bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Một phương pháp phân hạng gen gây bệnh mới dựa trên tổng xác suất liên kết trong mạng tương tác protein
Authors: Tùng Đặng Vũ , Phong Nguyễn Đại , Hậu Lê Đức , Phương Từ Minh
Published: July 2021

Prioritizing candidate disease-related genes using computational methods and biological networks data is an important problem in bioinformatics. Random walk with restart (RWR) algorithm is widely used for this problem due to its relatively high accuracy. However, RWR is computationally expensive as it considers every node in a network. Here we propose to use a new method for prioritizing candidate genes, in which genes with low probability of association with disease genes are excluded from further consideration, thus reducing computational complexity. Experiments on real protein interaction networks show that the proposed method was computationally efficient, and more accurate than RWR, as measured by AUC scores. We applied the proposed method to prioritizing candidate genes for human diabetes type 2. The results were promising: among top 20 ranked genes, 11 are associated with diabetes, as reported in the biomedical literature.
Surgical role in the management of peritoneal dialysis catheters – evidence and proposals to improve current practices
Authors:   Nephrology Department, Hospital Espírito Santo de Évora, Portugal, Vicente Rita , Silva Rui ,   Nephrology Department, Hospital Espírito Santo de Évora, Portugal, Santos Ricardo ,   Nephrology Department, Hospital Espírito Santo de Évora, Portugal, Rodrigues Anabela ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Portugal, Amoedo Manuel ,   Nephrology Department, Hospital Espírito Santo de Évora, Portugal
Published: July 2021

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) relies on adequate function of PD catheter. Mechanical complications are a major cause of dropout among PD patients. A prompt timing and an appropriate intervention may overcome these problems with catheter salvage, without interrupting PD treatment. Many Portuguese centers still lack a proper articulation between nephrology and surgical departments. We describe current available surgical approaches in the implantation of PD catheters, management of mechanical complications, exit -site infections and other abdominal surgical procedures. Our aim is to reinforce the need for an established protocol of action between these departments as occurs with vascular access in hemodialysis.
The very elderly followed at a nephrology center: metabolic acidosis as a predictor of progressive chronic kidney disease
Authors:   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, Reis Marina , Almeida Catarina ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, Ribeiro Catarina ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, Alferes Daniela ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, Gomes Ana ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, Fernandes João ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Published: July 2021

Chronic kidney disease is an increasingly common diagnosis in the very elderly and identifying the patients who benefit from a nephrologist’s intervention and the ones who would not might avoid wasteful or harmful interventions. The aim of this study is to identify the risk factors for progressive versus non -progressive chronic kidney disease in a population aged over 80 years old. We performed a cohort single -center retrospective study including 101 patients over 80 years old with chronic kidney disease diagnosed for at least five years and followed regularly by a nephrologist. Progressive disease was defined as glomerular filtration rate declines greater than 5 mL/min/1.73 m2/year. Of the 101 patients, 33.7% had progressive chronic kidney disease. The median glomerular filtration progression rate was 3.0 [2.1 -6.0] mL/ min/1.73m2/year. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus prevalence was similar between groups. Nephrology follow -up time was longer in the progressive group (5.0 vs 2.0 years, p=0.01). Regarding chronic kidney disease complications, 37.6% had anemia and half of these needed erythropoiesis -stimulating agents. None of the patients had hyperphosphatemia. About 18.8% presented metabolic acidosis. In multivariable analysis, after adjusting for covariables such as age, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus only the presence of metabolic acidosis (OR 0.4, CI: 0.1 -0.8) was associated with the development of progressive chronic kidney disease. Progressive chronic kidney disease group presented higher mortality (log rank 4.5, p=0.03). Ischemic cardiomyopathy (OR: 0.5, CI: 0.2 -0.9) and progressive chronic kidney disease (OR: 0.6, CI:0.3 -0.8) were associated with all -cause mortality. Our results showed that most elderly patients have non -progressive chronic kidney disease. Patients with metabolic acidosis seem to be at an increased risk for developing progressive disease. Most elderly patients die before reaching end -stage kidney disease, so it is important to look at progressive kidney disease in those patients as an important marker of comorbidity and privilege cardioprotective measures.
Peritoneal access – a pressing problem
Authors:   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal, Valério Patrícia ,   Setúbal, Portugal, Carvalho Maria ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal, Santos Olívia ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal, Cabrita António ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal, Rodrigues Anabela ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Porto, Portugal
Published: July 2021

In Portugal, as well as in Europe, peritoneal dialysis (PD) use remains low. Reorganization of PD units including a well -structured peritoneal access management protocol are fundamental to improve the take -up of this therapy. We analyzed the procedure and outcomes in a PD unit, addressing two key quality questions: at which level of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were patients referred to peritoneal catheter placement and whether if it was timely placed. We retrospectively evaluated all patients submitted to catheter placement between 2017 and June 2020. We analyzed the patient journey from Kidney Replacement Therapies (KRT) Option Appointment, until PD start, as well as demographic and clinical variables, including eGFR at four time points (KRT Options Appointment, PD unit evaluation, catheter placement, and PD start). To explore the adequacy of catheter placement schedule, we compared the characteristics of the patients who started PD within 90 days of catheter placement (Early group), and of those who started after the first 90 days (Late group). We analyzed 48 patients in the Early and 27 in the Late group. The Early group presented a lower eGFR on KRT Options Appointment, with timely intervention: eGFR at catheter placement averaged 8.0 ± 2.1 mL/min/1,72m2. PD start occurred at 7.0 ± 1.9 and 8.0 ± 2.4 mL/min/1.72m2, in the Early and Late group, respectively. None of the patients suffered an urgent transition to HD by CVC. Four patients started PD less than 15 days after catheter placement, all of them without complications. PD patients’ admission involves specific tasks. Administrative tools or indicators to evaluate those processes are lacking. A peritoneal access clinic would allow the formalization of this circuit, allowing a quality and equitable approach to dialysis access. We suggest a structured pathway for peritoneal access management.
Immature hemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas: What should we aim for?
Authors:   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal, Silva Rui ,   Nephrology & Infectious Diseases R&D, i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal, Diniz Hugo ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal,   Nephrology & Infectious Diseases R&D, i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal, Relvas Miguel ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal,   Nephrology & Infectious Diseases R&D, i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal, Silvano José ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal,   Nephrology & Infectious Diseases R&D, i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal, Malheiro Ana ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal,   Nephrology & Infectious Diseases R&D, i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal, Coentrão Luís ,   Nephrology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal,   Nephrology & Infectious Diseases R&D, i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal,   Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Published: July 2021

Arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are the first-choice vascular access for most HD patients. Up to 60% of AVFs do not mature adequately, mostly due to stenosis. Surgical and endovascular techniques can rescue up to 80% of these AVFs from primary failure, allowing them to be safely and effectively used in HD, preserving venous capital, and avoiding placement of CVCs and associated complications. This article reviews and summarizes the existing literature, offering a practical approach on early identification, treatment, and monitoring of immature AVFs.
Penggunaan Handout Terhadap Hasil Belajar Siswa Pada Konsep Kelarutan dan Hasil Kali Kelarutan di SMA 6 Banda Aceh
Authors: Imanda Riska , Alvina Sirry , Setiawaty Sry , Hartati Rita
Published: July 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat perbedaan hasil belajar siswa yang belajar dengan menggunakan handout dengan yang tidak menggunakan handout. Perbedaan hasil belajar antara kelas kontrol dan eksperimen dapat dilakukan dengan menggunakan jenis penelitian deskriptif dan pendekatan kuantitatif. Sampel dipilih secara purposive sampling yaitu berdasarkan hasil uji homogenitas dan normalitas data hasil ujian harian. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan menggunakan soal pilihan ganda. Analisis menggunakan statistik uji-t yang terlebih dahulu diuji normalitas (Chi-Kuadrat (χ2)dan uji homogenitas data (uji F). Hasil pengujian data berdistribusi normal dan homogen. Pengujian hipotesis menggunakan uji-t diperoleh thitung = 3,11 dan ttabel = 2,02 pada α 5%, jadi thitung ≥ ttabel. Hasil uji statistis yang telah dilakukan maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan hasil belajar antar kelas kontrol dan kelas eksperimen.
Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Cooperative Script dengan Media Kartu Gambar Terhadap Minat dan Hasil Belajar Siswa pada Materi Perkembangan Model Atom
Authors: Ayu Rahmi  , Henny Fitriani  , Nurul Muna
Published: July 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh model Cooperative Script dengan media kartu gambar terhadap minat dan hasil belajar siswa pada materi perkembangan model atom kelas X IPA. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah pre experimental design dengan desain one group pretest-posttest design. Penelitian ini dilakukan di SMA Negeri 1 Peusangan. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa kelas X IPA SMA Negeri 1 Peusangan. Pengambilan sampel menggunakan teknik purposive sampling sehingga yang menjadi sampel penelitiannya adalah siswa kelas X IPA 2 dengan jumlah 24 siswa. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan tes yang terdiri dari soal pretest, posttest, dan angket. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, rata-rata hasil pretest siswa  sebesar 35,63  dan  rata-rata  hasil  posttest siswa  sebesar 78,33. Data pretest dan posttest diuji normalitas dengan hasil < 0,05 yang  menyatakan bahwa data tidak  berdistribusi normal, kemudian dilanjutkan dengan uji hipotesis melalui teknik Wilcoxon dengan hasil < 0,05 yang membuktikan bahwa Ha diterima. Sedangkan penilaian angket minat belajar diperoleh hasil persentase rata-rata minat belajar siswa yaitu 73,33% dengan kategori baik.  Dengan demikian dapat disimpulkan bahwa model Cooperative Script dengan media kartu gambar mempengaruhi minat dan hasil belajar siswa pada materi perkembangan model atom kelas X IPA SMA Negeri 1 Peusangan.
Analisis dan Perbandingan Data Spektrum UV, IR, dan NMR Terhadap Struktur Senyawa Skopoletin
Authors: Aliqa Tiara , Safrida Cut Laila , Mega Sari Lumban Batu  , Hamidah Nasution  , Eliana  , Zakirah Safrina  , Siti Azizah  , Rahayatul Hayanum  , Siti Nurul Aini  , Richa Arbina  , Pera Mustika
Published: July 2021

Skopoletin adalah senyawa fenolik yang digolongkan kedalam senyawa kumarin dan secara sintesis dikenal sebagai (7-hidroksi-6-metoksi kumarin) yang ditemukan pada spesies tanaman yang berbeda. Adapun tujuan dari review jurnal ini yaitu untuk menganalisis dan membandingkan data spektrum UV, IR, dan NMR terhadap struktur senyawa skopoletin. Dari hasil analisis data yang telah dilakukan, spektrum UV memiliki kisaran panjang gelombang sebesar 245 nm dan 391 nm. Struktur skopoletin yang ditetapkan berdasarkan spektrum IR dan NMR tersusun dari beberapa gugus fungsi diantaranya, 2 buah cincin benzena, gugus keton, hidroksi, eter, dan rangkap alkena.
Strategy and Semiosis: Insights from Operation Fortitude
Authors:   University of New South Wales, Ryder Paul
Published: July 2021

The European summer of 1944 saw what is arguably the greatest deception wrought through deliberate miscommunication. Operation Fortitude focussed on convincing the Nazis that the invasion of Europe would come not at Normandy but further north at the Pas-de-Calais. Seeing the enemy almost completely wrong-footed, Fortitude remains the most devastating deception in the history of warfare. It is also a campaign that teaches us a great deal about the internal dynamics and semiotics of strategy more generally. Accordingly, I propose that Operation Fortitude speaks profoundly to the principle of polysemy and to the related idea that, in competitive fields, strategic design may see to it that we are deceived into misreading tactics in relation to their informing concepts. Directly related to the above, the paper proposes that, since it is always founded upon a more or less difficult-to-fathom conceptual core, all strategy inevitably deceives—and that the question of deception is merely a matter of degree. Further to the above, I also argue that Operation Fortitude teaches us that, at its heart, good strategy seldom depends upon a singular concept but upon several cooperating abstractions. The paper’s final substantive point is that Operation Fortitude reminds us that in order to think productively about strategy, it pays to bear in mind the following military principle: at its most effective, strategy is a unique and exquisitely synergistic coupling of objectives, concepts, and (dehabitualised) tactics.
Yorùbá Linguistic Identity of Jẹ́nífà in Fúnkẹ́ Akíndélé’s Jẹ́nífà’s Diary
Authors:   Department of Linguistics and Languages Adékúnlé Ajásin University, Akùngbá-Àkókó, Olúmúyìwá Tèmítọ́pẹ́ , Agnes Aládésanmí ,   Department of Linguistics amd Nigerian Languages, Èkìtì State University, Adó-Ekìtì, Ọláńrewájú Olórò ,   Department of Linguistics and Languages Adékúnlé Ajásin University, Àkùngbá-Àkókó
Published: July 2021

One of the several ways writers of comedy films amuse the audience by inducing laughter is the use of language. It is against this background that Fúnkẹ́ Akíndélé created a linguistic identity for Jẹ́nífà, the protagonist in Jẹ́nífà's Diary, a popular Nigerian television series created in 2015 still active and ongoing. The most apparent thing that caught the audience’s attention is the grammatical errors in Jẹ́nífà’s English. Little is known about the use of Yorùbá in her speech acts. This paper, therefore, examines the use of Yoruba language in Jenifa’s verbal acts in the English television series. The paper posits that the use of Yorùbá in Jẹ́nífà’s speech is used among their things, to (a) create humour; (b) hurl insults on people; (c) correct the negative language attitude of some educated parents that have forbidden the use of Yorùbá language in their homes and (d) adult language habits die hard.
Strategi Implementasi Pendidikan Karakter di Masa Pandemi Covid-19; Studi Kasus di MAN 2 Banyuwangi
Authors: Rasmuin  , Ilmi Saidatul
Published: July 2021

All this time, character education can be done well through offline learning in schools. Teachers can control student activities in school directly during learning. The problem arose when Covid-19 began to plague which required offline learning to be eliminated and replaced with online learning. This study aims to reveal how the strategy of MAN 2 Banyuwangi as one of the favorite schools in implementing character education in the Covid-19 pandemic era. Data collection was carried out through observation where the researcher went directly to the field to observe the learning process. Data collection was also carried out through interviews with related parties, as well as documentation obtained from learning activities during the pandemic. The data were then analyzed through three stages, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. From this research, it can be concluded that in carrying out character education during the Covid-19 pandemic there are at least three main things done by the school. First, forming a distance learning atmosphere is exactly the same as studying in school. Second, be consistent in implementing the school culture that is usually done in schools and still adapting to existing conditions. Third, establish solid cooperation between schools and parents.
THE ANALYSIS OF WASTE ACTIVITIES IN SUPRAMAK BED PRODUCTION BY USING VALUE STREAM MAPPING AND VALSAT APPROACHES
Authors: Harits Dimaz , Aziz Muhammad Ihsanul , Puji Ari Andriyas
Published: July 2021

X Ltd. is a company which is producing hospital equipment with one of its products is supramak bed (patient’s bed). From the observation at the production floor of X Ltd, several non-value added activities are identified, which are components accumulation, reworking a number of products which do not meet the standards, idling operators, and waiting in working process. Based on the results of VSM Current State Map is obtained that total time for value added activities are 96816 seconds and for non-value added activities are 80869 seconds. Based on WAM analysis, the highest waste occurs during waiting time with an index of 19.09%. Based on VALSAT analysis, the proposed input from researchers are as follows: giving the mandates to the warehouse department, monitoring product flow, creating and enforcing SOP, increasing the number of forklifts, and analyzing transportation effectiveness
ENGINEERING DESIGN OF AUTOMATIC SELENOID STOVE TO REDUCE MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS COMPLAINTS USING NBM AND RULA APPROACH
Authors: Wahyudi Tri , Rahmawati Ratih , Uslianti Silvia
Published: July 2021

UKM Kenanga is a home industry producing various cassava chips based in Kubu Raya district, West Kalimantan. Complaints regarding musculoskeletal were identified in the process of frying chips. The complaints were carpal tunnel syndrome, low back pain, neck pain, as well as on the forearm and upper arm. Non-ergonomic working position contributes to these complaints. Therefore, it is necessary to perform this analysis and suggest a tool that would be helpful to reduce the worker’s complaints. Formerly, there haven’t been any early studies that cover the design of an automatic stove for the frying process based on biomechanical considerations, particularly on musculoskeletal disorder complaints.This study performs an analysis based on Nordic Body Map (NBM) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) concerning the process of frying the chips. Nordic Body Map analysis was used to identify body parts that were experiencing fatigue. Following the Nordic Body Map results, the automatic stove was designed to solve the employees’ complaints. RULA approach was used to analyze the condition after the employees carried out the work using the stove. The outcomes of this study are an automatic solenoid stove and a stool for the process of chips frying. RULA approach on the frying process with the manual stove and with the automatic solenoid stove resulted in L4-LV compression level reduced by 71.05%, whereas for Flex/Ext Compression was 87.97%
THE ALGORITHM OF GOOD PLACEMENT ON THE SHELF BY CONSIDERING THE WEIGHT AND VOLUME OF THE GOODS TO THE CENTRE OF MASS
Authors: Setiawan Ari , Kristina Leo Rama , Kurniawan Renaldy Chandra
Published: July 2021

This study aims to develop an algorithm for placing goods on warehouse shelves. The process of placing goods in a warehouse is generally placed or arranged in a rack. Placement of goods must be correct to achieve space efficiency and high shelf utilization while maintaining balance on the storage shelf. The placement of items that have various volumes and weights must consider their placement position on the storage rack. Placing goods carelessly and only consider the shelf utilization rate will cause an imbalance. Shelf imbalance will accelerate the damage to storage racks, as well as the risk of collapsing shelves. Best placement of goods, in order to achieve shelf utilization and maintain shelf balance, must consider the weight and volume of goods placed against the total center mass of the rack. The procedure for placing goods on the shelf by considering the total center of mass was developed from research on warehouse layout. The procedure for placing goods in warehouse layout research is carried out on a two-dimensional plane (x-axis and y-axis). Whereas in this study, the placement of goods was carried out by considering the location of the goods in a three-dimensional plane (x, y and z axes). The placement algorithm is designed to place goods with various size (volume and weight) on multi-layer racks (with assumption each layer has same load capacity). This research produces two placing algorithms. The first algorithm focuses on the weight and volume of goods, so the pallets containing with largest volume and weight goods are arranged first and placed on the lowest layer. The second algorithm focuses on the weight of the goods, the pallets containing the heaviest goods will be arranged first on the lowest layer. Both algorithms are simulated using numerical data. The algorithm that focuses on weight (the second algorithm) has a better mass center than the algorithm that focuses on the weight and volume of goods (the first algorithm).
TECHNO ECONOMIC STUDY OF LIQUID SMOKE FROM CASHEW NUT SHELL WASTE
Authors: Ifa La
Published: July 2021

Liquid smoke has a very large use, it is a result of condensation or condensation of pyrolysis vapor, directly or indirectly from wood materials such as cashew nut shells. Cashew nut shell is an abundant biomass of cashew nut processing industry but its utilization is not optimal. The purpose of this study was to make liquid smoke from cashew nut shell waste (technological aspect) and conduct economic analysis (economic aspect) to determine economic feasibility. Liquid smoke is made by pyrolysis at a temperature of 150-450oC in a simple batch type reactor. The results obtained were analyzed for its chemical components using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MC) spectrophotometer analysis. The largest liquid smoke production was obtained at a temperature of 450oC and a time of 2.5 hours with a yield of 19.46%. The main chemical components contained in liquid smoke are phenol (36.310%), acid (12.947%) and carbonyl (16.715%) respectively. With a liquid smoke production capacity of 200 tons per year, liquid smoke products can be sold at a price of IDR 3,620,137,785/years. Total Production cost 2,572,976,800/years. Annual net profit 733,012,689. Investigation of the economic feasibility of liquid smoke production, seen from the Rate of Rate on Investment, is 15.65%, Pay Out Time is 2.99 years and Break Event Point is 49.05%
DESIGN OF THE MANAGEMENT MODEL OF URBAN HOUSEHOLDS SOLID WASTE GENERATION
Authors: Sabara Zakir , Hafid Muhammad Fachry , Saleh Anis , Alisyahbana Takdir , Safutra Nur Ihwan , Nusran Muhammad
Published: July 2021

One of the global problems related to the future of cities is the environmental problem, namely the amount of municipal solid waste. From this waste, several issues arise in various aspects, such as health, aesthetics, and social and environmental problems. So that focused research is carried out on the management of urban solid waste produced by households. The research objective is to design a conceptual model and determine the variables and indicators that affect the generation of urban household solid waste and determine what prevention can be done. The model intended consists of 5 variables and 17 indicators. Data was collected based on a survey method with a closed questionnaire distributed to 120 respondents aged ≥ 17 years and residing in Yogyakarta. Analysis of the model and variable relationships was carried out based on the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method with the help of AMOS 24 software. The results showed that the designed model was valid. Socioeconomic variables, KAP level, waste reduction, and seasonality are direct predictors determining waste generation behavior. Socioeconomic variables are also direct predictors of KAP level and seasonal variables, and KAP level variables are direct predictors of waste reduction and seasonal variables
Early detection of salmonid alphavirus in seawater from marine farm sites of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar
Authors: Bernhardt LV , Lillehaug A , Qviller L , Weli SC , Grønneberg E , Nilsen H , Myrmel M
Published: July 2021

The traditional strategy for national surveillance of salmonid alphavirus (SAV) infection in Norwegian fish farms relies on a costly, time-consuming, and resource-demanding approach based on the monthly sampling of fish from all marine farms with salmonids. In order to develop an alternative surveillance method, a water filtration method was tested in parallel with the ongoing surveillance program at 7 Norwegian marine farm sites of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. with no current suspicion of SAV infection. During the period from May 2019 to January 2020, seawater samples were collected from the top layer water inside all net-pens at these 7 sites. The samples were concentrated for SAV by filtration through an MF-Millipore™ electronegative membrane filter, followed by rinsing with NucliSENS® Lysis Buffer, before RNA extraction and analysis by RT-qPCR. SAV was detected from seawater at an earlier stage compared to traditional sampling methods, at all sites where the fish tested positive for SAV. A significant negative relationship was observed at all sites between the SAV concentration found in seawater samples and the number of days until SAV was detected in the fish. This means that the fewer the SAV particles in the seawater, the more days it took until SAV was detected in the fish samples. Based on this, sampling of seawater every month for the surveillance of SAV has a great potential as an alternative method for early detection of SAV in Atlantic salmon farms.
Grazer commensalism varies across the species range edge: host chiton size influences epibiont limpet incidence and spatial segregation
Authors: Ibáñez CM , Bravo J , Carrasco SA , Carter MJ , Aguilera MA
Published: July 2021

Biotic interactions can determine species distributions and range limits, but little theoretical background exists regarding variation in commensalistic associations across latitudes. We estimated the geographic variation of the epibiont limpet Scurria parasitica’s association with its obligate host chiton species Enoplochiton niger across their distribution from Peru to northern Chile (12-30°S), to test the influence of host size variation on epibiont occurrence, individual spatial distribution, and body size. We analyzed the contribution of chiton body size to the pattern of abundance and distribution of occupancy of the epibiont limpet. We also examined the relationship between limpet shell size, coverage, and incidence probability function and chiton body size across latitudes. For some localities across the range edge of the host grazer’s distribution (i.e. 28-30°S), incidence and densities of the epibiont limpet were higher on larger chitons. Unoccupied host chiton proportions decreased at the poleward edge of the host-epibiont species range compared with sites located to the north. Increased variation in the epibiont limpet distribution on the host chiton plates suggests that limpets’ spatial segregation may have a role in lessening intraspecific interference competition with the host species at southern latitudes. Therefore, local and large-scale processes seem to contribute to modify the host-epibiont association pattern. Further studies are necessary to determine if this association shifts from commensalistic to antagonistic across the distributional range of both species.
THE SYNTHESIS IMPACT ON DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF La0.5Li0.5-xNaxTiO3
Authors: Plutenko Tetiana , V'yunov Oleg , Fedorchuk Oleksandr , Yanchevskii Oleg , Belous Anatolii
Published: July 2021

Using X-ray powder, diffraction the sequence of reactions occurring during the synthesis La0.5Li0.5-xNaxTiO3 by solid-state reaction technique has been determined. Using electron microscopy it has been shown that the grain size decreases with increasing x in La0.5Li0.5-xNaxTiO3 system. The influence of the grain size of ceramics on the dielectric characteristics has been indicated. The frequency dependences of permittivity and dielectric loss tangent have been investigated by ac impedance spectroscopy. It has been established that ceramic sample of La0.5Li0.4Na0.1TiO3 solid solution has the largest value of permittivity ɛ > 104 at wide frequency range (1–104 Hz) in La0.5Li0.5-xNaxTiO3 system.
Computer Simulation and Optimization to Solve Groundwater Flow Problems
Authors: Stelia Oleg , Stelia Igor
Published: July 2021

Examples of using the developed mathematical methods and software for solving environmental problems caused by groundwater are given.
Screening and Isolation of a Novel Polyene-Producing Streptomyces Strain Inhibiting Phytopathogenic Fungi in the Soil Environment
Authors: Park Heung-Soon , Nah Hee-Ju , Kang Seung-Hoon , Choi Si-Sun , Kim Eung-Soo
Published: July 2021

Microbial-based eco-friendly biological substances are needed to protect crops from phytopathogenic fungi and replace toxic chemical fungicides that cause serious environmental issues. This study screened for soil antifungal Streptomyces strains, which produce rich, diverse, and valuable bioactive metabolites in the soil environment. Bioassay-based antifungal screening of approximately 2,400 Streptomyces strains led to the isolation of 149 strains as tentative antifungal producers. One Streptomyces strain showing the most potent antifungal activities against Candida albicans and Fusarium oxysporum was identified as a putative anti-phytopathogenic soil isolate that is highly homologous to Streptomyces rubrisoli (named S. rubrisoli Inha 501). An in vitro antifungal assay, pot-test, and field-test against various phytopathogenic fungi confirmed that S. rubrisoli Inha 501 is a potential novel phytopathogenic fungicide producer to protect various crops in the soil environment. Whole-genome sequencing of S. rubrisoli Inha 501 and an anti-SMASH genome mining approach revealed an approximately 150-kb polyene biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) in the chromosome. The target compound isolation and its BGC analysis confirmed that the giant linear polyene compound exhibiting the anti-phytopathogenic activity in S. rubrisoli Inha 501 was highly homologous to the previously reported compound, neotetrafibricin A. These results suggest that a bioassay-based screening of a novel antifungal Streptomyces strain followed by its genome mining for target compound BGC characterization would be an efficient approach to isolating a novel candidate phytopathogenic fungicide that can protect crops in the soil environment.
iChain: Peer-To-Peer Machine Learning Powered by Blockchain Technology
Authors: Johnson Caleb , Lu Tao , Rivera Pedro , McDonald Devon , Pritchett Samuel , Peng Lu
Published: July 2021

iChain is an application which was created to help meet the growing demand of machine learning. It allows users to pay those with powerful machines to run machine learning tasks for them, bypassing the need for a significant investment in a powerful computer to run it themselves. This is similar to services like a render farm. Our application functions using the Ethereum blockchain which ensures security and decentralization, as well as providing a platform for payment transactions. This article will discuss the background on machine learning and blockchain, the application, how it works, how the data moves through it, and how to use it. We hope our application will enable many without the funds to build or buy a powerful computer to experiment with and utilize complex machine learning tasks.
MicroRNA-494 Regulates Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Chatterjee Namita , Fraile-Bethencourt Eugenia , Baris Adrian , Espinosa-Diez Cristina , Anand Sudarshan
Published: July 2021

Defects in stress responses are important contributors in many chronic conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity-driven pathologies like non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Specifically, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is linked with these pathologies and control of ER stress can ameliorate tissue damage. MicroRNAs have a critical role in regulating diverse stress responses including ER stress. Here, we show that miR-494 plays a functional role during ER stress. Pharmacological ER stress inducers (tunicamycin (TCN) and thapsigargin) and hyperglycemia robustly increase the expression of miR-494 in vitro. ATF6 impacts the primary miR-494 levels whereas all three ER stress pathways are necessary for the increase in mature miR-494. Surprisingly, miR-494 pretreatment dampens the induction and magnitude of ER stress in response to TCN in endothelial cells and increases cell viability. Conversely, inhibition of miR-494 increases ER stress de novo and amplifies the effects of ER stress inducers. Using Mass Spectrometry (TMT-MS) we identified 23 proteins that are downregulated by both TCN and miR-494 in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Among these, we found 6 transcripts which harbor a putative miR-494 binding site. We validated the anti-apoptotic gene BIRC5 (survivin) and GINS4 as targets of miR-494 during ER stress. In summary, our data indicates that ER stress driven miR-494 may act in a feedback inhibitory loop to dampen downstream ER stress signaling.
Signaling Pathways Involved in Diabetic Renal Fibrosis
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , Jin De , Kang Xiaomin , Zhou Rongrong , Sun Yuting , Lian Fengmei , Tong Xiaolin
Published: July 2021

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD), as the most common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), is the major cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Renal interstitial fibrosis is a crucial metabolic change in the late stage of DKD, which is always considered to be complex and irreversible. In this review, we discuss the pathological mechanisms of diabetic renal fibrosis and discussed some signaling pathways that are closely related to it, such as the TGF-β, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT, and Notch pathways. The cross-talks among these pathways were then discussed to elucidate the complicated cascade behind the tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Finally, we summarized the new drugs with potential therapeutic effects on renal fibrosis and listed related clinical trials. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the mechanisms and related pathways of renal fibrosis in DKD and to provide novel therapeutic intervention insights for clinical research to delay the progression of renal fibrosis.
Neurovascular Coupling in Development and Disease: Focus on Astrocytes
Authors: Stackhouse Teresa L. , Mishra Anusha
Published: July 2021

Neurovascular coupling is a crucial mechanism that matches the high energy demand of the brain with a supply of energy substrates from the blood. Signaling within the neurovascular unit is responsible for activity-dependent changes in cerebral blood flow. The strength and reliability of neurovascular coupling form the basis of non-invasive human neuroimaging techniques, including blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging. Interestingly, BOLD signals are negative in infants, indicating a mismatch between metabolism and blood flow upon neural activation; this response is the opposite of that observed in healthy adults where activity evokes a large oversupply of blood flow. Negative neurovascular coupling has also been observed in rodents at early postnatal stages, further implying that this is a process that matures during development. This rationale is consistent with the morphological maturation of the neurovascular unit, which occurs over a similar time frame. While neurons differentiate before birth, astrocytes differentiate postnatally in rodents and the maturation of their complex morphology during the first few weeks of life links them with synapses and the vasculature. The vascular network is also incomplete in neonates and matures in parallel with astrocytes. Here, we review the timeline of the structural maturation of the neurovascular unit with special emphasis on astrocytes and the vascular tree and what it implies for functional maturation of neurovascular coupling. We also discuss similarities between immature astrocytes during development and reactive astrocytes in disease, which are relevant to neurovascular coupling. Finally, we close by pointing out current gaps in knowledge that must be addressed to fully elucidate the mechanisms underlying neurovascular coupling maturation, with the expectation that this may also clarify astrocyte-dependent mechanisms of cerebrovascular impairment in neurodegenerative conditions in which reduced or negative neurovascular coupling is noted, such as stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.
Hypochlorite-Activated Fluorescence Emission and Antibacterial Activities of Imidazole Derivatives for Biological Applications
Authors: Pham Thanh Chung , Nguyen Van-Nghia , Choi Yeonghwan , Kim Dongwon , Jung Ok-Sang , Lee Dong Joon , Kim Hak Jun , Lee Myung Won , Yoon Juyoung , Kim Hwan Myung , Lee Songyi
Published: July 2021

The ability to detect hypochlorite (HOCl/ClO−) in vivo is of great importance to identify and visualize infection. Here, we report the use of imidazoline-2-thione (R1SR2) probes, which act to both sense ClO− and kill bacteria. The N2C=S moieties can recognize ClO− among various typical reactive oxygen species (ROS) and turn into imidazolium moieties (R1IR2) via desulfurization. This was observed through UV–vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy, with a high fluorescence emission quantum yield (ՓF = 43–99%) and large Stokes shift (∆v∼115 nm). Furthermore, the DIM probe, which was prepared by treating the DSM probe with ClO−, also displayed antibacterial efficacy toward not only Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) but also methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and extended-spectrum ß-lactamase–producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC), that is, antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These results suggest that the DSM probe has great potential to carry out the dual roles of a fluorogenic probe and killer of bacteria.
Rodent Malaria Erythrocyte Preference Assessment by an Ex Vivo Tropism Assay
Authors: Leong Yew Wai , Lee Erica Qian Hui , Rénia Laurent , Malleret Benoit
Published: July 2021

Circulating red blood cells consist of young erythrocytes (early and late reticulocytes) and mature erythrocytes (normocytes). The human malaria parasites,Plasmodium falciparumandP. vivax, have a preference to invade reticulocytes during blood-stage infection. Rodent malaria parasites that also prefer reticulocytes could be useful tools to study human malaria reticulocyte invasion. However, previous tropism studies of rodent malaria are inconsistent from one another, making it difficult to compare cell preference of different parasite species and strains.In vivomeasurements of cell tropism are also subjected to many confounding factors. Here we developed anex vivotropism assay for rodent malaria with highly purified fractions of murine reticulocytes and normocytes. We measured invasion into the different erythrocyte populations using flow cytometry and evaluated the tropism index of the parasite strains. We found thatP. bergheiANKA displayed the strongest reticulocyte preference, followed byP. yoelii17X1.1, whereasP. chabaudiAS andP. vinckeiS67 showed mixed tropism. These preferences are intrinsic and were maintained at different reticulocyte and normocyte availabilities. Our study shed light on the true erythrocyte preference of the parasites and paves the way for future investigations on the receptor-ligand interactions mediating erythrocyte tropism.
Catch the Bus: Probing Other-Than-Human Perspectives in Design Research
Authors: Bedö Viktor
Published: July 2021

Prompted by Catch the Bus, an experimental street game design project with and for autonomous buses, this study explores strategies to substantiate the speculation about other-than-human perspectives. It builds on philosophical arguments about the role of species similarity in grasping nonhuman experience and applies these arguments to thing perspectives. Gameplay and props from Catch the Bus instantiate a kind of similarity between human players and autonomous buses that emerges through the adoption of certain choreographies and sensing capabilities. The study contributes theoretical arguments to the debate of other-than-human perspectives in more-than-human design.
Visual Continuity of Protein Secondary Structure Rendering: Application to SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in Virtual Reality
Authors: Jamieson-Binnie Alexander D. , Glowacki David R.
Published: July 2021

Ribbon diagrams are important for protein visualization, used to convey the secondary structure in a clear and concise manner. However, most algorithms used to generate these diagrams do not maintain visual continuity when viewing a molecular trajectory, with certain sections of ribbons flipping between clockwise and counterclockwise twists. Here we outline a new method which prevents this artifact by morphing between consecutive cross sections instead of rotating. This yields diagrams which are well suited for viewing dynamic simulations, such as those used for interactive molecular dynamics. We illustrate the utility of this algorithm by using it to visualize iMD-VR (interactive molecular dynamics in virtual reality) simulations of the secondary structure of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), which is being investigated as a potential target for COVID drug therapies.
A Canonical Set of Operations for Editing Dashboard Layouts in Virtual Reality
Authors: Setti Tarek , Csapo Adam B.
Published: July 2021

Virtual reality (VR) is a powerful technological framework that can be considered as comprising any kind of device that allows for 3D environments to be simulated and interacted with via a digital interface. Depending on the specific technologies used, VR can allow users to experience a virtual world through their different senses, i.e., most often sight, but also through touch, hearing, and smell. In this paper, it is argued that a key impediment to the widespread adoption of VR technology today is the lack of interoperability between users’’ existing digital life (including 2D documents, videos, the Web, and even mobile applications) and the 3D spaces. Without such interoperability, 3D spaces offered by current VR platforms seem empty and lacking in functionality. In order to improve this situation, it is suggested that users could benefit from being able to create dashboard layouts (comprising 2D displays) for themselves in the 3D spaces, allowing them to arrange, view and interact with their existing 2D content alongside the 3D objects. Therefore, the objective of this research is to help users organize and arrange 2D content in 3D spaces depending on their needs. To this end, following a discussion on why this is a challenging problem—both from a scientific and from a practical perspective—a set of operations are proposed that are meant to be minimal and canonical and enable the creation of dashboard layouts in 3D. Based on a reference implementation on the MaxWhere VR platform, a set of experiments were carried out to measure how much time users needed to recreate existing layouts inside an empty version of the corresponding 3D spaces, and the precision with which they could do so. Results showed that users were able to carry out this task, on average, at a rate of less than 45 s per 2D display at an acceptably high precision.
Novel Clue to Locate Conduction Gaps in the Pulmonary Vein Isolation Ablation Line
Authors: Xie Hai-yang , Guo Xiao-gang , Yang Jian-du , Chen Yan-qiao , Cao Zhong-jing , Sun Qi , Ma Jian
Published: July 2021

Background: Several methods have been reported for locating the conduction gap (CG) in the pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) ablation line. However, the value of the interval between far-field atrial potential (FFP) and pulmonary vein potential (PVP) remains unknown.

Methods: Consecutive patients with a CG during observation on the table after PVI were included. The PVP, FFP, and the CG location were evaluated to develop a novel algorithm to identify the CG location in the left superior pulmonary vein. The performance of this novel algorithm was prospectively tested in a validation cohort of consecutive patients undergoing repeat PVI ablation.

Results: A total of 116 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) were recruited, 56 of whom formed the validation cohort. The interval between FFP and PVP of the left superior pulmonary vein was associated with the CG location, and an interval <5 ms predicted the presence of CG in the upper portion of the ostium with a sensitivity of 92.9% and a specificity of 96.9%. In the prospective evaluation, the interval was able to correctly predict the site of CG in 89.6% of cases.

Conclusions: The interval between FFP and PVP is a novel and accurate index that can be used to predict the CG location in the left superior pulmonary vein. An far-field atrial potential and pulmonary vein potential (FFP–PVP) interval value of ≥5 ms could be used to exclude a CG in the upper portion of the ostium in the majority of patients undergoing AF ablation.