bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IVAN PULIUI AS A UKRAINIAN PATRIOT, POLITICIAN, AND STATESMAN
Authors: PATER Ivan
Published: April 2021

Ivan Puliui - an outstanding, world-class, Ukrainian physicist and electrical engineer, the discoverer of x-rays. The article concentrates on his socio-political activity, particularly his journalistic works on Ukraine's socio-political problems. He early became interested in Ukrainian public life, which revealed itself in the founding of illegal student organizations as schools for the Ukrainian national elite's education. Realizing the fundamental importance of the mother tongue in the nation's life, the scientist translated religious books into the Ukrainian language and brought them into religious practice to raise the Ukrainians' national consciousness and further develop the national liberation movement. The active participation and persistence of I. Puliui and other science and culture personalities of Halychyna in demanding the opening of a Ukrainian university in Lviv despite opposition from Polish politicians supported by the Austrian central government are noted.

I. Puliui had a negative attitude to the Polish administration's insidious actions in Halychyna against Ukrainians at the beginning of World War I, its desire to use Moscophilism to destroy Ukrainians.

The scientist's cooperation with the Austrian authorities is emphasized not as a goal but as a tactical tool in resolving the Ukrainian cause in specific historical conditions to realize the Ukrainian national idea, as well as his confidence in liberating Ukraine from Russian oppression. The scientist understood that the geopolitical significance of independent Ukraine was a basis for lasting peace on the European continent and creating a new Europe.

Keywords: Ivan Puliui, Ukraine, Europe, mother tongue, state idea, independence.
SOCIO-POLITICAL ACTIVITIES OF VOLODYMYR KOKHAN IN THE 1920-1960S
Authors: KOSTYSHYN Roman
Published: April 2021

The main directions of Volodymyr Kokhan's public and political activities in the 1920-1960s are analyzed through the prism of socio-political processes in the region. Attention is focused on the features of the formation of his worldview. V. Kokhan's expressive national and patriotic consciousness was based on family values and was laid down by educational and public institutions of Halychyna, which carried out active awareness-raising work among the Ukrainian people of the region. The politician's contribution to the activity of the Ukrainian Military Organization (UMO) is considered, his circle of like-minded people is singled out, among them - the future leaders of the national-state parties and national-cultural organizations of Halychyna. While in the UMO during the national liberation struggle, the Polish-Ukrainian war of 1918–1919, he made considerable efforts to protect the national, cultural, and socio-political rights of Ukrainians in Halychyna. In the mid-1920s, as a member of the Ukrainian Party of National Labor (UPNR), he was one of the active supporters of the Ukrainian National Democratic Alliance (UNDA). The well-known politician's organizational and political work is characterized; specific examples show the struggle of one of the Ukrainian national democracy leaders for raising the national consciousness of the Ukrainians of Halychyna. Through V. Kokhan's political biography's prism, the complex intertwining of political, social, and national aspects of the Ukrainian socio-political movement in the period is shown. The parliamentary work of V. Kokhan in the highest legislative body of Poland is outlined. Since 1928, party activity became secondary for one of the leaders of the National Democrats, comparing to parliamentary work. Emphasis is placed on organizational achievements in the National Unity Front (NUF), in exile in Canada, as one of the leaders of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee (UCC).

Keywords: Volodymyr Kokhan, socio-political activities, Western Ukraine, emigration.
ISTVÁN UDVARI’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE REHABILITATION OF ANTONY HODINKA’S SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE
Authors: BARAN Yelyzaveta , BARAN Adalbert
Published: April 2021

The merit of István Udvari is enormous in the field of investigation of Ukrainian language history, the Ukrainian and Rusyn historical dialectology, the language of the Bachka-Srem Rusyns, the Ukrainian and Ruthenian Studies in Hungary, the Ukrainian-Hungarian and the Rusyn-Hungarian interlingual contacts, the identification, study and publication of the ancient Eastern and South Slavic written monuments; it was he who brought back to the science the forgotten linguists, historians, and other cultural figures. A significant contribution to the «rehabilitation» of the scientific activity of the scientist Antony (Antal) Hodinka belongs to Professor Udvari. A. Hodinka (1864–1946) is a famous historian, philologist, folklorist, publicist, and educator. He made a significant contribution to the development of Transcarpathia and Hungary's history and culture, particularly the history of the Greek Catholic Church, Hungarian-Slavic and Hungarian-Eastern Slavic historical and interlingual contacts. With the accession of Transcarpathia to the Soviet Union, with the ban on the functioning of the Greek Catholic Church, the activity of A. Hodinka was forgotten for many decades. The article aims to investigate and properly evaluate the scientific heritage of A. Hodinka through István Udvari's scientific research.

Keywords: István Udvari, University of Nyíregyháza, history of Transcarpathia, prominent figures of Transcarpathia, Antony Hodinka.
A formação conceitual sob a perspectiva teórica de Vygotsky, Leontiev e Galperin
Authors: Oliveira Rannyelly Rodrigues de
Published: April 2021

Este trabalho apresenta uma resenha do livro: “Vygotsky, Leontiev e Galperin: formação de conceitos e princípios didáticos”. O livro foi escrito por Isauro Beltrán Núñez e abrange a formação de conceitos na perspectiva teórica de Vygotsky, Leontiev e Galperin, apresentando uma descrição dos princípios didáticos assumidos a partir da análise da Teoria Histórico-Cultural, Teoria da Atividade e Teoria da Assimilação. Para isso, foi apresentado o itinerário formativo das teorias propostas por Vygotsky, Leontiev e Galperin destacando os aspectos em que elas se complementam e divergem. Portanto, o autor evidenciou a relevância do planejamento didático com enfoque na Teoria da Assimilação em articulação com as etapas da Atividade Histórico-Cultural para a prática docente e aprendizagem. Por fim, buscou-se instigar o leitor a refletir na possibilidade de articular as concepções de Galperin com outras teorias socioculturais como, por exemplo, a Teoria da Objetivação de Luis Radford, a qual tem muitas implicações no ensino de Ciências e Matemática vislumbrando, dessa maneira, sua extensão a outras áreas de conhecimento.
Analysis of difficulties in the application of FMEA in industries of the industrial pole of Manaus, Brazil
Authors: Vasconcellos Jorge Michel Santos de , Nascimento-e-Silva Daniel
Published: April 2021

Organizations of all types and sizes have focused almost entirely on meeting their customers' needs through quality products. Tools capable of detecting and resolving failures are increasingly used to guide production processes. In this sense, this study aimed to analyze the difficulties of operationalization of FMEA in four industries that operate in the industrial pole of Manaus. The method consisted of collecting data through semi-structured interviews with professionals responsible for executing these organizations' tools, organized and analyzed with semantic and content analysis techniques. The results showed that the tool is operationalized in five major stages. The difficulties encountered are due to human nature, such as difficulty working as a team and its members' commitment, and methodological, such as handling control and analysis forms periodic updating of data and information. The conclusion presented is that the tool's complexity can be reduced if digital and electronic mechanisms are used in its operation.
Gain scheduling control applied to oil and gas separator level loop
Authors: Medeiros Marcio Lindemberg Bezerra de , Oliveira Junior Antonio Martins de , Fonseca Rodolpho Rodrigues
Published: April 2021

Modeling and simulation applied to level control of oil and gas separators in production facilities is a very important tool because makes possible to perform tests that probably could not be viable due to operation and safety constraints. Asides the level dynamics can be well understood regarding the physical model, there will always be non-linearities to approach using a system identification procedure, requiring reasonable care on linear model identification. In order to assure a desired control performance, an adaptive control strategy has been proposed for level control for an oil and gas separator using the gain scheduling technique. Based on a first order process without time delay, the static gain and time period were determined for each point inside the operational space range of the equipment and by Internal Model Control (IMC), the tuning matrix found and converted into a function of operational parameters  using polynomial interpolation methodology for future application  in a real commercial PI controller. The horizontal separator was simulated using MATLAB/SIMULINK® and data from a real separator vessel were used to identify and validate the proposed process modeling in attempt to test an adaptive control strategy for practical applications. Once the GSC was implemented, simulations were performed over the non-linear system and results have shown better performance indexes for GSC while compared to the conventional PI controller for both servo and regulatory problems with reductions up to 17.65% for IAE, 29.88% for ISE, 16.38% for ITAE, 29.00% for ITSE and 13.20% for Control Effort (CE).
Effect of pedestrian traffic on the slip resistance and visual appearance of ceramic floor tiles
Authors: Lot Ana Virgínia , Menegazzo Ana Paula Margarido , Brasileiro Camila Tavares , Melchiades Fábio Gomes , Boschi Anselmo Ortega
Published: April 2021

The increase of surface roughness is a common measure for improving the slip resistance of floors. Nevertheless, the surface roughness of the floors can wear out during the use. Furthermore, rough surfaces can be susceptible to dirt accumulation. As a consequence, during the use, the original slip resistance and visual appearance of the floors can be deteriorated. In this scenario, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of pedestrian traffic on the surface profile, slip resistance and visual appearance of commercial ceramic floor tiles. The surface profile (contact profilometer), slip resistance (pendulum method) and visual appearance (visual analysis) of different commercial ceramic floors were evaluated before and after their exposure to heavy pedestrian traffic, and the results were compared. Significant reductions of the sharpness and height of profile peaks of the surfaces, due to mechanical wear, were observed. Consequently, for all the surfaces which initially presented satisfactory slip resistance for use in slipping risk areas, this property was reduced to unsafe levels. The degree of dirt accumulation, and the consequent visual appearance deterioration, varied according to the profile characteristics of the studied floors. The best cleaning performances were found for surfaces with more spaced irregularities and wider profile valleys.
Criminalización y políticas migratorias: Cambios en el proceso de estratificación racial y estigmatización de la población de origen mexicano radicada en los Estados Unidos (1954-2001)
Authors: García Searcy Enrique
Published: April 2021

This article aims to analyze from a historical perspective the changes in the process of racial stratification and stigmatization of the population of Mexican origin based in the United States. From a bibliographic and documentary exploration of changes in U.S. migration policies with respect to its southern border during the second half of the 20th century, three distinct historical periods were identified (1954-1964, 1965-1985 and 1986-2001). The social changes presented in these historical periods allowed this population to consolidate as one of the country’s main ethnic minorities, but this failed to eliminate the racial stigmatization imposed on Mexican (and later Hispanic) migrants by the dominant white culture since the second half of the 19th century. This has been reflected consistently in the current policies that U.S. immigration authorities have implemented on the border with Mexico.
Smallholder farmers’ perception on tomato (solanum lycopersicum) seedling technologies in the north west zone of Nigeria
Authors: Gabriel Isaiah , Olajuwon Frank , Michael Blessing
Published: April 2021

The research was funded by Syngenta Foundation for sustainable Agriculture, Nigeria to ascertain Farmer’s perception on tomato seedlings technology in North West Zone of Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was employed for the selection of One hundred and ninety-five (195) producers of Tomato in Kano and Jigawa States. Data were collected with the aid of a questionnaire. Data obtained were analysed using mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, charts, and graphs. The results of the study revealed that the producers of tomato had a mean age of 38 years, majorly males (86%) with secondary school education (32%), married (88%) with mean household size of 11 persons, mean farming experience, vegetable experience and tomato production experience of 18, 13 and 12 years respectively, mean land cultivated 3ha and mean tomato farm size of 2ha. Maize, sorghum, and rice are the three most cultivated crops by the farmers with tomato and onions as major vegetables. Plum tomato (UTC) variety (34%) is the most widely cultivated during both dry and wet seasons. The study further revealed that 82% of the farmers used recycled seeds to produce seedlings, 88% of the farmers had no extension and advisory service training, 59% made use of seedlings for planting with Plum tomato (UTC) as the common variety, 95% are interested in buying and selling seedlings, and 98% propagated their seeds in the open field. Therefore, it is recommended from the study that public and private’s sector at all levels should strengthen extension service systems to increase farmers’ knowledge and understanding of new tomato production technology-through provision of tomato seedlings technology, frequent trainings and marketing demos establishment to showcase this new innovation, Seed companies should ensure that seed packages contain recommended agronomic practices for all round effectiveness.
PELATIHAN PEMBUATAN TIANG POT BUNGA PERUM GRIYA SAMPURNA DESA AMPELDENTO KEC. KARANGPLOSO KAB. MALANG
Authors: Pondi Udianto  , Haris Puspito B  , Bagus Wahjudi  , Moh. Hartono  , RN Akhsanu Takwim
Published: April 2021

Perumahan Griya Sampurna merupakan salah perumahan yang ada di Desa Ampeldento Kec. Karangploso Kab. Malang kondisi perumahan dengan penduduk yang heterogen dan merupakan perumahan kelas menengah ke bawah, maka kondisi sarana dan prasarana yang ada perumahan, masih jauh dari layak sebagai sebuah perumahan yang ideal dan nyaman. Salah satu sarana yang masih kurang adalah rambu-rambu lalu lintas

Berkaitan dengan hal tersebut kegiatan pemberdayaan masyarakat telah dilakukan kegiatan yaitu Pelatihan Pembuatan Rambu-rambu Jalan.

Metode yang digunakan dalam kegiatan PKM ini adalah melalui pelatihan teori & praktek las fabrikasi secara langsung di bengkel warga Perum Griya Sampurna.

Hasil dari kegiatan PKM ini karang taruna dan warga memiliki ketrampilan dasar pengelasan sehingga mampu membuat produk tiang pot bunga.
PENGADAAN DAN PELATIHAN PENGGUNAAN MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN DI TK INKLUSI AL FASHA
Authors: Mariana Ulfah Hoesny  , Ririn Pratiwi Soeharto  , Pritantina Yuni Lestari
Published: April 2021

Pelaksanaan kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini bertujuan meningkatkan kualitas belajar mengajar khususnya bagi anak berkebutuhan khusus. TK Al Fasha merupakan sebuah lembaga pendidikan bagi anak berkebutuhan khusus yang dikelola oleh pihak swasta. Dengan demikian lembaga pendidikan tersebut tidak mendapat bantuan dari pemerintah. TK tersebut memiliki siswa ABK dengan berbagai keluhan seperti autisme, kesulitan membaca, speech delay, down syndrome dan lain sebagainya. TK Inklusi ini kekurangan alat tulis khusus bagi ABK serta kurangnya media pembelajaran. Sehubungan dengan hal ini, kegiatan PkM yang akan diselenggarakan oleh tim Polinema ditujukan untuk membantu penyediaan peralatan serta mengadakan pelatihan sehingga pendidikan yang lebih baik mutunya akan dapat dicapai.
Sosialisasi dan Implementasi Penanganan Transaksi dan Akad Syariah Pada Majlis Ta’lim An Nisa Jln Bakung 04 Kelurahan Lowokwaru Kota Malang
Authors: Muhammad Muwidha  , Himma  , Basuki  , Yusna
Published: April 2021

Tujuan Kegiatan Pengabdian kepada Masayarakat (PkM) ini adalah dalam rangka memberikan penyuluhan, sosialisasi dan implementasi kepada masyarakat mengenai akad-akad transaksi usaha secara syariah kepada ibu-ibu anggota majlis ta’lim An-Nisa. Paada awalnya pelaksanaannya akan dilakukan di rumah Jln. Bakung 04 Lowokwaru Kota Malang. Karena masa pandemi akhirnya berdasarkan koodinasi tim PkM , Ketua Majlis Ta’lim An-Nisa dan Takmir Masjid Fadhilah, maka kegiatan dilaksanakan di masjid dengana mangambil jadwal setelah jamaah subuh pada hari Selasa tanggal 18 dan 25 Agustus 2020. Jam 5.00- 7.00. Peserta berjumlah 46 orang terdiri dari bapak dan ibu.

Pada saat pelaksanaan materi yang direncanakan telah disajikan dengan lancar. Materi ini dinilai penting karena untuk memulai berbisnis yang berlandaskan syariah maka jenis dan keabsyahan transaksi perlu dipahami dengan baik an benar. Bila transaksi sudah dipahami barulah memilih berbagai tawaran akad syariah dengan menyesuaikan kebutuhan dalam berbisnis.

Menurut perspektif Islam, hukum Islam diciptakan dan dilaksanakan secara menyeluruh tidak lain adalah bertujuan demi kemaslahatan dan kesejahteraan manisia di dunia dan akhirat. Untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut maka hukum Islam mempunyai beberapa prinsip yang mendasari terlaksananya tujuan tersebut, yaitu: 1) memberikan kemudahan dan meniadakan kesulitan, 2) menyedikitkan beban, dan 3) menempuh jalan pertahapan.

Temuan dan pengelaman dalam pelaksanaan PkM ini diharapkan menjadi fase lanjut untuk membangun kesadaran tentang menjadi umat islam yang kaffah. Tidak hanya tekun dalam ibadah kepada Allah (mahdhoh) tapi juga harus membangun muammalah yang lebih baik. Karena pada intinya islam justru ajaran banyak mengatur bagaimana mu’ammalah diamalkan dengan lebih masive. Islam adalah ajarah rahmat terciptanya kedamaian. Kedaaian bisa diciptakan jika masyarakat relatif telah sadar dan faham tentang taraf sejahtera dan ukuran sejahtera paling sederhana adalah kecukupan hidup dan ini pasti berbincang tentang jalan rizki serta ksejahteraan ekonomi.
PERSEPSI ANAK USIA DINI TERHADAP BENTUK MAKANAN UNIK
Authors: Farida Arinie Soelistianto  , Martono Dwi Atmadja  , Kristina Widjajanti  , Yani Ratnawati  , Azam Muzakhim Imammuddin
Published: April 2021

Nutrient content and efficacy of the oyster mushroom has a high protein with a complete amino acids, including essential amino acids needed manusia.Selain itutuna oyster contains vitamins B1, B2 and some mineral salts of the elements Ca, P, Fe, Na and K . The fiber content of 7.4% until the mushrooms start of 27.6% is very good for digestion. While the meatballs are generally the typical food of the city of Malang are usually made from raw material although recent beef can also be made from raw materials of fish, chicken and mushroom.

Apart easily cultivated oyster mushrooms also are cheap and plentiful and can be purchased at any place. Communities with lower economic levels can utilize adequate nutrition by consuming the mushrooms. Making meatballs from the basic ingredients of oyster mushrooms are also very easy to manufacture so diharapkakn could be an alternative to improve nutrition can also be developed to increase revenues when produced as meatballs mushrooms.

Pre-test results showed that before the training participants still do not understand about the material with a mean value of 1.92. After carrying out training post test mean value becomes 3.75 This means participants' understanding of the material provided increased 98.5135%. This shows that the community service activities managed to improve the knowledge and skills of participants in the process recipe meatballs made from fresh oyster mushrooms.
BIMBINGAN DAN PELATIHAN IMPLEMENTASI KEPEMIMPINAN UNTUK PEMBERDAYAAN IBU-IBU PKK RW 03 KELURAHAN KETAWANG GEDE KOTA MALANG
Authors: Masreviastuti  , Mahmudatul Himmah  , Helmy Adisaksana  , Lilies Nur Aini  , Fauziah
Published: April 2021

To create harmonious living conditions, group members must respect and appreciate each other. Humans are endowed with the ability to think, the ability to sort & choose what is good & what is bad. With these advantages, humans should be able to manage the environment well. Not only should the environment be managed properly, human social life also needs to be managed properly. For that we need quality human resources. A resource with a leadership spirit, at least to lead himself. In RW 03, Ketawang Gede Village, the number of PKK members consists of 30 mothers with 90% professions: entrepreneurs, 10% private employees and civil servants aged between 25 - 50 years where they always need to do independent and team work.

With the spirit of a human leader, he will be able to manage himself, the group & the environment well. Especially in dealing with problems that are relatively complicated & difficult, so a leader is required to be wise in making decisions so that problems can be resolved properly.
Pelatihan Pembuatan Lampu Penerangan Jalan Umum (PJU) Bertenaga Surya di RW 04 Kelurahan Wonokoyo Kecamatan Kedungkandang Kota Malang
Authors: Kris Witono  , Satworo Adiwidodo  , Agus Hardjito  , Agus Setiawan  , Sarjiyana
Published: April 2021

Salah satunya hal terpenting untuk meningkatkan keamanan, khususnya bagi warga di kawasan RW 04 Kelurahan Wonokoyo Kecamatan Kedungkandang Kota Malang adalah penerangan. Instalasi lampu penerangan jalan umum masih minim, sehingga jauh dari memenuhi standar keselamatan. Dengan kondisi seperti diuraikan diatas, maka guna menjamin ketersediaaan lampu penerangan jalan yang aman dan bisa diandalkan, dilakukan pelatihan pembuatan lampu penerangan jalan umum (PJU) bertenaga surya di RW 04 Kelurahan Wonokoyo Kecamatan Kedungkandang Kota Malang. Metode pelaksanaan kegiatan meliputi: survey lokasi, identifikasi dan solusi masalah, perencanaan kegiatan, perhitungan kebutuhan bahan dan peralatan, pelatihan pembuatan tiang lampu PJU bertenaga surya dan pemasangannya. Hasil kegiatan antara lain peningkatan pengetahuan dan ketrampilan warga di bidang fabrikasi dan instalasi lampu PJU bertenaga surya, terpasangnya 2 buah Lampu PJU Bertenaga Surya, menggunakan lampu LED 60 W bertegangan DC 12V, Panel Surya 50 WP, Solar Charger ontroller kapasitas maks 10 A, dan Baterai VRLA 65 Ah, yang berdampak pada peningkatan keamanan lingkungan dan aktivitas warga pada malam hari di lingkungan RW 04 Kelurahan Wonokoyo Kecamatan Kedungkandang Kota Malang.
Surveillance of Antimalarial Drug-Resistance Genes in Imported Plasmodium falciparum Isolates From Nigeria in Henan, China, 2012–2019
Authors: Zhao Dongyang , Zhang Hongwei , Ji Penghui , Li Suhua , Yang Chengyun , Liu Ying , Qian Dan , Deng Yan , Wang Hao , Lu Deling , Zhou Ruimin , Zhao Yuling
Published: April 2021

Malaria remains a major public health issue in Nigeria, and Nigeria is one of the main sources of imported malaria in China. Antimalarial drug resistance is a significant obstacle to the control and prevention of malaria globally. The molecular markers associated with antimalarial drug resistance can provide early warnings about the emergence of resistance. The prevalence of antimalarial drug resistant genes and mutants, including PfK13, Pfcrt, Pfmdr1, Pfdhfr, and Pfdhps, was evaluated among the imported Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Nigeria in Henan, China, from 2012 to 2019. Among the 167 imported P. falciparum isolates, the wild-type frequency of PfK13, Pfcrt, Pfmdr1, Pfdhfr, and Pfdhps was 98.7, 63.9, 34.8, 3.1, and 3.1%, respectively. The mutation of PfK13 was rare, with just two nonsynonymous (S693F and Q613H) and two synonymous mutations (C469C and G496G) identified from four isolates. The prevalence of Pfcrt mutation at codon 74–76 decreased year-by-year, while the prevalence of pfmdr1 86Y also decreased significantly with time. The prevalence of Pfdhfr and Pfdhps mutants was high. Combined mutations of Pfdhfr and Pfdhps had a high prevalence of the quadruple mutant I51R59N108-G437 (39.0%), followed by the octal mutant I51R59N108-V431A436G437G581S613 (17.0%). These molecular findings update the known data on antimalarial drug-resistance genes and provide supplemental information for Nigeria.
SARS CoV-2 Nucleoprotein Enhances the Infectivity of Lentiviral Spike Particles
Authors: Mishra Tarun , Sreepadmanabh M. , Ramdas Pavitra , Sahu Amit Kumar , Kumar Atul , Chande Ajit
Published: April 2021

The establishment of SARS CoV-2 spike-pseudotyped lentiviral (LV) systems has enabled the rapid identification of entry inhibitors and neutralizing agents, alongside allowing for the study of this emerging pathogen in BSL-2 level facilities. While such frameworks recapitulate the cellular entry process in ACE2+ cells, they are largely unable to factor in supplemental contributions by other SARS CoV-2 genes. To address this, we performed an unbiased ORF screen and identified the nucleoprotein (N) as a potent enhancer of spike-pseudotyped LV particle infectivity. We further demonstrate that the spike protein is better enriched in virions when the particles are produced in the presence of N protein. This enrichment of spike renders LV particles more infectious as well as less vulnerable to the neutralizing effects of a human IgG-Fc fused ACE2 microbody. Importantly, this improvement in infectivity is observed with both wild-type spike protein as well as the D614G mutant. Our results hold important implications for the design and interpretation of similar LV pseudotyping-based studies.
Plasma Metabolites Alert Patients With Chest Pain to Occurrence of Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Aa Nan , Lu Ying , Yu Mengjie , Tang Heng , Lu Zhenyao , Sun Runbing , Wang Liansheng , Li Chunjian , Yang Zhijian , Aa Jiye , Kong Xiangqing , Wang Guangji
Published: April 2021

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and knowing the early warning signs of MI is lifesaving. To expand our knowledge of MI, we analyzed plasma metabolites in MI and non-MI chest pain cases to identify markers for alerting about MI occurrence based on metabolomics. A total of 230 volunteers were recruited, consisting of 146 chest pain patients admitted with suspected MI (85 MIs and 61 non-MI chest pain cases) and 84 control individuals. Non-MI cardiac chest pain cases include unstable angina (UA), myocarditis, valvular heart diseases, etc. The blood samples of all suspected MI cases were collected not longer than 6 h since the onset of chest pain. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry were applied to identify and quantify the plasma metabolites. Multivariate statistical analysis was utilized to analyze the data, and principal component analysis showed MI could be clearly distinguished from non-MI chest pain cases (including UA and other cases) in the scores plot of metabolomic data, better than that based on the data constructed with medical history and clinical biochemical parameters. Pathway analysis highlighted an upregulated methionine metabolism and downregulated arginine biosynthesis in MI cases. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and adjusted odds ratio (OR) were calculated to evaluate potential markers for the diagnosis and prediction ability of MI (MI vs. non-MI cases). Finally, gene expression profiles from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were briefly discussed to study differential metabolites' connection with plasma transcriptomics. Deoxyuridine (dU), homoserine, and methionine scored highly in ROC analysis (AUC > 0.91), sensitivity (>80%), and specificity (>94%), and they were correlated to LDH and AST (p < 0.05). OR values suggested, after adjusting for gender, age, lipid levels, smoking, type II diabetes, and hypertension history, that high levels of dU of positive logOR = 3.01, methionine of logOR = 3.48, and homoserine of logOR = 1.61 and low levels of isopentenyl diphosphate (IDP) of negative logOR = −5.15, uracil of logOR = −2.38, and arginine of logOR = −0.82 were independent risk factors of MI. Our study highlighted that metabolites belonging to pyrimidine, methionine, and arginine metabolism are deeply influenced in MI plasma samples. dU, homoserine, and methionine are potential markers to recognize MI cases from other cardiac chest pain cases after the onset of chest pains. Individuals with high plasma abundance of dU, homoserine, or methionine have increased risk of MI, too.
Preservice Teachers’ Implicit and Explicit Attitudes Towards Teaching and Learning
Authors: Zaruba Nicole , Westphal Andrea , Gutmann Franziska , Vock Miriam
Published: April 2021

When it comes to teacher attitudes towards teaching and learning, research relies heavily on explicit measures (e.g., questionnaires). These attitudes are generally conceptualized as constructivist and transmissive views on teaching and learning with constructivism often considered to be more desirable. In explicit measures, this can have drawbacks like socially desirable responding. It is for this reason that, in this study, we investigated implicit attitudes as well as explicit attitudes towards constructivism and transmission. N = 100 preservice teachers worked on a questionnaire and two Single-Target Implicit Association Tests (ST-IAT constructivism and ST-IAT transmission) before (T1) and after (T2) a single master’s semester. One group (n = 50) did student teaching while a second group (n = 50) took master’s courses. We evaluated preservice teachers’ views on teaching at the end of their masters’ studies. Participants agreed with transmission and constructivism (T1) on both an explicit and implicit level. Implicit measures seem to exceed explicit measures in differentially assessing constructivist and transmissive views on teaching and learning. After student teaching (T2), there was no overall effect of attitude development but changes in rank indicate that participants’ implicit attitudes towards constructivism and transmission developed differently for each individual.
Opposing Epigenetic Signatures in Human Sperm by Intake of Fast Food Versus Healthy Food
Authors: Soubry Adelheid , Murphy Susan K. , Vansant Greet , He Yang , Price Thomas M. , Hoyo Cathrine
Published: April 2021

Animal experiments have demonstrated that diets high in fats create a harmful environment for developing sperm cells, contributing to impaired reproductive health and induced risk for chronic diseases in the next generation. Changes at the level of the epigenome have been suggested to underlie these observations. Human data are limited to verify this hypothesis. While we earlier demonstrated a link between male obesity and DNA methylation changes at imprinted genes in mature sperm cells and newborns, it is currently unknown if -or how- a paternal eating pattern (related to obesity) is related to indices for epigenetic inheritance. We here aim to examine a yet unexplored link between consumption of healthy (rich in vitamins and fibers) or unhealthy (“fast”) foods and methylation at imprint regulatory regions in DNA of sperm. We obtained semen and data from 67 men, as part of a North Carolina-based study: The Influence of the Environment on Gametic Epigenetic Reprogramming (TIEGER) study. Dietary data included intake of fruits/nuts, vegetables/soups, whole grain bread, meat, seafood/fish, and fatty or processed food items. Multiple regression models were used to explore the association between dietary habits and clinical sperm parameters as well as DNA methylation levels, quantified using bisulfite pyrosequencing at 12 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of the following imprinted genes: GRB10, IGF2, H19, MEG3, NDN, NNAT, PEG1/MEST, PEG3, PLAGL1, SNRPN, and SGCE/PEG10. After adjusting for age, obesity status and recruitment method, we found that Total Motile Count (TMC) was significantly higher if men consumed fruits/nuts (β=+6.9, SE=1.9, p=0.0005) and vegetables (β=+5.4, SE=1.9, p=0.006), whereas consumption of fries was associated with lower TMC (β=-20.2, SE=8.7, p=0.024). Semen volume was also higher if vegetables or fruits/nuts were frequently consumed (β=+0.06, SE=0.03, p=0.03). Similarly, our sperm epigenetic analyses showed opposing associations for healthy versus fast food items. Frequent consumption of fries was related to a higher chance of sperm being methylated at the MEG3-IG CpG4 site (OR=1.073, 95%CI: 1.035-1.112), and high consumption of vegetables was associated with a lower risk of DNA methylation at the NNAT CpG3 site (OR=0.941, 95%CI: 0.914-0.968). These results remained significant after adjusting for multiple testing. We conclude that dietary habits are linked to sperm epigenetic outcomes. If carried into the next generation paternal unhealthy dietary patterns may result in adverse metabolic conditions and increased risk for chronic diseases in offspring.
A Study on the Comprehensive Evaluation and Analysis of China’s Renewable Energy Development and Regional Energy Development
Authors: Liu Wei , Fan Wenyu , Hong Yu , Chen Chanting
Published: April 2021

The problem of unbalanced energy development in China still exists. How to adjust the energy structure is the key to high-quality economic development in China. This paper analyses the impact of regional energy development levels on high-quality economic development in China from 2016 to 2017, with the global ML methodology and structural equation model. Firstly, from two aspects of environmental and technological factors, the Global Malmquist-Luenberger (GML) production function is used to measure the environmental endowment index of regional energy development in China. Secondly, the evaluation system of China’s energy development is established. The structural equation model is used to measure and evaluate the degree of China’s regional energy development. Combined with the environmental endowment index of regional energy development, the gap between the proportion of regional renewable energy and the optimal energy structure is analyzed. Thirdly, this paper explores the supporting effect of different energy development levels on high-quality economic development. It is concluded that the environmental endowment index of energy development varies among different regions in China, most of which are still underdeveloped, but a few of which have redundant technical elements of renewable energy development. China’s regional energy development model is still dominated by fossil fuel energy, and the proportion of renewable energy driving economic growth is relatively low. Renewable energy can effectively replace the use of fossil fuel energy and have a higher impact on high-quality economic development. Finally, on the basis of the above study, the paper puts forward policy suggestions for Chinese governments to adjust energy structure and promote high-quality economic development.
Host-Specific Serum Factors Control the Development and Survival of Schistosoma mansoni
Authors: Anisuzzaman  , Frahm Sören , Prodjinotho Ulrich Fabien , Bhattacharjee Sonakshi , Verschoor Admar , Prazeres da Costa Clarissa
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by blood-dwelling flatworms which develop from skin-penetrating cercariae, the freely swimming water-borne infective stage ofSchistosoma mansoni, into adult worms. This natural course of infection can be mimicked in experimental mouse models of schistosomiasis. However, only a maximum of 20-30% of penetrated cercariae mature into fecund adults. The reasons for this are unknown but could potentially involve soluble factors of the innate immune system, such as complement factors and preexisting, natural antibodies.

Materials and Methods

Using our recently developed novel serum- and cell-freein vitroculture system for newly transformed schistosomula (NTS), which supports long-term larval survival, we investigated the effects of mouse serum and its major soluble complement factors C1q, C3, C4 as well as preexisting, natural IgMin vitroand assessed worm developmentin vivoby infecting complement and soluble (s)IgM-deficient animals.

Results

In contrast to sera from humans and a broad variety of mammalian species, serum from mice, surprisingly, killed parasites already at skin stagein vitro. Interestingly, the most efficient killing component(s) were heat-labile but did not include important members of the perhaps best known family of heat-labile serum factors, the complement system, nor consisted of complement-activating natural immunoglobulins. Infection of complement C1q and sIgM-deficient mice withS. mansonias well asin vitrotests with sera from mice deficient in C3 and C4 revealed no major role for these soluble factorsin vivoin regard to parasite maturation, fecundity and associated immunopathology. Rather, the reduction of parasite maturation from cercariae to adult worms was comparable to wild-type mice.

Conclusion

This study reveals that not yet identified heat-labile serum factors are major selective determinants of the host-specificity of schistosomiasis, by directly controlling schistosomal development and survival.
Discovering Panel of Autoantibodies for Early Detection of Lung Cancer Based on Focused Protein Array
Authors: Jiang Di , Zhang Xue , Liu Man , Wang Yulin , Wang Tingting , Pei Lu , Wang Peng , Ye Hua , Shi Jianxiang , Song Chunhua , Wang Kaijuan , Wang Xiao , Dai Liping , Zhang Jianying
Published: April 2021

Substantial studies indicate that autoantibodies to tumor-associated antigens (TAAbs) arise in early stage of lung cancer (LC). However, since single TAAbs as non-invasive biomarkers reveal low diagnostic performances, a panel approach is needed to provide more clues for early detection of LC. In the present research, potential TAAbs were screened in 150 serum samples by focused protein array based on 154 proteins encoded by cancer driver genes. Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to verify and validate TAAbs in two independent datasets with 1,054 participants (310 in verification cohort, 744 in validation cohort). In both verification and validation cohorts, eight TAAbs were higher in serum of LC patients compared with normal controls. Moreover, diagnostic models were built and evaluated in the training set and the test set of validation cohort by six data mining methods. In contrast to the other five models, the decision tree (DT) model containing seven TAAbs (TP53, NPM1, FGFR2, PIK3CA, GNA11, HIST1H3B, and TSC1), built in the training set, yielded the highest diagnostic value with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.897, the sensitivity of 94.4% and the specificity of 84.9%. The model was further assessed in the test set and exhibited an AUC of 0.838 with the sensitivity of 89.4% and the specificity of 78.2%. Interestingly, the accuracies of this model in both early and advanced stage were close to 90%, much more effective than that of single TAAbs. Protein array based on cancer driver genes is effective in screening and discovering potential TAAbs of LC. The TAAbs panel with TP53, NPM1, FGFR2, PIK3CA, GNA11, HIST1H3B, and TSC1 is excellent in early detection of LC, and they might be new target in LC immunotherapy.
Coastal and Marine Socio-Ecological Systems: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Refulio-Coronado Sonia , Lacasse Katherine , Dalton Tracey , Humphries Austin , Basu Suchandra , Uchida Hirotsugu , Uchida Emi
Published: April 2021

The socio-ecological systems (SESs) framework provides cross-disciplinary insight into complex environmental problems. Numerous studies have applied the SES framework to coastal and marine environments over the last two decades. We review and analyze 98 of those studies to (i) describe how SES concepts were examined and measured, (ii) describe how the studies included feedbacks and thresholds, and (iii) identify and analyze elements unique to coastal and marine SES frameworks. We find that progress has been made in understanding key SES properties in coastal and marine ecosystems, which include resilience, adaptive capacity, vulnerability, and governance. A variety of methods has been developed and applied to analyze these features qualitatively and quantitatively. We also find that recent studies have incorporated land-based stressors in their analyses of coastal issues related to nutrient runoff, bacterial pollution, and management of anadromous species to represent explicit links in land-to-sea continuums. However, the literature has yet to identify methods and data that can be used to provide causal evidence of non-linearities and thresholds within SES. In addition, our findings suggest that greater alignment and consistency are needed in models with regard to metrics and spatial boundaries between ecological and social systems to take full advantage of the SES framework and improve coastal and marine management.
The Use of the Anticoagulant Heparin and Corticosteroid Dexamethasone as Prominent Treatments for COVID-19
Authors: Braz-de-Melo Heloísa Antoniella , Faria Sara Socorro , Pasquarelli-do-Nascimento Gabriel , Santos Igor de Oliveira , Kobinger Gary P. , Magalhães Kelly Grace
Published: April 2021

COVID-19 is spreading worldwide at disturbing rates, overwhelming global healthcare. Mounting death cases due to disease complications highlight the necessity of describing efficient drug therapy strategies for severe patients. COVID-19 severity associates with hypercoagulation and exacerbated inflammation, both influenced by ACE2 downregulation and cytokine storm occurrence. In this review, we discuss the applicability of the anticoagulant heparin and the anti-inflammatory corticosteroid dexamethasone for managing severe COVID-19 patients. The upregulated inflammation and blood clotting may be mitigated by administrating heparin and its derivatives. Heparin enhances the anticoagulant property of anti-thrombin (AT) and may be useful in conjunction with fibrinolytic drugs for severe COVID-19 patients. Besides, heparin can also modulate immune responses, alleviating TNF-α-mediated inflammation, impairing IL-6 production and secretion, and binding to complement proteins and leukotriene B4 (LTB4). Moreover, heparin may present anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential once it can impact viral infectivity and alter SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein architecture. Another feasible approach is the administration of the glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Although glucocorticoid's administration for viral infection managing is controversial, there is increasing evidence demonstrating that dexamethasone treatment is capable of drastically diminishing the death rate of patients presenting with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) that required invasive mechanical ventilation. Importantly, dexamethasone may be detrimental by impairing viral clearance and inducing hyperglycemia and sodium retention, hence possibly being deleterious for diabetics and hypertensive patients, two major COVID-19 risk groups. Therefore, while heparin's multitarget capacity shows to be strongly beneficial for severe COVID-19 patients, dexamethasone should be carefully administered taking into consideration underlying medical conditions and COVID-19 disease severity. Therefore, we suggest that the multitarget impact of heparin as an anti-viral, antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory drug in the early stage of the COVID-19 could significantly reduce the need for dexamethasone treatment in the initial phase of this disease. If the standard treatment of heparins fails on protecting against severe illness, dexamethasone must be applied as a potent anti-inflammatory shutting-down the uncontrolled and exacerbated inflammation.
Persistent DNA Double-Strand Breaks After Repeated Diagnostic CT Scans in Breast Epithelial Cells and Lymphocytes
Authors: Bogdanova Natalia V. , Jguburia Nina , Ramachandran Dhanya , Nischik Nora , Stemwedel Katharina , Stamm Georg , Werncke Thomas , Wacker Frank , Dörk Thilo , Christiansen Hans
Published: April 2021

DNA double-strand break (DSB) induction and repair have been widely studied in radiation therapy (RT); however little is known about the impact of very low exposures from repeated computed tomography (CT) scans for the efficiency of repair. In our current study, DSB repair and kinetics were investigated in side-by-side comparison of RT treatment (2 Gy) with repeated diagnostic CT scans (≤20 mGy) in human breast epithelial cell lines and lymphoblastoid cells harboring different mutations in known DNA damage repair proteins. Immunocytochemical analysis of well known DSB markers γH2AX and 53BP1, within 48 h after each treatment, revealed highly correlated numbers of foci and similar appearance/disappearance profiles. The levels of γH2AX and 53BP1 foci after CT scans were up to 30% of those occurring 0.5 h after 2 Gy irradiation. The DNA damage repair after diagnostic CT scans was monitored and quantitatively assessed by both γH2AX and 53BP1 foci in different cell types. Subsequent diagnostic CT scans in 6 and/or 12 weeks intervals resulted in elevated background levels of repair foci, more pronounced in cells that were prone to genomic instability due to mutations in known regulators of DNA damage response (DDR). The levels of persistent foci remained enhanced for up to 6 months. This “memory effect” may reflect a radiation-induced long-term response of cells after low-dose x-ray exposure.
SOLTI-1805 TOT-HER3 Study Concept: A Window-of-Opportunity Trial of Patritumab Deruxtecan, a HER3 Directed Antibody Drug Conjugate, in Patients With Early Breast Cancer
Authors: Pascual Tomás , Oliveira Mafalda , Ciruelos Eva , Bellet Ezquerra Meritxell , Saura Cristina , Gavilá Joaquin , Pernas Sonia , Muñoz Montserrat , Vidal Maria J. , Margelí Vila Mireia , Cejalvo Juan M. , González-Farré Blanca , Espinosa-Bravo Martin , Cruz Josefina , Salvador-Bofill Francisco Javier , Guerra Juan Antonio , Luna Barrera Ana María , Arumi de Dios Miriam , Esker Stephen , Fan Pang-Dian , Martínez-Sáez Olga , Villacampa Guillermo , Paré Laia , Ferrero-Cafiero Juan M. , Villagrasa Patricia , Prat Aleix
Published: April 2021

Background: Preclinical data support a key role for the human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) pathway in hormone receptor (HR)–positive breast cancer. Recently, new HER3 directed antibody drug conjugates have shown activity in breast cancer. Given the need to better understand the molecular biology, tumor microenvironment, and mechanisms of drug resistance in breast cancer, we designed this window-of-opportunity study with the HER3 directed antibody drug conjugate patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd; U3-1402).

Trial Design: Based on these data, a prospective, multicenter, single-arm, window-of-opportunity study was designed to evaluate the biological effect of patritumab deruxtecan in the treatment of naïve patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative early breast cancer whose primary tumors are ≥1 cm by ultrasound evaluation. Patients will be enrolled in four cohorts according to the mRNA-based ERBB3 expression by central assessment. The primary endpoint is a CelTIL score after one single dose. A translational research plan is also included to provide biological information and to evaluate secondary and exploratory objectives of the study.

Trial Registration Number: EudraCT 2019-004964-23; NCT number: NCT04610528.