bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Guidance for good practice in the application of machine learning in development of toxicological quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs)
Authors: Belfield Samuel J. , Cronin Mark T.D. , Enoch Steven J. , Firman James W.
Published: May 2023

Recent years have seen a substantial growth in the adoption of machine learning approaches for the purposes of quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) development. Such a trend has coincided with desire to see a shifting in the focus of methodology employed within chemical safety assessment: away from traditional reliance upon animal-intensive in vivo protocols, and towards increased application of in silico (or computational) predictive toxicology. With QSAR central amongst techniques applied in this area, the emergence of algorithms trained through machine learning with the objective of toxicity estimation has, quite naturally, arisen. On account of the pattern-recognition capabilities of the underlying methods, the statistical power of the ensuing models is potentially considerable–appropriate for the handling even of vast, heterogeneous datasets. However, such potency comes at a price: this manifesting as the general practical deficits observed with respect to the reproducibility, interpretability and generalisability of the resulting tools. Unsurprisingly, these elements have served to hinder broader uptake (most notably within a regulatory setting). Areas of uncertainty liable to accompany (and hence detract from applicability of) toxicological QSAR have previously been highlighted, accompanied by the forwarding of suggestions for “best practice” aimed at mitigation of their influence. However, the scope of such exercises has remained limited to “classical” QSAR–that conducted through use of linear regression and related techniques, with the adoption of comparatively few features or descriptors. Accordingly, the intention of this study has been to extend the remit of best practice guidance, so as to address concerns specific to employment of machine learning within the field. In doing so, the impact of strategies aimed at enhancing the transparency (feature importance, feature reduction), generalisability (cross-validation) and predictive power (hyperparameter optimisation) of algorithms, trained upon real toxicity data through six common learning approaches, is evaluated.
The unintended detrimental effects of pursuing a professional vocation: The case of veterinarians
Authors: Palma Marco A. , Zhang Peilu , Cornell Karen , Salois Matthew , Bain Bridget , Neill Clinton
Published: May 2023

Pursuing one’s life calling can be personally fulfilling and professionally rewarding, but it also requires sacrifice. We provide evidence of a strong vocational drive using veterinary students as a case study and find that they willingly contribute higher monetary donations for helping animals relative to students in other fields. We also find a significant reduction in the cognitive performance of veterinarian students when exposed to an animal-in-need manipulation. The performance of non-veterinary students in the cognitive task is unaffected by the manipulation. Our results highlight the need for programs to address the economic, financial, and mental health well-being of students and professionals to promote sustainable vocational career commitment.

“You owe it to all of us to get on with what you’re good at.” W.H. Auden
Estimating Canadian sodium intakes and the health impact of meeting national and WHO recommended sodium intake levels: A macrosimulation modelling study
Authors: Flexner Nadia , Christoforou Anthea K. , Bernstein Jodi T. , Ng Alena P. , Yang Yahan , Fernandes Nilson Eduardo A. , Labonté Marie-Ève , L’Abbe Mary R.
Published: May 2023

Background

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the second leading cause of total deaths in Canada. High blood pressure is the main metabolic risk factor for developing CVDs. It has been well established that excess consumption of sodium adversely affects blood pressure. Canadians’ mean sodium intakes are well above recommended levels. Reducing dietary sodium intake through food reformulation has been identified as a cost-effective intervention, however, dietary sodium intake and the potential health impact of meeting recommended sodium intake levels due to food reformulation have not been determined in Canada.

Objective

This study aimed to 1) obtain robust estimates of Canadians’ usual sodium intakes, 2) model sodium intakes had foods been reformulated to align with Health Canada’s sodium reduction targets, and 3) estimate the number of CVD deaths that could be averted or delayed if Canadian adults were to reduce their mean sodium intake to recommended levels under three scenarios: A) 2,300 mg/d–driven by a reduction of sodium levels in packaged foods to meet Health Canada targets (reformulation); B) 2,000 mg/d to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation; and C) 1,500 mg/d to meet the Adequate Intake recommendation.

Methods

Foods in the University of Toronto’s Food Label Information Program 2017, a Canadian branded food composition database, were linked to nationally representative food intake data from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey–Nutrition to estimate sodium intakes (and intakes had Health Canada’s reformulation strategy been fully implemented). The Preventable Risk Integrated ModEl (PRIME) was used to estimate potential health impact.

Results

Overall, mean sodium intake was 2758 mg/day, varying by age and sex group. Based on ’reformulation’ scenario A, mean sodium intakes were reduced by 459 mg/day, to 2299 mg/day. Reducing Canadians’ sodium intake to recommended levels under scenarios A, B and C could have averted or delayed 2,176 (95% UI 869–3,687), 3,252 (95% UI 1,380–5,321), and 5,296 (95% UI 2,190–8,311) deaths due to CVDs, respectively, mainly from ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and hypertensive disease. This represents 3.7%, 5.6%, and 9.1%, respectively, of the total number of CVDs deaths observed in Canada in 2019.

Conclusion

Results suggest that reducing sodium intake to recommended levels could prevent or postpone a substantial number of CVD deaths in Canada. Reduced sodium intakes could be achieved through reformulation of the Canadian food supply. However, it will require higher compliance from the food industry to achieve Health Canada’s voluntary benchmark sodium reduction targets.
A method for rapid machine learning development for data mining with doctor-in-the-loop
Authors: Bull Neva J. , Honan Bridget , Spratt Neil J. , Quilty Simon
Published: May 2023

Classifying free-text from historical databases into research-compatible formats is a barrier for clinicians undertaking audit and research projects. The aim of this study was to (a) develop interactive active machine-learning model training methodology using readily available software that was (b) easily adaptable to a wide range of natural language databases and allowed customised researcher-defined categories, and then (c) evaluate the accuracy and speed of this model for classifying free text from two unique and unrelated clinical notes into coded data. A user interface for medical experts to train and evaluate the algorithm was created. Data requiring coding in the form of two independent databases of free-text clinical notes, each of unique natural language structure. Medical experts defined categories relevant to research projects and performed ‘label-train-evaluate’ loops on the training data set. A separate dataset was used for validation, with the medical experts blinded to the label given by the algorithm. The first dataset was 32,034 death certificate records from Northern Territory Births Deaths and Marriages, which were coded into 3 categories: haemorrhagic stroke, ischaemic stroke or no stroke. The second dataset was 12,039 recorded episodes of aeromedical retrieval from two prehospital and retrieval services in Northern Territory, Australia, which were coded into 5 categories: medical, surgical, trauma, obstetric or psychiatric. For the first dataset, macro-accuracy of the algorithm was 94.7%. For the second dataset, macro-accuracy was 92.4%. The time taken to develop and train the algorithm was 124 minutes for the death certificate coding, and 144 minutes for the aeromedical retrieval coding. This machine-learning training method was able to classify free-text clinical notes quickly and accurately from two different health datasets into categories of relevance to clinicians undertaking health service research.
The economic circumstances of widows in Vietnam
Authors: Vo Duc Hong , Ho Chi Minh , Vo Anh The
Published: May 2023

Information on the living conditions of widows in Vietnam is limited. Prior studies of gender gaps have identified widows as vulnerable to the risks of poverty. However, widows are only included as a sub-group in broader studies of women’s well-being. Large gaps remain in the knowledge based on the factors affecting both widows’ susceptibility to poverty and the conditions or circumstances that might minimize these risks. This paper attempts to help redress these knowledge gaps by contributing an analysis of data from the 2018 Vietnam Household Living Standard Surveys. The paper compares the likelihood of poverty for widowed and other households using probit regression. It also assesses whether widows who head up their households face different risks of poverty from those who live in other households. Finally, the paper examines the effects on the risk of poverty of a range of social, demographic and locational characteristics of widow households in Vietnam. Our results indicate that widowed households have experienced a higher probability of falling into poverty. Moreover, widow-headed households have faced more vulnerability to fresh water and housing, especially among widowed households. Policy implications have emerged based on the findings of this paper.
Bcl-xL is required to protect endothelial cells latently infected with KSHV from virus induced intrinsic apoptosis
Authors: Moore Lyndsey N. , Holmes Daniel L. , Sharma Anjali , Landazuri Vinueza Joselyn , Lagunoff Michael
Published: May 2023

Kaposi’s Sarcoma herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent of Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS), a highly vascularized tumor common in AIDS patients and many countries in Africa. KSHV is predominantly in the latent state in the main KS tumor cell, the spindle cell, a cell expressing endothelial cell markers. To identify host genes important for KSHV latent infection of endothelial cells we previously used a global CRISPR/Cas9 screen to identify genes necessary for the survival or proliferation of latently infected cells. In this study we rescreened top hits and found that the highest scoring gene necessary for infected cell survival is the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bcl-xL. Knockout of Bcl-xL or treatment with a Bcl-xL inhibitor leads to high levels of cell death in latently infected endothelial cells but not their mock counterparts. Cell death occurs through apoptosis as shown by increased PARP cleavage and activation of caspase-3/7. Knockout of the pro-apoptotic protein, Bax, eliminates the requirement for Bcl-xL. Interestingly, neither Bcl-2 nor Mcl-1, related and often redundant anti-apoptotic proteins of the Bcl-2 protein family, are necessary for the survival of latently infected endothelial cells, likely due to their lack of expression in all the endothelial cell types we have examined. Bcl-xL is not required for the survival of latently infected primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells or other cell types tested. Expression of the KSHV major latent locus alone in the absence of KSHV infection led to sensitivity to the absence of Bcl-xL, indicating that viral gene expression from the latent locus induces intrinsic apoptosis leading to the requirement for Bcl-xL in endothelial cells. The critical requirement of Bcl-xL during KSHV latency makes it an intriguing therapeutic target for KS tumors.
Diet, gut microbiome and their end-metabolites associate with acute pancreatitis risk
Authors: Yazici Cemal , Thaker Sarang , Castellanos Karla K , Al Rashdan Haya , Huang Yongchao , Sarraf Paya , Boulay Brian , Grippo Paul , Gaskins H. Rex , Danielson Kirstie K , Papachristou Georgios I. , Tussing-Humphreys Lisa , Dai Yang , Mutlu Ece R. , Layden Brian T.
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Diet and decreased gut microbiome diversity has been associated with acute pancreatitis (AP) risk. However, differences in dietary intake, gut microbiome and their impact on microbial end-metabolites have not been studied in AP. We aimed to determine differences in i) dietary intake ii) gut microbiome diversity and sulfidogenic bacterial abundance, and iii) serum short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) concentrations in AP and control subjects.

Methods

This case-control study recruited 54 AP and 46 control subjects during hospitalization. Clinical and diet data, stool and blood samples were collected. 16S rDNA sequencing was used to determine gut microbiome alpha diversity and composition. Serum SCFA and H2S levels were measured. Machine learning (ML) model was used to identify microbial targets associated with AP.

Results

AP patients had decreased intake of vitamin D3, whole grains, fish, and beneficial eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids. AP patients also had lower gut microbiome diversity (p=0.021) and higher abundance of sulfidogenic bacteria including Veillonella and Haemophilus which were associated with AP risk. Serum acetate and H2S concentrations were significantly higher in the AP group (p < 0.001 and p=0.043, respectively). ML model had 96% predictive ability to distinguish AP patients from controls.

Conclusions

AP patients have decreased beneficial nutrient intake and gut microbiome diversity. Increased abundance of H2S producing genera in the AP, SCFA producing genera in the control group, and predictive ability of ML model to distinguish AP patients indicates that diet, gut microbiota and their end-metabolites play a key role in AP.
Application of special fertilizers and their effects on the agronomic aspects of maize and soil fertility
Authors: Aguiar Fabrício Resende de , França André Cabral , Franco Miguel Henrique Rosa , Vaz-Tostes Douglas Pelegrini , Lana Regina Maria Quintão , Camargo Reginaldo de
Published: May 2023

Maize has a high nutritional requirement, especially regarding NPK fertilization. However, conventional fertilization with these nutrients presents a high loss potential, mainly by volatilization, leaching, adsorption, and fixation, which may reflect on the development and yield of maize plants. Using fertilizers with increased efficiency seeks to mitigate these limitations, reducing potential losses due to gradual nutrient release. This study aimed to compare the nutrition, growth, and production of maize plants subjected to different doses and special NPK fertilizers fully applied at planting and their residual effect on the soil. It was a randomized block design in a 3x4 factorial scheme with four replications. The first factor consisted of conventional mineral, polymer-coated, and organomineral + PGPB fertilizers. The second factor included doses of 0, 60, 90, and 120 kg ha-¹ of NPK. The study evaluated vegetative growth, foliar nutrition (N, P, and K), yield growth components, productivity, profitability, and residual K content in the soil after cultivation. The conventional mineral fertilizer produced more dry biomass in the aerial part. Profitability was similar between conventional and special fertilizers. However, the latter performed better overall in vegetative and productive growth, showing a potential reduction of the applied doses without compromising grain yield, especially in organomineral + PGPB fertilization. This treatment also presented a higher residual effect of K on the soil.
Digitizing an Excavation: A Laser Scanning Database of Maya Architectural Remains
Authors: Montuori Riccardo , Gilabert-Sansalvador Laura , Rosado-Torres Ana Laura , Muñoz Cosme Gaspar
Published: May 2023

Excavating an ancient Maya city requires a long-term archaeological project that entails adequate documentation procedures for the unearthed remains, frequently of monumental scale and with difficult preservation conditions. A digital laser scanner survey methodology was designed and implemented to document the exposed architecture and to follow-up the archaeological excavation of the Maya site of La Blanca (Peten, Guatemala). All scans collected during the different field seasons were stored and aligned in a common reference system. Thus, an accurate digital three-dimensional database was obtained, including all the architectural remains found, some of which had to be reburied to ensure their preservation. The resulting database is a helpful repository that facilitates to extract all the graphic outputs required for: planning the next excavation campaigns, monitoring the preservation of the buildings, studying the architecture and construction technology in detail, and disseminating the excavation results. This paper describes the methodology and procedures used to build-up this database.
Empirical Accounting Seminars: Elephants in the Room
Authors: Ohlson James A.
Published: May 2023

Attendees of accounting empirical research seminars all too often come to view the conclusions presented in the papers as non-persuasive. This disappointing situation indicates that researchers employ data analysis methodologies which inherently support conclusions they are looking for. Such issues are rarely discussed because many participants have relied on the same methodologies – thus they have firsthand knowledge about the inherent deficiencies. The mantra becomes: “We are all aware of uncomfortable aspects of the methodologies used in our research, so why dwell on it?” Because these potential questions tend to be outside normal and acceptable bounds, I term them “elephants in the room”. Five such cases are delineated to illustrate incontrovertible problems therein. To sum it up, the elephants highlight that the purported substantive contents of most published papers will be taken with a grain of salt for the foreseeable future.
Does credibility become trivial when the message is right? Populist radical-right attitudes, perceived message credibility, and the spread of disinformation
Authors: Christner Clara
Published: May 2023

Individuals with populist radical-right (PRR) attitudes seem particularly inclined to spread disinformation. However, it is unclear whether this is due to the large amount of disinformation with a PRR bias or a general tendency to perceive disinformation as credible and/or spread it further. This study explores (1) effects of a PRR bias on perceived message credibility and likelihood of spreading disinformation, (2) the extent to which perceived message credibility mediates the spread of disinformation, (3) effects of PRR attitudes on the perceived message credibility of biased disinformation, and (4) whether a PRR bias of disinformation explains the spread of disinformation by individuals with PRR attitudes despite a lack of credibility. An online experimental study (N = 572) in Germany showed that the spread of disinformation is mediated by perceived message credibility of disinformation. PRR attitudes positively predict perceived message credibility regardless of whether it is biased or unbiased disinformation.
Compressive forces influence on the vibrations of double beams
Authors: Atiyah Qasim Abbas , Abdulsahib Imad Abdulhussein
Published: May 2023

The influence of compressive forces on the lower and upper natural frequencies of the double beams has been studied in this article. Euler–Bernoulli’s hypotheses have been used to derive the natural frequency equations. Two asymmetric beams were assumed in this work, and four different boundary conditions were applied in these equations: Pinned–Pinned, Clamped–Clamped, Clamped–Free, and Clamped–Pinned. When the axial compressive force is increased about 18 times, it is observed that the lower natural frequencies decreased by 19% for PP beam, 8% for CC beam, 81% for CF beam, and 12% for CP beam. However, the greatest effect of the axial force on the higher frequencies is by reducing it in the CC beam by a ratio that does not exceed 2%. A rise in the values of axial compressive force causes a reduction in the lower natural frequencies, mostly for the CF beam, while it has a little effect on the higher natural frequencies. Similarly, when the compressive forces on the upper and lower beams fluctuate simultaneously, their effect is doubled on the frequencies when the axial compressive force on one of the two beams changes only.
Design and manufacture of an additive manufacturing printer based on 3D melt electrospinning writing of polymer
Authors: Akhoundi Behnam , Modanloo Vahid , Mashayekhi Ahmad
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Electrospinning is one of the most well-known approaches to producing polymer nanofibers from a polymer solution by applying a potential difference (voltage) between the spinner and the collector, which is used in various industries such as medicine and military. This method has some significant restrictions, like low process efficiency due to the evaporation of the solvent, remaining solvent on the fibers, which are sometimes toxic, and inability to control the geometry of the produced fibers. On the other hand, preparing some solvents used in the electrospinning of polymer solutions is costly. Polymer melt electrospinning writing is a replacement for this type of electrospinning, which can be mentioned in terms of economy, efficiency, and production of solvent-free fibers. Therefore, in this research, a melt polymer electrospinning device was designed and manufactured according to existing extrusion-based additive manufacturing (AM) devices (3D printer).

Methods

Changes in an extrusion-based 3D printer to convert it into a writing electrospinning device experimentally.

Results

PLA and PCL fibers with diameters ranging from 8 to 84 μm were produced. The effect of process variables on the produced fibers’ diameter was investigated: Applied potential difference between the nozzle and the substrate: As its increases, the fiber diameter decreases. Increasing temperature: As its increases, the fiber diameter decreases. Distance between the nozzle and the substrate: As its increases, the fiber diameter increases. Flow rate: As its increases, the fiber diameter increases.

Conclusions

By presenting a 3D printer-electrospinning device, it is possible to control the fiber’s diameter and the 3D geometry in the 3D printing-electrospinning process.
Classification of normal and abnormal fetal heart ultrasound images and identification of ventricular septal defects based on deep learning
Authors: Yang Yiru , Wu Bingzheng , Wu Huiling , Xu Wu , Lyu Guorong , Liu Peizhong , He Shaozheng
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defects. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) was used to assist in CHD diagnosis. No comparison has been made among the various types of algorithms that can assist in the prenatal diagnosis.

Methods

Normal and abnormal fetal ultrasound heart images, including five standard views, were collected according to the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) Practice guidelines. You Only Look Once version 5 (YOLOv5) models were trained and tested. An excellent model was screened out after comparing YOLOv5 with other classic detection methods.

Results

On the training set, YOLOv5n performed slightly better than the others. On the validation set, YOLOv5n attained the highest overall accuracy (90.67 %). On the CHD test set, YOLOv5n, which only needed 0.007 s to recognize each image, had the highest overall accuracy (82.93 %), and YOLOv5l achieved the best accuracy on the abnormal dataset (71.93 %). On the VSD test set, YOLOv5l had the best performance, with a 92.79 % overall accuracy rate and 92.59 % accuracy on the abnormal dataset. The YOLOv5 models achieved better performance than the Fast region-based convolutional neural network (RCNN) & ResNet50 model and the Fast RCNN & MobileNetv2 model on the CHD test set (p<0.05) and VSD test set (p<0.01).

Conclusions

YOLOv5 models are able to accurately distinguish normal and abnormal fetal heart ultrasound images, especially with respect to the identification of VSD, which have the potential to assist ultrasound in prenatal diagnosis.
Process parameters, structure and mechanical properties of dissimilar Nimonic 80 A/AISI 316 L resistance welded joints
Authors: Mitelea Ion , Burcă Lucian Călin , Burcă Mircea , Crăciunescu Corneliu Marius , Uţu Ion-Dragoș
Published: May 2023

The effects of welding current and welding time on the shear resistance of spot welded joints of dissimilar Ni-base superalloys and austenitic stainless steels are investigated for expanding the limits of their use in automotive, naval and aerospace industries. The macro- and micro-structural characteristics, microhardness, and shear strength of the welded joints were examined in order to characterize the resulting joints. It was found that the shear resistance of the heterogeneous welded joints reaches values of 742–849 MPa, much higher than the one specific of the weaker material, which is the austenitic stainless steel with low carbon content, AISI 316 L. The diameter of the welded cores increased for higher current and welding time. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to evaluate the microstructure of the welded joints from the two dissimilar materials.
Terahertz spin-to-charge conversion in ferromagnetic Ni nanofilms
Authors: Cheng Hao , Wang Yangkai , Liu Zheng , Jia Xiangyu , Huang Qiuping , Lu Yalin
Published: May 2023

Spintronic terahertz (THz) emission via spin-to-charge conversion (SCC) has been widely studied in ferromagnets (FM)/nonmagnets (NM) structures, in which various mechanisms of SCC have been confirmed in different NM materials. However, it is rare to find a material having multiple SCC mechanisms at the same time. Here, we report a ferromagnetic metal Ni film with diverse functions in the SCC process, by performing THz emission experiments in single Ni layer, FM/Ni, Ni/NM bilayers and FM/Ni/NM trilayers. It is demonstrated that in Ni monolayer, THz emission is radiated by the anomalous Hall effect and ultrafast demagnetization of Ni film. In FM/Ni, the Ni film acts as an SCC implementer and THz emission is mainly generated by the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) of Ni. In Ni/NM, the Ni film acts as a spin injector and provides spin currents to be converted to charge current via ISHE of heavy metal NM, inducing THz emission. In FM/Ni/NM, THz emission mainly comes from ISHE of FM/Ni, Ni/NM, and FM/NM, and their domination is relative to Ni thickness. Our findings show a ferromagnetic film not only acts as a spin injector but also as an SCC implementer, providing a new concept to design spintronic THz emitters.
Multiple Lie symmetry solutions for effects of viscous on magnetohydrodynamic flow and heat transfer in non-Newtonian thin film
Authors: Safdar Muhammad , Taj Safia , Bilal Muhammad , Ahmed Shoaib , Khan Muhammad Ijaz , Ben Moussa Sana , Fadhl Bandar M. , Makhdoum Basim M. , Eldin Sayed M.
Published: May 2023

Numerous flow and heat transfer studies have relied on the construction of similarity transformations which map the nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) describing the flow and heat transfer, to ordinary differential equations (ODEs). For these reduced equations, one finds multiple analytic and approximate solution procedures as compared to the flow PDEs. Here, we aim at constructing multiple classes of similarity transformations that are different from those already existing in the literature. We adopt the Lie symmetry method to derive these new similarity transformations which reveal new classes of ODEs corresponding to flow equations when applied to them. With these multiple classes of similarity transformations, one finds multiple reductions in the flow PDEs to ODEs. On solving these ODEs analytically or numerically, we obtain different kinds of flow and heat transfer patterns that help in determining optimized solutions in accordance with the physical requirements of a problem. For the said purpose, we derive Lie point symmetries for the magnetohydrodynamic Casson fluid flow and heat transfer in a thin film on an unsteady stretching sheet with viscous dissipation. Linear combinations of these Lie symmetries that are again the Lie symmetries of the flow model are employed here to construct new similarity transformations. We derive multiple Lie similarity transformations through the proposed procedure which lead us to more than one class of reduced ODEs obtained by applying the deduced transformations. We analyze the flow and heat transfer by deriving analytic solutions for the obtained classes of systems of ODEs using the homotopy analysis method. Magnetic parameters and viscous dissipation influences on the flow and heat transports are investigated and presented in graphical and tabulated formats.
An overview on the factors affecting enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars
Authors: Woo Wen Xuan , Tan Jian Ping , Wu Ta Yeong , Yeap Swee Keong , Indera Luthfi Abdullah Amru , Abdul Manaf Shareena Fairuz , Jamali Nur Syakina , Hui Yew Woh
Published: May 2023

Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is a widely available and sustainable energy resource that can be directly or indirectly converted to biofuels and value-added bioproducts. In such LCB conversion, enzymatic saccharification is commonly regarded as a green alternative to chemical hydrolysis due to less energy-intensive, less toxic, and more environment-benign for efficient fermentable sugar recovery. However, enzymatic saccharification faces substantial challenges, since the complex polymeric matrices of LCB necessitates a variety of enzymes for complete and adequate saccharification. Empirical evidence on enzymatic saccharification has paved the way for optimizing the processes and design for enhancing the performance in LCB. This review examines the enzymatic saccharification of LCB, focusing on the important parameters affecting the process, such as pH, temperature, agitation, enzyme/substrate loading, residence time, and the enzymes required to degrade various LCB components. Various strategies have been reported to improve the performance in saccharification and to address the non-productive adsorption of enzymes. A preliminary economic competency valuation of enzyme-derived fermentable sugars is proposed. Wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse and corn stalk appear, in this case, to be the most economic competent LCBs for commercial enzyme-derived fermentable sugar production. Lastly, practical challenges and future research directions on the enzymatic saccharification of LCB are discussed.
Vernichtungskrieg, Kampf und Volksgemeinschaft: Empirische Studien mit relationaler Systemtheorie zur urfaschistischen Begriffswelt
Authors: Dammann Klaus
Published: May 2023

Wie kann mit der in Systemtheorie enthaltenen relationalen Soziologie einempirischgenannterRealitätskontaktder Gewaltsoziologie hergestellt werden? Im Rahmen dieser Fragestellung werden drei auch urfaschistisch benutzten Selbstabstraktionen untersucht. Erstens: fürVolk, Gemeinschaftsowie ihre Zusammenführung zum WortVolksgemeinschaftsind keine Sozialstrukturen erkennbar, mit denen ein entsprechender abstrakter soziologischer Begriff (Großgruppenkommunikation? Inklusion/Exklusion?) durch die Vorstellung eines Aufruhens/Fundaments relationiert werden kann. Es geht um Semantiken, die manchmal zu Protestthemen werden, z. B. in völkischer Bewegung. Zweitens: BeiVernichtungsowieKriegsind dagegen Relationen zwischen Soziologie- und Selbstabstraktionen sichtbar. Es kann plausibilisiert werden, dass ein Militärsystem (für Kommunikation in Friedens- und Kriegszeiten) ausdifferenziert ist. Die Annahme einer Unterscheidungvon militärischeKommunikation einerseits sowie andererseits solcher, die sich aufMenschenvernichtungbezieht, ruht dann auf einer entsprechenden Abstraktion im Gegenstandsbereich auf. Zur dritten AbstraktionKämpfende Organisationen(z. B. Verwaltungen) ist zu sagen: Zumindest im großdeutschen Faschismus ruht auf dieser im Gegenstandsbereich sichtbaren Abstraktion eine Abstraktion der Soziologie auf. Es geht umEinnistungvonHassprotest in Nicht-Bewegungsorganisationen (Gale, Luhmann). Es könnte sogar versucht werden, diese Begrifflichkeit so zu operationalisieren, dass Kausalhypothesen zu Verwaltungsmassenmorden des 20. Jahrhunderts überprüft werden. Am Schluss wird auf jene Memorialsemantik eingegangen, die zwischen Kriegsführung und Genoziden nicht unterscheiden will. Nur unter im Beitrag bestimmten Bedingungen ist es auch soziologisch vertretbar, bei den faschistischen Gewaltwellen von 1935–1945 und darüber hinaus von Vernichtungskriegsführung zu sprechen.
Gewalt als grundlose (Durch-)Setzung Die konstitutive Gewalt rigider Formen und deren Legitimation durch Wiederholung
Authors: Fuhrmann Jan Tobias
Published: May 2023

Der Artikel macht der Systemtheorie den Vorschlag, Gewalt als einen dislozierten Effekt aufzufassen. Gewalt ereignet sich nicht in sozialen Systemen oder wird ausschließlich im Erleben psychischer Systeme erlitten. Gewalt entzieht sich von einem System ins andere. Dieses Sich-Entziehen ist konstitutiv für Gewalt. Dadurch wird es möglich, Gewalt einerseits als Einwirkung auf psychische Systeme beschreiben zu können und anderseits Spuren der Gewalt in der Rigidität von Indikationen und Distinktionen im kommunikativen Vollzug zu identifizieren. Im ersten Schritt wird Gewalt als Effekt einer Dislokation präsentiert. In einem zweiten Schritt wird die Spur der Gewalt in das Ereignis der Kommunikation eingelagert. Im dritten Schritt wird ein Gewaltbegriff am Begriff der differantiellen Kontamination entwickelt. Die daraus folgenden Einschränkungen dessen, was artikuliert werden kann, diszipliniert psychische Systeme auf eine bestimmte Weise zu kommunizieren und schreibt so die Wirkung von Gewalt in die Operabilität psychischer Systeme ein.
The under‐appreciated world of the serpin family of serine proteinase inhibitors
Authors: Bouton Marie‐Christine , Geiger Margarethe , Sheffield William P , Irving James A , Lomas David A , Song Sihong , Satyanarayanan Ritvik S , Zhang Liqiang , McFadden Grant , Lucas Alexandra R
Published: May 2023

In the practice of medicine, many fundamental biological pathways that require tight on/off control, such as inflammation and circulatory homeostasis, are regulated by serine proteinases, but we rarely consider the unique protease inhibitors that, in turn, regulate these proteases. The serpins are a family of proteins with a shared tertiary structure, whose members largely act as serine protease inhibitors, found in all forms of life, ranging from viruses, bacteria, and archaea to plants and animals. These proteins represent up to 2–10% of proteins in the human blood and are the third most common protein family.
Dynamics of maternal androgens and its metabolites during early embryonic development: embryonic modification of a maternal effect
Authors: Wang Yuqi , Riedstra Bernd , van Faassen Martijn , Pranger Alle , Kema Ido , Groothuis Ton G G
Published: May 2023

In birds, exposure to maternal (yolk) testosterone affects a diversity of offspring post-hatching traits, which eventually affect offspring competitiveness. However, maternal testosterone is heavily metabolized at very early embryonic developmental stages to hydrophilic metabolites that are often assumed to be much less biologically potent. Either the rapid metabolism could either keep the maternal testosterone from reaching the embryos, opening the possibility for a mother–offspring conflict or the metabolites may facilitate the uptake of the lipophilic testosterone from the yolk into the embryonic circulation after which they are either converted back to the testosterone or functioning directly as metabolites. To test these possibilities, we injected isotope-labeled testosterone (T-[D5]) into the yolk of freshly laid Rock pigeon (Columba livia) eggs and determined the concentration and distribution of T-[D5] and its labeled metabolites within different egg fractions by liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry at day 2, 5 and 10 of incubation. Although under a supraphysiological dosage injection, yolk testosterone decreased within 2 days and was metabolized into androstenedione, conjugated testosterone, etiocholanolone and other components that were unidentifiable due to methodological limitation. We show for the first time that testosterone, androstenedione and conjugated testosterone, but not etiocholanolone, reached the embryo including its brain. Their high concentrations in the yolk and extraembryonic membranes suggest that conversion takes place here. We also found no sex-specific metabolism, explaining why maternal testosterone does not affect sexual differentiation. Our findings showed that maternal testosterone is quickly converted by the embryo, with several but not all metabolites reaching the embryo providing evidence for both hypotheses.
El precariado pedagógico. Personas migrantes en Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua
Authors: Martinez Montoya Hugo
Published: May 2023

Por precariado pedagógico se entiende al individuo que se encuentra vinculado socialmente por un esquema de precarización laboral. Esto ocurre porque los individuos se encuentran trabajando en condiciones laborales precarias y han abandonado sus estudios escolares, por lo que padecen de un capital cultural interiorizado e institucionalizado en desventaja y, además, han emigrado de su lugar de origen. Esta condición es resultado del ejercicio de poder que ejercen las estructuras sociales, dentro de las cuales los cuerpos experimentan una especie de control en sus vidas. La presente investigación se llevó a cabo en el Albergue “Casa del Migrante en Juárez”, en Ciudad Juárez (Chihuahua), lugar donde se entrevistó a 160 personas migrantes forzados en el periodo del 7 de marzo de 2019 al 12 de marzo de 2020. Para identificar al precariado pedagógico, fue indispensable abordarlo desde la concepción de Guy Standing como una nueva clase social, y los aportes de Pierre Bourdieu sobre el capital cultural y económico.
Todas las mujeres, toda la política: otra historia del Perú entre Manuela Sáenz Aizpuru y Clorinda Matto de Turner
Authors: Martínez i Àlvarez Patrícia-Victòria
Published: May 2023

En este texto recojo experiencias escritas de política que sucedieron en territorio peruano desde las independencias y a lo largo del siglo XIX: propongo el deseo de paz, de nación capaz de mirarse a sí misma, y el deseo de libertad económica y letrada para las mujeres como claves para la república que Manuela Sáenz, Flora Tristán, Juana Manuela Gorriti y Clorinda Matto quisieron. Mientras ellas contaban y escribían sobre la necesidad de que así fuera el Perú, la república de los caudillos y militares, la de los partidos y la del civilismo, ya entrado el siglo siguiente, no habría resuelto más que perpetuar la colonialidad. Recojo aquí algunos de los fragmentos de escritos de cada una de estas mujeres para esbozar el Perú de ellas.
El comportamiento electoral en el sur andino peruano frente a candidaturas de la elite criolla de Lima, 1980-2021
Authors: Nureña César R. , Toche Carla L. , Perez-Pachas Junior
Published: May 2023

En Perú se ha mostrado previamente que algunos candidatos presidenciales asociados con la elite “criolla” o “limeña” han recibido un escaso apoyo electoral en los departamentos del sur andino, donde el respaldo se ha orientado, en cambio, a ciertas candidaturas percibidas como las más opuestas a esas elites. Este estudio amplía los alcances de esos planteamientos partiendo de un esquema conceptual histórico-antropológico referido a la elite del grupo étnico criollo, el cual fue empleado para identificar a 25 candidatos de esta etnia que han postulado a la Presidencia de la República desde 1980 hasta el 2021. Mediante análisis estadísticos de los resultados agregados a nivel provincial de ocho procesos electorales de ese período (en sus primeras vueltas), se halló que, efectivamente, es posible distinguir un fenómeno de voto étnico que se manifiesta como rechazo a las opciones políticas vinculadas con la elite criolla de Lima, de forma consistente y longitudinal en todas las elecciones analizadas. Este fenómeno se observa en general en muchas provincias andinas, pero más acentuadamente en las del sur andino y con mayor intensidad aún en las que tienen las mayores proporciones de población quechua y aimara.
La crisis de octubre en Chile: lecturas e interpretaciones
Authors: Araya Leüpin Eduardo
Published: May 2023

El presente texto tiene dos partes: la primera corresponde a un conjunto de reflexiones presentadas en el seminario binacional Elecciones Críticas y Movimientos Sociales, realizado de manera virtual, con profesores y profesoras de la Universidad de Santiago, la Universidad Católica de Lima y la Universidad Católica de Valparaíso en julio del 2021, que organizamos en conjunto con la profesora Carlota Casalino. La segunda parte del texto se refiere al desarrollo posterior de esos eventos, ocurridos hasta el tercer aniversario del llamado “estallido social” en Chile, en un contexto político radicalmente distinto al de octubre del 2019, que parece ser el cierre de un ciclo (con el tema constitucional aún pendiente por resolverse). El texto no contiene una tesis, es una especie de mosaico —de seguro incompleto— que enlaza la revisión de textos e interpretaciones con observaciones personales y proposiciones de explicaciones. Aspira a servir como material para discusión, no para proponer una conclusión, particularmente en la perspectiva de continuar el apasionante ejercicio del análisis comparado con nuestros colegas de Perú y eventualmente con algunos de otras latitudes que se quieran sumar.
La religión occidental (yangjiao) como otredad: el cristianismo y la sociedad china en el siglo XIX
Authors: Sun Jiang
Published: May 2023

En China, las relaciones entre cristianismo y sociedad estuvieron marcadas por litigios anticristianos. En la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, el antagonismo con los cristianos se reflejaba en el choque entre las creencias tradicionales chinas y las cristianas, y las sectas secretas populares y la Iglesia. Además, también había discrepancias en asuntos cotidianos, como el culto a los antepasados y los ritos funerarios. Sin embargo, estas rivalidades no eran absolutas. En un contexto local, una vez resuelta la discordia entre la religiosidad y los conflictos cotidianos, el cristianismo (llamado yangjiao en China) fue adoptado como un miembro más de la gran familia de religiones sincretistas chinas.
Epidemiology of Salmonellosis Among Infants in the United States: 1968–2015
Authors: Self Julie L. , Judd Michael C. , Huang Jennifer , Fields Patricia I. , Griffin Patricia M. , Wong Karen K.
Published: May 2023

OBJECTIVES

Describe characteristics of gastroenteritis, bacteremia, and meningitis caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella among US infants.

METHODS

We analyze national surveillance data during 1968–2015 and active, sentinel surveillance data during 1996–2015 for culture-confirmed Salmonella infections by syndrome, year, serotype, age, and race.

RESULTS

During 1968–2015, 190 627 culture-confirmed Salmonella infections among infants were reported, including 165 236 (86.7%) cases of gastroenteritis, 6767 (3.5%) bacteremia, 371 (0.2%) meningitis, and 18 253 (9.7%) with other or unknown specimen sources. Incidence increased during the late 1970s–1980s, declined during the 1990s–early 2000s, and has gradually increased since the mid-2000s. Infants’ median age was 4 months for gastroenteritis and bacteremia and 2 months for meningitis. The most frequently reported serotypes were Typhimurium (35 468; 22%) for gastroenteritis and Heidelberg for bacteremia (1954; 29%) and meningitis (65; 18%). During 1996–2015 in sentinel site surveillance, median annual incidence of gastroenteritis was 120, bacteremia 6.2, and meningitis 0.25 per 100 000 infants. Boys had a higher incidence of each syndrome than girls in both surveillance systems, but most differences were not statistically significant. Overall, hospitalization and fatality rates were 26% and 0.1% for gastroenteritis, 70% and 1.6% for bacteremia, and 96% and 4% for meningitis. During 2004–2015, invasive salmonellosis incidence was higher for Black (incident rate ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.6–2.8) and Asian (incident rate ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.7–1.8) than white infants.

CONCLUSIONS

Salmonellosis causes substantial infant morbidity and mortality; serotype heidelberg caused the most invasive infections. Infants with meningitis were younger than those with bacteremia or gastroenteritis. Research into risk factors for infection and invasive illness could inform prevention efforts.
“De aquí la necesidad de un gremio, la necesidad de una tarifa”. Conflictos portuarios y derechos laborales en la bahía habanera (1901-1918)
Authors: Domínguez-Cabrera David
Published: May 2023

Durante las dos primeras décadas republicanas, el sindicalismo portuario exigió la restauración de las tarifas que regían el transporte de mercancías en el puerto de La Habana (1901) y Cienfuegos (1902). Este texto examina cómo la rehabilitación de un “derecho laboral”, que se reconoció “usurpado” por las compañías navieras y casas de comercio —en su mayoría de capital foráneo—, constituyó el eje aglutinador y el núcleo discursivo de la agencia laboral portuaria en la bahía habanera. En esta dirección se apuesta por un enfoque analítico desde abajo, donde se entrecruzan la documentación originada por los trabajadores portuarios, la prensa de la época y fuentes oficiales del gobierno cubano y de la diplomacia norteamericana, con el objetivo de reconstruir el discurso político del sindicalismo portuario y sobre qué bases articuló su posición legalista en pos de rehabilitar las tarifas de 1901. La aprobación a fines de 1918 de un reglamento que reguló el trabajo portuario y que estableció nuevas tarifas para las operaciones de carga/descarga en el puerto de La Habana constituyó un punto de inflexión en el ciclo huelguístico, que, desde principio del siglo XX, tuvo como epicentro un repertorio discursivo en torno a los derechos laborales de los trabajadores portuarios.