bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of Salmonella sp. on Layer Chicken Eggs Sold at The Vegetable Market of Magetan Regency
Authors: Syamsiar Brillian Inawulan , Santoso Kuncoro Puguh , Yudaniayati Ira Sari , Diyantoro Diyantoro
Published: November 2020

Background: Eggs are poultry products that cannot be separated from the possibility of Salmonella contamination. Traditional markets are places where consumers can get chicken eggs with poor hygiene and sanitation aspects. Habits of today's society that often consumes raw or undercooked eggs can trigger Salmonellosis. Purpose: To identify the presence of Salmonella sp. in eggs sold in Magetan Regency Vegetable Market. Method: Sampling of eggs from different random stores. The eggs then proceeded with selection pre-enrichment, selective enrichment, isolation, and identification. Results: The handling of eggs in the Magetan Regency Market was quite good in its storage period, and purebred eggs sold in the Magetan Regency Market were negatively contaminated with Salmonella sp. Conclusion: Broiler chicken eggs sold in Magetan Vegetable Market are safe to consume.
Penggunaan Antibiotik untuk Penanganan Ulkus dan Gangren Diabetikum Pasien Rawat Inap di Rumah Sakit
Authors: Stiyanto Riyan , Suhesti Iin
Published: November 2020

Penyakit Diabetes melitus yang tidak dikelola dengan baik dapat menyebabkan komplikasi dan membahayakan kehidupan pengidapnya. Salah satu komplikasi diabetik yang sering terjadi adalah neuropati (kerusakan syaraf) di kaki yang menyebabkan ulkus kaki, infeksi, dan bahkan keharusan untuk amputasi kaki. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi persentase penggunaan antibiotika empiris yang rasional serta pengaruhnya terhadap outcome terapi pada pasien Diabetes melitus dengan ulkus dan gangren di RSUD Dr Moewardi Surakarta dan RSUD Bagas Waras Klaten. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian observasional dengan pengambilan data pada penelitian dilakukan secara retrospektif dan prospektif selama periode Januari sampai Agustus 2018. Ketidakrasionalan penggunaan antibiotika empiris dievaluasi dengan metode Gyssens. Sebanyak 36 pasien yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi 75% pasien mendapatkan terapi antibiotika empiris yang rasional dan 25% pasien mendapatkan terapi antibiotika empiris yang tidak rasional. Uji Chi Square dengan taraf kepercayaan 5% (p < 0,05) digunakan untuk membandingkan rasionalitas pengunaan antibiotika terhadap outcome terapi. Hasil Fisher’s Exact Test (Two Tailed) menunjukkan bahwa ada hubungan/pengaruh antara rasionalitas penggunaan antibiotika empiris dengan outcome terapi tetapi pemberian antibiotika empiris tidak berpengaruh pada angka leukosit bagi pasien, baik di RSUD Bagas Waras Klaten maupun RSUD dr. Moewardi Surakarta.Diabetes mellitus that is not managed properly can cause complications to endanger life. One of the diabetic complications that often occurs is foot neuropathy (nerve damage) inducing foot ulcers, infections, and even the necessity for a leg amputation. This study aims to determine the percentage of rational use of empirical antibiotics and their effects on outcomes therapy of diabetes mellitus patient with ulcers and gangrene in RSUD dr. Moewardi Hospital Surakarta and Bagas Waras Hospital Klaten. This study is an observational study with data collection in the study carried out retrospectively and prospectively from January to August 2018. The irrationality of using empirical antibiotics evaluated by the Gyssens method. Thirty six patients were enrolled and 75% of them treated with rational and empirical antibiotic therapy,. Chi-Square Test with a confidence level of 5% (p <0.05) used to compare the rationality of antibiotic use to the therapeutic outcome, the results of the Fisher Exact Test (Two-Tailed) indicated that there were relationship/influence between the rationality of using empirical antibiotics and outcomes therapy, but there was no influence between the rationality of using empirical antibiotics and leucocyte both in RSUD Bagas Waras Klaten and RSUD dr. Moewardi Surakarta.Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, therapeutic outcome, empirical antibiotic rationality
Penambatan Molekul Kandungan Eurycoma longifolia Jack. (Pasak bumi) terhadap Human Phosphodiesterase 5
Authors: Hadi Samsul , Anwar Khoerul , Khairunnisa Amalia , Komari Noer
Published: November 2020

Pasak bumi sebagai obat tradisional pria telah digunakan oleh masyarakat melayu, khususnya orang Sumatra dan kalimantan, akan tetapi mekanisme secara molekuler belum dikatahui dengan jelas. Salah satu pendekatan yang dapat digunakan untuk mengetahui mekanisme pasak bumi sebagai obat tradisional yang bermanfaat mengatasi disfungsi ereksi adalah penambatan molekul. Penambatan melekul dilakukan dengan cara melihat interaksi ligand dengan reseptor. Ligand yang berasal dari pasak bumi adalah 5-methoxycanthin-6-one, 9-methoxycanthin-6-one, eurycomalactone, eurycomalide A, eurycomanone, eurycomaoside, laurycolactone A, longilactone, niloticin, picrasidine O. Sehingga kesepuluh ligand ini didocking menggunakan salah satu aplikasi docking yaitu PLANTS 1.1 untuk melihat ikatan dengan PDE5. Sebelum dilakukan docking terhadap ligand pasak bumi, terlebih dahulu dilakukan docking terhadap ligand Sildenafil untuk melhat nilai RMSD. RMSD ini diperlukan sebagai alat validasi metode, berdasarkan percobaan, nilai RMSD dari Sildenafil adalah 1,2517 A0. Hasil terbaik dari penambatan molekul pasak bumi adalah niloticin dengan skor doking -97,8802, sehingga nilai interaksinya terhadap reseptor sebesar 93,71% dari Sildenafil.Pasak bumi as traditional male medicine has been used by Malay people, especially Sumatra and Borneo people, but the molecular mechanism is not yet known clearly. One approach that can be used to determine the mechanism of the Pasak Bumi as a traditional medicine that is useful to overcome erectile dysfunction is docking molecules. Molecular docking is done by looking at the interaction of ligands with receptors. Ligands originating from the Pasak Bumi are 5-methoxycanthin-6-one, 9-methoxycanthin-6-one, eurycomalactone, eurycomalide A, eurycomanone, eurycomaoside, laurycolactone A, longilactone, niloticin, picrasidine O. docking application namely PLANTS 1.1 to see the bond with PDE5. Before docking Pasak Bumi ligand, it is first docking Sildenafil ligand to see the RMSD value. The RMSD is needed as a method validation method, based on experiments, the RMSD value of Sildenafil is 1.2517 A0. The best results from docking of the Pasak bumi molecule is niloticin with a doctor score of -97.8802, so interaction skor to the receptor is 93.71% of Sildenafil.Keywords: Pasak Bumi, PDE5, PLANTS
Cara Distribusi Obat yang Baik (CDOB) dan Implementasinya oleh Pedagang Besar Farmasi (PBF) di Kota Banjarmasin-Banjarbaru Tahun 2019
Authors: Yusuf Baharuddin , Avanti Christina
Published: November 2020

Rantai distribusi obat di Indonesia tidak lepas dari keterlibatan Pedagang Besar Farmasi (PBF) dan telah diatur kualitasnya dalam Cara Distribusi Obat yang Baik (CDOB). Saat ini, BPOM menetapkan aturan kepada PBF untuk menerapkan standar aturan CDOB dengan mengeluarkan surat edaran No. B-HK 06.3.341.12.18.7023 pada tahun 2018 tentang percepatan pengajuan aplikasi untuk sertifikasi CDOB. Semua PBF di Indonesia harus mematuhi surat edaran tersebut untuk menjamin kualitas dan keamanan rantai distribusi obat, termasuk di kota Banjarmasin-Banjarbaru. Telah dilakukan penelitian untuk mendapatkan informasi terkait implementasi aturan CDOB oleh PBF di Banjarmasin-Banjarbaru pada tahun 2019. Data penelitian diambil pada bulan Januari-Februari 2020. Metode pengumpulan data menggunakan kuesioner dan wawancara dengan 30 responden dari 30 PBF. Dari hasil penelitian didapatkan informasi bahwa 26 PBF (86,7%) telah menerapkan lebih dari 80% aspek CDOB. 3 PBF (10%) menerapkan 65%-80% aspek CDOB dan 1 PBF (3,3%) menerapkan 50%-64% aspek CDOB. Dapat disimpulkan bahwa PBF Banjarmasin-Banjarbaru telah menerapkan aspek CDOB pada kegiatan distribusi produk. Implementasi CDOB pada PBF perlu senantiasa dimonitor, beberapa PBF masih perlu meningkatkan kualitas implementasi CDOB untuk menjamin mutu produk farmasi. The drug distribution chain in Indonesia cannot be separated from the involvement of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (PWS) and its quality has been regulated in Good Distribution Practice (GDP). National Drug and Food Act (NDFA) sets rules for pharmaceutical wholesaler to apply the standard of GDP by issuing a circular letter No. B-HK 06.3.341.12.18.7023 in 2018 concerning the acceleration of submission for GDP certification. Pharmaceutical wholesaler in Indonesia must comply with the circular to guarantee the quality and safety of the drug distribution chain, including in the city of Banjarmasin-Banjarbaru. Research has been conducted to obtain information related to the implementation of GDP rules by pharmaceutical wholesalers in Banjarmasin-Banjarbaru in 2019. The data were taken in January-February 2020 and collected using questionnaires and interviews to 30 respondents from 30 PWS. From the research results it is known that 26 PWS (86.7%) have applied more than 80% of GDP aspects. 3 PWS (10%) applied 65%-80% of GDP aspects and 1 PWS (3,3%) applied 65%-80% of GDP aspects. It can be concluded that the Banjarmasin-Banjarbaru PWS has implemented the GDP aspect in product distribution activities, however GDP implementation in PWS needs to be monitored continuously. Some PWSs still need to improve the quality of GDP implementation to ensure the quality of pharmaceutical products.Keywords: CDOB, Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, Banjarmasin, Banjarbaru
Untargeted Proteomics-Based Approach to Investigate Unintended Changes in Genetically Modified Maize Used for Food and Feed Purposes
Authors: Agapito-Tenfen Sarah Zanon , Guerra Miguel Pedro , Nodari Rubens Onofre , Wikmark Odd-Gunnar
Published: November 2020

Profiling technologies, such as proteomics, allow the simultaneous measurement and comparison of thousands of plant components without prior knowledge of their identity. The combination of these non-targeted methods facilitates a more comprehensive approach than targeted methods and thus provides additional opportunities to identify genotypic changes resulting from genetic modification, including new allergens or toxins. The purpose of this study was to investigate unintended changes in GM Bt maize grown in South Africa. In the present study, we used bi-dimensional gel electrophoresis based on fluorescence staining, coupled with mass spectrometry in order to compare the proteome of the field-grown transgenic hybrid (MON810) and its near-isogenic counterpart. Proteomic data showed that energy metabolism and redox homeostasis were unequally modulated in GM Bt and non-GM maize variety samples. In addition, a potential allergenic protein – pathogenesis related protein -1 has been identified in our sample set. These finding highlight the suitability of unbiased profiling approaches to complement current GMO risk assessment practices worldwide.
Oral Magnesium Supplementation Ameliorates Glucose Tolerance in Streptozotocin-Nicotinamide Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Fapohunda Oluwaseun , OGUNLEYE Femi Abiola , AJAYI Damilola Comfort
Published: November 2020

Magnesium supplementation has recently attracted attention as effective in the management of diabetes and its related complications though its mechanisms of action is yet to be fully unraveled. This study was carried out to determine the effects of magnesium supplementation on body weight, fasting blood sugar, Oral glucose tolerance (OGTT 2 and OGTT 4), glucose transporter isoform 2 (GLUT2), GLUT4 and insulin receptor (INSR) mRNA expressions in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced diabetic Sprague dawley rats. A total of 24 Sprague dawley rats (Four groups of six rats each) were used for this study, and the treatment was for 28 days. Group 1: Normal control rats were given distilled water; Group 2: Metformin treated rats were given 100 mg/kg body weight; Group 3: Metformin + Magnesium treated rats were given 100 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg body weight respectively; Group 4: Diabetic untreated rats given distilled water. Data were analyzed statistically using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and graphically by Graph pad prism. The GLUT4 and INSR gene expressions of Group 3 were significantly (p<0.05) upregulated when compared with Group 4. There was significant (p<0.05) decrease fasting blood sugar and GLUT2 mRNA level in the treated diabetic rats but the metformin-magnesium supplement treated group showed more decrease (p<0.05) when compared with the group treated with metformin only. This study demonstrates that magnesium may mediate effective metabolic control by stimulating insulin sensitivity, and upregulating mRNA levels of GLUT4, INSR as well as improving glucose tolerance in diabetic rats. Therefore, magnesium supplementation appears to have a beneficial role and improves glucose uptake by cells in those at high risks of diabetes. Magnesium supplementation, Metformin, INSR, GLU4, glucose tolerance.
Three Generations and Fermion Chirality from Universal Bifurcations
Authors: Goldfain Ervin
Published: November 2020

The Standard Model (SM) fails to account for either the triplication of fermion families or chiral symmetry breaking in the electroweak sector. Here we show that both phenomena arise from the approach to chaos of quantum theory near the Fermi scale.
Psychological Distress and Somatization in Immigrants in Primary Health Care Practices
Authors: GARCÍA-SIERRA Rosa , Fernández-Cano María Isabel , MANRESA-DOMÍNGUEZ Josep María , FEIJOO-CID María , MORENO-GABRIEL Eduard , ARRECIADO-MARAÑÓN Antonia , RAMOS-ROURE Francesc , SEGURA-BERNAL Jordi , TORÁN-MONSERRAT Pere
Published: November 2020

The process of international migration causes a situation of vulnerability in people's health and greater difficulty in coping with disease. Furthermore, the adversities suffered during migration can trigger reactive signs of stress and cause anxious, depressive, confusional and somatic symptoms. This article studies the relationships between psychosocial risk, psychological distress and somatization in immigrants from 4 communities: Maghrebis, Sub-Saharans, South Americans and South Asian. A cross-sectional study was carried out with questionnaires on 602 immigrants who were surveyed in the Primary Care Centres of an urban area of Catalonia. The instruments used were the Demographic Psychosocial Inventory (DPSI), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the Somatic Symptom Inventory (SSI). The average psychosocial risk obtained was 0.35, with the highest values in the sub-Saharan community. Psychological distress showed a mean value of 0.66, with the sub-Saharan community scoring the lowest in all dimensions except depression. The average somatization values were 1.65, with the sub-Saharan community scoring the least. The female gender is a risk factor for somatization and psychological distress. Perceived psychosocial risk is a predictor of psychological distress, but not somatization, suggesting that the use of more adaptive coping strategies could minimize the effect of the migration process on somatizations.
Efficiency Evaluation of Public Procurement of Medical Equipment
Authors: Gavurova Beata , Kubak Matus
Published: November 2020

At present, the health systems of many countries face complex challenges even if their priority objectives remain the same - to provide sustainable health systems at the current and the prognostic demographic changes and requirements in a health system. The quality and the efficiency of healthcare delivery and their mutual conformity have been brought to public attention. Similarly, the quality and the efficiency of an entire process depends on the instrumentation and its procurement that represents a significant economic and procedural issue in the healthcare systems for a long time. Many reports of the public procurement processes and research studies declare this fact. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the public procurement efficiency in the health system by means of the valuation approach, or savings’ estimates that are achieved by the public procurement. The savings were defined as a percentage difference between the estimated and the final contract price. The secondary objective is to examine an influence of selected variables on a creation of savings in the public procurement process by means of a regression analysis. The researched variables are as follows: time, method, procurement, NUTS level of procurement, Common Procurement Vocabulary Code, number of offers. The analysis results showed interesting findings. The number of offers has a significantly positive impact on the savings. It means that if the number of offers increases by one unit, the savings will increase by 15.6%. Also, time variable (year) has a positive impact on the savings. Consequently, it may be assumed that the public procurement process is improving from a time perspective. It may be partially caused by the fact that a new public procurement legislative has been valid since 2015. The NUTS level has also an impact on the savings in relation to the public procurement. The public procurements which took place at the level of a state were more beneficial as the public procurements at the regional level. Also, the procurement method was statistically significant parameter of a regression analysis. The competition actions together with a negotiation process created higher savings in comparison to tenders. In case of the CPV codes, the most significant savings were achieved in the group of ‘various medicinal products’. The study’s results provide a valuable knowledge for the creators of policies and a realization of the national strategic plans within the health system. Also, these results support a creation of national and international benchmarks in this area and a networking of international partnerships in the area of a public procurement that focus on a development of methodologies and comparative platforms creation.
Unpaid Caregiving and Labour Force Participation among Chinese Middle-aged Adults
Authors: Chai Huamin , Fu Rui , Coyte Peter C.
Published: November 2020

Unpaid family caregivers must consider the economic trade-off between caregiving and paid employment. Prior literature has suggested labour force participation (LFP) to decline with caregiving intensity, but no study has evaluated this relationship by accounting for the presence of both kinks and discontinuities. Here we used respondents of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study baseline survey who were non-farming, of working-age (aged 45-60) and had a young grandchild and/or a parent/parent-in-law. For women and men separately, a caregiving threshold-adjusted probit model was used to assess the association between LFP and weekly unpaid caregiving hours. Instrumental variables were used to rule out the endogeneity of caregiving hours. Of the 3,718 respondents in the analysis, for men, LFP was significantly and inversely associated with caregiving that involved neither discontinuities nor kinks. For women, a kink was identified at the caregiving threshold of 8 hours per week such that before 8 hours, each caregiving hour was associated with an increase of 0.0257 in the marginal probability of LFP, but each hour thereafter was associated with a reduction of 0.0014 in the marginal probability of LFP. These results have implications for interventions that simultaneously advance policies of health, social care and labour force.
Searching for Peripheral Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases: The Tryptophan-Kynurenine Metabolic Pathway
Authors: Török Nóra , Tanaka Masaru , Vécsei László
Published: November 2020

Neurodegenerative diseases are multifactorial, initiated by a series of the causative complex which develops into a certain clinical picture. The pathogenesis and disease course vary from patient to patient. Thus, it should be likewise to the treatment. Peripheral biomarkers are to play a central role for tailoring a personalized therapeutic plan for patients who suffered from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s diseases, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, among others. Nevertheless, the use of biomarkers in clinical practice is still underappreciated and data presented in biomarker research for clinical use is still uncompelling, compared to abundant data available for drug research and development. So is the case with kynurenines (KYNs) and the kynurenine pathway (KP) enzymes which have been associated with a wide range of diseases including cancer, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, neurologic diseases, and psychiatric disorders. This review article discusses current knowledge of the KP alteration observed in the central nervous system as well as the periphery, its involvement in pathogenesis and disease progression, and emerging evidence of roles of microbiota to the gut-brain axis, searching for practical peripheral biomarkers which ensure personalized treatment plans for neurodegenerative diseases.
Current Status of- and Future Perspectives in- Bacterial Degradation of Benzo[a]pyrene
Authors: Nzila Alexis , Musa Musa M.
Published: November 2020

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which consist of low-molecular-weight PAHs (LMW-PAHs) and high-molecular-weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs), form an important class of pollutants. Pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) are the main pollutants belonging to HMW-PAHs, and their degradation by microorganisms remains an important strategy for their removal from the environments. Extensive studies have been carried out on the isolation and characterisation of microorganisms that actively degrade LMW-PAHs, and to a certain extent, the HMW-PAH pyrene. However, so far, limited work has been carried out on BaP biodegradation. BaP consists of five fused aromatic rings, which confers this compound a high stability, rendering it less amenable to biodegradation. The current review summarizes the emerging reports on BaP biodegradation. More specifically, work carried out on BaP bacterial degradation and current knowledge gaps that limit our understanding of BaP degradation are highlighted. Moreover, new avenues of research on BaP degradation are proposed, specifically in the context of the development of “omics” approaches
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Travel Supply Chain: A Literature Review
Authors: Ibarnia Eneko , Garay Lluís , Guevara Antonio
Published: November 2020

Traditional travel agencies and tour operators are recognized as relevant stakeholders in the tourism distribution chain, even though their role as transforming agents in the achievement of more sustainable tourism is beginning to be accepted. This document collects the main topics and the most recent approaches from the academic literature in its analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices developed by these intermediaries. The work has been structured around six recurring themes in most of the studies carried out: the new intermediaries that operate on the Internet; the role of travel agencies and tour operators in tourism sustainability; the influence of the size of the company; CSR as a disruptive innovation in this sector; the potential of the sustainable tourism supply chain; and the motivations and attitudes of the managers of these businesses when they engage with responsibility. This last topic is developed in greater detail since it is closely linked to the previous ones and dictates in most cases the meaning and function of the sustainable performance.
A broadband signal recycling scheme for saturating the quantum limit from optical losses
Authors: Zhang Teng , Bentley Joe , Miao Haixing
Published: November 2020

Quantum noise limits the sensitivity of laser interferometric gravitational-wave detectors. Given the state-of-the-art optics, the optical losses define the lower bound of best possible quantum-limited detector sensitivity. In this work, we come up with the configuration which allows to saturate this lower bound by converting the signal recycling cavity to be a broadband signal amplifier using an active optomechanical filter. We will show the difference and advantage of such a broadband signal recycling scheme compared with the previous white-light-cavity scheme using the optomechanical filter in [Phys.Rev.Lett.115.211104 (2015)]. The drawback is that the new scheme is more susceptible to the thermal noise of the mechanical oscillator. To suppress the radiation pressure noise which rises along with the signal amplification, squeezing with input/output filter cavities and heavier test mass are used in this work.
Humidity-Sensitive Demand-Controlled Ventilation Applied to Multi-Unit Residential Building – Performance and Energy Consumption in Dfb Continental Climate
Authors: Sowa Jerzy , Mijakowski Maciej
Published: November 2020

A humidity-sensitive demand-controlled ventilation system is known for many years. It has been developed and commonly applied in regions with an oceanic climate. Some attempts were made to introduce this solution in Poland in a much severe continental climate. The article evaluates this system's performance and energy consumption applied in an 8-floor multi-unit residential building, virtual reference building described by the National Energy Conservation Agency NAPE, Poland. The simulations using the computer program CONTAM were performed for the whole hating season for Warsaw's climate. Besides passive stack ventilation that worked as a reference, two versions of humidity-sensitive demand-controlled ventilation were checked. The difference between them lies in applying the additional roof fans that convert the system to hybrid. The study confirmed that the application of demand-controlled ventilation in multi-unit residential buildings in a continental climate with warm summer (Dfb) leads to significant energy savings. However, the efforts to ensure acceptable indoor air quality require hybrid ventilation, which reduces the energy benefits. It is especially visible when primary energy use is analyzed.
What is in a Viral Stock: Perspectives and Current Limitations of Flow Virometry
Authors: Soh Timothy K. , Bosse Jens B.
Published: November 2020

Herpesviruses produce a plethora of pleomorphic and heterogeneous particle populations. The composition and biological role of these is not understood. Detailed analysis has been challenging due to the lack of multidimensional identification and purification methodologies. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), originally developed to sort objects with at least ten thousand-fold larger volumes, has recently been applied to cellular exosomes as well as viral particles and has been dubbed nanoscale flow cytometry or “flow virometry”. In comparison to other nanoparticles, herpesvirus concentrations can be measured with high precision using simple culturing methods. Here, we used this unique capability to evaluate a standard FACS sorter. We demonstrate that detection and separation capabilities were insufficient to distinguish infectious fluorescent viral populations from populations lacking fluorescence and infectivity. Moreover, fluorescent populations did not contain single virus particles but mostly aggregates. On top, analysis of viral samples by flow cytometry was confounded by swarm detection, as multiple objects are measured simultaneously and interpreted as a single object. Despite these technical difficulties, comparison of crude supernatant to gradient purified HCMV revealed that infectious virus is a minor proportion of the particles released from infected cells. Our data stress the need for a set of standardized controls and protocols when applying FACS to biological nanoparticles and highlights technical challenges that need to be solved before flow virometry can achieve its full potential.
DevOPS Now and Then
Authors: Singh Raju
Published: November 2020

DevOps is an emerging practice to be followed in the Software Development life cycle. The name DevOps indicates that it’s an integration of the Development and Operation team. It is followed to integrate the various stages of the development cycle. DevOps is an extended version of the existing Agile method. DevOps aims at continuous integration, Continuous Delivery, Continuous Improvement, faster feedback and security. This paper reviews the building blocks of DevOps, challenges in adopting DevOps, Models to improve DevOps practices and Future works on DevOps
TreeVibes: Modern tools for Global Monitoring of Trees Against Borers
Authors: Rigakis Iraklis , Potamitis Ilyas , Tatlas Nicolas Alexander , Potirakis Stelios M. , Ntalampiras Stavros
Published: November 2020

Is there a wood-feeding insect inside a tree or wooden structure? We investigate several ways on how deep learning approaches can massively scan recordings of vibrations stemming from probed trees to infer their infestation state with wood-boring insects that feed and move inside wood. The recordings come from remotely controlled devices that sample the internal soundscape of trees on a 24/7 basis and wirelessly transmit brief recordings of the registered vibrations to a cloud server. We discuss the different sources of vibrations that can be picked up from trees in urban environments and how deep learning methods can focus on those originating from borers. Our goal is to match the problem of the accelerated—due to global trade and climate change— establishment of invasive xylophagus insects by increasing the capacity of inspection agencies. We aim at introducing permanent, cost-effective, automatic monitoring of trees based on deep learning techniques, in commodity entry point as well as in wild, urban and cultivated areas in order to effect large-scale, sustainable pest-risk analysis and management of wood boring insects such as those from the Cerambycidae family (longhorn beetles).
Aprender por aprender História: experiência e expansão da vida
Authors: Silva Lucas Victor , Pereira Nilton Mullet , Giacomoni Marcello Paniz
Published: November 2020

Este artigo consiste em uma elaboração teórica sobre a aprendizagem histórica, provocada por uma experiência de sala de aula e pela inquietação dos autores sobre as relações com o passado ensejadas por uma aula de História. O relato de aula incorporado ao texto diz respeito ao modo como pensamos, a partir do conceito de experiência em Larrosa e de pensadores da diferença como Foucault, Nietzsche e Bergson, a aprendizagem histórica. O relato da aula foi o ponto de partida para problematizar a narrativa histórica e a crença demasiada na linguagem falada e escrita como formas de dar sentido ao passado. Pensamos que a aprendizagem histórica incorpora um aprender por aprender e uma aprendizagem ética e estética com a experiência
Direitos Humanos e currículo transnacional: os desafios da licenciatura em História da Unilab
Authors: Barboza Edson Holanda Lima , Mariz Silviana Fernandes
Published: November 2020

O presente artigo analisa o processo de construção e de implementação do curso de Licenciatura em História da Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira (Unilab) na cidade de Redenção, no Ceará. Foram analisados seus documentos oficiais, sobretudo o Projeto Pedagógico do Curso e resoluções do Conselho Nacional de Educação (CNE), e a prática docente dos autores. Demonstra como as diretrizes apontadas pela Resolução CNE/CP nº02/2015 possibilitaram ao curso atender ao perfil dos estudantes, jovens de áreas periféricas do Ceará e da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP), ao proporcionar educação superior pública e de qualidade para a formação de professores, privilegiando, a partir da autonomia curricular, as abordagens dos direitos humanos, da história da África e da diáspora africana.
Introduction of a new teaching method to support Professional Identify Formation in medical students 
Authors: Scholtens Salome , Boer Hedwig , Smit Margreet , Stam Jan Jacob , Barnhoorn Pieter C , Schmitt Antje , Fleer Joke
Published: November 2020

Professional Identify Formation is regarded as fundamental to medical education. It involves a process of socialisation where knowledge is often acquired unconsciously via social interaction. Concrete teachings to support and mediate this socialisation process are difficult to implement, because of the implicit nature of the transferred knowledge. Before effective reflection can start, the implicit knowledge has to become explicit. The authors argue that training based on the Systemic Constellation method may be a promising way to support Professional Identify Formation among medical students, by increasing students’ awareness of their own socialisation process and the implicit knowledge that they have acquired. By visualising their social context with a group of students, the method is effective in making explicit the social context and the values, beliefs, perspectives that are present. This creates the possibility to discuss these values, beliefs, perspectives and explore differences, and stimulates individual and group reflection. The method is already widely used in business settings, but not yet in the medical education setting. This article presents how this new training method was implemented in the undergraduate medical curriculum of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, and discusses its feasibility, acceptance and perceived usefulness by medical students.
Genome-wide characterization of PEBP family genes in nine Rosaceae tree species and their expression analysis in P. mume
Authors: Zhang Man , Li Ping , Yan Xiaolan , Wang Jia , Cheng Tangren , Zhang Qixiang
Published: November 2020

BackgroundPhosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBPs) constitute a common gene family found among animals, plants and microbes. Plant PEBP proteins play an important role in regulating flowering time, plant architecture as well as seed dormancy. Though PEBP family genes have been well studied in Arabidopsis and other model species, less is known about these genes in perennial trees. ResultsTo understand the evolution of PEBP genes and their functional role in flowering control, we identified 56 PEBP members belonging to three gene clades (MFT-like, FT-like, and TFL1-like) and five lineages (FT, BFT, CEN, TFL1, and MFT) across nine Rosaceae perennial species. Structural analysis revealed highly conserved gene structure and protein motifs among Rosaceae PEBP proteins. Codon usage analysis showed slightly biased codon usage across five gene lineages. With selection pressure analysis, we detected strong purifying selection constraining divergence within most lineages, while positive selection driving the divergence of FT-like and TFL1-like genes from the MFT-like gene clade. Spatial and temporal expression analyses revealed the essential role of FT in regulating floral bud breaking and blooming in P. mume. By employing a weighted gene co-expression network approach, we inferred a putative FT regulatory module required for dormancy release and blooming in P. mume. ConclusionsWe have characterized the PEBP family genes in nine Rosaceae species and examined their phylogeny, genomic syntenic relationship, duplication pattern, and expression profiles during flowering process. These results revealed the evolutionary history of PEBP genes and their functions in regulating floral bud development and blooming among Rosaceae tree species.
Leptomeningeal Cells Induce Synaptic Failure via Cathepsin B-mediated IL-1ß Production after Porphyromonas Gingivalis Infection
Authors: Huang Wanyi , Zeng Fan , Gu Yebo , Jiang Muzhou , Zhang Xinwen , Yan Xu , Kadowaki Tomoko , Mizutani Shinsuke , Kashiwazaki Haruhiko , Ni Junjun , Wu Zhou
Published: November 2020

Background: Synaptic failure is the earliest sign before Alzheimer’s disease (AD) onset and closely associated with cognitive decline. Clinical studies have shown that periodontitis is positively correlated with both the onset and pathological progression of AD, and preclinical studies have shown that Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), the key pathogen in periodontitis, and its virulence factors induced memory decline in mice. However, the mechanisms underlying the involvement of P. gingivalis in memory decline remain unclear. Methods: We used primary leptomeningeal cells and primary cortical neurons to evaluate the effects of leptomeningeal cells on synaptic generation and plasticity after P. gingivalis infection in vitro. The expression of the related molecules was examined by mRNA in real time and by protein levels using Western blotting. Pharmacological and genetic approaches were used to explore the mechanism underlying the involvement of leptomeningeal cells in synaptic changes after P. gingivalis infection. Results: NLRP3 inflammasome activation was involved in augmenting the IL-1β secretion by primary leptomeningeal cells after P. gingivalis infection, as determined by the knockdown of NLRP3 with siRNA. Cathepsin B (CatB) mediated the activation of both NLRP3 inflammasomes and NF-κB for the production of IL-1β by P. gingivalis-infected primary leptomeningeal cells, as determined by the pharmacologically specific inhibition of CatB. In contrast, P. gingivalis-infected leptomeningeal cells induced an IL-1β-dependent decrease in pre- and post-synaptic molecules in primary cortical neurons, as determined by the pharmacological blockage of the IL-1 receptor. P. gingivalis-infected leptomeningeal cells also induced the IL-1β-dependent suppression of BDNF signaling in cultured N2a neurons, a stable mouse neural cell line. Furthermore, propolis, which is produced by honeybees, suppressed the expression of IL-1β but increased that of BDNF in P. gingivalis-infected leptomeningeal cells. Conclusion: The CatB-mediated IL-1β production was augmented in leptomeningeal cells, resulting in synaptic failure and blockage of BDNF signaling in neurons during P. gingivalis infection. These findings highlight a new mechanism underlying the involvement of periodontitis in AD initiation and suggest that CatB may be an early intervention therapeutic target for delaying the onset of AD during P. gingivalis infection.
WITHDRAWN: Effect of Saliva Fluid Properties on Pathogen Transmissibility
Authors: Reyes Jonathan , Fontes Douglas , Bazzi Alexander , Otero Michelle , Ahmed Kareem , Kinzel Michael
Published: November 2020

With an increasing body of evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne pathogen, droplet character formed during speech, coughs, and sneezes are important. Larger droplets tend to fall faster and are less prone to drive the airborne transmission pathway. Alternatively, small droplets (aerosols) can remain suspended for long time periods. The small size of SARS-CoV-2 enables it to be encapsulated in these aerosols, thereby increasing the pathogen’s ability to be transmitted via airborne paths. Droplet formation during human respiratory events relates to airspeed (speech, cough, sneeze), fluid properties of the saliva/mucus, and the fluid content itself. In this work, we study the fluidic drivers (fluid properties and content) and their influence on factors relating to transmissibility. We explore the relationship between saliva fluid properties and droplet airborne transmission paths. Interestingly, the natural human response appears to potentially work with these drivers to mitigate pathogen transmission. In this work, the saliva is varied using two approaches: (1) modifying the saliva with colloids that increase the viscosity/surface tension, and (2) stimulating the saliva content to increased/decreased levels. Through modern experimental and numerical flow diagnostic methods, the character, content, and exposure to droplets and aerosols are all evaluated. The results indicate that altering the saliva properties can significantly impact the droplet size distribution, the formation of aerosols, the trajectory of the bulk of the droplet plume, and the exposure (or transmissibility) to droplets. High-fidelity numerical methods used and verify that increased droplet size character enhances droplet fallout. In the context of natural saliva response, we find previous studies indicating natural human responses of increased saliva viscosity from stress and reduced saliva content from either stress or illness. These responses both favorably correspond to reduced transmissibility. Such a finding also relates to potential control methods, hence, we compared results to a surgical mask. In general, we find that saliva alteration can produce fewer and larger droplets with less content and aerosols. Such results indicate a novel approach to alter SARS-CoV-2’s transmission path and may act as a way to control the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as influenza and the common cold.
False Safety Behavior Elimination Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder in Japanese: A Pilot, Single-arm Uncontrolled Study
Authors: Arai Honami , Okawa Sho , Seki Yoichi , Shimizu Eiji , Takahashi Sho , Korte Kristina Jo , Schmidt Norman Brad
Published: November 2020

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is an excessive fear of social situations that can lead to serious functional impairment; it negatively affects a person’s self-esteem and social interactions. Its prevalence has increased over the past four decades, and SAD is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in Japan. Therefore, more precise interventions are needed. This study administered false safety behavior elimination therapy (F-SET), which eliminates safety behavior (i.e., strategies that reduce anxiety), to six Japanese patients with SAD. This is the first adaptation of F-SET into Japanese. Seven patients were screened, 6 (mean age of 27.83, only males) were eligible for the study criteria. All patients received five weekly 60-minute F-SET sessions. At post-F-SET, the mean reduction in Liebowiz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) scores from baseline was -20.50 (95%CI: -30.65, -10.35, p = .003). After completing the treatment, all participants showed substantially decreased SAD symptoms, which indicates preliminary support for the adapted treatment’s efficacy.
BMSC-CM prevents over-differentiation of NSCs to astrocytes by upregulating Smad 6 expression
Authors: Han Tianyu , Song Peiwen , Xia Xiang , Wang Ying , Fang Huang , Niu Yang , Shen Cailiang
Published: November 2020

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising therapy for spinal cord injury (SCI) as they can provide a favorable environment for the regrowth of neurons and axons by inhibiting receptor-regulated Smads (R-Smads) in endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs). However, their mechanism of action and effect on the expression of inhibitory Smads (I-Smads) remains unclear.Method: Conditioned medium (CM) was collected from bone marrow MSCs (BMSCs) isolated from rats with SCIs, and its effect on the regulation of Smad 6 expression was tested in vitro (in NSCs) and in vivo (SCI rats). Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry staining were used to investigate the proportion of neurons and astrocytes in vitro and in vivo. BBB scores were used to assess the neurological outcome of SCI rats at different time points.Results: BMSC-CM could upregulate Smad 6 expression in vitro. BMSC-CM-induced upregulation was suppressed by pre-treatment with the TGF-β type I receptor kinase inhibitor SB431542. BMSC-CM was able to promote the differentiation of NSCs to neurons; Smad 6 knockdown in NSCs partly weakened this effect on neural differentiation. In vivo, Smad 6 expression in the later phase of injury was closely associated with BMSC-CM treatment. Conclusion: BMSC-CM can upregulate Smad 6 expression by the secretion of TGF-β. It promotes the differentiation of NSCs into neurons, partly through upregulation of Smad 6.
T-β-MCA Regulates the Termination of Liver Regeneration via the P53/miR-34a/SIRT1 Positive Feedback Loop by Suppressing the FXR/SHP Signaling Pathway.
Authors: Yuan Fangchao , Chen Yao , Wu Hao , Cong Minghua , Wang Menghao , Bai He , Wang Jingyuan , Que Keting , Zheng Kaiwen , Zhang Wenfeng , Yang Xiaoli , Xiao Ke , Shi Hanping , Miao Mingyong , Gong Jianping
Published: November 2020

Background The capacity of the liver to restore its architecture and function assures good prognoses of patients who suffer serious hepatic injury or cancer resection. In our previous study, we initially found that the P53/miR-34a/SIRT1 positive feedback loop has a remarkable negative regulatory effect, which is related to the termination of liver regeneration. Here, we described how P53/miR-34a/SIRT1 positive feedback loop controls liver regeneration and its possible relationship with liver cancer.Method We performed partial hepatectomy (PH) in mice transfected with adenovirus (Ade) overexpressing P53 and adenovirus-associated virus (AAV) knock-downing miR-34a. LR was analyzed by liver weight/body weight, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and cell proliferation, and the related cellular signals were investigated. Bile acid (BA) levels during LR were analyzed by metabolomics of bile acids. Results We found that the P53/miR-34a/SIRT1 positive feedback loop was activated in the late phase of LR. Overexpression of P53 terminated LR early and enhanced P53/miR-34a/SIRT1 positive feedback loop expression and its proapoptotic effect. Mice from the Ade-P53 group showed smaller livers and higher levels of serum ALT and AST than control mice. While knock-down of miR-34a abolished P53/miR-34a/SIRT1 positive feedback loop during LR. Mice from anti-miR-34a group showed larger livers and lower levels of PCNA-positive cells than control mice. T-β-MCA increased gradually during LR and peaked at 7 days after PH. T-β-MCA inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis via facilitating the P53/miR-34a/SIRT1 positive feedback loop during LR by suppressing FXR/SHP. Conclusion The P53/miR-34a/SIRT1 positive feedback loop plays an important role in the termination of LR. Our findings shed light on the molecular and metabolic mechanisms of LR termination and provide a potential therapeutic alternative for treating P53-wild-type HCC patients.
A gearing forest automaton to automate a gearing system
Authors: Zhao Huazeng , Yang Zuxiao , Zhao Qiushi
Published: November 2020

A gearing system design completely depends on the designer’s skills and experiences because there is no theory or method to standardize the design process. In this paper, a gearing forest automaton is presented to implement automatic formation of design schemes from the original data without any human intervention. Firstly, a gearing tree is defined to describe a gearing system, and a two-shaft connection by M-transmission shafts (M ≥ 0) and an N-shaft connection by a transmission shaft (N ≥ 3), which can iteratively be combined into any gearing system, are denoted with data structure and automatically achieved. Secondly, the connection methods are both the input alphabet and transition functions of the gearing forest automaton. The start state comprises the original data and the accept state outputs the design schemes. Therefore, an entire design process becomes the construction and running of the automaton. The automaton is optimized to increase efficiency. Finally, according to this automaton, a computer program has been developed, and it is validated through three examples in which design quality is significantly improved.