bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental Optimization of Using Natural Pozzolan in Chloride Ion Exposed Concrete via
Taguchi Method
Authors: Behshad Amir , Askarian Zardak Mostafa , Mohammadi Yaser
Published: March 2021

Concrete durability is one of the most important concerns in the field of construction. The environmentally friendly materials that can provide the durability are of great value in the construction of concrete structures. The use of natural pozzolans is one of the cheapest and most efficient methods in this field, which offers a good performance from environmental and economic point of view and satisfies required engineering parameters. In this study, the effect of using natural pozzolan in the manufacture of concrete exposed to sulfate and chloride ion of Oman sea water was investigated. The Taguchi optimization method was used to reduce the number of samples prepared, reduce the cost of experiments and achieve an optimal mix design. The four parameters, namely water to cement ratio, different percentages of natural pozzolan, super-plasticizer and cement grade with different ratios, were considered as problem variables. The Taguchi optimization method proposed 8 mix designs based on the defined levels for the variables. By constructing 96 samples, two parameters of permeability and water absorption from Oman Sea and drinking water were investigated in the samples. By introducing the results of the experiments into the Taguchi method, the final optimal design was presented by this method, and by constructing 12 additional samples and conducting permeability and water absorption experiments, the behavior of this optimal mix design was verified. The appropriate performance of the Taguchi method was demonstrated by obtaining the optimal mix designs from the Taguchi method, constructing this mix design and comparing the results with the regulation limitations. The results showed that it is acceptable to use natural pozzolan under moderate to severe chloride and sulfate ion attacks, but it is not recommended in the extreme environmental conditions.
ANALISIS DESKRIPTIF PHBS DAN STATUS GIZI MASYARAKAT UPAYA PENINGKATAN STATUS KESEHATAN MELALUI PENDEKATAN KOLABORATIF BERBAGAI PEMANGKU KEPENTINGAN
Authors: Anggie Nauli Humaira
Published: March 2021

Meskipun secara nasional kualitas kesehatan masyarakat telah meningkat, akan tetapi disparitas status kesehatan antar tingkat sosial ekonomi, antar kawasan, dan antar perkotaan-perdesaan masih cukup tinggi. Sebagai bentuk realisasi tri darma perguruan tinggi, Fakultas Ilmu Kesehatan Universitas Ibn Khaldun Bogor kepada masyarakat sekitar, mahasiswa dengan bimbingan dari dosen terkait melakukan Praktek Belajar Lapangan (PBL) kepada masyarakat Kota Bogor, khususnya di Kelurahan Cipaku, Kecamatan Bogor Selatan. Perencanaan program dilakukan dengan koordinasi Puskesmas Bogor Selatan dan Posyandu yang berada di bawah binaan Puskesmas tersebut. Pengabdian masyarakat ini terdiri dari 2 kegiatan utama yakni 1) Inisiasi revitalisasi dan pembangunan sarana kebersihan berupa jamban dan 2) Pendataan status gizi balita sebagai data dasar penentuan status kesehatan masyarakat. Hasil dari rencana tersebut mengemukakan bahwa Sebagian besar rumah memang sudah memiliki jamban (89%), namun angka ini akan sia-sia jika masih terdapat risiko penyebaran kuman penyakit dari 11% rumah yang tidak memiliki jamban. Walau angkanya kecil (2%), tidak adanya jamban membuat masyarakat masih melakukan kegiatan buang air kecil dan buang air besar secara sembarangan. Selaiun itu, sebagian besar Balita di Kelurahan Cipaku yang memiliki status BB/U baik (61%). Namun, status BB/U sebanyak 34% Balita masih dibawah di bawah garis normal dan sudah ada 5% balita dengan BB/U di atas garis normal. Jika dibiarkan, Balita akan memiliki risiko untuk memiliki berbagai masalah gizi dan kesehatan saat masa Balita atau di periode umur berikutnya. Begitu pula dengan status TB/U, masih terdapat lebih dari sepertiga (33%) Balita yang memiliki status TB/U di bawah garis normal. Jika terabaikan dan terjadi menahun, stunting akan menjadi masalah gizi baru di Kelurahan Cipaku.
MINIMALISASI TINGKAT PLAGIAT KARYA ILMIAH MAHASISWA MELALUI WORKSHOP SOFTWARE PLAGIARISM CHECKER X
Authors: Syaharuddin Syaharuddin , Mandailina Vera , Saddam Saddam , Perwira Negara Habib Ratu , Satriawan Rody , Ibrahim Malik
Published: March 2021

Salah satu upaya untuk minimalisasi tingkat plagiat di kalangan mahasiswa dalam menyusun tugas akhir adalah optimalisasi studi literatur dan melakukan pengecekan tingkat plagiat menggunakan aplikasi standar seperti Plagiarism CheckerX. Tujuan kegiatan ini adalah meningkatkan kemampuan mahasiswa dalam menyusun tugas akhir dengan tingkat plagiasi tidak lebih dari 30%. Oleh sebab itu, sebanyak 83 mahasiswa telah mengikuti kegiatan workshop penggunaan software Plagiarism CheckerX serta dijelaskan teknik memperbaiki hasil plagiat jika lebih dari 30%. Angket merupakan alat evaluasi yang digunakan dalam kegiatan ini. Hasil pelaksanaan kegiatan menunjukkan bahwa sebesar 89% mahasiswa memahami materi yang disampaikan dan memahami teknik mengecek plagiat serta memperbaiki hasil plagiat tersebut.
PENDAPAT ZAHIRIYYAH TENTANG BATASAN MELIHAT PEREMPUAN DALAM KHITBAH
Authors: Nizar Anis
Published: March 2021

khitbah atau pinangan dalam Islam adalah diperbolehkan bahkan dianjurkan, tujuannya yaitu agar calon pasangan tersebut saling mengenal satu sama lain. Dalam proses khitbah, ada beberapa hal yang diperbolehkan, diantaranya yaitu kebolehan melihat perempuan yang dikhitbah. Akan tetapi, dalam proses ini tentu harus didampingi oleh mahram dari pihak perempuan dan tidak boleh dilakukan hanya berdua saja atau berkhalwat. Para ulama fikih juga sepakat akan kebolehan melihat perempuan yang dikhitbah, akan tetapi yang menjadi perdebatan adalah batasan dari melihat itu sendiri. Mayoritas ulama memperbolehkan melihat wajah dan telapak tangan untuk melihat kecantikan fisik dan kesuburannya. Sementara itu, pendapat yang paling ekstrem datang dari golongan Z{a>hiriyyah, di mana mereka memperbolehkan melihat seluruh anggota tubuh perempuan yang dikhit{bah, baik yang tersembunyi maupun yang terlihat, dalam keadaan lalai maupun tidak lalai. Pendapat tersebut bersumber dari metode istinba>t{ hukum yang digunakan, di mana mereka secara langsung melihat dhahir hadis tentang kebolehan melihat perempuan yang dikhit{bah, dan di dalam hadis tersebut tidak ada batasan yang disebutkan secara rinci oleh Rasulullah SAW mengenai bagian yang boleh dan tidak boleh dilihat, serta hadis itu cenderung memiliki makna yang kuat bahwa seorang lak-laki boleh melihat seluruh anggota tubuh perempuan yang dikhit{bah jika dia ingin serius menikahi perempuan tersebut.
Analisis Perilaku Konsumsi Pangan Mahasiswa PGSD UMPR Selama Pandemi Covid-19
Authors: Susanti Essy , Qalyubi Imam
Published: March 2021

Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana peerilaku konsumsi pangan mahasiswa PGSD UMPR pada saat pandemi Covid-19. Jenis penelitian menggunakan penelitian kualitatif. Hasil penelitian yang didapatkan adalah mahasiswa lebih memilih untuk memasak atau mengolah makanan sendiri dibandingkan membeli makanan dari luar karena lebih menjaga kesehatan. Perilaku konsumsi pangan mahasiswa mengalami peningkatan pada saat pandemi Covid-19, mahasiswa lebih selektif dalam memilih makanan.
ANALIZA STRATEŠKEGA KONCEPTA NATA 2010
Authors: FABJAN ALJAŽ
Published: March 2021

Nato je v času svojega obstoja sprejel sedem strateških konceptov. Okoliščine, v katerih so bili sprejeti, so bile zelo različne, pri čemer si vsi delijo enak namen, to je definiranje temeljnih nalog in usmerjanje delovanja zavezništva. Nato je po hladni vojni iskal novo težišče delovanja, s čimer je začel spreminjati svoj značaj. Sprva obrambna organizacija, namenjena izvajanju kolektivne obrambe, je začela širiti obseg nalog, območje delovanja in postopoma prevzemala nove varnostne naloge.

Odločitev za izdelavo novega strateškega koncepta je bila sprejeta zlasti zaradi obsežnih sprememb v mednarodnem varnostnem okolju, novih varnostnih tveganj in oblik odzivanja nanje. Koncept je bil sprejet novembra 2010 v Lizboni. Zastavljen je bil zelo ambiciozno, saj prinaša več bistvenih sprememb, med katerimi izstopata iz- enačitev pomena kriznega upravljanja in kooperativne varnosti z zagotavljanjem ko- lektivne obrambe ter širitev interpretacije 5. člena Washingtonske pogodbe. Koncept krepi pomen celostnega pristopa pri izvajanju kriznega upravljanja ter sodelovanja zavezništva z drugimi mednarodnimi organizacijami, določa razvoj novih zmoglji- vosti, širi geografsko območje svojega delovanja ter nalaga nadaljnje preoblikovanje organizacije.

NATO has so far adopted seven strategic concepts. The circumstances in which they were adopted differentiated substantially, but they all share the same goal which is to define the core tasks and route the wok of the Alliance. After the Cold War, NATO sought a new focus of its activity by which it began changing its character. What was initially a defense organization, dedicated to the implementation of collecti- ve defense, began to expand the scope of its tasks, operating range and gradually assuming new security missions.
The decision to create the new Strategic Concept was adopted mainly because of major changes in the international security environment, new security risks and forms of response. The new strategic concept was adopted in November 2010 in Lisbon and has been designed in a very ambitious manner. It includes several signi- ficant changes, two of the most striking ones being the equalization of importance of crisis management and cooperative security by providing collective defense, and wider interpretation of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. The concept reinforces the importance of a comprehensive approach in the implementation of crisis ma- nagement and cooperation of the Alliance with other international organizations. It requires the development of new capabilities within NATO; expands its geographi- cal area of operations, and requires further transformation of the organization
SODELOVANJE SLOVENSKE VOJSKE V MEDNARODNIH OPERACIJAH IN NA MISIJAH V LUČI ZUNANJE POLITIKE REPUBLIKE SLOVENIJE
Authors: PODBREŽNIK BRANKO
Published: March 2021

Slovenska vojska mora biti v okviru svojih nalog sposobna izvesti vojaško obrambo države, izpolnjevati mednarodne obveznosti, sodelovati v mednarodnih operacijah in na misijah (MOM) ter v sistemu varstva pred naravnimi in drugimi nesrečami.

Odločitev države o sodelovanju v MOM je v številnih državah precej zapletena zaradi različnih in med seboj nasprotujočih si političnih pogledov ter ustavnih rešitev.

Republika Slovenija aktivno sodeluje v MOM od leta 1997. Tako želi skladno s svojimi zmožnostmi in interesi prispevati k vzpostavitvi mednarodnega miru in sta- bilnosti, predvsem v svoji soseščini, jugovzhodni Evropi.

Sodelovanje RS bo imelo v MOM predvsem funkcije varnostnih in zunanjepolitič- nih interesov ter ciljev RS. SV bo zato v MOM sodelovala predvsem z višjo stopnjo tveganja, ki zahteva poudarjeno vojaško silo, in ne več predvsem z operacijami, ki so bližje policijskim nalogam.

Within its scope of tasks, the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) should be capable of providing military defence of the country, fulfilling international obligations, and participating in international operations and missions (IOM) as well as in the system of protection against natural and other disasters.

In a number of countries, the decision to take part in IOMs is a rather complica- ted one, due to the versatile and contradictory political views and constitutional solutions. The Republic of Slovenia (RS) has been actively participating in IOM since 1997. This is its way of contributing to the establishment of international peace and stability, especially in its neighbourhood, the South-eastern Europe.

The IOM engagement of the RS will thus be mainly marked by security and foreign policy interests and will no longer include operations closer to police tasks, but rather participation in IOM with a higher level of risks requiring enhanced military force.
VPLIV KADROVSKEGA MENEDŽMENTA NA KREPITEV VARNOSTNE KULTURE V KORPORATIVNOVARNOSTNEM OKOLJU
Authors: ČALETA KARMEN , ČALETA DENIS
Published: March 2021

Posameznik se je kot socialno bitje v marsičem spremenil in s stališča zaposlenega v posamezni organizaciji postal izredno zahteven ter zazrt skoraj izključno v zado- voljevanje svojih potreb, ki jih postavlja daleč pred potrebe organizacije v širšem in ožjem smislu. To med drugim pomeni, da smo zaradi dinamičnega in prožnega trga delovne sile prišli v stanje hitrega menjavanja zaposlitev in s tem delovnih okolij, v katerih je v tako kratkem času pri posameznikih nemogoče vzpostaviti ustrezno pri- padnost ožjemu kolektivu in organizaciji v širšem pomenu besede. To pred vodilni menedžment organizacij, in še posebno pred korporativnovarnostne strokovnjake, postavlja zahtevne izzive, kako v globalnem ekonomskem okolju, ki temelji na hudi konkurenčni tekmovalnosti, zagotoviti ustrezno varovanje pomembnih poslovnih informacij, do katerih dostopajo zaposleni v posameznih organizacijah. Iz analize odgovorov, pridobljenih z intervjuji, je razvidno, da različne organizacije v svojih okoljih pomen celovitega obvladovanja varnostnih tveganj in še posebno pomen varnostne kulture različno dojemajo in se zaradi svojih posebnosti te problematike tudi zelo različno lotevajo.

Individuals as social beings have changed in many aspects. As employees of indi- vidual organisations, they have become extremely demanding and focused almost exclusively on the satisfaction of their own needs, which they place far ahead of the organisation’s needs in the broad and narrow sense. This also means that the dynamic and flexible labour market has generated a situation of quick job changes and, con- sequently, working environments, where individuals find it is impossible to establish adequate affiliation to their immediate colleagues and the organisation in general. Leading management in organisations, especially corporate security experts are thus confronted with a demanding challenge of how to provide adequate protection of critical business information accessible to employees of individual organisations in a severely competitive environment. The analysis of acquired interview results has shown that different organisations have different perceptions of security risk ma- nagement, especially the importance of security culture, and due to their respective specifics adopt different approaches to address this problem.
Perfil socioeconômico, clínico e farmacoterapia de pacientes geriátricos com Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Pereira Cristina Silva , Lino Isadora Gonçalves , Barbosa Pamela de Jesus , Silva Victória Toledo , Silva Roberta Bessa Veloso , Santos Gérsika Bitencourt
Published: March 2021

No Brasil, há estudos que comprovam o quanto os quadros epidemiológicos de doenças crônicas, como o diabetes mellitus, vêm crescendo, afetando diretamente os pacientes geriátricos. O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar o perfil socioeconômico e clínico, bem como a farmacoterapia dos pacientes geriátricos que apresentam diabetes mellitus. Esta é uma pesquisa descritiva e quantitativa, na qual foram analisadas variáveis relacionadas ao o perfil socioeconômico, clínico e a terapêutica dos pacientes idosos. Os dados foram representados por meio de tabelas e análise estatística. Os resultados mostraram que a obesidade grau 1 ocorreu com maior frequência em idosos que recebem de 1 a 2 salários mínimos, com diabetes tipo 2 e do gênero feminino. Observou-se que em pacientes com sobrepeso, também prevaleceu o diabetes tipo 2, porém houve uma predominância do gênero masculino. Deve-se destacar que quase em sua totalidade, os idosos declararam ausência da prática de exercícios físicos. O medicamento oral mais utilizado foi a Metformina e dos injetáveis foi a insulina NPH, seguido da insulina regular. Em relação à realização de exames para o controle glicêmico verificou-se que geralmente estes são feitos anualmente.
Emergence of a bufonid herpesvirus in a population of the common toad Bufo bufo in Germany
Authors: Eisenberg T , Hamann HP , Reuscher C , Kwet A , Klier-Heil K , Lamp B
Published: March 2021

Bufonid herpesvirus 1 (BfHV1) was initially described in 2014 from cases of mortalities and dermatitis in Swiss populations of the common toad Bufo bufo. We identified a closely related herpesvirus strain in a German common toad population affected by an ongoing epidemic of multifocal proliferative to ulcerative skin disease since 2018.
Rizikóbecslések előrehaladott krónikus vesebetegek és dializáltak esetén
Authors: Kulcsár Imre , Kulcsár Dalma
Published: March 2021

Az elmúlt évtizedben egyre több epidemiológiai tanulmány jelent meg a krónikus vesebetegségek progressziójával, illetve halálozásának kockázatával kapcsolatban. A téma jelentőségét mutatja, hogy világszerte foglalkoztatja a nefrológusokat (Kanadától Új-Zélandig) és olyan nagy nemzeti (REIN Study – French Registry) vagy nemzetközi vizsgálatoknak is fókuszába került, mint a KDIGO Controversies Conference, a DOPPS 1–5 vagy az európai AROII Study. Hasznos lehet mind a kezelőszemélyzet (alapellátás, társszakmák, nefrológia), mind a betegek számára azon rizikóbecslések ismerete, amelyek megjósolhatják a CKD 3–5. stádiumú betegek életkilátásait (vesepótló kezelés szükségének várható ideje, mortalitás kockázata), illetve dialízisbe kerülő páciensek rövid (vagy akár hosszabb) távú túlélési esélyeit. Kiemelnénk predializált betegeknél a Bansal-score, a kétféle (négy és nyolc variábilist tartalmazó) Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE) egyenleteket, dialízisbe került betegeknél pedig a rövid távú mortalitást prognosztizáló REIN tanulmányt, illetve a Cohen-modellt – valamennyi könnyen számítható webkalkulátorok segítségével. A közleményben bemutatott validált vizsgálatokban a prognosztizált és az észlelt túlélési adatok különbsége csekély (2-7%). Ennek ellenére a predikció értékelését egyénre szabva kell végezni, hogy a beteg preferenciái szerint a számára legmegfelelőbb döntés szülessen a további kezelést illetően: konzervatív terápia vagy dialízis (esetleg transzplantáció).
Rural Superintendents’ Responses to COVID-19: Navigating Local Control During a Public Health Crisis
Authors: Lochmiller Chad R.
Published: March 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a variety of responses by organizational leaders throughout the United States and internationally. This paper explores the responses of five rural school superintendents who work in a conservative Midwestern state. Using an exploratory qualitative research design, the study analyzes interviews and documents collected remotely to adhere to current public health guidelines. The study adopted a crisis leadership perspective to explore how rural school superintendents were responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and managing the politics associated with it. Findings suggest that superintendents were acutely aware of their community’s current political stance toward the COVID-19 pandemic and were especially responsive to the individual political philosophies of their elected school board members. The superintendents did not uniformly adopt crisis leadership behaviors to respond to the circumstances created by the pandemic. Rather, superintendents responded in ways that managed the political perspectives held by their elected board members and sought to reconcile differences in the board members’ political perspectives that precluded action. As part of this reconciliation, the superintendents leveraged public health information to shape and at times change elected school board members’ perspectives. This information helped the superintendents overcome political perspectives that led some of the most conservative board members to resist widely accepted public health guidance. Implications for the field of educational leadership, research on rural superintendents, and potential revisions to superintendent preparation are discussed.
Dwellers and Trespassers: Mononuclear Phagocytes at the Borders of the Central Nervous System
Authors: Ivan Daniela C. , Walthert Sabrina , Berve Kristina , Steudler Jasmin , Locatelli Giuseppe
Published: March 2021

The central nervous system (CNS) parenchyma is enclosed and protected by a multilayered system of cellular and acellular barriers, functionally separating glia and neurons from peripheral circulation and blood-borne immune cells. Populating these borders as dynamic observers, CNS-resident macrophages contribute to organ homeostasis. Upon autoimmune, traumatic or neurodegenerative inflammation, these phagocytes start playing additional roles as immune regulators contributing to disease evolution. At the same time, pathological CNS conditions drive the migration and recruitment of blood-borne monocyte-derived cells across distinct local gateways. This invasion process drastically increases border complexity and can lead to parenchymal infiltration of blood-borne phagocytes playing a direct role both in damage and in tissue repair. While recent studies and technical advancements have highlighted the extreme heterogeneity of these resident and CNS-invading cells, both the compartment-specific mechanism of invasion and the functional specification of intruding and resident cells remain unclear. This review illustrates the complexity of mononuclear phagocytes at CNS interfaces, indicating how further studies of CNS border dynamics are crucially needed to shed light on local and systemic regulation of CNS functions and dysfunctions.
Impact on the Gut Microbiota of Intensive and Prolonged Antimicrobial Therapy in Patients With Bone and Joint Infection
Authors: Levast Benoît , Benech Nicolas , Gasc Cyrielle , Batailler Cécile , Senneville Eric , Lustig Sébastien , Pouderoux Cécile , Boutoille David , Boucinha Lilia , Dauchy Frederic-Antoine , Zeller Valérie , Maynard Marianne , Cazanave Charles , Le Thi Thanh-Thuy , Josse Jérôme , Doré Joël , Laurent Frederic , Ferry Tristan
Published: March 2021

There is a growing interest in the potentially deleterious impact of antibiotics on gut microbiota. Patients with bone and joint infection (BJI) require prolonged treatment that may impact significantly the gut microbiota. We collected samples from patients with BJI at baseline, end of antibiotics (EOT), and 2 weeks after antibiotic withdrawal (follow-up, FU) in a multicenter prospective cohort in France. Microbiota composition was determined by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Fecal markers of gut permeability and inflammation as well as multi-drug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) and Clostridioides difficile carriage were assessed at each time point. Sixty-two patients were enrolled: 27 native BJI, 14 osteosynthesis-related BJI, and 21 prosthetic joint infections (PJI). At EOT, there was a significant loss of alpha-diversity that recovered at FU in patients with native BJI and PJI, but not in patients with osteosynthesis-related BJI. At EOT, we observed an increase of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes that partially recovered at FU. The principal component analysis (PCoA) of the Bray–Curtis distance showed a significant change of the gut microbiota at the end of treatment compared to baseline that only partially recover at FU. Microbiota composition at FU does not differ significantly at the genus level when comparing patients treated for 6 weeks vs. those treated for 12 weeks. The use of fluoroquinolones was not associated with a lower Shannon index at the end of treatment; however, the PCoA of the Bray–Curtis distance showed a significant change at EOT, compared to baseline, that fully recovered at FU. Levels of fecal neopterin were negatively correlated with the Shannon index along with the follow-up (r2 = 0.17; p < 0.0001). The PCoA analysis of the Bray–Curtis distance shows that patients with an elevated plasma level of C-reactive protein (≥5 mg/L) at EOT had a distinct gut microbial composition compared to others. MDRB and C. difficile acquisition at EOT and FU represented 20% (7/35) and 37.1% (13/35) of all MDRB/C. difficile-free patients at the beginning of the study, respectively. In patients with BJI, antibiotics altered the gut microbiota diversity and composition with only partial recovery, mucosal inflammation, and permeability and acquisition of MDRB carriage. Microbiome interventions should be explored in patients with BJI to address these issues.
Involvement of Transcription Factor FoxO1 in the Pathogenesis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Xu Renfeng , Wang Zhengchao
Published: March 2021

FoxO1 is a member of the forkhead transcription factor family subgroup O (FoxO), which is expressed in many cell types, and participates in various pathophysiological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, metabolism, inflammatory response, cytokine expression, immune differentiation, and oxidative stress resistance. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in the women of childbearing age, which is regulated via a variety of signaling pathways. Currently, the specific mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of PCOS is still unclear. As an important transcription factor, FoxO1 activity might be involved in the pathophysiology of PCOS. PCOS has been associated with insulin resistance and low-grade inflammatory response. Therefore, the studies regarding the role of FoxO1 in the incidence and associated complications of PCOS will help provide novel ideas for establishing the treatment strategy of PCOS.
Analysis of the Tradeoff Between Health and Economic Impacts of the Covid-19 Epidemic
Authors: Lasaulce Samson , Zhang Chao , Varma Vineeth , Morărescu Irinel Constantin
Published: March 2021

Various measures have been taken in different countries to mitigate the Covid-19 epidemic. But, throughout the world, many citizens don't understand well how these measures are taken and even question the decisions taken by their government. Should the measures be more (or less) restrictive? Are they taken for a too long (or too short) period of time? To provide some quantitative elements of response to these questions, we consider the well-known SEIR model for the Covid-19 epidemic propagation and propose a pragmatic model of the government decision-making operation. Although simple and obviously improvable, the proposed model allows us to study the tradeoff between health and economic aspects in a pragmatic and insightful way. Assuming a given number of phases for the epidemic (namely, 4 in this paper) and a desired tradeoff between health and economic aspects, it is then possible to determine the optimal duration of each phase and the optimal severity level (i.e., the target transmission rate) for each of them. The numerical analysis is performed for the case of France but the adopted approach can be applied to any country. One of the takeaway messages of this analysis is that being able to implement the optimal 4−phase epidemic management strategy in France would have led to 1.05 million of infected people and a GDP loss of 231 billions € instead of 6.88 millions of infected and a loss of 241 billions €. This indicates that, seen from the proposed model perspective, the effectively implemented epidemic management strategy is good economically, whereas substantial improvements might have been obtained in terms of health impact. Our analysis indicates that the lockdown/severe phase should have been more severe but shorter, and the adjustment phase occurred earlier. Due to the natural tendency of people to deviate from the official rules, updating measures every month over the whole epidemic episode seems to be more appropriate.
Nutritional Aspects of Ecologically Relevant Phytochemicals in Ruminant Production
Authors: Tedeschi Luis O. , Muir James P. , Naumann Harley D. , Norris Aaron B. , Ramírez-Restrepo Carlos A. , Mertens-Talcott Susanne U.
Published: March 2021

This review provides an update of ecologically relevant phytochemicals for ruminant production, focusing on their contribution to advancing nutrition. Phytochemicals embody a broad spectrum of chemical components that influence resource competence and biological advantage in determining plant species' distribution and density in different ecosystems. These natural compounds also often act as plant defensive chemicals against predatorial microbes, insects, and herbivores. They may modulate or exacerbate microbial transactions in the gastrointestinal tract and physiological responses in ruminant microbiomes. To harness their production-enhancing characteristics, phytochemicals have been actively researched as feed additives to manipulate ruminal fermentation and establish other phytochemoprophylactic (prevent animal diseases) and phytochemotherapeutic (treat animal diseases) roles. However, phytochemical-host interactions, the exact mechanism of action, and their effects require more profound elucidation to provide definitive recommendations for ruminant production. The majority of phytochemicals of nutritional and pharmacological interest are typically classified as flavonoids (9%), terpenoids (55%), and alkaloids (36%). Within flavonoids, polyphenolics (e.g., hydrolyzable and condensed tannins) have many benefits to ruminants, including reducing methane (CH4) emission, gastrointestinal nematode parasitism, and ruminal proteolysis. Within terpenoids, saponins and essential oils also mitigate CH4 emission, but triterpenoid saponins have rich biochemical structures with many clinical benefits in humans. The anti-methanogenic property in ruminants is variable because of the simultaneous targeting of several physiological pathways. This may explain saponin-containing forages' relative safety for long-term use and describe associated molecular interactions on all ruminant metabolism phases. Alkaloids are N-containing compounds with vast pharmacological properties currently used to treat humans, but their phytochemical usage as feed additives in ruminants has yet to be exploited as they may act as ghost compounds alongside other phytochemicals of known importance. We discussed strategic recommendations for phytochemicals to support sustainable ruminant production, such as replacements for antibiotics and anthelmintics. Topics that merit further examination are discussed and include the role of fresh forages vis-à-vis processed feeds in confined ruminant operations. Applications and benefits of phytochemicals to humankind are yet to be fully understood or utilized. Scientific explorations have provided promising results, pending thorough vetting before primetime use, such that academic and commercial interests in the technology are fully adopted.
Special Issue “Genetics, Genomics, and Breeding of Legume Crops”
Authors: Jiang Guo-Liang
Published: March 2021

Legume crops are grown in the world primarily for their grain seeds that are widely used for human and animal consumption or for the production of oils for industrial uses [...]
Surgical Outcome in Extratemporal Epilepsies Based on Multimodal Pre-Surgical Evaluation and Sequential Intraoperative Electrocorticography
Authors: Morales Chacón Lilia María , González González Judith , Ríos Castillo Martha , Berrillo Batista Sheila , Batista García-Ramo Karla , Santos Santos Aisel , Quintanal Cordero Nelson , Zaldívar Bermúdez Marilyn , Garbey Fernández Randis , Estupiñan Díaz Bárbara , Hernández Díaz Zenaida , Bender del Busto Juan E. , Sánchez Coroneux Abel , Báez Martin Margarita M. , Lorigados Pedre Lourdes
Published: March 2021

Objective: to present the postsurgical outcome of extratemporal epilepsy (ExTLE) patients submitted to preoperative multimodal evaluation and intraoperative sequential electrocorticography (ECoG). Subjects and methods: thirty-four pharmaco-resistant patients with lesional and non-lesional ExTLE underwent comprehensive pre-surgical evaluation including multimodal neuroimaging such as ictal and interictal perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans, subtraction of ictal and interictal SPECT co-registered with magnetic resonance imaging (SISCOM) and electroencephalography (EEG) source imaging (ESI) of ictal epileptic activity. Surgical procedures were tailored by sequential intraoperative ECoG, and absolute spike frequency (ASF) was calculated in the pre- and post-resection ECoG. Postoperative clinical outcome assessment for each patient was carried out one year after surgery using Engel scores. Results: frontal and occipital resection were the most common surgical techniques applied. In addition, surgical resection encroaching upon eloquent cortex was accomplished in 41% of the ExTLE patients. Pre-surgical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) did not indicate a distinct lesion in 47% of the cases. In the latter number of subjects, SISCOM and ESI of ictal epileptic activity made it possible to estimate the epileptogenic zone. After one- year follow up, 55.8% of the patients was categorized as Engel class I–II. In this study, there was no difference in the clinical outcome between lesional and non lesional ExTLE patients. About 43.7% of patients without lesion were also seizure- free, p = 0.15 (Fischer exact test). Patients with satisfactory seizure outcome showed lower absolute spike frequency in the pre-resection intraoperative ECoG than those with unsatisfactory seizure outcome, (Mann– Whitney U test, p = 0.005). Conclusions: this study has shown that multimodal pre-surgical evaluation based, particularly, on data from SISCOM and ESI alongside sequential intraoperative ECoG, allow seizure control to be achieved in patients with pharmacoresistant ExTLE epilepsy.
Tools and Methods to Include Health in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies and Policies: A Scoping Review
Authors: Delpla Ianis , Diallo Thierno Amadou , Keeling Michael , Bellefleur Olivier
Published: March 2021

Climate change represents a serious threat to the health and well-being of populations. Today, many countries, regions, and cities around the world are implementing policies and strategies to adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects. A scoping review was performed to identify tools and methods that help integrate health into climate change adaptation and mitigation policies and strategies. The literature search includes scientific and grey literature. The scientific literature was conducted using PubMed, Elsevier Embase, and Web of Science databases. A grey literature web search was performed to complement the results. A total of 35 studies (28 from the scientific literature and 7 from the grey literature) were finally included. A large majority of research articles (24/28) and almost all reports (6/7) from the grey literature were published after 2010. Results show that the tools that were found most frequently are the nested models (12/35), health impact assessment (6/35), vulnerability and adaptation assessment (3/35), conceptual frameworks (3/35), and mixed methods (3/35). This review shows an increasing interest in the topic of developing tools to better manage health issues in adaptation and mitigation strategies, with a recent increase in the number of publications. Additional analyses of tools’ effectiveness should be conducted in further studies.
The Unusual Tribological Properties of Graphene/Antimonene Heterojunctions: A First-Principles Investigation
Authors: Jiang Xian , Lu Zhibin , Zhang Renhui
Published: March 2021

The extremely low friction between incommensurate two-dimensional (2D) materials has drawn more attention in the recent years. Structural superlubricity is a fascinating tribological phenomenon that is achieved in 2D heterojunctions despite the aligned or misaligned contacts that occur due to the disappearance of the lateral interactions between two incommensurate contacting surfaces. In this study, using the first-principles method, we report the computational realization of structural superlubricity for graphene/antimonene heterojunctions at the nanoscale. The calculated results clearly demonstrate that structural superlubricity between graphene and antimonene monolayers could be achieved under the misaligned contacts. The structural superlubricity is mainly attributed to lower work of separation, which maintains superlow friction coefficients.
Dopamine Self-Polymerization as a Simple and Powerful Tool to Modulate the Viscoelastic Mechanical Properties of Peptide-Based Gels
Authors: Fichman Galit , Schneider Joel P.
Published: March 2021

Dopamine is a small versatile molecule used for various biotechnological and biomedical applications. This neurotransmitter, in addition to its biological role, can undergo oxidative self-polymerization to yield polydopamine, a robust universal coating material. Herein, we harness dopamine self-polymerization to modulate the viscoelastic mechanical properties of peptide-based gels, expanding their ever-growing application potential. By combining rapid peptide assembly with slower dopamine auto-polymerization, a double network gel is formed, where the fibrillar peptide gel network serves as a scaffold for polydopamine deposition, allowing polydopamine to interpenetrate the gel network as well as establishing crosslinks within the matrix. We have shown that triggering the assembly of a lysine-rich peptide gelator in the presence of dopamine can increase the mechanical rigidity of the resultant gel by a factor of 90 in some cases, while retaining the gel’s shear thin-recovery behavior. We further investigate how factors such as polymerization time, dopamine concentration and peptide concentration alter the mechanical properties of the resultant gel. The hybrid peptide–dopamine gel systems were characterized using rheological measurements, circular dichroism spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Overall, triggering peptide gelation in the presence of dopamine represents a simple yet powerful approach to modulate the viscoelastic mechanical properties of peptide-based gels.
Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution of Polyfluoroarene to Access Highly Functionalized 10-Phenylphenothiazine Derivatives
Authors: Kikushima Kotaro , Koyama Haruka , Kodama Kazuki , Dohi Toshifumi
Published: March 2021

Nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reactions can provide metal-free access to synthesize monosubstituted aromatic compounds. We developed efficient SNAr conditions for p-selective substitution of polyfluoroarenes with phenothiazine in the presence of a mild base to afford the corresponding 10-phenylphenothiazine (PTH) derivatives. The resulting polyfluoroarene-bearing PTH derivatives were subjected to a second SNAr reaction to generate highly functionalized PTH derivatives with potential applicability as photocatalysts for the reduction of carbon–halogen bonds.
Cytotoxic Mechanism of Sphaerodactylomelol, an Uncommon Bromoditerpene Isolated from Sphaerococcus coronopifolius
Authors: Alves Celso , Silva Joana , Pinteus Susete , Alonso Eva , Alvariño Rebeca , Duarte Adriana , Marmitt Diorge , Goettert Márcia Inês , Gaspar Helena , Alfonso Amparo , Alpoim Maria C. , M. Botana Luis , Pedrosa Rui
Published: March 2021

Marine natural products have exhibited uncommon chemical structures with relevant antitumor properties highlighting their potential to inspire the development of new anticancer agents. The goal of this work was to study the antitumor activities of the brominated diterpene sphaerodactylomelol, a rare example of the dactylomelane family. Cytotoxicity (10–100 µM; 24 h) was evaluated on tumor cells (A549, CACO-2, HCT-15, MCF-7, NCI-H226, PC-3, SH-SY5Y, SK-ML-28) and the effects estimated by MTT assay. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels and apoptosis biomarkers (membrane translocation of phosphatidylserine, depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, Caspase-9 activity, and DNA condensation and/or fragmentation) were studied in the breast adenocarcinoma cellular model (MCF-7) and its genotoxicity on mouse fibroblasts (L929). Sphaerodactylomelol displayed an IC50 range between 33.04 and 89.41 µM without selective activity for a specific tumor tissue. The cells’ viability decrease was accompanied by an increase on H2O2 production, a depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential and an increase of Caspase-9 activity and DNA fragmentation. However, the DNA damage studies in L929 non-malignant cell line suggested that this compound is not genotoxic for normal fibroblasts. Overall, the results suggest that the cytotoxicity of sphaerodactylomelol seems to be mediated by an increase of H2O2 levels and downstream apoptosis.
The Current Landscape of Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Metastatic Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Yuan Hong , Liu Jing , Zhang Jun
Published: March 2021

In addition to surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy, immunotherapy has emerged as a standard pillar of cancer treatment. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as targeting programmed death-1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) have been integrated into standard-of-care regimens for patients with advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), who were previously limited by the lack of treatment options. Atezolizumab, durvalumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab are all currently used as part of standard-of-care treatment for different stages of lung cancer. Recent successes and failures of immune checkpoint blockade-based combination therapies have provided significant insights into implementing combination strategies in LUSC. Therefore, there is an urgent need to correctly select patients who are more likely to respond to immunotherapy and understand the mechanisms of primary or acquired resistance. In this review, we aim at summarizing the emerging clinical data on the promise and challenge of ICIs, discussing the unmet need of potential biomarkers for predicting response or resistance to immunotherapy, and providing an overview of the current immune landscape and future directions in advanced LUSC.
A Systematic Study of the In Vitro Pharmacokinetics and Estimated Human In Vivo Clearance of Indole and Indazole-3-Carboxamide Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists Detected on the Illicit Drug Market
Authors: Brandon Andrew M. , Antonides Lysbeth H. , Riley Jennifer , Epemolu Ola , McKeown Denise A. , Read Kevin D. , McKenzie Craig
Published: March 2021

In vitro pharmacokinetic studies were conducted on enantiomer pairs of twelve valinate or tert-leucinate indole and indazole-3-carboxamide synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) detected on the illicit drug market to investigate their physicochemical parameters and structure-metabolism relationships (SMRs). Experimentally derived Log D7.4 ranged from 2.81 (AB-FUBINACA) to 4.95 (MDMB-4en-PINACA) and all SCRAs tested were highly protein bound, ranging from 88.9 ± 0.49% ((R)-4F-MDMB-BINACA) to 99.5 ± 0.08% ((S)-MDMB-FUBINACA). Most tested SCRAs were cleared rapidly in vitro in pooled human liver microsomes (pHLM) and pooled cryopreserved human hepatocytes (pHHeps). Intrinsic clearance (CLint) ranged from 13.7 ± 4.06 ((R)-AB-FUBINACA) to 2944 ± 95.9 mL min−1 kg−1 ((S)-AMB-FUBINACA) in pHLM, and from 110 ± 34.5 ((S)-AB-FUBINACA) to 3216 ± 607 mL min−1 kg−1 ((S)-AMB-FUBINACA) in pHHeps. Predicted Human in vivo hepatic clearance (CLH) ranged from 0.34 ± 0.09 ((S)-AB-FUBINACA) to 17.79 ± 0.20 mL min−1 kg−1 ((S)-5F-AMB-PINACA) in pHLM and 1.39 ± 0.27 ((S)-MDMB-FUBINACA) to 18.25 ± 0.12 mL min−1 kg−1 ((S)-5F-AMB-PINACA) in pHHeps. Valinate and tert-leucinate indole and indazole-3-carboxamide SCRAs are often rapidly metabolised in vitro but are highly protein bound in vivo and therefore predicted in vivo CLH is much slower than CLint. This is likely to give rise to longer detection windows of these substances and their metabolites in urine, possibly as a result of accumulation of parent drug in lipid-rich tissues, with redistribution into the circulatory system and subsequent metabolism.
Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of Cu0.6CoxZn0.4−xFe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) Soft Ferrites
Authors: Farooq W. Aslam , Sajjad Ul Hasan Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Iftikhar , Ashraf Ahmad Raza , Abdul Qayyum Muhammad , Yaqub Nafeesah , Almutairi Mona A. , Atif Muhammad , Hanif Atif
Published: March 2021

A series of cobalt-inserted copper zinc ferrites, Cu0.6CoxZn0.4−xFe2O4 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) having cubic spinel structure were prepared by the coprecipitation method. Various characterization techniques, including XRD, FTIR, UV-vis and I–V were used to investigate structural optical and electrical properties, respectively. The lattice constant was observed to be decreased as smaller ionic radii Co2+ (0.74 Å) replaced the higher ionic radii Zn2+ (0.82 Å). The presence of tetrahedral and octahedral bands was confirmed by FTIR spectra. Optical bandgap energy was determined in the range of 4.44–2.05 eV for x = 0.0 to 0.4 nanoferrites, respectively. DC electrical resistivity was measured and showed an increasing trend (5.42 × 108 to 6.48 × 108 Ω·cm) with the addition of cobalt contents as cobalt is more conductive than zinc. The range of DC electrical resistivity (108 ohm-cm) makes these nanomaterials potential candidates for telecommunication devices.
Recent Progress on Synthesis of N,N′-Chelate Organoboron Derivatives
Authors: Yang Tianbao , Tang Niu , Wan Qizhong , Yin Shuang-Feng , Qiu Renhua
Published: March 2021

N,N′-chelate organoboron compounds have been successfully applied in bioimaging, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), functional polymer, photocatalyst, electroluminescent (EL) devices, and other science and technology areas. However, the concise and efficient synthetic methods become more and more significant for material science, biomedical research, or other practical science. Here, we summarized the organoboron-N,N′-chelate derivatives and showed the different routes of their syntheses. Traditional methods to synthesize N,N′-chelate organoboron compounds were mainly using bidentate ligand containing nitrogen reacting with trivalent boron reagents. In this review, we described a series of bidentate ligands, such as bipyridine, 2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-indole, 2-(5-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)quinoline, N-(quinolin-8-yl)acetamide, 1,10-phenanthroline, and diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP).
Synthesis of Fluorogenic Arylureas and Amides and Their Interaction with Amines: A Competition between Turn-on Fluorescence and Organic Radicals on the Way to a Smart Label for Fish Freshness
Authors: García-Tojal Javier , Cuevas José V. , Rojo María-Josefa , Díaz de Greñu Borja , Hernando-Muñoz Carla , García-Calvo José , Salgado Mateo M. , Torroba Tomás
Published: March 2021

We describe the synthesis of fluorogenic arylureas and amides and their interaction with primary or secondary amines under air and light in organic-aqueous mixtures to give rise to a new class of persistent organic radicals, described on the basis of their electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), as well as UV–vis, fluorescence, NMR, and quantum mechanics calculations, and their prospective use as multi-signal reporters in a smart label for fish freshness.