bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical Characterisation of the Floral Oil of the Murici (Byrsonima sericea): Discovering the Constituents Used in Reproduction by Oil-Collecting Bees
Authors: Rosa Felipe Lima , Barbosa Artur Bruno da Silva , Rodrigues Tigressa Helena Soares , Zocolo Guilherme Julião , Freitas Breno Magalhães
Published: October 2020

The recent decline in population of generalist bees such as those of the genera Apis and Bombus has shown the need to breed and manage a larger number of bee species. Among the species with potential use for agricultural pollination in the Neotropics, a peculiar small group has specialised in collecting floral oil. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the chemical profile and to identify the main constituents of the floral oil of the nance (Byrsonima sericea), an abundant species in the Northeast of Brazil and widely used by oil-collecting bees. A sample of 400 flowers of the nance were collected between October 2017 and January 2018. The samples were derivatised (MSTFA) and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in a Model 7890B GC Gas Chromatograph System coupled to a Model 5977A MSD mass spectrometer. The compounds were separated using an HP-5ms capillary column and identified by comparing the mass spectra with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) database, and by comparison of the retention indices (RI). From the chromatographic analysis, it was possible to identify 23 constituents, especially fatty acids and carboxylic acids. The results indicate the presence of tricosanoic acid, palmitic acid and heneicosanoic acid as the main constituents of the oil under study. There is still a need for studies that would better explain the relationship of these constituents with the bees that use the oil.
Comparison of Hygienic Behavior of Exotic Honey Bee Apis mellifera L. and Indigenous Honey Bee Apis cerana of Pakistan
Authors: Shakeel Muhammad , Ali Hussain , Ahmad Sajjad
Published: October 2020

Indigenous and exotic honey bee species were evaluated for their hygienic behavior in the climatic condition of Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Colonies of equal strength from indigenous (Apis cerana) and exotic (Apis mellifera) species were selected for the study. The same colonies were tested in two seasons. Sealed brood were killed with different methods i.e pin killed and freeze killed. The uncapping of cells and brood removal was recorded at different intervals. Significant differences were recorded between hygienic behavior of both species of honey bees. Apis cerana showed significantly superior hygienic behavior than Apis mellifera in both seasons. At different intervals in both species significant differences were recorded. A significant difference was recorded after 12 and 24 hours between the species in both seasons. No significant differences were recorded after 48hours in both species. From the study it is concluded that indigenous honey bee species has superior hygienic behavior than exotic species.
Mechanisms of species coexistence and functional diversity of ant assemblages in forest and pasture habitats in southwestern Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Oliveira de Menezes Andressa Silvana , Schmidt Fernando Augusto
Published: October 2020

In this study, we investigated the mechanisms behind species coexistence and the relationships between functional diversity and species richness in ant assemblages in both forest and pasture habitats in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. We addressed the specific question: What is the primary mechanism for species coexistence in forest and pasture habitats? According to the identified mechanism in each habitat, we had the following alternative expectations: (i) niche partitioning – we expected to observe a linear positive relationship between functional diversity and species richness, indicating a complementary relationship; or (ii) niche filtering – a positive constant asymptotic relation between functional diversity and species richness, indicating a functional redundancy relationship. In total, we sampled 91 ant species, 82 species in a forest habitat and 16, in a pasture habitat. In the forest habitat we identified niche filtering as the structuring mechanism of the ant assemblage, but we were unable to identify a clear mechanism in the pasture habitat. Although the relationship between functional diversity and species richness was positive in both habitats, the relationship was weaker in the forest habitat, indicating a greater functional redundancy among the ant species in this habitat. Our results reinforce the divergence of species coexistence mechanisms and ant assemblage structures in both natural and human-modified habitats in the Southwestern Brazilian Amazon.
On the Production, Mating and Behavior of Males in Synoeca surinama (Vespidae: Polistinae: Epiponini)
Authors: Dos Santos Carlos Alberto , Da Silva Marjorie , Noll Fernando Barbosa
Published: October 2020

In  colonies  of  Neotropical  swarm-founding  wasps  (Epiponini),  males  are  thought  to be produced only in periods when there are many queens present. Little information is available regarding male behavior in and out of the nest, and male mating strategies are poorly understood. Here, a behavioral study of males of Synoeca  surinama is provided and copulation behavior inside a nest is described for the first time. A description of an aggregation of non-natal males at a nest is also provided. The behavior of males was observed in three colonies subjected to removal of queens for another study. Nest envelope was partially removed, and the observations were made directly (seen by “the naked eye”) and indirectly (through camcorder recordings), daily. Production of males occurred in large colonies with number of workers being more relevant than the number of the queens. Males of the aggregation were marked and filmed. The aggregation of non-natal males was observed for seven consecutive days next to the largest colony; some of the males attended the aggregation on consecutive days. The males were observed accessing the comb by the opening in the envelope and courting new queens. One successful copulation on the comb of the nest was observed. In the colony where the male aggregation was observed, 47.6% of the new queens were inseminated while in the other two colonies, no new queens were inseminated. These observations suggest males are attracted to, aggregate and seek mating opportunities at non-natal colonies that are producing young adult queens.
Parasitoids of Polistes myersi Bequaert, 1934 (Vespidae, Polistinae)
Authors: Mayorga-Ch. Daniela , Sarmiento Carlos E
Published: October 2020

Information about parasitoids of neotropical vespids is scarce. Parasitoids collected from 43 colonies of Polistes  myersi Bequaert, 1934 and one ofPolistes erythrocephalus Latreille, 1813 are reported from an Andean region of Colombia.  Colony parasitism rates in P. myersi ranged from 35 % to 57 %, being higher in colonies with more cells; however, the number of parasitized colonies did not differ when considering the mean number of adult wasps (8.2 vs. 8.1 respectively). Parasitoidism ranged from one up to four species per colony. P.  myersi parasitoids were: Seminotalaeviceps (Cresson, 1879) (Trigonalidae); Signiphora polistomyiella Richards, 1935 (Signiphoridae); Elasmuspolistis Burks, 1971 (Eulophidae, Elasminae); and a new species of Xenos(Strepsiptera, Xenidae). The latter three are first records for Colombia. P. myersi and P.  erythrocephalus are the first host reports for the trigonalid S.laeviceps. We also report an unknown Tachinid fly species of the tribe Blondeliini attacking P. myersi.
Evaluation of sampling techniques and influence of environmental variables on ants in forest fragments in an oil extraction area in the Amazon
Authors: Souza Jorge Luiz Pereira , Araújo Juliana Souza
Published: October 2020

Around the world, urban landscapes are environments modified by man, generally related to low diversity. The efficiency of a biodiversity inventory is linked to the choice of the sampling technique since the taxonomic and ecological responses of the taxons vary between methods. Here we investigate differences in the ant’s composition sampled using three different techniques in two fragments of the urban forest in the Brazilian Amazon. We also assessed whether the different techniques maintained the same ecological responses. We sampled 12 collection points at each fragment, at vegetation, and manual collection and Winkler extractor on the ground. At the same points, soil samples were collected to determine their granulometry, pH, and concentrations of organic matter, sodium, phosphorus, and potassium. We collected 115 taxa and 4720 ants. The Cururu was the richest site with more species in general, as well as in the techniques of manual collection and Winkler. We detected a complementary effect on sampling techniques, which collected different ants’ assemblages. The potassium concentration positively influenced the assemblage’s composition, but its effect varies according to the sampling techniques used. The studied fragments revealed diversity very similar to those registered in continuous Amazonian forests. The use of sampling techniques together improves the representation of the diversity of ants in the studied fragments. Edaphic environmental variables seem to have a predominant effect on ants, affecting their distribution in the landscape even in urban fragments. This highlights the importance of urban forest fragments and their inherent ecological processes.
Hyperspectral deep convolution anomaly detection based on weight adjustment strategy
Authors: Chong Dan , Hu Bingliang , Gao Xiaohui , Gao Hao , Xia Pu , Wu Yinhua
Published: October 2020

Hyperspectral anomaly detection has garnered much research in recent years due to the excellent detection ability of hyperspectral remote sensing in agriculture, forestry, geological surveys, environmental monitoring, and battlefield target detection. The traditional anomaly detection method ignores the non-linearity and complexity of the hyperspectral image (HSI), while making use of the effectiveness of spatial information rarely. Besides, the anomalous pixels and the background are mixed, which causes a higher false alarm rate in the detection result. In this paper, a hyperspectral deep net-based anomaly detector using weight adjustment strategy (WAHyperDNet) is proposed to circumvent the above issues. We leverage three-dimensional convolution instead of the two-dimensional convolution to get a better way of handling high-dimensional data. In this study, the determinative spectrum–spatial features are extracted across the correlation between HSI pixels. Moreover, feature weights in the method are automatically generated based on absolute distance and the spectral similarity angle to describe the differences between the background pixels and the pixels to be tested. Experimental results on five public datasets show that the proposed approach outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines in both effectiveness and efficiency.
Reduction of differential modal gain in a two-mode amplifier using a
void-inscribed EDF
Authors: Yamashita Yoko , Matsui Takashi , Sakamoto Taiji , Aozasa Shinichi , Wada Masaki , Mori Takayoshi , Nakajima Kazuhide
Published: October 2020

We propose a technique for reducing the differential modal gain (DMG)
that occurs in a two-mode erbium-doped fiber (2M-EDF) by inscribing
voids in the core center of a 2M-EDF with a femtosecond laser. We show
that an empty void inscribed at the core center can attenuate the
linearly polarized () mode selectively while suppressing
excess loss for the mode. We also reveal that DMG can be
controlled by means of void diameter. The longitudinal position
dependence of the void in a 2M-EDF was also investigated considering
its influence on gain and noise figure (NF) characteristics. Finally,
we realize a sufficiently low DMG of less than 0.5 dB in the full
C-band as well as a sufficient gain and NF by using the proposed
technique.
Simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain based on SCF-based MZI cascaded with FBG
Authors: Liu Yinggang , Song Xiaoya , Li Bowen , Dong Jingfei , Huang Liang , Yu Dakuan , Feng Dequan
Published: October 2020

A novel seven-core fiber (SCF)-based sensor capable of simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain was proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The sensor consists of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and a SCF-based Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI). The MZI is formed by splicing a short section of SCF between two single-mode fibers (SMFs), and in the meantime, two fiber tapers that act as light splitter and coupler are formed at both ends of the SCF by the fusion splicing method. In addition, the FBG with a central wavelength of 1547.98 nm is cascaded at the end of one fiber taper, and thus simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain can be realized. The experiment result shows that the SCF-based MZI is only sensitive to temperature and has the higher temperature sensitivity of 93.11 pm/°C, while the FBG is sensitive to temperature and strain with sensitivities of 11.46 pm/°C and

0.627

p
m

/

µ
ε

, respectively. The corresponding temperature and strain resolutions of the sensor are 0.21°C and

27.95

µ

ε

, respectively. The proposed sensor has the advantages of simple fabrication and high repeatability and has potential applications in many fields such as engineering machinery and building structure health monitoring.
Tecnologías en enseñanza superior: profesores innovadores e instituciones innovadoras
Authors: Prendes Espinosa M. Paz
Published: October 2020

La Sociedad de la Información y el Conocimiento ha surgido en relación directa con el desarrollo e impacto de las tecnologías digitales, las TIC. Y son también estas tecnologías las que de forma progresiva se han ido introduciendo en las organizaciones educativas, entre ellas también las de enseñanza superior, tal y como se demuestra en las estadísticas recientes. Este artículo es un ensayo en el cual reflexionamos sobre cómo el contexto tecnológico ha influido en las universidades y sobre el futuro de unas instituciones que necesariamente han de apoyarse en las TIC para sus procesos de gestión y administración, para desarrollar sus labores de investigación y, en tercer lugar, para cumplir con sus fines en tanto que instituciones dedicadas a la formación. Centrándonos de modo específico en la formación, analizamos la actitud de los profesores frente a la innovación apoyada en tecnologías y, por otra parte, la innovación con tecnologías como una estrategia institucional en la que hemos de considerar la política educativa y los factores de carácter organizativo.
Comprender la cultura visual en las aulas a través del curriculo posmoderno. Las TIC como mediadores en el proceso productivo
Authors: Mascarell Palau David
Published: October 2020

El siguiente artículo forma parte de un trabajo de investigación vinculado a un estudio de tesis doctoral en el que desgranamos cuestiones de carácter teórico que relacionan la Cultura Visual y las TIC con la educación en artes en la Facultad de Magisterio de la Universitat de València. Pretendemos promocionar la relevancia de este concepto, no demasiado extendido en las aulas y en la sociedad, con la finalidad de dejar mella en los futuros docentes, discentes y ciudadanos críticos. Una sociedad invadida de imágenes requiere de agentes con capacidad para descifrar los mensajes que en ellas subyacen. Pero no solo la faceta de consumidores (críticos) de imágenes es la que promueve la Cultura Visual; un currículum crítico y posmoderno pondrá en valor la producción, enfocar a nuestros discentes como protagonistas de sus propios micro relatos. La exposición del concepto Cultura Visual a través de diversos autores de referencia ayudará a desgranar su comprensión y dimensión con el objetivo de hacerla presente en la educación en artes de los futuros maestros. Estos la replicaran a su vez en las aulas de los más pequeños, garantizando el fortalecimiento de la instrucción en aspectos sociales cuotidianos a través de las imágenes.
The little-known Fissidens axilliflorus Thwaites & Mitt. (Fissidentaceae: Bryophyta) - new to the moss flora of India
Authors: Sreebha R , Daniels A E D
Published: October 2020

Fissidens axilliflorus, so far known from Sri Lanka and Laos, has been discovered in the Western Ghats in India. A description with line drawings, a photo plate and a key to distinguish F. axilliflorus from the similar F. crenulatus are provided.
Influence of pineapple extract on physicochemical characteristics of cooked glutinous rice
Authors: Nguyen Minh Phuoc Nguyen
Published: October 2020

Glutinous rice is an important crop in Southeast Asia. Pineapple had numerous potential to turn into added value. This research evaluated the impact of pineapple extract on physicochemical characteristics of cooked glutinous rice. The glutinous rice was soaked with pineapple extract in different percentage (0–2.5%) at ambient temperature for 12 hrs before cooking. The cooked glutinous rice was evaluated for gel consistency, water uptake ratio, volume increase ratio, cooking time and phytic acid content. Results showed that pineapple extract reduced gel consistency, cooking time, phytic acid while accelerating water uptake ratio, volume increase ratio. By incorporation of pineapple extract to glutinous rice during soaking, the physicochemical properties of cooked glutinous rice would be improved.
Factors affecting the intention to purchase townhouse
Authors: Le-Hoang Phuong Viet , Ho Vi Truc , Phan Nhan Trong , Le Truc Thanh Thi
Published: October 2020

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting the intention of buying a townhouse by customers in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City. To conduct the research, there is 192 validrespondents and the authors determine six factors affecting the intention of buying customers' houses in District 9 of Ho Chi Minh City: developer brand, price, location, housing characteristics, social influence and legal. The results of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) show that all of these six factors affect the intention to buy townhouses in the District 9 area of customers. The contribution of the study is that the authors confirm the theory of Ajzen and Fishbein (1975), Ajzen (1985), Ajzen (1991) and compare some empirical studies of Salah et al. (2015), Julius et al. (2016), Haddad et al. (2011), Nguyen (2013), Vo (2013), Vo (2016), Pham (2013). Also, from qualitative and research-related studies, the authors adjusted the scale and analyzed data in the current context. Based on that, research and propose solutions to improve the intention of buying houses in District 9 of customers and orienting for further research.
Do the strategic innovative organizations reduce social loafing behaviors?
Authors: Ozbey Derya Ozilhan , Kapusuz Ayşe Gökçen
Published: October 2020

This research aims to determine the effects of strategic innovation on employees’ social loafing behaviors. This mentioned relationship has been analyzed with 138 out of 170 employees working at the same hotel chosen by the convenience sampling method from Antalya/Turkey. The results showed that there is a statistically significant and negative relationship between social loafing and strategic innovativeness. Furthermore, strategic innovativeness is a descriptor of social loafing behaviors. Satisfactory results were obtained as predicted before and some suggestions for the managers and future researchers were given. The topic has a unique value in relevant literature in terms of combining both management and marketing areas.
Integrated mathematical model based on a heuristic method for loading and routing of vehicles: application in a tobacco company
Authors: Frómeta Moya Jorge Israel , Tasé Velázquez Daniel René , Hernández Mastrapa Lorena , Lao León Yosvany Orlando
Published: October 2020

The vehicle-routing problem (VRP) combined with freight-loading problem is a complex and relatively recent issue studied by the scientific literature. This paper presents the formulation of a mathematical model and a procedure to solve this problem in a Cuban tobacco company aiming to determine the quantity of merchandise to be loaded on vehicles and the best route to be taken. For this purpose, a decomposition’s heuristic method was used and it was integrated with multiobjective programming by-goals and mixed binary quadratic programming. This approach allowed simplifying the problem and offering a satisfactory solution based on the demand fulfillment, the vehicles’ rational use and for searching the local optimums of the traffic load indicator. The model was tested in a case study and its feasibility evaluated based on a real operational situation in a tobacco company. Although the results of the application of the developed model does not imply reaching the optimal solution to the problem studied, it represents an opportunity for company’s performance improvement and it could be adapted and applied to other institutions dedicated to the same activities.
Constraints of nonseismic geophysical data on the deep geological structure of the Benxi iron-ore district, Liaoning, China
Authors: Xu Chun-Hui , Xue Lin-Fu , Peng Chong
Published: October 2020

The Benxi area in Liaoning Province is one of the most important iron-ore districts in China. This study uses nonseismic geophysical data (in the form of gravity–magnetic–magnetotelluric data) and based on the section modeling method to model the deep, three-dimensional geological structure of the Benxi area. Based on the modeling results and deep geological structure characteristics, the Benxi area can be divided into three first-order deep geological tectonic units. A close relationship is between tectonic unit and iron-ore concentrations. First, high-quality iron-ore deposits occur within the tectonic boundary and sedimentary boundary zone of the Jiao–Liao–Ji Belt, reflects the protective effect of sedimentary cover on the iron-bearing formation. Second, enriched iron-ore deposits are mainly developed in Mesozoic granitic intrusion zone, reflects the hydrothermal leaching of silicon in host iron-bearing formations during magma intrusion. Thus, the findings of this study have important implications for future prospecting in the Benxi iron-ore district.
Asymptotic solution of the inverse problem for restoring the modular type source in Burgers’ equation with modular advection
Authors: Nefedov Nikolay Nikolaevich , Volkov V. T.
Published: October 2020

For a singularly perturbed Burgers’ type equation with modular advection that has a time-periodic solution with an internal transition layer, asymptotic analysis is applied to solve the inverse problem for restoring the function of the source using known information about the observed solution of a direct problem at a given time interval (period).
Development of thin-film based sensors for temperature and tool wear monitoring during machining
Authors: Plogmeyer Marcel , González Germán , Schulze Volker , Bräuer Günter
Published: October 2020

The development of thin-film sensors for temperature and wear measurement in machining operations is presented in this work. A functional thin-film system, consisting of an Al2O3 insulation layer, a chromium sensor layer structured by photolithography and an Al2O3 wear-protection and insulation layer, is deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes onto the surface of cemented carbide cutting inserts. First specimen of the sensors are successfully fabricated and tested in laboratory experiments as well as in machining operations to demonstrate their functionality. These tool-integrated sensors can be used as an in-process monitoring device to determine the temperatures on the rake face at or close to the tool-chip contact area and to measure the progress of the flank-wear land width. The knowledge of these important process parameters opens up the possibility to develop new in-process control mechanisms in order to modify and improve the surface integrity of manufactured components. Thereby, their performance and lifetime can be enhanced.
Jenseits von Donald Trump
Authors: Schlemmer Thomas
Published: October 2020

Das Podium Zeitgeschichte wirft ein kritisches Schlaglicht auf die deutsch-amerikanischen Beziehungen seit dem Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs. Dabei werden Faktoren der Stabilität und des Wandels herausgearbeitet, Kontinuitäten und Zäsuren untersucht, das spezifische Gewicht organisatorischer Strukturen der internationalen Politik bestimmt, der Einfluss personeller Konstellationen problematisiert und die Grenzen des transatlantischen Verständnisses ausgelotet. Dazu präsentiert das Podium Zeitgeschichte fünf sektorale Analysen auf Feldern von besonderer Bedeutung: erstens die bilateralen politischen Beziehungen im Kontext der internationalen Politik (Philipp Gassert); zweitens Partnerschaft und Kontroversen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Sicherheits- und Bündnispolitik (Andreas Etges); drittens Wirtschaft, Handel und Finanzen als ebenso stabilisierende wie konfliktbehaftete Säule des transatlantischen Austauschs (Stormy-Annika Mildner); viertens Konjunkturen des Konservatismus als Gradmesser für Kommunikationskanäle und -blockaden zwischen der Bundesrepublik und den USA (Michael Hochgeschwender); fünftens gegenseitige Wahrnehmungen, Bilder und Stereotype, deren Dekonstruktion eine bessere Bestimmung des Grads von Nähe oder Fremdheit zulässt (Reinhild Kreis und Jan Logemann).
Distillation time effecting on the composition of Origanum floribundum essential oils and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities
Authors: Kerbouche Lamia , Hazzit Mohamed , Baaliouamer Aoumeur , Akretche Soraya
Published: October 2020

The essential oils (EOs) of Origanum floribundum Munby, an aromatic and medicinal plant endemic in Algeria, were extracted by different hydrodistillation times (30 min, 1, 2 and 3 h) and analyzed by GC and GC–MS. The chromatographic analysis showed that thymol (32.7–45.0%), p-cymene (16.8–23.1%) and γ-terpinene (21.6–28.7%) were the most prominent components of the oils. The antioxidant ability was measured using the reductive potential, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay and the inhibition of free radicals DPPH● and ABTS●+. Antibacterial activity was assessed by the disc diffusion method against three bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and one fungus (Candida albicans). Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using a microdilution method. Thymol is one of the compounds of EOs, which are widely reported as very biologically active. Although the oil isolated for 30 min was the less-thymol rich, it was the most active with all the antioxidant tests. In the most cases, the antimicrobial activity showed the best results with oils isolated for 30 min and 3 h (MIC = 0.25–1.75 μL/mL). These results suggest that it might be possible to isolate the EO from this plant for a minimum distillation time to obtain oil that can give maximum biological activities.
Make a desert and call it peace: massacre at the Iberian Iron Age village of La Hoya
Authors: Fernández-Crespo Teresa , Ordoño Javier , Llanos Armando , Schulting Rick J.
Published: October 2020

Once considered rare, archaeological examples of violence in prehistoric Europe have accumulated over recent decades, with new discoveries providing evidence of large-scale, organised warfare among pre- and protohistoric populations. One example is La Hoya in north-central Iberia. Between the mid fourth and late third centuries BC, the site was subjected to a violent attack, its inhabitants killed and the settlement burned. Here the authors present osteological analyses for a massacre: decapitations, amputations and other sharp-force injuries affecting a wide cross section of the community. They interpret the massacre as an instance of conflict between rival local communities, contributing to a growing picture of the scale and nature of violence in Iron Age Europe.
Endothelial dysfunction in patients with lymphoproliferative disorders and its changes in the course of polychemotherapy
Authors: Davydkin Igor L. , Kuzmina Tatyana P. , Naumova Ksenia V. , Khayretdinov Rais K. , Danilova Olesya E. , Stepanova Tatyana Yu. , Osadchuk Aleksey M. , Mordvinova Elizaveta V.
Published: October 2020

The article is dedicated to contemporary views on the change of endothelial function in the patients with lymphoproliferative disorders prior to, and in the process of, chemotherapeutic treatment. Considering that possibilities of standard examination do not always help identifying subclinical endothelial dysfunction, it is necessary to use specific methods, in particular, to determine the levels of endothelin-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor to monitor endothelial function. The objective of this review is to identify problems and prospects for recognizing early subclinical changes of endothelial function in the patients with lymphoproliferative disorders before and after chemotherapy. Assessing presence and severity of endothelial dysfunction may be useful for determining subclinical stages of cardiovascular damage, stratifying the risk of the patients with confirmed cardiovascular disease, and reducing the likelihood of cardio- and endotheliotoxic effects in patients long after chemotherapy. That is why early detection and immediate therapy of cardiovascular toxicity is currently the most important task in the patients with lymphoproliferative disorders, receiving chemotherapy.
The effect of apremilast therapy on skin cytokine levels in patients with psoriasis
Authors: Kubanov Alexey A. , Solomka Viktoria S. , Karamova Arfenya E. , Verbenko Dmitry A. , Vasileva Elena L. , Artamonova Olga G.
Published: October 2020

Objective — Assessment of phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor (apremilast) therapy’s influence on skin cytokine levels in patients with moderate-to-severe and severe psoriasis. Material and Methods — An open, uncontrolled study was conducted. 16 patients with plaque psoriasis (13 men, 3 women; mean ± standard deviation (SD) age 35.1±9.7 years, range 21-60) were enrolled. The mean Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was 20.7±8.93 (range 10-47). All patients were prescribed apremilast 30 milligrams (mg) per os (PO) Bis In Die (BID). The efficacy of therapy was evaluated by PASI at 14 and 26 weeks of therapy. Lesional skin samples were collected at baseline and weeks 14 and 26. Levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-25, IL-31, IL -33, interferon (INF)-γ, Soluble CD40-ligand (sCD40L), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured by microsphere-based suspension array technology (Luminex® xMAP™ system). Results — Levels of cytokines (except IL-4 and IL-33) in lesional skin samples were found to have decreased at week 14 compared with those at baseline. Similar decreases were seen for IL-23, IL-25, IL-31, sCD40L at week 26. In contrast, the levels of other cytokines increased again at week 26, in comparison with baseline. Levels of IL-4 and IL-33 rose throughout the follow-up period. Cytokine levels in lesional skin samples were compared with those of healthy controls both at baseline and during therapy. Conclusion — The results of our study show that administering apremilast therapy to patients with psoriasis can bring the levels of cytokines involved in the IL-23/IL-17 axis in the lesional skin to the level of cytokine in non-lesional skin and to the levels in the skin of healthy individuals.
Implication of time equation in mature and immature area of ramp using time driven activity-based costing
Authors: Zaini S.N.A.M. , Abu M.Y.
Published: October 2020

Malaysia currently accounts for 28% of world palm oil production and 33% of world exports. Being one of the biggest producers and exporters of palm oil and palm oil products, Malaysia has an important role to play in fulfilling the growing global need for oils and fats sustainably. In recent times, few problems have actually happened in this plantation which are difficult to establish a time equation for analyzing the variation of activities, the rate establishment is unsuitable to display the connection between resources supplied and the practical capacity and the manager does not have a method for monitoring capacity usage and unused capacity. The aim of this work is to develop the time equation of mature and immature area at ramp for a better accuracy. Time driven activity-based costing (TDABC) is implemented because the time is successfully measured, the idle capacity is correctly determined and the capacity used and the unused capacity are differently listed. This work considers a data in 2017 to develop the solution. This work found that in the mature area from the available capacity utilization, ramp has high unused capacity with 67492.80 min which means the resources should be forecast properly in future. Meanwhile in the immature area, ramp has closest value to the practical capacity with 6667.20 min and RM5667.12 which indicates the company properly utilizes their resources. Therefore, TDABC provides more comprehensive understanding of practical resources and its associated costs while measuring processes and encouraging quality improvement.
Air Quality Index and the Urgency of Environmental Education in Kalimantan
Authors: Sulaeman N. F. , Nuryadin A. , Widyastuti R. , Subagiyo L.
Published: October 2020

As one of the logical consequences of the transformation process from agricultural to industrial societies, human activities contribute some pressures to our environment, especially air quality. Kalimantan Island, as the third-largest island on Earth, expected to be the world’s lungs, transboundary massive haze problems frequently occurred on this island, especially between 2011-2015. Since the fire forest started from the Indonesia side of this island, reliable information about air quality in Kalimantan-Indonesia and environmental education’s urgency toward this result becomes essential to explore. Air Quality Index (AQI) is measured by a passive sampling method with SO2 dan NO2 as pollutants’ parameters. These two parameters are recognized as a valid measurement of air pollutants, strongly affect human health, and are understandable by ordinary citizens, especially middle school level students. AQI reached 94.27, which is categorized as a good-quality index. Among the provinces, the highest AQI was reached by East and North Kalimantan with 97.63, while South Kalimantan has the lowest with 91.41. Furthermore, the NO2 parameter contributed much larger than SO2 parameters in all provinces. AQI Kalimantan tends to increase, although South Kalimantan tended to have a lower air quality index than other provinces from year to year. This result drives comprehensive support from the education sector to build environmental understanding. From an educational perspective, this result shows the urgency of enhancing science education with air quality discussion. We suggest a possible enhancement in substance and its transformation section and the Science-Environment-Technology-Society section in Science for Junior and Senior High School. The procedure of AQI measurement and the urgency of maintaining AQI are needed to be integrated into the science curriculum.
A Study on Demonstration of the Nature of Science in Science Textbooks: History and Philosophy of Science Perspectives
Authors: Ayık Z. , Coştu B.
Published: October 2020

Many scholars in the teaching of science put forth that the perennial target of science education is to teach the nature of science (NOS), and science textbooks play a crucial role in the teaching of the nature of science (NOS). Understanding the nature of science is said to be effective when both understanding science concepts and doing science. Numerous studies focus on the teaching of NOS. This study investigates the effect of a science content that is prepared in history and philosophy of science (HPS) perspective on the NOSunderstandings of pre-service science teachers. 34 sophomore pre-service science teachers participated in the study. The quasi-experimental method was used by employing a pre-test, an intervention, and a post-test which is the same as the pre-test. The intervention involved the presentation of science content from the HPS perspective in six weeks long of discussions. Data were collected through a survey that revealed categorical views regarding the characteristics of the NOS. The results showed that the demonstration of atom theories in the HPS perspective gave a positive effect on the pre-service science teachers in understanding the NOS.
Kebijakan Hukum Pidana Dibidang Transaksi Elektronik Sebagai Tindak Pidana Non-Konvensional
Authors: Melani Melani , Disemadi Hari Sutra , Jaya Nyoman Serikat Putra
Published: October 2020

The development and progress of electronic transactions has resulted in changes in the activities of human life in various fields which have directly given rise to new forms of legal action that require Indonesia to form arrangements regarding electronic transaction management. The purpose of this study is to find out the background of the birth of criminal law policies regarding electronic transactions and to find out the formulation of criminal acts regarding electronic transactions in Law Number 19 of 2019 concerning Information and Electronic Transactions. The results of this study indicate that the background of the birth of the criminal law policy in the field of electronic transactions is the development of crime through electronic systems in society. Although crime through an electronic system is virtual, it can be categorized as a real legal act or action. Juridically, legal actions in this cyber space are regulated in the ITE Law. This ITE Law is an absolute legal approach to safeguard security in cyberspace and produce legal certainty on technology utilization issues.
Are BUMN/State-Owned Enterprises (SOES) Hybrid Organizations?
Authors: Indrawati Yuli
Published: October 2020

The organization is now well developed. The organization does not only consist of public and private organizations, but also mixed organizations (hybrid organizations). And it’s influence to the organizations of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as stated in the legal considerations of Constitutional Court (MK) Decision Nr. 48 and 62 / PUU-XI /2013 that exclaims that SOEs are private legal entities that carry out public duties. Referring to this matter, (a) elements of hybridity in SOEs, (b) benefits and risks in the form of hybrid SOE organizations, (c) the concept of hybridity in increasing the achievements of SOE objectives. By using an analytical approach and legislation results that based on the characteristics of BUMNs are categorized as hybrid organizations. As a hybrid organization has benefits and risks as a result of the influence of the public and private elements. The greatness of the benefits and risks of hybrid organizations is inversely proportional to the size comparison of public and private elements. The hybrid concept at Perum (Public Company) which aims for public benefit is a balanced public element with a private element. Whereas for Persero (State Company) that has commercial aims, the private element must be more dominant to create flexibility that drives the development of the Company. It is recommended that the concept of hybridity in SOEs must be adapted to the form of the company and the objectives of the company.
Amphiregulin retains ERα expression in acquired aromatase inhibitor resistant breast cancer cells
Authors: Wang Yuanzhong , Tzeng Yen-Dun Tony , Chang Gregory , Wang Xiaoqiang , Chen Shiuan
Published: October 2020

Acquired resistance to aromatase inhibitors (AIs) is a significant clinical issue in endocrine therapy for estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer which accounts for the majority of breast cancer. Despite estrogen production being suppressed, ERα signaling remains active and plays a key role in most AI-resistant breast tumors. Here, we found that amphiregulin (AREG), an ERα transcriptional target and EGF receptor (EGFR) ligand, is crucial for maintaining ERα expression and signaling in acquired AI-resistant breast cancer cells. AREG was deregulated and critical for cell viability in ER+ AI-resistant breast cancer cells, and ectopic expression of AREG in hormone responsive breast cancer cells promoted endocrine resistance. RNA-sequencing and reverse phase protein array analyses revealed that AREG maintains ERα expression and signaling by activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling and upregulation of forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) and serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 3 (SGK3) expression. Our study uncovers a previously unappreciated role of AREG in maintaining ERα expression and signaling, and establishes the AREG-ERα crosstalk as a driver of acquired AI resistance in breast cancer.
Adiponectin receptor activation inhibits prostate cancer xenograft growth
Authors: Philp Lisa K , Rockstroh Anja , Lehman Melanie , Sadowski Martin C , Bartonicek Nenad , Wade John D , Otvos Laszlo , Nelson Colleen C
Published: October 2020

Adiponectin is an adipokine originally identified as dysregulated in obesity, with a key role in insulin sensitisation and in maintaining systemic energy balance. However, adiponectin is progressively emerging as having aberrant signalling in multiple disease states, including prostate cancer (PCa). Circulating adiponectin is lower in patients with PCa than in non-malignant disease, and inversely correlates with cancer severity. More severe hypoadiponectinemia is observed in advanced PCa than in organ-confined disease. Given the crossover between adiponectin signalling and several cancer hallmark pathways that influence PCa growth and progression, we hypothesised that targeting dysregulated adiponectin signalling may inhibit tumour growth and progression. We, therefore, aimed to test the efficacy of correcting the hypoadiponectinemia and dysregulated adiponectin signalling observed in PCa, a world-first PCa therapeutic approach, using peptide adiponectin receptor (ADIPOR) agonist ADP355 in mice bearing subcutaneous LNCaP xenografts. We demonstrate significant evidence for PCa growth inhibition by ADP355, which slowed tumour growth and delayed progression of serum PCa biomarker, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), compared to vehicle. ADP355 conferred a significant advantage by increasing time on treatment with a delayed ethical endpoint. mRNA sequencing and protein expression analyses of tumours revealed ADP355 PCa growth inhibition may be through altered cellular energetics, cellular stress and protein synthesis, which may culminate in apoptosis, as evidenced by the increased apoptotic marker in ADP355-treated tumours. Our findings highlight the efficacy of ADP355 in targeting classical adiponectin-associated signalling pathways in vivo and provide insights into the promising future for modulating adiponectin signalling through ADIPOR agonism as a novel anti-tumour treatment modality.
Epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming of SDH-deficient paragangliomas
Authors: Moog Sophie , Lussey-Lepoutre Charlotte , Favier Judith
Published: October 2020

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumors arising from the adrenal medulla or extra-adrenal paraganglia. Around 40% of all cases are caused by a germline mutation in a susceptibility gene, half of which being found in an SDHx gene (SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, SDHD or SDHAF2). They encode the four subunits and assembly factor of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), a mitochondrial enzyme involved both in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transport chain. SDHx mutations lead to the accumulation of succinate, which acts as an oncometabolite by inhibiting iron(II) and alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases thereby regulating the cell’s hypoxic response and epigenetic processes. Moreover, SDHx mutations induce cell metabolic reprogramming and redox imbalance. Major discoveries in PPGL pathophysiology have been made since the initial discovery of SDHD gene mutations in 2000, improving the understanding of their biology and patient management. It indeed provides new opportunities for diagnostic tools and innovative therapeutic targets in order to improve the prognosis of patients affected by these rare tumors, in particular in the context of metastatic diseases associated with SDHB mutations. This review first describes an overview of the pathophysiology and then focuses on clinical implications of the epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming of SDH-deficient PPGL.
Impact of a surface on the electro-reflectance spectra of n-Si(110) and their polarization anisotropy
Authors: Gentsar P.O. , Vuichyk M.V. , Stronski A.V.
Published: October 2020

The electro-reflectance spectra, including their polarization dependencies were analyzed for n-Si(110) in the energy range of 2.9-3.8 eV. Based on the optical anisotropy of electro-optical effect, two contributions originated from a surface, (isotropic part relates to the linear electro-optical effect which inherent for (110) surface) and bulk, (anisotropic part relates to the Franz–Keldysh effect) were identified and separated. The presence of such extreme is explained by the zero value of the electron wave function on the surface and (or) the structure gettering of the free carriers.
Change of Mechanical Properties of Polyethylene Film Materials during Their Modification by Technological Applications and during Aging
Authors: Domantsevich N. I. , Yatsushyn B. P.
Published: October 2020

Mechanical tests and studies of the structure of modified polyethylene film materials used as packaging elements of electronic devices have been carried out. The modification provided for the introduction of fillers of various types and technological additives that would facilitate the processing of raw materials and ensure a long service life. The peculiarities of changes in mechanical characteristics depending on the number and type of applications, as well as the course of processes under the influence of external factors are established. The relationship between changes in the structure and mechanical properties of polymeric materials is shown.
Adsorption of Copper Ions by Microwave Treated Bentonite
Authors: Stepova K. , Sysa L. , Kontsur A. , Myakush O.
Published: October 2020

Changes of bentonite surface structure under the influence of direct microwave irradiation during adsorpion of Cu2+ from concentrated solutions were investigated by X-ray and EDS analysis. The microwave treated bentonite (MTB) has been proved to have enhanced adsorption capacity for copper due to improved pore structure and some peculiarities of adsorption mechanism. The non-linear fitting of experimental data to the theoretical isotherms have demonstrated that the adsorption on natural bentonite fitted the Toth model, whilst microwave-treated bentonite fitted the Langmur-Freundlich model. The isotherm modeling allowed predicting the maximal adsorption capacities 44.8 mg/g. XRD and SEM analysis of MTB sample after adsorption indicated formation of microcrystals of individual copper compound. The adsorption on MTB sample takes place not only in pores or in monomolecular layer on the bentonite surface, but the prevalent mechanism is surface-induced co-precipitation of copper as microcrystals of individual copper compound.