bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
North Korea and Reunification
Authors: Roehrig Terence
Published: October 2020

Efforts to denuclearize North Korea continue, but it is highly doubtful whether this goal will be reached. An often-expressed fear of a nuclear-armed North Korea is that it might use this capability to coerce reunification with the South on its terms. Though its leaders often speak of the desire for reunification, North Korea will not and could not pursue a successful nuclear coercion strategy because it carries an inordinate amount of risk, even for Pyongyang, which raises serious doubts about the credibility of its nuclear threats, the possibility of success, and the likelihood of pursuing such a strategy in the first place. And even if North Korea were to succeed, its efforts to integrate the South Korean economy would be a disaster, leading to the end of the North Korean regime.
Commentary on Cyclical youth-led conflict as an early warning indicator
Authors: Coghlan Nicholas
Published: October 2020

South Sudan’s second civil war (1983-2005) was conventionally and consistently portrayed in the western media as pitting the African, mainly Christian and animist, South against the Arab, Muslim North. And yet on any given day, fighting within the territory of what is now South Sudan was in those years typically more about cattle, women, and/or the resolution of longstanding local feuds between villages, clans, and ethnicities.
Data-Driven Peacekeeping and the Vancouver Principles: Towards Improved Monitoring and Reporting for Grave Violations Against Children
Authors: Laurence Marion
Published: October 2020

This article examines the UN’s move toward ‘data-driven’ peacekeeping and its implications for the Vancouver Principles, especially implementation of states’ monitoring and reporting commitments as outlined in Principle 6. I argue that data-driven peacekeeping presents both opportunities and challenges when it comes to monitoring and reporting. On the one hand, it can improve the quantity and quality of the information available about the recruitment and use of child soldiers. It can thereby foster improvements in responsiveness, performance, and accountability, both within peace operations and among other stakeholders. Yet data-driven peacekeeping also comes with challenges. These include data literacy and ‘buy-in’ among personnel on the ground, concerns about privacy and confidentiality, and political sensitivities around monitoring and reporting. Together these issues highlight the degree to which the Vancouver Principles are interconnected and mutually reinforcing – each affects implementation of the others, and none can be fully operationalized in isolation.
lncRNA:mRNA expression profile in CD4+ T cells from patients with Graves’ disease
Authors: Yin Qinglei , Jin Zhou , Zhou Yulin , Song Dalong , Fu Chenyang , Huang FengJiao , Wang Shu
Published: October 2020

Graves’ disease (GD) is a common autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland. As a new class of modulators of gene expression, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play a vital role in immune functions and in the development of autoimmunity and autoimmune disease. The aim of this study is to identify lncRNAs in CD4+ T cells as potential biomarkers of GD. lncRNA and mRNA microarrays were performed to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in GD CD4+ T cells compared with healthy control CD4+ T cells. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to validate the results, and correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between these aberrantly expressed lncRNAs and clinical parameters. The microarray identified 164 lncRNAs and 93 mRNAs in GD CD4+ T cells differentially expressed compared to healthy control CD4+ T cells (fold change >2.0 and a P < 0.05). Further analysis consistently showed that the expression of HMlincRNA1474 (P < 0.01) and TCONS_00012608 (P < 0.01) was suppressed, while the expression of AK021954 (P < 0.01) and AB075506 (P < 0.01) was upregulated from initial GD patients. In addition, their expression levels were recovered in euthyroid GD patients and GD patients in remission. Moreover, these four aberrantly expressed lncRNAs were correlated with GD clinical parameters. Moreover, the areas under the ROC curve were 0.8046, 0.7579, 0.8115 for AK021954, AB075506, HMlincRNA1474, respectively. The present work revealed that differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with GD, which might serve as novel biomarkers of GD and potential targets for GD treatment.
ISOLATION, SCREENING, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOSURFACTANT-PRODUCING Bacillus spp. FROM SOIL AND THEIR POTENTIAL BIOFILM INHIBITORY ACTIVITIES AGAINST Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Guzman John Paul Matthew , Alba Jeun Marianne , Torres Mark Louie
Published: October 2020

Biosurfactants are surface-active compounds usually produced by microbial cells, thus, their biodegradable nature and low toxicity. The capability to lessen surface and interfacial tensions characteristic of these compounds paved the way for their potential to inhibit biofilm formation. Biofilms are complex matrices of microbial cells formed on surfaces which provide microorganisms protection against substances found in the environment, including antimicrobials. In this study, Bacillus spp. isolated from soil samples were screened for their production of biosurfactants through Oil Drop Collapse and Parafilm M assays. Out of 12 isolates, our, GAT-01, GAT-04, GAT-05, and GAT-07, tested positive, and were identified based on their phenotypic and genotypic characteristics as B. pseudomycoides, B. cereus, B. pseudomycoides, and B. mycoides, respectively. GAT-01 was able to yield the highest biofilm inhibition activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 with 43.12%, GAT-04 with 32.42%, GAT-05 with 35.78%, while GAT-07 showed the lowest activity with 26.91%. No antibacterial activities against P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 were observed. Quorum sensing inhibition assay using Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472 also showed negative results for all the biosurfactants. These present the potential of biosurfactants from Bacillus spp. as bioactive substances against biofilm formation through physical interactions.
PURIFICATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND EXPRESSION, OF RECOMBINANT OUTER MEMBRANE PROTEIN A (OMP A) OF ACINETOBACTER BAUMANNII LI311
Authors: Al-Saadi Aamal Ghazi , Abbas Aalaa Fahim
Published: October 2020

Acinetobacter baumannii is a known hospital aquired  pathogenic bacterium that increasingly resists antibiotics treatment. In order to characterize and produce a soluble OmpA protein that can be used to develop Acinetobacter vaccine, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to produce the ompA gene, of A.  baumannii strain  LI311, which was cloned into the histidin taged pET19b expression plasmid. Immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) was utilized  to purify the recombinant protein, and amino acid sequences for OmpA protein homologs were attained from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) protein resource then analyzed using  the blast  tool and Jalview program. Protein topology prediction was done using NCBI tools and PRED-TMBB2. Analysis of  amino acid sequence of OmpA of  A.  baumannii strain  LI311 showed that it  has homologies to  other clinical Acinetobacter spices , including: A. pittii , A.nosocomialis , A.seifertii, A. calcoaceticus,  and A. ursingii with identity  percentages of  100%, 100%, 96%, 92%, and 91%. Protein topology prediction revealed two conserved domains belonging  to OmpA  family protein ,which are beta-barrel domain outer membrane protein (OMP_b-brl) and OmpA-C-like domain, and it is a 10-βeta -stranded transmembrane Outer Membrane Protein with a signal peptide  at residues 1–22A. A recombinant Histidine tagged- OmpA (39.31kDa )was successfully  expressed and purified in this study.  In conclusion, OmpA  protein  of A.baumannii strain LI31 is highly conserved across clinical species of Acinetobacter, and the soluble recombinant OmpA created in this study can be used to develop a putative vaccine that may prevent infections caused by the clinical species of  Acinetobacter.
Der Wert der Musik: Aushandlungsdynamiken in der digitalisierten Musikwirtschaft
Authors: Kropf Jonathan
Published: October 2020

Der Beitrag liefert eine kultursoziologische Diskussion des Künstler-Intermediäre-Verhältnisses und der Disruptionen, denen dieses Verhältnis im Zuge der Digitalisierung ausgesetzt ist. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden die Aushandlungsdynamiken über den „Wert der Musik“ anhand von Leserkommentaren zur sog. „Wutrede“ des Autors und Element of CrimeFrontmanns Sven Regener im Bayerischen Rundfunk aus dem Jahr 2012 exemplarisch analysiert und feldtheoretisch eingeordnet. Dabei zeigt sich, dass die Frage nach dem „Wert der Musik“ hier nicht bloß im ökonomischen, sondern im umfassenden Sinne adressiert wird. Die aktuelle „Krise der Musik“ kann in diesem Zusammenhang aus den Brüchen im Verhältnis von Musikschaffenden und Markt erklärt werden, die sich innerhalb eines Feldes vollziehen, das gegenwärtig „zentrifugalen Strukturdynamiken“ unterliegt.
„Online-Audiences“ – Zur Publikumsvermessung im Internet
Authors: Muhle Florian , Wehner Josef
Published: October 2020

Das Internet wird zunehmend als Distributions- und Rezeptionskanal für Inhalte der Massenmedien wichtig. Vor diesem Hintergrund beschäftigt sich der Beitrag mit der von publizistischen Organisationen betriebenen Praxis der Online-Publikumsmessung. Während die umfassende Verdatung von User-Aktivitäten und -Interessen in den meisten (sozialwissenschaftlichen) Kommentaren bisher vornehmlich kritisch betrachtet wird, lässt sich auf Grundlage von Expert/inneninterviews mit Vertreter/innen verschiedener Medienorganisationen ein differenzierteres Bild der Publikumsvermessung im Internet zeichnen. So führt erstens der Ausbau der Verdatungs- und Analysemöglichkeiten nicht automatisch zum ‚gläsernen User’, sondern bringt heterogene und teils widersprüchliche Datenmengen hervor, deren Bearbeitung höchst voraussetzungsvoll und offen für verschiedene Interpretationen ist. Zweitens führt die umfassende Publikumsvermessung auch nicht automatisch zu einer immer stärkeren Publikumsorientierung des Journalismus. Denn obwohl Nutzungsdaten zweifellos wichtiger für Auswahl und Gestaltung der Angebote werden, werden traditionelle journalistische Qualitätskriterien nicht einfach aufgegeben. Stattdessen stehen Publikumsorientierung und journalistisches Selbstverständnis in redaktionsinternen Abläufen und Entscheidungen in einem komplexen Wechselverhältnis und werden aufeinander abgestimmt. Drittens muss die umfassende Verdatung des Publikums und seiner Aktivitäten auch nicht zwangsläufig zur Auflösung zuvor weitgehend homogener massenmedialer Publika führen. So können die Verdatungsmöglichkeiten im Gegenteil auch dazu dienen, möglichst große Teilpublika zu erreichen oder neuartige Räume für wechselseitige Beobachtungen und somit auch für neue Formen der Öffentlichkeit zu eröffnen.
Der „Memplex“ Terrorismus
Authors: Baden Sebastian
Published: October 2020

Der Beitrag basiert auf einem kulturwissenschaftlichen und mediologischen Ansatz, der die Mem-Theorie für die Terrorismusforschung nutzbar macht. Aus der Perspektive der Memetik lässt sich in der Nachfolge von Richard Dawkins sowie Susan Blackmore dann von einem „Memplex“ sprechen, wenn eine Vernetzung von „Replikatoren“ – Informationen, Institutionen, Medien und Akteuren – so effizient funktioniert, dass davon ein ganzes sozio-kulturelles Umfeld betroffen ist. Dies trifft im Fall von terroristischen Anschlägen und bei der Kommunikation über Terrorismus in besonderem Maße zu. Die Akte terroristischer Gewalt in der jüngsten Geschichte zeugen vom Einfluss memetischer Faktoren. Dazu zählen neben den Anschlägen selbst auch ihre mediatisierte Formen in Bildern, Texten und audiovisuellen Berichten, die zu einem Großteil im Internet Verbreitung finden. Für die Memetik ebenfalls relevant sind die ideologischen Hintergründe, die terroristische Handlungen motivieren und kommentieren. Die Transformation des Terrorismusbegriffs und seine Viralität, d. h. seine Verbreitung durch Texte und Bilder, sind memetisch erklärbar. Die Konstruktion des Memplex Terrorismus soll deshalb folgend anhand einiger Replikatoren analysiert werden. Ausgehend von den terroristischen Anschlägen des 11. September 2001 werden Beispiele einer populären Rezeptionsgeschichte des Terrorismusbegriffs aufgezeigt und bildwissenschaftlich sowie kulturhistorisch verglichen.
Medien und Partizipation. Zwischen Distributionsapparat und partizipativer Propaganda
Authors: Sützl Wolfgang
Published: October 2020

Dieser Betrag untersucht den Begriff der Partizipation im medialen Kontext, indem er ihn mit seinem Schattenbegriff „Propaganda“ in Dialog bringt. Propaganda bildet dabei den Gegenpol zu einem demokratiepolitischen Verständnis von Partizipation. Ausgangspunkt ist die scheinbare Abwesenheit von Partizipation im Kontext der klassischen Massenkommunikationstheorie, die jedoch von ihrem ursprünglichen kulturpessimistischen Verständnis der Masse zusehends abrücken musste, um Raum für einen aktiveren und komplexeren Publikumsbegriff zu schaffen. Parallel dazu hat sich ein Theoriestrang gebildet, der Partizipation als Eigenschaft des medialen Apparats sieht, also des technischen Mediums selbst und der sozialen Struktur seiner Produktion. Beide Theoriestränge konvergieren im Kontext der digital vernetzten Medien, wo Propaganda und Partizipation in eine neue Beziehung zueinander und zu den Nutzer_innen eintreten, in der die Trennung der beiden Begriffe ihre Selbstverständlichkeit verliert.
Spatiotemporal ATP Dynamics during AKI Predict Renal Prognosis
Authors: Yamamoto Shinya , Yamamoto Masamichi , Nakamura Jin , Mii Akiko , Yamamoto Shigenori , Takahashi Masahiro , Kaneko Keiichi , Uchino Eiichiro , Sato Yuki , Fukuma Shingo , Imamura Hiromi , Matsuda Michiyuki , Yanagita Motoko
Published: October 2020

Significance Statement

ATP depletion is central in kidney disease pathogenesis, but technology has not effectively monitored in vivo ATP dynamics. Experiments using a novel mouse strain that incorporates an ATP biosensor to visualize spatiotemporal ATP dynamics at single-cell resolution revealed the crucial difference between cells of the proximal tubules (PTs) and those of the distal tubules (DTs). Mitochondrial changes were consistent with the differing ATP dynamics in cells of the two regions, explaining the different sensitivity to ischemic reperfusion injury. A strong correlation emerged between ATP recovery of PT cells in acute phase and renal fibrosis in the chronic phase. Cold ischemia enhanced ATP recovery, providing a proof of concept for the possible protective value of renal hypothermia.

Background

Depletion of ATP in renal tubular cells plays the central role in the pathogenesis of kidney diseases. Nevertheless, inability to visualize spatiotemporal in vivo ATP distribution and dynamics has hindered further analysis.

Methods

A novel mouse line systemically expressing an ATP biosensor (an ATP synthase subunit and two fluorophores) revealed spatiotemporal ATP dynamics at single-cell resolution during warm and cold ischemic reperfusion (IR) with two-photon microscopy. This experimental system enabled quantification of fibrosis 2 weeks after IR and assessment of the relationship between the ATP recovery in acute phase and fibrosis in chronic phase.

Results

Upon ischemia induction, the ATP levels of proximal tubule (PT) cells decreased to the nadir within a few minutes, whereas those of distal tubule (DT) cells decreased gradually up to 1 hour. Upon reperfusion, the recovery rate of ATP in PTs was slower with longer ischemia. In stark contrast, ATP in DTs was quickly rebounded irrespective of ischemia duration. Morphologic changes of mitochondria in the acute phase support the observation of different ATP dynamics in the two segments. Furthermore, slow and incomplete ATP recovery of PTs in the acute phase inversely correlated with fibrosis in the chronic phase. Ischemia under conditions of hypothermia resulted in more rapid and complete ATP recovery with less fibrosis, providing a proof of concept for use of hypothermia to protect kidney tissues.

Conclusions

Visualizing spatiotemporal ATP dynamics during IR injury revealed higher sensitivity of PT cells to ischemia compared with DT cells in terms of energy metabolism. The ATP dynamics of PTs in AKI might provide prognostic information.
Occupational catastrophe! The digital revolution, global warming, unrest and pandemics: are we prepared?
Authors: Joubert Robin Wendy
Published: October 2020

Through an extensive scrutiny of relevant print and online media, research publications, global reports and against a participatory occupational justice framework (POJF), the author explores 4 phenomena that are increasingly impacting upon human occupation.  They are the 4th industrial revolution with its accelerated technological advancement; global warming and the concomitant climate changes that are collectively causing human and agricultural displacement with catastrophic side effects; global unrest which is resulting in the displacement and disruption of large numbers of people and the corona virus pandemic with its emerging effects upon so many aspects of human existence.This is an opinion piece in which the author proposes a potential scenario that will change the face of human occupation and contribute towards considerable threat to the health and wellness of humanity. A scenario in which many occupations will be replaced by advanced technology and/or activities of daily living transformed by climate change. This, together with human displacement, will result in millions of people being jobless and the profile of human occupation changing. The impact of the corona virus remains an emerging phenomenon that is and will continue to have far reaching effects upon human behaviour, occupation, health and the global economy.A further consequence of all these phenomena will provide the world with spiritual, ethical and moral dilemmas that threaten the training and capabilities of health professionals.As health professionals with a profound understanding of the physical, mental and spiritual importance of human occupation uponthe health of humanity, occupational therapists will need to decide whether or not they are going to react creatively and proactively to these challenges or remain within the boxes of their past.
Guided by the collaborative ethos and enablement skills of the Participatory Occupational Justice Framework (POJF), and current proactive movements within the WFOT and occupational science, the author suggests a tentative approach the occupational therapy profession can adopt in order to contribute to the continuing wellness of humanity and how it may need to transform in order to prepare itself to accost and overcome these challenges.
Key words: Digital revolution, global warming and climate change, global unrest, Pandemics, human displacement, unemployment, occupationalchaos and transformation
Stone Tools Illustrations with Vector Art: The 'STIVA' Method v1
Authors: Niccolo Cerasoni Jacopo
Published: October 2020

Lithic illustrations are often used in scientific publications to efficiently communicate the technological and morphological characteristics of stone tools. They offer invaluable information and insights not only on how stone raw materials were transformed into their final form, but also on the individuals that made them. Here, the “Stone Tools Illustrations with Vector Art” (STIVA) Method is presented, which involves the illustration of lithic artefacts using vectorial graphics software (Adobe® Illustrator®). This protocol follows an optimised step-by-step method, presenting ten major sections that constitute the creation of a lithic illustration: photography, vectorial software configuration, scale, outline, scar borders, ripples, cortex, symbols, composition, and export. This method has been developed to allow researchers, students and educators to create clear and competent illustrations for any application, from scientific publications to public outreach.
Elazığ yöresinde meşe ekimlerinin gelişimi ile bazı yetişme ortamı özellikleri arasındaki ilişkiler
Authors: KALKAN Bahri , KARAKURT Hidayet , ÖZKAN Kürşad , TİRYAKİ Osman , GÜNEŞ Özden
Published: October 2020

Elâzığ ve çevresinde, 1998 yılında toprak muhafaza amacı ile yapılan meşe ekimlerinin gelişimi ile bazı yetişme ortamı özellikleri arasındaki ilişkinin açığa çıkarılması amaçlanmıştır. Bunun için farklı yükselti, bakı, eğim ve yamaç konumuna göre dağılımları homojen yapılmış 20x20 m ebadında 54 adet örnekleme alanı belirlenmiştir. Bu örnekleme alanlarında tüm fertlerin tür teşhisleri yapılmış ve aynı yaşlı olduklarını teyit etmek için her örnekleme alanında iki fert dipten kesilmiştir. 51 adet örnek alanında türlerin boy ve dip çap ölçümleri yapılmış, açılan toprak profillerinden derinlik kademesine göre bozulmuş ve bozulmamış toprak örnekleri alınmıştır. Meşe ekimi yapılmış ancak başarısız olunmuş üç adet örnek alanda ise başarısızlığın toprak özellikleri ile ilişkili olup olmadığını tespit etmek amacıyla sadece toprak örnekleri alınmıştır. Elde edilen veriler sınıflandırma ve regresyon ağacı yöntemi (STRAT) ile analiz edilmiştir. Modelleme DTREG programı kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. İstatistik analiz sonuçlarına göre, Elâzığ ve çevresinde ekimle yetiştirilen Quercus brantii L. (İran palamut meşesi) ve Quercus cerris L. (saçlı meşe) türlerinin çap artımı ve boy büyüme performansı üzerinde, yetişme ortamı özellikleri (Eğim, bakı, rakım, anakaya) ve toprak özellikleri (rezerve kum, kil ve organik karbon içeriği, mutlak toprak derinliği) etkili olmuştur.
PHYTOADAPTOGENS IN THE TUMOURS BIOTHERAPY AND GERIATRICS (PART 2)
Authors: Bocharova O. A. , Karpova R. V. , Bocharov E. V. , Vershinskaya A. A. , Baryshnikova M. A. , Kazeev I. V. , Kucheryanu V. G. , Kiselevskiy M. V.
Published: October 2020

Phytoadaptogens (ginseng, eleutherococcus, rhodiola rosea, aralia, etc.) have a wide spectrum of biological activity, supporting the body in a state of nonspecific increased resistance to stress. The second part of the review provides information of the phytoadaptogens normalizing effects on the cardiovascular system. Analyzes current data on the antitumor properties of phytoadaptogens in relation to the effect on the onset and development of tumours, metastasis, recurrence, development of cytostatic disease, confirming the prospect of their using in drugs for prevention and biotherapy of tumour diseases.

Past 1 see: Phytoadaptogens in the tumours biotherapy and geriatrics (Past 1). Russian Journal of Biotherapy 2020;19(2):13–21.
Accuracy of Near-Fault Fling-Step Displacements Estimated Using the Discrete Wavenumber Method
Authors: Wu Shuang-Lan , Nozu Atsushi , Nagasaka Yosuke
Published: October 2020

Near-fault fling steps might cause severe damage to near-fault structures such as bridges or base-isolated buildings. Therefore, the accurate simulation of ground displacements including fling steps based on fault models is an important issue not only for seismological but also for engineering purposes. The discrete wavenumber (DWN) method (e.g., Bouchon, 2003) has been established as a method to calculate complete elastic wavefield, including permanent displacement for a homogeneous or a layered half-space. However, the accuracy of the permanent displacements calculated by the DWN method is influenced by the selection of parameters, such as the imaginary part of the complex frequency and the subfault size in the case of extended sources. The objective of this study is to clarify the requirement for these parameters for the accurate simulation of fling-step displacements to further enhance the use of the DWN method. Honda and Yomogida (2003) also addressed the issue of calculating fling-step displacements using the DWN method; however, their study was focused on cases in which a large amount of seismic moment is released at depth. This study was focused on fling-step displacements due to rather shallow slip, in which the fault distance was as small as several meters in an extreme case, motivated by recent damaging earthquakes such as the 2016 Kumamoto, Japan, earthquakes. The ground displacements including fling steps were calculated by the DWN method and compared with the analytical solutions for the static displacements (Okada, 1985, 1992), both for point sources and extended sources in a homogeneous half-space. According to the results, following recommendations were made. For the imaginary part of the complex frequency, ωc=ω−λi, λ=ξπ/Tw with ξ≥2.0 can be recommended, with the understanding that the waveforms are effective only within the range of [0,Tw/ξ]. For extended sources, the subfault size should be as small as 0.5 times the fault distance to accurately simulate fling steps.
Demographics and age changes in geriatric population- part 1
Authors: Prakash Poonam , K Bhandari S
Published: October 2020

With the improved health care facilities and nutritional levels, the average life expectancy of Indian population has been on a steady rise over the years. Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a specialty that focuses on health care of elderly people. It aims to promote the health by preventing and treating diseases and disabilities in older adults. There is no set age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or geriatric physician, a physician who specializes in the care of elderly people. Rather, this decision is determined by the individual patient's needs, and the availability of a specialist. It is important to note the difference between geriatrics, the care of aged people, and gerontology, which is the study of the ageing process itself. The term geriatrics comes from the Greek γέρων geron meaning "old man", and ιατρός iatros meaning "healer". However, geriatrics is sometimes called medical gerontology. It is also defined as the branch of medical science dealing with old age & its disease. The increased life expectancy demands an improved quality of life for the elderly thereby making geriatric medicine and dentistry an important aspect of the healthcare system.

This paper covers the overall demographics of the elderly population along with the various physical, dental and psychological changes that occur in them.
Mejoramiento de subrasantes de tipo arcilloso mediante la adición de escoria de acero
Authors: Ospina-García Miguel Ángel , Chaves-Pabón Saieth Baudilio , Jiménez-Sicachá Luis Miguel
Published: October 2020

El presente trabajo evalúa el comportamiento de mezclas de suelo arcilloso mediante la adición de escoria de acero, comparando con los criterios de calidad para ser una subrasante vial. El comportamiento de la mezcla de escoria de acería con arcilla caolinita, se estableció con una matriz de dosificación de aumento gradual, en porcentajes de: 25, 50 y 75%, a través del tamiz N°4. Los resultados indican que la escoria de acería funciona en materiales cohesivos, reduciendo la plasticidad hasta un 0%, y aumentando el valor del California Bearing Ratio, CBR, en un 378.92%. Se concluye que la escoria de acero, es un excelente complementopara mejorar las propiedades físicas y mecánicas de una subrasante de arcilla caolinita. En una primera aproximación, la dosificación más recomendada es de un 25%, debido a que la disminución en la resistencia a la compresión e índice de plasticidad no fue tan alta como en las otras dosificaciones, pero sí aumenta el índice CBR y la densidad.
AKTIVITAS ANTIOKSIDAN HIDROLISAT PROTEIN IKAN WADER (Rasbora jacobsoni) DARI HIDROLISIS OLEH ENZIM CALOTROPIN DAN PAPAIN
Authors: Witono Yuli , Maryanto Maryanto , Taruna Iwan , Masahid Ardiyan Dwi , Cahyaningati Kinanti
Published: October 2020

The potency of common barb fish as fish protein hydrolyzate caused by its high protein content. Fish protein hydrolyzate is produced through the hydrolysis process by the calotropin enzyme and the papain enzyme. This study used common barb fish with one type of treatment, i.e. the difference combination of the calotropin (C) and papain (P) enzyme. Making fish protein hydrolyzate is used to determine the antioxidant activity of the common barb fish protein hydrolyzate. The observation parameters in this study were enzyme activity, antioxidant activity, degree of hydrolysis, molecular weight, amino acids, dissolved protein content, and water holding capacity. Samples with a ratio of 40C: 60P enzyme concentration are wader fish protein hydrolyzate with the proportion of 40% calotropin enzyme and 60% papain enzyme is the highest sample that has an antioxidant activity of 36.41%, reduced power value of 0.57, hydrolysis degree of 74.40% and total amino acids of 82.79%. Wader fish hydrolyzate in the 70C: 30P sample of 76.98% has a high water holding capacity because it can maintain the protein component in meat.

Keywords: antioxidant, calotropin, common barb fish, fish protein hydrolyzate, papain
Is Rainwater Harvesting Sufficient to Satisfy The Emergency Water Demand for The Prevention of COVID-19? The Case of Dilla town, Southern, Ethiopia
Authors: Kanno Girum Gebremeskel , Lagiso Zemachu Ashuro , Abate Zeleke Girma , Areba Abereham Shiferaw , Van Wyk Renay , Aregu Mekonnen Birhanie
Published: October 2020

Rainwater harvesting could be an optional water source to fulfil the emergency water demand in different setups. The aim was to assess if the rainwater harvesting potential for households and selected institutions were sufficient to satisfy the emergency water demand for the prevention of COVID-19 in Dilla town, Southern, Ethiopia. Rain water harvesting potential for households and selected institutions were quantified using 17 years’ worth of rainfall data from Ethiopian Metrology Agency. With an average annual rainfall of 1464 mm, households with 40 and 100 m2 roof sizes have a potential to harvest between 15.71-31.15 m3 and 41.73-82.73 m3 of water using Maximum Error Estimate. Meanwhile 7.2-39.7 m3 and 19.11-105.35 m3 of water can be harvested from the same roof sizes using Coefficient of Variation for calculation. Considering mean monthly rainfall, the health centres and Dilla University can attain 45.7% and 77% of their emergency water demand, while the rest of the selected institutions in Dilla Town can attain more than 100 % of their demand using only rainwater. Rain water can be an alternative water source for the town in the fight against COVID-19.
“A little flip goes a long way” The impact of a ‘partial’-flipped classroom design on student performance and engagement in a first year undergraduate economics classroom
Authors: Singh Nadia
Published: October 2020

The flipped classroom is gaining prominence as an active learning pedagogy to engage a new generation of students. However, all courses do not lend themselves to a fully flipped design and instructors are often reluctant to flip lectures. In this study, I experimented with a “partial” flipped classroom design in a first-year undergraduate economics course. In this partial flipped format, traditional lectures were substituted with micro-lectures and the remaining class time was devoted to activities like quizzes, group work and student presentations. The full lectures were panopto recorded and put up on the e-learning site, Blackboard. This format enabled me to combine the benefits of a traditional lecture with a flipped classroom design. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the partial flipped classroom format, I compared the final exam scores of students in the partial flipped classroom with those in the control group, which followed a traditional lecture-based approach. The key results from the analysis revealed that students in the partial flipped classroom performed better in the final exams vis-à-vis students in the traditional classroom format. Furthermore, the partial flipped classroom format was associated with lower odds of students failing in the module. This format also resulted in better student engagement, more flexibility and enhanced student-tutor interaction within the classroom.
De Novo Drug Design using Artificial Intelligence ASYNT-GAN
Authors: Jacobs Ivan , Maragoudakis Manolis
Published: October 2020

In this paper we propose the generation of synthetic small and more sophisticated molecule structures that optimize the binding affinity to a target (ASYNT-GAN). To achieve this we leverage on three important achievements in A.I.: Attention, Deep Learning on Graphs and Generative Adversarial Networks. Similar to text generation based on parts of text we are able to generate a molecule architecture based on an existing target. By adopting this approach, we propose a novel way of searching for existing compounds that are suitable candidates. Similar to question and answer Natural Language solutions we are able to find drugs with highest relevance to a target. We are able to identify substructures of the molecular structure that are the most suitable for binding. In addition, we are proposing a novel way of generating the molecule in 3D space in such a way that the binding is optimized. We show that we are able to generate compound structures and protein structures that are optimised for binding to a target.
Defining the Mutational and Conformational Space of Prokaryotic Ribosomes for Enhanced Function
Authors: Ng Wenfa
Published: October 2020

Ribosomes are macromolecular complexes important to protein translation, and thus, essential to life. Comprising an ensemble of ribosomal proteins and RNA molecules, ribosomes are conserved in structure and function across all domains of life, but recent structural studies have revealed differentiated structures of ribosomes from bacterial, archaea and eukaryotes. Additionally, unique ribosomal protein mass fingerprints have been found for individual species; thereby, indicating that ribosomes are differentiated in structure amongst different species. Given that structure defines function, differentiated function likely exists amongst ribosomes of different species, which could manifest as differences in translation efficiency that could impact on cell growth rate. But ribosomal proteins also hold phylogenetic significance in informing the evolutionary trajectory of each species. Such ribosomal proteins are thus not highly conserved and offers sufficient sequence space for the evolution of differentiated structure and function in different species. Using ribosomal proteins that hold phylogenetic significance as templates, this study sought to understand the mutational and conformational limits that define functional ribosomes. Specifically, ribosomal proteins in Bacillus subtilis that hold phylogenetic cues would be mutated through error-prone polymerase chain reaction to generate variants that are subsequently transformed into Escherichia coli. To help assess the functional properties of the heterologous ribosomal proteins, endogenous ribosomal protein genes would be inactivated by multiplex CRISPR interference. Since variants in ribosomal proteins would likely impact on ribosome function and translation efficiency, live/dead screening on LB agar would be effective as a preliminary screen for functional mutants. These mutants would subsequently be inoculated into liquid LB medium in 96 well plates to quantify relative growth rates between different strains harbouring different heterologous variants of ribosomal proteins. Plasmids containing different ribosomal protein mutants would be extracted from each functional strain and subjected to Sanger sequencing for determining the specific mutations involved. Collection of such mutations would provide a comprehensive mutational map that define the limits of ribosomal protein sequence space important to ribosome function. Furthermore, biochemical isolation of ribosomal proteins and their structural characterization by X-ray crystallography or cryo-electron microscopy would further illuminate the structural significance of each mutation on ribosome structure and function; thereby, elucidating the structural tolerance space for functional ribosomes. Overall, generating a diverse pool of mutant ribosomal proteins in viability assays followed by sequencing and structural characterization would help define the mutational and conformational limits of a functional and efficient ribosome.
Endothelial Cells and SARS-CoV-2: An Intimate Relationship
Authors: Barbosa Lucas , Lopes Thaynan , Araujo Luanna , Rosario Luciane , Ferrer Valeria
Published: October 2020

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an important player of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in regulating the conversion of angiotensin II into angiotensin (1-7). While expressed on the surface of human cells, such as lung, heart, kidney, neurons, and endothelial cells (EC), ACE2 is the entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Here, we would like to highlight that ACE2 is predominant on the EC membrane. Many of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms have been associated with the large recruitment of immune cells, directly affecting EC. Additionally, cytokines, hypoxia, and complement activation can trigger the activation of EC leading to the coagulation cascade. The EC dysfunction plus the inflammation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection may lead to abnormal coagulation, actively participating in thrombo-inflammatory processes resulting in vasculopathy and indicating poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19. Considering the intrinsic relationship between EC and the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2, EC-associated therapies such as anticoagulants, fibrinolytic drugs, immunomodulators, and molecular therapies have been proposed. In this review, we will discuss the role of EC in the lung inflammation and edema, in the disseminate coagulation process, ACE2 positive cancer patients, and current and future EC-associated therapies to treat COVID-19.
Mapping Influenza-Induced Posttranslational Modifications on Histones from CD8+ T Cells
Authors: Rezinciuc Svetlana , Wu Si , Hengel Shawna , Pasa-Tolic Ljiljana , Smallwood Heather S.
Published: October 2020

T cell function is determined by transcriptional networks that are regulated by epigenetic programming via posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of histone proteins and DNA. Bottom-up mass spectrometry (MS) can identify histone PTMs, whereas intact protein analysis with high-field Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance MS (FTICR-MS) can detect species missed by bottom-up approaches. We used high-resolution reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) FTICR-MS, alternating electron transfer dissociation (ETD) and collision-induced dissociation (CID) on precursor ions to maximize fragmentation of uniquely modified species. First online RPLC separation sorted histone families then weak cation exchange hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (WCX-HILIC) separated species heavily clad in PTMs. Tentative PTM identifications were assigned by matching peptide masses to predicted theoretical masses that were verified with tandem MS. We used this innovative approach for Histone-intact protein PTM mapping (HiPTMap) and to quantify PTMs on core histones purified from CD8+ T cells directly isolated ex vivo post-influenza infection. Activation significantly reduced PTMs in vivo following influenza infection, histone maps changed as T cells migrated to infections, and T cells responding to secondary heterologous infections had significantly more PTMs enhancing transcriptional activation. Thus, HiPTMap identifies and quantifies PTMs on CD8+ T cell histones and determines their combinations in T cell states.
Law and Politics in River Basin Management; The Implementation of the Water Framework Directive in the Netherlands
Authors: Mostert Erik
Published: October 2020

This article discusses the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in the Netherlands and intends to show how law and politics combine in river basin management. Initially, the implementation of the WFD in the Netherlands was approached as a technical and administrative issue, handled by water quality and ecology experts, but in 2003 this approach was broken open by the agricultural sector, who were worried about stricter regulation. Subsequently, the environmental objectives of the WFD were set as low as possible and they are not used in authorising individual projects. Yet, in 2015 of the European Court of Justice determined that the environmental objectives have binding effect and that Member States have to refuse authorisation for projects that endanger the achievement of these objectives. In the future, the European Court of Justice and national courts may force the Dutch government to change its approach. They may only do so because and as long as they enjoy sufficient social and political support and function relatively independently. The article concludes that, to understand river basin management fully, one has to open up the black box of water law and become a kind of water lawyer.
Co-Existing Subaortic Stenosis in a Patient with Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy (HOCM) - A Rare and Interesting Finding
Authors: Mushtaque Raja , Mushtaque Rabia , Soomro Muhammad , Baloch Shahbano
Published: October 2020

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is an autosomal dominant disorder leading to left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO). It can present with chest pain, syncope, breathlessness, or in some cases sudden cardiac death. Primarily, it is diagnosed based on echocardiographic findings but cardiac computed tomography (CT) or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be helpful in selected cases. In this case report, we discuss a case of a young-aged female patient previously diagnosed as HOCM and presented with chest pain, shortness of breath, and palpitations. Her echocardiography revealed severe asymmetrically hypertrophied left ventricle (LV) with normal function and systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve was present and a subvalvular aortic membrane was also seen. The computed tomography (CT) was also performed showing severe asymmetrical hypertrophied and thickened trileaflet tricommissural aortic valve with no calcification or significant valvular aortic stenosis but there was a subaortic membrane (concentric only sparing anteriorly). The presence of subaortic membrane with HOCM is a rare finding and it can be a diagnostic challenge and untreated cases are susceptible to progressive heart failure and worsening of the symptoms by further increasing left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO). A thorough investigation and planning before surgical intervention is required to achieve optimal results.
Seasonal Changes in Size and Mite-Prevalence of a Bee Colony Exposed to Dinotefuran via Pollen Paste and Damaged by Varroa Mites
Authors: Yamada Toshiro
Published: October 2020

Neonicotinoids, such as dinotefuran (DF), have caused a variety of problems, such as massive loss and winter failure of the bee colony, as a price for the benefit of reducing farm work, because it continues to maintain a high insecticide activity over a long period of time. In this study, a field experiment was conducted for about six months to investigate the effects of DF on bee colonies damaged by Varroa mites. This study examined the long-term changes in such as the size of bee colonies, the intake of sugar syrup (SS), intake of pollen paste (PP), which is a vehicle for administering DF, the intake of DF, the mite-prevalence of bees and the inside and outside temperatures of hive-boxes. The variation width of the inner temperature of the hive-box is less than that of the ambient temperature (Ta). The inner temperature of the hive-box is adjusted with about 30 ℃ of Ta as the boundary. If Ta is lower than 30 ℃, the inner temperature of the box is higher than Ta, and if Ta is higher than 30 ℃, it is lower than Ta. The temperature variation width of the DF-exposed colony is greater than that of the control colony. The average intake of SS per bee per day of the DF-exposed colony is more than that of the control colony. The average intake of PP per bee per day of the DF-exposed colony is almost equal to that of the control colony. These results suggest that bees do not avoid DF, and ingest PP without distinction between toxic and pesticide-free. In the period from the start of DF administration to the colony extinction, the intake of DF per colony is about 865 µg/colony, the intake per bee is 14 ng/bee, and the intake per bee per day is less than 0.1 ng/bee/day in this work. These intakes are much lower than the previous ones (60-65 ng/bee, 0.27-2.32 ng/bee/day). These discrepancies may be because attacks of mites and Japanese giant hornets hastened the colony collapse. Seasonal changes in mite-prevalence of honeybees is approximately the same regardless of the bee colonies. At the end of August (the start of attacks by Japanese giant hornets), the mite-prevalence will increase rapidly. Even if the number of bees damaged by mites turns to decrease, the mite-prevalence will continue to increase, with approaching 100% before bee colonies become extinct. In this study, it was found that the bee colony was collapsed by the intake of a smaller amount of DF due to the synergistic effect of DF and mite-damage. To prevent a bee colony collapse, not only to make an effort to minimalize the adverse effect on the bee colony of neonicotinoids such as DF with long-term residual effect and high insecticide properties, it is necessary to reduce the damage of mites as much as possible, while considering the synergistically adverse effects of neonicotinoids and miticides.
High-Frequency Heat Treatment of AISI 1045 Specimens and Current Calculations of the Induction Heating Coil Using Metal Phase Transformation Simulations
Authors: Choi Jinkyu , Lee Seoksoon
Published: October 2020

Based on electromagnetic heat transfer and metal phase transformation co-simulations, we modeled an AISI 1045 specimen under high-frequency heat treatment. Hardening zone predictions were confirmed through cooling and metal phase transformation simulations after obtaining the results from electromagnetic heat transfer simulations. The cooling process was modeled by applying the cooling coefficient of the cooling water in the same way as the actual heat-treatment process. To obtain the current flowing through the coil during high-frequency induction heating, the voltage was measured and applied using the resistance–inductance–capacitance circuit calculation method. Experimental and simulated results of the heating temperature and curing depth of an AISI 1045 specimen with a carbon content of 0.45% were compared; the comparison indicated good agreement between the two. Using the simulation results, we established a method for obtaining the current flowing through the induction coil for predicting the extent and depth of the hardening zone during high-frequency induction heat treatment.
Fluorescence Immunoassays Using CdSe/ZnS Core/Shell Quantum Dots for the Determination of Progesterone in Human Serum
Authors: Duong Hong Dinh , Oh Sung-Duk , Rhee Jong Il
Published: October 2020

In this study, two heterogeneous fluorescence immunoassays using CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) to label anti-progesterone antibody (P4Ab) for the determination of progesterone (P4) were performed in the wells of a 96-well microtiter plate. First, P4Ab was conjugated to hydrophilic CdSe/ZnS QDs via ethyl-3-(dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide(EDC)-N-hydroxysuccinimide) chemistry(NHS) (QDs-P4Ab conjugates). The QDs-P4Ab conjugate was employed as a second antibody in a sandwich assay, where the P4Ab was immobilized onto the 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) sol-gel membrane of the wells of a 96-well microtiter plate, and P4 was bound between the immobilized P4Ab and the QDs-P4Ab conjugate. In this assay, the fluorescence intensity of the QDs increased with increasing P4 concentrations. This assay had a detection limit of 553.9 pg/ml and a sensitivity of 18,251.96 pg/ml with a linear range of 2,184.6 – 117,082 pg/ml. In the direct binding assay, P4 was directly bound to the QDs-P4Ab conjugates immobilized onto the APTMS sol-gel membrane of the wells of a 96-well microtiter plate. In this direct binding assay the fluorescence intensity of the QDs decreased with increasing P4 concentrations, and this assay had a linear range of 28.95 – 26,607.7 pg/ml with a detection limit of 3.32 pg/ml and a sensitivity of 987.24 pg/ml. These fluorescence immunoassays have been successfully applied for the determination of P4 in real human serum, and the results were well correlated with those of a certified radioimmunoassay (RIA) method.