bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ilmu Hukum Berparadigma Pancasila di Era Globalisasi: Sebuah Tantangan Liberalisasi Ekonomi dan Teknologi
Authors: Rahmatullah Indra , Atikah Ika
Published: November 2022

The liberalization of economy and technology in globalization cause philosophical problem to the jurisprudence paradigm in Indonesia because of its capitalism ideology which full of capital owners interests and monopolies that harm small and medium enterprises. Meanwhile, liberalization on technology which is considered free from any ideology, is not separable from capitalism which controls technological sophistication that causes the ideological disruption of a nation (new colonialism). The purpose of this study is to analyze the relevance of Pancasila which is the philosophical bases of the jurisprudence paradigm in Indonesia when faced the globalization. To analyze this problem, this article uses normative legal research method with philosophical approach. Pancasila as the guardian of the ideology of the Indonesia state has very strategic and significant role in maintaining the philosophy of law that is constantly evolving in responding the globalization from ontology, epistemology and axiology aspects. The five precepts of Pancasila are dynamic and accommodating ideological-philosophical bases for the development of jurisprudence in facing the current challenges.
Comparison of Recent Meta-Heuristic Optimization Algorithms Using Different Benchmark Functions
Authors: DİRİK Mahmut
Published: November 2022

Meta-heuristic optimization algorithms are used in many application areas to solve optimization problems. In recent years, meta-heuristic optimization algorithms have gained importance over deterministic search algorithms in solving optimization problems. However, none of the techniques are equally effective in solving all optimization problems. Therefore, researchers have focused on either improving current meta-heuristic optimization techniques or developing new ones. Many alternative meta-heuristic algorithms inspired by nature have been developed to solve complex optimization problems. It is important to compare the performances of the developed algorithms through statistical analysis and determine the better algorithm. This paper compares the performances of sixteen meta-heuristic optimization algorithms (AWDA, MAO, TSA, TSO, ESMA, DOA, LHHO, DSSA, LSMA, AOSMA, AGWOCS, CDDO, GEO, BES, LFD, HHO) presented in the literature between 2021 and 2022. In this context, various test functions, including single-mode, multi-mode, and fixed-size multi-mode benchmark functions, were used to evaluate the efficiency of the algorithms used.
Prevention and management of secondary central nervous system lymphoma
Authors: Bobillo Sabela , Khwaja Jahanzaib , Ferreri Andrés J.M. , Cwynarski Kate
Published: November 2022

Secondary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma (SCNSL) is defined by the involvement of the CNS, either at the time of initial diagnosis of systemic lymphoma or in the setting of relapse, and can be either isolated or with synchronous systemic disease. The risk of CNS involvement in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is approximately 5%; however, certain clinical and biological features have been associated with a risk of up to 15%. There has been growing interest in improving the definition of patients at increased risk of CNS relapse, as well as identifying effective prophylactic strategies to prevent it. SCNSL often occurs within months of the initial diagnosis of lymphoma, suggesting the presence of occult disease at diagnosis in many cases. The differing presentations of SCNSL create the therapeutic challenge of controlling both the systemic disease and the CNS disease, which uniquely requires agents that penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Outcomes are generally poor with a median overall survival of approximately 6 months in retrospective series, particularly in those patients presenting with SCNSL after prior therapy. Prospective studies of intensive chemotherapy regimens containing high-dose methotrexate, followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have shown the most favorable outcomes, especially for patients receiving thiotepa-based conditioning regimens. However, a proportion of patients will not respond to induction therapies or will subsequently relapse, indicating the need for more effective treatment strategies. In this review we focus on the identification of high-risk patients, prophylactic strategies and recent treatment approaches for SCNSL. The incorporation of novel agents in immunochemotherapy deserves further study in prospective trials.
Factors of cell immunity under exposure to the Eimeria spp
Authors: Duda Y. , Prus M.
Published: November 2022

One of the actual problems in farming rabbits is a decrease of their resistance, that is often conditioned by the availability of eimeriosis pathogens, which is significantly widespread both in foreign countries and in Ukraine. A lot of researchers studied the particular qualities of the development of prothymeriosis immunity, the role of lymphocyte populations, and the antigenic composition at various stages of development of eimeria. The aim of the research was to study the influence of the association of pathogens Eimeria sрp. with different levels of invasion intensity on indicators of cellular immunity of rabbits. For the experiments, analogue groups of male rabbits of the Californian breed aged 3-5 months were selected. During scatological research, we have found that rabbits with eimeriosis had different levels of invasion intensity (II), according to which the animals were divided into three groups: I - low level of invasion intensity (II = 1838.89 ± 1114.68 oocysts in 1 g of feces), II - medium level (II = 39787.50 ± 13422.34 oocysts in 1 g of feces) and group III - high level (II = 88578.57 ± 17776.32 oocysts in 1 g of feces). In the blood of all rabbits with eimeriosis (association of the pathogens Eimeria magna, E. media, E. perforans, E. stiedae) there were leukocytosis, absolute lymphocytosis against the background of relative segmented neutropenia regardless of the intensity of invasion. At the same time, in the blood of animals of all experimental groups, in comparison with the control, the number of eosinophils was significantly (p <0.001) higher in absolute and percentage (p <0.05) values. The same pattern has been found for basophiles. The absolute number of T- and B-lymphocytes, T-helpers and T-active lymphocytes was significantly higher compared to a low percentage of O-lymphocytes. So, if sick rabbits have pathogens of Eimeria spp., the defense mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity with the participation of blood cells are activated. With an increase in the intensity of eimeriosis invasion in the blood of sick animals, the number of leukocytes, eosinophils and basophils increases against the background of a decrease in the percentage of segmented neutrophils. In the blood of rabbits with eimeriosis, a higher percentage of B-lymphocytes was noted, which had a weak positive correlation (r=0.28) with the level of invasion intensity, and a smaller number of O-lymphocytes.
Key words: eimeriosis, leukogram, T-lymphocyte, B-lymphocyte, О-lymphocyte, T-helper, T-suppressor, T-active lymphocyte.
Toxicity, microbiological parameters and amino acid composition of the organic feed additive Grinat
Authors: Yakubchak O. , Tyshkivskaya N. , Tyshkivsky M.
Published: November 2022

Recently, the problem of increasing the productivity of farm animals is one of the most important for veterinary medicine. Since the animals “programmed” for maximum productivity by selection turned out to be excessively exposed to anthropogenic and biological negative factors, the result of this is a decrease in their productivity. Conducted toxicological, microbiological, mycological and chromatographic studies of the organic feed additive ˮGreenat“, which includes humic acids. It is promising to study the possibility of using preparations containing humic substances to increase the productivity of farm animals and poultry, to enhance the general nonspecific resistance of the body. Given that peat is the raw material for the manufacture of the additive, toxicity, mycological and microbiological indicators are extremely important. Toxicological studies (bioassays on rabbits and Colpoda steinii culture) proved the absence of toxic substances, as evidenced by the activity of the colpoda infusoria for 10 minutes and 3 hours of the study, and the absence of hyperemia and inflammation on the skin of the rabbit. The number of mold fungi does not exceed the allowable limits of 1.5x102 CFU/g (according to the norm 5.0x104), qualitative studies revealed and identified by mass spectrometry the mold fungi A. alternata; C. cladosporioides, which belong to saprophytes and get into the organic feed additive "Grinat" from the remains of plants during their decomposition. Microscopic fungi Alternaria spp. participate in the decomposition and mineralization of plant residues due to the polygalacturonase enzyme complex, which allows them to attach themselves and exist in various conditions. Cladosporium spp. found outdoors and indoors, in degraded organic debris, produce secondary metabolites such as antibiotics that are inhibitors of B. subtilis, E. coli, and C. albicans. Microbiologically, Maldi Tof mass spectrometry detected Bacillus megaterium, which belongs to soil bacteria, and Staphylococcus hominis, found as a harmless commensal on the skin of humans and animals. Chromatographically confirmed the presence of essential amino acids: leucine (0.120%), valine (0.089%), threonine (0.064%), phenylalanine (0.039%), isoleucine (0.024%), histidine (0.021), methionine (0.011%), lysine (0.05%), tryptophan (0.007%). Accordingly, conditionally replaceable and non-essential amino acids, which can help to avoid a shortage of feed components in animal diets.
Key words: Greenate, Colpoda steinii, general toxicity, amino acids, molds, Maldi Tof, Bacillus megaterium, Staphylococcus hominis, A. alternata, C. cladosporioides.
Políticas educativas, planes de estudio y diferencias sexuales bajo un enfoque de género (1884-2007)
Authors: Casabona Guido
Published: November 2022

El presente escrito aborda la articulación entre planes de estudio y diferencias sexuales bajo un enfoque de género en el contexto histórico de la política educativa Argentina. Considerando un rango temporal de larga duración que va desde la sanción de la Ley N.° 1420 de Educación Común en 1884, hasta el año 2006 con el dictado de la Ley N.° 26206 de Educación Nacional (LEN); este trabajo recorre lo que se concibe como sexualidad en los planes de estudio y cómo se expresa en las políticas educativas lo que se ha esperado para cada persona en base a su sexualidad y género. 
El análisis realizado ha sido estructurado en dos apartados. El primero presenta una periodización articulada en cuatro instancias denominadas: Sexualidad sexuada (1884-1945), Sexualidad como igualdad (1945-1955) Sexualidad reprimida (1955-1994) y Sexualidad como derecho (2000-2007). Se trata de un eje que explica las características centrales de cada etapa a la luz de las diferencias sexuales y de género en los planes de estudio, en un ejercicio que conecta la denominación de cada instancia, con cuestiones significativas de los cuatro momentos abordados. El segundo apartado se encuentra dedicado a indagar discursos pedagógicos y políticas educativas, a través del análisis de planes de estudio vigentes en cada una de las cuatro etapas mencionadas, dando cuenta de continuidades y rupturas entre ellas. El estudio cierra con las conclusiones, a modo de reflexiones finales en torno al recorrido realizado.
Fecha de recepción: 26/3/2022Fecha de aceptación: 10/9/2022
Epistemología y género en clave latinoamericana: críticas historiográficas desde una investigación situada
Authors: Videla Hernan
Published: November 2022

Este trabajo refleja algunos de los principales aportes teóricos a los que se arribó tras un diseño metodológico cualitativo propio de la implementación crítica de una investigación educativa en un contexto especifico de formación docente. Desde el área que integra la formación general de los y las futuras docentes, emergieron los principales resultados de este estudio humanístico, pedagógico e historiográfico. Está enmarcado, dentro de los roles didácticos de su docente- investigador, como parte de los procesos evaluativos llevados a cabo durante el primer semestre el año 2020, en plena pandemia del COVID-19 en un instituto gremial de nivel superior con una larga trayectoria pedagógica y sindical en una jurisdicción perteneciente a la región de Cuyo, en el centro- oeste de Argentina. Se pretende principalmente subrayar desde el estudio de caso. los aportes epistemológicos socialmente construidos sobre algunos problemas latinoamericanos de la historiografía de género en el ámbito académico descrito.
Fecha de recepción: 27/4/2022Fecha de aceptación: 27/8/2022
Filosofía de la educación, liberación y decolonialidad
Authors: Fava Fernando
Published: November 2022

A cincuenta años de la emergencia del grupo liberacionista y la presentación en público de sus tesis e hipótesis de trabajo en Hacia una filosofía de la liberación latinoamericana, este artículo intenta una relectura de los aportes de dicha generación filosófica para pensar la filosofía de la educación en clave liberacionista. De este modo, a partir de una contextualización de las problemáticas en torno al status de la actividad o ejercicio filosófico que asume el grupo, nos detendremos en la explicitación de los aportes realizados por Aníbal Fornari para pensar, a partir de los tópicos: filosofía, educación y liberación, una posible filosofía de la educación como pedagógica liberacionista. Finalmente, a modo de síntesis breve, se recogen los aportes brindados por el pensador argentino y se señalan posibles continuidades en el pensamiento decolonial.
Fecha de recepción: 30/5/2022Fecha de aceptación: 15/7/2022
Editorial Vol.16 (2021)
Authors: Farida Nevin
Published: November 2022

Abstract not available
Spectrum, Volume 16, June 2021: iii-iv
Disowning Imperialism and Remembering Dhaka University in A.G. Stock’s Travelogue
Authors: Alam Zerin
Published: November 2022

Memoirs of Dacca University is the record of a British teacher’s experience of being Head of the English Department at the transitional time of 1947 to 1951. The traveller’s focus on Dhaka University makes it a valuable historic document of the institution in her depiction of the challenges of English language teaching in a former colony. The aim of this article is to analyze A. G. Stock’s memoir as an example of post-imperial travelogue and to examine the traveller’s attempts to overcome colonial representations in her treatment of Dhaka University and the people she encounters. I show how Stock’s text differs from colonial travel writing and embraces a more empathetic and liberal view in her analysis and description of the university and East Pakistan. At the same time, following Holland and Huggan (2000), I also interrogate and trace the lingering residues of a colonial discourse in this travel narrative.
Spectrum, Volume 16, June 2021: 24-39
Conflict and Recognition in Munier Choudhury’s Kobor
Authors: Rabbani Farhanaz , Ara Anjuman
Published: November 2022

The emergence of Bangladesh as a nation is a culmination of long drawn out struggles faced by the Bengalis of the region, which has been portrayed in a vast body of Bengali literature. The West Pakistani suppression of young Bangla speaking voices in 1952 is resisted back through powerful and symbolic returns of the dead in the play Kobor (Grave) by Munier Choudhury, which was first written and produced in jail in 1953 in the context of the Language Movement of 1952. This paper explores Kobor to address the conflicts, power dynamics and resolution of conflicts that have been at the centre of Bengali identity formation and recognition during Pakistani rule. Conflict theory examines tensions that arise due to cultural, political and racial differences and the subsequent intensity of conflicts that concomitantly increases with the degree of unity in the resistant groups. A critical analysis of Kobor from the perspectives of conflict theory reveals inter-state ideological conflicts which were fuelled by the cultural, linguistic, political and other socioeconomic differences and disparities between the two wings of Pakistan.
Spectrum, Volume 16, June 2021: 40-52
Facing the Other: Representations of Postcolonial Childhood Trauma in Arundhati Roy’s God of Small Things and Amitav Ghosh’s The Shadow Lines
Authors: Sarwar Batool
Published: November 2022

Recent developments in the fields of postcolonial and trauma studies have focused on how there can be a significant interrelationship in the frameworks deployed to investigate the formation of identities in postcolonial subjects. The emphasis on anxiety and fractured subjectivities that inform discussions of postcolonial identity can also be conceptualized in terms of traumatic interventions at crucial moments in the development of selfhood. This paper will contend that though childhood is one of the most crucial times when the formative influences for the development of personality are inscribed onto the psyche of the individual, very little attention has been paid to children as a separate group in theorizations of postcolonial identity. This paper will attempt to use notions such as ‘insidious trauma’ inflicted by entanglements with British culture and education as a critical lens for the study of the formation of identity in the lives of the protagonists of two novels by two Indian authors. It will also engage with the personal trauma inflicted on these children by political upheavals as well as by the trauma caused by adult figures in their Anglophile families. This paper will therefore show that the complex and multilayered trauma suffered by postcolonial children has a profound impact on their adult lives, leaving them permanently scarred and that any attempts at resistance by the victims of such trauma are failures or at best only partially successful.
Spectrum, Volume 16, June 2021: 136-147
Reading Macbeth as Pandemic Literature: An Expedition to a Plague-Ridden World
Authors: Shimanto Mehedi Karim
Published: November 2022

This paper argues that William Shakespeare’s Macbeth can be read as pandemic literature. Though the tragedy is not about a plague, critics have already viewed it as a depiction of a claustrophobic ailing world with Macbeth and his accomplices running amok as agents of death and corruption. However, how the play actually speaks of real plagues and how it can be considered as pandemic literature have not been discussed adequately. Pandemic literature illustrates the ravages of plague as experienced, reminisced, and dreaded by the sufferers. The fictional world of Macbeth appears to be a plague-ridden world. The existence of deformed entities like the weird sisters, Malcolm’s familiarity with scrofula epidemic, Macbeth’s obsession towards the end with medicine, frequent appearances of doctors, and so on are some signs that the world of Macbeth was already going through a plague-like situation. The inhabitants of such a world often act frantically trying to escape death. They articulate stories of invisible horror and difficult survival, as if a plague had gripped them. The portrayal of Macbeth himself as an inhuman despot can serve as an indication that the tragedy is signaling to something beyond the rise and fall of a man – something terrible whose rampage is comparable to the devastation of a plague. This research asserts that Shakespeare’s Macbeth can be categorized under the pandemic literature genre.
Spectrum, Volume 16, June 2021: 218-229
Bioefficacy of Euphorbia peplus latex as an antifeedant and insecticide against Gonipterus platensis larvae on Eucalyptus globulus
Authors: Huerta Amanda , Chiffelle Ítalo , Arias Carolina , Curkovic Tomislav , Araya Jaime E.
Published: November 2022

Background: Gonipterus platensis (Marelli) is part of the Gonipterus scutellatus species complex which consists of three species that have spread beyond their natural ranges. Due to its high reproductive potential and a capacity for intense defoliation by both larvae and adults, G. platensis causes tree growth loss and stem deformities. The antifeeding effect and insecticide efficacy of latex from petty spurge, Euphorbia peplus L. (Euphorbiaceae), on larvae of G. platensis, were evaluated through bioassays, with a view to its integrated management.
Methods: Eucalyptus globulus leaves treated by immersion in Euphorbia peplus latex solutions were infested with five third-instar larvae, and the area consumed was determined at 24 h. The antifeeding effect of five latex solutions applied with a brush on Eucalyptus globulus leaves, using a random experimental design of six treatments and five replications, was also evaluated. Larval mortality was recorded daily and analysed by an ANOVA and Tukey’s test. The LC50 (lethal concentration to kill 50% of the individuals) was calculated by Probit analysis and Chi2 tests were performed.
Results: The ethanolic solutions of the latex caused strong antifeeding effect, with total inhibition of larval feeding at all solutions. Larval mortality increased significantly over time up to 76%, due to the effect of the ethanol latex solutions, in all solutions by day 6. The lower LC50 values were 0.049 and 0.012% w/v on days 5 and 6, respectively.
Conclusions: These results indicate that Euphorbia peplus latex is a promising bioinsecticide and a possible alternative for integrated pest management. However, further tests should be carried out.
Environmental Risk Assessment
Authors: Shtebner S.
Published: November 2022

The paper considers the issues of environmental risk assessment. The main stages of the environmental risk assessment process are presented. The basic principles of environmental risk assessment are considered. Environmental risks include risks from natural events (floods, extreme weather events, etc.) and technological risks. The technique of risk management is given.
‘Poison Rainbows’: The Speculative Jurisdiction of Okorafor's Lagoon
Authors: Wilkes Tabea
Published: November 2022

Oil spills in the Niger Delta have been at the centre of both legal and literary imaginings as among the most acute examples of modern environmental degradation. In her novel Lagoon, Nnedi Okorafor responds to what Rob Nixon describes as the ‘slow violence’ inflicted by the oil industry on non-human persons. This article will cast the study of law and literature into the future and show how the speculative jurisdiction of Okorafor's africanfuturist writing provides an ‘alternative discourse’ to legal scholarship and identifies the accordance of legal personhood as a tool with which to build back towards Lagoon's ‘radical futurity’ of posthuman rights and protection.
The Dark Forest: The Economized Hunting Ground for Human Capital in Liu Cixin’s Three-Body Trilogy
Authors: Lyu Guangzhao
Published: November 2022

Liu Cixin’s Three-Body trilogy has become more than a work of science fiction. The Dark Forest discourse Liu proposes in the stories has reached beyond the domain of literature, becoming a broader social and cultural phenomenon during China’s historical economic transformations. The Dark Forest has even been dubbed the ‘Bible’ by a group of leading entrepreneurs for its seeming ability to provide inspiration for how people behave and make decisions in a post-socialist modernity developed by market-oriented reforms. This article examines how the Dark Forest metaphor relates to China’s post-socialist transition, where the subject is remade into human capital and where competitive market principles penetrate every social sphere. Through investigating the dehumanizing impulse in the Dark Forest, I will argue that this process of turning people into ‘non-people’ is a literary representation of the process of ‘economization’ in China’s current reality. Building on this point, I will demonstrate that in this Dark Forest only the ‘bestial nature’ of the post-socialist subjects could lead to eventual victory. The popularity of Liu Cixin’s ‘Dark Forest’ theory in China, therefore, provides an important viewpoint through which to perceive the conditions of post-socialist Chinese society.
The 2020 Pandemic in South Sudan: An Exploration of Teenage Mothers' and Pregnant Adolescent Girls' Resilience and Educational Continuity
Authors: Corwith Anne , Ali Fatimah
Published: November 2022

On March 13, 2020, the government of South Sudan implemented emergency lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fears that the pandemic would reverse efforts by the government and civil society to keep girls in school were realized and reported incidences of teen pregnancy increased. Prior to the pandemic, early marriage and teen pregnancy in South Sudan were already of extreme concern, as the country reported the seventh-highest child marriage rate in the world. Countrywide data from 2019 indicated that only 34 percent of the students who sat for primary exams were girls. We conducted this qualitative study to explore the resilience factors that adolescent mothers and pregnant adolescents relied on during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Maiwut Town, South Sudan, to enable them to return to school and continue their education. Our research revealed that, despite struggling to meet their basic needs, receiving weak support from their social networks, and experiencing violence and persistent negative gender roles, these adolescent mothers and pregnant adolescents exhibited resilience in their aspirations to return to school and become financially independent. By centering this research on the voices of this vulnerable population, we are able to recommend what we argue are more effective and targeted interventions for organizations that are working in this and similar emergency contexts.
Comorbidities of Chronic Urticaria: A glimpse into a complex relationship
Authors: Papapostolou Niki , Xepapadaki Paraskevi , Katoulis Alexander , Makris Michael
Published: November 2022

Chronic Urticaria (CU) is a chronic inflammatory, predominantly mast cell-driven disease, characterized by the development of wheals and/or angioedema for more than 6 weeks. It affects approximately 1%–5% of the total population worldwide and imposes a substantial burden on health-related quality of life, significantly affecting patients' daily life. The economic impact on the health system is also not negligible, with an estimated cost per patient per year of approximately 2.000 $ in the United States. Although the underlying pathophysiology is not fully explored, autoimmune mechanisms have been proposed, including type I (“autoallergy” by means of autoantibodies to self-antigens) and type IIb (autoimmunity). Atopic, autoimmune, and psychiatric disorders are prevalent comorbidities in both children and adults with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU). Although malignancies, cardiovascular diseases and other comorbidities have also been reported as associated diseases in patients with CSU, data remain scarce. It is still unknown whether the aforementioned comorbidities share common pathophysiological mechanisms with specific endotypes of CSU. The current review aims to overview current data on comorbidities of CU, and furthermore to comment on the potential linked pathways underlying these diseases.
Biomaterials and bioengineering to guide tissue morphogenesis in epithelial organoids
Authors: Jeon Eun Young , Sorrells Leila , Abaci Hasan Erbil
Published: November 2022

Organoids are self-organized and miniatured in vitro models of organs and recapitulate key aspects of organ architecture and function, leading to rapid progress in understanding tissue development and disease. However, current organoid culture systems lack accurate spatiotemporal control over biochemical and physical cues that occur during in vivo organogenesis and fail to recapitulate the complexity of organ development, causing the generation of immature organoids partially resembling tissues in vivo. Recent advances in biomaterials and microengineering technologies paved the way for better recapitulation of organ morphogenesis and the generation of anatomically-relevant organoids. For this, understanding the native ECM components and organization of a target organ is essential in providing rational design of extracellular scaffolds that support organoid growth and maturation similarly to the in vivo microenvironment. In this review, we focus on epithelial organoids that resemble the spatial distinct structure and function of organs lined with epithelial cells including intestine, skin, lung, liver, and kidney. We first discuss the ECM diversity and organization found in epithelial organs and provide an overview of developing hydrogel systems for epithelial organoid culture emphasizing their key parameters to determine cell fates. Finally, we review the recent advances in tissue engineering and microfabrication technologies including bioprinting and microfluidics to overcome the limitations of traditional organoid cultures. The integration of engineering methodologies with the organoid systems provides a novel approach for instructing organoid morphogenesis via precise spatiotemporal modulation of bioactive cues and the establishment of high-throughput screening platforms.
In situ preparation of molybdenum-dioxide-incorporated carbonized silk fiber and its application in supercapacitors
Authors: Ji Yansong , Zhang Xiaoning , Zhu Yong , Norton Michael L. , Shen Lunfu , Tan Wenhui , Zheng Xi , Li Shuo
Published: November 2022

A previous study found that the capacitive behavior of nanoparticles fed to the silkworm can be delivered to carbonized silk fibers, which can be used to fabricate electrodes for the construction of flexible supercapacitors. However, the tendency of nanoparticles to aggregate decreases the quantity of nanoparticles that enter the silk and therefore reduces the capacitance performance of the prepared carbonized silk. Here, we sprayed ammonium molybdate tetrahydrate (AMT) on the surface of mulberry leaves used for feeding silkworms and investigated the effect of feeding AMT on the growth of silkworms and the properties of spun silk. The precursor incorporated into the silk was converted into scattered MoO2 NPs, which were embedded within the carbonized silk fiber (CSF) via carbothermal reduction. The specific capacitance of CSF obtained from silkworms fed with an aqueous solution of AMT-treated mulberry leaves reached up to 298 F/g at 0.2 g/A, which is much higher than that of the control group (102 F/g). Since AMT is highly water-soluble, and its concentration can be easily modulated, we believe that the proposed strategy is feasible for the large-scale fabrication of CSF with enhanced capacitive performance.
The wall–frame interaction effect in CLT-steel hybrid systems
Authors: Vogiatzis Tzanetis , Tsalkatidis Themistoklis , Efthymiou Evangelos
Published: November 2022

Behaviour and capacity of cross-laminated timber (CLT) infills built inside steel frames have been given increasing research attention in recent years. It is widely accepted that when the CLT wall panel is built in tight contact with the bounding steel frame to participate in the load sharing, its inherently large in-plane stiffness will attract additional forces to the frame area and change the behaviour of the hybrid system. If not designed properly, the structural integrity of both the infill and the frame will be compromised. It is thus crucial to accurately evaluate the contribution of the infill CLT wall panel to the stiffness and strength of the hybrid system. To that end, a finite element study was performed to investigate the frame-wall interaction effect on the behaviour of hybrid systems. The lateral stiffness, lateral load capacities and hysteretic characteristics of the hybrid systems with frictional and connected interfaces were investigated. The load-sharing effect between the CLT wall and the steel frame was studied. The numerical results showed that the connected models were very effective as the infill absorbed a substantial part of the lateral load, during the initial stages of loading.
Association between Porphyromonas Gingivalis and systemic diseases: Focus on T cells-mediated adaptive immunity
Authors: Li Cheng , Yu Ran , Ding Yumei
Published: November 2022

The association between periodontal disease and systemic disease has become a research hotspot. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a crucial periodontal pathogen, affects the development of systemic diseases. The pathogenicity of P. gingivalis is largely linked to interference with the host’s immunity. This review aims to discover the role of P. gingivalis in the modulation of the host’s adaptive immune system through a large number of virulence factors and the manipulation of cellular immunological responses (mainly mediated by T cells). These factors may affect the cause of large numbers of systemic diseases, such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, adverse pregnancy outcomes, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. The point of view of adaptive immunity may provide a new idea for treating periodontitis and related systemic diseases.
Phenotypic convergence of bacterial adaption to sub-lethal antibiotic treatment
Authors: Wee Gui Nam , Lyou Eun Sun , Hong Jin-Kyung , No Jee Hyun , Kim Soo Bin , Lee Tae Kwon
Published: November 2022

Microorganisms can adapt quickly to changes in their environment, leading to various phenotypes. The dynamic for phenotypic plasticity caused by environmental variations has not yet been fully investigated. In this study, we analyzed the time-series of phenotypic changes in Staphylococcus cells during adaptive process to antibiotics stresses using flow cytometry and Raman spectroscopy. The nine antibiotics with four different mode of actions were treated in bacterial cells at a sub-lethal concentration to give adaptable stress. Although the growth rate initially varied depending on the type of antibiotic, most samples reached the maximum growth comparable to the control through the short-term adaptation after 24 h. The phenotypic diversity, which showed remarkable changes depending on antibiotic treatment, converged identical to the control over time. In addition, the phenotype with cellular biomolecules converted into a bacterial cell that enhance tolerance to antibiotic stress with increases in cytochrome and lipid. Our findings demonstrated that the convergence into the phenotypes that enhance antibiotic tolerance in a short period when treated with sub-lethal concentrations, and highlight the feasibility of phenotypic approaches in the advanced antibiotic treatment.
Q-methodology to understand stakeholder discourses on bat conservation and management in view of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Leong Rachel , Lebarbenchon Camille , Zhang Jingru , Coleman Joanna L.
Published: November 2022

Human-bat interactions are becoming more frequent with growing proximity between people and wildlife. As such, it is important to understand the perspectives of human stakeholders in these interactions, especially considering how media coverage of bats’ potential roles as the reservoirs of the ancestral virus to SARS-Cov2 has exacerbated negative perceptions of bats. We used Q-methodology to describe diverse viewpoints on bat conservation and management and identify areas of consensus among stakeholders in Singapore. We derived perspectives, problems, and priorities for bat conservation and management based on qualitative and quantitative analyses. The results reveal three distinct discourses. The ecocentric viewpoint advocates conserving bats for their intrinsic value. The anthropocentric viewpoint outright rejects the idea of conserving bats because of the perceived public-health threat that bats pose. The third discourse prioritizes educating citizens and enhancing general appreciation for biodiversity. All stakeholders agree on the need to reconsider COVID-19-related concerns about bats and address misconceptions that could hinder conservation. The top recommendation by stakeholders is to assess and improve bat-related attitudes and beliefs so that citizens become more supportive of conserving bats for their inherent value and roles in maintaining Singapore’s ecosystems. Considering both diverging and consensus viewpoints and engaging various stakeholders in conservation and management decisions can yield both attitudinal change and more effective solutions while meeting the ecological and social needs of conservation.
Case report: Recurrence of hypertension after renal artery angioplasty due to the progression of focal renal fibromuscular dysplasia
Authors: Hong Mona , Kang Yuanyuan , Xu Jianzhong , Wang Jiguang
Published: November 2022

Whether fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a progressive disease, remains unclear. We reported a case of focal renal artery FMD that slowly progressed to a branching artery over a few years after the angioplasty without in-stent restenosis, which reconfirms that focal FMD is progressive and that such progression may be segmental. Stenting may be an option for young, risk factor-free patients with focal FMD.
A cohort study of circulating progenitor cells after ST-segment elevation and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction in non-diabetic and diabetic patients
Authors: Baumbach Andreas , Cui Yu-Xin , Evans Rebecca N. , Culliford Lucy , Johnson Tom , Rogers Chris A. , Reeves Barnaby C. , Bucciarelli-Ducci Chiara , Harris Jessica , Hamilton Mark , Madeddu Paolo
Published: November 2022

Background

Myocardial infarction induces elevation of progenitor cells in the circulation, a reparative response inhibited by type-2 diabetes.

Objectives

Determine if myocardial infarct severity and diabetes interactively influence the migratory activity of CD34+/CXCR4+ progenitor cells and if the migratory test predicts cardiac outcomes.

Materials and methods

A longitudinal study was conducted on patients with or without diabetes with a STEMI or NSTEMI. CD34+/CXCR4+ cells were measured in the peripheral blood using flow cytometry, and migratory activity was tested in vitro on cells isolated from samples collected on days 0 and 4 post-infarct. Cardiac function was assessed at three months using cardiac MRI.

Results

Of 1,149 patients screened, 71 (6.3%) were eligible and consented. Fifty had STEMI (16 with diabetes) and 21 NSTEMI (8 with diabetes). The proportion of CD34+/CXCR4+ cells within blood mononuclear cells was 1.96 times higher after STEMI compared with NSTEMI (GMR = 1.96, 95% CI 0.87, 4.37) and 1.55 times higher in patients with diabetes compared to patients without diabetes (GMR = 1.55, 95% CI 0.77, 3.13). In the latter, STEMI was associated with a 2.42-times higher proportion of migrated CD34 + /CXCR4 + cells compared with NSTEMI (GMR = 2.42, 95% CI 0.66, 8.81). In patients with diabetes, the association was the opposite, with a 55% reduction in the proportion of migrated CD34+/CXCR4+ cells. No statistically significant associations were observed between the frequency in peripheral blood or in vitro migration capacity of CD34+/CXCR4+ cells and MRI outcomes.

Conclusion

We document the interaction between infarct and diabetes on the migratory activity of CD34+/CXCR4+ cells. The test did not predict functional outcomes in the studied cohort.
Masticatory performance in patients with jaw muscle pain: A case–control study
Authors: Al Sayegh Samaa , Christidis Nikolaos , Kumar Abhishek , Svensson Peter , Grigoriadis Anastasios
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Masticatory function is often impaired in patients with painful temporomandibular disorders (TMD); therefore, more detailed studies on comminution and mixing ability are warranted in well-defined TMD patients with chronic myalgia. Moreover, there is a need to explore the correlation between any changes in perceived pain or fatigue in such patients and the masticatory function.

Materials and methods

Self-assessments using questionnaires regarding pain, oral health, jaw function, masticatory ability, fear of movement, and psychosocial signs were answered by all the participants. A series of chewing tasks involving viscoelastic food and two-colored gum were performed. Optical imaging and analysis were conducted. Bite force as well as characteristics of pain and fatigue were assessed.

Results

In patients, the fragmented soft candy particles were less in number and had larger median of area and minimum Feret's diameter after standardized chewing compared to healthy individuals (P = 0.02). Surprisingly, the two-colored Hue-Check gum was less mixed by the healthy controls since they displayed a greater variance of the hue (P = 0.04). There were significant differences between the patients and the healthy controls in the self-assessed masticatory ability, mainly regarding pain-related variables.

Conclusions

Objectively, TMD patients with chronic myalgia exhibited an impaired masticatory performance with less efficiency in comminuting soft viscoelastic food compared to the pain-free healthy control group. There was an agreement between the patients' self-assessed masticatory ability and the efficiency of their masticatory function.
Development and validation of a new predictive model for macrosomia at late-term pregnancy: A prospective study
Authors: Wang Yuhan , Liu Hongzhou , Wang Jincheng , Hu Xiaodong , Wang Anning , Nie Zhimei , Xu Huaijin , Li Jiefei , Xin Hong , Zhang Jiamei , Zhang Han , Wang Yueheng , Lyu Zhaohui
Published: November 2022

Objective

Fetal macrosomia is defined as a birth weight more than 4,000 g and is associated with maternal and fetal complications. This early metabolic disease may influence the entire life of the infant. Currently, macrosomia is predicted by using the estimated fetal weight (EFW). However, the EFW is inaccurate when the gestational week is gradually increasing. To assess precisely the risk of macrosomia, we developed a new predictive model to estimate the risk of macrosomia.

Methods

We continuously collected data on 655 subjects who attended regular antenatal visits and delivered at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University (Shijiazhuang, China) from November 2020 to September 2021. A total of 17 maternal features and 2 fetal ultrasonographic features were included at late-term pregnancy. The 655 subjects were divided into a model training set and an internal validation set. Then, 450 pregnant women were recruited from Handan Central Hospital (Handan, China) from November 2021 to March 2022 as the external validation set. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was used to select the most appropriate predictive features and optimize them via 10-fold cross-validation. The multivariate logistical regressions were used to build the predictive model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, C-indices, and calibration plots were obtained to assess model discrimination and accuracy. The model’s clinical utility was evaluated via decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

Four predictors were finally included to develop this new model: prepregnancy obesity (prepregnancy body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2), hypertriglyceridemia, gestational diabetes mellitus, and fetal abdominal circumference. This model afforded moderate predictive power [area under the ROC curve 0.788 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.736, 0.840) for the training set, 0.819 (95% CI 0.744,0.894) for the internal validation set, and 0.773 (95% CI 0.713,0.833) for the external validation set]. On DCA, the model evidenced a good fit with, and positive net benefits for, both the internal and external validation sets.

Conclusions

We developed a predictive model for macrosomia and performed external validation in other regions to further prove the discrimination and accuracy of this predictive model. This novel model will aid clinicians in easily identifying those at high risk of macrosomia and assist obstetricians to plan accordingly.
Chlorogenic acid improves glucose tolerance, lipid metabolism, inflammation and microbiota composition in diabetic db/db mice
Authors: Yan Yongwang , Li Qing , Shen Ling , Guo Kangxiao , Zhou Xu
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Chronic and acute chlorogenic acid (CGA) can improve glucose tolerance (GT) and insulin sensitivity (IS). However, whether acute administration of CGA has beneficial effects on hepatic lipid metabolism and cecal microbiota composition remains unclear.

Methods

In the current study, diabetic db/db mice were administered CGA or metformin, and db/m mice were used as controls to explore the effects of CGA on hepatic lipid metabolism, including fatty acid oxidation and transportation and triglyceride (TG) lipolysis and synthesis. Moreover, alterations in the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in the liver and gut microbe composition were evaluated.

Results

The results showed that CGA decreased body weight and improved glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, and these effects were similar to those of metformin. CGA decreased hepatic lipid content by increasing the expression of CPT1a (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a), ACOX1 (Acyl-CoA oxidase 1), ATGL (adipose triglyceride lipase), and HSL (hormone-sensitive lipase) and decreasing that of MGAT1 (monoacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1), DGAT1 (diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase), DGAT2, CD36, and FATP4 (fatty acid transport protein 4). Additionally, CGA restored the expression of inflammatory genes, including TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), IL-1β (interleukin-1beta), IL-6, and IL-10, and genes encoding antioxidant enzymes, including SOD1 (superoxide dismutases 1), SOD2 (superoxide dismutases 2), and GPX1 (glutathione peroxidase 1). Furthermore, CGA improved the bacterial alpha and beta diversity in the cecum. Moreover, CGA recovered the abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes and the genera Lactobacillus, Blautia, and Enterococcus.

Discussion

CGA can improve the antidiabetic effects, and microbes may critically mediate these beneficial effects.
Low-dose aspirin protects unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion via downregulation of HMGB1 inflammation activation
Authors: Xu Xiaofeng , Wang Jing , Zhu Damin , Yin Jiaqian , Liu Jinxian , Wu Xiao , Yang Wenjuan , Hu Qian , Ren Yu , Zhang Zhiguo , Zhou Ping , Wei Zhaolian , Zou Huijuan , Cao Yunxia
Published: November 2022

Background

High mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) is considered as a kind of sterile inflammatory mediators, which is an overexpression in patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). Specific targeting effect of aspirin on HMGB1 has been revealed. Our previous studies have explored the application of HMGB1 as a therapeutic target of aspirin in URSA disease of mice model and human, but the dynamic process of aspirin downregulating HMGB1 concentration has not been demonstrated.

Methods

From December 2018 to November 2020, women with URSA (n = 91) and control women (n = 90) with no history of recurrent abortion or adverse pregnancy were included in the Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. ELISA was applied to detect the concentrations of HMGB1 and IFN-γ in the peripheral blood. Thirty-one URSA patients were monitored for low-dose aspirin treatment (2 and 4 weeks), the changes of HMGB1 and IFN-γ concentrations in peripheral blood of URSA patients before and after using aspirin were compared, and pregnancy outcomes after aspirin treatment were followed up.

Results

The levels of HMGB1 in peripheral blood were significantly higher in URSA patients compared with controls, decreasing trends of HMGB1 and IFN-γ concentrations in plasma of URSA patients were observed after treatment with low-dose aspirin continuously, and the expression of HMGB1 was positively correlated with IFN-γ. There were no birth abnormalities in the babies of the URSA patients treated with aspirin.

Conclusions

High levels of HMGB1 may be one of the pathogenesis of URSA. Low-dose aspirin may provide protective effect on the HMGB1-triggered URSA.