bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Визначення перестрахування в законодавстві України: до питання удосконалення
Authors: НЕЧИПОРЕНКО ВАСИЛЬ
Published: November 2021

Стрімкий розвиток страхових правовідносин у світі загалом та в Україні зокрема вказує, серед іншого, на необхідність вдосконалення визначення ключових ознак перестрахування в українських правових джерелах регулювання страхування. Додатковим стимулом для вдосконалення також слугують і констатовані в багатьох наукових працях недоліки визначень перестрахування як правового терміна, який використовується у законодавчих актах України, а також окреслені відповідні шляхи вдосконалення вказаних формулювань. Ураховуючи поточне реформування регулювання ринку страхових послуг, зокрема, за допомогою підготовки нової редакції Закону України “Про страхування”, а також прийдешню рекодифікацію цивільного і господарського законодавства, важливим є акцентування уваги на уникненні повторення зазначених недоліків.
Метою статті є правовий аналіз визначення перестрахування у чинному законодавстві України, а також у проєктах нової редакції Закону України “Про страхування” на шляху реформування нормативного регулювання ринку страхових послуг в Україні.
Сформульовані у статті результати дослідження дадуть змогу зробити висновки щодо відповідності визначення перестрахової термінології в перспективному проєкті нової редакції Закону України “Про страхування” практиці перестрахування як виду правовідносин і договору.
Процедура банкрутства страховиків в Україні
Authors: РАДЗИВІЛЮК ВАЛЕРІЯ
Published: November 2021

Стабільний страховий ринок є необхідною передумовою сталого економічного розвитку України, підвищення її інвестиційної привабливості, однією з найважливіших складових фінансової безпеки держави, без якої неможливо забезпечити розвиток будь-якої країни, безпечне функціонування суб’єктів господарювання, убезпечення різних сфер їхньої життєдіяльності. В Україні, як і в багатьох країнах світу, страхові компанії є досить потужними учасниками ринку фінансових послуг, які відіграють ключову роль у впровадженні економічної і соціальної політики, у прискоренні економічних перетворень. Проте не слід залишати поза увагою ту обставину, що страхова діяльність є високо ризиковою і завжди існує небезпека, особливо в період загострення світової фінансово-економічної кризи, через банкрутство однієї страхової компанії спричинити ланцюгову реакцію банкрутств інших страховиків (перестраховиків, страхових посередників) аж до системної кризи на ринку фінансових послуг загалом.
З огляду на це у багатьох країнах світу правова регламентація відносин неплатоспроможності страховиків, щодо яких застосовуються судові процедури банкрутства (неспроможності), конкурсу має на меті запобігання зазначеним негативним наслідкам і збереження активів страхових компаній. Певним чином зазначена тенденція прослідковується у законодавстві про банкрутство в Україні.
Мета статті – виявити специфіку провадження у стравах про банкрутство, де боржником (банкрутом) виступає страховик; проаналізувати особливості судових процедур банкрутства, що можуть бути застосовані до страховика; сформулювати пропозиції щодо вдосконалення законодавства України про банкрутство в частині проблем, які досліджуються.
Встановлено, що з ухваленням Кодексу України з процедур банкрутства правова регламентація відносин, пов’язаних із неплатоспроможністю, банкрутством страховика не зазнала суттєвих змін. У зв’язку з цим актуальною є відповідь на запитання, чи міститься у нормах новітнього законодавства про банкрутство достатньо положень, що можуть сприяти вирішанню проблеми, які виникають у зв’язку та внаслідок із неплатоспроможністю таких боржників.
Авторка доходить висновку, що зокрема: своєрідність справ про банкрутство страховиків пов’язана з тим, що вони “обтяжені” специфікою правового статусу суб’єкта таких процедур; законодавством про банкрутство передбачена можливість застосування до страховиків процедур відновлення платоспроможності; до специфічних правових наслідків відкриття ліквідаційної процедури та визнання боржника-страховика банкрутом належить припинення всіх договорів страхування, продаж єдиного майнового комплексу; характерною рисою законодавств про банкрутство (неспроможність), конкурсного законодавства різних країн є те, що вони засновані на неоднакових підходах до правового регулювання процесуальних відносин банкрутства страховиків.
Classical and Quantum Algorithms for Assembling a Text from a Dictionary
Authors: Khadiev Kamil , Remidovskii Vladislav
Published: November 2021

We study algorithms for solving the problem of assembling a text (long string) from a dictionary (a sequence of small strings). The problem has an application in bioinformatics and has a connection with the sequence assembly method for reconstructing a long deoxyribonucleic-acid (DNA) sequence from small fragments. The problem is assembling a string t of length n from strings s1,...,sm. Firstly, we provide a classical (randomized) algorithm with running time Õ(nL0.5 + L) where L is the sum of lengths of s1,...,sm. Secondly, we provide a quantum algorithm with running time Õ(nL0.25 + √mL). Thirdly, we show the lower bound for a classical (randomized or deterministic) algorithm that is Ω(n+L). So, we obtain the quadratic quantum speed-up with respect to the parameter L; and our quantum algorithm have smaller running time comparing to any classical (randomized or deterministic) algorithm in the case of non-constant length of strings in the dictionary.
Developing Craft in the Ballet Class
Authors: Crow Susie
Published: November 2021

The ballet class is a complex pedagogical phenomenon in which an embodied tradition is transmitted in practice from one generation to the next, shaping not just the dancing but the attitudes and perceptions of dancers throughout their careers. This paper emerges from observations and experience of recent and current ballet class practice, and theoretical investigations into embodied learning in the arts. It outlines the influential role of large hegemonic institutions in shaping how ballet is currently taught and learned; and the effect of this on the class's evolving relation to ballet's repertoire of old and emerging dances as artworks. It notes the increasing importation into ballet pedagogy of thinking rooted in sports science, engendering the notion of the dancer as athlete; and of historic attitudes which downplay the agency of the dancer.

I propose an alternative model for understanding the nature of learning in the ballet class, relating it to what Donald Schön calls ‘deviant traditions of education for practice’ in other performing and visual arts ( Schön 1987 p16). I look at the dancer's absorption via the class of ballet's danse d’école, its core technique of academic dance content. I suggest how this process might more constructively be understood through the lens of craft learning and the development of craftsmanship via apprenticeship, the dancer learning alongside the teacher as experienced artist practitioner who models behaviours that foster creativity.
Staging the Folk: Choreographic Issues of National Representation
Authors: Shay Anthony
Published: November 2021

This article looks at the multiple ways that folk dance has been staged in both the nineteenth century when character or national (the two terms were used interchangeably) dance was widely used in classical ballet, and the twentieth in which Igor Moiseyev created a new genre of dance related to it. The ballet masters that created character dance for ballet often created ballroom dances based on folk origin, but that would be suitable for the urban population. This popularity of national dance was the result of the burgeoning of romantic nationalism that swept Europe after the French Revolution. Beginning in the 1930s with Igor Moiseyev founding the first professional ‘folk dance’ company for the Soviet Union, nation states across the world established large, state-supported folk dance companies for purposes of national and ethnic representation that dominated the stages of the world for the second half of the twentieth century. These staged versions of folk dance, were, I argue an extension of nineteenth century national/character dance because their founding directors, like Igor Moiseyev, came from the era when ballet dancers were trained in that genre.
Sisyphean Unproductivity in Narrative Film
Authors: Velasquez Juan
Published: November 2021

This article examines the relationship between labour, productivity and film. The purpose of this intervention is to suggest that narrative film can show us the unproductive tendencies that humans carry within them but that cannot always make themselves known. These leisurely desires erupt as musicality, ecstasy, and the undoing of the self when we carry out the repetitive gestures of work. This article compares Camus's freedom and Georges Bataille's sovereignty as they share an interest in anti-futurity and anti-productivity and it uses these concepts to propose worker's ecstatic escapes from labour as Sisyphean unproductivity. Using this theoretical framework, I carry out a comparative and formal analysis of Sisyphus (Marcell Jankovics, 1974), Modern Times (Charles Chaplin, 1936), The Apartment (Billy Wilder,1960) , Saut ma ville (Chantal Akerman, 1971) and Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, 2000). While the field of film studies has highlighted the role of cinema as a tool for propagating ideologies of productivity, the scenes examined suggest that film also has a history of subverting ideologies of productivity through repetitive, Sisyphean unproductivity. By updating the plight of the Greek hero to 20thand 21stcentury capitalism, these directors uncover a fundamental, yet impossible, human desire for non-productive activities This re-centering of the unproductive could be useful in future academic re-categorizations of the working class through its desires to not work, that is, it provides preliminary materials for understanding class identities through their deformation, and not just their formation.
College Journals, Educational Modernism and Palestinian Nationalism in Mandatory Palestine:Majallat al-Kulliyyah al-‘Arabiyyah
Authors: Moed Kamal
Published: November 2021

This article examines the role of Majallat al-Kulliyyah al-‘Arabiyyah, a ‘School Journal’ published by the Arab College in Jerusalem during the Mandatory period. This School Journal was a key agent of modernisation, enlightenment and national awareness among the Palestinian people. A period of intense national struggle, the Mandatory period was replete with political and military upheavals that decided the fate of the country and ended with the expulsion of more than half of the Palestinians and the Palestine Nakba of 1948. Among the most significant cultural changes during the Mandate, that had a major positive impact on Palestinians, was the expansion of the press, including the School Journals. These School Journals played a crucial role in widening the circle of education in Palestine, reducing illiteracy rates, advancing modernisation processes in Arab society and, importantly, promoting Palestinian Arab nationalist ideas as an instrument of national struggle against British colonialism and the Zionist settler movement in Palestine. The article focuses on Majallat al-Kulliyyah al-‘Arabiyyah as the most widespread and influential Arab School Journal during the Mandate period and analyses the key role played by this School Journal in Palestinian educational institutions and the Palestinian national-political struggles during the Mandatory period.
COVİD-19 SALGINI SÜRECİNİN AİLEDE EBEVEYN TUTUMLARI İLE ÇOCUKLARDA DUYGUSAL VE DAVRANIŞSAL DURUMLAR AÇISINDAN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ
Authors: KAY Mehmet Akif , SAĞLAM Mehmet
Published: November 2021

Pandemi sürecinin ortaya çıkması, yaşamın hemen her alanını doğrudan ya da dolaylı olarak etkilerken, özellikle toplumsal yapının çekirdeği olan aile bu süreçten fazlası ile etkilenmiştir. Ailenin rutininin bozulması, hem ebeveynlerin tutumunu değiştirmiş hem de çocuklar üzerinde çeşitli etkileri olmuştur. Salgının ebeveynler ve çocuklar üzerindeki etkisi dikkate alınarak, bu çalışmada Covid-19 salgını sürecinin ailede ebeveyn tutumları ile çocuklarda duygusal ve davranışsal durumlar açısından değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma iki aşamadan oluşan nitel bir çalışmadır. İlk aşamada araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan görüşme formu ebeveynlerce doldurulmuş ikinci aşamada ise ebeveynlere sorulan yarı yapılandırılmış soruların cevaplandırılması sağlanmıştır. Oluşturulan görüşme formunda demografik bilgilere ilişkin sorular ile ebeveyn tutumları ve çocuklardaki duygusal ve davranışsal durumları değerlendirmeye yönelik sorular yer almaktadır. Araştırma sonucunda, salgın sürecinin; ebeveyn tutumlarını ve aile içi ilişkileri etkilediği, çocukların farklı gelişim alanları üzerinde etkileri olduğu, aile içi ilişkilerde çatışmayı arttırdığı ve çocuklarda duygusal ve davranışsal problemler oluşturduğu belirlenmiştir.
The Effect of Project Based Learning on the Writing Competence of English Majors of Halu Oleo University
Authors: Ningzi Vill Janna , Nurnia Nurnia , A.R.G. M. Yazid
Published: November 2021

This study aimed to investigate the effect of project based learning on students’ writing competence and to investigate students’ perception toward the implementation of project based learning. The study employed a quantitative research design. The subjects of the study were 48 English majors at Halu Oleo University. Data were collected by administering a writing test and a questionnaire. The researcher used paired sample t test to examine the effect of project based learning on students’ writing and the questionnaire to explore students’ perception toward the application of project based learning. The findings of the study showed that project based learning had a significant positive effect on students’ writing performance. By the same token, the result of the questionnaire also showed that the students had a positive perception toward project based learning. Overall, project based learning appears to positively impact on students’ writing competence. Not only did the project promote social interaction among the students, but it also made the students active and deeply engaged in their learning. Keywords:Project Based Learning, Writing Competence, Perception
The Effect of Using Quizlet on Students’ Vocabulary Achievement
Authors: Endriyatin Endriyatin , Sahlan Sahlan , Tambunan Tambunan
Published: November 2021

The present research is concerned with the effect of Quizlet on students’ vocabulary achievement and perception. A quasi experimental research design was employed, involving a control group and an experimental group. Each group consisted of thirty students. The sample of the study was determined by way of purposive sampling. The only difference between the control group and the experimental one was that the latter was taught using Quizlet, whereas the former was not. Two types of instruments were used: a vocabulary test and a questionnaire. The findings of the research show that the experimental group outperformed the control group and that students had a positive perception on the use of Quizlet for learning vocabulary.Keywords:Quizlet, vocabulary achievement, Perception on Quizlet
PEMEROLEHAN BAHASA INDONESIA ANAK USIA DINI PAUD SAREPAWE KELURAHAN ONEKORE ENDE
Authors: Jamaludin Zaenab , Sherlin Maria Floriani , Ria Maria Polencis
Published: November 2021

Abstrak: Penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui dan mendeskripsikan situasi pemerolehan dan penggunaan bahasa Indonesia anak usia 2-3 tahun di PAUD Sare Pawe yang terletak di Kelurahan Onekore. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan Kualitatif dengan dasar pertimbangan proses pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan metode observasi. Selain dari itu proses analisis data tidak digunakan dengan cara analisis statistik atau penggunaan angka, tabel dan gambar. Teori yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah teori pemerolehan bahasa dan teori Psikolinguistik. Hasil penelitian menunjukan adanya perubahan dalam ujaran-ujaran yang dituturkan oleh anak-anak pada PAUD Sarepawe yakni telah mampu menuturkan lebih dari satu kata. Jadi berdasarkan uraian yang telah dipaparkan terdahulu dapat ditarik kesimpulannya bahwa anak-anak usia dini 3-4 tahu pada PAUD Sarepawe, Kelurahan Onekore telah mampu menuturkan lebih dari satu kata dalam proses komunikasi di antara teman sebaya dan guru di lingkungan sekolah tersebut. Kata Kunci: PAUD; Pemerolehan Bahasa
Pengembangan Media Pembelajaran Matematika Berbasis Audio Visual Yang Interaktif Pada Masa Pembelajaran Jarak Jauh
Authors: Syarwa Sangila Muhammad , Asran Asran , Ardianto Isra
Published: November 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kelayakan media pembelajaran matematika berbasis audio visual yang dihasilkan. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah research and development dengan menggunakan model Hannafin & Peck. Tahap penelitian terdiri dari tiga tahap yaitu tahap analisis kebutuhan, desain, dan pengembangan/implementasi. Instrumen yang digunakan berupa angket dan wawancara. Angket penilaian diberikan kepada empat orang ahli media dan ahli materi. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa media pembelajaran matematika berbasis audio visual dapat dikategorikan sangat layak untuk digunakan dalam pembelajaran menurut penilaian dari ahli media dan ahli materi, masing-masing memberi skor penilaian 84,32% dari ahli media dan 68,33% dari ahli materi.
THE RELATIONSHIP OF STUDY HABITS AND LEARNING MOTIVATION WITH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN IPS SUBJECTS AT MTs ASY-SYAFI'IYAH KENDARI
Authors: Hasan Zazan Ajil , Karsadi Karsadi , Yasin Muhammad
Published: November 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis hubungan kebiasaan belajar dan motivasi belajar dengan prestasi belajar siswa pada mata pelajaran IPS di MTs Asy-Syafi’iyah Kendari. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif menggunakan metode survei. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh siswa MTs Asy-Syafi’iyah Kendari yang berjumlah 156 siswa dengan jumlah sampel adalah 60 siswa. Pengumpulan data dilakukan menggunakan angket dan tes serta dianalisis menggunakan analisis deskriptif dan analisis inferensial. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa: (1) terdapat hubungan positif kebiasaan belajar dengan prestasi belajar IPS siswa MTs Asy-Syafi’iyah Kendari yang ditunjukkan oleh koefisien korelasi sebesar 0,438 dengan nilai signifikan sebesar 0,000 (0,000 < 0,05); (2) terdapat hubungan positif motivasi belajar dengan prestasi belajar IPS siswa MTs Asy-Syafi’iyah Kendari yang ditunjukkan oleh koefisien korelasi sebesar 0,457 dengan nilai signifikan sebesar 0,000 (0,000 < 0,05); (3) terdapat hubungan positif kebiasaan belajar dan motivasi belajar secara bersama-sama dengan prestasi belajar IPS siswa MTs Asy-Syafi’iyah Kendari yang ditunujukkan oleh koefisien korelasi ganda sebesar 0,468 dengan nilai signifikan sebesar 0,001 (0,000 < 0,05) dan nilai kontribusi sebesar 21,9%. Artinya bahwa semakin baik kebiasaan belajar yang dilandasi dengan motivasi tinggi maka semakin baik pula prestasi belajar yang dicapai
Hubungan Pengetahuan dan Sikap dengan Penggunaan Alat Pelindung Diri (APD) pada Pekerja Bongkar Muat di Pelabuhan Pantoloan
Authors: Sapriana Sapriana
Published: November 2021

Semakin rendah frekuensi penggunaan Alat Pelindung Diri (APD) maka semakin besar kesempatan terjadinya kecelakaan kerja. Pengetahuan dan sikap pekerja sangat berpengaruh  terhadap penggunaan APD. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis hubungan pengetahuan dan sikap dengan penggunaan APD pada pekerja bongkar muat di Pelabuhan Pantoloan. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian analitik dengan pendekatan cross sectional, populasi 110 pekerja, sampel 52 pekerja, menggunakan metode accidental sampling. Hasil analisis univariat menunjukkan 61,5% pekerja memiliki pengetahuan baik tentang penggunaan APD, 76,9% pekerja bersikap positif tentang penggunaan APD, dan sebagian besar pekerja tidak menggunakan APD saat bekerja (88,5%). Hasil uji Fisher Exact menunjukkan pengetahuan responden yang baik tentang alat pelindung diri berhubungan dengan perilaku penggunaan APD saat bekerja (p=0,045), dan sikap responden yang positif tentang alat pelindung diri tidak berhubungan dengan perilaku penggunaan APD saat bekerja (p=0,189). Kesimpulan: a) Pengetahuan yang baik tentang alat pelindung diri berhubungan dengan perilaku penggunaan APD saat bekerja; b) Sikap positif tentang alat pelindung diri tidak berhubungan dengan perilaku penggunaan APD saat bekerja. Disarankan melakukan penelitian kualitatif untuk membantu memahami sikap dan pemikiran pekerja tentang penggunaan APD, selain itu kepada pihak terkait, agar berupaya maksimal meningkatkan kesadaran pekerja tentang Kesehatan dan Keselamatan Kerja (K3) khususnya penggunaan APD.
Cellular Localization of Exogenous Cry1Ab/c and its Interaction with Plasma Membrane Ca2+-ATPase in Transgenic Rice
Authors: Fu Jianmei , Shi Yu , Liu Laipan , Liu Biao
Published: November 2021

The cellular localization of exogenous proteins expressed in transgenic crops not only determines their stability, but also their effects on crop growth and development, including under stressful conditions; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we determined the cellular distribution of exogenously expressed Cry1Ab/c protein in insect-resistant transgenic rice Huahui-1 (HH1) cells through subcellular localization, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and western blot analyses. Interaction between the Cry1Ab/c protein and the preliminarily screened endogenous plasma membrane protein Ca2+-ATPase was investigated through yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BIFC), and co-immunoprecipitation analyses. The potential interaction mechanism was analyzed by comparing the cellular localization and interaction sites between Cry1Ab/c and Ca2+-ATPase. Phenotypic indices and Ca2+-ATPase activity, which may be regulated by the Cry1Ab/c–Ca2+-ATPase interaction, were determined in transgenic HH1 and the parental line Minghui-63 under stress-free and salt-stress conditions. The results showed that Cry1Ab/c was not only distributed in the cytoplasm and nucleus but was also distributed on the plasma membrane, where it interacted with plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase. This interaction partially retain plasma membrane protein Ca2+-ATPase in the nucleus by a BIFC experiment and thus may affect Ca2+-ATPase activity on the membrane by altering the cellular location of the protein. Consistently, our results confirmed that the presence of Cry1Ab/c in the transgenic HH1 resulted in a reduction in Ca2+-ATPase activity as well as causing detrimental effects on plant phenotype, including significantly reduced plant height and biomass, compared to parental MH63; and that these detrimental effects were more pronounced under salt stress conditions, impacting the salt resistance of the transgenic plants. We suggest that the Cry1Ab/c–Ca2+-ATPase interaction may explain the plasma membrane localization of Cry1Ab/c, which lacks a signal peptide and a transmembrane domain, and the adverse effects of Cry1Ab/c expression on the growth and development of transgenic HH1 plants under salt stress. This information may clarify the molecular mechanisms of these unintended effects and demonstrate the feasibility of evaluating the success and performance of genetic modification of commercially vital crops.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus-Associated Hyperglycemia Impairs Glucose Transporter 3 Trafficking in Trophoblasts Through the Downregulation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase
Authors: Zhang Li , Yu Xinyang , Wu Yue , Fu Huijia , Xu Ping , Zheng Yangxi , Wen Li , Yang Xiaotao , Zhang Fumei , Hu Mingyu , Wang Hao , Liu Xiyao , Qiao Juan , Peng Chuan , Gao Rufei , Saffery Richard , Fu Yong , Qi Hongbo , Tong Chao , Kilby Mark D. , Baker Philip N.
Published: November 2021

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an important regulator of glucose metabolism, and glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) is an efficient glucose transporter in trophoblasts. Whether placental AMPK and GLUT3 respond accordingly to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains uncertain. Here, we explored the regulatory role of AMPK in the GLUT3-dependent uptake of glucose by placental trophoblasts and the viability of the cells. In this study, the level of glycolysis in normal and GDM-complicated placentas was assessed by LC-MS/MS. The trophoblast hyperglycemia model was induced by the incubation of HTR8/SVneo cells with a high glucose concentration. GDM animal models were generated with db/ + mice and C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet, and AMPK was manipulated by the oral administration of metformin. The uptake of glucose by trophoblasts was assessed using 2-NBDG or 2-deoxy-D-[3H] glucose. The results showed that GDM is associated with impaired glycolysis, AMPK activity, GLUT3 expression in the plasma membrane (PM) and cell survival in the placenta. Hyperglycemia induced similar changes in trophoblasts, and these changes were rescued by AMPK activation. Both hyperglycemic db/ + and high-fat diet-induced GDM mice exhibited a compromised AMPK–GLUT3 axis and suppressed cell viability in the placenta as well as excessive fetal growth, and all of these effects were partially alleviated by metformin. Taken together, our findings support the notion that AMPK activation upregulates trophoblast glucose uptake by stimulating GLUT3 translocation, which is beneficial for viability. Thus, the modulation of glucose metabolism in trophoblasts by targeting AMPK might ameliorate the adverse intrauterine environment caused by GDM.
MapCell: Learning a Comparative Cell Type Distance Metric With Siamese Neural Nets With Applications Toward Cell-Type Identification Across Experimental Datasets
Authors: Koh Winston , Hoon Shawn
Published: November 2021

Large collections of annotated single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) experiments are being generated across different organs, conditions and organisms on different platforms. The diversity, volume and complexity of this aggregated data requires new analysis techniques to extract actionable knowledge. Fundamental to most analysis are key abilities such as: identification of similar cells across different experiments and transferring annotations from an annotated dataset to an unannotated one. There have been many strategies explored in achieving these goals, and they focuses primarily on aligning and re-clustering datasets of interest. In this work, we are interested in exploring the applicability of deep metric learning methods as a form of distance function to capture similarity between cells and facilitate the transfer of cell type annotation for similar cells across different experiments. Toward this aim, we developed MapCell, a few-shot training approach using Siamese Neural Networks (SNNs) to learn a generalizable distance metric that can differentiate between single cell types. Requiring only a small training set, we demonstrated that SNN derived distance metric can perform accurate transfer of annotation across different scRNA-seq platforms, batches, species and also aid in flagging novel cell types.
Human Liver Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Target Hepatic Stellate Cells and Attenuate Their Pro-fibrotic Phenotype
Authors: Chiabotto Giulia , Ceccotti Elena , Tapparo Marta , Camussi Giovanni , Bruno Stefania
Published: November 2021

Liver fibrosis occurs in response to chronic liver injury and is characterized by an excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. Activated hepatic stellate cells are primarily responsible for this process. A possible strategy to counteract the development of hepatic fibrosis could be the reversion of the activated phenotype of hepatic stellate cells. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized membrane vesicles involved in intercellular communication. Our previous studies have demonstrated that EVs derived from human liver stem cells (HLSCs), a multipotent population of adult stem cells of the liver with mesenchymal-like phenotype, exert in vivo anti-fibrotic activity in the liver. However, the mechanism of action of these EVs remains to be determined. We set up an in vitro model of hepatic fibrosis using a human hepatic stellate cell line (LX-2) activated by transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1). Then, we investigated the effect of EVs obtained from HLSCs and from human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) on activated LX-2. The incubation of activated LX-2 with HLSC-EVs reduced the expression level of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Conversely, MSC-derived EVs induced an increase in the expression of pro-fibrotic markers in activated LX-2. The analysis of the RNA cargo of HLSC-EVs revealed the presence of several miRNAs involved in the regulation of fibrosis and inflammation. Predictive target analysis indicated that several microRNAs (miRNAs) contained into HLSC-EVs could possibly target pro-fibrotic transcripts. In particular, we demonstrated that HLSC-EVs shuttled miR-146a-5p and that treatment with HLSC-EVs increased miR-146a-5p expression in LX-2. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that HLSC-EVs can attenuate the activated phenotype of hepatic stellate cells and that their biological effect may be mediated by the delivery of anti-fibrotic miRNAs, such as miR-146a-5p.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus LB1 Alleviates Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-Induced Adverse Effects in Piglets by Improving Host Immune Response and Anti-Oxidation Stress and Restoring Intestinal Integrity
Authors: Wu Tao , Shi Yutao , Zhang Yanyan , Zhang Min , Zhang Lijuan , Ma Zhipeng , Zhao Di , Wang Lei , Yu Hai , Hou Yongqing , Gong Joshua
Published: November 2021

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a common enteric pathogen that causes diarrhoea in humans and animals. Lactobacillus rhamnosus LB1 (formerly named Lactobacillus zeae LB1) has been shown to reduce ETEC infection to Caenorhabditis elegans and Salmonella burden in pigs. This study was to evaluate the effect of L. rhamnosus LB1 on the gut health of lactating piglets that were challenged with ETEC. Six-four piglets at 7 days of age were equally assigned into 8 groups (8 piglets per group): 1) control group (basal diet, phosphate buffer saline); 2) CT group (basal diet + 40 mg/kg colistin); 3) LL group (basal diet + 1 × 107 CFU/pig/day LB1); 4) HL group (basal diet + 1 × 108 CFU/pig/day LB1); 5) ETEC group: (basal diet + ETEC challenged); 6) CT + ETEC group (basal diet + CT + ETEC); 7) LL + ETEC group (basal diet + 1 × 107 CFU/pig/day LB1 + ETEC); 8) HL + ETEC group (basal diet + 1 × 108 CFU/pig/day LB1 + ETEC). The trial lasted ten days including 3 days of adaptation. Several significant interactions were found on blood parameters, intestinal morphology, gene, and protein expression. ETEC infection disrupted the cell structure and biochemical indicators of blood, undermined the integrity of the intestinal tract, and induced oxidative stress, diarrhoea, intestinal damage, and death of piglets. The supplementation of L. rhamnosus LB1 alleviated ETEC’s adverse effects by reducing pig diarrhoea, oxidative stress, and death, modulating cell structure and biochemical indicators of blood, improving the capacity of immunity and anti-oxidation stress of pigs, and restoring their intestinal integrity. At the molecular level, the beneficial effects of L. rhamnosus LB1 appeared to be mediated by regulating functional related proteins (including HSP70, Caspase-3, NLRP3, AQP3, and AQP4) and genes (including RPL4, IL-8, HP, HSP70, Mx1, Mx2, S100A12, Nrf2, GPX2 and ARG1). These results suggest that dietary supplementation of L. rhamnosus LB1 improved the intestinal functions and health of piglets.
Flagellar Hook Protein FlgE Induces Microvascular Hyperpermeability via Ectopic ATP Synthase β on Endothelial Surface
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Shen Ying , Zheng Yudan , Ji Shundong , Wang Mengru , Wang Beibei , Han Qingzhen , Tian Yufeng , Wang Yiqiang
Published: November 2021

We previously demonstrated the immunostimulatory efficacy ofPseudomonas aeruginosaflagellar hook protein FlgE on epithelial cells, presumablyviaectopic ATP synthases or subunits ATP5B on cell membranes. Here, by using recombinant wild-type FlgE, mutant FlgE (FlgEM; bearing mutations on two postulated critical epitopes B and F), and a FlgE analog in pull-down assay, Western blotting, flow cytometry, and ELISA, actual bindings of FlgE proteins or epitope B/F peptides with ATP5B were all confirmed. Upon treatment with FlgE proteins, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and SV40-immortalized murine vascular endothelial cells manifested decreased proliferation, migration, tube formation, and surface ATP production and increased apoptosis. FlgE proteins increased the permeability of HUVEC monolayers to soluble large molecules like dextran as well as to neutrophils. Immunofluorescence showed that FlgE induced clustering and conjugation of F-actin in HUVECs. In Balb/c-nude mice bearing transplanted solid tumors, FlgE proteins induced a microvascular hyperpermeability in pinna, lungs, tumor mass, and abdominal cavity. All effects observed in FlgE proteins were partially or completely impaired in FlgEM proteins or blocked by pretreatment with anti-ATP5B antibodies. Upon coculture of bacteria with HUVECs, FlgE was detectable in the membrane and cytosol of HUVECs. It was concluded that FlgE posed a pathogenic ligand of ectopic ATP5B that, upon FlgE–ATP5B coupling on endothelial cells, modulated properties and increased permeability of endothelial layers bothin vitroandin vivo. The FlgE-ectopic ATP5B duo might contribute to the pathogenesis of disorders associated with bacterial infection or ectopic ATP5B-positive cells.
The Angiostrongylus vasorum Excretory/Secretory and Surface Proteome Contains Putative Modulators of the Host Coagulation
Authors: Germitsch Nina , Kockmann Tobias , Asmis Lars M. , Tritten Lucienne , Schnyder Manuela
Published: November 2021

Angiostrongylus vasorum is a cardiopulmonary nematode of canids and is, among others, associated with bleeding disorders in dogs. The pathogenesis of such coagulopathies remains unclear. A deep proteomic characterization of sex specific A. vasorum excretory/secretory proteins (ESP) and of cuticular surface proteins was performed, and the effect of ESP on host coagulation and fibrinolysis was evaluated in vitro. Proteins were quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry and functionally characterized through gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis. In total, 1069 ESP (944 from female and 959 from male specimens) and 1195 surface proteins (705 and 1135, respectively) were identified. Among these were putative modulators of host coagulation, e.g., von Willebrand factor type D domain protein orthologues as well as several proteases, including serine type proteases, protease inhibitors and proteasome subunits. The effect of ESP on dog coagulation and fibrinolysis was evaluated on canine endothelial cells and by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). After stimulation with ESP, tissue factor and serpin E1 transcript expression increased. ROTEM revealed minimal interaction of ESP with dog blood and ESP did not influence the onset of fibrinolysis, leading to the conclusion that Angiostrongylus vasorum ESP and surface proteins are not solely responsible for bleeding in dogs and that the interaction with the host’s vascular hemostasis is limited. It is likely that coagulopathies in A. vasorum infected dogs are the result of a multifactorial response of the host to this parasitic infection.
Reflections on Physics Education and Communication with Tibetan Monastics
Authors: Beck Judith , Burton Justin C. , Kamela Martin , Kuchera Michelle P. , Lovell Amy J. , Nordstrom Kerstin , Tenzin Thinley , Ziffer Julie
Published: November 2021

Physics education research, a field that is now over 100 years old, has made it clear: the key to teaching physics successfully is to prioritize getting the concepts across, and the mathematical representation (“laws”) can come later. On the other hand, conceptual representations are steeped in culture and language, while the corresponding “laws” are universal. The ETSI program provided a unique opportunity to re-imagine conceptual physics for Tibetan monastic culture. This perspective describes the major challenges derived from this experience over multiple areas of physics, and addresses two central questions: 1) how does the translation and interpretation of key terms such as energy, motion, charge, and system change the connotations surrounding physical laws? 2) What are the practical strengths and weaknesses of teaching conceptual physics using well-developed methods in the United States, and what can educators learn about the emergence of understanding?
Societies of Futures Past: Examining the History and Potential of International Society Collaborations in Addressing the Burden of Rheumatic Heart Disease in the Developing World
Authors: Enumah Zachary Obinna , Boateng Percy , Bolman Ralph Morton , Beyersdorf Friedhelm , Zühlke Liesl , Musoni Maurice , Tivane Adriano , Zilla Peter
Published: November 2021

This paper explores the role and place of national, regional, and international society collaborations in addressing the major global burden of rheumatic heart disease (RHD). On the same order of HIV, RHD affects over 40 million people worldwide. In this article, we will outline the background and current therapeutic landscape for cardiac surgery in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) including the resource-constrained settings within which RHD surgery often occurs. This creates numerous challenges to delivering adequate surgical care and post-operative management for RHD patients, and thus provides some context for a growing movement for and applicability of structural heart approaches, innovative valve replacement technologies, and minimally invasive techniques in this setting. Intertwined and building from this context will be the remainder of the paper which elaborates how national, regional, and international societies have collaborated to address rheumatic heart disease in the past (e.g., Drakensberg Declaration, World Heart Federation Working Group on RHD) with a focus on primary and secondary prevention. We then provide the recent history and context of the growing movement for how surgery has become front and center in the discussion of addressing RHD through the passing of the Cape Town Declaration.
Left-Ventricular Reference Myocardial Strain Assessed by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking and fSENC—Impact of Temporal Resolution and Cardiac Muscle Mass
Authors: Weise Valdés Elena , Barth Peter , Piran Misagh , Laser Kai Thorsten , Burchert Wolfgang , Körperich Hermann
Published: November 2021

Aims: Cardiac strain parameters are increasingly measured to overcome shortcomings of ejection fraction. For broad clinical use, this study provides reference values for the two strain assessment methods feature tracking (FT) and fast strain-encoded (fSENC) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, including the child/adolescent group and systematically evaluates the influence of temporal resolution and muscle mass on strain.

Methods and Results: Global longitudinal (GLS), circumferential (GCS), and radial (GRS) strain values in 181 participants (54% women, 11–70 years) without cardiac illness were assessed with FT (CVI42® software). GLS and GCS were also analyzed using fSENC (MyoStrain® software) in a subgroup of 84 participants (60% women). Fourteen patients suffering hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) were examined with both techniques. CMR examinations were done on a 3.0T MR-system.

FT-GLS, FT-GCS, and FT-GRS were −16.9 ± 1.8%, −19.2 ± 2.1% and 34.2 ± 6.1%. fSENC-GLS was higher at −20.3 ± 1.8% (p < 0.001). fSENC-GCS was comparable at−19.7 ± 1.8% (p = 0.06). All values were lower in men (p < 0.001). Cardiac muscle mass correlated (p < 0.001) with FT-GLS (r = 0.433), FT-GCS (r = 0.483) as well as FT-GRS (r = −0.464) and acts as partial mediator for sex differences. FT-GCS, FT-GRS and fSENC-GLS correlated weakly with age. FT strain values were significantly lower at lower cine temporal resolutions, represented by heart rates (r = −0.301, −0.379, 0.385) and 28 or 45 cardiac phases per cardiac cycle (0.3–1.9% differences). All values were lower in HCM patients than in matched controls (p < 0.01). Cut-off values were −15.0% (FT-GLS), −19.3% (FT-GCS), 32.7% (FT-GRS), −17.2% (fSENC-GLS), and −17.7% (fSENC-GCS).

Conclusion: The analysis of reference values highlights the influence of gender, temporal resolution, cardiac muscle mass and age on myocardial strain values.
Myokines in Acromegaly: An Altered Irisin Profile
Authors: Mizera Łukasz , Halupczok-Żyła Jowita , Kolačkov Katarzyna , Zembska Agnieszka , Grzegrzółka Jędrzej , Jędrzejuk Diana , Bolanowski Marek , Daroszewski Jacek
Published: November 2021

Introduction

The muscle is an endocrine organ controlling metabolic homeostasis. Irisin and myostatin are key myokines mediating this process. Acromegaly is a chronic disease with a wide spectrum of complications, including metabolic disturbances.

Purpose

To examine the influence of acromegaly on irisin and myostatin secretion and their contribution to metabolic profile and body composition.

Materials and Methods

In 43 patients with acromegaly and 60 controls, serum levels of irisin, myostatin, growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), parameters of glucose, and lipid metabolism were determined. Body composition was assessed with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.

Results

The irisin concentration was significantly lower in patients with acromegaly compared to controls (3.91 vs. 5.09 μg/ml, p = 0.006). There were no correlations between irisin and GH/IGF-1 levels. In the study group, irisin was negatively correlated with fasting insulin (r = −0.367; p = 0.042), HOMA-IR (r = −0.510; p = 0.011), and atherogenic factors: Castelli I (r = −0.416; p = 0.005), Castelli II (r = −0.400; p = 0.001), and atherogenic coefficient (AC) (r = −0.417; p = 0.05). Irisin and myostatin concentrations were also lower in acromegalics with insulin resistance than without (2.80 vs. 4.18 μg/ml, p = 0.047; 81.46 vs. 429.58 ng/L, p = 0.018, respectively). There were no differences between study group and controls in myostatin concentration. Myostatin levels negatively correlated with GH (r = −0.306; p = 0.049), HOMA-IR (r = −0.046; p = 0.411), and insulin levels (r = −0.429; p = 0.016).

Conclusions

Decreased irisin concentrations in acromegaly may suggest impaired hormonal muscle function contributing to metabolic complications in this disorder. However, learning more about the association between myostatin and GH in acromegaly requires further studies. Nevertheless, it appears that myostatin is not critical for muscle mass regulation in acromegaly.
Multifactor Prediction of Embryo Transfer Outcomes Based on a Machine Learning Algorithm
Authors: Liu Ran , Bai Shun , Jiang Xiaohua , Luo Lihua , Tong Xianhong , Zheng Shengxia , Wang Ying , Xu Bo
Published: November 2021

In vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) technology make it possible for infertile couples to conceive a baby successfully. Nevertheless, IVF-ET does not guarantee success. Frozen embryo transfer (FET) is an important supplement to IVF-ET. Many factors are correlated with the outcome of FET which is unpredictable. Machine learning is a field of study that predict various outcomes by defining data attributes and using relevant data and calculation algorithms. Machine learning algorithm has been widely used in clinical research. The present study focuses on making predictions of early pregnancy outcomes in FET through clinical characters, including age, body mass index (BMI), endometrial thickness (EMT) on the day of progesterone treatment, good-quality embryo rate (GQR), and type of infertility (primary or secondary), serum estradiol level (E2) on the day of embryo transfer, and serum progesterone level (P) on the day of embryo transfer. We applied four representative machine learning algorithms, including logistic regression (LR), conditional inference tree, random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) to build prediction models and identify the predictive factors. We found no significant difference among the models in the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive rate, negative predictive rate or accuracy in predicting the pregnancy outcome of FET. For example, the positive/negative predictive rate of the SVM (gamma = 1, cost = 100, 10-fold cross validation) is 0.56 and 0.55. This approach could provide a reference for couples considering FET. The prediction accuracy of the present study is limited, which suggests that there may be some other more effective predictors to be developed in future work.
Development of the Diabetic Kidney Disease Mouse Model Culturing Embryos in α-Minimum Essential Medium In Vitro, and Feeding Barley Diet Attenuated the Pathology
Authors: Ishiyama Shiori , Kimura Mayu , Nakagawa Takao , Fujimoto Yuka , Uchimura Kohei , Kishigami Satoshi , Mochizuki Kazuki
Published: November 2021

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a critical complication associated with diabetes; however, there are only a few animal models that can be used to explore its pathogenesis. In the present study, we established a mouse model of DKD using a technique based on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease theory, i.e., by manipulating the embryonic environment, and investigated whether a dietary intervention could ameliorate the model’s pathology. Two-cell embryos were cultured in vitro in α-minimum essential medium (MEM; MEM mice) or in standard potassium simplex-optimized medium (KSOM) as controls (KSOM mice) for 48 h, and the embryos were reintroduced into the mothers. The MEM and KSOM mice born were fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet for 58 days after they were 8 weeks old. Subsequently, half of the MEM mice and all KSOM mice were fed a diet containing rice powder (control diet), and the remaining MEM mice were fed a diet containing barley powder (barley diet) for 10 weeks. Glomerulosclerosis and pancreatic exhaustion were observed in MEM mice, but not in control KSOM mice. Renal arteriolar changes, including intimal thickening and increase in the rate of hyalinosis, were more pronounced in MEM mice fed a control diet than in KSOM mice. Immunostaining showed the higher expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) in the proximal/distal renal tubules of MEM mice fed a control diet than in those of KSOM mice. Pathologies, such as glomerulosclerosis, renal arteriolar changes, and higher TGFB expression, were ameliorated by barley diet intake in MEM mice. These findings suggested that the MEM mouse is an effective DKD animal model that shows glomerulosclerosis and renal arteriolar changes, and barley intake can improve these pathologies in MEM mice.