bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating the entire length of the fragmentary tibia with proximal and distal dimensions
Authors: BABACAN Serdar , KAFA İlker Mustafa
Published: December 2020

Forensic anthropology is an important scientific discipline that determines the ethnicity, sex, height and body type characteristics from human skeletal remains for the benefit of forensic medicine. One of the important tasks of forensic anthropology is to determine the stature of individual from their skeletal remains. Lower extremities are mostly preferred in estimating stature. The current study aims to develop regression formulas to estimate the entire length of the tibia in case a fragmentary tibia is found. The study was conducted on 148 tibiae excavated from the ancient city of Nicaea and are housed in the Department Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludağ University. In total, eighteen parameters were examined on the tibiae. SPSS 22.0 was used for the statistical analyses. The descriptive statistics of the tibiae were evaluated. Taking the correlations between proximal and distal morphometric traits of the tibia and the entire tibial length into consideration, regression formulas were developed to determine the entire length of the tibia. In this study, we evaluated that the morphometric characteristics of ethnic groups are different from each other and therefore the use of formulas determined for one group can increase the margin of error for other groups. In addition, we developed formulas that estimate the length of the entire tibia. We believe that the results of this study will be of great importance for both anthropology and forensic medicine.
Determination of Some Biological Characteristics and Population Parameters of the Blotched Picarel (Spicara flexuosa Rafinesque, 1810) Distributed in the Eastern Black Sea (Rize - Hopa)
Authors: DALGIÇ Göktuğ , ERGÜN İbrahim Oğuz , ONAY Hatice , CEYLAN Yusuf
Published: December 2020

This study was carried out in order to determine some biological characteristics of the fish species of Spicara flexuosa, which is distributed on the Eastern Black Sea coast, and to contribute to the management of the picarel in all the seas of our country. Between October 2015 and September 2016, 599 fish samples were obtained and examined in the laboratory. It was determined that the examined individuals were distributed between the ages of I-VII which 31.22% of the population was male and 68.78% was female. The minimum-maximum total length values of the samples were between 8.7 and 21.8 cm; and the weight values ranged from 7.1 to 129.94 g. It has been determined that the mean total length of males is statistically different from that of females (P<0.05). Von Bertalanffy growth equilibrium was calculated as "L∞=22.71 cm TL, K=0.243 year-1, t0=-2.306 year-1; W∞=118.27 g" for females, "L∞=38.34 cm TL, K=0.063 year-1, t0 = -6.381 year-1; W∞=755.37 g" for males, and "L∞=33.42 cm TL, K=0.080 year-1, t0=-5.381 year-1; W∞=401.24 g" for all individuals. The length-weight relation of all individuals was found as W= 0.0118*L2.9727 (R2=0.9487). When the ratio of gonadosomatic index (GSI) data and gonadal maturity stages were examined over the year, it was determined that the reproduction of the picarel in the Black Sea occurred between June and September.
PENINGKATAN KOMITMEN PROFESIONAL GURU SMP MELALUI PENGUATAN EFIKASI DIRI DAN BUDAYA ORGANISASI
Authors: Zuraida Ida , Retnowati Rita , Hidayat Rais
Published: December 2020

IMPROVING THE PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT OF SMP TEACHERS THROUGH STRENGTHENING SELF-EFFICATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTUREThis study is intended to determine the efforts needed that can be implemented in order to improve the Professional Competence of Junior High School Teachers through a study of  relationship of Self-Efficacy and Organizational Culture in the Commissariat of Leuwiliang and Cibungbulang This research was conducted by using a  survey method of a correlational approach. The conclusions obtained were: 1). There was a significant positive relationship between self-efficacy and professional commitment where the correlation coefficient (ry1)was 0.853,  the regression equation Ŷ = 19.778 + 0.878X and coefficient of determination 0.783. 2). There was a significant positive relationship between organizational culture and professional commitment where the correlation coefficient (ry2) was 0.227 and a regression equation Ŷ = 119.436 + 0.266X2 and determination coefficient was 0.051. 3). There was a positive and significant relationship between self-efficacy and organizational culture and professional commitment where the correlation coefficient (ry12) was 0.853 and a regression equation Ŷ = 17.128 + 0.827x1 + 0.029x2. Determination coefficient was 0.728 4). There was a dominant relationship in self-efficacy (X1) of organizational culture (X2) on teacher professional commitment (Y),where the correlation coefficient of self-efficacy with professional commitment (ry1) was .0853. The correlation coefficient between organizational culture and professional commitment (ry2) was 0.227. 5). There were other factors that influencing or relating to increasing professional commitment, they were: a). transformational leadership, b). Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB), c). organizational climate, d). teacher motivation.self-efficacy; organizational culture; professional commitment
PENINGKATAN KOMITMEN TERHADAP PROFESI MELALUI PENGUATAN PEMBERDAYAAN DAN EFIKASI DIRI GURU SMP SWASTA
Authors: Suparta Lisnawati , Sunaryo Widodo , Sutisna Entis
Published: December 2020

IMPROVEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO PROFESSION THROUGH STRENGTHENING EMPOWERMENT AND SELF-EFFICATION OF PRIVATE SMP TEACHERSThis study is intended to determine the increase of organizational commitment by studying its correlation with Empowerment and Self-Efficacy of Private Junior High School Teachers located in Tapos District, Depok. The number of research samples were 106 teachers which were taken by using proportional random sampling techniques. The method used was the correlational method. Hypothesis testing was carried out using parametric statistical analysis in the form of simple and multiple linear regression analysis, simple and multiple correlation analysis and partial analysis where the  significance levels α = 0.01 and α = 0.05. This study came up with three conclusions. Firstly, there was a moderate positive and significant relationship between the variables of empowerment and organizational commitment with a correlation coefficient ry1 = 0.63, a coefficient of determination Ry12 = 0.4026. Secondly, there was a high positive and significant relationship between the variable of self-efficacy and organizational commitment with a correlation coefficient ry2 = 0.81, and the coefficient of determination Ry22 = 0.6580. Thirdly, there was a high positive and significant relationship between the empowerment variable (X1) and self-efficacy (X2) together with organizational commitment with a correlation coefficient ry.12 = 0.834 and a coefficient of determination Ry.122 = 0.696. It couldn be concluded that the organizational commitment variable might be increased by strengthening the empowerment and self-efficacy variables.
Evaluation of embryotoxicity or teratogenicity of complex antibacterial preparation for treatment of mastitis in lactating cows
Authors:   All-Russian Veterinary Research Institute of Pathology, Pharmacology and Therapy, Vostroilova Galina A. , Korchagina Anastasiya A. , Chaplygina Yuliya A. , Khokhlova Nina A. ,   All-Russian Veterinary Research Institute of Pathology, Pharmacology and Therapy
Published: December 2020

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of a new complex antibacterial drug for the treatment of mastitis in lactating cows on white laboratory rats during embryonic and early postnatal development. It was found that the drug in the studied dosage of 250 mg/kg when used from 1 to 7 and from 7 to 19 days of gestation did not cause undesirable reactions in white rats, and also did not affect the formation and development of the fetuses. The increase in body weight of pregnant females was uniform in all groups. Moreover, the number of the fetuses, corpora lutea, the weight of the fetuses and placentas, the size of the fetuses did not have statistically significant differences in the experimental groups relatively to the control. The analysis of the intrauterine mortality rates also did not reveal statistically significant differences in the groups. A macroscopic examination of the fetuses revealed no developmental anomalies in any of the groups. During pathomorphological study it was found that there were no changes in the structure of internal organs, fetal development was consistent with the gestational age. The number of live and stillborn cubs per female did not significantly differ in all groups. In all infant rats, no abnormalities or deformities were observed after birth. The increase in body weight of the offspring in the experimental groups was uniform. Statistically significant differences in physiological development, both in the experimental and in the control groups, were not observed. Thus, the application of the studied drug to the laboratory rats during critical periods of pregnancy did not cause negative effects in the offspring during embryonic and early postnatal periods. Based on this, we can conclude that this drug in the studied dosage does not have embryotoxic and teratogenic effects.
Use of probiotic feed additive Prolaksim-V in diet of broiler chickens
Authors:   Krasnodar Veterinary Scientific Research Institute - separate structural unit of the Krasnodar Scientific Center for Zootechnology and Veterinary Medicine, Lazarev Sergey E. , Zabashta Nikolay N. , Lisovitskaya Ekaterina P. ,   Krasnodar Veterinary Scientific Research Institute - separate structural unit of the Krasnodar Scientific Center for Zootechnology and Veterinary Medicine, Golovko Elena N. ,   Krasnodar Scientific Center for Zootechnology and Veterinary Medicine
Published: December 2020

Method for using probiotic feed additive Prolaksim-V with a therapeutic and preventive effect to improve the indicators of live weight gain, feed conversion and the safety of poultry stock was proposed by the authors. Composition of Prolaksim-V feed additive is dominated by species of lactic and propionic bacteria: Streptococcus salivarius LT-1, Lactobacillus acidophilus LT-12, Streptococcus thermophilus LT-9, LT-10 and Propionibacterium freudenreichi LT-8. These bacteria perform an important physiological role in the organism due to their protective and synthetic functions, as well as participation in the final link of the digestive process. Probiotic flora plays a leading role in maintaining and normalizing intestinal microbiocenosis, maintaining non-specific resistance of the body, improving protein and mineral metabolism, etc. deficiency of lactic and propionic bacteria is one of the pathogenetic factors of long-term intestinal dysfunctions. It leads to a violation of mineral metabolism, to the formation of chronic digestive disorders. There is evidence that used bacteria are some suppliers of a number of essential amino acids, primarily tryptophan, as well as vitamins. Protective role of lactic and propionic bacteria in vivo is largely due to the formation of organic acids that prevent the development of putrid and pathogenic forms of microorganisms. The analytical action of these microorganisms is due to the presence of propionic and lactic acids, resulting in a decrease in the pH of the intestinal contents. It was found that the use of probiotic preparation in feeding broiler chickens contributes to an increase in the daily growth of poultry in the experimental groups, compared with the control. There was also an increase in the mass of gutted carcasses, improvement in feed conversion, and an increase in the safety indicators of poultry that receive probiotic together with the general diet.
On influence of various substances dissolved in water on hematological parameters
Authors:   GeIendzhik DeIfinary, Semenov Vladimir A. , Rodin Igor A. , Sedov Aleksander V. , Yakovets Margarita G. , Kapustin Aleksey V. ,   Kuban State Agrarian University named after I.T. Trubilin
Published: December 2020

Content of marine animaIs in captivity Ieads to the accumuIation of waste products in the artificiaI habitat, as weII as funds used for the handIing of pooIs in different concentrations. WideIy used disinfectants containing chIorine Iead to the formation of chIorinated acid in the water pooIs and subsequentIy the emergence of mono- and trichIoramines, as weII as a Iarge number of nitrates and nitrites are determined in it. These substances have a strong enough impact on bioIogicaI objects: toxic, mutagenic, etc. They affect different systems: centraI nervous system, cardiovascuIar, reduces the oxygen capacity of the bIood, impaired function of the Iiver and kidneys. In the intestine of bottIenose doIphins, depending on the IeveI of urea, various forms of chIorine in the water, there are changes in the ratio of normaI microflora, which Ieads to dysbiosis. To determine the effect of these groups of substances, studies were conducted to determine the parameters in the bIood of bottIenose doIphins: aIanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, gamma-gIutamyItranspeptidase, Iactate dehydrogenase and aIkaIine phosphotase. The conducted researches on two groups of experimentaI bottIenose doIphins aIIowed to estabIish certain reference points for an assessment of admissibIe indicators of the contents in sea water of pooIs of impurity chIorine and nitrogen containing and connections, IeveI of nitrites in water - no more than 0,2 mg/I, ammonium - 0,6 mg/I and urea - 1,5 mg/I.
Risk factors for occurrence and development of ulcerative keratitis in dogs
Authors:   Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after K.I. Skryabin, Chechneva Anastasia V.
Published: December 2020

Ulcerative keratitis (corneal ulcer) is an inflammatory infected condition of the cornea with a violation of its epithelial layer, affecting the stroma. Due to the fact that the cornea is a tightly innervated tissue of the body, its damage is associated with the appearance of symptoms of varying intensity: hyperemia of the conjunctiva, blepharospasm, the corneal vascularization, a decrease or increase in tear production, the formation of superficial or deep sections of corneal epithelialization, depending on the severity and the duration of the pathological process. The causes of ulcerative keratitis are also diverse: corneal injuries, chronic conjunctivitis, dry keratoconjunctivitis, anomalies of the eyelids, brachiocephalic syndrome. The danger of ulcerative lesions of the cornea is due to their necrotic effect on eye tissue, possible perforation of the eyeball, the development of secondary glaucoma or uveitis, as well as panophthalmitis. It is necessary to establish risk factors for the occurrence and development of ulcerative keratitis in dogs to prevent this pathology in the future, since in the absence of timely diagnosis and treatment, the disease can progress and lead to impaired vision of the animal, thereby lowering the level of their quality of life. Determining the root cause of corneal ulcerative lesions is necessary to understand the possible outcome and relapse of the pathology, as well as the appointment of adequate treatment. Prevention and relief of the etiological factor of the disease and timely prescribed therapy lead to a decrease in the risk of development and complications of ulcerative keratitis.
Stranger Things: Organismal Traits of Two Octocorals Associated With Singular Symbiodiniaceae in a High-Latitude Coral Community From Northern Taiwan
Authors: Hsu Tsai-Hsuan Tony , Carlu Lilian , Hsieh Yunli Eric , Lai Tzu-Yu Angel , Wang Ching-Wei , Huang Ching-Yun , Yang Shan-Hua , Wang Pei-Ling , Sturaro Nicolas , Denis Vianney
Published: December 2020

Scrutinizing the traits of octocorals that could affect their physiological performance becomes increasingly important as several of these species are observed to become dominant on reefs pressured by the Anthropocene. In the present study, we compare the organismal traits of two branching octocoralsLitophytonsp. andStereonephthyasp. commonly populating in sympatry the high-latitude coral communities of northern Taiwan. Using 13 traits, we describe and compare performance traits in these two symbiotic species that we discuss in light of the association they maintain with their algal partners.Litophytonsp. andStereonephthyasp. hostedDurusdiniumandGerakladium, respectively. Both genera represent singular associations, with the latter further establishing the first solid report ofGerakladiumin octocorals. Traits distinguished two groups explained by the two partnerships considered.Litophytonsp. associated withDurusdiniumhad significantly higher organic matter, chlorophyll (chl)a, total lipid and lower chlc/chlaratio thanStereonephthyasp. associated withGerakladium.The δ15N in the host and algae, as well as δ13C in the host were also higher inLitophytonspecies. Although no significant difference was observed in the δ13C of the algae,Litophytonsp. presented a significantly higher variance for this trait and for chlacontent thanStereonephthyaspecies. Altogether, the traits examined suggested contrasting performances among the two octocorals. Both octocoral species clearly deviate from an autotrophic diet.Litophytonsp. appears to complement its heterotrophic diet with photosynthetically acquired energy, whileStereonephthyasp. tends to be more specialized and benefits relatively little from its symbiotic relationship. Our study calls for greater consideration of the individual variation in octocoral physiology and in the definition of their ecological strategies.
Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitor Lonafarnib Enhances α7nAChR Expression Through Inhibiting DNA Methylation of CHRNA7 and Increases α7nAChR Membrane Trafficking
Authors: Chen Tingting , Cai Chengyun , Wang Lifeng , Li Shixin , Chen Ling
Published: December 2020

Inhibition of Ras farnesylation in acute has been found to upregulate the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) activity. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of chronic administration for 7 days of farnesyl transferase inhibitor lonafarnib (50 mg/kg, intraperitoneally injected) to male mice on the expression and activity of α7nAChR in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells. Herein, we show that lonafarnib dose dependently enhances the amplitude of ACh-evoked inward currents (IACh), owning to the increased α7nAChR expression and membrane trafficking. Lonafarnib inhibited phosphorylation of c-Jun and JNK, which was related to DNA methylation. In addition, reduced DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) expression was observed in lonafarnib-treated mice, which was reversed by JNK activator. Lonafarnib-upregulated expression of α7nAChR was mimicked by DNMT inhibitor, and repressed by JNK activator. However, only inhibited DNA methylation did not affectIACh, and the JNK activator partially decreased the lonafarnib-upregulatedIACh. On the other hand, lonafarnib also increased the membrane expression of α7nAChR, which was partially inhibited by JNK activator or CaMKII inhibitor, without changes in the α7nAChR phosphorylation. CaMKII inhibitor had no effect on the expression of α7nAChR. Lonafarnib-enhanced spatial memory of mice was also partially blocked by JNK activator or CaMKII inhibitor. These results suggest that Ras inhibition increases α7nAChR expression through depressed DNA methylation ofCHRNA7 viaRas-c-Jun-JNK pathway, increases the membrane expression of α7nAChR resulting in part from the enhanced CaMKII pathway and total expression of this receptor, and consequently enhances the spatial memory.
Influence Mechanism of Dynamic Evolution of Chinese Entrepreneurs’ Entrepreneurial Motivation on Performance—The Role of Turning Points and Empathy
Authors: Zhao Yiqi , Zhao Xianfeng , Qin Yuanjian
Published: December 2020

Using the Grounded theory, we took 15 Chinese entrepreneurs as the research objects and constructed the entrepreneurial process model of dynamic evolution of entrepreneurial motivation. The model includes seven themes, such as egoist motivation, bottleneck, altruistic motivation, TP/MTP, empathy, responsible leadership, CSR implementation and entrepreneurial performance. Through the analysis of the internal relations between these elements, we abstracts the law of the dynamic evolution process of entrepreneurial motivation of Chinese entrepreneurs, and reveals the mechanism of the dynamic evolution process of entrepreneurial motivation. The theoretical contribution of this paper is mainly reflected in the following two aspects: (1) it enriches and expands the research results in the field of entrepreneurship motivation of Chinese entrepreneurs. From the perspective of entrepreneurial motivation, this study analyzes the dynamic evolution process of Internet entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial motivation, extracts the rules of entrepreneurial process of dynamic evolution of Internet entrepreneurs, and provides a new path for enriching and expanding the research on Internet entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial motivation. (2) The study of turning point (TP) that enriches and complements the dynamic evolution of entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial motivation. Using grounded theory, this paper deeply analyzes the reasons for the dynamic evolution of entrepreneurial motivation, and provides empirical evidence for the research on the evolution of localized entrepreneurial motivation in China.
How Do Health Professionals Maintain Compassion Over Time? Insights From a Study of Compassion in Health
Authors: Baguley Sofie I. , Dev Vinayak , Fernando Antonio T. , Consedine Nathan S.
Published: December 2020

Although compassion in healthcare differs in important ways from compassion in everyday life, it provides a key, applied microcosm in which the science of compassion can be applied. Compassion is among the most important virtues in medicine, expected from medical professionals and anticipated by patients. Yet, despite evidence of its centrality to effective clinical care, research has focused on compassion fatigue or barriers to compassion and neglected to study the fact that most healthcare professionals maintain compassion for their patients. In contributing to this understudied area, the present report provides an exploratory investigation into how healthcare professionals report trying to maintain compassion. In the study, 151 professionals were asked questions about how they maintained compassion for their patients. Text responses were coded, with a complex mixture of internal vs. external, self vs. patient, and immediate vs. general strategies being reported. Exploratory analyses revealed reliable individual differences in the tendency to report strategies of particular types but no consistent age-related differences between older and younger practitioners emerged. Overall, these data suggest that while a range of compassion-maintaining strategies were reported, strategies were typically concentrated in particular areas and most professionals seek to maintain care using internal strategies. A preliminary typology of compassion maintaining strategies is proposed, study limitations and future directions are discussed, and implications for the study of how compassion is maintained are considered.
Análisis de la viabilidad para la implementación de vehículo eléctrico que preste servicio de taxi en la ciudad de Cuenca
Authors: Méndez Torres Paúl Wilfrido , Gómez Berrezueta Manuel Fernando , Llerena Mena Alex Fernando
Published: December 2020

El transporte es un elemento esencial para el crecimiento socioeconómico, sin embargo, su desarrollo genera una serie de efectos tales como la congestión, el ruido, la emisión de sustancias nocivas al medio ambiente, el agotamiento de los recursos no renovables. Uno de los factores que inciden en la reducción de la contaminación al medioambiente es la sustitución de los vehículos de combustible convencional por otros tipos de sistemas de propulsión, incluidos los motores eléctricos. La introducción de vehículos eléctricos puede convertirse en el elemento clave en el desarrollo de la estrategia de transporte sostenible en las zonas urbanas, la demanda de estos vehículos debe ser impulsada por los propietarios de la flota de vehículos, especialmente por las empresas. Los propietarios de taxis convencionales en la ciudad de Cuenca que deben renovar sus unidades, según la AFUT- Asociación Frente Unido de Taxistas-, son escépticos sobre la renovación con unidades eléctricas que proponen las autoridades locales, debido principalmente a la incertidumbre sobre la fiabilidad y rentabilidad que ofrece este tipo de vehículo, las cuales deben ser por lo menos igual a las de un vehículo con motor de combustión interna. En esta investigación se aplicó una metodología de investigación experimental mediante el uso de un software de computadora EMOLAB y un vehículo eléctrico Kia Soul EV para obtener una base de datos con información que describe el comportamiento del vehículo eléctrico. Aplicando diseños de experimentos factorial (DOE) se utilizó las variables que tienen más influencia sobre la autonomía y consumo energético del vehículo eléctrico para su evaluación.
Análisis de la influencia de la comunicación publicitaria a través de las redes sociales en los estudiantes de la Carrera de Comunicación social sede Guayaquil, horario nocturno.
Authors: Rodas Soto Betty Isabel , Ortega Muñoz Katerine Scarlett
Published: December 2020

La comunicación se exterioriza en un amplio campo de acción de forma multi- transdisciplinar, se evidencia en un contexto tecnológico y de consumos culturales. Una de las formas de comunicación es la publicidad conceptuada como persuasión y promoción de ideas, bienes o servicios, refleja una realidad sociocultural, que influye en la toma de decisiones de compra de los consumidores,  evolucionando  ante un entramado de mediaciones tecnológicas en la denominada sociedad de la información y del conocimiento adapta y cambia sus estrategias, en una época de narrativas y plataformas multimediales en la que de forma preferente las audiencias juveniles imponen y siguen tendencias, en espacios virtuales, transitando desde los clásicos MASS media a los medios digitales. Consecuentemente se considera para el análisis a las dos principales redes sociales con alcance juvenil: Facebook e Instagram. La selección muestral no probabilística, por conveniencia de 150 estudiantes de la carrera de comunicación social horario nocturno, de la UPS, Guayaquil da como resultado preliminar un grupo mayoritario de mujeres y un segmento comprendido entre 20 a 22 años que de acuerdo con los productos o servicios anunciados y el contenido generado se identifica lo cual crea participación, redefine hábitos e influye en una posible acción.
Quick wins en las organizaciones: una revisión sistemática
Authors: Espinoza Mina Marcos Antonio
Published: December 2020

Las quick wins son los resultados inmediatos que necesita la organización en la ejecución de proyectos; ya que, son aquella mejora visible que se puede desarrollar rápidamente y con un beneficio inmediato; su impacto no es a largo plazo, pero es vista por todos como algo importante para la organización. Se trabajan con pocos recursos y no deberían darse en un tiempo mayor a 60 o 90 días. Se presenta una revisión sistemática en la que se indica que Springer fue la base de datos que retornó más títulos relacionados; se evidencia que Estados Unidos fue el país desde donde se plantearon más estudios y el año 2017 en el que se presentaron mayores resultados. Se destaca esta estrategia en las áreas de productividad, salud y tecnologías de la información, y se requiere de una adecuada destreza de los gestores para hacer uso de ciertas alertas ya planteadas por experiencias, para no caer en las denominadas “fallas rápidas”.
A Modified Network-Wide Road Capacity Reliability Analysis Model for Improving Transportation Sustainability
Authors: Ji Kui , Ma Jianxiao
Published: December 2020

Reserve capacity is the core of reliability analysis based on road network capacity. This article optimizes its bi-level programming model: the upper-level model has added service level coefficient and travel time limit, which realizes the unification of capacity and travel time reliability analysis to a certain extent. Stochastic user equilibrium (SUE) model based on origin has been selected as the lower-level model, which added capacity constraints to optimize distribution results, and allows the evaluation of reliability to be continued. Through the SUE model, the iterative step size of the method of successive averages can be optimized to improve the efficiency of the algorithm. After that, the article designs the algorithm flow of reliability analysis based on road network capacity, and verifies the feasibility of the designed algorithm with an example. Finally, combined with the conclusion of reliability analysis, this article puts forward some effective methods to improve the reliability of the urban road network.
Diversity of Species and the Occurrence and Development of a Specialized Pest Population—A Review Article
Authors: Wenda-Piesik Anna , Piesik Dariusz
Published: December 2020

The trophic interactions between plants and herbivorous insects are considered to be one of the primary relationships in the occurrence and development of specialized pest populations. Starting from the role of multicropping and the types of mixtures through the ecological benefits of intercropped plants, we explain the ecological conditions that contribute to the occurrence of pest populations. The dynamics of pest populations in crop occur in stages with the survival and development of pest in source of origin, invasion and distribution in crops, development and survival of the population, emigration to the another crop and (or) change of habitat. Possible effects of each stages are described based on the camouflage of visual effects, olfactory effects and reversal of feeding preferences. Fundamental theories of natural enemies and concentration of food resources have been explained to refer to the empirical data.
Functional Analysis of Haplotypes in Bovine PSAP Gene and Their Relationship with Beef Cattle Production Traits
Authors: Zhao Haidong , Wu Mingli , Yi Xiaohua , Tang Xiaoqin , Chen Pingbo , Wang Shuhui , Sun Xiuzhu
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this study was to explore functional variants in the prosaposin (PSAP) three prime untranslated region (3’ UTR) and clarify the relationship between the variants and morphological traits. Through Sanger sequencing, 13 variations were identified in bovine PSAP in four Chinese cattle breeds, with six of them being loci in 3’ UTR. In particular, Nanyang (NY) cattle had a special genotype and haplotype distribution compared to the other three breeds. NY cattle with ACATG and GCGTG haplotypes had higher morphological traits than GTACA and GTACG haplotypes. The results of dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that ACATG and GCGTG haplotypes affected the morphological traits of NY cattle by altering the secondary structure of PSAP 3’ UTR rather than the miR-184 target sites. The findings of this study could be an evidence of a complex and varying mechanism between variants and animal morphological traits and could be used to complement candidate genes for molecular breeding.
Two-Stage Classification Method for MSI Status Prediction Based on Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Lee Hyunseok , Seo Jihyun , Lee Giwan , Park Jongoh , Yeo Doyeob , Hong Ayoung
Published: December 2020

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers with a high mortality rate. The determination of microsatellite instability (MSI) status in resected cancer tissue is vital because it helps diagnose the related disease and determine the relevant treatment. This paper presents a two-stage classification method for predicting the MSI status based on a deep learning approach. The proposed pipeline includes the serial connection of the segmentation network and the classification network. In the first stage, the tumor area is segmented from the given pathological image using the Feature Pyramid Network (FPN). In the second stage, the segmented tumor is classified as MSI-L or MSI-H using Inception-Resnet-V2. We examined the performance of the proposed method using pathological images with 10× and 20× magnifications, in comparison with that of the conventional multiclass classification method where the tissue type is identified in one stage. The F1-score of the proposed method was higher than that of the conventional method at both 10× and 20× magnifications. Furthermore, we verified that the F1-score for 20× magnification was better than that for 10× magnification.
Lipid Profile of Activated Macrophages and Contribution of Group V Phospholipase A2
Authors: Koganesawa Masaya , Yamaguchi Munehiro , Samuchiwal Sachin K. , Balestrieri Barbara
Published: December 2020

Macrophages activated by Interleukin (IL)-4 (M2) or LPS+ Interferon (IFN)γ (M1) perform specific functions respectively in type 2 inflammation and killing of pathogens. Group V phospholipase A2 (Pla2g5) is required for the development and functions of IL-4-activated macrophages and phagocytosis of pathogens. Pla2g5-generated bioactive lipids, including lysophospholipids (LysoPLs), fatty acids (FAs), and eicosanoids, have a role in many diseases. However, little is known about their production by differentially activated macrophages. We performed an unbiased mass-spectrometry analysis of phospholipids (PLs), LysoPLs, FAs, and eicosanoids produced by Wild Type (WT) and Pla2g5-null IL-4-activated bone marrow-derived macrophages (IL-4)BM-Macs (M2) and (LPS+IFNγ)BM-Macs (M1). Phosphatidylcholine (PC) was preferentially metabolized in (LPS+IFNγ)BM-Macs and Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in (IL-4)BM-Macs, with Pla2g5 contributing mostly to metabolization of selected PE molecules. While Pla2g5 produced palmitic acid (PA) in (LPS+IFNγ)BM-Macs, the absence of Pla2g5 increased myristic acid (MA) in (IL-4)BM-Macs. Among eicosanoids, Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) were significantly reduced in (IL-4)BM-Macs and (LPS+IFNγ)BM-Macs lacking Pla2g5. Instead, the IL-4-induced increase in 20-carboxy arachidonic acid (20CooH AA) was dependent on Pla2g5, as was the production of 12-hydroxy-heptadecatrienoic acid (12-HHTrE) in (LPS+IFNγ)BM-Macs. Thus, Pla2g5 contributes to PE metabolization, PGE2 and PGD2 production independently of the type of activation, while in (IL-4)BM-Macs, Pla2g5 regulates selective lipid pathways and likely novel functions.
Iron Dysregulation and Inflammagens Related to Oral and Gut Health Are Central to the Development of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Vuuren Marthinus Janse van , Nell Theodore Albertus , Carr Jonathan Ambrose , Kell Douglas B. , Pretorius Etheresia
Published: December 2020

Neuronal lesions in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are commonly associated with α-synuclein (α-Syn)-induced cell damage that are present both in the central and peripheral nervous systems of patients, with the enteric nervous system also being especially vulnerable. Here, we bring together evidence that the development and presence of PD depends on specific sets of interlinking factors that include neuroinflammation, systemic inflammation, α-Syn-induced cell damage, vascular dysfunction, iron dysregulation, and gut and periodontal dysbiosis. We argue that there is significant evidence that bacterial inflammagens fuel this systemic inflammation, and might be central to the development of PD. We also discuss the processes whereby bacterial inflammagens may be involved in causing nucleation of proteins, including of α-Syn. Lastly, we review evidence that iron chelation, pre-and probiotics, as well as antibiotics and faecal transplant treatment might be valuable treatments in PD. A most important consideration, however, is that these therapeutic options need to be validated and tested in randomized controlled clinical trials. However, targeting underlying mechanisms of PD, including gut dysbiosis and iron toxicity, have potentially opened up possibilities of a wide variety of novel treatments, which may relieve the characteristic motor and nonmotor deficits of PD, and may even slow the progression and/or accompanying gut-related conditions of the disease.
Virtual Screening for Potential Inhibitors of Human Hexokinase II for the Development of Anti-Dengue Therapeutics
Authors: Tanbin Suriyea , Ahmad Fuad Fazia Adyani , Abdul Hamid Azzmer Azzar
Published: December 2020

Dengue fever, which is a disease caused by the dengue virus (DENV), is a major unsolved issue in many tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. The absence of treatment that effectively prevent further viral propagation inside the human’s body resulted in a high number of deaths globally each year. Thus, novel anti-dengue therapies are required for effective treatment. Human hexokinase II (HKII), which is the first enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, is an important drug target due to its significant impact on viral replication and survival in host cells. In this study, 23.1 million compounds were computationally-screened against HKII using the Ultrafast Shape Recognition with a CREDO Atom Types (USRCAT) algorithm. In total, 300 compounds with the highest similarity scores relative to three reference molecules, known as Alpha-D-glucose (GLC), Beta-D-glucose-6-phosphate (BG6), and 2-deoxyglucose (2DG), were aligned. Of these 300 compounds, 165 were chosen for further structure-based screening, based on their similarity scores, ADME analysis, the Lipinski’s Rule of Five, and virtual toxicity test results. The selected analogues were subsequently docked against each domain of the HKII structure (PDB ID: 2NZT) using AutoDock Vina programme. The three top-ranked compounds for each query were then selected from the docking results based on their binding energy, the number of hydrogen bonds formed, and the specific catalytic residues. The best docking results for each analogue were observed for the C-terminus of Chain B. The top-ranked analogues of GLC, compound 10, compound 26, and compound 58, showed predicted binding energies of −7.2, −7.0, and −6.10 kcal/mol and 7, 5, and 2 hydrogen bonds, respectively. The analogues of BG6, compound 30, compound 36, and compound 38, showed predicted binding energies of −7.8, −7.4, and −7.0 kcal/mol and 11, 9, and 5 hydrogen bonds, while the top three analogues of 2DG, known as compound 1, compound 4, and compound 31, showed predicted binding energies of −6.8, −6.3, and −6.3 kcal/mol and 4, 3, and 1 hydrogen bonds, sequentially. The highest-ranked compounds in the docking analysis were then selected for molecular dynamics simulation, where compound 10, compound 30, and compound 1, which are the analogues of GLC, BG6, and 2DG, have shown strong protein-ligand stability with an RMSD value of ±5.0 A° with a 5 H bond, ±4.0 A° with an 8 H bond, and ±0.5 A° with a 2 H bond, respectively, compared to the reference molecules throughout the 20 ns simulation time. Therefore, by using the computational studies, we proposed novel compounds, which may act as potential drugs against DENV by inhibiting HKII’s activity.
Evidence of Semantic Processing in Parafoveal Reading: A Rapid Parallel Visual Presentation (Rpvp) Study
Authors: Rusich Danila , Arduino Lisa , Mauti Marika , Martelli Marialuisa , Primativo Silvia
Published: December 2020

This study explores whether semantic processing in parafoveal reading in the Italian language is modulated by the perceptual and lexical features of stimuli by analyzing the results of the rapid parallel visual presentation (RPVP) paradigm experiment, which simultaneously presented two words, with one in the fovea and one in the parafovea. The words were randomly sampled from a set of semantically related and semantically unrelated pairs. The accuracy and reaction times in reading the words were measured as a function of the stimulus length and written word frequency. Fewer errors were observed in reading parafoveal words when they were semantically related to the foveal ones, and a larger semantic facilitatory effect was observed when the foveal word was highly frequent and the parafoveal word was short. Analysis of the reaction times suggests that the semantic relation between the two words sped up the naming of the foveal word when both words were short and highly frequent. Altogether, these results add further evidence in favor of the semantic processing of words in the parafovea during reading, modulated by the orthographic and lexical features of the stimuli. The results are discussed within the context of the most prominent models of word processing and eye movement controls in reading.
Bypass Procedure Performed in the Field of a Decompressive Craniectomy in the Case of an MCA Dissecting Aneurysm: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Bartoš Robert , Lodin Jan , Hejčl Aleš , Humhej Ivan , Concepción Ingrid , Cihlář Filip , Sameš Martin
Published: December 2020

Treatment of complex aneurysms often requires additional surgical tools including the use of the extra-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass. The following report depicts the utilization of the EC-IC bypass in treating a dissecting aneurysm several hours after a salvage emergent evacuation of an acute subdural hematoma via decompressive craniectomy (DC). Preserving the superficial temporal artery during the DC provided a donor artery for the bypass surgery.
Omics Analysis of Educated Platelets in Cancer and Benign Disease of the Pancreas
Authors: Mantini Giulia , Meijer Laura L. , Glogovitis Ilias , In ‘t Veld Sjors G. J. G. , Paleckyte Rosita , Capula Mjriam , Le Large Tessa Y. S. , Morelli Luca , Pham Thang V. , Piersma Sander R. , Frampton Adam E. , Jimenez Connie R. , Kazemier Geert , Koppers-Lalic Danijela , Wurdinger Thomas , Giovannetti Elisa
Published: December 2020

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is traditionally associated with thrombocytosis/hypercoagulation and novel insights on platelet-PDAC “dangerous liaisons” are warranted. Here we performed an integrative omics study investigating the biological processes of mRNAs and expressed miRNAs, as well as proteins in PDAC blood platelets, using benign disease as a reference for inflammatory noise. Gene ontology mining revealed enrichment of RNA splicing, mRNA processing and translation initiation in miRNAs and proteins but depletion in RNA transcripts. Remarkably, correlation analyses revealed a negative regulation on SPARC transcription by isomiRs involved in cancer signaling, suggesting a specific ”education” in PDAC platelets. Platelets of benign patients were enriched for non-templated additions of G nucleotides (#ntaG) miRNAs, while PDAC presented length variation on 3′ (lv3p) as the most frequent modification on miRNAs. Additionally, we provided an actionable repertoire of PDAC and benign platelet-ome to be exploited for future studies. In conclusion, our data show that platelets change their biological repertoire in patients with PDAC, through dysregulation of miRNAs and splicing factors, supporting the presence of de novo protein machinery that can “educate” the platelet. These novel findings could be further exploited for innovative liquid biopsies platforms as well as possible therapeutic targets.
Aging of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: Hematopoiesis Disturbances and Potential Role in the Development of Hematologic Cancers
Authors: Massaro Fulvio , Corrillon Florent , Stamatopoulos Basile , Meuleman Nathalie , Lagneaux Laurence , Bron Dominique
Published: December 2020

Aging of bone marrow is a complex process that is involved in the development of many diseases, including hematologic cancers. The results obtained in this field of research, year after year, underline the important role of cross-talk between hematopoietic stem cells and their close environment. In bone marrow, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a major player in cell-to-cell communication, presenting a wide range of functionalities, sometimes opposite, depending on the environmental conditions. Although these cells are actively studied for their therapeutic properties, their role in tumor progression remains unclear. One of the reasons for this is that the aging of MSCs has a direct impact on their behavior and on hematopoiesis. In addition, tumor progression is accompanied by dynamic remodeling of the bone marrow niche that may interfere with MSC functions. The present review presents the main features of MSC senescence in bone marrow and their implications in hematologic cancer progression.
Comparative Study of Tribomechanical Properties of HiPIMS with Positive Pulses DLC Coatings on Different Tools Steels
Authors: Claver Adrián , Jiménez-Piqué Emilio , Palacio José F. , Almandoz Eluxka , Fernández de Ara Jonathan , Fernández Iván , Santiago José A. , Barba Eneko , García José A.
Published: December 2020

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are very interesting due to their extraordinary properties; their excellent wear resistance, very low friction coefficient, great hardness, high elastic modulus or biocompatibility can be highlighted, as can their multifunctionality. Because of this, over recent decades they have been widely used in tribological applications, improving the performance and the useful life of machining tools in an effective way. However, these coatings have a disadvantage compared to other coatings deposited by commercially available techniques—their resultant adhesion is worse than that of other techniques and limits their industrial applications. In this work, tribological results of a scratch test, wear resistance and nanoindentation of tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) and tungsten carbide:carbon (WC:C) DLC coatings deposited by means of novel high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) technology with positive pulses are reported. The coatings were deposited in three different tools steels: K360, vanadis 4 and vancron. These tools’ steels are very interesting because of their great and wide industrial applicability. Experimental results showed excellent tribological properties, such as resistance to wear or adhesion, in the two types of DLC coatings.
Functionalized TiO2 Nanotube Platform for Gliadin Electroanalysis
Authors: Dumitriu Cristina , Constantinescu Alexandra , Pirvu Cristian
Published: December 2020

The present paper presents a gliadin detection method. This method is based on a modified Ti electrode. Modification was performed by a simple and cheap anodization. Then, a layer of graphene oxide was added, and gliadin antibody was fixed on the electrode surface. Using this complex system, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used for gliadin detection. Solutions with known gliadin (a fraction from gluten) content were used for analysis. Impedance measured at a certain frequency and coating resistance were analyzed. Better results (good linearity and lower detection limit) were obtained by plotting impedance at a certain frequency versus gliadin concentration. Coating resistance was proved to be in linear dependency with gliadin concentration only at lower concentrations. This system based on titanium nanostructured electrode has the potential to be used for gluten contamination detection from foods.