bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
De novo assembly of the complete mitochondrial genome of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) revealed the existence of homologous conformations generated by the repeat-mediated recombination
Authors: Yang Zhijian , Ni Yang , Lin Zebin , Yang Liubin , Chen Guotai , Nijiati Nuerla , Hu Yunzhuo , Chen Xuanyang
Published: June 2022

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) is an important food crop, an excellent fodder crop, and a new type of industrial raw material crop. The lack of genomic resources could affect the process of industrialization of sweet potato. Few detailed reports have been completed on the mitochondrial genome of sweet potato. In this research, we sequenced and assembled the mitochondrial genome of sweet potato and investigated its substructure. The mitochondrial genome of sweet potato is 270,304 bp with 23 unique core genes and 12 variable genes. We detected 279 pairs of repeat sequences and found that three pairs of direct repeats could mediate the homologous recombination into four independent circular molecules. We identified 70 SSRs in the whole mitochondrial genome of sweet potato. The longest dispersed repeat in mitochondrial genome was a palindromic repeat with a length of 915 bp. The homologous fragments between the chloroplast and mitochondrial genome account for 7.35% of the mitochondrial genome. We also predicted 597 RNA editing sites and found that the rps3 gene was edited 54 times, which occurred most frequently. This study further demonstrates the existence of multiple conformations in sweet potato mitochondrial genomes and provides a theoretical basis for the evolution of higher plants and cytoplasmic male sterility breeding.
Pharmacological mechanisms of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Liang Bo , Liang Yi , Gu Ning
Published: June 2022

Background

More and more evidence indicates sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) may display clinical benefits for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the mechanisms of the action remain unclear.

Methods

A systematic pharmacology-based strategy was applied for predicting the potential molecular mechanisms of SGLT2is in HFpEF. The potential targets of SGLT2is and HFpEF were contained from diverse databases. After networks were constructed, Metascape was applied to functional enrichment. Moreover, the key findings were validated through molecular docking.

Results

We obtained 487 SGLT2is related targets and 1505 HFpEF related targets. The networks showed the complex relationship of HFpEF-target-HFpEF. The results of functional enrichment analysis suggested that several biological processes, including muscle system process, inflammatory response, vasculature development, heart development, regulation of MAPK cascade, positive regulation of ion transport, negative regulation of cell population proliferation, cellular response to nitrogen compound, apoptotic signaling pathway, multicellular organismal homeostasis, response to oxidative stress, regulation of cell adhesion, positive regulation of cell death, response to growth factor, and cellular response to lipid, and signaling pathways, such as cardiomyopathy, cAMP signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, apoptosis, MAPK signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, and NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Finally, we validated the interactions and combinations of SGLT2is and core targets.

Conclusion

SGLT2is play the potential role of anti-HFpEF through the direct or indirect synergy of multiple targets and pathways. Our study promotes the explanation of the molecular mechanisms of SGLT2is in HFpEF.
Evaluation of a self-imaging SD-OCT system designed for remote home monitoring
Authors: Kim Judy E. , Tomkins-Netzer Oren , Elman Michael J. , Lally David R. , Goldstein Michaella , Goldenberg Dafna , Shulman Shiri , Benyamini Gidi , Loewenstein Anat
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To compare identification rates of retinal fluid of the Notal Vision Home Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) device (NVHO) when used by people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to those captured by a commercial OCT.

Methods

Prospective, cross-sectional study where patients underwent commercial OCT imaging followed by self-imaging with either the NVHO 2.5 or the NVHO 3 in clinic setting. Outcomes included patients’ ability to acquire analyzable OCT images with the NVHO and to compare those with commercial images.

Results

Successful images were acquired with the NVHO 2.5 in 469/531 eyes (88%) in 264/290 subjects (91%) with the mean (SD) age of 78.8 (8.8); 153 (58%) were female with median visual acuity (VA) of 20/40. In the NVHO 3 cohort, 69 eyes of 45 subjects (93%) completed the self-imaging. Higher rates of successful imaging were found in eyes with VA ≥ 20/320. Positive percent agreement/negative percent agreement for detecting the presence of subretinal and/or intraretinal fluid when reviewing for fluid in three repeated volume scans were 97%/95%, respectively for the NVHO v3.

Conclusion

Self-testing with the NVHO can produce high quality images suitable for fluid identification by human graders, suggesting the device may be able to complement standard-of-care clinical assessments and treatments.
Artificial intelligence against the first wave of COVID-19: evidence from China
Authors: Wang Ting , Zhang Yi , Liu Chun , Zhou Zhongliang
Published: June 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly broke out at the end of 2019. Due to the highly contagious, widespread, and risky nature of this disease, the pandemic prevention and control has been a tremendous challenge worldwide. One potentially powerful tool against the COVID-19 pandemic is artificial intelligence (AI). This study systematically assessed the effectiveness of AI in infection prevention and control during the first wave of COVID-19 in China. 

Methods

To better evaluate the role of AI in a pandemic emergency, we focused on the first-wave COVID-19 in the period from the early December 2019 to the end of April 2020 across 304 cities in China. We employed three sets of dependent variables to capture various dimensions of the effect of AI: (1) the time to the peak of cumulative confirmed cases, (2) the case fatality rate and whether there were severe cases, and (3) the number of local policies for work and production resumption and the time span to having the first such policy. The main explanatory variable was the local AI development measured by the number of AI patents. To fit the features of different dependent variables, we employed a variety of estimation methods, including the OLS, Tobit, Probit, and Poisson estimations. We included a large set of control variables and added interaction terms to test the mechanisms through which AI took an effect.

Results

Our results showed that AI had highly significant effects on (1) screening and detecting the disease, and (2) monitoring and evaluating the epidemic evolution. Specifically, AI was useful to screen and detect the COVID-19 in cities with high cross-city mobility. Also, AI played an important role for production resumption in cities with high risk to reopen. However, there was limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of AI in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Conclusions

These results suggested that AI can play an important role against the pandemic.
Effect of time restricted feeding on anthropometric measures, eating behavior, stress, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) levels in women with overweight/obesity and food addiction: a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Irani Hanieh , Khodami Banafsheh , Abiri Behnaz , Saidpour Atoosa
Published: June 2022

Background

Food addiction is one of the behavioral factors that play an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity. Much evidence is available suggesting intestinal microbiomes can play a role in eating behavior, body composition, and BDNF levels, and they can be modified by time-restricted feeding (TRF). So, this study will aim to evaluate the effect of TRF on anthropometric measures, eating behavior, stress, and serum BDNF and LBP levels in women with overweight/obesity and food addiction.

Methods

We will carry out a randomized clinical trial for 8 weeks to evaluate the effect of a TRF on anthropometric measures, eating behavior, stress level, serum BDNF and LBP levels in women with overweight/obesity and food addiction.

Discussion

Given the effect of BDNF on regulating eating behavior and body weight and the effect of dietary restrictions on BDNF and the gut microbiome, the TRF diet could possibly be a new way to successfully manage weight through modifying BDNF in people with eating disorders, including food addiction.

Trial registration

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20131228015968N7. Registered on 25 October 2020.
The impact of hydroalcoholic extract of Anacyclus pyrethrum plant on epileptic seizure induced by pentylenetetrazole in male rat
Authors: Adloo Mohammad , Bahadori Mehrzad , Shojaeifard Manzar Banoo
Published: June 2022

Background

The aim was to evaluate the protective effect of hydroalcoholic extract ofAnacyclus pyrethrumroot (APE) against pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) drug which is used for inducing epileptic seizures in animal model.

Results

50 male rats were divided: control (without any intervention), positive control 1st (received PTZ 60 mg/kg, IP), first experimental group (PTZ + Extract 500 mg/kg, gavages, 30 min before PTZ), positive control 2nd (PTZ + Phaclofen, 200 µg/µl, ICV), and second experimental group (PTZ + extract 500 mg/kg, gavage, 30 min before PTZ + Phaclofen 200 µg/µl, ICV). Several parameters were assessed during 20 min and followed up for 1.5 h. Then, the data were analyzed. APE with a dose of 500 mg/kg increased the latency time of seizures in the first experimental group, compared to the positive control 1st, also, comparison of different groups in terms of Seizure Score at the 1st time (severity of first attack) had no significant difference (P-value = 0.51,P-value = 0.34). The mean of seizure attacks (event number) was significant between the first and second positive control groups (P-value = 0.01) and also between the second positive control and the first experimental group (P-value = 0.011). Significant changes were observed in the mean score of the first and second positive control groups (P-value = 0.001) and the first experimental and second positive control groups (P-value = 0.003). In addition, the second experimental group had significant changes compared to the first positive control group (P-value = 0.014), However, no significant changes were observed between the positive control and experimental groups in terms of the severity of seizures.

Conclusion

Results have shown both blocked GABAergic receptors A and B involved in epileptic seizures. In addition, APE root increased delay time of epileptic seizures, as well as reduces epileptic seizure in dose response state.
Accuracy of different sonomammographic imaging modalities in assessment of breast tumor size
Authors: Kandil Nour Mohamed Mahmoud , Hashem Lamiaa Mohamed Bassam , Gareer Sherihan W. Y. , Hashem Aya Mohamed Bassam
Published: June 2022

Background

Accurate breast cancer size is crucial for staging and an important prognostic factor in patient management. Therapeutic decisions heavily depend on tumor size detection by radiological imaging. The purpose of our prospective comparative study is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of different sonomammographic breast imaging modalities, namely DM, DBT, CESM, 2D US and 3D US in the preoperative tumor size measurement.

Results

CESM, 3D US and 2D US achieved moderately strong correlation with the pathological size measurements, while (DM) and (DBT) showed fair correlation with the pathology. CESM showed the highest correlation coefficient (0.789), while (DBT) showed the lowest correlation coefficient (0.411). Regarding the agreement, there was good agreement of the size measured by CESM, 3D US and 2D US with the pathology as the ICC was (0.798), (0.769) and (0.624), respectively. The highest agreement with the pathology was achieved with CESM. The agreement of the size measured by (DM) and (DBT) with the pathology was moderate as the ICC was (0.439) and (0.416), respectively. The lowest agreement was achieved with the size measured by (DBT).

Conclusions

CESM and 3D US are more superior to DM, 2D US and DBT regarding preoperative size measurement. 3D US can be used as preoperative noninvasive technique, especially in patients with impaired renal function who cannot tolerate CESM.
Neural correlates of acute post-traumatic dissociation: a functional neuroimaging script-driven imagery study
Authors: Mertens Yoki L. , Manthey Antje , Sierk Anika , Walter Henrik , Daniels Judith K.
Published: June 2022

Background

Current neurobiological models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assume excessive medial frontal activation and hypoactivation of cortico-limbic regions as neural markers of post-traumatic dissociation. Script-driven imagery is an established experimental paradigm that is used to study acute dissociative reactions during trauma exposure. However, there is a scarcity of experimental research investigating neural markers of dissociation; findings from existing script-driven neuroimaging studies are inconsistent and based on small sample sizes.

Aims

The current aim was to identify the neural correlates of acute post-traumatic dissociation by employing the script-driven imagery paradigm in combination with functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Method

Functional neuroimaging data was acquired in 51 female patients with PTSD with a history of interpersonal childhood trauma. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent response during the traumatic (versus neutral) autobiographical memory recall was analysed, and the derived activation clusters were correlated with dissociation measures.

Results

During trauma recall, enhanced activation in the cerebellum, occipital gyri, supramarginal gyrus and amygdala was identified. None of the derived clusters correlated significantly with dissociative symptoms, although patients reported increased levels of acute dissociation following the paradigm.

Conclusions

The present study is one of the largest functional magnetic resonance imaging investigations of dissociative neural biomarkers in patients with PTSD undergoing experimentally induced trauma confrontation to elicit symptom-specific brain reactivity. In light of the current reproducibility crisis prominent in neuroimaging research owing to costly and time-consuming data acquisition, the current (null) findings highlight the difficulty of extracting reliable neurobiological biomarkers for complex subjective experiences such as dissociation.
Joint Disposition Properties and Comprehensive Pharmacokinetic Characterization of Antibody–Drug Conjugates
Authors: Liao Kai H. , Williams Jason H. , Palani Santhosh , Yin Donghua , Meng Xu
Published: June 2022

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) comprise 3 distinct parts: a specific antibody carrier (mAb), a linker, and a cytotoxic payload. Typical pharmacokinetic (PK) characterization of ADCs remains fragmented using separate noncompartmental analyses (NCA) of individual analytes, offering little insight into the dynamic relationships among the ADC components, and the safety and efficacy implications. As a result, it is exceedingly difficult to compare ADCs in terms of favorable PK characteristics. Therefore, there is a need for characterizing ADCs using the joint disposition properties critical for understanding the fate of an ADC complex and clinical implications. In this communication, we describe 3 joint disposition metrics (JDMs) for integrated NCA of ADCs based on a combination of common analytes of ADC, payload, conjugated payload, and total mAb. These JDMs were derived, each in a simple form of a ratio between appropriate PK parameters of two analytes, from the presumed drug delivery scheme behind typical ADC designs, in terms of (1) linker stability, (2) therapeutic exposure ratio, and (3) effective drug-to-antibody ratio in vivo. The validity of the JDM-based PK characterization was examined against model-based analyses via their applications to 3 clinical candidates: PF-06650808, PF-06647020, and PF-06664178. For instance, the linker stability estimates for PF-06650808, PF-06647020, and PF-06664178 were 0.31, 0.14, and 0.096, respectively, from the JDM-based analyses vs. 0.23, 0.11, and 0.086 by the model-based approach. Additionally, the JDMs were estimated for a number of FDA-approved or otherwise well-documented ADCs, showing their utilities in comparing ADCs in terms of favorable PK characteristics.

Graphical Abstract
Gaelscoil Activists as a Postcolonial Subaltern and the Emergence of the Gaelscoileanna, ca. 1970
Authors: Ó Luain Kerron
Published: June 2022

This is the first attempt to analyze Gaelscoil (Irish-medium school) activists using the lens of Gramscian subalternity. The activists who founded Irish-medium schools in the early 1970s are situated as part of the subaltern that exists in postcolonial countries. Drawing on later work on subalternity by Indian scholars, this article considers Gaelscoil activists within the context of colonial social production. Heeding Gramsci’s call to study the changing modes of production that give rise to new subaltern groups, it then examines the emergence of the Gaelscoil founding groups formed by these activists within the context of the rapidly globalizing capitalist economy of the Southern Irish state. Though the Gaelscoil activists drew on nineteenth-century ideologies of revitalization, during the early 1970s they managed to accommodate the Irish language to the Anglophone-dominated modern world. In the process, they birthed a decolonial movement that has impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Gaelscoil students over the last fifty years.
“Harvard Scientist Seeks Typical Irishman”
Authors: O’Neill Ciaran
Published: June 2022

In 1870, the Belgian Adolphe Quetelet wrote in his seminal scientific work Anthropometrié that “the average man characterises the nation to which he belongs.” An obsession with the “national” characterized the field of anthropometry, which scientists such as Quetelet pioneered in the Francophone world; their techniques were quickly adopted and adapted elsewhere—by Francis Galton in London and by Aleš Hrdlička, Earnest Hooton, and Franz Boas in the United States. Ireland played a surprisingly central role in this burgeoning new field of international scientific enquiry, which quickly became focused on connecting racial and criminal “degeneracy” under the guise of a scientific search for the “normal,” “average,” or “typical” example of any given ethnic or social group. This article connects two major Irish research projects, the Dublin Anthropometric Lab at Trinity College Dublin (1888–99) and the physical anthropology strand of the Harvard Irish Study (1934–36), to show that Ireland was an important node in the network of scientists and researchers who constructed the discourses of global racial science.
Irish Social Catholicism and the Development of the Living Wage Doctrine
Authors: Doyle Patrick
Published: June 2022

This article traces the development of the living wage concept in the social thought of Irish Catholic intellectuals in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including Revs. John A. Ryan and Walter McDonald, and Edward Phelan, who helped establish the International Labour Organization. The debates in which these thinkers engaged highlight the importance of gendered understandings of work and the significance of the family unit in the development of a moral critique of the capitalist system. This led to their differing views on the role to be played by the state in regulating the economy, and revealed how inseparable religion and economics were in their social thought. Social Catholicism played an important role in framing social policy in Ireland after independence; through the living wage doctrine, it played a significant part in a wider transatlantic debate about the moral questions posed by capitalism, in ways that continue to reverberate today.
Tiempo Al Tiempo
Authors: Campbell Baird
Published: June 2022

This article explores the role of critical engagement with official and alternative historical narratives for dissident/diverse activists in Chile. Intervening in the debate surrounding queer temporality, which has tended to focus on the idea of futurity, the article brings Elizabeth Freeman's concept of “temporal drag” into conversation with Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui's theorization of ch'ixi subjectivity to argue that temporal drag on ch'ixi bodies renders visible the impact of colonial norms surrounding race and sexuality in the creation of the modern Chilean nation-state. Through four case studies, gathered via archival research and ethnographic participant observation, the author makes the case that by engaging with and questioning, rather than running from, official historical narratives, dissident/diverse activists in Chile carry out activism that brings to light both the country's historical and continuing oppression of sexual and racial minorities and the violent histories of colonialism and dictatorship that have made this oppression possible.
Pseudoaneurysm of Distal Anterior Cerebral Artery Secondary to External Ventricular Drain: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Reisen Breanne E. , Kinachtchouk Nickolas S. , Hudson Michael L. , Adel Joseph G.
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE:

External ventricular drain (EVD) placement is a common neurosurgical procedure. The risk of hemorrhage is well documented, and the associated risk of pseudoaneurysm is quite rare. Our objective is to report our case of EVD-associated pseudoaneurysm, review the published literature, and suggest management.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION:

A 66-year-old woman presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage secondary to a ruptured posterior communicating artery aneurysm, hydrocephalus was managed with bilateral EVD placement, and the ruptured aneurysm treated with coil embolization. The EVDs were removed, and a tract hemorrhage was noted on the right. Routine imaging 3 months later revealed a cortical pseudoaneurysm along the previous right-sided EVD tract. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully treated with clipping, and the patient is neurologically intact.

CONCLUSION:

This is the first case to report pseudoaneurysm diagnosis after tract hemorrhage upon EVD removal. Prompt treatment is imperative. We recommend considering vascular imaging in any case with hemorrhage upon EVD removal.
Chemical Synthesis of an HIV-1 Protease Analog with Some Amides in a Polypeptide Main Chain Replaced by Disulfide Bonds
Authors: Cui Yan , Taguchi Akihiro , Shida Hayate , Konno Sho , Takayama Kentaro , Taniguchi Atsuhiko , Hayashi Yoshio
Published: June 2022

In this paper, we describe the chemical synthesis of a large artificial protein human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease (HIV-1 PR) analog with a 115-mer polypeptide chain on which some amide bonds in the main chain have been replaced by disulfide bonds. In this synthesis, a new 3-nitro-2-pyridine (Npy)-sulfenylation agent Npys-OPh(pF), which can form an active disulfide by reaction with a t-Bu protected cysteine residue, was found to be applicable to the efficient and sequential disulfide ligation producing disulfide polypeptides. Two sequential disulfide ligations in three peptide fragments were accomplished for the construction of an HIV-1 PR disulfide analog. In the Trp-containing fragment 2, mesitylenesulfonyl (Mts) protection avoided a side reaction of Npys-OPh(pF), probably at an indole residue. The HIV-1 PR disulfide analog was successfully synthesized from fragment 1 with an isolated yield of 11% by two disulfide ligations of the fragments and the final Mts deprotection of the Trp residue.
Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of innovative catalyst systems for ethylene production through the oxidative coupling of methane
Authors: Σιακαβέλας Γεώργιος
Published: June 2022

Η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή παρουσιάζει πρωτότυπα πειραματικά αποτελέσματα και νέες πληροφορίες για την παραγωγή C2H4 μέσω της αξιοποίησης του μεθανίου, είτε αυτό προέρχεται από πρωτογενή βιομάζα, είτε από επεξεργασία απορριμμάτων, είτε από το φυσικό αέριο. Είναι γνωστό ότι το C2H4 χρησιμοποιείται ως ενισχυτής για την ωρίμανση των φρούτων και ως πρώτη ύλη στην πετροχημική βιομηχανία για την παραγωγή πολυμερών (π.χ. πολυαιθυλένιο), αλλά και πολλών άλλων βασικών προϊόντων. Για την υλοποίηση του παραπάνω στόχου μελετήθηκε η αντίδραση της οξειδωτικής σύζευξης του μεθανίου (ΟΣΜ) παρουσία καταλυτών στηριζόμενων σε ενισχυμένα ή μη οξείδια του δημητρίου (CeO2), υπό συνθήκες ταυτόχρονης τροφοδοσίας μεθανίου και οξυγόνου, σε ατμοσφαιρική πίεση και σε θερμοκρασιακό εύρος μεταξύ 600-870οC. Επιπρόσθετα, στα πλαίσια της διδακτορικής διατριβής, μελετήθηκε η διεργασία της προσρόφησης – εκρόφησης του C2H4, όπως και η αξιοποίηση του CO2 μέσω της αντίδρασης της υδρογόνωσης για την παραγωγή συνθετικού φυσικού αερίου. Υπενθυμίζεται ότι τα προϊόντα αντίδρασης της ΟΣΜ αποτελούνται από C2H4, C2H6, CH4, CO2 και CO. Το βασικό ενδιαφέρον αυτής της διατριβής εστιάζεται στη μελέτη του CH4, αλλά και του CO2 ως πρώτη ύλη για την επίτευξη ωφέλιμων αποτελεσμάτων (παραγωγή χρήσιμων χημικών προϊόντων αυξημένης προστιθέμενης αξίας) μέσω καταλυτικών διεργασιών και προηγμένων καταλυτικών υλικών. Για την επίτευξη αυτών των προκλήσεων, η θεματολογία της διατριβής πηγάζει από τομείς της σύγχρονης έρευνας όπως αυτοί της προώθησης της ενεργότητας των καταλυτών και της χρήσης διαφορετικών μεθόδων παρασκευής καταλυτικών συστημάτων με βελτιωμένες δομικές και φυσικοχημικές ιδιότητες (διασπορά ενεργού φάσης, οξεοβασικές ιδιότητες, ικανότητα αποθήκευσης οξυγόνου) για την ενίσχυση της απόδοσης και της εκλεκτικότητας τους ως προς τα επιθυμητά προϊόντα. Σε πειραματικό επίπεδο, η διατριβή συνεισφέρει πέντε ανεξάρτητες και πρωτότυπες μελέτες (ήτοι, δημοσιευμένες εργασίες σε διεθνή περιοδικά με κριτές) οι οποίες αφορούν: (α) τη πειραματική και θεωρητική μελέτη της προσρόφησης του C2H4 από ένα μείγμα που προσομοιώνει τα προϊόντα που λαμβάνονται κατά την αντίδραση ΟΣΜ (κυρίως CO2, CO, CH4, C2H4 και C2H6), χρησιμοποιώντας ένα εμπορικό μοριακό κόσκινο (MOS), (β) τη παρασκευή, τον χαρακτηρισμό και τη μελέτη της δραστικότητας και σταθερότητας καταλυτικών συστημάτων με ενεργό φάση το Λίθιο (Li+) στηριγμένων σε φορέα CeO2 τροποποιημένο ή μη στην αντίδρασης της ΟΣΜ, και (γ) τη παρασκευή, το χαρακτηρισμό και την αξιολόγηση της απόδοσης και του χρόνου ζωής στην αντίδραση της υδρογόνωσης του CO2 ως προς την παραγωγή CH4, καταλυτών νικελίου (Ni) στηριζόμενους σε φορέα CeO2 τροποποιημένο ή μη.
Διαδικτυακή διαφήμιση και παγκόσμια καταναλωτική κουλτούρα
Authors: Γκαργκάνας Οδυσσέας
Published: June 2022

Σκοπός: Στην παρούσα έρευνα μελετώνται διαφημιστικά μηνύματα σε μορφή βίντεο που προβλήθηκαν στο διαδίκτυο, με την ανάλυση να επικεντρώνεται στο περιεχόμενο και δη στις διαφημιστικές εκκλήσεις και τις δημιουργικές στρατηγικές,ως τους βασικούς μηχανισμούς πειθούς που ενσωματώνονται στις δημοφιλέστερες ελληνικές και ξένες διαφημίσεις που προβλήθηκαν στο YouTube μεταξύ 2014-2018. Πρόκειται για μια διαπολιτισμική μελέτη των αξιών στη διαφήμιση που σκοπό έχει να εξετάσει, αφενός, τις επιμέρους εθνικές πολιτισμικές επιδράσεις στις οποίες υπόκειται η διαδικτυακή διαφήμιση, αφετέρου, την ενδεχόμενη τάση ομογενοποίησης επιμέρους στοιχείων του διαφημιστικού περιεχομένου, υπό την επιρροή ενός οικουμενικού μέσου όπως το διαδίκτυο και ενός δημοφιλούς δικτύου διανομής περιεχομένου, όπως το YouTube.Μεθοδολογία: Στο πλαίσιο μιας βαθύτερης κατανόησης της λειτουργίας της διαφήμισης στην ψηφιακή της μορφή προκρίθηκε η μεικτή μέθοδος ποσοτικής και ποιοτικής ανάλυσης περιεχομένου για την ολιστική μελέτη, τόσο της δηλωτικής, όσο και της υποδηλωτικής σημασίας των διαφημίσεων, καθώς και της αλληλεπίδρασης μεταξύ παγκόσμιων και τοπικών επιρροών στο περιεχόμενό τους. Ερευνητικά ευρήματα: Από τα ευρήματα της ποσοτικής και ποιοτικής ανάλυσης περιεχομένου προέκυψε από τη μία, σαφής διαφοροποίηση ανάμεσα στις δημοφιλέστερες ξένες και ελληνικές διαφημίσεις σε επίπεδο υπόρρητουπεριεχομένου και δη εκκλήσεων, ως τον κύριο αγωγό για την ενσωμάτωση των πολιτισμικών αξιών στη διαφήμιση. Από την άλλη, οποιαδήποτε απόπειρα ομογενοποίησης και τοπικής οικειοποίησης του διαφημιστικού περιεχομένουπεριορίστηκε σε στοιχεία της δημιουργικής εκτέλεσής του. Αφενός λοιπόν, επιβεβαιώθηκε η βασική υπόθεση εργασίας που κάνει λόγο για διαφοροποίηση του υπόρρητου διαφημιστικού περιεχομένου ανάλογα με τον πολιτισμό αναφοράς. Αφετέρου, επιμέρους στρατηγικές ομογενοποίησης και τοπικής οικειοποίησης συνήθως ευοδώνονται, όταν αξιοποιούν στο διαφημιστικό περιεχόμενο πιο επιφανειακά και εφήμερα πολιτισμικά στοιχεία, τα οποία δεν ανήκουν στον πυρήνα του πολιτισμού του εκάστοτε εθνικού ακροατηρίου. Ακόμα και το γεγονός ότι,αντικείμενο μελέτης στην παρούσα έρευνα είναι διαφημίσεις που εντάσσονται στη δημοφιλή κουλτούρα του διαδικτύου ασκεί περιορισμένη επίδραση στην εφαρμογή οριζόντιων στρατηγικών ομογενοποίησης του διαφημιστικού περιεχομένου.Πρωτότυπη συμβολή: Η παρούσα μελέτη εξετάζει τις επιδράσεις της ψηφιακής τεχνολογίας και του διαδικτύου, ως φορέων πολιτισμικής αλλαγής στο διαφημιστικό περιεχόμενο. Η χαρτογράφηση ειδικότερα της διαφήμισης σε μορφή βίντεο στα μέσα κοινωνικής δικτύωσης μπορεί να αποτελέσει ερευνητική βάση για παρόμοιες μελέτες στο ψηφιακό πεδίο, παράλληλα δε, να λειτουργήσει και ως «παρατηρητήριο» τηςεξέλιξης και διαμόρφωσης της ταυτότητας της διαφήμισης στο διαδίκτυο. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, ελάχιστες ερευνητικές απόπειρες καταγράφονται, οι οποίες μελετούν συνδυαστικά διαδικτυακές διαφημίσεις, τόσο σε διαπολιτισμικό επίπεδο, όσο και σε επίπεδο ανάλυσης περιεχομένου.
Acousmatic Noise: Racialization and Resistance in The Tempest's 'New World' Soundscape
Authors: Cortes Mayra
Published: June 2022

I analyze Shakespeare’s racialization of noise in The Tempest as an acousmatic phenomenon and suggest how the acousmatic — sound whose source remains hidden — is imagined as a weapon of resistance that the racialized noisome Other could use to resist aristocratic and colonial power. Shakespeare’s play echoes the Algonquian-speaking Powhatan use of acousmatic singing in Tsenacommacah as a mode of warfare against the English in Virginia in 1611 with that of Caliban and his companions’ (Stephano and Trinculo) singing revolt.
Identifying Food Labeling Effects on Consumer Behavior
Authors: Araya Sebastián , Elberg Andrés , Noton Carlos , Schwartz Daniel
Published: June 2022

The paper examines a large-scale mandatory food labeling regulation to identify its effects on consumer behavior.
A New Approach for Vehicle Routing with Stochastic Demand: Combining Route Assignment with Process Flexibility
Authors: Ledvina Kirby , Qin Hanzhang , Simchi-Levi David , Wei Yehua
Published: June 2022

Motivated by logistical problems faced by a large supply chain software company, the paper, “A New Approach for Vehicle Routing with Stochastic Demand: Combining Route Assignment with Process Flexibility,” studies a vehicle routing problem where some routes are allowed to overlap. The paper proposes a class of simple and effective strategies to design overlapped routes with customer sharing, which combines ideas from the process flexibility in manufacturing and traditional vehicle routing literatures. Through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, the paper illustrates the advantage of an overlapped routing strategy with a small amount of customer overlaps. In particular, it shows that such a strategy can provide consistent route assignments to drivers, while achieving a similar expected travel distance as the theoretical benchmark in the fully reoptimized setting. The strategy is in contrast to the traditional fixed routing strategy, which provides consistent route assignments to drivers, but incurs a much higher expected travel distance.
Forecasting COVID-19 and Analyzing the Effect of Government Interventions
Authors: Li Michael Lingzhi , Bouardi Hamza Tazi , Lami Omar Skali , Trikalinos Thomas A. , Trichakis Nikolaos , Bertsimas Dimitris
Published: June 2022

Statement: Starting in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with millions of deaths worldwide. In “Forecasting COVID-19 and Analyzing the Effect of Government Interventions“, M. L. Li, H. Tazi Bouardi, O. Skali Lami, T. Trikalinos, N. Trichakis, and D. Bertsimas proposed a novel epidemiological model, DELPHI, that combined a novel modeling of government interventions, nonlinear optimization, and compartmental epidemiology models to forecast COVID-19 spread. They used DELPHI to demonstrate how lockdowns reduced the transmission by nearly 80%, whereas earlier societal action could have saved more than 75% of the lives lost in many countries. They also created a scenario analysis toolkit that utilized DELPHI’s modeling of interventions to generate “what if” scenarios under different future interventions. Janssen Pharmaceuticals utilized this toolkit to select optimized locations for the Phase III trial of their COVID-19 vaccine, leading to a trial acceleration of 8 weeks and saving thousands of lives.
“İnsan Bir Sözle Üşür”: Sözün ve Söz Söylemenin Türk Dünyası Atasözlerine Yansıyan Türk Halk Düşüncesi
Authors: TEKİN Fatma
Published: June 2022

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türklerin geleneksel dünya görüşünde sözün mahiyeti, anlamsal özellikleri ve nasıl kullanılması yani konuşulması gerektiği bilgisini, atasözleri örnekleminden yola çıkarak örnek metinler eşliğinde tespit etmek ve yorumlamaya çalışmaktır. Çalışmanın materyalini Türk topluluklarının atasözleriyle ilgili yapılan aktarma ve inceleme çalışmalarından elde edilen 165 adet atasözü oluşturmuştur. Yapılan incelemelerde atasözlerinde “söz”ün; felsefi, retorik ve toplumsal boyutlarıyla yer aldığı görülmüştür. Buna göre, gönül (duygu) ve akıl (bilgi) olmak üzere iki kaynağa sözler; anlamına, içeriğine ve muhatap üzerindeki etkisine göre kıymetli söz, doğru/hak söz, güzel/tatlı söz, kötü/kaba söz, yalan ve boş/anlamsız söz olmak üzere altıya ayrılmaktadır. Sözün birey ve toplum yaşantısı üzerindeki etkisi, olumlu ya da olumsuz oldukça fazladır. Atasözlerinin sözün nasıl ifade edilmesi gerektiğiyle ilgili olarak bireye ve topluma telkini; sözün az, öz, yerinde ve zamanında söylenmesidir. Çalışmada yapılan tespit ve yorumlardan da anlaşıldığı üzere atasözleri, Türklerin geleneksel dünya görüşünün ve halk felsefesinin özünü oluşturan önemli dil varlıklarıdır. Halk düşüncesindeki söz ile ilgili olarak sosyokültürel değerleri ve normlar sistemini yansıtmaktadır. Atasözleri, sözün mahiyetini açıklaması ve nasıl konuşulması gerektiğini bireye ve topluma öğretmesi noktasında öğretici ve yönlendirici işleve sahiptir. Atasözlerinde sözün belirgin bir şekilde yer alması ise, Türklerin çok eski çağlardan bu yana düşünce sistemlerinde birey-birey, birey-toplum nazarında insan ilişkilerine ve iletişime verdiği önemi göstermektedir.
Performance Evaluation of a Commercially Available Desiccant-Based Seed Drying System
Authors: Dien Alice , Momin Md Abdul , Ying Tianyu , Spang Edward S. , Kornbluth Kurt , Donis-González Irwin R.
Published: June 2022

Highlights

Desiccant-based convective drying systems can remove moisture from agricultural commodities.

More than 85% of FlexiDry system’s energy consumption was used for desiccant regeneration.

Desiccant regeneration provides an opportunity to switch from natural gas or propane combustion to electricity.

Greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced in desiccant drying systems by the increased use of renewable electricity.

Abstract. FlexiDry® is a commercially available desiccant-based drying system designed to reduce seed moisture content and promote seed preservation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate FlexiDry in drying 130 kg of whole yellow corn kernels (Zea mays) for large-scale human and animal consumption. FlexiDry was tested in two treatments, using heated (HA) and unheated (UA) air, and compared to conventional heated-air (CHA) drying. The desiccant (Drying Beads) was regenerated (moisture removed) at 250°C using a furnace within the FlexiDry system. All treatments properly dried the corn below the target value of 15% dry basis moisture content (MD). The CHA and HA treatments yielded an average moisture extraction rate (MER) of 1.42 kg h-1, compared to 0.58 kg h-1 for the UA treatment. In terms of energy consumption, the specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) was 0.20, 0.44, and 1.11 kg kWh-1 for the UA, HA, and CHA treatments, respectively. The coefficient of performance (COP), i.e., the ratio between the theoretical heat delivered and the total energy consumed, was 0.14, 0.30, and 0.75 for the UA, HA, and CHA treatments, respectively. The FlexiDry treatments (HA and UA) consumed more energy than the CHA treatment, with more than 85% of the energy consumption used to regenerate the Drying Beads. The system yielded a global warming potential (GWP) of 0.931 and 0.425 kg CO2-eq kg-1 of water removed for the UA and HA treatments, respectively. These values are higher than the GWP of the U.S. corn industry drying standard, which is reported as 0.383 kg CO2-eq kg-1 water. Thus, if the regeneration process can be optimized, there is potential for reductions in energy intensity and GWP with large-scale, desiccant-based drying of agricultural commodities. Keywords: ,Dehydration, Energy, Food safety, Moisture, Regeneration.
Military aircraft: LED lights for high-speed take-offs, landing, and taxi
Authors: NICOLIN Bogdan Adrian , NICOLIN Ilie
Published: June 2022

This paper presents the authors’ recent documentary research on the benefits of using LED lighting products for military aircraft for high-speed take-offs, landings, and taxiing. LED lighting products offer numerous advantages over conventional incandescent aircraft bulb lighting (Halogen and Xenon bulb-based lighting technologies). In terms of energy consumption, LED lighting products are ten times more efficient than incandescent lighting, designed and produced to consume much less electricity than conventional lighting, and do not require a high voltage external power supply. LED lights maintain their full light output even at lower aircraft engine rotation. The LED lights are solid-state mounted devices that can tolerate high levels of shock and vibration without failing. The LED lights for high-speed take-offs, landings, and taxiing offer extraordinary performance that will truly transform the flying experience during nighttime.
Dispersion relations, capillary waves, and the Rayleigh-Plateau instability
Authors: PATRASCU Claudiu , BALAN Corneliu
Published: June 2022

The paper shows the importance of the dispersion relation in characterizing the capillary waves seen on liquid jets. Several theoretical models are given to better understand the stability of cylindrical interfaces when various parameters are considered, such as confinement, bulk elasticity, or the viscosity ratio between the two liquid phases. Theoretical predictions are compared with experimental data in terms of the fastest-growing mode for several liquid-in-air systems. Capillary-wave decay factors are also investigated, for stationary wave trains created at the impact of a liquid jet on a horizontal liquid bath, via the dispersion relation.
Ray-transfer functions for camera simulation of 3D scenes with hidden lens design
Authors: Goossens Thomas , Lyu Zheng , Ko Jamyuen , Wan Gordon C. , Farrell Joyce , Wandell Brian
Published: June 2022

Combining image sensor simulation tools with physically based ray tracing enables the design and evaluation (soft prototyping) of novel imaging systems. These methods can also synthesize physically accurate, labeled images for machine learning applications. One practical limitation of soft prototyping has been simulating the optics precisely: lens manufacturers generally prefer to keep lens design confidential. We present a pragmatic solution to this problem using a black box lens model in Zemax; such models provide necessary optical information while preserving the lens designer’s intellectual property. First, we describe and provide software to construct a polynomial ray transfer function that characterizes how rays entering the lens at any position and angle subsequently exit the lens. We implement the ray-transfer calculation as a camera model in PBRT and confirm that the PBRT ray-transfer calculations match the Zemax lens calculations for edge spread functions and relative illumination.
EDTA salt modified carbon paste electrode for square wave voltammetric determination of theophylline in pharmaceutical tablet formulation
Authors: Moges Amsalu , Dawit Mulugeta , Turbale Mahilet , Amare Meareg
Published: June 2022

In this study, a square wave voltammetric method for determination of theophylline in tablet formulation based on EDTA salt modified carbon paste electrode is presented. CV, FT-IR, and EIS results confirmed modification of the carbon paste with EDTA salt. In contrast to the unmodified carbon paste electrode, the modified carbon paste electrode showed irreversible oxidation of theophylline with considerable current enhancement. Investigation of the effect of scan rate on the Ip and Ep response of the modified electrode for theophylline revealed predominantly diffusion controlled oxidation kinetics. Under the optimized conditions, square wave oxidative peak current of theophylline in pH 7.0 PBS showed linear dependence on concentration in the range 10–200 μM with determination coefficient (R2), limit of detection, and limit of quantification of 0.99782, 0.0257 μM, and 0.0857 μM, respectively. Detection of an amount of theophylline in the analyzed tablet formulation with 1.85% error from its nominal content (120 mg/tablet) confirmed the accuracy of the developed method. Spike and interference recovery results of 98.59%, and 95.7–100%, respectively validated the applicability of the developed method for determination of theophylline content in tablet samples.
Development of protective equipment for endoscopic treatment and surgery in otorhinolaryngology
Authors: Matsuwaki Yoshinori , Ariyoshi Daiki , Iwamoto Risa , Morishima Tetsuya , Kimura Keita , Kikuchi Daisuke
Published: June 2022

Objective

The coronavirus disease pandemic has raised concerns regarding the transmission of infections to healthcare workers. We developed a new protective device to reduce the risk of aerosol diffusion and droplet infection among healthcare workers. Here, we report the results of a theoretical evaluation of the efficacy of this device.

Methods

We used suction-capable masks with and without rubber slits, sleeves for the insertion section of endoscopes and treatment tools, and a cover for the control section of the endoscope. To simulate droplet spread from patients, we created a droplet simulation model and an aerosol simulation model. The results with and without the devices attached and with and without the suction were compared.

Results

The droplet simulation model showed a 95% reduction in droplets with masks with rubber slits; furthermore, a reduction of 100% was observed when the insertion sleeve was used. Evaluation of aerosol simulation when suction was applied revealed an aerosol reduction of 98% and >99% with the use of the mask without rubber slits and with the combined use of the mask and insertion sleeve, respectively. The elimination of droplet emission upon instrument removal confirmed that the instrument sleeve prevented the diffusion of droplets. The elimination of droplets upon repeated pressing of the suction button confirmed that the cover prevented the diffusion of droplets.

Conclusion

We developed a device for infection control, in collaboration with a gastrointestinal endoscopist and Olympus Medical Systems Corporation, that was effective in reducing droplet and aerosol diffusion in this initial theoretical assessment.
A qPCR-duplex assay for sex determination in ancient DNA
Authors: Poma Anna , Cesare Patrizia , Bonfigli Antonella , Volpe Anna Rita , Colafarina Sabrina , Vecchiotti Giulia , Forgione Alfonso , Zarivi Osvaldo
Published: June 2022

Molecular biology techniques are increasingly being used in sex identification of skeletal remains when traditional anthropometric analyzes are not successful in identifying sex of remains that are incomplete, fragmented and /or of immature individuals. In the present work, we investigated the possibility of determining sex by using the qPCR-duplex method for both ancient and modern DNA samples. This method involves the co-amplification of two genes in a single reaction system and the subsequent analysis of the fusion curves; the gene sequences used for the construction of suitable primers are those of steroid sulfatase (STS) and testis specific protein Y-linked 1 (TSPY) genes which turned out to be two sensitive markers as they have a detection limit of 60 pg and 20 pg respectively on modern DNA. The validity of the method was verified on modern DNA in which gender was identified in all the samples with 100% accuracy; thus, allowing for the same results as the classic method with amelogenin, but in a faster and more immediate way, as it allows for sex determination solely by analyzing the denaturation curves without having to perform an electrophoretic run. The proposed molecular technique proves to be sensitive and precise even on degraded DNA, in fact on 9 archaeological finds dating from the VII-XII century in which sex had been identified through anthropometric analysis, it confirmed the sex of 8 out of 9 finds correctly.
Cosmologias guarani e educação escolar: um estudo a partir do contexto do oeste do Paraná
Authors: Brighenti Clovis Antonio
Published: June 2022

Pelo presente artigo analisaremos a relação entre os fundamentos ideológicos das escolas presentes nos tekoha kuêra (aldeias) Avá-Guarani com as cosmologias desse povo. Nosso estudo se debruça sobre o contexto do povo Avá-Guarani na região brasileira fronteiriça com o Paraguai e Argentina. Faremos uso do material bibliográfico sobre os Guarani, em especial as obras que abordam temáticas mitológicas e educacionais cotejadas com as teorias da história indígena, bem como com estudos sobre as mitologias ameríndias e como elas se distinguem das ideologias ocidentais pela oposição complementária. As escolas são, por excelência, o espaço da transmissão e consolidação da ideologia de uma dada sociedade. No caso das sociedades Guarani as escolas são recentes ainda em definição se adotarão as perspectivas próprias de educação ou o modelo capitalista ocidental. Nesse sentido, o artigo analisa em que medida os conceitos da cosmológicos Guarani se fazem presente e como ocorre a confrontação com a ideologia sociedade ocidental.
Vozes-negras nas fronteiras da colonialidade: pedagogia de (re)existência, um modo outro de (des)aprendizagem
Authors: Miglio de Mesquita Ilka , Santos de Almeida Mirianne
Published: June 2022

Este texto é fruto dos diálogos empreendidos com meninas negras e quilombolas acerca dos atravessamentos do racismo nas experiências de vida e aprendizagem. Assim, importa dar a ver como as crianças, sujeitos de si e das próprias histórias, criam possibilidades outras de vida que fazem eclodir uma Pedagogia de (re)existência, a partir da intersecção entre raça, gênero e classe. Para tanto, o pensamento decolonial se constitui como ferramenta interpretativa, elencada para problematizar as amarras colonizadoras que, por tanto tempo, (in)visibilizaram saberes, estéticas, culturas, religiões, modos de ser e viver, subalternizando sujeitos e espaços «outros», não europeus. O que tecemos aqui emerge da intensidade de uma imersão etnográfica, dos sentidos, saberes e fazeres aprendidos no chão de um quilombo urbano. Em suma, o exercício de escuta sensível nos permitiu compreender que nas vozes-negras, meninas e quilombolas, ecoam sentidos e gestos orgânicos de resistência que constituem o que chamamos de Pedagogia de (re)existência – desejo de existência, transformação, criação e ética de si mesmo nas fronteiras da colonialidade. Há, aqui, um modo outro de (des)aprendizagem, de educação antirracista.