bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information hygiene: modern approaches to hygienic evaluation of content and physical signals of information carriers
Authors: Eryomin A. L.
Published: June 2020

The increasing flow of information affects health. The prevalence of information as an environmental factor is considered. With the growth of traditional information-dependent morbidity according to ICD-10, a new pathology appears as follows: computer syndrome, television addiction, depression from social networks, Internet addiction, ludomania, nomophobia, Internet suicides. There is presented a conceptual framework of prevention trends: information hygiene, ecology, ethics, digital-, cyber-, internet-hygiene. Information hygiene is a branch of medical science that studies the regularities of the impact of information on the mental, physical and social well-being of a person, his working capacity, life expectancy, public health of society, developing standards and measures to improve the information environment and optimize intellectual activity. There was analyzed the existing hygienic regulation of physical signals and perspectives of hygienic assessment activities with pronounced information loads. The shortcomings of the existing dosimetry, modern diagnostic devices for the dose-effect methodology are considered. There is discussed the importance of informational hygiene for content limits, targeting boundaries and specialization in the dissemination of information for the prevention of infopandemics, accompanied by virusophobia, quarantinomania, radiophobia, mysophobia. There are provided the scientific trends of multi-disciplinary mega-projects of the study of intelligence for the new hygienic approaches to optimize mental health. Taking into account the strategies of the national project “Education”, the digital development of the information society in Russia, as well as prevention of info-epidemics, the development of a textbook on information hygiene can be relied upon the principles outlined in the axiomatics of information ecology. There is proposed expediency of adequate responses from hygienists, preventive medicine and the state sanitary service for consideration. In social and communal hygiene - the study of mental statistics, public health, prediction, prevention infopandemics. In the hygiene of children and adolescents there is considered the development of recommendations and standards for gadgets and the time of their use, the assessment of the phenomena of clip-thinking, the transition to electronic textbooks, “blinkers” on the quality and volume of information in the search for knowledge. In occupational health - determination of the limits of intelligence from neuroscience, intensification of brain-computer interfaces, “dose-effects” and maximum permissible levels of carrier signals, optimization of information cooperation.
Rikke Andreassen & Kathrine Vitus (eds.), Affectivity and Race. Studies from Nordic Countries (Farnham: Ashgate, 2015)
Authors: Baruchello Giorgio
Published: June 2020

Book review of: Rikke Andreassen & Kathrine Vitus (eds.), Affectivity and Race. Studies from Nordic Countries (Farnham: Ashgate, 2015)
Steinar Imsen (ed.), The Norwegian Dominion and the Norse World c. 1100-c1400 & Taxes, Tributes and Tributary Lands in the Making of the Scandinavian Kingdoms in the Middle Ages (Trondheim: Tapir Academic Press, 2010 & 2011)
Authors: Bakker Hans
Published: June 2020

Book review of: Steinar Imsen (ed.), The Norwegian Dominion and the Norse World c. 1100-c1400 and Taxes, Tributes and Tributary Lands in the Making of the Scandinavian Kingdoms in the Middle Ages (Trondheim: Tapir Academic Press, 2010 & 2011)
Effects of sea birds and soil development on plant and soil nutritional parameters after 50 years of succession on Surtsey
Authors: Aerts Rien , van Logtestijn Richard S.P. , Leblans Niki I.W. , Sigurdsson Bjarni D.
Published: June 2020

Surtsey, the island that rose from the sea in a submarine eruption during 1963 to 1967, has been the subject
of many studies on primary succession. These studies have intensified after the establishment of a seagull
colony on the island in 1986. This paper reports on the results of a short sampling expedition in 2013 that
intended to characterize the interactive effects of the seagull colony and of soil development on soil nutritional
characteristics in the tephra sands that cover the underlying lava, as well as in plants growing inside and outside
the seagull colony. Feces and pellets of the gulls were extremely rich in both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)
and δ15N analyses showed that N was transferred from pellets and feces to the tephra soils and subsequently
taken up by the plants. The tephra soils not affected by the birds showed a high concentration of P compared to
N. The concentration of both nutrients was much lower than in the soils of the bird colony. In general, variation
in tephra soil depth had little effect on nutritional characteristics, except for the very low N concentration
in deep soils. Thus, our results confirm the overriding effect of the seagull colony on Surtsey on nutritional
characteristics of the developing soils and vegetation. Due to the very high P availability of the volcanic soils in
combination with the high P input by the birds, vegetation productivity is N limited, despite the extremely high
N input of 47 kg N ha-1 yr-1 that the birds add to the system. Our findings emphasize the extreme importance of
bird colonies on the nutritional ecology of young, N-poor ecosystems.
LEGAL REGULATION OF THE ECONOMY: THE HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE OF THE UNITED STATES
Authors: Латыпова Наталия
Published: June 2020

The analysis of the historical experience of legal regulation of the economy is relevant and significant in the light of the increasing influence of external negative factors on the world economy. In the context of the surging tensions over the spread of the COVID-19 virus and the increasing practice of imposing sanctions on certain States, more and more countries are crossing the line between a self-regulating market and an externally controlled state. In order to determine the main directions of the evolution of relations between law and economy in one of the most economically developed countries - the United States, the author used a comparative legal, historical, statistical, modeling and induction methods. The experience of the United States of America as a result of the study showed the failure and low efficiency of legal regulation of the economy, the destructive nature of state intervention in the main economic institutions and its indicators.
Взаємозв’язок показників поточної та екзаменаційної успішності вивчення фармакології здобувачами вищої фармацевтичної освіти як індикатор для моніторингу якості освіти
Authors: Штриголь С. Ю. , Цивунін В. В. , Риженко І. М. , Деримедвідь Л. В. , Щокіна К. Г. , Бутко Я. О. , Вереітинова В. П. , Товчига О. В. , Бєлік Г. В. , Кудіна О. В. , Куценко Т. О. , Таран А. В. , Матвійчук А. В. , Столєтов Ю. В. , Уланова В. А. , Койро О. О. , Іванцик Л. Б. , Зупанець М. В.
Published: June 2020

У системі підготовки майбутніх спеціалістів фармації фармакологія займає перехідну позицію між базовими фундаментальними (біологія, фізіологія з основами анатомії людини, патофізіологія, біологічна хімія, мікробіологія з основами імунології) та спеціальними профільними предметами (фармакотерапія, клінічна фармація, фармацевтична опіка). Цілком обґрунтовано фармакологія вважається інтегральною дисципліною, що формує професійне мислення як провізорів (фармацевтів), так і лікарів. Тому не викликає сумнівів важливість постійного вдосконалення методик викладання фармакології в закладах вищої медичної та фармацевтичної освіти, а також визначення успішності засвоєння матеріалу дисципліни як універсального індикатора ефективності навчання. Мета дослідження – оцінити успішність вивчення фармакології майбутніми спеціалістами фармації (вітчизняними та іноземними здобувачами вищої освіти) за результатами аналізу підсумкових оцінок, балів за письмовий курсовий іспит і відсотків правильних відповідей з дисципліни на ліцензійному тестовому іспиті КРОК-1 «Фармація», а також розробити процесну модель діяльності з підвищення якості підготовки з фармакології. Встановлено, що в цілому вітчизняні здобувачі вищої фармацевтичної освіти докладають найбільших зусиль до складання іспиту КРОК-1, що визначено за кращими результатами іспиту КРОК-1 порівняно з поточним рейтингом і курсовим іспитом. Іноземні здобувачі вищої фармацевтичної освіти мають нижчу поточну успішність і гірше, ніж вітчизняні, складають ліцензійний іспит КРОК-1. Кореляційний аналіз показав статистично значущі взаємозв’язки між поточним рейтингом, курсовим іспитом і відсотком правильних відповідей тесту КРОК-1 з фармакології. Проте у вітчизняних здобувачів вищої освіти зв’язки між поточним рейтингом і результатом іспиту КРОК-1 й результатами курсового та ліцензійного іспитів сильніші, ніж в іноземних, що може свідчити про більшу увагу до фундаментальних знань у процесі підготовки та складанні іспиту КРОК-1. Запропоновано процесну модель діяльності з покращання успішності вивчення фармакології та підвищення фармакологічної компетентності майбутніх фармацевтів відповідно до стандартів ISO 9001:2015.
O'CONNOR, T. Animals as Neighbors. The Past and Present of Commensal Species
Authors: Castro Carbonell Ana Isabel
Published: June 2020

Reseña del libro O´CONNOR, T. Animals as Neighbors. The past and Present of Commensal Species. Michigan: Michigan State University Press, 2013 (The animal turn)
Los porqués de los repositorios de acceso abierto y las redes académicas
Authors: Melero Melero Remedios
Published: June 2020

Remedios Melero, la coordinadora del debate de revista PH 100 sobre Repositorios y redes sociales académicas para la transferencia del conocimiento abierto, reflexiona sobre la evolución de los repositorios institucionales desde que el open access "sonaba aciencia ficción" hasta el momento presente, al tiempo que analiza algunas de las participaciones.
Bilingualism in Gadis Pantai Novel by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Authors: Suherman Achmad , Sulaeman Agus
Published: June 2020

The background of this study begins from people who rarely use monoligual language (one language). But in daily life, there are still many people who use two languages (bilingualism). People who use local languages and Indonesian language for example. The purpose of this study is to describe bilingualism in novels as a sociolinguistic study that examines language in assessment with the user community. This research is used to provide information to readers about the bilingualism in Gadis Pantai (The Girl from the Coast) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. This study uses qualitative research with content analysis methods. The data source used in this study is primary data in the form of novel as the main data source. Secondary data of this study are reference books that support the study conducted by researchers. This research is useful for studying bilingualism in Gadis Pantai by Pramoedya Ananta. From the results of the study and discussion it can be concluded that Gadis Pantai by Pramoedya Ananta Toer contains 25 sentences in bilingualism. Bilingualism that is found is between Javanese language and Indonesian language but indonesian dominated. Bilingualism is not only found directly in the communication of the language community but also can be found in literary works. This type of literary work can be in the form of a novel. Bilingualism in novels is found in conversations between characters in the novel.
Gaining Harmony: Glocal Subjectivity in Two Indonesian films for Children
Authors: Nafisah Nia
Published: June 2020

This paper investigates the representation of glocal subjectivity in two Indonesian films for children, Lima Elang (2011) and Langit Biru (2012) . The notion of subjectivity is crucial in positioning children in the era of globalisation, where children regularly encounter multiple and diverse values. Drawing on McCallum's (1999) proposition of subjectivity and Gutierrez's (2013) glocal subjectivity, the films are analysed using formal system analysis ( Bordwell and Thompson, 2008 ), which takes both narrative and cinematic aspects into consideration. There are two findings from the analysis. First, glocal subjectivity is formed through shared global scripts and signs, though these are somewhat adjusted in response to local signs and values. Second, this subjectivity is represented as agentic development of awareness and understanding; harmony is achieved through local supports. Although there is a blend of global and local subjectivities in the film texts, the glocal subjectivity favours global subjectivity, which reveals the dominant ideology of the text.
Streams of Consciousness: The Downriver Narrative in Young Adult Fiction
Authors: Bieber Ada , Gooding Richard
Published: June 2020

This article draws on adaptation and genre theory to argue that the downriver narrative constitutes a distinct genre in literature for youth. This genre is characterised by a repertoire of narrative elements including alternations between the river as a space of reflection and refuge, social interactions that occur on land, and the social and political commentary voiced by the river travellers. These patterns appear in diverse cultural and historical contexts, as exemplified by Auguste Lazar's Jan auf der Zille [Jan on the barge] (1934/1950), Richard Scrimger's Into the Ravine (2007), and David Almond's Heaven Eyes (2000). Published in Germany, Canada, and the UK, these novels deploy episodic accounts of journeying downstream to perform a range of cultural work, including articulating discourses about citizenship and nationhood, raising critical awareness about questions of difference, and promulgating Romantic models of childhood.
OPTIMALISASI RETRIBUSI PASAR DALAM MENINGKATKAN PENDAPATAN ASLI DAERAH KABUPATEN DOMPU PROVINSI NUSA TENGGARA BARAT
Authors: Siregar Kodir
Published: June 2020

ABSTRACT

Below Market is one of the main economic’s activator of Dompu’s society. Below Market is located at the urban area in Dompu city so it needs to be manage and arrange in order to keep the society’s Economics consist well. Based on that thing, the writer interest to do a research by a tittle “optimization the levies of below Market in order to increase the local revenue of Dompu regency West Nusa Tenggara province. The purpose of this Research was to determine optimization of a levy Market to increase the local revenue, to know the obstruction factor of managing a levy Market and also to know the efforts that the government do to manage a levy Market. A method that the writer use is descriptive qualitative method using inductive approach. The resource of the data that use is secondary and primary data. To collecting the data the writer do the interview and documentation also use the reduction of data analysis. Presentation and Verification. The Research located at BAPPENDA at Dompu Regency. The result of this research showed that optimization of the levies below Market can not give such a high contribution of the local revenue in Dompu Regency, because the result does not maksimum yet. Besides, the realization of the local revenue still can not reach the target, and the less awareness of the levy payer, and also less of the Supervision in the Regency, less of socialization, less of tool and infrastructure. That it is why we hope that government and the society can support in order to decrease the problem and Gide the Solutions to solven the levies of below Market problems.

Keywords: optimization, retribution, local revenue
KINERJA PENDAMPING DALAM MENINGKATKAN PEMBANGUNAN DESA Kajian Pembangunan di Desa Sido Rukun dan Lubuk Bumbun Kecamatan Margo Tabir Kabupaten Merangin Provinsi Jambi
Authors: Tahir M. Irwan , Dwi Sasmi Yesi Refinalisya
Published: June 2020

Companion Performance in Improving Village Development. Development Study in Sido Rukun Village and Lubuk Bumbun Margo Tabir District, Merangin District, Jambi Province. This study aims to describe the performance of Village Facilitators in increasing village development in Sido Rukun Village and Lubuk Bumbun Margo Tabir District, Merangin District, Jambi Province. The research was carried out through direct observation to the field to carry out data collection through interviews and supported literature reference sources related to analyzing data findings. The method used is descriptive qualitative. The researcher is directly involved in extracting information. Data analysis was done deductively by using Mitchell’s theory (1987) as an analysis knife to describe the performance of village facilitators, with indicators of Quality of Work, Promptness, Initiative, Capability, and Communication. The results showed that the performance of village facilitators in improving village development in Sido Rukun and Lubuk Bumbun Villages in Margo Tabir District, Merangin District, Jambi Province, if measured by Mitchell’s performance indicators, was considered quite good.
Bullying Behavior and Social Interaction Ability of School-age Children in Tambangan Public Elementary School 02 Mijen Semarang
Authors: Widyaningsih Tri Sakti , Amalia Rizki , Tamrin Tamrin
Published: June 2020

Background: Bullying is an aggressive and negative behavior of a person or a group which abuse imbalance power and it is done repeatedly. It aims to hurt the victim by mentally or physically. This action can affect social interaction of children’s life. The number of bullying action showed that 50% occurred in elementary school. Aim: This research aims to analyze the correlation between bullying behavior and social interaction ability in Tambangan Public Elementary School 02 Mijen Semarang. Methods: This study was conducted using cross-sectional approach. Sample size was 122 students, selected using proportional random sampling. The data were collected using questionnaire, then analyzed using Spearman rank test. Results: The results showed that bullying case in elementary school showed in the medium level with the percentage of 54.1% (66 students), medium social interaction with the percentage of 63.1% (77 students). The p-value was 0,000; with the rho of -0.407. Conclusion: There was a correlation between bullying behavior and the social interaction ability of school-age children in Tambangan Public Elementary School 02 Mijen Semarang. Suggestion: Giving stimulus to the school-age children by using assertive communication is expected to prevent bullying action around them.

Keywords: bullying; social interaction; school-age children
Object-Based Analyses in FIJI/ImageJ to Measure Local RNA Translation Sites in Neurites in Response to Aβ1-42 Oligomers
Authors: Gamarra María , Blanco-Urrejola Maite , Batista Andreia F. R. , Imaz Josune , Baleriola Jimena
Published: June 2020

Subcellular protein delivery is especially important in signal transduction and cell behavior, and is typically achieved by localization signals within the protein. However, protein delivery can also rely on localization of mRNAs that are translated at target sites. Although once considered heretical, RNA localization has proven to be highly conserved in eukaryotes. RNA localization and localized translation are especially relevant in polarized cells like neurons where neurites extend dozens to hundreds of centimeters away from the soma. Local translation confers dendrites and axons the capacity to respond to their environment in an acute manner without fully relying on somatic signals. The relevance of local protein synthesis in neuron development, maintenance and disease has not been fully acknowledged until recent years, partly due to the limited amount of locally produced proteins. For instance, in hippocampal neurons levels of newly synthesized somatic proteins can be more than 20–30 times greater than translation levels of neuritic proteins. Thus local translation events can be easily overlooked under the microscope. Here we describe an object-based analysis used to visualize and quantify local RNA translation sites in neurites. Newly synthesized proteins are tagged with puromycin and endogenous RNAs labeled with SYTO. After imaging, signals corresponding to neuritic RNAs and proteins are filtered with a Laplacian operator to enhance the edges. Resulting pixels are converted into objects and selected by automatic masking followed by signal smoothing. Objects corresponding to RNA or protein and colocalized objects (RNA and protein) are quantified along individual neurites. Colocalization between RNA and protein in neurites correspond to newly synthesized proteins arising from localized RNAs and represent localized translation sites. To test the validity of our analyses we have compared control neurons to Aβ1–42-treated neurons. Aβ is involved in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease and was previously reported to induce local translation in axons and dendrites which in turn contributes to the disease. We have observed that Aβ increases the synthesis of neuritic proteins as well as the fraction of translating RNAs in distal sites of the neurite, suggesting an induction of local protein synthesis. Our results thus confirm previous reports and validate our quantification method.
The Impact of Intellectual Capital Efficiency on Corporate Sustainable Growth-Evidence from Smart Agriculture in China
Authors: Xu Xin Long , Chen Hsing Hung , Zhang Rong Rong
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we expand the value-added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) model by constructing a comprehensive financial capital (FC) component. Human capital efficiency is subdivided into executive (EHCE) and nonexecutive human capital efficiency (NHCE). We have sampled listed agriculture companies (LAC) in China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share markets from 2009 to 2018 and categorized them as high-tech (HTAC) and non-high-tech agriculture companies (NHTAC). We find that capital employed efficiency (CEE) and EHCE have a significant positive effect on corporate sustainable growth (CSG) of HTAC but no significant effect on CSG of NHTAC, while FC has a significant positive effect on both. These results suggest that companies, especially HTAC, should invest in human capital, and their executives and policymakers should develop effective knowledge management tools and begin accumulating the necessary intellectual capital to allow adaptation to their changing environment. In the spirit of the intellectual agriculture concept, we present some new ways to study the performance of agricultural companies using intellectual capital and offer suggestions that can help to modernize the industry.
Effects of ZnO Nanoparticles and Biochar of Rice Straw and Cow Manure on Characteristics of Contaminated Soil and Sunflower Productivity, Oil Quality, and Heavy Metals Uptake
Authors: Seleiman Mahmoud F. , Alotaibi Majed A. , Alhammad Bushra Ahmed , Alharbi Basmah M. , Refay Yahya , Badawy Shimaa A.
Published: June 2020

Contaminated soils can cause a potential risk into the health of the environment and soil as well as the quality and productivity of plants. The objectives of our study were to investigate the integrative advantageous effects of foliar ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) (60 mg Zn NPs L−1), rice straw biochar (RSB; 8.0 t ha−1), cow-manure biochar (CMB, 8.0 t ha−1), and a combination thereof (50% of each) on sunflowers grown in agricultural land irrigated with polluted wastewater for the long term (≈50 years). The availability of heavy metals (HMs) in soil, HMs accumulation in whole biomass aboveground, growth, productivity, and quality characteristics of the sunflower were investigated. The combination treatment significantly minimized the availability of HMs in soil, and, consequently, substantially lessened the uptake of HMs by the sunflower, compared to treatments of ZnO NPs and control (i.e., untreated soil). The application of the combination treatment reduced the availability of Pb, Cr, Cu, and Cd in the soil by 78.6%, 115.3%, 153.3%, and 178.5% in comparison to untreated plots post-harvest, respectively. Compared to untreated plots, it also reduced the Pb, Cr, Cu, and Cd in plant biomass by 1.13, 5.19, 3.88, and 0.26 mg kg−1 DM, respectively. Furthermore, combination treatment followed by biochar as an individual application caused a significant improvement in sunflower productivity and quality in comparison to untreated soil. For instance, seed yield ha−1, 100-seed weight, and number of seeds per head obtained from the combination treatment was greater than the results obtained from the untreated plots by 42.6%, 47.0%, and 50.4%, respectively. In summary, the combined treatment of NPs and both RSB and CMB is recommended as a result of their positive influence on sunflower oil quality and yield as well as on minimizing the negative influences of HMs.
Quality of Grapes Grown Inside Paper Bags in Mediterranean Area
Authors: Pisciotta Antonino , Planeta Diego , Giacosa Simone , Paissoni Maria Alessandra , Di Lorenzo Rosario , Rolle Luca
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of paper bagging of grape bunches on the morphological, mechanical, and chemical characteristics of berries of three table grapes varieties as an environmentally-friendly technique for protecting clusters from biotic and abiotic agents. Clusters of Italia, Autumn Royal, and Regal Seedless grape cultivars were bagged and compared to a not-bagged control. Air temperature inside and outside the bags was monitored. Bunch weight and length, number of berries per bunch, berry longitudinal and transversal diameter, berry mass, number of seeds per berry (normal in size and aborted), soluble solid content, titratable acidity, and skin color by CIEL*a*b* parameters were determined on four points of each berry. Berries were evaluated using texture analysis, and the main texture profile analysis parameters were compared. The air temperatures around not-bagged clusters were slightly higher than inside the bags. In all the cultivars under evaluation, bagged bunches were heavier compared with not-bagged ones. In Autumn Royal and Regal Seedless, these differences were mainly owing to the higher number of berries and higher berry weight of the bagged bunches. Regarding mechanical properties, in seedless varieties, the bagging treatment increased berry hardness (related to the berry firmness) and decreased berry cohesiveness and resilience, whereas an opposite behavior was found in cv. Italia. Berry skin break force was lower in the bagging treatment in all the analyzed varieties, indicating a softer and easier-to-chew berry skin. The findings demonstrate that the bagging technique affected the three variety parameters to different extents. The main differences were found in the seedless varieties in terms of berry size and bunch characteristics. For all varieties, bagged bunches achieved the quality level required by the market, confirming the suitability of this technique. However, the bag industry is proposing many different bag types (differing in material, shape, color, and closing system); therefore, further studies are needed to obtain more complete and exhaustive technical information.
Characterization of Birdwatching Demand Using a Logit Approach: Comparative Analysis of Source Markets (National vs. Foreign)
Authors: Sánchez-Rivero Marcelino , Sánchez-Martín José-Manuel , Rodríguez Rangel Mª Cristina
Published: June 2020

Birdwatching is a tourism activity that relates closely to protected natural spaces and that helps contribute to the balance between economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainability. In some European countries (the United Kingdom, Germany, Holland), this recreational activity has a large number of followers, making it a new segment of tourist demand with great possibilities for growth. The objective of this study is to identify the main characteristics of the demand for birdwatching in one of the European territories having a high resource supply, as is the case with Extremadura (Spain). To do this, a logit modelization has been proposed in order to estimate the probability of going birdwatching in the region, based on a random sample of over 3000 tourists that visited the region in 2017. This characterization of birdwatching demand was carried out using variables such as gender, age, type of travel, type of lodging, and assessment of tourism services. Given that the national and the foreign demand of this tourism modality may present distinct behaviors, and therefore, specific characterizations, a structural change test (Chow test) was also conducted in order to determine to what extent these two segments of demand, based on the source markets, have (or do not have) distinguishing features.
Construction of Antibody Phage Libraries and Their Application in Veterinary Immunovirology
Authors: Bashir Shahbaz , Paeshuyse Jan
Published: June 2020

Antibody phage display (APD) technology has revolutionized the field of immunovirology with its application in viral disease diagnostics and antiviral therapy. This robust and versatile technology allows the expression of an antibody fused to a phage coat protein on the surface of a filamentous phage. The DNA sequence coding for the antibody is packaged within the phage, linking the phenotype to genotype. Antibody phage display inherits the ability to rapidly generate and modify or improve high-affinity monoclonal antibodies, rendering it indispensable in immunology. In the last two decades, phage-display-derived antibodies have been extensively used in human medicine as diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Recently, they are also gaining significant ground in veterinary medicine. Even though these advancements are mainly biased towards economically important animals such as chicken, cattle, and pigs, they are laying the foundation of fulfilling the unmet needs of veterinary medicine as antibody-based biologics in viral diagnostics, therapeutics, and immunoprophylaxis. This review provides a brief overview of the construction of antibody phage libraries and their application in diagnosis, prevention, and control of infectious viral diseases in veterinary medicine in detail.
Special Issue Low Binder Concrete and Mortars
Authors: de Brito Jorge , Kurda Rawaz
Published: June 2020

It is well known that, after water, concrete and mortars are the most demanded materials worldwide [...]
Saline and Arid Soils: Impact on Bacteria, Plants, and Their Interaction
Authors: Gamalero Elisa , Bona Elisa , Todeschini Valeria , Lingua Guido
Published: June 2020

Salinity and drought are the most important abiotic stresses hampering crop growth and yield. It has been estimated that arid areas cover between 41% and 45% of the total Earth area worldwide. At the same time, the world’s population is going to soon reach 9 billion and the survival of this huge amount of people is dependent on agricultural products. Plants growing in saline/arid soil shows low germination rate, short roots, reduced shoot biomass, and serious impairment of photosynthetic efficiency, thus leading to a substantial loss of crop productivity, resulting in significant economic damage. However, plants should not be considered as single entities, but as a superorganism, or a holobiont, resulting from the intimate interactions occurring between the plant and the associated microbiota. Consequently, it is very complex to define how the plant responds to stress on the basis of the interaction with its associated plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). This review provides an overview of the physiological mechanisms involved in plant survival in arid and saline soils and aims at describing the interactions occurring between plants and its bacteriome in such perturbed environments. The potential of PGPB in supporting plant survival and fitness in these environmental conditions has been discussed.
Rlip Depletion Suppresses Growth of Breast Cancer
Authors: Bose Chhanda , Yadav Sushma , Singhal Sharad S. , Singhal Jyotsana , Hindle Ashly , Lee Jihyun , Cheedella Naga K. S. , Rehman Shabnam , Layeequr Rahman Rakhshanda , Jones Catherine , Darden Meenakshi , Palade Philip T. , Berz David , Singh Sharda P. , Awasthi Sanjay
Published: June 2020

RLIP76 (RAL-binding protein-1, Rlip) is a stress-protective mercapturic-acid-pathway transporter protein that also plays a key role in regulating clathrin-dependent endocytosis as a Ral effector. Targeted inhibition or depletion of Rlip causes regression of xenografts of many cancers and is capable of abrogating tumor formation in p53-null mice. This is associated with the reversion of the abnormal methylomic profile of p53-null mice to wild-type. In a query of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, we found that Rlip expression was associated with poor survival and with significant differences in the frequencies of PIK3CA mutation, MYC amplification, and CDKN2A/B deletion, which were the most commonly mutated, amplified, and deleted genes, respectively, among TCGA breast cancer patients. We conducted the present study to further examine the effects of Rlip inhibition and to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficacy in breast cancer. Using immunogold electron microscopy, we found that plasma-membrane Rlip was accessible to cell-surface antibodies in the MCF7 (ER+) breast cancer cell line. Rlip depletion resulted in decreased survival of MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells and increased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) positivity and DNA laddering, indicating apoptotic cell death. Additionally, in vitro knockdown of Rlip inhibited EGF endocytosis and WNT/MAPK signaling. Xenograft studies in nude mice showed regression of breast cancer via antisense-mediated depletion of Rlip mRNA as well as by anti-Rlip antibody. Finally, knockdown of Rlip by antisense locked nucleic acid oligonucleotides increased markers for apoptotic signaling and decreased markers for proliferation, angiogenesis, and cell cycling in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231luc xenografts. Our findings validate Rlip as an attractive target in breast cancer.
Anti-PSMA CAR-Engineered NK-92 Cells: An Off-the-Shelf Cell Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Authors: Montagner Isabella Monia , Penna Alessandro , Fracasso Giulio , Carpanese Debora , Dalla Pietà Anna , Barbieri Vito , Zuccolotto Gaia , Rosato Antonio
Published: June 2020

Prostate cancer (PCa) has become the most common cancer among males in Europe and the USA. Adoptive immunotherapy appears a promising strategy to control the advanced stages of the disease by specifically targeting the tumor, in particular through chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy. Despite the advancements of CAR-T technology in the treatment of hematological malignancies, solid tumors still represent a challenge. To overcome current limits, other cellular effectors than T lymphocytes are under study as possible candidates for CAR-engineered cancer immunotherapy. A novel approach involves the NK-92 cell line, which mediates strong cytotoxic responses against a variety of tumor cells but has no effect on non-malignant healthy counterparts. Here, we report a novel therapeutic approach against PCa based on engineering of NK-92 cells with a CAR recognizing the human prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), which is overexpressed in prostatic neoplastic cells. More importantly, the potential utility of NK-92/CAR cells to treat PCa has not yet been explored. Upon CAR transduction, NK-92/CAR cells acquired high and specific lytic activity against PSMA-expressing prostate cancer cells in vitro, and also underwent degranulation and produced high levels of IFN-γ in response to antigen recognition. Lethal irradiation of the effectors, a safety measure requested for the clinical application of retargeted NK-92 cells, fully abrogated replication but did not impact on phenotype and short-term functionality. PSMA-specific recognition and antitumor activity were retained in vivo, as adoptive transfer of irradiated NK-92/CAR cells in prostate cancer-bearing mice restrained tumor growth and improved survival. Anti-PSMA CAR-modified NK-92 cells represent a universal, off-the-shelf, renewable, and cost-effective product endowed with relevant potentialities as a therapeutic approach for PCa immunotherapy.
CaSR Antagonist (Calcilytic) NPS 2143 Hinders the Release of Neuroinflammatory IL-6, Soluble ICAM-1, RANTES, and MCP-2 from Aβ-Exposed Human Cortical Astrocytes
Authors: Chiarini Anna , Armato Ubaldo , Hu Peng , Dal Prà Ilaria
Published: June 2020

Available evidence shows that human cortical neurons’ and astrocytes’ calcium-sensing receptors (CaSRs) bind Amyloid-beta (Aβ) oligomers triggering the overproduction/oversecretion of several Alzheimer’s disease (AD) neurotoxins—effects calcilytics suppress. We asked whether Aβ•CaSR signaling might also play a direct pro-neuroinflammatory role in AD. Cortical nontumorigenic adult human astrocytes (NAHAs) in vitro were untreated (controls) or treated with Aβ25–35 ± NPS 2143 (a calcilytic) and any proinflammatory agent in their protein lysates and growth media assayed via antibody arrays, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), and immunoblots. Results show Aβ•CaSR signaling upregulated the synthesis and release/shedding of proinflammatory interleukin (IL)-6, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) (holoprotein and soluble [s] fragment), Regulated upon Activation, normal T cell Expressed and presumably Secreted (RANTES), and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-2. Adding NPS 2143 (i) totally suppressed IL-6′s oversecretion while remarkably reducing the other agents’ over-release; and (ii) more effectively than Aβ alone increased over controls the four agents’ distinctive intracellular accumulation. Conversely, NPS 2143 did not alter Aβ-induced surges in IL-1β, IL-3, IL-8, and IL-16 secretion, consequently revealing their Aβ•CaSR signaling-independence. Finally, Aβ25–35 ± NPS 2143 treatments left unchanged MCP-1′s and TIMP-2′s basal expression. Thus, NAHAs Aβ•CaSR signaling drove four proinflammatory agents’ over-release that NPS 2143 curtailed. Therefore, calcilytics would also abate NAHAs’ Aβ•CaSR signaling direct impact on AD’s neuroinflammation.
The Role of the Academic and Political Empowerment of Women in Economic, Social and Managerial Empowerment: The Case of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Qahtani Maleeha Mohammed Zaaf , Alkhateeb Tarek Tawfik Yousef , Mahmood Haider , Abdalla Manal Abdalla Zahed , Qaralleh Thikkryat Jebril Obaid Talalah
Published: June 2020

Women may be considered to have hidden, unutilized potential for the economy and society, if not utilized at their full capacity, i.e., with effective educational, social and political policies. Allowing women to participate fully in an economy may contribute to the sustainable development of the country in question. The empowerment of women may be accelerated if women are educated for this purpose; as a result, the political authorities in Saudi Arabia have proposed a comprehensive framework to empower women. The empowerment of women is essential in the academic sector to develop educational policies for women’s capacity-building. The empowerment of women in the political process is also very important, so they can suggest appropriate policies, rules and laws that favor the empowerment of women in all sectors of the economy and society. The present research aims at testing the effects of academic and political empowerment on the economic, social and managerial empowerment of women, and opens a new horizon of debate in the practical and theoretical domain of female empowerment in Saudi Arabia. To this end, we utilized structural equation modeling due to the endogenous nature of relationships among the hypothesized variables. Perception-based data were collected on the political, academic, economic, social and managerial empowerment of women through a well-structured questionnaire. The data were collected during the period from October 2019 to January 2020 through a simple random sampling method. Then, we tested the direct effect of political empowerment, and its indirect effects through academic empowerment, on the economic, social and managerial empowerment of women. We found that political empowerment has a positive direct effect on economic and managerial empowerment, but an insignificant effect on social empowerment. Further, political empowerment has a positive direct effect on academic empowerment, which, in turn, has positive effects on economic, social and managerial female empowerment. Moreover, these indirect effects are found to be magnitudes larger than the direct effects of political empowerment. This study recommends improving the economic, social and political status of women through political and academic policies, to accelerate sustainable development.
High School and College Choice Factors Associated with High-Achieving Low-Income Students’ College Degree Completion
Authors: Ruiz Alvarado Adriana , Stewart-Ambo Theresa , Hurtado Sylvia
Published: June 2020

Gaps in college degree completion between low-, middle-, and high-income college students are typically attributed to differences in academic preparation and ability. However, high-achieving, low-income students are still less likely to graduate from college than their high-achieving, high-income counterparts. This study explores completion rates at the end of the Great Recession, using a community cultural wealth framework to examine additional pre-college factors and college attendance behaviors that contribute to the degree completion of high-achieving, low-income students. Longitudinal data using the Freshmen Survey and National Student Clearinghouse were collected from 2004 to 2010, comparing 9300 high-achieving students entering 455 colleges from low-, middle-, and high-income backgrounds. Hierarchical linear modeling (HGLM) was used to identify student and institutional factors that predict college completion during this era. Findings indicate that navigational capital and college attendance patterns (attending a summer session, selective college, and/or private institution) are key factors for high-achieving, low-income student completion. Cultural wealth anti-deficit measures could not explain the low-income Latinx lower likelihood of college completion nor gender differences across income groups. Implications of the results address concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic recession in terms of what institutions can do to support students.
Characterization of Single Event Cell Upsets in a Radiation Hardened SRAM in a 40 nm Bulk CMOS Technology
Authors: Yang Guoqing , Yu Junting , Zhang Jincheng , Liu Xiangyuan , Chen Qiang
Published: June 2020

A large amount of data needs to be stored in integrated circuits when data are being processed. The integrated circuits contain a large amount of static random access memory (SRAM) due to its high level of integration and speed. SRAM units should be as small as possible to achieve higher storage density. In this work, the features of single cell upsets (SCUs) and multiple cell upsets (MCUs) in a full custom SRAM are tested for a 40 nm bulk CMOS technology node, and Ge (linear energy transfer (LET) = 37.3 MeV cm2/mg), Cl (LET = 13.1 MeV cm2/mg), Al (LET = 8.6 MeV cm2/mg), O (LET = 3.1 MeV cm2/mg), and Li (LET = 0.5 MeV cm2/mg) particles are used. The test results show that the total single cell upset events are 2,000,147, 1,124,269, 413,100, 311,311, and 47,815 under the irradiation of Ge, Cl, Al, O, and Li, respectively. Moreover, due to single event upset reversal mechanism, multiple cell upsets significantly decrease. The total multiple cell upset events are 10, 4, 0, 0, and 0 under the irradiation of Ge, Cl, Al, O, and Li, respectively. There are a lot of single cell upsets appearing under Ge, Cl, Al, O, and Li exposure. The number is increasing with increasing LET, which means that well contacts still need optimization in the full custom SRAM. Close spacing of well contacts or increasing contacts are the approaches used to drain the excess carriers quickly, and error detection and correction (EDAC) is used for SRAM technology. The features show that SCUs have become a major source of soft errors for the full custom SRAM. Combining close spacing of well contacts with error detection and correction (EDAC) and a well engineering scheme are used to reduce single cell upsets, although there are a few MCUs which are inevitable. Radiation hardened by design schemes needs to be further improved.
A Novel 8T Cell-Based Subthreshold Static RAM for Ultra-Low Power Platform Applications
Authors: Kim Taehoon , Manisankar Sivasundar , Chung Yeonbae
Published: June 2020

Subthreshold SRAMs profit various energy-constrained applications. The traditional 6T SRAMs exhibit poor cell stability with voltage scaling. To this end, several 8T to 16T cell designs have been reported to improve the stability. However, they either suffer one of disturbances or consume large bit-area overhead. Furthermore, some cell options have a limited write-ability. This paper presents a novel 8T static RAM for reliable subthreshold operation. The cell employs a fully differential scheme and features cross-point access. An adaptive cell bias for each operating mode eliminates the read disturbance and enlarges the write-ability as well as the half-select stability in a cost-effective small bit-area. The bit-cell also can support efficient bit-interleaving. To verify the SRAM technique, a 32-kbit macro incorporating the proposed cell was implemented with an industrial 180 nm low-power CMOS process. At 0.4 V and room temperature, the proposed cell achieves 3.6× better write-ability and 2.6× higher dummy-read stability compared with the commercialized 8T cell. The 32-kbit SRAM successfully operates down to 0.21 V (~0.27 V lower than transistor threshold voltage). At its lowest operating voltage, the sleep-mode leakage power of entire SRAM is 7.75 nW. Many design results indicate that the proposed SRAM design, which is applicable to an aggressively-scaled process, might be quite useful in realizing cost-effective robust ultra-low voltage SRAMs.
Battery Charging Procedure Proposal Including Regeneration of Short-Circuited and Deeply Discharged LiFePO4 Traction Batteries
Authors: Spanik Pavol , Frivaldsky Michal , Adamec Juraj , Danko Matus
Published: June 2020

The presented paper discusses the most often damages applying for lithium traction and non-traction cells. The focus is therefore given on investigation of possibilities related to the recovery of such damaged lithium-ion batteries, more specifically after long-term short-circuit and deep discharge. For this purpose, initially, the short-circuit was applied to the selected type of traction LiFePO4 cell. Also, the deeply discharged cell was identified and observed. Both damaged cells would exhibit visible damage if electro-mechanical properties were measured. Individual types of damage require a different approach for battery regeneration to recover cells as much as possible. For this purpose, experimental set-up for automated system integrating proposed recovery methods were realized, while battery under test undergone a full-range of regeneration procedure. As a verification of the proposed regeneration algorithms, the test of delivered Ampere-hours (Ah) for various discharging currents was realized both for short-circuited as well as deeply discharged cells. Received results have been compared to the new/referenced cell, which undergoes the same test of delivered Ah. From the final evaluation is seen, that proposed procedure can recover damaged cell up to 80% of its full capacity if short-circuit was applied, or 70% if a deeply discharged cell is considered.