bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AS FEIRAS LIVRES EM TEMPOS DE CONTEMPORANEIDADE E OS CIRCUITOS DA ECONOMIA URBANA EM ARAPIRACA/AL (BRASIL) (THE STREET MARKETS NOWADAYS AND URBAN ECONOMIC SYSTEMS IN ARAPIRACA/AL (BRAZIL))
Authors: Santos Firmino Paul Clívilan
Published: July 2019

RESUMO: A intensificação nos investimentos na ciência, técnica e informação contribuiu para a constituição do terceiro meio geográfico, o meio técnico-científico informacional (SANTOS [1996] 2008), que surge pós Segunda Guerra Mundial, consolidando no último quarto do século XX a chamada globalização. Com base nas características dessa globalização tem-se uma discussão voltada para os dois circuitos da economia urbana – Circuito Inferior e Circuito Superior (SANTOS [1979] 2008). Destarte, o objetivo deste artigo é discutir a importância da feira em tempos de contemporaneidade e dos circuitos ora citados na economia urbana de Arapiraca, cidade localizada no Agreste alagoano (Brasil), destacando o papel desempenho pela feira e seus agentes, frente outros eventos diretamente relacionados com atividades do Circuito Superior. Para tanto, alguns autores, tais como, Andrade (1993), Braudel (1998), Carvalho (2012), Guedes (1999), Melo (1980), Rangel (2012), Santos ([1980] 2010) entre outros, são essenciais nessa discussão. Constatou-se que a feira livre foi responsável pela gênese, formação e desenvolvimento econômico de Arapiraca, continuando com significativa importância, como evento direto do Circuito Inferior, para a vida econômica e social da cidade nestes primeiros decênios do século em curso.Palavras-chave: Feira Livre, Globalização, Circuitos Econômicos, Arapiraca/AL (Brasil) ABSTRACT:The intensification of investments in science, technology and information played an important role for third geographical environment constitution, i.e. the technical-scientific-informational milieu (SANTOS [1996] 2008), which arouse after World War II and consolidated the globalisation in the 20st century last quarter. Based on this globalisation features, it is possible to realise a discussion concerning the urban economic system - Circuito inferior and Circuito Superior (SANTOS [1979] 2008). Therefore, this article aims at discussing the important current idea of market and the aforementioned kinds of “Circuito” in Arapiraca's urban economy - which is a city of Agreste alagoano (Brazil) - highlighting for this the role played by market and its agents compared to other events related to activities of “Circuito Superior”. Then it will be used some essential authors for this discussion, such as Andrade (1974), Braudel (1998), Carvalho (2012), Guedes (1999), Melo (1980), Rangel (2012), Santos ([1980] 2010) etc. It was verified that free markets hold the responsibility for starting, developing and getting ahead the economy of Arapiraca. Street markets, by the way, go on being relevant as a direct event of Circuito inferior for Arapiraca's social and economical life during the first decades of this century.Keywords: street market, globalisation, economic systems, Arapiraca/AL (Brazil)
PENERAPAN MEDIA AURORA ANIMASI 3D MAKER UNTUK MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR KOGNITIF MAHASISWA BIOLOGI IKIP BUDI UTOMO MALANG
Authors: Riyanto Riyanto , Susilawati Lis
Published: July 2019

The low understanding of students in learning the Genetics of protein synthesis material. This study aims to determine the increase in cognitive learning outcomes through Aurora media 3D Maker Animation in the Genetics course of the 2016-A Biology Education Student of IKIP Budi Utomo Malang.he research approach used is qualitative and the type of research is Classroom Action Research (CAR). The instruments used were learning tools, field notes, test questions, and documentation. Data retrieval is done by formative tests. The subject of this research is the Biology student amounts to 45 students. The results showed that the application of Aurora media to 3D Maker Animation can improve the Cognitive learning outcomes of 2016-A Biology students, with cognitive learning outcomes with classical completeness 71% to 88%. Based on these data it can be concluded that the application of Aurora media 3D Maker Animation can improve the Cognitive Learning Outcomes of 2016 Biology students IBU.
Rancang Bangun Mesin Pengiris Singkong
Authors: Husman Husman , Ariyono Sugeng
Published: July 2019

The Bangka Belitung Islands have enormous natural resources, including mining products, forest products, marine products and plantation products. The cultivated plantation can consist of groups or individuals. One of the plantation products managed by the community in Belitung, especially in the Regency of Bangka, is cassava. Various kinds of food are processed using raw cassava, one of which is produced by a home industry in other words Small and Medium Industries (IKM) in the village of Banyu Asin, Bangka Regency. Using a simple production tool made of wood and fitted with a cutting knife to slice cassava and use a tool that was bought from the market made of plastic base material and installed a blade to slice manually. This research was conducted to help make a machine that can simplify and reduce the energy of workers in the process of making cassava chips. The method used to solve this problem is starting with the compilation of a list of required product requirements, making and selecting concepts, designing components, making detailed technical drawings, making and assembling and testing the function of the tools. Testing the function of the tool is done in order to find out whether the tool that has been made can function properly and can do the desired slicing. The results of the trial process of the cassava slicing machine made were able to increase productivity and slice cassava as much as 96 kg per hour with one operator. Previously, to slice 90 kg of cassava takes 3 hours with 2 operators.
UPAYA UNTUK MENINGKATKAN HASIL BELAJAR IPS DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN MEDIA VIDEO PADA SISWA KELAS VI SDN 004 TERATAK BULUH
Authors: Helpiyotwitra Helpiyotwitra
Published: July 2019

This research is motivated by low student social studies learning outcomes. This study aims to improve social studies learning outcomes by using video media in class VI SDN 004 Teratak Buluh. This research is a classroom action research that includes activities with stages of planning, action, observation and reflection. The results showed that the increase in social studies learning outcomes of class VI students, the average classical completeness before class action research was 75% in the first cycle of 82.14% and in the second cycle it was 92.85%. Scientific performance learning outcomes before class action research is 65.36%, and scientific performance learning outcomes after class action research cycle I is 72.76% increased by 7.4%, and scientific performance learning outcomes after class II cycle action research is 73.17% also increased by 0.41% from cycle I. The occurrence of increased learning outcomes of scientific performance also affects student learning outcomes. Based on the results of classroom action research, it can be concluded that using video media can improve social studies learning outcomes. Grade VI students of SDN 004 Teratak Buluh.
The Social Democratic Populist Party: Revisiting the Recent Past of Social Democracy in Turkey
Authors: TEKİNER Uğur
Published: July 2019

This study aims to examine the case of the Social Democratic Populist Party (Sosyaldemokrat Halkçı Parti – SHP) that functioned as the major representative of the social democratic ideology in Turkey under highly extraordinary conditions of the post-1980 coup political atmosphere until 1995. Realizing the necessity of taking this critically important phase in the evolution of Turkish social democratic thought into account, the major argument of this paper is that even if the SHP spent a remarkable amount of effort for achieving its ultimate target of evolving into a European-style, ‘genuine’ social democratic party, it ultimately failed to reach this end due to three interrelated factors, such as changing political realities in the domestic and European contexts during the 1980s, the intra-party turmoil within the SHP, and the poor performance of the SHP in power. In relation to this core argument, the ideological decline of the SHP is claimed to have a direct impact on the successive electoral defeats and ideological drifts of the CHP, as its successor, in the following years.
MALE PSEUDOHERMAPHRODITISM: CASE REPORT
Authors: Moisei Cristina , Lesnic Ancs , Sima Romina Marina , Bălălău Cristina , Pleș Liana
Published: July 2019

A pseudohermaphrodite represents a human being whose gonads are consistent with the chromosomal sex but who has external genitalia resembling the opposite sex. Male pseudohermaphrodites are characterized by normal testes with insufficient masculinization of the wolffian duct system and external genitalia. Patients with female pseudohermaphroditism have female internal genitalia and karyotype (XX) and various degree of external genitalia virilization. We present the case of a fetus with male pseudohermaphroditism, detected at 21 weeks of pregnancy during the second trimester morphology exam, with no other anomalies present. The peculiarity of this case is represented by the fact that the initial supposition was of clitoral hypertrophy (female pseudohermaphroditism), but after amniocentesis incomplete masculinization causes are being explored (male pseudohermaphroditism).
ANTIBIOPROPHYLAXIS AND ANTIBIOTHERAPY IN ABDOMINAL SURGERY – SHORT REVIEW
Authors: Leontescu Marina , Andronic Octavian , Păduraru Dan Nicolae , Bolocan Alexandra , Ion Daniel
Published: July 2019

Surgical site infection   (SSI)  represents a concerning for all surgeons because  both the  unfavorable  impact on health care costs and risk factors  that  increase the durations of wound healing and  SSI rate. A review of PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar has been made. The keywords used were related to surgical site infection prevetion. SSIs have a raised incidence in abdominal surgery because of the fact that many types of bacterias live in the gastrointestinal tract and during a surgical procedure some may escape and cause an infection. There is a high risk of postoperatory infections in gastric surgery due to intestinal anastomoses which are predisposed to leakage. In hernia repair surgery there is a higher rate of SSIs than expected for a clean procedure, and one risk factor may be represented by the prosthetic device used. On the other hand, in laparoscopic cholecystectomy, there is a very low risk of SSI and antibioprophylaxis is not recommended. But the most contaminated procedure with the highest risk of infectious complications is colorectal surgery, which requieres a combination of antibiotics because of the numerous types of microorganism. Abdominal surgery comprises different techniques and involves most elements of the gastrointestinal tract. Some procedures need antibiotic prophylaxis and in others antibiotic administration is even prohibited. The most effective antibiotics are first and second-generation cephalosporins.
INCREASED NUCHAL TRANSLUCENCY IN A FETUS WITH A NORMAL KARYOTYPE: CASE REPORT
Authors: Moisei Cristina , Lesnica Anca , Sima Romina Marina , Pleș Liana
Published: July 2019

Nuchal translucency (NT) is the normal fluid filled subcutaneous space measured at the back of the fetal neck measured in the late first trimester and early second trimester. Nuchal translucency screening can detect approximately 80% of fetuses with Down syndrome and other major aneuploidies with a rate of 5% of false positive results, but the merger of the NT screening with β-hCG and PAPP-A testing increases the detection rate to 90%. We present the case of a fetus with a NT of 49 mm detected at the first trimester ultrasound morphologic exam. The Kryptor test revealed a 1:35 risk for Trisomy 13 and 1:721 for Trisomy 18. We report the case of an investigated pregnancy with a NT of 49 mm detected at the first trimester ultrasound exam, with a risk of 1:35 for Trisomy 13 and 1:721 for Trisomy 18 calculated at the Kryptor test. A chorionic villus sampling was recommended and performed with a result of 46XY normal karyotype. The particularity of this case is represented by the increased nuchal translucency as well as an increased risk for trisomy 13 and 18 in a normal karyotype fetus that had a normal development in the second and third trimester with no pregnancy complications arising.
Editorial
Authors: Nica Adriana
Published: July 2019

Modern medicine, as practiced today, mostly relies on clinical and experimental evidence, attempting to be standardized as accurately as possible in all pathologies, so that diagnostic and therapeutic management is guided by globally validated protocols and guidelines.

In this context, with the help of modern tools and the exponential expansion of the Internet, scientific publication was no longer reserved for a limited number of researchers, but it was possible and even recommended for all practitioners.

Another paradigm shift in relation to academic publishing is about results that can be published. Until recently, publishing two studies with the same research design or accepting the publication of negative results was considered redundant. Now it has become mandatory to replicate studies on the same population or populations as well as to dismantle the negative outcomes to draw the best statistical significance and best practice.

The necessity of scientific publication often puts on the shoulders of young doctors and researchers a burden that is difficult to wear without an adequate previous experience. Wishing to come to their support, I had the initiative to launch this magazine with a broad theme and especially with a very dynamic and enthusiastic editorial team that wants to guide the authors towards improving the articles, thus contributing to the development of their skills and competences in academic publishing.

Also, in order to help those wishing to develop their knowledge about academic research and scientific publishing, we aim to organize a series of courses and workshops to highlight the latest standards on topics such as: research integrity, scientometry, peer-review or open-science.

We invite you to support our approach and become involved in the scientific development of the journal as authors and as well as peer-reviewers.
PENGARUH PERSEPSI WAJIB PAJAK DAN PREFERENSI RISIKO TERHADAP KEPATUHAN WAJIB PAJAK
Authors: Irawati Wiwit , Sari Arum Kumala
Published: July 2019

This study aims to examine the effect of Taxpayer Perception and Risk Preference on Taxpayer Compliance. Taxpayer compliance is a very important thing and is needed so that the state revenue in the tax sector is maximized. This research was conducted using convenience sampling with a sample of 100 respondents from individual taxpayers at the Jakarta KPP Kebayoran Baru Tiga. The data used are primary data through a questionnaire containing respondents' answers. The data analysis used in this study is multiple linear regression analysis, which includes the Determination Coefficient Test, T Test and F Test. Before the hypothesis test, the collected data will be through a data quality test consisting of Normality Test, Multicollinearity Test and Heteroscedasticity Test. The results of this study indicate that Taxpayer Perception has a positive and significant effect on Taxpayer Compliance. While Risk Preference does not affect Taxpayer Compliance. But simultaneously Taxpayer Perception and Risk Preference have a significant effect on Taxpayer Compliance
ANALISIS MOM AND POP STORE DI KOTA BATAM HINGGA TAHUN 2018
Authors: Purba Tiurniari
Published: July 2019

Non-minimarket traders and convenience stores are getting weaker along with the presence of modern retailers. Non-minimarket traders are also called traders at mom and pop or mom and pop stores. This case happened not only in other cities or other countries, but also in Batam. The presence of modern retailers, especially retail Indomaret and Alfamart retail in Batam, gave a lot of changes to the mom and pop store. This article aims specifically of analyzing the situation faced by mom and pop stores in Batam after the presence of modern retailers, especially Indomaret and Alfamart. And to what extent does the influence of the presence of Indomaret and Alfamart affect shops and stalls in Batam City? The research methodology used to analyze is a type of qualitative research with a case study approach to the type of situation analysis. The type of case study of this study is trying to analyze the situation of a particular event or event. External situation analysis is a systematic review of the background of problems that are outside the organization. Types of external situation analysis include secondary data (literature studies), surveys, observations, and content analysis. From the results of the analysis it was found that the presence of modern retailers until 2018 cannot be rejected and resisted by those who have a direct interest because access through the government of a wide open city. As a result, hundreds of modern retailers, especially Indomaret retail and Alfamart retail, have been established in Batam city. The mom and pop store has been eliminated, ranging from four to five mom and pop stores that broke up and closed in every housing complex. The hope for the mom and pop store owners that still persists up to now is the government's interference with the quota limit on the number of modern retailers. Also the involvement of the government both financially and ideas to foster the community about healthy ways to compete in the market.
Innovation for Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Empirical Evidence from the Bioeconomy Sector in Poland
Authors: Sołtysik Mariusz , Urbaniec Maria , Wojnarowska Magdalena
Published: July 2019

The growing importance of sustainable development, especially regarding environmental issues, contributes to shaping new trends at the level of enterprises. Sustainable development is perceived as a source of new entrepreneurial opportunities that serve to solve social and environmental problems. The main objective of this study is to identify factors supporting and hindering the development of enterprise innovativeness exemplified by the bioeconomy sector in Poland. A research analysis was based on the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP) model. The study employed the method of critical literature analysis, as well as qualitative methods, such as individual direct interviews with experts and smart labs with 252 enterprises from the economic sector. The results of the research analysis show that the innovative activity of enterprises in the bioeconomy sector depends on external, as well as internal, factors. This is particularly important, owing to the impact of enterprises on the environment and on society, as they contribute to the creation and implementation of new, more sustainable production and consumption models.
The Shifting Mycotoxin Profiles of Endophytic Fusarium Strains: A Case Study
Authors: Manganiello Gelsomina , Marra Roberta , Staropoli Alessia , Lombardi Nadia , Vinale Francesco , Nicoletti Rosario
Published: July 2019

Fusarium species are known to establish manifold interactions with wild and crop plants ranging from pathogenicity to endophytism. One of the key factors involved in the regulation of such relationships is represented by the production of secondary metabolites. These include several mycotoxins, which can accumulate in foodstuffs causing severe health problems to humans and animals. In the present study, an endophytic isolate (A1021B), preliminarily ascribed to the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC), was subjected to biochemical and molecular characterization. The metabolomic analysis of axenic cultures of A1021B detected up to 206 compounds, whose production was significantly affected by the medium composition. Among the most representative products, fusaric acid (FA), its derivatives fusarinol and 9,10-dehydro-FA, culmorin and bikaverin were detected. These results were in contrast with previous assessments reporting FIESC members as trichothecene rather than FA producers. However, molecular analysis provided a conclusive indication that A1021B actually belongs to the species Fusarium babinda. These findings highlight the importance of phylogenetic analyses of Fusarium species to avoid misleading identifications, and the opportunity to extend databases with the outcome of metabolomic investigations of strains from natural contexts. The possible contribution of endophytic strains in the differentiation of lineages with an uneven mycotoxin assortment is discussed in view of its ensuing impact on crop productions.
Erratum: Rufino-Moya, P.J., et al. Methane Production of Fresh Sainfoin, with or without PEG, and Fresh Alfalfa at Different Stages of Maturity is Similar, but the Fermentation End Products Vary. Animals 2019, 9, 197
Authors: Rufino-Moya Pablo José , Blanco Mireia , Bertolín Juan Ramón , Joy Margalida
Published: July 2019

The authors wish to make the following correction to their paper [...]
Usability Measures in Mobile-Based Augmented Reality Learning Applications: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lim Kok Cheng , Selamat Ali , Alias Rose Alinda , Krejcar Ondrej , Fujita Hamido
Published: July 2019

The implementation of usability in mobile augmented reality (MAR) learning applications has been utilized in a myriad of standards, methodologies, and techniques. The usage and combination of techniques within research approaches are important in determining the quality of usability data collection. The purpose of this study is to identify, study, and analyze existing usability metrics, methods, techniques, and areas in MAR learning. This study adapts systematic literature review techniques by utilizing research questions and Boolean search strings to identify prospective studies from six established databases that are related to the research context area. Seventy-two articles, consisting of 45 journals, 25 conference proceedings, and two book chapters, were selected through a systematic process. All articles underwent a rigorous selection protocol to ensure content quality according to formulated research questions. Post-synthesis and analysis, the output of this article discusses significant factors in usability-based MAR learning applications. This paper presents five identified gaps in the domain of study, modes of contributions, issues within usability metrics, technique approaches, and hybrid technique combinations. This paper concludes five recommendations based on identified gaps concealing potential of usability-based MAR learning research domains, varieties of unexplored research types, validation of emerging usability metrics, potential of performance metrics, and untapped correlational areas to be discovered.
Construction of an Industrial Knowledge Graph for Unstructured Chinese Text Learning
Authors: Zhao Mingxiong , Wang Han , Guo Jin , Liu Di , Xie Cheng , Liu Qing , Cheng Zhibo
Published: July 2019

The industrial 4.0 era is the fourth industrial revolution and is characterized by network penetration; therefore, traditional manufacturing and value creation will undergo revolutionary changes. Artificial intelligence will drive the next industrial technology revolution, and knowledge graphs comprise the main foundation of this revolution. The intellectualization of industrial information is an important part of industry 4.0, and we can efficiently integrate multisource heterogeneous industrial data and realize the intellectualization of information through the powerful semantic association of knowledge graphs. Knowledge graphs have been increasingly applied in the fields of deep learning, social network, intelligent control and other artificial intelligence areas. The objective of this present study is to combine traditional NLP (natural language processing) and deep learning methods to automatically extract triples from large unstructured Chinese text and construct an industrial knowledge graph in the automobile field.
Thermal and Mechanical Analysis of a 72/48 Switched Reluctance Motor for Low-Speed Direct-Drive Mining Applications
Authors: Elhomdy Esmail , Liu Zheng , Li Guofeng
Published: July 2019

In the process of electric motor design, it is essential to predict and provide an accurate thermal and mechanical model. The aim of this research is to improve the thermal and mechanical performance—which is implemented into a 72/48 switched reluctance motor (SRM) with 75 kW—of a low-speed direct-drive mining system (pulverizer). Thermal analysis of the SRM requires a deep understanding of the coolant behavior and the thermal mechanism in the motor. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based finite element analysis (FEA) was carried out in order to precisely visualize and estimate fluid state and temperature distribution inside the motor. Several different coolant configurations were carried out, with the purpose of determining an appropriate one for uniform temperature distribution in the SRM. The natural frequencies are presented with the developed finite element mechanical, structural model. To adapt in the mining application, the cooling jacket configurations with 17 channels and the shaft with spoke was found to be optimal for the SRM, which may raise the natural frequency and reduce the weight and temperature of the motor. The simulations results showed a good agreement with experimental results regarding temperature distribution within the motor.
A Metasurfaces Review: Definitions and Applications
Authors: Bukhari Syed S. , Vardaxoglou J(Yiannis) , Whittow William
Published: July 2019

This paper is a critical review of metasurfaces, which are planar metamaterials. Metamaterials offer bespoke electromagnetic applications and novel properties which are not found in naturally occurring materials. However, owing to their 3D-nature and resonant characteristics, they suffer from manufacturing complexity, losses and are highly dispersive. The 2-dimensional nature of metasurfaces allows ease of fabrication and integration into devices. The phase discontinuity across the metasurface offers anomalous refraction, thereby conserving the good metamaterial properties while still offering the low-loss characteristics. The paper discusses salient features and applications of metasurfaces; wavefront shaping; phase jumps; non-linear metasurfaces; and their use as frequency selective surfaces (FSS).
Modulus Stretch-Based Circular SAR Imaging with Contour Thinning
Authors: Hu Rongchun , Peng Zhenming , Zheng Kelong
Published: July 2019

This paper presents a modulus stretch-based circular Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging method. This method improves the traditional backprojection algorithm for circular SAR imaging, and introduces the modulus stretch transformation function in the imaging process. By performing a modulus stretch transformation on the intermediate results, the target contour in the final imaging result is thinner and clearer. A thinner and clearer contour can help to increase the recognizability of the target and provide a basis for subsequent target recognition. The proposed method is demonstrated on the line target imaging simulations and Gothca dataset.
Modeling the Full Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Flanged Beams under Torsion
Authors: Bernardo Luís
Published: July 2019

Recently, an analytical model called the generalized softened variable angle truss-model (GSVATM) aimed to predict the full behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) rectangular beams under torsion. In this article, such a model is used to compute the full torsional behavior of RC flanged beams, namely T- and L-shaped beams. The calculation procedure to include the influence of the flanges is described. A comparative analysis between the predictions from the GSVATM and some experimental results, related with RC flanged beams under torsion and found in the literature, is also presented. From this comparative analysis and for high loading levels, the GSVTM is reliable. Yet, for low loading levels, the theoretical model still needs to be refined.
Sublethal Injury Caused to Listeria monocytogenes by Natural Plant Extracts: Case Study on Grape Seed Extract and Garlic Extract
Authors: Verheyen Davy , Baka Maria , Van Impe Jan F. M.
Published: July 2019

Natural antimicrobials, such as grape seed extract (GSE) and garlic extract (GE), are often used as (a part of) novel food preservation technologies, especially due to their antilisterial effect. However, little is known on the extent of sublethal injury (SI) these extracts cause to Listeria monocytogenes, possibly leading to overestimated efficacies for such novel technologies. The influence of both extracts on the sublethal injury of L. monocytogenes strain LMG23775 was investigated, also using propidium iodide staining to investigate the nature of the injury. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were 500 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/L and 7.5 μg allicin/mL for GSE and GE, respectively. These concentrations slowed down the growth of L. monocytogenes, while only causing a significant amount of SI for GSE. Pure extracts caused inactivation of the cells, with GSE being the most effective. Sublethal injury from pure GSE was mainly caused by membrane damage. In pure GE, a significant amount of SI, not caused by membrane damage, was also present, albeit less pronounced than in pure GSE. In conclusion, both extracts cause a significant amount of sublethal injury to L. monocytogenes, which is not taken into account in relevant studies investigating novel food preservation applications involving natural plant extracts.
Erratum: Oks, E. Review of Recent Advances in the Analytical Theory of Stark Broadening of Hydrogenic Spectral Lines in Plasmas: Applications to Laboratory Discharges and Astrophysical Objects. Atoms 2018, 6, 50
Authors: Oks Eugene
Published: July 2019

The author wishes to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
Hydrogels for Liver Tissue Engineering
Authors: Ye Shicheng , Boeter Jochem W.B. , Penning Louis C. , Spee Bart , Schneeberger Kerstin
Published: July 2019

Bioengineered livers are promising in vitro models for drug testing, toxicological studies, and as disease models, and might in the future be an alternative for donor organs to treat end-stage liver diseases. Liver tissue engineering (LTE) aims to construct liver models that are physiologically relevant. To make bioengineered livers, the two most important ingredients are hepatic cells and supportive materials such as hydrogels. In the past decades, dozens of hydrogels have been developed to act as supportive materials, and some have been used for in vitro models and formed functional liver constructs. However, currently none of the used hydrogels are suitable for in vivo transplantation. Here, the histology of the human liver and its relationship with LTE is introduced. After that, significant characteristics of hydrogels are described focusing on LTE. Then, both natural and synthetic materials utilized in hydrogels for LTE are reviewed individually. Finally, a conclusion is drawn on a comparison of the different hydrogels and their characteristics and ideal hydrogels are proposed to promote LTE.
Guanidinylation of Chitooligosaccharides Involving Internal Cyclization of the Guanidino Group on the Reducing End and Effect of Guanidinylation on Protein Binding Ability
Authors: Izawa Hironori , Kinai Mizuki , Ifuku Shinsuke , Morimoto Minoru , Saimoto Hiroyuki
Published: July 2019

In order to synthesize a promising material for developing a novel peptide/protein delivery system, guanidinylation of chitooligosaccharides with 1-amidinopyrazole hydrochloride was investigated herein. The production of guanidinylated chitooligosaccharides was demonstrated by infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and elemental analyses. Interestingly, we found that the reducing end in the guanidinylated chitooligosaccharides was converted to a cyclic guanidine structure (2-[(aminoiminomethyl)amino]-2-deoxy-d-glucose structure). This reaction was carefully proven by the guanidinylation of d-glucosamine. Although this is not the first report on the synthesis of the 2-[(aminoiminomethyl)amino]-2-deoxy-d-glucose, it has provided a rational synthetic route using the high reactivity of the reducing end. Furthermore, we found that the interaction between chitooligosaccharides and bovine serum albumin is weak when in a neutral pH environment; however, it is significantly improved by guanidinylation. The guanidinylated chitooligosaccharides are useful not only for the development of a novel drug delivery system but also as a chitinase/chitosanase inhibitor and an antibacterial agent.
The Radiobiological Effects of Proton Beam Therapy: Impact on DNA Damage and Repair
Authors: Vitti Eirini Terpsi , Parsons Jason L
Published: July 2019

Proton beam therapy (PBT) offers significant benefit over conventional (photon) radiotherapy for the treatment of a number of different human cancers, largely due to the physical characteristics. In particular, the low entrance dose and maximum energy deposition in depth at a well-defined region, the Bragg peak, can spare irradiation of proximal healthy tissues and organs at risk when compared to conventional radiotherapy using high-energy photons. However, there are still biological uncertainties reflected in the relative biological effectiveness that varies along the track of the proton beam as a consequence of the increases in linear energy transfer (LET). Furthermore, the spectrum of DNA damage induced by protons, particularly the generation of complex DNA damage (CDD) at high-LET regions of the distal edge of the Bragg peak, and the specific DNA repair pathways dependent on their repair are not entirely understood. This knowledge is essential in understanding the biological impact of protons on tumor cells, and ultimately in devising optimal therapeutic strategies employing PBT for greater clinical impact and patient benefit. Here, we provide an up-to-date review on the radiobiological effects of PBT versus photon radiotherapy in cells, particularly in the context of DNA damage. We also review the DNA repair pathways that are essential in the cellular response to PBT, with a specific focus on the signaling and processing of CDD induced by high-LET protons.
Ameliorating the Fibrotic Remodeling of the Heart through Direct Cardiac Reprogramming
Authors: Bektik Emre , Fu Ji-dong
Published: July 2019

Coronary artery disease is the most common form of cardiovascular diseases, resulting in the loss of cardiomyocytes (CM) at the site of ischemic injury. To compensate for the loss of CMs, cardiac fibroblasts quickly respond to injury and initiate cardiac remodeling in an injured heart. In the remodeling process, cardiac fibroblasts proliferate and differentiate into myofibroblasts, which secrete extracellular matrix to support the intact structure of the heart, and eventually differentiate into matrifibrocytes to form chronic scar tissue. Discovery of direct cardiac reprogramming offers a promising therapeutic strategy to prevent/attenuate this pathologic remodeling and replace the cardiac fibrotic scar with myocardium in situ. Since the first discovery in 2010, many progresses have been made to improve the efficiency and efficacy of reprogramming by understanding the mechanisms and signaling pathways that are activated during direct cardiac reprogramming. Here, we overview the development and recent progresses of direct cardiac reprogramming and discuss future directions in order to translate this promising technology into an effective therapeutic paradigm to reverse cardiac pathological remodeling in an injured heart.
The Detection and Morphological Analysis of Circulating Tumor and Host Cells in Breast Cancer Xenograft Models
Authors: Cleris Loredana , Daidone Maria Grazia , Fina Emanuela , Cappelletti Vera
Published: July 2019

Hematogenous dissemination may occur early in breast cancer (BC). Experimental models could clarify mechanisms, but in their development, the heterogeneity of this neoplasia must be considered. Here, we describe circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and the metastatic behavior of several BC cell lines in xenografts. MDA-MB-231, BT-474, MDA-MB-453 and MDA-MB-468 cells were injected at the orthotopic level in immunocompromised mice. CTCs were isolated using a size-based method and identified by cytomorphological criteria. Metastases were detected by COX IV immunohistochemistry. CTCs were detected in 90% of animals in each model. In MDA-MB-231, CTCs were observed after 5 weeks from the injection and step wisely increased at later time points. In animals injected with less aggressive cell lines, the load of single CTCs (mean ± SD CTCs/mL: 1.8 ± 1.3 in BT-474, 122.2 ± 278.5 in MDA-MB-453, 3.4 ± 2.5 in MDA-MB-468) and the frequency of CTC clusters (overall 38%) were lower compared to MDA-MB-231 (946.9 ± 2882.1; 73%). All models had lung metastases, MDA-MB-453 and MDA-MB-468 had ovarian foci too, whereas lymph nodal involvement was observed in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 only. Interestingly, CTCs showed morphological heterogeneity and were rarely associated to host cells. Orthotopic xenograft of BC cell lines offers valid models of hematogenous dissemination and a possible experimental setting to study CTC-blood microenvironment interactions.
Study on Unsaturated Transport of Cement-Based Silane Sol Coating Materials
Authors: Zhang Wenjuan , Li Shaochun , Hou Dongshuai , Geng Yongjuan , Zhang Shuliu , Yin Bing , Li Xiangguo
Published: July 2019

There are many types of concrete protection materials, but silane-based protective materials have excellent performance and durability. Experimental usage of silane sol-based waterproof materials is relatively mature and research studies on microscale mechanisms are relatively sparse. In this paper, molecular dynamics simulations are used to explain the microscopic transmission mechanism by analyzing the transport of water molecules and siloxane molecules in the gel pores, the local structure at the interface, and the molecular dynamics in the pores. Firstly, four models with different concentrations were constructed (0, 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 mol/L). By comparison, it can be found that as the concentration increases, so does the effect of inhibiting the transport of water molecules in the pores. Based on the determination of the concentration, this paper corrects the arrangement. Next, the three commonly used silanes in the experiment were selected for simulation. It was found that octyltriethoxysilane has good stability and a waterproof effect. Among them, octyltriethoxysilane has a longer alkyl chain and is more stable at the interface, which destroys the original spatial correlation and weakens the capillary adsorption.
Neuro-Psychiatric Disorders: From Diagnosis to Care
Authors: Cauli Omar
Published: July 2019

Neuro-psychiatric disorders are an important cause of poor quality of life, disability, and premature mortality [...]
The Limits between Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder: A Review of the Evidence
Authors: Sanches Marsal
Published: July 2019

Bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder are among the most frequently diagnosed psychiatric conditions. However, the nosological aspects and diagnostic boundaries of both conditions have historically been the object of considerable controversy. The present paper critically analyzes this debate, in light of available evidence. Clinical and neurobiological differences between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder are discussed, as well as the factors possibly involved in the overlap between both conditions and the potential implications of this.
Throughput Enhancement in Downlink MU-MIMO Using Multiple Dimensions
Authors: Ha Jong-Gyu , Ro Jae-Hyun , Song Hyoung-Kyu
Published: July 2019

This paper focuses on the throughput performance enhancement in the single cell multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) downlink system model. For better quality of service, this paper proposes the scheme that increases system throughput and improves the spectral efficiency. Specifically, the signal transmission and detection schemes are proposed by using multiple dimensions. At the transmitter side, two dimensions (power and space) are adopted at the same time. To achieve multiple access (MA), the space domain is exploited by using a block diagonalization (BD) precoding technique, and the power domain is exploited to transmit more data symbols. At the receiver, the signal detection structure corresponding to a transmitter is also proposed. In the simulation results, comparisons of throughput performance are presented in various aspects. As a result, the proposed scheme outperforms the conventional schemes using only one dimension in terms of throughput. This paper shows strong performance in MU-MIMO senarios by adopting multiple dimensions.
Charging Station and Power Network Planning for Integrated Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Authors: Liu Guozhong , Kang Li , Luan Zeyu , Qiu Jing , Zheng Fenglei
Published: July 2019

The optimal location and size of charging stations are important considerations in relation to the large-scale application of electric vehicles (EVs). In this context, considering that charging stations are both traffic service facilities and common electric facilities, a multi-objective model is built, with the objectives of maximizing the captured traffic flow in traffic networks and minimizing the power loss in distribution networks. There are two kinds of charging stations that are considered in this paper, and the planning of EV charge stations and distribution networks is jointly modelled. The formulated multi-objective optimization problem is handled by a fuzzy membership function. The genetic algorithm (GA) is used to solve the objective function. In case studies, a 33-node distribution system and a 25-node traffic network are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model. The location and capacity of two kinds of charging stations are designed in the case studies, after which the impact of the battery on the captured traffic flow is analyzed as well.
A Sidecar Object for the Optimized Communication Between Edge and Cloud in Internet of Things Applications
Authors: Busanelli Stefano , Cirani Simone , Melegari Lorenzo , Picone Marco , Rosa Mirco , Veltri Luca
Published: July 2019

The internet of things (IoT) is one of the most disrupting revolutions that is characterizing the technology ecosystem. In the near future, the IoT will have a significant impact on people’s lives and on the design and developments of new paradigms and architectures coping with a completely new set of challenges and service categories. The IoT can be described as an ecosystem where a massive number of constrained devices (denoted as smart objects) will be deployed and connected to cooperate for multiple purposes, such a data collection, actuation, and interaction with people. In order to meet the specific requirements, IoT services may be deployed leveraging a hybrid architecture that will involve services deployed on the edge and the cloud. In this context, one of the challenges is to create an infrastructure of objects and microservices operating between both the edge and in the cloud that can be easily updated and extended with new features and functionalities without the need of updating or re-deploying smart objects. This work introduces a new concept for extending smart objects’ support for cloud services, denoted as a sidecar object. A sidecar object serves the purpose of being deployed as additional component of a preexisting object without interfering with the mechanisms and behaviors that have already been implemented. In particular, the sidecar object implementation developed in this work focuses on the communication with existing IoT cloud services (namely, AWS IoT and Google Cloud IoT) to provide a transparent and seamless synchronization of data, states, and commands between the object on the edge and the cloud. The proposed sidecar object implementation has been extensively evaluated through a detailed set of tests, in order to analyze the performances and behaviors in real- world scenarios.
Marine Internet for Internetworking in Oceans: A Tutorial
Authors: Jiang Shengming
Published: July 2019

Ever-increasing human activities in oceans require handy, reliable and cost-effective high-speed network access similar to terrestrial Internet services to be available on and under water. However, terrestrial Internet cannot be extended to oceans seamlessly due to huge differences between terrestrial and oceanic environments, while satellite services are still very expensive especially for ordinary users with communication quality susceptible to weather conditions, and cannot cover underwater networks either. Therefore, marine Internet, proposed about six years ago, is the earliest scheme that tries to systematically address the internetworking issue in oceans and still in its infancy stage. This tutorial aims to introduce the principle, architecture and applications of marine Internet, along with discussion on oceanic environments for communication, currently available and under developing communication systems in oceans, as well as challenging issues necessary for further studies to foster the development of marine Internet.
Sharing Multiple Perspectives on Burning: Towards a Participatory and Intercultural Fire Management Policy in Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana
Authors: Bilbao Bibiana , Mistry Jayalaxshmi , Millán Adriana , Berardi Andrea
Published: July 2019

Although there is convincing scientific research for the role of Indigenous fire practices in sustainable land management, Indigenous peoples’ involvement in policy-making is limited. This paper presents findings from a fire management workshop where experiences and perspectives were shared among 60 academic, government, and Indigenous representatives from 27 organizations from Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana. The data, in the form of small group discussions, participatory drawings, whole group reflections, and videos, showed that although there was general acceptance about the central role of fire in traditional Indigenous livelihoods and its importance for protecting the biological and cultural diversity of ecosystems, there were also tensions around the past imposition of a dominant fire exclusion discourse of governmental institutions in Indigenous territories. Overcoming the gaps derived from different experiences and historical worldviews, and building mutual trust and respect were the main challenges when integrating multiple perspectives through the “intercultural interface” of institutions working on environmental management and governance. The elaboration of a common declaration and next steps in the framework of a “Participatory and Intercultural Fire Management Network”, created during the workshop to enhance a sustainable fire policy, revealed the conviction of working together for Indigenous fire management legitimization and strengthening from all participants of the three countries.