bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Survival of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma with Metastasis to Paranasal Sinuses: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Anvari Kazem , Majidi Mohammad Reza , Razmara Ferezghi Mahdi , Parkam Bahereh , Javadinia Seyed Alireza
Published: January 2022

Background: Malignant melanoma (MM) usually present with metastases to unexpected regions of the body. Metastatic MM is a highly lethal condition, and the median survival in this setting is 6 to 7.5 months; however, few reports rarely describe long-term after chemotherapy.Case Report: We describe a 31-year-old man with MM, which got metastatic (to paranasal sinuses) after local and systemic therapy showed complete responses with long-term survival after endonasal endoscopic metastasectomy and radiotherapy of the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and base of the skull.Conclusion: Although long-term survival is rare, few reports describe cases after chemotherapy. MM could be associated with metastasis to any regions and clinicians should be aware of its behavior and perform complete investigation in the presence of any suspicious symptoms, and this should be reinforced periodically. However, the survival is poor in the metastatic setting, and the treatment of choice is debatable, some patients may benefit from metastasectomy and local radiotherapy. [GMJ.2018;7:e860]
Medicinal Plants for Management of Insomnia: A Systematic Review of Animal and Human Studies
Authors: Feizi Faezeh , Namazi Nazli , Rahimi Roja , Ayati Mohammad Hossein
Published: January 2022

Insomnia is one of the most troubling sleep disorders and can be characterized by an inability to fall asleep and/or inadequate sleep duration and/or waking up multiple times during the night. Herbal medicine has been used to treat a range of sleep disorders for centuries. This study aimed to review medicinal plants investigated experimentally or clinically for sleep disorders, as well as their potential mechanisms of action and active components. Electronic databases and literature were systematically investigated to assess all in vitro and in vivo trials and clinical evidence of the efficacy and potential mechanisms of actions playing major roles in sleep induction or insomnia treatment. Among many herbal studies and trials on insomnia, some showed no significant difference between herbal remedies and placebos. While others showed improvements in sleep parameters (sleep latency, total sleep, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep duration, delta activity in NREM sleep, wakefulness anxiety-associated insomnia). In this study, in vitro, animal, and clinical studies investigating a variety of herbal treatments for insomnia were systematically reviewed. The mechanisms of action of herbal medicines in treating insomnia are mainly related to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-synthesizing and GABA-metabolizing enzymes that influenced sleep outcomes. Overall, herbal remedies were not associated with more benefits than non-benzodiazepines, although side effects were less. The results suggest that herbs have some benefits in improving the quantity and quality of sleep and could be a promising alternative therapy. [GMJ.2019;8:e1085]
Restraining the Proliferation of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells by Genistein through Up-regulation of B-cell Translocation Gene-3 at Transcription Level
Authors: Abedi Nejad Masoumeh , Nikbakht Mohsen , Afsa Masoomeh , Malekzadeh Kianoosh
Published: January 2022

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a highly prevalent pediatric cancer accounting for approximately 78% of leukemia cases in patients younger than 15 years old. Different studies have demonstrated that B-cell translocation gene 3 (BTG3) plays a suppressive role in the progress of different cancers. Genistein is considered a natural and biocompatible compound and a new anti-cancer agent. In this study, we evaluate the effect of genistein on BTG3 expression and proliferation of ALL cancer cells. Materials and Methods: ALL cell lines (MOLT4, MOLT17, and JURKAT) were cultured in standard conditions. Cytotoxicity of genistein was detected using MTT assay. The cells were treated with different concentrations of genistein (10, 25, 40, and 55μM) for 24, 48, and 72 hours, and then cell viability and growth rate were measured. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was applied to investigate the effect of genistein on BTG3 expression. Results: The percentage of vital cells treated with genistein significantly decreased compared to the non-treated cells, showed an inverse relationship with an increasing genistein concentration. The present study suggests a dose of 40μM for genistein as a potent anticancer effect. Genistein could elevate BTG3 for 1.7 folds in MOLT4 and JURKAT and 2.7 folds in MOLT17 cell lines at transcription level conveged with 60 to 90% reduction in the proliferation rate of cancer cells. Conclusion: Up-regulation of BTG3 as a tumor suppressor gene can be induced by genistein. It seems that BTG3 reactivation can be introduced as another mechanism of anti-proliferative effect of genistein and could be considered as a retardant agent candidate against hematopoietic malignancy.[GMJ.2019;8:e1229]
Chronic Skin Lesions as the Presentation of Diffuse Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in the HIV-Infected Woman: A Case Report and Review of Literatures
Authors: Davarpanah Mohammad Ali , Dehghanian Amirreza , Akbari Ali , Dalfardi Behnam
Published: January 2022

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most form of leishmaniasis that caused by intracellular parasites, Leishmania. Case Report: A 39-year-old woman, known case of HIV infection, presented with a 6-month history of skin lesions initially on her face, then extending onto the chest, abdomen, and extremities. Laboratory examinations revealed leukopenia and a CD4 cell count of 280 cells / mm3. A biopsy was taken from skin lesions, and histopathological studies showed aggregates of macrophages filled with numerous Leishman bodies, the diagnosis of diffuse CL was confirmed. Consequently, she received liposomal amphotericin B (total dose of 40 mg/kg) as a case of diffuse CL. The skin lesions showed significant improvement after completion of treatment. Conclusion: Diffuse CL should be considered as a differential diagnosis in all patients with diffuse skin lesions mainly in the cases that suffer from disorders of cell-mediated immunity.[GMJ.2019;8:e1294]
Effect of Fenugreek Use on Fasting Blood Glucose, Glycosylated Hemoglobin, Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, Blood Pressure and Quality of Life in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials
Authors: Hassani Seyyedeh Seddigheh , Arezodar Faramarz Fallahi , Esmaeili Seyyed Saeid , Gholami-Fesharaki Mohammad
Published: January 2022

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major cause of death globally. It causes multiple problems in various organs and incurs heavy costs for patients and the community health system.The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of fenugreek intake on fasting blood sugar (FBS), HbA1C, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure and quality of life of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Materials and Methods: This randomized, double-blinded clinical trial study was conducted on patients with T2DMin Tehran, Iran in 2018. The treatment group received 5 g of fenugreek powder,and the placebo group received 5 g of wheat flour twice daily for two months before meals. Results: This study was performed on 62 patients (50% male and 50% female). Both groups had similar demographic characteristics. The results showed a significant difference between the mean FBS (P<0.001), HgA1C (P<0.001), BMI (P<0.001), waist circumference (P<0.001), diastolic blood pressure (P=0.005), and quality of life (P=0.015). There was no significant difference in mean systolic blood pressure (P=0.189) between groups.  Conclusion: Given the positive effect of fenugreek on FBS, hemoglobin, HbA1C, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure and quality of life, it can be recommended for controlling blood glucose in diabetic patients. [GMJ.2019;8:e1432]
Ameliorative Effects of Different Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Paradigms on the Novel Object Recognition Task in a Rat Model of Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Zarifkar Amir Hossein , Zarifkar Asadollah , Nami Mohammad , Rafati Ali , Aligholi Hadi , Vafaee Farzaneh
Published: January 2022

Background: Treatment of Alzheimer as a disease that is associated with cognitive impairment has been associated with some restrictions. Recently, researchers have focused on non-pharmacological treatments, including non-invasive stimulation of the brain by transcranial electrical stimulation (tES). Four main paradigms of transcranial electrical current include transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), transcranial alternative current stimulation (tACS), transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), transcranial pulse current stimulation (tPCS). The tDCS is a possible new therapeutic option for patients with cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer disease. Materials and Methods: The study was done on Sprague-Dawley male rats weighing 250-270 g. to develop Alzheimer’s model, the cannula was implanted bilaterally into the hippocampus. Aβ 25-35 (5μg/ 2.5µl/day) was microinjected bilaterally for 4 days. Then, an electrical stimulation paradigm was applied to the animal for 6 days. Animal cognitive capacity was evaluated on day 11 and 12 by novel object recognition (NOR) test. Results: Our results showed that application of tDCS; tACS; tRNS and tPCS reversed beta-amyloid-induced impairment (P<0.05). The tRNS Group spent total exploration time around the objects compared to other groups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the four different paradigms in discrimination ratio and the percentage of total exploration time. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the use of multiple sessions of different tES paradigms could improve Aβ-induced memory impairment in the NOR test. Therefore, based on evidence, it can be expected that in addition to using tDCS, other stimulatory paradigms may also be considered in the treatment of AD. [GMJ.2019;8:e1440]
Therapeutic Effects of Hab Shabyar on Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: BaniHabib Ebrahim Khalil- , Mostafai Ali , Fazljou Seyyed Mohammad Bagher , Mohammdi Ghadir
Published: January 2022

Background: Open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. This study evaluates the therapeutic effects of hab shabyar in patients with open-angle glaucoma. Materials and Methods: In this clinical randomized controlled trial, 50 patients with OAG were randomized into two groups. The intervention group received a drop of timolol plus 500 mg of hab shabyar every 12 hours. The placebo group received a drop of timolol every 12 hours plus 500 mg of wheat germ as a placebo. The intraocular pressure in patients with OAG was measured in each group and compared before the intervention (t1), one month (t2), and two months (t3) after the intervention. Results: The mean decrease in intraocular pressure for the right eye on three times in the intervention group was statistically significant, but the mean decrease in the placebo group was not significant. Similar results were obtained for the left eye at t1 when compared to t3. The intervention group patients expressed more satisfaction changes than the placebo group (P≤0.001). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that consumption of timolol plus hab shabyar instead of consuming timolol alone was probably more effective for reducing intraocular pressure in patients with OAG. [GMJ.2020;9:e1218]
ВИЯВЛЕННЯ ІДЕЇ ВИДОЗМІНИ ЯК ПРОЦЕСУ БЕЗПЕРЕРВНОЇ ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЇ ТЕМИ У ФОРТЕПІАННОМУ ЦИКЛІ «МЕТАМОРФОЗИ» ДЖОНА КЕЙДЖА
Authors: Korchev Oleksandr Oleksandrovych
Published: January 2022

Мета роботи – розкрити зміст поширеної в композиторській практиці ХХ–ХХІ століть ідеї метаморфози на прикладі фортепіанного циклу Дж. Кейджа. Мета роботи зумовила такі завдання: окреслити жанрову палітру музичних творів із назвою «Метаморфози», з’ясувати характер утілення означеної ідеї; дослідити підходи до визначення явища метаморфози шляхом співвіднесення даної концепції з низкою усталених понять у сфері теоретичного музикознавства, зокрема принципу проростання В. Протопопова, техніки «серійної фрагментації», що наводить О. Григоренко, а також терміна «деривації», до якого звертається М. Арановський у праці «Музыкальный текст. Структура и свойства»; шляхом цілісного аналізу фортепіанного опусу Дж. Кейджа окреслити основні засоби вираження ідеї видозміни у процесі становлення композиції циклу. Методологія дослідження: системний метод – дає можливість співвіднести багатовекторну композиторську концепцію «метаморфози» із низкою актуальних понять теоретичного музикознавства; історичний метод – розкриває ретроспективу поширення ідеї метаморфози у творчості композиторів ХХ–ХХІ століть; метод структурного аналізу – дозволяє простежити за розвитком вихідної теми фортепіанного циклу Дж. Кейджа, розглянути особливості становлення музичного матеріалу твору, дослідити характерні ознаки функціювання принципу «деривації». Наукова новизна полягає в дослідженні ідеї «метаморфози», що є актуальною для творчості композиторів ХХ–ХХІ століть, висвітленні особливостей функціювання «деривації» на прикладі становлення музичного тексту фортепіанного циклу Дж. Кейджа “Metamorphosis”, виявленні характерних ознак функціонування даного принципу в композиції музичного твору. Висновки. Результати цілісного аналізу фортепіанного циклу дозволяють означити вихідну тему як тематичне джерело, що стає основою для музичного матеріалу всього твору. Становлення композиції являє собою процес безперервної трансформації теми, що приводить до її нового, видозміненого звучання у фінальній частині.
Issues and Prospects of Investigative Journalist Activities in the context of anti-corruption in contemporary Ukraine
Authors: Antoniuk Dmytro
Published: January 2022

In the article the author considers the problems faced by investigative journalists in the process of combating corruption in contemporary Ukraine. In particular, regarding the negative perception of their activities within society; lack of proper security of journalists in detecting corruption offenses by government officials; difficulties in finding and accessing information on corrupt transactions.

The need to establish high-quality mutual support and cooperation between NGOs and investigative journalists to address the above issues, as well as to develop joint recommendations for overcoming corruption risks based on their own activities. The advantages of NGO cooperation with investigative journalists in the context of protecting the latter from persecution by the authorities are highlighted.

The author sees the solution of the most of problems related to the professional activity of investigative journalists in a special network created for them, which would monitor the movement of corruption funds and ensure high-quality receipt and exchange of relevant information. It is proposed to create a similar network in Ukraine, which would cover all regions and could lay an information basis for establishing effective anti-corruption control at the national level.
Influence Operations: Conceptual Dimension
Authors: Zaporozhets Oksana
Published: January 2022

The article focuses on the meaning and features of influence operations. It is shown that this term does not have precise and widely accepted definition. The researchers tend to consider influence operations as general term for any activities of international actors in information environment, or as a modern form of information operations that exceed military campaigns. The analysis of researchers’ publications made it possible to highlight some features of influence operations. The core of influence operations is perception management. The success of such operations depends largely on understanding vulnerabilities and adaptation to the specifics of target audiences. One of key features of influence operations is synchronization and coordination of activities in information and physical environment. The idea is that communication activities should be reinforced by appropriateactions that also aim to affect perceptions, opinions, and behavior of target audiences and not to obtain advantages in physical environment. Influence operations are also characterized by the use of various combinations of “soft” and “hard”, legitimate and partly legitimate influence techniques. The scenarios of influence operations are long lasting and may take different formsthat involve the participation of state and non-state agents of influence. Influence operations cover all aspects of information operations and strategic communication, but they are used in more complicated and subtle way. So, it makes sense to regard influence operations as long-term and advanced form of information operations. The emergence of this term may mark the necessity torevise and updateexisting terminology in the field of information warfare,taking into account moderntrends in the development of international relations.
Penghambatan berbagai isolat Trichoderma sp. terhadap perkecambahan spora Colletotrichum sp.
Authors: Wicaksono Danar , Kafiya Maftuh
Published: January 2022

Penyakit antraknosa pada buah cabai menyebabkan kualitas hasil menurun dan kehilangan hasil yang tinggi. Penyakit ini disebabkan oleh jamur Colletotrichum sp. Pada umumnya, antraknosa pada cabai dikendalikan dengan aplikasi fungisida kimia sintetis pada seluruh permukaan buah. Hal ini sangat berbahaya bila dilakukan menjelang panen karena buah cabai juga dikonsumsi segar. Agens pengendali hayati merupakan alternatif pengendalian Colletotrichum sp. pada buah cabai. Penelitian bertujuan untuk memperoleh isolat agens pengendali hayati yang dapat menghambat perkecambahan spora Colletotrichum sp. penyebab penyakit antraknosa pada buah cabai besar keriting. Penelitian diawali dengan isolasi Colletotrichum sp. dari cabai rawit, besar, dan merah keriting. Isolasi menghasilkan dua buah isolat dari cabai merah besar, 5 isolat diisolasi dari cabai merah keriting, dan 7 isolat dari cabai rawit. Uji virulensi dilakukan untuk memperoleh isolat yang paling virulen terhadap cabai merah keriting. Isolat BA asal cabai besar diketahui memiliki virulensi paling tinggi dibandingkan yang lainnya. Tujuh Trichoderma, 1 Gliocladium, dan 2 APH yang belum diidentifikasi digunakan biakan dalam media cair. Suspensi APH digunakan untuk mengendalikan penyakit antraknosa pada buah cabai merah keriting. Penambahan suspensi LPT2 menyebabkan persentase perkecambahan paling sedikit.
TEACHING NAHW AND SHARF BY USING WHATSAPP (A CASE SUDY AT “BISA” FOUNDATION IN DEPOK, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA) / تعليم النحو و الصرف عبر الواتسأب (دراسة حالية في مؤسسة "بيسا" الإسلامية ديبوك إندونيسيا)
Authors: Rizkiya Ana
Published: January 2022

This study aims to reveal the process of teaching nahw and sharf via Whatsapp at BISA Foundation, Depok. The researcher used qualitative method in a case study design. To collect the data, the researcher did observation, interviewed the leader, several supervisors and assistants, and distributed online questionnaire to students in nahw and sharf classes using google form. The result described that nahwu and sharf have been tought via Whatsapp since 2013 and was free. Nahw learning is carried for four months and sharf learning is for two months. The textbooks used are al-Nahw lil Mubtadi’in and al-Sharf lil Mubtadi’in. Learning materials are delivered in the forms of written texts, audio, and video. Lessons are held every day except Wednesdays. Teaching and learning is carried out in several activities namely explaining, discussing, and assigning. Students’ learning achievement is measured by giving weekly assignment and final examination. The advantages of teaching nahw and sharf using Whatsapp are that it is cheap and can be carried out everywhere easily. Whereas, the weaknesses are personal problems, the program itself, and technical aspect
Analisis Faktor-Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Kebijakan Dividen Pada Perusahaan LQ45 Di Bursa Efek Indonesia
Authors: Shaleh Abd. Rahman , Astuti Diana Dwi , Prastyowati Agustin Hari
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of size, profitability, maturity, insider  ownership  and  leverage on  dividend  policy using  the LQ45 company object listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). This research was conducted for five consecutive years from 2015 to 2019 which included 27 sample companies taken using purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed using  multiple  linear  regression  analysis.  The  results  showed  that  the  size, maturity and insider ownership variables partially had an insignificant effect on dividend policy, while profitability and leverage had a significant effect on dividend policy. Simultaneously, size, profitability, maturity, insider ownership and leverage had a significant effect on dividend policy.
PERAN KEPALA SEKOLAH DALAM MENINGKATKAN PROFESIONALISME GURU SMK (SEKOLAH MENENGAH KEJURUAN) DI KECAMATAN CURAHDAMI, BONDOWOSO
Authors: Yunita Nurma , Supardi Supardi , Dimyati Muhaimin
Published: January 2022

This research aim to examine principal’s role as an educator, supervisor and motivator. Based on problem identification, the researcher will research about principal’s role in improving teacher’s professionalism in SMK Curahdami. Empower teacher’s competencies, conduct training, special coaching program such as sertifikasi. In this case, sertifikasi can be used as teacher’s skill measurement to be a professional teacher. The existence of this program will spur the spirit of teachers to improve themselves, improve the quality of knowledge, and professionalism in education.

            Improving teacher’s knowledge by delegating teacher in education activities such as workshop, improving teacher’s creativity by motivate and support them in increasing their teaching ability.

Keywords: educator, supervisor, motivator
Policy Termination durch Aushandlung. Eine Analyse der Ausstiegsregelungen zu Kernenergie und Kohlesubventionen
Authors: Heyen Dirk A.
Published: January 2022

Die Analyse der Beendigung von Politiken (Policy Termination) ist in der europäischen Politikwissenschaft fast völlig vernachlässigt. Dabei stellt sich insbesondere angesichts der Überlastung von staatlichen Ressourcen die Frage nach den Bedingungen und Strategien für die Abschaffung von ineffizienten oder aus anderen Gründen nicht mehr gewünschten Policies. Der Aufsatz möchte die Terminierungsliteratur mit einem verhandlungstheoretischen Element bereichern und fragt, ob die Aushandlung der Beendigungsmodalitäten mit den bisherigen Nutznießern einer Politik ein attraktiver Weg für terminierungswillige Regierungsparteien ist. Zur Beantwortung werden anhand von zwei jüngeren und „prominenten“ Terminierungsprojekten (mit schwierigen Rahmenbedingungen) die Vorteile der Verhandlungslösung den dafür notwendigen Zugeständnissen gegenübergestellt. Trotz verlängertem Zeithorizonts des Ausstiegs und dadurch erhöhtem Revisionsrisiko scheint der kompromissorientierte Weg zumindest im Fall von hohen Beendigungshürden und starkem Adressatenwiderstand sinnvoll.
Die Privatisierung des Maßregelvollzugs. Die deutschen Bundesländer im Vergleich
Authors: Töller Annette Elisabeth , Dittrich Marcus
Published: January 2022

Während der Strafvollzug in Gefängnissen in Deutschland nach wie vor als nicht privatisierbarer Kernbereich staatlicher Aufgaben gilt, wurde der damit eng verwandte psychiatrische Maßregelvollzug (MRV), also die Unterbringung schuldunfähiger oder gemindert schuldfähiger Straftäter in psychiatrischen Kliniken zur „Besserung und Sicherung“, in den letzten 10 Jahren in Deutschland in 6 von 16 Bundesländern funktional privatisiert, d.h. in die Hände privater Betreiber übergeben, und in weiteren 3 formell privatisiert, ohne dass dies von einer breiteren Öffentlichkeit bemerkt worden wäre. Der Beitrag beschreibt zunächst diese heikle Staatsaufgabe, gibt dann einen Überblick über die bislang erfolgte Privatisierung und skizziert schließlich weitere politikwissenschaftliche Forschungsperspektiven, die sich zum einen mit den Ursachen für die Privatisierung (und für die erheblichen Unterschiede zwischen den Bundesländern in der Privatisierungspolitik) und zum anderen mit den Folgen der Privatisierung befassen.
MULTILEVEL PHYSICAL-ORIENTED MODEL: APPLICATION TO THE DESCRIPTION OF THE INITIAL STAGE OF DYNAMIC RECRYSTALLIZATION OF POLYCRYSTALS
Authors: Kondratev N.S. , Trusov P.V. , Podsedertsev A.N.
Published: January 2022

Thermomechanical processing of metals and alloys is accompanied by deep changes of the material structure (including grain structure), which determines physical and mechanical properties and the working characteristics of products made from them. Its change is possible due to mechanical (fragmentation process) and/or temperature (recrystallization process) influences. Because of this, an urgent task is to create mathematical models that allow describing changes in the material structure and the stress-strain state under thermomechanical treatment. For this purpose, the multilevel physically oriented model was developed for researching inelastic deformation of polycrystals. The problem of modeling two stages deformation of a polycrystalline copper sample was formulated. At the first stage, preliminary cold intense plastic deformation under complex loading was investigated. Two variants of preliminary deformation were considered. They were homogeneous deformation corresponding to equal-channel angular compression (ECUP), and deformation with closed deformation trajectory. At the second stage, uniaxial high-temperature deformation was considered prior to the beginning of an intensive dynamic recrystallization. The paper describes the method for estimating the recrystallized material volume fraction within the framework of the multilevel model. The influence of the deformation temperature, the preliminary deformation, the deformation texture, and the average angle of mutual misorientation of neighboring grains on recrystallization was investigated. These parameters determine the development of dynamic recrystallization, since its main physical cause is the difference in stored energy between neighboring grains. It was shown that the developed mathematical model is suitable for describing the thermal activation of dynamic recrystallization at temperatures in the range of 0,4–0,7 homologous temperature. The deformation trajectory complexity determines the type of deformation texture, its “sharpness” or “dispersion”, the angles of neighboring grains mutual misorientation. The results of computational experiments are presented. According to the proposed method, the deformation at the high-temperature stage is determined, at which the intensive migration of new grains begins during recrystallization.
WEAR OF COATING WITH A SHEAR MODULE ARBITRALLY CHANGING BY DEPTH
Authors: Zelentsov V.B. , Lapina P.A. , Mitrin B.I. , Zelentsov L.B.
Published: January 2022

The protection of the working surfaces of mechanisms in sliding contact conditions is often carried out by applying protective multilayer and functionally graded coatings, which prevent wear of the working surfaces and reduce the temperature heating of the contact. The problem of grinding the surface of oxidized and other materials with a functionally graded change in properties along the depth of the product leads to the need to control the wear rate and contact heating from friction. The effectiveness of studying the processes of wear, grinding, polishing and early diagnostics of thermoelastic instability of sliding contact is facilitated by mathematical modeling of the process of wear of products made of functionally graded materials. The thermoelastic contact problem of the wear of a functionally graded coating with an arbitrarily varying shear modulus with a hard abrasive, taking into account the heating of the contact from friction, is considered. The solutions of the problem are constructed in the form of Laplace convolutions. Analysis of the obtained solutions in the complex plane makes it possible to determine the regions of thermoelastic stability and instability of the solutions in the space of dimensionless parameters of the problem. Unstable solutions give rise to the concept of thermoelastic instability of a sliding contact. The constructed analytical solutions made it possible to study the effect of the functionally graded inhomogeneity coefficient of the coating material on the thermoelastic instability regions of the sliding contact, temperature, displacements, stresses and wear of the functionally graded coating material.
In silico analyses of blood flow and oxygen transport in human micro-veins and valves
Authors: Rajeeva Pandian Navaneeth Krishna , Jain Abhishek
Published: January 2022

BACKGROUND: Almost 95% of the venous valves are micron scale found in veins smaller than 300μm diameter. The fluid dynamics of blood flow and transport through these micro venous valves and their contribution to thrombosis is not yet well understood or characterized due to difficulty in making direct measurements in murine models. OBJECTIVE: The unique flow patterns that may arise in physiological and pathological non-actuating micro venous valves are predicted. METHODS: Computational fluid and transport simulations are used to model blood flow and oxygen gradients in a microfluidic vein. RESULTS: The model successfully recreates the typical non-Newtonian vortical flow within the valve cusps seen in preclinical experimental models and in clinic. The analysis further reveals variation in the vortex strengths due to temporal changes in blood flow. The cusp oxygen is typically low from the main lumen, and it is regulated by systemic venous flow. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis leads to a clinically-relevant hypothesis that micro venous valves may not create a hypoxic environment needed for endothelial inflammation, which is one of the main causes of thrombosis. However, incompetent micro venous valves are still locations for complex fluid dynamics of blood leading to low shear regions that may contribute to thrombosis through other pathways.
Coverability, Termination, and Finiteness in Recursive Petri Nets
Authors: Finkel Alain , Haddad Serge , Khmelnitsky Igor
Published: January 2022

In the early two-thousands, Recursive Petri nets have been introduced in order to model distributed planning of multi-agent systems for which counters and recursivity were necessary. Although Recursive Petri nets strictly extend Petri nets and context-free grammars, most of the usual problems (reachability, coverability, finiteness, boundedness and termination) were known to be solvable by using non-primitive recursive algorithms. For almost all other extended Petri nets models containing a stack, the complexity of coverability and termination are unknown or strictly larger than EXPSPACE. In contrast, we establish here that for Recursive Petri nets, the coverability, termination, boundedness and finiteness problems are EXPSPACE-complete as for Petri nets. From an expressiveness point of view, we show that coverability languages of Recursive Petri nets strictly include the union of coverability languages of Petri nets and context-free languages. Thus we get a more powerful model than Petri net for free.
Cost Problems for Parametric Time Petri Nets*
Authors: Lime Didier , Roux Olivier H. , Seidner Charlotte
Published: January 2022

We investigate the problem of parameter synthesis for time Petri nets with a cost variable that evolves both continuously with time, and discretely when firing transitions. More precisely, parameters are rational symbolic constants used for time constraints on the firing of transitions and we want to synthesise all their values such that some marking is reachable, with a cost that is either minimal or simply less than a given bound. We first prove that the mere existence of values for the parameters such that the latter property holds is undecidable. We nonetheless provide symbolic semi-algorithms for the two synthesis problems and we prove them both sound and complete when they terminate. We also show how to modify them for the case when parameter values are integers. Finally, we prove that these modified versions terminate if parameters are bounded. While this is to be expected since there are now only a finite number of possible parameter values, our algorithms are symbolic and thus avoid an explicit enumeration of all those values. Furthermore, the results are symbolic constraints representing finite unions of convex polyhedra that are easily amenable to further analysis through linear programming. We finally report on the implementation of the approach in Romeo, a software tool for the analysis of time Petri nets.
An Investigation into the Effects of Outer Membrane Vesicles and Lipopolysaccharide of Porphyromonas gingivalis on Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity, Permeability, and Disruption of Scaffolding Proteins in a Human in vitro Model
Authors: Pritchard Anna Barlach , Fabian Zsolt , Lawrence Clare L. , Morton Glyn , Crean StJohn , Alder Jane E.
Published: January 2022

Background: The effects of the key pathogens and virulence factors associated with gum disease such as Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) on the central nervous system is of great interest with respect to development of neuropathologies and hence therapeutics and preventative strategies. Chronic infections and associated inflammation are known to weaken the first line of defense for the brain, the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Objective: The focus of this study is to utilize an established human in vitro BBB model to evaluate the effects of P. gingivalis virulence factors lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) on a primary-derived human model representing the neurovascular unit of the BBB. Methods: Changes to the integrity of the BBB after application of P. gingivalis LPS and OMVs were investigated and correlated with transport of LPS. Additionally, the effect of P. gingivalis LPS and OMVs on human brain microvascular endothelial cells in monolayer was evaluated using immunofluorescence microscopy. Results: The integrity of the BBB model was weakened by application of P. gingivalis LPS and OMVs, as measured by a decrease in electrical resistance and a recovery deficit was seen in comparison to the controls. Application of P. gingivalis OMVs to a monoculture of human brain microvascular endothelial cells showed disruption of the tight junction zona occludens protein (ZO-1) compared to controls. Conclusion: These findings show that the integrity of tight junctions of the human BBB could be weakened by association with P. gingivalis virulence factors LPS and OMVs containing proteolytic enzymes (gingipains).
JOTROL, a Novel Formulation of Resveratrol, Shows Beneficial Effects in the 3xTg-AD Mouse Model1
Authors: Dennison Jessica L. , Volmar Claude-Henry , Modarresi Farzaneh , Ke Danbing , Wang James , Gravel Emilie , Hammond-Vignini Sabrina , Li Zuomei , Timmons James A. , Lohse Ines , Hayward Marshall A. , Brothers Shaun P. , Wahlestedt Claes
Published: January 2022

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has minimally effective treatments currently. High concentrations of resveratrol, a polyphenol antioxidant found in plants, have been reported to affect several AD-related and neuroprotective genes. To address the low bioavailability of resveratrol, we investigated a novel oral formulation of resveratrol, JOTROL™, that has shown increased pharmacokinetic properties compared to non-formulated resveratrol in animals and in humans. Objective: We hypothesized that equivalent doses of JOTROL, compared to non-formulated resveratrol, would result in greater brain exposure to resveratrol, and more efficacious responses on AD biomarkers. Methods: For sub-chronic reversal studies, 15-month-old male triple transgenic (APPSW/PS1M146V/TauP301L; 3xTg-AD) AD mice were treated orally with vehicle or 50 mg/kg JOTROL for 36 days. For prophylactic studies, male and female 3xTg-AD mice were similarly administered vehicle, 50 mg/kg JOTROL, or 50 mg/kg resveratrol for 9 months starting at 4 months of age. A behavioral battery was run, and mRNA and protein from brain and blood were analyzed for changes in AD-related gene and protein expression. Results: JOTROL displays significantly increased bioavailability over non-formulated resveratrol. Treatment with JOTROL resulted in AD-related gene expression changes (Adam10, Bace1, Bdnf, Psen1) some of which were brain region-dependent and sex-specific, as well as changes in inflammatory gene and cytokine levels. Conclusion: JOTROL may be effective as a prophylaxis and/or treatment for AD through increased expression and/or activation of neuroprotective genes, suppression of pro-inflammatory genes, and regulation of central and peripheral cytokine levels.
Semantic-enabled architecture for auditable privacy-preserving data analysis
Authors: Ekaputra Fajar J. , Ekelhart Andreas , Mayer Rudolf , Miksa Tomasz , Šarčević Tanja , Tsepelakis Sotirios , Waltersdorfer Laura
Published: January 2022

Small and medium-sized organisations face challenges in acquiring, storing and analysing personal data, particularly sensitive data (e.g., data of medical nature), due to data protection regulations, such as the GDPR in the EU, which stipulates high standards in data protection. Consequently, these organisations often refrain from collecting data centrally, which means losing the potential of data analytics and learning from aggregated user data. To enable organisations to leverage the full-potential of the collected personal data, two main technical challenges need to be addressed: (i) organisations must preserve the privacy of individual users and honour their consent, while (ii) being able to provide data and algorithmic governance, e.g., in the form of audit trails, to increase trust in the result and support reproducibility of the data analysis tasks performed on the collected data. Such an auditable, privacy-preserving data analysis is currently challenging to achieve, as existing methods and tools only offer partial solutions to this problem, e.g., data representation of audit trails and user consent, automatic checking of usage policies or data anonymisation. To the best of our knowledge, there exists no approach providing an integrated architecture for auditable, privacy-preserving data analysis. To address these gaps, as the main contribution of this paper, we propose the WellFort approach, a semantic-enabled architecture for auditable, privacy-preserving data analysis which provides secure storage for users’ sensitive data with explicit consent, and delivers a trusted, auditable analysis environment for executing data analytic processes in a privacy-preserving manner. Additional contributions include the adaptation of Semantic Web technologies as an integral part of the WellFort architecture, and the demonstration of the approach through a feasibility study with a prototype supporting use cases from the medical domain. Our evaluation shows that WellFort enables privacy preserving analysis of data, and collects sufficient information in an automated way to support its auditability at the same time.
A Relative Study of Contemporary Residential Landscape Architecture: From the Local to the Global Aspect
Authors: Khawaja Shifa Rasul , Mujahid Saad , Malik Ayesha Mehmood , Rashid Memoona
Published: January 2022

The location of residential quarters has a deep connection with the pattern of everyday life. It is not always significant for social activities; however, it is the main component in city planning. Along with the improvement of the society and economy, the landscape of residences is likewise changing. This paper aims to discuss the planning strategies of residential landscape from a socio-technical perceptive. A diverse approach was implemented for collecting data due to the uncertain situation around the world because of COVID19 including personal archival data, LDA authority, building regulations, research articles and interviews. The variables adapted for the current research are: drift from outdoor spaces to indoor spaces, orientation of design and spatial layout and practices diffusion. The study suggests that the dynamics of space and practices can normalize the unsustainable arrangements rooted in social organizations. The increased consumption of electrical appliances and specification of spaces has changed the culture into an unsuitable indoor layout planning and has neglected the use of outdoor areas in contemporary societies. This study can help to bring the implementation of house planning into a broader perspective globally as there is a comparison drawn between the local and international landscaped signing by a renowned landscape architect "Geoffrey Bawa".

         Keywords: architecture, contemporary and landscape, open spaces, orientation, residential planning
PROSTATE-SPECIFIC MEMBRANE ANTIGEN (PSMA) AS DIAGNOSTIC BIOMARKER IN PROSTATE CANCER
Authors: Frannata Lucky , Soeroharjo Indrawarman , Danarto Raden , Setyo Heriyanto Didik
Published: January 2022

Objective: This study aimed to compare PSMA expression in both prostate cancer and benign prostate disease. Material & Methods: PSMA antigen expression was examined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), twenty samples from each prostate cancer and benign prostate group were examined at the Department of Pathology Anatomy, Sardjito General Hospital. The data was analyzed using version 21 of SPSS.  Results: The mean PSMA gene expression in benign groups was 13.49 [95% CI: 11.27 – 15.72] and the mean PSMA gene expression in the malignant group was: 25.14 [95% CI: 20.95-29.33], the p-value was <0.01. Using an independent T-test analysis, we found that the increase in PSMA gene expression in the prostate cancer group was statistically significant. Conclusion: The expression of the PSMA gene was correlated with prostate cancer. Increased PSMA gene expression in prostate tissue could be used as a biomarker to diagnose prostate cancer.
USAGE OF SUPPORTING PAD FOR SUPINE PCNL: A SINGLE CENTER EXPERIENCE
Authors: Hakim Rizky Lukman , Birowo Ponco
Published: January 2022

Objective: This study aims to compare the safety, efficacy, and other surgical outcomes of supine PCNLs performed with and without the use of supporting pad. Material & Methods: We enrolled 27 patients who undergone PCNL procedure with supine position for renal stones with all sizes between January - December 2019. Divided into two groups, operated with and without supporting pad, with 13 and 14 patients respectively. Inclusion criteria are patients with renal stones, including staghorn, multiple calyx, and proximal ureteral stones. Meanwhile, pediatric patients under 12 years old, uncorrectable bleeding disorders, active urinary infection, and pregnancy are excluded. Results: Our observation showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups, although blood loss and length of stay in supporting pad showed better results. A statistically significant difference was found in stone-free-rate (P = 0.006) favoring in supine PCNL with supporting pad. Conclusion: Supine PCNL with support padding may be a safe and more effective choice to treat renal stones. Nevertheless, the patient’s anatomic variations may influence this. Thus, a prospective study with a larger population is needed to verify our outcomes.
MANAGEMENT OF ADRENO CORTICAL CARCINOMA: CASE REPORT
Authors: Duha Diki Arma , Mirza Hendy
Published: January 2022

Objective: Adreno cortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy. Currently, surgical resection offers the best chance of cure with localized tumor. Multimodal therapy including systemic chemotherapy and radiation therapy are often required for locally advanced and metastatic disease aims to decrease these high recurrence rates. Case(s) presentation: A 42-year-old male patient was referred from internist due to mass in left adrenal. Solid mass with calcification on left adrenal gland within size 9 x 11.8 x 11.5 cm was found in MSCT. We performed complete surgical resection (adrenalectomy), and results from pathology anatomy was ACC functional T2N1M0 (stage 3). The patient was planned eight times chemotherapy with etoposide and carboplatin, but he decided to stop the treatment after six times due to no constitutional complaint. We found no residual mass on follow up six months after operation and patient demonstrated a good clinical outcome after one year. Discussion: We perform open adrenalectomy and after surgery mitotane plus etoposide, cisplatin, doxorubicin (EDP) administered as first-line therapy but we only did chemotherapy with etoposide and carboplatin because mitotane was not covered by patient insurance. We chose to not perform radiation therapy due to lesser benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy as evidenced by many studies in term of recurrence-free survival and overall survival. Conclusion: In our case, adreno cortical carcinoma treated with open adrenalectomy combined with 6 times chemotherapy used etoposide and carboplatin demonstrated a good clinical outcome after 1 year.
INVESTIGATIONS AND DIAGNOSIS OF GIANT PERIURETHRAL CONDYLOMA AND EFFICACY OF THE MANAGEMENT WITH CONVENTIONAL APPROACH: A CASE REPORT
Authors: Ariwicaksono Stefanus Cahyo , Mirza Hendy
Published: January 2022

Objective: This study aims to show our first case of female with periurethral condyloma and how we managed it. Case(s) Presentation: A 40-year-old female came with asymptomatic lesion in the genital area for 4 months, without any history of promiscuity. The physical examination showed a mass of 5 x 5 cm located in the periurethral area. The patient underwent mass excisions without any complication, further pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of CA. Discussion: After operation and discharge there are no sign of recurrence after 6 months follow up. Conclusion: Despite the rare occurrence in periurethral region, clinicians should be aware of CA case in female and for our first case we used mass excision with satisfactory result.
MATURE TESTICULAR TERATOMA IN PEDIATRIC PATIENT: A CASE REPORT
Authors: Indra Firdaus Gugum , Ismy Jufriady
Published: January 2022

Objective: To report our experience on management of testicular teratoma in pediatric patient. Case(s) presentation: A 2-years-old boy presented with progressive mass in his left testis. The mass was found 3 months ago but became larger in a few days. The patient had no other genitourinary complaint. Vital signs were within normal limits. A hard and tender mass in the left scrotum sized 5x4x2.5 cm was palpated from the physical examination. An imaging study with Computed Tomography (CT) Scan revealed an enhancement in the left scrotum mass area. There was no ring enhancement in pelvic and paraaortic lymph nodes. The laboratory examination within normal limit. Inguinal radical orchiectomy was performed, and histopathological examination revealed a mature testicular teratoma of the left testis. Discussion: Testicular teratoma in children is usually benign. Testicular germ cell tumors generally have a good prognosis with current therapy. Post-orchiectomy management depends on the histology type, staging, and tumor markers. Conclusion: Testicular teratoma is a rare case and can cause minimal symptoms until it grows significantly. Testicular teratoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of non-traumatic painless progressive scrotal mass. Inguinal radical orchiectomy may be considered as the primary management.