bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Here’s To Our Community
Authors: Bronner Shaw
Published: December 2020

Memorialized in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s children’s book entitled It Takes a Village, “it takes a village to raise a child” is an African proverb that means an entire community of people must interact with children for those children to experience
and grow in a safe and healthy environment. The need of the artist to create is undeniable and their villages continue to support them. During these dark days of the COVID-10 pandemic, performing and fine artists have been denied their traditional communication with their public as theaters
and museums closed down throughout the world. For those of us who live in New York City where the worst of Covid-19 hit last spring, it was no Broadway shows, no spring, summer or fall dance seasons, no summer festivals, no dance classes. Yet almost immediately, artists’ resourcefulness
shone as they continued to create, teach, and perform their art in new ways.
PENGEMBANGAN MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN SISTEM BILANGAN MENGGUNAKAN AUGMENTED REALITY BERBASIS ANDROID UNTUK SMK
Authors: - Cholilah
Published: December 2020

Penelitian ini menciptakan media pembelajaran menggunakan Augmented Reality berbasis android pada materi Sistem Bilangan dengan menggunakan single marker. Penelitian ini menggunakan model Kemp and Dayton dengan lima langkah perencanaan dan produksi media pembelajaran, yaitu: (1) preliminary planning, (2) the kinds of media, (3) designing the media, (4) producing the media, (5) using and evaluating media. Penelitian berdasarkan uji coba para ahli, yaitu saat validasi produk pada ahli materi, nilai rata-rata prosentase menghasilkan 81,42% dengan kualifikasi “Tinggi”, hal ini membuktikan bahwa isi materi pada media Sisbil AR sesuai dengan tujuan pembelajaran dan hasil penelitian saat validasi produk pada ahli media, nilai rata-rata prosentase menghasilkan 98,33% dengan kualifikasi “Sangat Tinggi”, hal ini membuktikan bahwa media Sisbil AR dapat membantu dalam pembelajaran. Sedangkan uji coba produk pada siswa atau perorangan, nilai rata-rata prosentase menghasilkan 91,99% dengan kualifikasi “Sangat Tinggi”, uji coba produk pada siswa kelompok kecil, nilai rata-rata prosentase menghasilkan 90,23% dengan kualifikasi “Sangat Tinggi” dan uji coba produk pada siswa kelompok besar, nilai rata-rata prosentase menghasilkan 91,8% dengan kualifikasi “Sangat Tinggi”, hal ini membuktikan bahwa media Sisbil AR dapat meningkatkan daya tarik dan pemahaman siswa. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian pengembang menyarankan bahwa: (1) guru dapat menciptakan media pembelajaran dengan menggunakan Augmented Reality berbasis android pada materi lainnya, (2) siswa sebaiknya memahami dengan benar cara konversi bilangan agar siswa dapat menyelesaikan latihan soal dengan benar, dan (3) untuk pengembang selanjutnya agar dapat menciptakan Augmented Reality dengan menggunakan multiple marker.
PREDIKSI LABA PENJUALAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE ALGORITMA C4.5 PADA PT. BASUNJAYA NASTARI
Authors: Irawan Bei Harira
Published: December 2020

Di era komputerasi saat ini membawa dampak dalam banyaknya data penjualan oleh sebab itu dibutuhkan sebuah metode perhitungan laba penjualan yang efisien dan tepat untuk bisa selalu bertahan dalam ketatnya persaingan. Masalah yang dialami PT. Basunjaya Nastari sebagai perusahaan yang bergerak di bidang penyedia jasa dan jual beli bahan kimia adalah mentukan keuntungan penjualan barang untuk customer mana yang memiliki performasi, baik kualitas dan kuantitas, sehingga perusahaan bisa memprioritaskan customer tersebut dalam memenuhi permintaan yang dibutuhkan, metode teknik klasifikasi dan prediksi data mining digunakan dalam memecahkan masalah tersebut yaitu Decision Tree. Teknik ini banyak digunakan karena dapat menyajikan data prediksi penjualan yang lebih cepat. Evaluasi hasil klasifikasi dalam prediksi keuntungan memiliki tingkat akurasi sebesar 81,71% dari data training dan tingkat akurasi sebesar 85,83% dari data testing dengan Confusion Matrix. Jika melihat dengan kurva ROC menggunakan data training dengan akurasi Excellent Classification sebesar 1,000 dan data testing dengan akurasi Excellent Classification sebesar 0,925
PENERAPAN SISTEM PENDUKUNG KEPUTUSAN DALAM PEMILIHAN ANAK BERPRESTASI TINGKAT AUTIS DENGAN METODE ELECTRE
Authors: Wahyuni Dewi
Published: December 2020

Yayasan Ananda Karsa Mandiri Medan merupakan tingkat pendidikan yang diperuntukkan bagi anak berkebutuhan khusus (ABK), memiliki peranan sangat penting dalam mengembangkan kepribadian anak melalui kecerdasan yang dimiliki agar nanti nya mereka dapat dipersiapkan untuk memasuki jenjang pendidikan berikutnya. Sekolah anak autis ini merupakan lembaga pendidikan khusus diselenggarakan bagi peserta didik yang memasuki usia antara 6-12 tahun dengan memiliki tingkat kecerdasan luar biasa dan tersedia pada tingkat pendidikan dasar dan menengah. Anak autis pada usia 6-12 tahun ini umumnya memiliki masalah pada perilaku non normatif yang dapat dilihat dari tingkat perkembangannya yaitu mengalami kesulitan dalam penyesuaian diri ketika belajar (tidak konsentrasi) maupun dalam beraktivitas pada lingkungan sosialnya baik disekolah atau dirumah. Agar dapat diketahui dengan pasti apakah anak autis ini dapat berprestasi atau tidak di sekolah nya, maka terdapat beberapa kriteria tertentu yang perlu dipahami oleh pendidik dalam memberikan penilaian mencakup segala aspek melalui penggunaan metode electre. Metode electre merupakan salah satu metode dengan menentukan urutan serta menghasilkan keputusan dari berbagai alternatif dalam MCDM (Multi Criterion Decision Making) dengan menggabungkan seluruh data melalui bobot penilaian yang diperoleh dari hasil tes. Melalui metode electre ini diharapkan nantinya penelitian ini dapat membantu pihak sekolah dalam menentukan anak berprestasi tingkat autis.
IMPLEMENTASI HONEYPOT PADA JARINGAN INTERNET LABOR FAKULTAS TEKNIK UNIKS MENGGUNAKAN DIONAEA SEBAGAI KEAMANAN JARINGAN
Authors: Siregar Muhammad Hasim , Dermawati Rosi
Published: December 2020

AbstractLack of knowladge of computer user about system security problem is one of the cause of computer problems. There are many computers that do not update their antivirus and some even do not use an antivirus. Network security techniques usually block attacks using a firewall or detect attack with IDS (Intruction Detection System), which is in charge of guarding against axisting attacks. However, by only using IDS the network administrator will be overwhelmed checking every notification given by IDS. This IDS works almost the same as an antivirus, unable to work in an encrypted environment or an IPv6 environment. For that, additional security is needed such as a dionaea honeypot. A honeypot is a fake system the signed to trap attacker, as if it were a real system. Based on these problems, a research will be conducted on the Analysis And Implementation Of Honeypot Using Dionaea as Network Security Support. Keywords: Honeypot, Dionaea, IDS, Firewall, Malware
Motivation of Generation Z at Work
Authors: Septiawan Bambang , Masrunik Endah
Published: December 2020

This study aims to analyze the work motivation of Sultan Coffee employees in line with the main theories, process theories, and contemporary theories. The subjects of this research were 4 employees of Sultan Coffee, who were classified as Gen Z. This research is qualitative and focuses on descriptive description because it aims to test the theory mentioned earlier. The results of the study show that the work motivation of the Z generation of sultan coffee employees is proven to be in accordance with the three theories. Specifically to fulfill their interests, the work environment is full of peers, and to carry out the mandate of their teacher.
In Vitro Cytotoxicity Study of Pt Nanoparticles Decorated TiO2 Nanotube Array
Authors: Baqer Shaymaa Rajab , Alsammarraie Abdulkareem , Alias Mahasin , Al-Halbosiy Mohammad , Sadiq Amaal
Published: December 2020

Titanium dioxide nanotubes were synthesized by anodizing Ti sheets in the ethylene glycol solution and were covered in Pt nanoparticles onto the surface of TiO2NTs using electrodeposition method from using five derivatives of Mannich base Pt complexes which have been used as precursor of platinum. The mean size, shape, elemental composition of the titanium dioxide nanotubes and platinum deposited on the template were evaluated by different techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) technique. From all these analyses, the TiO2NTs prepared and Ptnanoparticles deposited on it were identified. The diagnoses proved that all the Pt nanoparticles have a size less than 50 nm. The MCF-7 cancer cell lines and WRL68 normal cell lines were treated with concentration 800, 400,200,100, 50, 25, 12.5µg\ml of TiO2NTs and Pt\TiO2NTs(1) and (2) for 48hours using MTT assay.IC50 and inhibition rate were calculated. The result shows that the Pt\TiO2NTs have more inhibition effect on cancer cell lines than TiO2NTs array.
Conductivity Study of DTAB in Water and Ethanol-Water Mixture in the Presence and Absence of ZnSO4
Authors: Acharya Sangita , Niraula Tulasi , Bhattarai Ajaya
Published: December 2020

The physicochemical behaviour of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) in water and ethanol-water mixture in the presence and absence of ZnSO4 were studied by measuring the conductivity at 298.15 K. The pre-micellar (S1) and post-micellar slopes (S2) were obtained and calculated the degree of dissociation (α) and the critical micelle concentration (cmc). With an increase in ethanol content, the cmc and α of DTAB increased whereas, in the presence of ZnSO4, the cmc and α decreased. By using cmc and α, thermodynamic properties as the standard free energy of micellization ( ) were evaluated. With an increase in ethanol content, the negative values of  are decreased indicating less spontaneous in the micellization which makes micellization less favourable. The correlation of the pre-micellar and post-micellar slopes with the volume fraction of ethanol were discussed. DTAB micellization was tested in contexts of specific solvent parameters and solvophobic parameter.
Fractional Local Metric Dimension of Comb Product Graphs
Authors: Aisyah Siti , Utoyo Mohammad Imam , Susilowati Liliek
Published: December 2020

The local resolving neighborhood  of a pair of vertices  for  and  is if there is a vertex  in a connected graph  where the distance from  to  is not equal to the distance from  to , or defined by . A local resolving function  of  is a real valued function   such that  for  and . The local fractional metric dimension of graph  denoted by , defined by  In this research, the author discusses about the local fractional metric dimension of comb product are two graphs, namely graph  and graph , where graph  is a connected graphs and graph  is a complate graph  and denoted by  We get
Real-Time Cloth Simulation on Virtual Human Character Using Enhanced Position Based Dynamic Framework Technique
Authors: Ali Itimad , Mohammed Mazin , Al-Sharify Talib , Kolivand Hoshang
Published: December 2020

Cloth simulation and animation has been the topic of research since the mid-80's in the field of computer graphics. Enforcing incompressible is very important in real time simulation. Although, there are great achievements in this regard, it still suffers from unnecessary time consumption in certain steps that is common in real time applications.   This research develops a real-time cloth simulator for a virtual human character (VHC) with wearable clothing. This research achieves success in cloth simulation on the VHC through enhancing the position-based dynamics (PBD) framework by computing a series of positional constraints which implement constant densities. Also, the self-collision and collision with moving capsules is implemented to achieve realistic behavior cloth modelled on animated characters. This is to enable comparable incompressibility and convergence to raised cosine deformation (RCD) function solvers. On implementation, this research achieves optimized collision between clothes, syncing of the animation with the cloth simulation and setting the properties of the cloth to get the best results possible. Therefore, a real-time cloth simulation, with believable output, on animated VHC is achieved. This research perceives our proposed method can serve as a completion to the game assets clothing pipeline.
Emergency Messages Dissemination Challenges Through Connected Vehicles for Efficient Intelligent Transportation Systems: A Review
Authors: Mujahid Muhammad Akram Akram , Abu Bakar Kamalrulnizam Bin , Darwish Tasneem S.J , Zuhra Fatima , Ejaz Muhammad Aamer , Sahar Gul
Published: December 2020

Recent growth in transport and wireless communication technologies has aided the evolution of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). The ITS is based on different types of transportation modes like road, rail, ocean and aviation. Vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is a technology that considers moving vehicles as nodes in a network to create a wireless communication network. VANET has emerged as a resourceful approach to enhance the road safety. Road safety has become a critical issue in recent years. Emergency incidents such as accidents, heavy traffic and road damages are the main causes of the inefficiency of the traffic flow. These occurrences do not only create the congestion on the road but also increase the fuel consumption and pollute the environment. Emergency messages notify the drivers about road accidents and congestions, and how to avoid the dangerous zones. This paper classifies the emergency messages schemes into three categories based on relay node, clustering and infrastructure. The capabilities and limitations of the emergency messages schemes are investigated in terms of dissemination process, message forward techniques, road awareness and performance metrics. Moreover, it highlights VANET-based challenges and open research problems to provide the solutions for a safer, more efficient and sustainable future ITS.
Economía naranja a la ecuatoriana: pistas de lectura al Plan Ecuador Creativo
Authors: Cardoso-Terán Pablo , Herrera-Ríos William , Salas-Castillo Carla
Published: December 2020

Las autoridades nacionales de cultura de los países tienen el permanente reto de reformar y desarrollar políticas económicas acordes a las necesidades del sector. En Ecuador, la Ley de Cultura ha tenido una compleja relación con la implementación de políticas públicas consistentes que establezcan una ejecución sostenible a largo plazo. Por otra parte, la alta tasa de rotación de autoridades dificulta la institucionalidad de la cultura, lo que imposibilita el seguimiento y la evaluación de las políticas. Ante este panorama, el presente trabajo realiza un análisis económico coyuntural a la política pública propuesta por parte del ente rector de la cultura en Ecuador, el Plan Integral de Incentivos y Fomento a la Economía Naranja, lanzado en el segundo semestre del 2019. El análisis muestra que estas medidas se orientan, principalmente, a incentivar la oferta de ciertos segmentos del sector cultural, y que es necesario complementarlas con otras políticas enfocadas en el aumento de la demanda de ese mercado a fin de asegurar su sostenibilidad en el largo plazo. Después de una breve presentación sobre los ejes de la política pública de la cultura ecuatoriana, se revisa la naturaleza de las medidas mediante una reflexión alrededor de su viabilidad y alcance. Finalmente, el artículo propone una mirada de cerca y un análisis en concreto del impacto en una actividad cultural específica: la cinematografía y la realización audiovisual.
Topology GeometRics for the generation of the RoccustyrnaTM molecule, a ligand targeted COVID-19-D614G sites.
Authors: Grigoriadis Ioannis
Published: December 2020

SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) encoding a D614G mutation in the viral spike (S) protein predominate over time in locales where it is found, implying that this change enhances viral transmission. It has also been observed that retroviruses pseudotyped with SG614 infected ACE2-expressing cells markedly more efficiently than those with SD614. The availability of newer modeling techniques, powerful computational resources, and good-quality data have made it possible to generate reliable predictions for new chemical entities, impurities, chemicals, natural products, and a lot of other substances fuelling further development and growth of the field to balance the trade-off between the molecular complexity and the quality of such predictions that cannot be obtained by any other method. In this article, we effectively use a decision tree to obtain an optimum number of small chemical active chemical features from a collection of thousands of them utilizing a shallow neural network and jointly free energy cumulative feature ranking method with decision tree taking both network parameters and input toxicity benchmark features into account. In this paper, we strongly combine the toxic models and ADMET methods that are simple in machine learning characteristics, efficient in computing resource usage, and powerful to achieve very high accuracy levels for the in-silico generation of the RoccustyrnaTM small molecule, a less toxic nano-ligand targeted the COVID-19-D614G mutation using Topology Euclidean Geometric and Artificial Intelligence-Driven Predictive Neural Networks. To demonstrate this, we also develop a Gravitational Topological (UFs) based Quantum-Parallel Particle Swarm Inspired framework using only 2D chemical features that are less compute- intensive.
Systematic analysis of RNAi-accessible SARS-CoV-2 replication steps identifies ORF1 as promising target
Authors: Ambike Shubhankar , Cheng Cho-Chin , Afridi Suliman , Feuerherd Martin , Hagen Philipp , Grass Vincent , Merkel Olivia , Pichlmair Andreas , Ko Chunkyu , Michler Thomas
Published: December 2020

A promising approach to tackle the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) could be small interfering (si)RNAs. The proof of concept that SARS-CoV-2 can be inhibited with siRNAs, however, is missing. Here, we report that siRNAs can target genomic RNA (gRNA) of SARS-CoV-2 after cell entry, terminating replication before start of transcription and preventing cytopathic effects. Coronaviruses replicate via negative sense intermediate transcripts using a unique discontinuous transcription process. As a result, each viral RNA contains identical sequences at the 5’ and 3’ end. Surprisingly, siRNAs were not active against intermediate negative sense transcripts. Targeting sequences shared by different viral transcripts allowed simultaneous suppression of gRNA and subgenomic (sg)RNAs by a single siRNA. The most effective suppression of viral replication and spread, however, was achieved by siRNAs targeting open reading frame 1 (ORF1) which is solely part of gRNA. We propose two independent mechanisms for this: An increased accessibility of translational-active ORF1 before the start of transcription, as well as highly abundant sgRNAs out-competing siRNAs that target common sequences of transcripts. Our work encourages the development of siRNA-based therapies for COVID-19 and suggests that an early therapy start, together with targeting ORF1, might be key for high antiviral efficacy.
Identification of SRGAP2 as a Potential Oncogene and a Prognostic Biomarker in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Bioinformatics Analyses and Biological Experiments
Authors: Li Yan , Qiao Lu , Bai Yuru , Xiao Cailan , Wu Jian , Gao Xiaoliang , Qiao Chenyang , Shi Yongquan , Hou Wei , Wang Jinhai , Xie Ning , Liu Na
Published: December 2020

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the common malignancies worldwide. Slit-Robo GTPase-activating proteins (SRGAPs) have been shown to regulate the occurrence and development of various tumors. However, their specific role in HCC remains elusive.Methods: The expression pattern, genetic alteration and prognostic value of SRGAPs in HCC are analyzed by bioinformatics tools. The biological functions of SRGAP2 in HCC cells are demonstrated by in vitro experiments. The high-throughput RNA sequencing is conducted to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of SRGAP2 in HCC cells.Results: The expression levels of SRGAP1 and SRGAP2 are significantly elevated in HCC tissues compared to the normal both in Oncomine and TCGA datasets, and SRGAP2 are dramatically upregulated both in mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, higher SRGAP2 is significantly related to the clinical stages of HCC. Meanwhile, SRGAP2 might be an independent prognostic indicator, as it correlates negatively with the clinical outcomes of HCC patients. Further SRGAP2-silencing experiments imply that SRGAP2 might remarkably promote the migration and invasion of HCC cells in EMT-independent manners. Based on the high-throughput RNA sequencing of SRGAP2-knockdown HCC cells, enrichment and network analyses demonstrate that SRGAP2 is closely associated with cellular metabolic signaling.Conclusions: Our study firstly illustrates the crucial role of SRGAP2 in the metastasis of HCC and explores its underlying molecular mechanisms. We identify SRGAP2 as a promising prognostic biomarker and a novel therapeutic target for HCC patients.
The Predictive Value of Serum Procalcitonin for Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in the Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Liu Linlin , Luan Ying , Xiao Ling , Wang Ning , Wang Jing , Cui Chaobo
Published: December 2020

Background: This study aimed to estimate the value of serum procalcitonin (PCT) for non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) prediction in the patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).Methods: A total of 220 AECOPD patients were divided into NIPPV group (n=121) and control group (routine treatment, n=99) based on the routine standards and physicians’ experience. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent factors for NIPPV treatment. Additionally, the predictive values of the factors were measured through receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve.Results: NIPPV group and control group showed significant differences in respiratory rate (RR), PaO2, PaCO2, pH, oxygenation index, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), neutrophil, CRP (C-reaction protein), and PCT (P<0.05 for all). PCT, CRP, PaCO2, RR, and neutrophil were independently correlated with NIPPV treatment in AECOPD. ROC curve showed that PCT had superior predictive value, with AUC of 0.899, the sensitivity of 86%, and the specificity of 91.9%. The cut-off value of serum PCT for NIPPV prediction was 88.50 ng/l.Conclusion: AECOPD patients who require NIPPV treatment frequently have high levels of PCT, CRP, PaCO2, RR and neutrophil. Serum PCT may be employed as an indicator for NIPPV treatment in AECOPD patients.
Mineralogical and Physico-chemical Properties of Halloysite-bearing Slip Surface Material From a Landslide During the 2018 Eastern Iburi Earthquake, Hokkaido
Authors: Kameda Jun
Published: December 2020

Destructive landslides were triggered by the 6.7 Mw Eastern Iburi earthquake that struck southern Hokkaido, Japan on 6 September 2018. Heavy rainfall on 4 September in addition to intermittent rainfall around the Iburi Tobu area saturated and weakened altered volcanoclastic soils containing halloysite minerals, making them susceptible to failure because of the earthquake’s strong ground motion. The landslides exhibited laminar flow behavior, with long runouts along gentle hill slopes. This study investigated the mineralogical and physicochemical properties of the halloysite-bearing slip surface material with the aim of understanding weakening and post-failure behaviors during the landslides. Halloysite in the slip surface had irregular-to-hollow-spherical morphology with higher mesopore volumes than tubular halloysite, which is related to a high capacity for water retention after rainfall. To reproduce possible chemical changes in the slip surface during rainfall, the sample was immersed in varying amounts of rainwater; solution pH increased and ionic strength decreased with increasing water content. These findings, alongside electrophoretic analysis, suggest that rainwater infiltration could have increased the absolute zeta potential value of the slip surface material. It is suggested that rainfall before the earthquake enhanced the colloidal stability of halloysite particles within the slip surface, owing to an increase in electrostatic repulsion. This decreased the material’s cohesive strength, which might have led to destabilization of the slope during ground shaking generated by the earthquake, and subsequent high-mobility flow after failure.
The Occurrence of Coronary Artery Lesions in Kawasaki Disease Based on C-reactive Protein Levels: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: An Hyo Soon , Kim Gi-Beom , Song Mi Kyoung , Lee Sang Yun , Kwon Hye Won , Lee Joo Won , Bae Eun Jung
Published: December 2020

BackgroundThis study aimed to assess the occurrence of coronary artery lesions (CAL) in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) according to serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. MethodsThis retrospective analysis was based on the nationwide survey of KD conducted in the Republic of Korea between 2015 and 2017. We enrolled 9131 patients and defined low (<3 mg/dL) and high (≥3 mg/dL) CRP groups. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, z-scores, and scores based on the Japanese criteria for CAL were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify CAL risk factors.ResultsThe low CRP group accounted for 23% of patients. A significant difference was observed for the mean age at diagnosis (high vs. low CRP, 34.4 ± 24.9 vs. 31.7 ± 24.8 months, p<0.001) and fever duration (high vs. low CRP, 6.6 ± 2.2 vs. 6.3 ± 2.5 days, p<0.001). A non-response to intravenous immunoglobulin treatment was found in 1377 patients (20.1%) and 225 patients (11.7%) in the high and low CRP groups, respectively (p<0.001). CAL were found in 12.9% and 18.3% of the high and low CRP patients, respectively (p<0.001), based on z-scores; and in 9.9% and 12.5%, respectively (p = 0.001), based on the Japanese criteria in the acute phase. The giant coronary artery aneurysm occurrence ratio was similar between groups (p=1.0).ConclusionsCAL occurred in patients with both high and low CRP. Therefore, patients with KD should be carefully monitored regardless of their CRP levels.
Dietary Contamination With Neonicotinoid (Clothianidin) Gradient Triggers Specific Dysbiosis Signatures of Microbiota Activity Along the Honeybee (Apis Mellifera) Digestive Tract
Authors: Khoury Sarah El , Gauthier Jeff , Bouslama Sidki , Cheiab Bachar , Giovenazzo Pierre , Derome Nicolas
Published: December 2020

BackgroundHoneybees (Apis mellifera) are facing a number of interacting stress factors affecting their general health as well as their nervous and immune systems. Recent evidence proposed the clothianidin neonicotinoid as a potential disrupting factor for the microbiota-immunity axis. In this research, we conducted in vivo experiments to measure the impact of three sublethal clothianidin concentrations (0.1, 1 and 10 ppb) on honeybee survival, syrup consumption and the honeybee gut microbiota dysbiosis. Results Clothianidin exposure significantly increased mortality in the three concentrations compared to controls. Interestingly, the lowest clothianidin concentration was associated to the highest food intake and the highest mortality. Clothianidin exposure significantly induced variation in the taxonomic composition of the gut microbiota. The co-abundance network analysis reveals local dysbiosis signatures specific to each gut cohorts (midgut, ileum and rectum) driven by specific taxa.Conclusions Our findings confirm that clothianidin exposure triggers a disruption of the honeybee’s symbiotic defense systems such as resistance to colonization, translating into a surge of potentially pathogenic taxa. Furthermore, the importance of low activity taxa with weak transcriptional activity in maintaining a stable honeybee gut microbiota. Finally, the early detection of gut dysbiosis in honeybee is an early promising alarming signal towards a microbiome approach in hive management the impact for assessing the impact of sublethal xenobiotics exposure.
Tittle Exploring the Mechanism of Resveratrol on Traumatic Brain Injury by Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking
Authors: Liu Feifei , Han Lijun , Li Yujian , Bao Guangming
Published: December 2020

[Background] Resveratrol is a polyphenol present abundantly in lots of traditional Chinese medicines, which has been shown to have beneficial effects on neurological diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms of resveratrol on traumatic brain injury have not been systematically studied yet. In this study, we elucidated the pharmacological mechanisms of resveratrol in treating traumatic brain injury by using a network pharmacology method. [Methods] The pharmacokinetics properties of resveratrol were obtained from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform (TCMSP). The putative targets of resveratrol were obtained from TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM, SuperPred, PharmMapper, SwissTargetPrediction, DrugBank, and a literature search. The targets related to traumatic brain injury were obtained from TTD, DrugBank, CTD, GeneCards, OMIM, MalaCards, and a literature search. The STRING database and the Cytoscape 3.8.0 software were used to build the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The Metascape database was used to obtain the gene ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment information. Finally, The AutoDockTools 1.5.6 and PyMOL 2.4.0 software were employed for molecular docking analyses, and Discovery Studio 2020 was used for interaction analyses. [Results] A total of 165 overlapping targets involved in resveratrol intervention in traumatic brain injury were determined. The GO function analysis indicated that the targets are including the positive regulation of transferase activity, the positive regulation of cell migration, reactive oxygen species metabolism, the wound response, and so on. The KEGG pathway analysis identified the following enriched pathways: the AGE-RAGE signalling pathway, the FoxO signalling pathway, insulin resistance, complement and coagulation cascades, the HIF-1 signalling pathway, and so on. According to the PPI network analysis, INS, IGF1, TNF, TP53, ALB, IL6, SRC, STAT3, VEGFA, and MMP9 were identified as hub target genes, in which IL6, MMP9, INS, and SRC showed a good binding affinity with resveratrol in molecular docking. [Conclusions] Resveratrol may target multiple genes and multiple pathways to reduce brain damage after traumatic brain injury.
Does Topography Influence Millipede's Abundance and Biomass in an Oriental Beech Forest, Iran?
Authors: Mohammadi Maryam Fazlollahi , Jalali Seyed Gholamali , Kooch Yahya
Published: December 2020

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
A Multisource Approach to Verify a Forest as a Reference of Natural Conditions in an Intensively Used Rural Landscape (Uckermark, Ne Germany)
Authors: Wulf Monika , Kaiser Knut , Mrotzek Almut , Geiges-Erzgräber Lina , Schulz Lars , Stockmann Irina , Schneider Thomas , Kappler Christoph , Bens Oliver
Published: December 2020

BackgroundThe sharp decline in near-natural areas worldwide is undisputed, but the consequences of this decline, apart from the loss of biodiversity, cannot be fully assessed. Biotic components of a landscape are usually more easily assessed than the abiotic components, since biotic components are often more easily detectable. A forest of (semi)natural stocking was selected in the northeastern part of Brandenburg (northeast Germany) to check whether it can serve as reference site for near-natural conditions or not. Analyses of archival sources and historic maps as well as field investigations were combined to reconstruct the dynamics of vegetation and soil as far back in time as possible.ResultsPalynological data from nearby sites provide evidence that the investigated area has been forested for several thousands of years and has hardly been structurally influenced by humans in the last 450 years. This evidence together with historical maps of tree species composition allows us to infer that the specific forest has been very close to a natural state for at least 250 years. Soil investigations support this conclusion, since a soil inventory, field studies on two catenas and corings at selected depressions rarely show signs of anthropogenic erosion and related colluviation. Parts of the area were cleared in prehistory, but near-natural soils have been preserved in other parts. ConclusionsThe area with these undisturbed parts is regarded as an ideal reference site. With this study, we show that using a multi-source approach it is possible to find potential reference sites and that such an approach is applicable in other regions.
Association of Sibling Presence with Language Development from Infancy to Early School Age Among Children with Developmental Difficulties: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Lu Hsin-Hui , Che Wei-Chun , Lin Yu-Ju , Liang Jao-Shwann
Published: December 2020

BackgroundSiblings are crucial familial-ecological factors in children’s language development. However, it is unclear whether sibling presence is associated with language development among young children with developmental difficulties. The aim of this study was to assess the association between sibling presence and changes in language trajectories of children with developmental delay before early school age. MethodsWe performed a retrospective longitudinal cohort study from December 2008 through February 2016. The medical records of the participants were collected from an official institution designated by Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare for assessing and identifying young children with developmental difficulties. A total of 174 participants who had developmental difficulties and at least three-waves of evaluations were included in the analysis. Participants’ age ranged from 10 to 90 months. The primary outcomes were receptive and expressive language delays evaluated by board-certified speech-language pathologists. ResultsOf the 174 participants (131 boys; at the first evaluation: mean [standard deviation (SD)] age, 31.74 [10.15] months) enrolled, 64.94% (n=113) had siblings and 35.06% (n=61) did not. At the age of approximately 10 months, the probability of receptive and expressive language delays was lower in participants with siblings than in those without (adjusted odds ratios, 0.19, 0.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06-0.64, 0.04-0.80; P=0.006, 0.024, respectively). However, at 10–90 months old, this probability of language delay became gradually higher in participants with siblings than in those without, exceeding that of participants without siblings (adjusted odds ratios, 1.04, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07, 1.01-1.07; P=0.014, 0.020, respectively)ConclusionsHaving siblings does not necessarily have a positive association on the language development of children with developmental difficulties. Clinicians should consider the association of sibling presence with language development for these children in a broader familial-ecological context.
Estimation of Effect on Gross Domestic Product of Production Factors Using CES and Translog Production Functions: An Application to China Economy
Authors: ÖNALAN Ömer , BAŞEĞMEZ Hülya
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we investigate the effect on economic growth (GDP) for China’s economy with capital, labor and energy input factors by using CES production function and Translog production function. The empirical findings of the study showed that CES, consisting of capital and labor factors, is less efficient than the Translog function consisting of capital, labor and energy input factors for GDP estimation.The Ridge regression method is used to the parameter estimation of Translog production function using historical data because there is collinearity between variables. Then, based on the fitted Translog production model including capital, labor and energy input factors, the results of the output elasticities for each of the factors and the substitution elasticities between input factors have been dynamically estimated. To predict the future economic growth of the China economy, the inputs of Translog production model are predicted by using Holt-Winter’s method. The elasticities of the output of all input factors are positive. According to degrees of the effect on GDP, we can list the factors as labor, capital and energy, respectively. This situation represents the China economy is labor and capital intensive.
Clinical characteristics and prognosis of castleman disease patients in a Chinese hospital: paraneoplastic pemphigus is an independent risk factor
Authors: Hua Yibo , Liang Chao , Yang Jie , Wang Luyang , Xi Lei , Xu Aimin , Wang Shangqian , Wang Zengjun
Published: December 2020

Background Castleman disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that has had limited clinical research. This study aims to detect the clinical manifestations, pathological features, and prognostic factors of this disease.Methods This study retrospectively analyzed the information of 54 patients with CD hospitalized in a single centre. A Cox regression model was employed to perform univariate analysis and multivariate analysis in order to identify independent prognostic factors for survival.Results Based on clinical classification, 26 patients (55.6%) had unicentric CD (UCD) and 28 patients (44.4%) had multicentric CD (MCD). Moreover, pathological classification identified 32 cases (59.3%) with hyaline vascular variant (HV), 3 (5.6%) with mixed cellular variant (Mix), and 19 (35.2%) with plasmacytic variant (PC). The MCD patients commonly exhibited clinical signs and symptoms, including fever, splenomegaly, and pleural effusion and/or ascites. Several clinical complications, such as liver injury, anemia, and polyradiculoneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal plasma cell disorder, skin changes syndrome (POEMS) were more common in MCD patients. Univariate analysis showed that presence of paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) were unfavorable factors relating to CD patient survival. Multivariate analysis identified the presence of PNP as an independent prognostic factor in patients with CD.Conclusions This study provided a panoramic elaboration of CD cases and showed the presence of PNP was an independent unfavorable factor.
Biomarkers in Diagnosis of Sepsis and Systemic Infection in Adult Patients: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lan Hao-Min , Wu Chin‐Chieh , Liu Su-Hsun , Li Chih-Huang , Tu Yu-Kang , Chen Kuan-Fu
Published: December 2020

Background Sepsis is estimated to affect over 30 million people worldwide and to result in six million deaths every year. The definition of sepsis has been heavily revised in recent years, resulting in the need for a comprehensive comparison for clinicians to choose among the current biomarkers for sepsis. PurposeWe conducted a systematic review and synthesized both direct and indirect evidence by using network meta-analyses with bivariate hierarchical random-effects arm-based model in a Bayesian framework. We applied the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 criteria to assess the risk of bias, investigated heterogeneity using Bayesian network meta-regression models, and estimated optimal adjusted cutoff values for each included biomarker. Data sources PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus from their inception to May 2019 Study Selection, Data ExtractionStudies assessing the diagnostic performance of biomarkers in adult patients with suspected infection were included. We excluded studies not detecting systemic infection or sepsis, only including burns patients, or with non-systemic inflammatory response syndrome patients as the reference group.Data SynthesisWe identified 336 unique studies and included 134 studies representing 20,564 patients for evidence synthesis. Among the seven most-studied biomarkers, presepsin displayed the significantly better pooled sensitivities than procalcitonin to detect systemic infection and sepsis (0.85 and 0.83; 95% credible interval [CrI]: 0.79-0.89 and 0.77-0.88; relative sensitivity 1.13 and 1.10, 95% CrI: 1.04-1.20 and 1.01-1.18). However, CD64 showed the significantly better pooled specificities than presepsin in detecting systemic infection and sepsis (0.87 and 0.99; 95% CrI: 0.81-0.92 and 0.92-1.00, relative specificity 1.19 and 1.49, 95% CrI: 1.07-1.34 and 1.31-1.70). After adjusting for study quality, study populations, types of specimens, year of the study conducted and sponsorship, CD64 showed the best-pooled sensitivities and specificities. However, owing to the lack of a unifiable measuring unit, we cannot provide optimal cutoffs for CD64.ConclusionsCD64 performed the best in detecting both systemic infection and sepsis in adult patients. Further investigations will be needed to assess the potential risks of biases and the use of post-hoc cutoffs.RegistrationPROSPERO number: CRD42018086545
The Impact of Viremia on Organ Failure, Biomarkers and Mortality in a Swedish Cohort of Critically ill COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Järhult Josef D. , Hultström Michael , Bergqvist Anders , Frithiof Robert , Lipcsey Miklos
Published: December 2020

BackgroundThe spread of virus via the blood stream has been suggested to contribute to extra pulmonary organ failure in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We assessed SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia (RNAemia) and the association between RNAemia and inflammation, organ failure and mortality in critically ill COVID-19 patients.MethodsIn a tertiary center we included all patients with PCR verified COVID-19 and consent admitted to ICU. SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies above 1000/ml measured by PCR in plasma was defined as RNAemia and used as surrogate for viremia.ResultsOf the 92 patients RNAemia was found in 31 (34%) and RNA in plasma was detected in 63 (58%). Hypertension and corticosteroid treatment was more common in patients with RNAemia . RNAemia levels were higher in patients with RAAS-inhibitor treatment or corticosteroid treatment than those without. Extra-pulmonary organ failure biomarkers and the extent of organ failure were similar in patients with and without RNAemia, but the former group had more renal replacement therapy and higher mortality (26 vs 16%; 35 vs 16%, respectively, p=0.04). RNAemia was not an independent predictor of death at 30 days after adjustment for age. ConclusionSARS-CoV2 RNA copies in plasma is a common finding in ICU patients with COVID-19. Although viremia was not associated with extra pulmonary organ failure it was more common in patients who did not survive to 30 days after ICU admission.Trial registrationClinicalTrials NCT04316884
Development and Validation of a Novel Sepsis Biomarker based on Amino acid Profiling
Authors: Ahn Sunyoung , Lee Su Hwan , Chung Kyung Soo , Ku Nam Su , Hyun Young-Min , Chun Sail , Park Moo Suk , Lee Sang-Guk
Published: December 2020

Background Sepsis is a potentially fatal condition influenced by pathogens and host factors. However, the current sepsis biomarkers, such as white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin levels, show unsatisfactory performance in terms of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity in clinical practice. Thus, we developed and validated a new sepsis biomarker using amino acid profiling. Methods We used two independent groups. The training and validation groups included 161 and 22 healthy controls, 123 and 50 patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and 115 and 45 patients with sepsis, respectively. We measured and analyzed the serum amino acid levels using mass spectrometry to select candidate amino acids that could differentiate sepsis from other conditions. Then, several possible multivariate indexes were developed by generating a formula with different combinations of candidate amino acids. The formula showing the best performance was selected and validated further.Results Kynurenine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and glutamine were selected as candidate amino acids. Ten possible formulae were generated, and that with the highest diagnostic performance was selected. In the validation group, the area under the receiving operating characteristic curve of the selected multivariate index (0.931) was similar to that of procalcitonin (0.945). Moreover, the generated multivariate index showed potential as a prognostic marker. Conclusions Amino acid composition in patients with sepsis differs significantly from that in healthy individuals and in patients with only inflammation. The newly developed multivariate index is expected to be feasible as a sepsis biomarker in clinical practice in the near future.
Energy spectra of electrons and gamma rays produced by the electron accelerator in thunderclouds
Authors: Chilingarian Ashot , Hovsepyan Gagik , Zazyan MAry
Published: December 2020

We measure energy spectra of electrons and gamma rays of electromagnetic avalanches developed in the electrified atmosphere as they arrive at the earth’s surface at 3200 m height where Aragats research station is located. We compare intensities and spectra shapes of 2 thunderstorm ground enhancements (TGE) observed in June and September 2020 with simulated ones. Although, the variants of electric field strength and topology assumed in the simulations are too simplified to reproduce the rather complicated and dynamic nature of the atmospheric electric field the closeness of several measured and observed parameters allows us to confirm that the relativistic runaway electron avalanches (RREA) is the origin of TGE, and to outline most probable characteristics of the atmospheric electric field for particular observed TGE events.
Problems of Designing Transport Systems of «siberian Antrazit»
Authors: Gorbunova Natalia , Mirkushov Oleg
Published: December 2020

The article discusses the operating conditions of transport systems located in open pit mining of the enterprise of Siberian Anthracite JSC using «Kolyvanskij» opencast mine as an example. The most optimal route for coal supply railway lines from the open pit to the concentration plants was designed, the use of which will increase the enterprise’s productivity and reduce the risks of using vehicles. When searching for the optimal route for coal delivery from «Kolyvanskij» open-pit mine to the «Listvjanskaja-1» and «Listvjanskaja-2» enrichment plants, the method of dynamically programming the optimal route (the optimality principle of R. Bellman) was used as an algorithm. The method of dynamic programming is to determine the shortest distance between nodes (places of intersection of the proposed railway tracks), by successive solutions of which, the shortest route is revealed. Based on the obtained parameters, two designed tracks were compared and, as a recommendation for solving technological issues in the design of transport systems of a mining enterprise it was proposed to use the optimal railway from the open-cast mine to «Listvjanskaja» «2 way» enrichment plant.