bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Job loss and the mental health of spouses and adolescent children
Authors: Bubonya Melisa , Cobb-Clark Deborah A. , Wooden Mark
Published: May 2017

Panel data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey are used to examine the impact of involuntary job loss on the mental health of spouses and adolescent children. Estimates from fixed effects models show that the mental health of women (but not men) declines following a spouse’s job loss, but only if that job loss results in a sustained period of non-employment or if the couple experienced prior financial hardship or relationship strain. A negative effect of parental job loss on the mental health of adolescent children is also found but is restricted to girls.

JEL Classification: I31, J10, J65
Differences in Blood Pressure in Infants After General Anesthesia Compared to Awake Regional Anesthesia (GAS Study—A Prospective Randomized Trial)
Authors: McCann M. E. , Withington D. E. , Arnup S. J. , Davidson A. J. , Disma N. , Frawley G. , Morton N. S. , Bell G. , Hunt R. W. , Bellinger D. C. , Polaner D. M. , Leo A. , Absalom A. R. , von Ungern-Sternberg B. S. , Izzo F. , Szmuk P . , Young V. , Soriano S. G. , de Graaff J. C.
Published: May 2017

BACKGROUND:

The General Anesthesia compared to Spinal anesthesia (GAS) study is a prospective randomized, controlled, multisite, trial designed to assess the influence of general anesthesia (GA) on neurodevelopment at 5 years of age. A secondary aim obtained from the blood pressure data of the GAS trial is to compare rates of intraoperative hypotension after anesthesia and to identify risk factors for intraoperative hypotension.

METHODS:

A total of 722 infants ≤60 weeks postmenstrual age undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy were randomized to either bupivacaine regional anesthesia (RA) or sevoflurane GA. Exclusion criteria included risk factors for adverse neurodevelopmental outcome and infants born at <26 weeks of gestation. Moderate hypotension was defined as mean arterial pressure measurement of <35 mm Hg. Any hypotension was defined as mean arterial pressure of <45 mm Hg. Epochs were defined as 5-minute measurement periods. The primary outcome was any measured hypotension <35 mm Hg from start of anesthesia to leaving the operating room. This analysis is reported primarily as intention to treat (ITT) and secondarily as per protocol.

RESULTS:

The relative risk of GA compared with RA predicting any measured hypotension of <35 mm Hg from the start of anesthesia to leaving the operating room was 2.8 (confidence interval [CI], 2.0–4.1; P < .001) by ITT analysis and 4.5 (CI, 2.7–7.4, P < .001) as per protocol analysis. In the GA group, 87% and 49%, and in the RA group, 41% and 16%, exhibited any or moderate hypotension by ITT, respectively. In multivariable modeling, group assignment (GA versus RA), weight at the time of surgery, and minimal intraoperative temperature were risk factors for hypotension. Interventions for hypotension occurred more commonly in the GA group compared with the RA group (relative risk, 2.8, 95% CI, 1.7–4.4 by ITT).

CONCLUSIONS:

RA reduces the incidence of hypotension and the chance of intervention to treat it compared with sevoflurane anesthesia in young infants undergoing inguinal hernia repair.
Exploitation of the host cell ubiquitin machinery by microbial effector proteins
Authors: Lin Yi-Han , Machner Matthias P.
Published: May 2017

Pathogenic bacteria are in a constant battle for survival with their host. In order to gain a competitive edge, they employ a variety of sophisticated strategies that allow them to modify conserved host cell processes in ways that favor bacterial survival and growth. Ubiquitylation, the covalent attachment of the small modifier ubiquitin to target proteins, is such a pathway. Ubiquitylation profoundly alters the fate of a myriad of cellular proteins by inducing changes in their stability or function, subcellular localization or interaction with other proteins. Given the importance of ubiquitylation in cell development, protein homeostasis and innate immunity, it is not surprising that this post-translational modification is exploited by a variety of effector proteins from microbial pathogens. Here, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the many ways microbes take advantage of host ubiquitylation, along with some surprising deviations from the canonical theme. The lessons learned from the in-depth analyses of these host–pathogen interactions provide a fresh perspective on an ancient post-translational modification that we thought was well understood.

This article is part of a Minifocus on Ubiquitin Regulation and Function. For further reading, please see related articles: ‘Mechanisms of regulation and diversification of deubiquitylating enzyme function’ by Pawel Leznicki and Yogesh Kulathu (J. Cell Sci. 130, 1997–2006). ‘Cell scientist to watch – Mads Gyrd-Hansen' (J. Cell Sci. 130, 1981–1983).
Genome-wide screen for cell growth regulators in fission yeast
Authors: Weston Louise , Greenwood Jessica , Nurse Paul
Published: May 2017

Cellular growth control is important for all living organisms, but experimental investigation into this problem is difficult because of the complex range of growth regulatory mechanisms. Here, we have used the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe to identify potential master regulators of growth. At the restrictive temperature, the S. pombe pat1ts mei4Δ strain enters the meiotic developmental program, but arrests in meiotic G2 phase as mei4+ is essential for meiotic progression. These cells do not grow, even in an abundance of nutrients. To identify regulators of growth that can reverse this growth arrest, we introduced an ORFeome plasmid library into the pat1tsmei4Δ strain. Overexpression of eight genes promoted cell growth; two of these were core RNA polymerase subunits, and one was sck2+, an S6 kinase thought to contribute to TORC1 signalling. Sck2 had the greatest effect on cell growth, and we also show that it significantly increases the cellular transcription rate. These findings indicate, for the first time, that global transcriptional control mediated through S6 kinase signalling is central to cellular growth control.
Specific RNP capture with antisense LNA/DNA mixmers
Authors: Rogell Birgit , Fischer Bernd , Rettel Mandy , Krijgsveld Jeroen , Castello Alfredo , Hentze Matthias W.
Published: May 2017

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play essential roles in RNA biology, responding to cellular and environmental stimuli to regulate gene expression. Important advances have helped to determine the (near) complete repertoires of cellular RBPs. However, identification of RBPs associated with specific transcripts remains a challenge. Here, we describe “specific ribonucleoprotein (RNP) capture,” a versatile method for the determination of the proteins bound to specific transcripts in vitro and in cellular systems. Specific RNP capture uses UV irradiation to covalently stabilize protein–RNA interactions taking place at “zero distance.” Proteins bound to the target RNA are captured by hybridization with antisense locked nucleic acid (LNA)/DNA oligonucleotides covalently coupled to a magnetic resin. After stringent washing, interacting proteins are identified by quantitative mass spectrometry. Applied to in vitro extracts, specific RNP capture identifies the RBPs bound to a reporter mRNA containing the Sex-lethal (Sxl) binding motifs, revealing that the Sxl homolog sister of Sex lethal (Ssx) displays similar binding preferences. This method also revealed the repertoire of RBPs binding to 18S or 28S rRNAs in HeLa cells, including previously unknown rRNA-binding proteins.
NF45 and NF90/NF110 coordinately regulate ESC pluripotency and differentiation
Authors: Ye Julia , Jin Hu , Pankov Aleksandr , Song Jun S. , Blelloch Robert
Published: May 2017

While years of investigation have elucidated many aspects of embryonic stem cell (ESC) regulation, the contributions of post-transcriptional and translational mechanisms to the pluripotency network remain largely unexplored. In particular, little is known in ESCs about the function of RNA binding proteins (RBPs), the protein agents of post-transcriptional regulation. We performed an unbiased RNAi screen of RBPs in an ESC differentiation assay and identified two related genes, NF45 (Ilf2) and NF90/NF110 (Ilf3), whose knockdown promoted differentiation to an epiblast-like state. Characterization of NF45 KO, NF90 + NF110 KO, and NF110 KO ESCs showed that loss of NF45 or NF90 + NF110 impaired ESC proliferation and led to dysregulated differentiation down embryonic lineages. Additionally, we found that NF45 and NF90/NF110 physically interact and influence the expression of each other at different levels of regulation. Globally across the transcriptome, NF45 KO ESCs and NF90 + NF110 KO ESCs show similar expression changes. Moreover, NF90 + NF110 RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP)-seq in ESCs suggested that NF90/NF110 directly regulate proliferation, differentiation, and RNA-processing genes. Our data support a model in which NF45, NF90, and NF110 operate in feedback loops that enable them, through both overlapping and independent targets, to help balance the push and pull of pluripotency and differentiation cues.
A Review of Adult Idiopathic and Degenerative Scoliosis
Authors: Sheikh Fatima
Published: May 2017

Adult scoliosis can be classified into two groups, either degenerative scoliosis or idiopathic scoliosis. These two types of scoliosis vary in patient age, progression, and physical presentation. In adult idiopathic scoliosis, spurs form as a result of the onset of arthritis in the joints of the spine, resulting in back pain and in many cases deformity. On the other hand, in adult degenerative scoliosis, the degeneration of discs can lead to numbness and shooting pains that radiate down the leg. It is for this reason that surgical methods must be carefully weighed and considered to account for the major symptoms to prevent postoperative complications. With improvements in surgical treatments, more attention should be paid to improving the patient’s quality of life as a part of the follow up procedures. Ultimately, once a diagnosis has been reached, based on the symptoms and any other illnesses, all aspects of the treatment should be considered in order to prevent postoperative complications, to relieve symptoms and to improve overall quality of life. A variety of papers and studies were thoroughly reviewed and studied before writing this review paper, including “Evaluation of quality of life and risk factors affecting quality go life in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis” and “Surgical Treatment of Adult Degenerative Scoliosis”.La scoliose — plus spécifiquement la scoliose adulte — peut être classée en deux catégories, soit la scoliose adulte dégénérative ou la scoliose adulte idiopathique. Ces deux types de scoliose varient en fonction de l'âge du patient, la progression, et la représentation physique. Dans la scoliose adulte idiopathique, la formation d’éperons survient à cause de l’arthrite dans les articulations de la colonne vertébrale ce qui entraîne des douleurs au dos et dans de nombreux cas, une difformité. D'autre part, dans la scoliose adulte dégénérative, la dégénérescence des disques peut engendrer un engourdissement et des douleurs fulgurantes qui irradient jusqu’au bas de la jambe. C’est pour cela que les méthodes chirurgicales doivent être mûrement réfléchies et dûment évaluées pour tenir compte des principaux symptômes afin de prévenir les complications postopératoires. Avec le progrès des traitements chirurgicaux, plus d'attention devrait être accordée à l'amélioration de la qualité de vie du patient dans les procédures de suivi. En fin de compte, une fois que le diagnostic a été déterminé,  les symptômes et tout autres maladies, ainsi que tous les aspects du traitement doivent être envisagés afin de prévenir les complications postopératoires, soulager les symptômes et améliorer la qualité de vie globale.
Le potentiel thérapeutique d’un lipide de l’avocat (avocatin B) pour le traitement des leucémies aiguës myéloblastiques
Authors: Omaiche Tarek
Published: May 2017

De nos jours, le traitement le plus répandu contre les cancers est la chimiothérapie. C'est une pratique qui se résume à l’utilisation des médicaments qui tuent les cellules qui se divisent rapidement. Cependant, la chimiothérapie est inefficace pour le traitement de certains cancers comme la leucémie aigüe myéloblastique(LMA).Ce type du cancer affecte les cellules souches responsables de la production des plaquettes, des globules rouges et blancs. Cette approche est souvent trop intense puisqu’elle tue  les normales cellulaires qui sont important pour la fonction du corps. Dans ce contexte, le professeur Paul Spagnuolo et son équipe à l’Université de Waterloo ont récemment reporté l’existence d’un lipide de l’avocat nommé l’avocatin B, qui peut efficacement tuer les cellules souches cancéreuses leucémiques sans endommager les cellules souches normales. L’avocatin B affecte l’oxydation des acides gras et réduit la production de l’NADPH, l’NAD et le GSH, des molécules essentielles pour le contrôle du stress oxydatif cellulaire. [1] En absence des défenses anti-oxydantes, les cellules cancéreuses succombent à la mort cellulaire programmée (apoptose).Now a days the most common treatment against cancer is chemotheraphy.This is a practise which uses medications who kills rapidly diving cells.Chemotheraphy is an ineffective treatment against certain cancers like acute myelodi leukemia(AML).This type of cancer affects the stem cells respondisble for the production of platelets,red and white blood cells.This approach is often to much/intense since it kills normal cells which are mportnat for the function of the body.In this context,Dr.Paul Spagnulo and his team at the University of Waterloo have recently reported dthe existence of a lipid in avacodo's called avocatin B,which  can effectively kill the cancer cells without damaging the normal cells.Avocatin B affects the oxidation of fatty acids and reduces(?) the production of NADPH, NAD and GSH; molecules that are essential for the control of oxidative stress. [1] These factors eventually lead to a programmed cell death (apoptosis).
Co-Op Student Testimonials
Authors: Sheikh Fatima , Manning Melanie
Published: May 2017

The Foundation of Student Science and Technology is pleased to announce another successful year for our Research Co-Op Program. Two student participants, Fatima Sheikh and Melanie Manning, share their insightful testimonials in this month’s journal issue, noting their learning experiences about themselves and their future career choices in the sciences.
Growing Up, Science (Especially Biology), Always Interested Me
Authors: Lalla Sarina
Published: May 2017

That was the year I actually had biology as a subject for the first time, and I was in awe. The effectiveness of the human body and the fact that it functioned almost like a machine fascinated me. However, more importantly, that was also the year that my mother decided that I was old enough to learn about her story.En grandissant, la science, plus spécifiquement la biologie, m’a toujours intéressée. Cependant, mon histoire a vraiment décollé quand j’avais 14 ans. C’était la première année que j’avais la biologie comme matière scolaire, et j’étais fascinée. Le corps humain et son efficacité, et le fait qu’il était comme une machine me fascinait. Par contre, ce qui est plus important encore, c’est que c’était l’année que ma mère a décidé qu’il était temps de me raconter son histoire.
Single note dissonance through harmonic self-interference
Authors: Ng Maxwell
Published: May 2017

In music, dissonance is the unpleasant quality of sound. While dissonance is generally regarded as arising from two notes played simultaneously, low frequency notes sound dissonant when played alone on a piano. I hypothesize that this dissonance arises from the harmonics of the played note interfering with one another. Using the piano as a model, perceived dissonance was calculated through the combination of the two-tone dissonance formula with the A-weighting curve and the different harmonic intensities of a piano. Spectrographs of sample piano notes were used to compare harmonics of low frequency and high frequency notes.Single note dissonance increased rapidly as note frequency decreased. A-weighting had no qualitative effect on the dissonance-frequency trend, implying a physical and not a psychoacoustic cause. As verified in the spectrographs, the lower register note had harmonics closer together, compared to the higher register note. It is thus possible that the harmonics of low notes interfere significantly with each other, thereby producing the observed single-note dissonance.The simulation produces a score for the perceived dissonance of a single-note played on the piano. This analysis could be adapted in the future to other instruments, including aerophones, as well as integrate timbre, partials, and inharmonics. La dissonance musicale et pour la plupart compris en matière de deux notes simultanées. Cependant, les notes de basse fréquence semble en désordre quand ils sont joués seules sur un piano. L’explication proposée dans cet oeuvre est que cette dissonance se produit des harmoniques des notes qui s’interfèrent. Utilisant le piano comme exemple, la dissonance perçue a été calculé par la combination de la formule de dissonance entre deux notes avec la courbe de pondération A et les intensités harmoniques d’un piano. Les spectres sonores des notes de piano ont été utilisés pour la comparaison des notes de basse et haut fréquences. La dissonance des seules notes augmentait rapidement alors que les fréquences des notes diminuaient. La pondération A n’avait pas eu un effet sur la tendance entre la dissonance et les fréquences, qui signifie la présence d’une cause physique au lieu d’une cause auditive. Vérifié dans les spectres sonores, la note de registre inférieur avait ses harmoniques plus proches comparés à la note du registre plus haut. C’est alors possible que les harmoniques des notes des registres inférieurs interfèrent considérablement avec les unes les autres, et produit ainsi la dissonance des seules notes observée dans les calculs. La simulation produit un résultat pour la dissonance perçue sur un piano. Cette analyse pourrait être adaptée dans le futur aux autres instruments, incluant les aérophones, et puis intégrer aussi des analyses de timbre, des tons simples, et des inharmoniques.
Natural woody species biodiversity after Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis) reforestation in Hyrcanian Forest, North of Iran
Authors: VATANI LEILA , HOSSEINI SEYED MOSEH , AKBARINIA MOSLEM , SHAMSI SAEED
Published: May 2017

Vatani L, Hosseini SM, Akbarinia M, Shamsi S. 2017. Natural woody species biodiversity after Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis) reforestation in Hyrcanian Forest, North Iran. Biodiversitas 18: 689-695. The present study was conducted to investigate the impact of Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis) reforestation (15 years old ) on woody species diversity comparison natural Hyrcanian forests. 9 sample plots with 20 Ã— 20m area were taken in each stand by a random systemic statistical method and also control area, then natural regeneration number of woody species were measured. Shannon-Wiener for diversity index, Mechanic for richness index and Simpson for evenness index were calculated to evaluate species biodiversity, using Ecological Methodology and SPSS software. The results showed that sixteen tree and shrub species were appeared in Cypress understory naturally, that some of the species were rare. There was no significant difference between the diversity and richness index obtained for Cypress reforestation and natural forest. Regarding the rate of evenness, only in one area was found a significant difference was observed between Cypress reforestation and natural forest that in reforestation was more than natural forest (p<0.05). Regarding the results obtained on the study, Cypress reforestation did not reduce the woody plant biodiversity until the age of fifteen years old and findings of this investigation suggested that the conditions under the Cypress canopy might be suitable for the presence of some woody species, 15 years after reforestation
Short Communication: Benthic macroinvertebrate diversity as biomonitoring of organic pollutions of river ecosystems in Central Java, Indonesia
Authors: WIBOWO DWI NUGROHO , SETIJANTO SETIJANTO , SANTOSO SLAMET
Published: May 2017

Wibowo DN, Setijanto, Santoso S. 2017. Short Communication: Benthic macroinvertebrate diversity as biomonitoring of organic pollutions of river ecosystems in Central Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 18: 671-676. Benthic macroinvertebrates are mainly aquatic insects that spend most of their lives in the freshwater ecosystems. The physical, chemical, and biological conditions of rivers have a direct influence towards aquatic insects (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera EPT) which make them good indicators of stream water quality. We examined the use of benthic macroinvertebrates diversity as a biomonitoring tool to assess organic pollution levels in three rivers in Purwokerto city during March to October 2011. Our objective was to test the sensitivity of benthic macroinvertebrates especially Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) diversity to organic pollution levels reflected by biological oxygen demand (BOD) concentrations. A total of 27 sites with different BOD levels were surveyed in three different rivers (Logawa, Banjaran, and Pelus) during the period of March to October 2011. The results revealed no correlation of benthic macroinvertebrate diversity (EPT index) to BOD levels. It could be concluded that in the use of EPT index as bioindicators of waters condition, the number of samples, sampling time, and location should be considered.
Study of climatic factors on the population dynamics of Pyricularia oryzae on some varieties of paddy rice (Oryza sativa)
Authors: SOPIALENA SOPIALENA , PALUPI PRATIWI JATI
Published: May 2017

Sopialena, Palupi PJ. 2017. Study of climatic factors on the population dynamics of Pyricularia oryzae on some varieties of paddy rice (Oryza sativa). Biodiversitas 18: 701-708. The occurrence of plant diseases is influenced by three factors: pathogen, environment, and host. Environment playing important role in the development of the disease is the climatic factor, whereas the resistance of plants also influences the development of disease. The research was conducted during five months from April to August 2016 and the location of the research was in paddy fields in Tanah Merah, North Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The study aims to determine the climatic factors (temperature and humidity) which are most dominant to the rate of spot width, the infection rate of pathogen attack intensity on Pyricularia oryzae and the development of P. oryzae spores in several varieties of paddy rice (Inpari 7, Ciherang and Cibogo). The parameters in the study are climate factors namely humidity and temperature, the width rate of spot blast disease, the attack intensity of pathogenic P. oryzae and the spores number of P. oryzae. Research shows that the population of P. oryzae is strongly influenced by temperature. Low temperature is the most dominant factor affecting the rate of infection of blast disease. The number of pathogen population also affects the attack intensity of the disease. A higher population of P. oryzae led to higher intensity of blast disease in rice plants. Moreover, varieties of rice plants also affect P. oryzae attack. The more vulnerable the plants, the higher level of P. oryzae attack on the plant. The lowest intensity attack of the disease is found in Ciherang, then Cibogo and the most vulnerable is Inpari 7.
Endophytic bacteria producing antibacterial against methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in seagrass from Rote Ndao, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Authors: FITRI DIAN SAGITA , PANGASTUTI ARTINI , SUSILOWATI ARI , SUTARNO SUTARNO
Published: May 2017

Fitri DS, Pangastuti A, Susilowati A, Sutarno. 2017. Endophytic bacteria producing antibacterial against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in seagrass from Rote Ndao, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 18: 733-740. Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are bacteria that resistant to the various type of antibiotics and yet cannot be handled comprehensively. The discovery of new antibiotic from endophytic bacteria in seagrass of Rote Island is an option to overcome the resistance. The aims of this research were to screen endophytic bacteria inhibit MRSA from seagrass, to determine the species of the endophytic bacteria and the genetic relationship. Isolation of endophytic bacteria has carried out by inoculating surface sterilization seagrass leaves on Marine Agar (MA) medium. Selection of potential endophytic bacteria-producing anti-MRSA has done using overlay method against MRSA, gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, and gram-negative Escherichia coli. Identification of the endophytic bacteria based on the sequence of 16S rRNA encoding gene. The results showed that there were eight isolates of endophytic bacteria which have antibacterial activity against MRSA of seagrass Enhalus acoroides, Thalassia hemprichii, and Cymodocea rotundata in the Litianak and Oeseli Beaches, Rote Ndao. The diameter of inhibition zone was between 0.65-18.27 mm with narrow spectrum with broad spectrum antibacterial activity. The eight potential endophytic bacteria identity were Bacillaceae E2M1, Bacillaceae E2M3, Bacillus E2M4, Bacillus E2M7, Bacillaceae E2M8, Pseudomonadaceae C1M7, Shewanellaceae C2M3, and Rhodobacteraceae T1M3. Most of the isolates can be said to be a new species as the percent similarity of 16S rRNA gene sequence was less than 95% and promising to produce new antibacterial compounds. Phylogenetic relationship showed some isolates clustering in different groups that present the diverse groups of endophytic bacteria were found.
Short Communication: Investigation of Diphtheria in Indonesia: dtxR and tox genes analysis of Corynebacterium diphtheriae collected from outbreaks
Authors: MULYASTUTI YUANITA , RAHAYU SIWIPENI I. , SUNARNO SUNARNO , WASITO EDDY B.
Published: May 2017

Mulyastuti Y, Rahayu SI, Sunarno S, Santoso S, Wasito EB. 2017. Short Communication: Investigation of Diphtheria in Indonesia: dtxR and tox genes analysis of Corynebacterium diphtheriae collected from outbreaks. Biodiversitas 18: 784-787. Diphtheria outbreaks have sporadically occurred in Indonesia recently. It is suspected that toxin profile changes play an important role in vaccine efficacy and the occurrence of outbreaks. This study aimed to investigate the genetic changes of dtxR and tox genes in Corynebacterium diphtheria in Indonesia. Four C. diphtheriae toxigenic isolates circulating in current outbreak area were analyzed by comparing DNA sequences of their dtxR and tox genes to those of the PW8 vaccine strain. Among the four isolates, three point mutations were detected in dtxR gene while three other point mutations were detected in the tox gene. All six were silent mutations, suggesting that the diphtheria toxin is highly conserved at the amino acid sequence level, and indirectly indicating that the vaccine remains appropriate. Genetic variation in dtxR and tox genes of C. diphtheriae isolates from the recent outbreaks in Indonesia was detected.
Tengkawang cultivation model in community forest using agroforestry systems in West Kalimantan, Indonesia
Authors: WINARNI BUDI , LAHJIE ABUBAKAR M. , SIMARANGKIR B.D.A.S. , YUSUF SYAHRIR , RUSLIM YOSEP
Published: May 2017

Winarni B, Lahjie AM, Simarangkir B.D.A.S, Yusuf S, Ruslim Y.2017. Tengkawang cultivation model in community forest using agroforestry systems in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 18: 765-772. Tengkawang is the flora mascot of West Kalimantan and has long been supporting the life of people around the forest. Its fruit can be processed into fat which traded as â€˜green butter', â€˜borneo tallow', or â€˜tengkawang oil', which used as cocoa butter substitutes and the material for manufacturing lipstick, candle and drugs. Its wood was used as raw material for sawmill and plywood industries. Today, tengkawang tree existence is endangered and has been replaced with rubber plantations. The purposes of this research were to: (i) analyze the maximum growth increment of tengkawang; (ii) analyze the maximum production of tengkawang fruits and latex; (iii) analyze the financial feasibility of tengkawang cultivation and tengkawang combined with rubber; and (iv)formulate tengkawang cultivation model. The research used a descriptive method in survey form and interview technique by using questionnaire. The research result showed that the maximum growth increment of tengkawang which cultivated in monoculture (model 1) and tengkawang combined with rubber (model 2) were achieved at the age of 40 years. The maximum production of tengkawang fruit in model 1 and model 2 were achieved at the age of 64 years, while the maximum production of latex (model 2) was achieved at the age of 17 years. The cultivation of tengkawang by model 1 produced IRR of 12.3% and model 2 produced IRR of 12.9%. Financially, both cultivation models of tengkawang were feasible to be cultivated. Financially, tengkawang cultivation by using rubber in an agroforestry system was more profitable than tengkawang cultivation in monoculture.
Gemella bacteremia: an unlikely source of an unlikely cul-prit
Authors: Li William , Gambhir Harvir
Published: May 2017

Gemella is an anaerobic or microaerophlic gram positive coccus generally an inhabitant of the oral cavity and gastrointestinal flora which has been associated with poor dentition and infectious endocarditis in the past along with seldom cases of meningitis and liver abscess noted in literature. Oftentimes co-existing with other bacteria as a mixed infection, we highlight the case of a bacteremic individual with gemella as a single isolated organism from a source gemella is not commonly known to inhabit.
A remark on the two-phase obstacle-type problem for the p-Laplacian
Authors: Zheng Jun , Feng Binhua , Zhao Peihao
Published: May 2017

In this paper, we give a remark on the two-phase obstacle-type
problem for the p-Laplacian when

1
<
p
<
2

{1<p<2}

and p is close to 2. We prove that the free boundary where
the gradient vanishes has locally finite

(

n
-
1

)

{(n-1)}

-Hausdorff measure.
Webarchivierung in der SUB Hamburg: kleine Schritte in der Region – Bausteine zu einem größeren Ganzen?
Authors: Hagenah Ulrich
Published: May 2017

Die Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Hamburg sammelt im Rahmen ihres Auftrags als Landes- und Pflichtexemplarbibliothek seit 2015 Websites Hamburger Institutionen bzw. zu regional relevanten Themen. Der Beitrag beschreibt die rechtlichen und technischen Grundlagen, die Prinzipien der Auswahl, den Bearbeitungs-Workflow einschließlich der Katalogisierung sowie die Zugänge zu den Archivkopien der Websites. Diskutiert werden technisch-organisatorische Grenzen und der Stellenwert der Webarchivierung im landesbibliothekarischen Kontext.
The effects of transport by car on coagulation tests
Authors: Ergin Merve , Erdogan Serpil , Akturk Onur , Erel Ozcan
Published: May 2017

Background:

This research investigated the effects of the transport of blood samples between centers/laboratories by car on coagulation tests.

Methods:

Five tubes of blood samples were taken from 20 healthy volunteers. The samples consisted of a baseline (control) group, centrifuged and noncentrifuged transported samples; centrifuged and noncentrifuged untransported samples. The groups of centrifuged and noncentrifuged samples were transported by car for 2 h. The centrifuged and noncentrifuged untransported samples were incubated in the laboratory until the transported samples arrived. Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) tests were conducted for all samples.

Results:

Significant differences between the baseline group and the centrifuged and noncentrifuged transported samples and the noncentrifuged untransported samples were found for APTT levels (p<0.05, for all). In addition, significant mean percentage differences in PT values were found between the baseline group and the noncentrifuged transported samples (p<0.001) and the noncentrifuged untransported samples (p=0.005). The mean level of PT in the noncentrifuged transported samples was outside the upper limit of the clinical decision level.

Conclusions:

Noncentrifuged transported samples showed clinically significant differences in PT test results that may have stemmed from mechanical agitation during transportation. Therefore, we recommend not transporting noncentrifuged specimens for PT testing by car.
The First IUPAC World Chemistry Congress with a Latin Flavor
Authors: Andricopulo Adriano D.
Published: May 2017

On behalf of the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ) and the IUPAC-2017 Organizing Committee, it is our privilege and great pleasure to invite you to join us in Brazil and actively participate in the 46th World Chemistry Congress of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC-2017), to be held in São Paulo, 9-14 July 2017. Held for the first time ever in South America, this Congress represents a unique opportunity for Brazilians to host chemists from countries worldwide.
IUPAC Facilitating Chemistry Data Exchange in the Digital Era
Authors: McEwen Leah Rae
Published: May 2017

The scientific community faces an unprecedented communication challenge as larger volumes of research data are published and data storage moves into digital space. Most communication tasks in chemistry involve representing molecules. Traditionally, these have formalized around the need to register, search, view, and publish information about chemicals for human readers. Data collection and analysis are further described by formalized domain vocabularies. In the digital environment, machine-readability, as well as human interpretation of data, is a significant factor in the level of accuracy and completeness of data exchange. More than ever, there is a need for standard and robust protocols that support reliable interoperability: the transfer of depictions and descriptions of chemicals between systems without loss or distortion of information.
Quo vadis – deutsches Bildungs- und Wissenschaftsurheberrecht?
Authors: Kuhlen Rainer
Published: May 2017

Der aktuelle Referentenentwurf (RefE) des BMJV zur Reform des deutschen Urheberrechts wird aus der Perspektive von Bildung und Wissenschaft diskutiert. Der Vorschlag ist als Reaktion auf die offensichtlichen Probleme mit den bestehenden, auf Bildung und Wissenschaft bezogenen Bestimmungen des Urheberrechts zu verstehen. Auf diese Probleme wird in Kap. 2 eingegangen. Die vorgesehenen neuen Schrankenregelungen werden im Detail vorgestellt (Kap. 3) und kritisch (ablehnend und konstruktiv weiterführend) diskutiert (Kap. 4). Der Vorschlag wird auch unter der Vorgabe der Bundesregierung bewertet, ob das ursprünglich vorgesehene Ziel einer Allgemeinen Bildungs- und Wissenschaftsschranke erreicht werden konnte, oder ob zumindest der jetzige Vorschlag als akzeptable (Zwischen-) Lösung für ein zeitgemäßes Wissenschaftsurheberrecht angesehen werden kann (Kap. 5). Abschließend wird in Kap. 6 darauf eingegangen, ob der Prozess der parlamentarischen Beratung dieses RefE noch in dieser Legislaturperiode abgeschlossen werden kann. Im Anhang werden die Texte der acht neuen, jetzt vorgesehenen Schrankenregelungen aufgeführt.

Es nicht zu verkennen, dass die Aussagen in diesem Text an vielen Stellen von der Sicht des Aktionsbündnisses Urheberrecht für Bildung und Wissenschaft (http://www.urheberrechtsbuendnis.de/) geprägt sind, dessen Sprecher der Autor dieses Beitrags ist. Dieser Text ist aber nicht mit dem Aktionsbündnis abgestimmt, sondern ist allein in der Zuständigkeit und Verantwortung des Autors.
Intra-articular injections of ketamine and 25% dextrose improve clinical and pathological outcomes in the monosodium iodoacetate model of osteoarthritis
Authors: Shetty Yashashri C. , Patil Amol E. , Jalgaonkar Sharmila V. , Rege Nirmala N. , Salgaonkar Sweta , Teltumbde Prachi A. , Kshirsagar Sarang , Koli Paresh G. , Brahma Smita
Published: May 2017

Background:

The study evaluated the effect of intra-articular injections of ketamine and 25% dextrose with triamcinolone acetate (TA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) on joint pathology and pain behavior in monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis (OA) in experimental mice.

Methods:

In phase I, the MIA-induced OA model was standardized. In phase II, mice were divided into three groups: disease controls (DC), ketamine 12 mg/kg (K12) and ketamine 24 mg/kg (K24) to select an effective dose of ketamine for phase III. In phase III, the groups were: DC, normal controls (NC), K24, 25% dextrose (D25) – 10 μL, TA 6 mg/kg, and HA – 3.5 mg/kg. The effect of ketamine was compared with the standard drugs – TA and HA. In phases II and III, after 7 days following the induction of OA, animals were subjected to weekly behavioral tests and biweekly drug administration from week 2 to week 4. Subsequently, after 4 weeks knee joint samples were collected and sent for histopathological evaluation to a veterinary pathologist.

Results:

In phase I, the DC group showed significant OA changes as compared to NC on knee joint histopathology scoring. In phase II, all the behavioral tests and knee joint histopathology results demonstrated a significant improvement with K24 as compared to DC. In phase III, significant differences were found between DC vs. HA, DC vs. D25, DC vs. K24, K24 vs. TA, HA vs. TA for open field test and hot plate test (p<0.001), whereas HA and ketamine showed comparable results for these tests. There was a significant improvement in D25, TA and K24, HA groups as compared to DC in histopathology scores, (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

The NMDA antagonist effect of ketamine and the proliferative effect of 25% dextrose showed a reduction in pain and disease activity in the OA model.
Investment in New Proved Oil Reserves: An Austrian Perspective
Authors: Ewing Bradley T. , Thornton Mark , Yanochik Mark
Published: May 2017

Exploration and production (E&P) companies must replace oil produced with new proved reserves in order to sustain their existence, generate future revenues and value. Extensions constitute the largest type of additions to new proved reserves. Adding reserves through extensions is capital intensive and both the real price of oil (represented by real refiner acquisition cost) and real interest (represented by real yield on 10 year Treasury bond) will influence the investment in new discoveries of proved reserves. However, recent periods of unusually high commodity prices and ultra-low interest rates, often linked to monetary policy, may have led to an over-investment in reserves through extensions. Accordingly, using U.S. data (1977–2014) we test for the existence of “explosive behavior” in the volume of extensions over time with financial time series econometric methods referred to as right-tail ADF tests which have traditionally been used for identifying speculative bubbles in asset markets. Empirical evidence identifies a period of explosive (“bubble-like”) behavior in the time series of extensions having occurred beginning 2010 through 2014. This research provides an Austrian explanation for the empirical results consistent with the notion of malinvestment.
A modified coupled complex boundary method for an inverse chromatography problem
Authors: Cheng Xiaoliang , Lin Guangliang , Zhang Ye , Gong Rongfang , Gulliksson Mårten
Published: May 2017

Adsorption isotherms are the most important parameters in rigorous models of chromatographic processes. In this paper, in order to recover adsorption isotherms, we consider a coupled complex boundary method (CCBM), which was previously proposed for solving an inverse source problem [2]. With CCBM, the original boundary fitting problem is transferred to a domain fitting problem. Thus, this method has advantages regarding robustness and computation in reconstruction. In contrast to the traditional CCBM, for the sake of the reduction of computational complexity and computational cost, the recovered adsorption isotherm only corresponds to the real part of the solution of a forward complex initial boundary value problem. Furthermore, we take into account the position of the profiles and apply the momentum criterion to improve the optimization progress. Using Tikhonov regularization, the well-posedness, convergence properties and regularization parameter selection methods are studied. Based on an adjoint technique, we derive the exact Jacobian of the objective function and give an algorithm to reconstruct the adsorption isotherm. Finally, numerical simulations are given to show the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed regularization method.
Inverse nodal problems for the Sturm–Liouville operator with nonlocal integral conditions
Authors: Hu Yi-Teng , Yang Chuan-Fu , Xu Xiao-Chuan
Published: May 2017

In this work, we consider inverse nodal problems of the Sturm–Liouville equation with nonlocal integral conditions at two end-points. We prove that a dense subset of nodal points uniquely determine the potential function of the Sturm–Liouville equation up to a constant.
Surface chemistry and morphology in single particle optical imaging
Authors: Ekiz-Kanik Fulya , Sevenler Derin Deniz , Ünlü Neşe Lortlar , Chiari Marcella , Ünlü M. Selim
Published: May 2017

Biological nanoparticles such as viruses and exosomes are important biomarkers for a range of medical conditions, from infectious diseases to cancer. Biological sensors that detect whole viruses and exosomes with high specificity, yet without additional labeling, are promising because they reduce the complexity of sample preparation and may improve measurement quality by retaining information about nanoscale physical structure of the bio-nanoparticle (BNP). Towards this end, a variety of BNP biosensor technologies have been developed, several of which are capable of enumerating the precise number of detected viruses or exosomes and analyzing physical properties of each individual particle. Optical imaging techniques are promising candidates among broad range of label-free nanoparticle detectors. These imaging BNP sensors detect the binding of single nanoparticles on a flat surface functionalized with a specific capture molecule or an array of multiplexed capture probes. The functionalization step confers all molecular specificity for the sensor’s target but can introduce an unforeseen problem; a rough and inhomogeneous surface coating can be a source of noise, as these sensors detect small local changes in optical refractive index. In this paper, we review several optical technologies for label-free BNP detectors with a focus on imaging systems. We compare the surface-imaging methods including dark-field, surface plasmon resonance imaging and interference reflectance imaging. We discuss the importance of ensuring consistently uniform and smooth surface coatings of capture molecules for these types of biosensors and finally summarize several methods that have been developed towards addressing this challenge.
Modification of water transport properties of porous building stones caused by polymerization of silicon-based consolidation products
Authors: Karatasios Ioannis , Michalopoulou Anastasia , Amenta Maria , Kilikoglou Vassilis
Published: May 2017

This work studies the polymerization process of four different commercially available silicon-based polymers and their consequent effect on surface tension and water transport properties of natural stones used in architectural monuments, essential for modeling and predicting the durability of natural stones against weathering action of aqueous solutions. The four products studied consisted of two ethyl-silicate based materials, an alkyl-alkoxy siloxane oligomer with hydrophobic agents and finally, a silane/siloxane emulsion. In all cases, the morphology of the amorphous material deposited into the pore network of stones was examined by electron microscopy (SEM). The polymerization process was studied by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) on both inert surface and porous stone substrate. The treated stone specimens were further tested after polymerization in terms of determination and comparison of water absorption coefficient, open porosity, pore size distribution (mercury intrusion porosimetry) and surface tension (contact angle measurements) properties. According to the analysis, the modification of the wetting properties of the stone surface should be related rather with the chemistry than the microstructure of the xerogels alone.
Securitization reversed. Does Europeanization improve minority/majority relations?
Authors: Nancheva Nevena
Published: May 2017

Through a conceptual framework that combines the English School’s focus on primary institutions in international society with the Copenhagen School’s theory of securitization and desecuritization, this article studies the Europeanization of national minorities. It thus signals a categorical departure from the dominant norms transfer approach to problems of national minorities in the European Union (EU), an approach that has failed to convincingly account for many minority outcomes of European integration. This is particularly true of the continual attachment of national minorities to the state’s security agenda. The article takes Galbreath and McEvoy’s (2012) hypothesis that the EU has a unique potential to desecuritize national minorities, and applies it to one candidate (Macedonia) and one new member state (Bulgaria). It assesses flashpoints of minority/majority tensions across several sectors (the judiciary, the police, public administration, political representation, education, and health care). The investigation ascertains negative outcomes—desecuritization—but points to the crisis of confidence in the primary institution of European integration (supranationality) and the ensuing consolidation of nationalism as the dominant institution of pre-EU European society. The article concludes that improved minority/majority relations are a possible consequence of Europeanization rather than a precondition for it.
European style electoral politics in an ethnically divided society. The case of Kosovo
Authors: Wise Laura , Agarin Timofey
Published: May 2017

Our paper takes as its starting point the premise that elections are central moments in the life of polities: these are the times when individual citizens demonstrate support or otherwise of political institutions and regimes, assess their accountability and set agendas for the next government. In short, elections allow us to observe whether and how political regimes live up to society’s expectations. This issue has particular resonance in deeply divided societies that have experienced ethnic conflict in the past. In the deeply divided society of Kosovo, local and national elections in 2013 and 2014 presented an opportunity to analyze voter choices and elite agendas, with the presence of ethnopolitical issues under scrutiny. Our paper concludes that the normalization of electoral politics, within the context of European aspirations, has not yet taken place in Kosovo, and that the options available to the electorate continue to be dominated by identity politicking.