a second-order cone program, which optimally chooses a launch point and landing point for each target in the subsequence. A set of heuristics that also uses a second-order cone program as an embedded procedure is presented. We show that our schemes are flexible to accommodate a variety of additional constraints and/or objective functions. Computational results and interesting variants of the MDRP and MDRP-IC are also presented.
Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Evaluation of Benzimidazole - Dihydroartemisinin Hybrids as Potential Dual Acting Antimalarial Agents
Authors: Ajima Ukpe , Onah Johnson Ogoda , Wannang Noel Nenman
Published: November 2019

Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by various species of the Plasmodium parasite. In 2016, there were about 216 million cases resulting in 445,000 deaths, with sub-saharan Africa bearing the heaviest burden of the disease. The currently recommended treatment for malariaÂ  are combination therapies containing Artemisinin (ACTâ€™s). However, the effectiveness of the Artemisinins is being compromised by the emergence of resistance to the drug and this amplifies the need for new antimalarial drugs. The Benzimidazole scaffold is one of the privileged structures in medicinal chemistry and is associated with a number of biological activities including antimalarial activity which may be through inhibition of the Plasmodial plasmepsin II enzyme. The present study utilizes the concept of molecular hybridization to synthesize hybrid compounds that contain two pharmacophores, acting through two distinct mechanisms. The aim is to improve efficacy and possibly prevent or slow down the emergence of parasite resistance. To confirm their structures, the conjugates were purified by chromatography and characterized using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Mass spectrometry and Infra-red spectroscopy. Antimalarial activities of the hybrids were evaluated in-vitro against the 3D7 strain of Plasmodium falciparum using the parasite Lactate dehydrogenase assay. The hybrids were successfully synthesized with yields ranging from 63.48 percent to 67.60 percent and were all active against the parasite. The Mebendazole conjugate of dihydroartemisinin showed the highest activity with IC50 of 6.861 nM and 6.967 nM for the 5-Benzimidazolecarboxylic acid conjugate of dihydroartemisinin. All the compounds showed statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in activity as compared to Dihydroartemisinin and Chloroquine alone. These hybrid compounds with improved physicochemical and pharmacological properties may serve as templates for the development of a new class of anitmalarial drugs, which possess advantages over existing drugs in terms of effectiveness and also the ability to overcome the problem of resistance during malaria chemotherapy.
Kinetic and thermodynamic adsorption of nickel (II) onto hydroxyapatite prepared from Snakehead (Channa striata) fish bone
Authors: Hariani Poedji Loekitowati , Muryati Muryati , Said Muhammad Said
Published: November 2019

Biomaterial exploration base on solid waste has been an attractive issue, particularly regarding economic and environmental demand. This work aimed to extract hydroxyapatite from snakehead fishbone through precipitation method and used to remove Ni(II). The hydroxyapatite product was characterized by using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) method. Batch adsorption experiment includes pH solution, contact time and Ni(II) concentration. Pseudo-first order and pseudo-second-order were used to investigate the reaction mechanism and kinetic model, while adsorption equilibrium was evaluated according to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm. XRD and FTIR spectra confirmed that hydroxyapatite was successfully extracted. The molar ratio (Ca/P) of hydroxyapatite was found at 1.70. The particle size of the hydroxyapatite was 48.77 nm. The pseudo-second-order is appropriate to describe the kinetic model while the adsorption mechanism follows Langmuir isotherm, which has an adsorption capacity of 5.359mg/g. The thermodynamic evaluation suggested the adsorption of Ni(II) is spontaneous in the endothermic process.
QSAR studies combined with DFT-calculations and Molecular docking of polyamine-sensitive inhibitors of the NMDA receptor
Authors: Mazigh Mohamed , El’mbarki Charif , Hadni Hanine , Elhallaoui Menana
Published: November 2019

A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) was carried out to analyze inhibitory activity of 35 compounds, new polyamine-sensitive inhibitors of the NMDA receptor, using multiple linear regression (MLR), artificial neural networks (NN), and the molecular descriptors were calculated using DFT method. This study shows that the compounds' activity correlates reasonably well with six selected descriptors by MLR method. The correlation coefficients calculated by MLR and after that by NN, R =0.878 and R =0.978 respectively, are relatively kind to evaluate the proposed quantitative model, and to predict activity for new polyamine-sensitive inhibitors of the NMDA receptor. The test of the performance of the NN model, using a cross-validation method with a leave-one-out procedure (LOO) shows that the predictive power of this model is relevant (R=0.966). The constitutional molecular descriptors (nN and nHBD) have the most significant impact in the formulation of the QSAR model. The molecular docking investigations exploring the influence of the structural differences in the interaction potency demonstrate that the number of N atoms expressed by multiple hydrogen bonds helps the ligand to be fixed to NR2B subtype of NMDA receptor.
Molecular detection and typing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci isolated from cattle, animal handlers, and their environment from Karnataka, Southern Province of India
Authors: Venugopal Nimita , Mitra Susweta , Tewari Rituparna , Ganaie Feroze , Shome Rajeswari , Rahman Habibur , Shome Bibek R.
Published: November 2019

Background and Aim: Methicillin-resistant staphylococci are among the emerging pathogens which have become a threat to both human and animal health. The present investigation intended to examine the occurrence and the molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS) recovered from cattle, its handlers, and their environment. Materials and Methods: A total of 666 specimens were subjected to culture method and genus-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the identification of Staphylococcus. Methicillin resistance was substantiated by PCR identification of mecA and mecC resistance determinants. Species-specific identification of mecA positive isolates was conducted by multiplex PCR. The unidentified species were deciphered by 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach. The mecA positive isolates were further characterized by staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Results: Duplex PCR identified 728 Staphylococcus isolates, of which 66 (9%) were positive for mecA gene. MRSA constituted 24% of the total mecA positive isolates. Among MRCoNS, Staphylococcus epidermidis (42%), and Staphylococcus haemolyticus (11%) were the most common species identified. Overall, 47% of the mecA positive isolates belonged to SCCmec type V. MLST analysis showed eight different sequence types (STs) among MRSA isolates of which five were novel STs. Among methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis, 19 different STs were found, of which nine novel STs were detected. Conclusion: The increase in the prevalence of mecA positive staphylococci, especially MRCoNS in cattle is a great concern in view of their transmission potential. Hence, continuous monitoring and molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant staphylococci should be elucidated in human and animal sectors so as to prevent the spread of these resistant pathogens.
Comparatismo cimarrón: un método supranacional
Authors: Croce Marcela
Published: November 2019

El artículo establece la necesidad de desarrollar una teoría y un método enunciados desde Latinoamérica para abordar la cultura latinoamericana, libre de los modelos de academias metropolitanas que postulan abolir el colonialismo pero operan una colonización intelectual sobre el mismo objeto abordado.La propuesta consiste en una variante del comparatismo que articula la dimensión comarcana postulada por Ángel Rama, la cual permite organizar segmentos dentro de la cultura continental, y la dimensión supranacional que se ofrece como síntesis respecto de los abordajes transnacionales. Además de trazar los principios de este comparatismo que se aparta de la formulación clásica del método e incorpora teorías propiamente latinoamericanas, el texto presenta a Brasil como ejemplo puntual de abordaje comparatista respecto de Hispanoamérica.
Destacado aporte en el campo de la italianística
Authors: Sforza Nora
Published: November 2019

Buenos Aires: Biblos, 2018.
La noción de potencia normativa europea y su incidencia en la doctrina española
Authors: Rodríguez Prieto Victoria
Published: November 2019

Desde la dimensión más normativista/idealista de la teoría crítica, I. Manners fue capaz de elaborar la noción de potencia normativa europea la cual surge, en un primer momento, en el conocido artículo “Normative Power Europe: Acontradiction in terms?” publicado en el Journal of Common Market Studies en 2002. Desde entonces, dicha noción pasó a formar parte del denominado mainstream de los estudios de área de la UE siendo considerada como uno de los conceptos más innovadores. Ciertamente, su impacto ha sido significativo, aunque heterogéneo, de ahí que los académicos (especialmente los autores españoles) presenten posturas divergentes respecto al mismo. No obstante, pese a estas diferencias, es innegable cómo esta nueva noción ha enriquecido significativamente las perspectivas más tradicionales desde un enfoque innovador y singular.
España y Estados Unidos: un análisis contemporáneo de una relación controvertida
Authors: Tovar Ruiz Juan
Published: November 2019

La relación España-EE. UU. ha sido una de las más importantes desde la perspectiva de la política exterior española. A pesar de su carácter controvertido por la generación de diferentes disensos en las fuerzas políticas y de la relativa falta de reconocimiento oficial por parte de los líderes españoles, su naturaleza vital es clara debido a los importantes intereses en juego para España. El artículo pretende analizar la relevancia estratégica de la relación, las rupturas y continuidades producidas en las dos últimas décadas y las consecuencias de los últimos cambios políticos para el futuro de la relación bilateral.
OPTIMIZED METHOD OF NETWORK PACKET ROUTING
Authors: Kotlyarov A. S.
Published: November 2019

In the paper we review the possibility of using a block search method for network packets routing tasks in high-speed computer networks. The method provides minimization of hardware costs for large-scale routing tables. To support the maximum data transfer rate, it is necessary to perform real-time routing of packets. The existing solution presumes concurrent use of several routing devices. Each device performs independent search of records by the bisection method. However, if the channel rate exceeds 10 Gb/sec, and the number of routs exceeds 220, it leads to high hardware costs. To reduce hardware costs, we have suggested to use a modified block search method, which differs from the classic one by parallel-pipeline form of search. We have presented evaluation of the minimum field-programmable gate array hardware costs for the network packets routing task. Analysis of the results has proved efficiency of the suggested method in comparison with existing solutions. As a result, the hardware costs were reduced in 5 times.
Социальные боты как инструмент развития гражданского участия
Authors: Василькова Валерия Валентиновна , Легостаева Наталья Игоревна , Радушевский Владимир Борисович
Published: November 2019

Статья посвящена социальным ботам — автоматизированным программным комплексам, позволяющим распространять информацию с большой скоростью и эффективностью, в том числе за счет имитации поведения реальных пользователей социальных сетей. В силу резонансных процессов использования социальных ботов, в первую очередь в политической коммуникации (электоральные практики, астротурфинг, манипуляция общественным мнением и др.), в фокус внимания исследователей попадают «злонамеренные» боты. Авторы статьи придерживаются более широкого подхода к социальным ботам, рассматривая их как нейтральный инструмент информационного воздействия, который может использоваться различными социальными агентами как в целях распространения манипулятивной дезинформации, так и в целях конструктивной пропаганды интересов различных групп гражданского общества, создавая «эффект мегафона». В этом плане предлагается рассматривать использование социальных ботов как инструмента для реализации различных форм гражданского участия. В связи с этим в статье решаются следующие задачи: 1) анализ источников, описывающих практики использования социальных ботов для расширения гражданского участия в разных странах; 2) выявление и описание социальных ботов в социальной сети «ВКонтакте», используемых гражданскими активистами. Для этого применяется: 1) комплексная авторская методика, объединяющая метод частотного анализа размещаемых сообщений, профайлинг бот-аккаунтов, включающий статичный и поведенческий анализ данных профиля пользователя, визуализацию графов соотношения «текст — автор», анализ структурной организации бот-сети (ботнета), а также анализ контента публикаций; 2) дополнительная методика по всплескам сетевой публикационной активности. В результате были выявлены три ботнета («Обманутые дольщики ЛенСпецСтроя», «Новости жителей Кудрово», «Новости жителей Мурино»), анализ контента которых позволяет говорить о реализации ими различных форм гражданского участия: представление интересов групп гражданского общества, призыв к совместным активным действиям в онлайн- и офлайн-пространстве, социальный контроль за деятельностью чиновников, обеспечение прозрачности информации, поступающей от государственных и бизнес-структур.

Благодарность. Исследование выполнено в рамках гранта РФФИ 18-011-00988 «Структура бот-пространства онлайн социальных сетей: сетевой анализ". Исследования проведены с использованием оборудования ресурсного центра Научного парка СПбГУ «Центр социологических и Интернет-исследований».
Корпоративные войны и иные способы тестирования решений проблем системы электронного здравоохранения в Чили
Authors: Годой Серхио Хосе , Бастиас Габриэль
Published: November 2019

Как и во многих других странах ОЭСР, система оказания медицинских услуг населению в Чили испытывает большое давление в связи с большой продолжительностью жизни и увеличением доли пожилого населения. Нехватка мер превентивного характера указывает на  то, что система вмешивается лишь тогда, когда нужно устранить значительные проблемы со здоровьем.  Задача является дорогостоящей из-за растущего числа пожилых людей. На основе данных автоматизированного колл-центра и специального интернет-сайта авторы статьи протестировали прототип онлайн-ресурса Bienestando по профилактике здоровья среди пожилых чилийцев. Сервис Bienestando родился благодаря тому преимуществу, что  уровень распространения интернета в стране высок, а целевая группа широко пользуется им с целью получения информации о здоровье.

Данная статья – скорее попытка предвидеть  то, как покажет себя стратегия популяризовать данный ресурс,  нежели описать сам прототип и его эффект. Авторы использовали многосторонний подход к информированию населения по вопросам здоровья, комбинируя его с  методами конкурентной разведки, а именно: редкое сочетание корпоративных военных игр и анализа сценариев. Обычно эти прогностические методики используются в стратегическом бизнес планировании. В данном исследовании они были применены для выработки правдоподобных способов обобщения результатов исследования. Такой подход согласуется с научными принципами, частью которых является установка на использование научного знания для решения конкретных проблем;  в данном случае в целях содействия профилактике здоровья в связи с процессом старения населения в Чили.
PENYUSUNAN ZONA KONSERVASI DAN PEMANFAATAN AKUIFER BEBAS PADA CEKUNGAN AIRTANAH PAGATAN KABUPATEN TANAH BUMBU, KALIMANTAN SELATAN
Authors: Harjanto Agus , Putranto Thomas Triadi , David Widyanto
Published: November 2019

Pagatan groundwater basin is located on Tanah Bumbu Regency, South Kalimantan Province with 506.714 Ha or 13,5%  from South Kalimantan total area. The increasing of population also affect the water demand as a human primary need. As one of the best sources for clean water, groundwater is being intensively extracted to fulfill the need of clean water until it becomes uncontrollable and damage the supply and demand equilibrium. This groundwater extraction has been turning uncontrollaby and decreasing the quantity and quality of groundwater. The purpose of this study is to know the water tables, to know the quality of groundwater, to determine the category of conservation zone and areas to be protected, and suitability of spatial planning of the region with conservation zone of research area. The method for this research is qualitative observation and descriptive. The method of observation is the measurement of water table, and sampling of wells, while the method of analysis is data processing which is done based on primary and secondary data obtained on field research data to determine the zone of conservation and groundwater utilization in in research area.The result showed that unconfined groundwater aquifers have groundwater flow pattern spreading flow towards South and Southwest. From the 150 groundwater samples, there are 9 samples that do not meet the requirements for drinking water.The construction of groundwater conservation zone is based on groundwater availability factor, the similarity of groundwater damage.
Perbaikan Proses Produksi Antosianin dari Kelopak Bunga Rosella dengan Ekstraksi Berbantuan Ultrasound
Authors: Triyastuti Meilya Suzan , Djaeni Mohamad
Published: November 2019

Kelopak bunga rosella mengandung senyawa bioaktif diantaranya Antosianin. Kelopak bunga rosella mempunyai pigmen berwarna ungu yang berpotensi sebagai zat pewarna alami untuk menggantikan pewarna sintetis Violet GB. Pigmen warna ungu ini berasal dari senyawa antosianin. Namun senyawa antosianin ini mudah terdegradasi pada temperatur diatas 70°C, sehingga diperlukan metode ekstraksi yang tepat pada kondisi optimum. Metode yang digunakan yaitu ekstraksi dengan bantuan gelombang ultrasonik (Ultrasound Assisted Extraction) dan dioptimasi menggunakan software Design Expert. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kondisi optimum ekstraksi pada waktu ekstraksi 15 menit, rasio sampel dan pelarut 15 gr/ml dan temperatur ekstraksi 50°C dengan kadar antosianin sebesar 206,996 ppm
Grenzstellenarbeit in transnationalen Arbeitsumgebungen
Authors: Bredenkötter Bastian
Published: November 2019

Der Artikel nutzt den ‚Workscapes‘-Ansatz von Felstead, Jewson und Walters, um die Grenzstellenarbeit von Expatriate-Managern in multinationalen Unternehmen (MNUs) zu untersuchen. Er schlägt vor, die Arbeitsumgebung von Expatriates als ‚transnational workscape‘ zu beschreiben, und zeigt, dass die Merkmale dieser transnationalen Arbeitsumgebung – die Translokalität von Arbeitsstätten und die Transkulturalität des ‚neuen‘ Büros – mit Herausforderungen einhergehen, deren Bewältigung zu den zentralen Aspekten der Arbeit als Boundary-Spanner in MNUs zählt und folgenreich für die Arbeits- und Lebensbedingungen der Beschäftigten ist. Der Artikel führt damit einen konzeptionellen Rahmen in die deutschsprachige Diskussion um die neuen Räume der Arbeit und zugleich eine raumsensible Perspektive in die Expatriate-Forschung ein und demonstriert ihren Nutzen. Mit den Begriffen der ‚transnationalen Arbeitsumgebung‘ und des ‚transkulturellen Büros‘ werden zudem Beiträge zur Weiterentwicklung des Workscapes-Ansatzes geleistet, indem diesem eine systematische Perspektive auf die Globalisierung von Arbeit hinzugefügt wird.