bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the physiological effects of wearing enhanced personal protective equipment while providing patient care
Authors: Bulson, DNP, MPA, RN, NE-BC Julie , Shawl, BBA, RRT, NHDP-BC Kenneth
Published: December 2019

Purpose: There is a lack of information regarding the physiological effects of healthcare workers performing patient care while wearing enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE). This study aimed to provide foundational data necessary to maintain the health and safety of healthcare workers while performing tasks wearing enhanced PPE related to patient care in a biocontainment unit.Design and method: This study is a descriptive study evaluating the physiological effects of conducting patient care while wearing enhanced PPE. Participant vital signs (blood pressure, body temperature, and oxygen saturation) were monitored pre-donning, throughout the transport, and post-doffing.Results: There is no statistically significant difference in the physiological measurements of any of the participants. The results consisted of: blood pressure (systolic p = 0.0659; diastolic p = 0.94345); oxygen saturation (p = 0.6233); and orally derived body temperature (p = 0.1093). Physical balance was subjectively measured by both the participant and the trained observer during the donning and doffing process. Results show no visible difference in balance between the donning period and the doffing period. Conclusion: This study demonstrated there were no physiological changes to the healthcare workers in this study performing patient care activities during patient transport and in a biocontainment unit while wearing the provided enhanced PPE. However, limitations of this study include: (1) it was conducted at one location within the Midwest; (2) with a small number of participants; and (3) only the enhanced ensemble of PPE was worn during testing. Therefore, the results may not be generalizable to other locations or levels of PPE.Clinical relevance: This study will help to guide assessment standards for healthcare workers providing care while wearing enhanced level PPE.
Indirect detection of 5-hydroxytryptamine and tyramine by using tris(2,2’-bipyridyl)ruthenium-graphene modified electrode coupled with capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Zhao Zi Wei , Li Fan Lin , Su Ming
Published: December 2019

A highly sensitive and stable solid-state electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor was developed based on tris(2,2’-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy)32+) integrating with 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) functionalized graphene. Ru(bpy)32+ is incorporated with the ABTS functionalized graphene based on not only the π-π stacking but also electrostatic interactions. Coupled with capillary electrophoresis (CE), this ECL sensor was used to detect tyramine and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) based on their quenching effects for the Ru(bpy)32+/tripropylamine (TPA) system. The quenching mechanism was illustrated and the conditions for CE separation and ECL detection were optimized. Based on an S/N = 3, the limit of detection (LOD) for tyramine and 5-HT were 0.1 μM and 0.02 μM, respectively. The applicability of the proposed method was further illustrated in the determination of tyramine and 5-HT in human plasma samples from small intestine carcinoid patients.
Synthesis and characterization of new 3,3`-bipyrazole-4,4`-dicarboxylic acid derivatives and some of their palladium(II) complexes as pre-catalyst for Suzuki coupling reaction in water
Authors: Al-Fulaij Othman Abduallah , Elassar Abdel-Zaher Abdelaziz , Dawood Kamal Mohamed
Published: December 2019

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of bis-hydrazonyl chlorides with methyl propiolate afforded dimethyl 1,1¢-aryl-3,3`-bipyrazole-4,4`-dicarboxylates (5a,b). Heating the later compound 5a with a mixture of HCl/AcOH gave 3,3`-bipyrazole-5,5`-dicarboxylic acid derivative 6. Treatment of the hydrazonoyl chloride (1a) and 3,3`-bipyrazole-5,5`-dicarboxylic acid (6) with palladium(II) chloride gave the corresponding Pd-complexes 7 and 8, respectively. The catalytic activity of the prepared Pd-complexes was examined in the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction of phenylboronic acid with activated and deactivated aryl(hetaryl) bromides. The catalyst system provides very good to excellent yields, 85-94%. The structures of the obtained products were established from their elemental analysis, spectral data, XPS, EDX, and single crystal X-ray crystallography. Crystal data for C10H7N2O2 (6): triclinic, space group P-1 (no. 2), a = 3.9956(10) Å, b = 9.8917(18) Å, c = 10.810(3) Å, α = 94.167(15)°, β = 94.979(19)°, γ = 98.953(15)°, V = 418.83(16) Å3, Z = 2, T = 296.(2) K, μ(Cu Kα) = 0.887 mm-1, Dcalc = 1.484 g/cm3, 5469 reflections measured (11.72° ≤ 2Θ ≤ 133.24°), 1420 unique (Rint = 0.0633, Rsigma = 7.24%) which were used in all calculations. The final R1 was 0.1055 (>2sigma(I)) and wR2 was 0.3620 (all data).
Editorial Board
Authors: Arslan Hakan
Published: December 2019

Editorial Board
The Origins of Humanities Computing and the Digital Humanities Turn
Authors: Buzzetti Dino
Published: December 2019

At its beginnings Humanities Computing was characterized by a primary interest in methodological issues and their epistemological background. Subsequently, Humanities Computing practice has been prevailingly driven by technological developments and the main concern has shifted from content processing to the representation in digital form of documentary sources. The Digital Humanities turn has brought more to the fore artistic and literary practice in direct digital form, as opposed to a supposedly commonplace application of computational methods to scholarly research. As an example of a way back to the original motivations of applied computation in the humanities, a formal model of the interpretive process is here proposed, whose implementation may be contrived through the application of data processing procedures typical of the so called artificial adaptive systems.
The Foundation of Vietnam and India Relation, Historical Values
Authors: Van Vu Hong
Published: December 2019

Vietnam and India: Timeless friendship is a common feeling of international friends about Vietnam and India friendship. Cultivated from the 50s of the last century, over time, despite the distance of geography, the relationship is constantly being strengthened and developed. Indian President Ram Nath Kovind’s visit to Vietnam from November 18 - 20, 2016 and his wife once again continued to strengthen that rare friendship. Research on the relationship between Vietnam and India in history as well as in the present will help the two countries understand more about each other, about the values that the predecessors as well as the efforts of the leaders of the two countries in the present. Since then, it is a solid foundation for sustainable development in the future. Based on the studies of ancient documents as well as recent state relations of leaders of the two countries. The article sheds more light on the good relations between the two peoples, the source of good relations at the present time and prospects for future development.
Concept Legal Culture of the Volkgeist-Based Customary Land Rights Conflict Resolution of the Dayak Tomun Community in Central Kalimantan Indonesia
Authors: Achmadi Achmadi , Dimyati Khudzaifah , Absori Absori , Hangabei Sinung Mufti , Usop Kaji Kelana
Published: December 2019

The doctrine of the rule of law provides an opportunity for business actors to exploit the natural resources of the customary forest ecosystem or land of the Dayak Tomun indigenous peoples in Central Kalimantan. The clash between das sollen (supposedly) and das sein (reality) shows how the law is always the instrument of power by the authorities. This study aims to explore the concept of legal culture in resolving volkgeist-based Dayak Tomun customary land rights conflicts sourced from the human nature, which is always interpreted as a correlation between ratio (mindset), behavior, value and rule of law implemented over generations in people's lives. This study uses a mixed research method consisting of normative, empirical, and legal anthropological approaches. The constructive offer of the concept of legal culture has a way of life in the form of norms of rules in terms of customary land rights conflict resolution originating from beliefs, ideas, and thoughts. The concept of legal culture in Halang Lintang is to preserve the legal inheritance, which is used as a cultural foundation and local wisdom to have a legal system, legal process, and the substance of implementing the law as a social control.
Macroeconomic Variables, the Oil, and the Agricultural Sectors in Nigeria
Authors: Onakoya Adegbemi Babatunde , Alayande Hassan Akolade
Published: December 2019

The present study examined the impact of the macroeconomic variables and the oil sector on the performance of the agricultural sector between 1981and 2017 in Nigeria. The study adopted a three-stage estimation approach. The initial step in this estimation was the conduct of descriptive statistics and stationarity tests of the variables. Some of the series were stationary at level and some others at the first difference which informed the deployment of the Auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) technique for model estimation. The third stage was the post-estimation of the model in order ascertain its robustness for predictability and policy formulation. These were the Cumulative Sum Control Chart (CUSUM) stability, Vector Error Correction (VEC) Residual Heteroscedasticity, Breusch-Godfrey Serial Correlation LM, Vector Error Correction Residual Normality, and Vector Error Correction (VEC) Residual Heteroscedasticity tests. The results indicated that contrary to the Dutch disease postulation the oil sector positively impacted the output of the agricultural sector. The influence of exchange rate was also positive. Interest and unemployment rates on the other hand, had negative effects. The rate of inflation and the national output had no impact. The study recommended that the Nigerian government should channel resources towards the agricultural sector to ensure increase in foreign earnings and sufficient domestic production.
Worplace Sexual Harassment and Female Objectification: Feminist Perspectives on Violet Barungi’s Cassandra
Authors: Ngom Mamadou Abdou Babou
Published: December 2019

Using Violet Barungi’s Cassandra as a stepping-stone, I seek in this research article to analyze how feminism can be an effective weapon against the dyadic straitjacket of sexual harassment on the job and female objectification. The paper argues that male leadership leverage their stranglehold over their female employees to morph them into mere sexual objects. At the root of working women’s subservience to their male guv’nors, the paper contends, lies deep-seated power dynamics heavily weighted in favour of men. The eponymous character’s enactment of a gritty agency geared towards resisting cripplingly sexist practices in the workplace, and hidebound mindset in her society, bespeaks a dismissal of self-pity and discouragement that sometimes characterizes many women to their male-induced marginality.
Reviewer acknowledgements for International Journal of Biology, Vol. 12, No. 1
Authors: Bai Liam
Published: December 2019

Reviewer acknowledgements for International Journal of Biology, Vol. 12, No. 1, 2020
Teachers’ Indicators Used to Describe Professional Well-Being
Authors: Stoloff Sacha , Boulanger Maude , Lavallée Élisabeth , Glaude-Roy Julien
Published: December 2019

The teaching profession has been studied and discussed from a problem-oriented point of view and cultivated by a problem-oriented scientific tradition. Years of research have enabled a better understanding of difficult teaching conditions and teachers’ ill-being; an ideological and scientific shift, however, appears necessary to enrich and broaden our present knowledge. One particular question arises: which determinants optimize teachers’ professional well-being? In response, our study seeks to identify indicators that allow teachers to create, maintain or restore a state of professional well-being. Our research objective thus aims to describe teachers’ indicators regarding the “optimal functioning” that characterizes professional well-being (Seligman, 2011). The research protocol targets physical education teachers insofar as they are now recognized as leaders and models for promoting healthy lifestyles in schools and communities (MEQ, 2001). The methodology involved 5 focus groups composed of 37 teachers from 7 regions of Quebec. As the findings indicate, this approach allowed us to paint an integrative portrait of teachers’ indicators relative to professional well-being. Two categories have proved effective in terms of professional well-being: the first is Self and includes 4 variables: meaning, positive emotions, engagement and vitality; the second is Others and includes 3 sub-categories: students, colleagues and school administration. The sub-categories comprise 6 variables divided as follows: positive relationships, learning, collaboration, transfer (specifically for the two first sub-categories), followed by vision and valorization for the third sub-category.
Investigating the effect of gold nanoparticles on hydatid cyst protoscolices under low-power green laser irradiation
Authors: Çolak Bayram , Aksoy Faruk , Yavuz Selman , Emin Demircili Mehmet
Published: December 2019

Objective: Various scolicidal agents are applied for the destruction of protoscolices in cysts media. Undesirable complications of the scolicidal agents limit the techniques to treat the cyst disease. Therefore, new non-toxic scolicidal agents are needed. Upon laser light irradiation, the photothermal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) convert the absorbed laser light into heat through photothermal effect which kills the surrounding protoscolices by rising the temperature of the cysts media. In this study, we introduced biocompatible AuNPs as a non-toxic scolicidal agent to cure liver hydatid cysts.

Material and Methods: The protoscoleces were collected from the livers of naturally infected sheeps. In each experimental group, 1.5 mL suspensions of hydatid liquid containing protoscolices were added to test tubes. The test tubes were divided into five groups. Control, AuNPs only, Green laser only, High-dose AuNPs + laser and Low-dose AuNPs + laser groups. Two concentrations (0.4 and 0.8 mL) of AuNPs and three laser powers (30, 50, 150 mW) were applied for 30, 60 and 120 minutes to the groups. Then the ciysts liquid assessed under a light microscope and determined the viability of protoscoleces.

Results: Protoscolices in high-dose AuNPs group were destructed up to 89.30% deaths under 150 mW laser power for 120 minutes. However, negligible cell deaths were observed in cases where only AuNPs added or only laser irradiated groups. Increasing the dose of AuNPs or laser power or duration of aplication increased the protoscolosidal death rate.

Conclusion: In the study, we have successfully demonstrated that the AuNPs are an effective therapeutic and scolicidal agent to cure hydatid cyst disease under laser irradiation.
The effect of breed and sex on the texture of rabbit meat
Authors: Kozioł Konrad , Siudak Zuzanna , Pałka Sylwia , Kmiecik Michał , Otwinowska-Mindur Agnieszka , Migdał Łukasz , Bieniek Józef
Published: December 2019

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of breed and sex on texture parameters of rabbit meat. The study was conducted on rabbits of the breeds Belgian Giant Grey (n=30; 18♂, 12♀), Californian Black (n=26: 18♂, 8♀), New Zealand White (n= 19: 12♂, 7♀), Popielno White (n=64; 31♂, 33♀) and Blanc de Termonde (n= 39; 17♂, 22♀). The animals were slaughtered at 12 weeks of age. After 24-hour ageing under refrigeration, samples of the loin (m. longissimus lumborum) were collected for analysis. Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) was performed using a TA.XTplus texture analyser (Stable Micro Systems). Shear force (kg), hardness (kg), springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness (kg) were measured. All texture parameters were calculated automatically using Exponent for Windows ver. 6.1.10.0 (Stable Micro Systems). The analysis showed that the breed significantly influenced only the hardness of the rabbit meat, which was highest for Blanc de Termonde (12.06 kg) and lowest for Belgian Giant Grey (8.87 kg). Sex had no significant influence on texture parameters.
Inclination for mathematical giftedness in children: Research results, analysis, conclusions and pedagogical implications
Authors: Gruszczyk-Kolczyńska Edyta
Published: December 2019

The present paper discusses the outcomes of research realised as part of the ‘Recognising and encouraging the development of aptitude for learning mathematics in older kindergartners and primary school pupils’ project. To start with, data concerning the occurrence of mathematical giftedness in older pupils is offered together with an explanation of the reasons for the previous lack of interest in the issue of inclinations for mathematical giftedness in children. Subsequently, I present a description of the mental traits of older kindergarteners which indicate their inclination for mathematical giftedness. I also go on to outline the research programme on the basis of which I managed to: (a) develop diagnostic methods for determining the inclination for mathematical giftedness in children, (b) estimate the number of children manifesting an inclination for mathematical giftedness and children endowed with an inclination for outstanding mathematical giftedness, (c) determine the reasons why groups of children manifesting their mathematical giftedness become significantly reduced after the first months of education. Finally, I discuss the critical periods crucial for developing inclinations for mathematical giftedness in children. I additionally provide an explanation of why it is impossible to fix the neglected cultivation of an inclination for an aptitude in mathematics in the subsequent years of school education.
Effective integration of educational technologies in terms of TPCK framework at technical university
Authors: Lavrysh Yuliana
Published: December 2019

The framework of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) has been developed as a valuable tool for understanding the ways for effective technology use in the teaching process. Due to continuous innovations in education technologies, educators experience some difficulties how to implement the appropriate technology and correlate it with learning goals, students’ needs, content of the subjects and pedagogical strategy. It caused the separation of the educational technology and situational educational process. TPCK framework can bridge the gap and promotes how to combine classical pedagogical strategies and contemporary technologies. This study focuses on the description and analysis of practical TPCK framework implementation at English Language classes for bachelors at technical university. The paper suggest examples of redesigned learning activities according to TPCK framework concepts in order to enhance students’ language skills. The results of the practical implementation observations and students’ as well as teachers’ reflective blogs demonstrated the benefits and challenges of the approach. Students’ feedback evidenced the meaningful impact on their academic achievements and improvement of language competence. Moreover, the described tool can be used as an indicator to assess teachers’ knowledge of content, pedagogy and level of digital competence in terms of the professional development.
‘In Virtual Space, You Will Never Die!’
Authors: Demiral Seran
Published: December 2019

This paper refers to a selected fragment in an ethnographic study on children’s subjectivization processes through digital technologies concerning children’s interaction with the digital world and how their different cultural tendencies reflect virtual space. Children’s digital world experiences, and their new media preferences have become an important part of their peer culture. Studies on children’s peer cultures and on the effects of technological devices on human beings commenced in the 1990s within various disciplines, for example, Aarsand studied children’s interest in computer games, while Turkle focused on human-machine relations. During the 2000s, virtual space changed the trajectories of those studies into other fields. However, studies focusing on people’s interaction with technology have rarely been directly related to children’s agency, or the sociology of childhood. Therefore, this research presents a new approach to childhood studies by using traditional concepts with changing perspectives. The main purpose of this study is to reveal how children’s peer cultures and also individual agencies have been shaped through digital technologies including online activities. For this whole study, various techniques were used to analyse children’s interactions with the virtual world by focusing on their opinions regarding technological development in the world. The parts selected for this paper are based on several clips of interviews, the topics of which are: freedom in virtual space in a comparison with real – virtual worlds on the basis of their limit(less)ness; the possible relations between humans and machines; the possibilities of surviving on ‘internetlessness’; children’s relations with online games according to social media preferences, and interaction with virtual spaces in general.
Gamification of academic courses. Game of commitment
Authors: Bieńkowska Jolanta
Published: December 2019

The aim of the article is to present the idea of gamification of academic courses as well as strategies and tools for the game between the lecturer and students, thanks to which a cascading building-up of motivation to study actively will be possible. To achieve this goal, the article uses the concepts contained in the scientific literature devoted to the idea of gamification, the contents of student essays addressing the issue of effective ways to motivate an involved participation in classes and personal experience of the author of the article in applying the elements of games in the teaching process. The results of the deliberations presented in the article and the conclusions formulated on their basis draw attention primarily to the need to introduce innovations into the teaching of academic courses. Methodically properly designed courses, based on the idea of gamification, can fulfil the essential purpose of teaching, which is to stimulate involvement in the process of studying in the modern generation of students - a generation whose way of life is determined by the virtual space, saturation with stimuli, and the need to be noticed in a crowd. Usability of gamification, beyond the desire to develop in students the need for knowledge and understanding, also results from the possibility of building lasting social relations between the lecturer and students which can pay off, through tutor relations, with further cooperation in the realization of joint projects.
Educational and information environment of postgraduate education institutions as a resource for designing individual educational training of teachers
Authors: Oliinyk Viktor V. , Androshchuk Iryna M. , Oleshko Petro S. , Tkachuk Nadiia
Published: December 2019

The new Ukrainian school needs the teachers able to work on their continuous development and decide on their personal paths with regard to their interests, needs, motivation, opportunities, and experience. The educational environment of postgraduate education should fully allow for the choice of types, forms and pace of education as well as variability of programs. In the context of the national educational space, a number of professional development projects has been proposed to teachers in accordance with the declared change.
Despite the diversity of their content and forms, postgraduate educational institutions need their own educational and information environment that would play a leading role in the professional development of teachers and enable them to continuously follow their individual educational trajectories.
The article analyzes modern approaches to understanding the essence of educational and information environment of postgraduate pedagogical education institutions. Some results of sociological research on teachers’ readiness to design their own professional development are presented. The practice of individualizing advanced training and professional development of teachers through face-to-face and distance learning using the authors’ platform DLET (Distance Learning Environments for Teachers) at Volyn Institute for Postgraduate Pedagogical Education is described.
The platform is based on the principles of accessibility, understandability, personal orientation, motivation and interests; and enables organization of guided independent work of participants under regional educational projects. The articles concludes by stressing the importance to update educational and information resources of postgraduate pedagogical education institutions and to use benefits of the information space objects of the industry and Internet platforms.
Between the digital world and Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge
Authors: Bielinis Lidia
Published: December 2019

The author is on the borderline of two generations: digital natives and digital immigrants. Thus, this paper presents the autoethnographic perspective of these two worlds as experienced by her. The first one, as Umberto Eco said, is a Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge world and is the analogue world of the book (BOOK). It is close to the author because of the fact of her educational experiences related to her childhood and youth. The other one is related to using the digital space or educational mobile applications, and is experienced by the author during didactic and research work at the University as well as during workshops she leads for school teachers of different educational stages. Combining these two worlds together gives food for thought and critical reflection on possibilities that are hidden in each of them as well as signalizing the potential risks they both pose.
Targeting uPAR in diabetic vascular pathologies*
Authors: Durak-Kozica Martyna , Enguita Francisco J. , Stępień Ewa
Published: December 2019

The uPAR protein is one of the most important elements in fibrinolysis. uPAR is associated with many biological processes, such as cell invasion, angiogenesis and cell proliferation. Because of its multifunctional character, it is difficult to produce an effective inhibitor of uPA-uPAR interactions. The present paper shows the current state of knowledge about the contribution of uPA-uPAR complex in many biological processes and the application of uPAR inhibitors (antibodies, small-molecules, peptides), which might be potentially useful in the treatment of vascular pathologies.
Nanoporous Palladium Hydride for Electrocatalytic N2 Reduction under Ambient Conditions
Authors: Xu Wence , Fan Guilan , Chen Jialiang , Li Jinhan , Zhang Le , Zhu Shengli , Su Xuncheng , Cheng Fangyi , Chen Jun
Published: December 2019

The electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) is an alternative eco‐friendly strategy for sustainable N2 fixation with renewable energy. However, NRR suffers from sluggish kinetics owing to difficult N2 adsorption and N≡N cleavage. Now, nanoporous palladium hydride is reported as electrocatalyst for electrochemical N2 reduction under ambient conditions, achieving a high ammonia yield rate of 20.4 μg h−1 mg−1 with a Faradaic efficiency of 43.6 % at low overpotential of 150 mV. Isotopic hydrogen labeling studies suggest the involvement of lattice hydrogen atoms in the hydride as active hydrogen source. In situ Raman analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations further reveal the reduction of energy barrier for the rate‐limiting *N2H formation step. The unique protonation mode of palladium hydride would provide a new insight on designing efficient and robust electrocatalysts for nitrogen fixation.
Fabrication and evaluation of controllable core/shell magnetic molecular imprinted polymers based on konjac glucomannan for trichlorfon
Authors: An Kai , Kang Huiting , Tian Dating
Published: December 2019

By combining the controllable core/shell strategy with graft copolymerization of polysaccharides, controllable core/shell magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) based on konjac glucomannan for selective recognition and enrichment of trichlorfon were fabricated and evaluated. By varying the dose of the polymeric precursors, the shell thickness of the core/shell structure could be regulated over a wide range. The magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated by polymers still had high magnetic performance and could be easily separated by an external magnetic field. The results of adsorption experiments showed that the MIPs could specifically recognize and adsorb trichlorfon with excellent selectivity, repeatability, and stability. The adsorption isotherm of MIPs could be fitted by the Langmuir equation. In addition, magnetic MIPs have been successfully applied to the detection of trichlorfon in real samples. Eco‐friendly MIPs would be particularly suitable for the enrichment and separation of pesticide residues in food samples. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 137, 48910.
Abdominal wall morphometric variability based on computed tomography: Influence of age, gender, and body mass index
Authors: Jourdan Arthur , Soucasse Andrea , Scemama Ugo , Gillion Jean F. , Chaumoitre Kathia , Masson Catherine , Bege Thierry ,   For “Club Hernie”
Published: December 2019

Introduction

Ventral hernia surgery does not usually account for the individuality of the abdominal wall anatomy. This could be both because medical imaging is rarely performed before surgery and because data on abdominal wall variability are limited. The objective of the present study was to perform an exhaustive morphometric analysis of abdominal wall components based on computed tomography (CT) scans.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective study was performed on 120 abdominopelvic CT scans of clinically normal adults aged 18–86 years equally divided between women and men and into four age groups. Each abdominal wall muscle was evaluated in terms of area, thickness, shape ratio, fat infiltration, and aponeuroses width. The influence of age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) was investigated, as well as muscular asymmetry.

Results

The abdominal wall muscle area represented 8.5 ± 2.5% of the abdominal area. The internal oblique muscle had the largest area, the rectus abdominis was the thickest, the transversus abdominis was the narrowest and had the smallest area. The width of the linea alba was 20.3 ± 12.0 mm. The evolution of the abdominal wall with age was quantified, as well as the large differences between the sexes and BMI groups, resulting in strong correlations and highlighting the specific pattern of the transversus abdominis. The asymmetry of the left and right muscle areas oscillated around 17%.

Conclusions

The various components of the abdominal wall have been precisely described. Knowledge of their variability could be used to enhance the planning of ventral hernia surgery or to develop numerical modeling of the abdominal wall.
MicroRNA26a inhibits cisplatin‐induced renal tubular epithelial cells apoptosis through suppressing the expression of transient receptor potential channel 6 mediated dynamin‐related protein 1
Authors: Yang Yan , Li Zuo‐Lin , Wang Feng‐Mei , Tang Ri‐Ning , Tu Yan , Liu Hong
Published: December 2019

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common adverse reaction of the anticancer drug. Among these chemotherapeutic agents, cisplatin, an effective chemotherapeutic drug, is extensively applied to the treatment of solid tumours, yet various adverse reactions, especially AKI, often limit their use. However, the pathogenesis of AKI caused by cisplatin remains poorly clarified. Therefore, we tested whether microRNAs, which have been certified as key regulators of disease are involved in this process. AKI mouse and HK2 cells were treated with cisplatin. Annexin V/PI staining and cleaved caspase‐3 were used to assess apoptosis. Western blot analyses and qRT‐PCR were used to evaluate the protein and mRNA level of TRPC6 and DRP1. miR‐26a was remarkably decreased in cisplatin‐induced AKI and in cisplatin co‐cultured HK2 cells. Furthermore, we used a miR‐26a mimics in vitro and found that apoptosis was alleviated than that in the control cells. We further verified that miR‐26a protected against cisplatin‐induced cell apoptosis by acting on transient receptor potential channel 6 (TRPC6) which can regulate the expression of dynamin‐related protein 1 (DRP1), thus inhibited the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Therefore, the study unveiled that miR‐26a/TRPC6/DRP1 is a novel protective pathway in cisplatin‐induced AKI and may be targeted for the prevention and treatment of drug‐related renal injury.

Significance of the Study

Our study found that miR‐26a was significantly downregulated during cisplatin‐induced AKI and during cisplatin co‐cultured HK2 cells. Further, in vitro we used miR‐26a mimic to intervene cells and found that apoptosis alleviated compared with control group. We further verified that miR‐26a protected cisplatin‐induced apoptosis by target transient receptor potential channel 6 (TRPC6) which can regulate the expression of dynamic‐related protein 1 (DRP1) and inhibit the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Thus, miR‐26a/TRPC6/DRP1 is a new protective pathway in cisplatin‐induced AKI and may be targeted for the prevention and treatment of drug‐related acute kidney injury.
Involvement of intracellular caveolin‐1 distribution in the suppression of antigen‐induced mast cell activation by cationic liposomes
Authors: Inoh Yoshikazu , Tsuchiya Yuuki , Nakanishi Yokiko , Yokawa Satoru , Furuno Tadahide
Published: December 2019

Cationic liposomes are commonly used as vectors to effectively introduce foreign genes into target cells. In another function, we recently showed that cationic liposomes bound to the mast cell surface suppress the degranulation induced by the cross‐linking of high‐affinity immunoglobulin E receptor in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner. This suppression is mediated by the impairment of the sustained level of intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) via the inhibition of store‐operated Ca2+ entry. Further, we revealed that the mechanism underlying an impaired [Ca2+]i increase is the inhibition of the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)‐Akt pathway. Yet, how cationic liposomes inhibit the PI3K‐Akt pathway is still unclear. Here, we focused on caveolin‐1, a major component of caveolae, which is reported to be involved in the activation of the PI3K‐Akt pathway in various cell lines. In this study, we showed that caveolin‐1 translocated from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane after the activation of mast cells and colocalized with the p85 subunit of PI3K, which seemed to be essential for PI3K activity. Meanwhile, cationic liposomes suppressed the translocation of caveolin‐1 to the plasma membrane and the colocalization of caveolin‐1 with PI3K p85 also at the plasma membrane. This finding provides new information for the development of therapies using cationic liposomes against allergies.
LncRNA SNHG1 exerts a protective role in cardiomyocytes hypertrophy via targeting miR‐15a‐5p/HMGA1 axis
Authors: Yan Si‐Min , Li Hu , Shu Qing , Wu Wei‐Jun , Luo Xue‐Mei , Lu Lei
Published: December 2019

Heart failure preceded by pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a leading cause of death. Long noncoding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1) was reported to inhibit cardiomyocytes apoptosis, but the role and underlying mechanism of SNHG1 in pathological cardiac hypertrophy have not yet been understood. This study was designed to investigate the role and molecular mechanism of SNHG1 in regulating cardiac hypertrophy. We found that SNHG1 was upregulated during cardiac hypertrophy both in vivo (transverse aortic constriction treatment) and in vitro (phenylephrine [PE] treatment). SNHG1 overexpression attenuated the cardiomyocytes hypertrophy induced by PE, while SNHG1 inhibition promoted hypertrophic response of cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, SNHG1 and high‐mobility group AT‐hook 1 (HMGA1) were confirmed to be targets of miR‐15a‐5p. SNHG1 promoted HMGA1 expression by sponging miR‐15a‐5p, eventually attenuating cardiomyocytes hypertrophy. There data revealed a novel protective mechanism of SNHG1 in cardiomyocytes hypertrophy. Thus, targeting of SNHG1‐related pathway may be therapeutically harnessed to treat cardiac hypertrophy.
Hollow Nano‐Mesosilica Spheres Containing Rhodium Nanoparticles Supported on Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon: An Efficient Catalyst for the Reduction of Nitroarenes under Mild Conditions
Authors: Wang Shihan , Dai Jinyu , Shi Zhiqiang , Xiong Zeshan , Zhang Zongtao , Qiu Shilun , Wang Runwei
Published: December 2019

Atom efficiency, low temperature, low pressure, and a nontoxic hydrogen source as a reducing agent are ideal reaction conditions for the reduction of nitroarenes. In this work, an efficient catalyst comprising hollow nano‐mesosilica spheres loaded with Rh nanoparticles supported on nitrogen‐doped carbon was developed. Rh nanoparticles were stabilized and uniformly dispersed by nitrogen atoms, and the inner N‐doped carbon shell was used to adsorb reaction substrates and improve catalytic activity. The catalyst showed remarkable activity (maximum yield at 1.5 h) and selectivity (100 %) for the reduction of nitrobenzene at lower temperature (80 °C), atmospheric pressure (1 atm), and without base under aqueous conditions. Moreover, the hydrothermal stability of this nanocatalyst was better than other catalysts in boiling water at 100 °C for 48 h and effectively prevented the aggregation and leaching of Rh NPs during the reaction.
Reaction of Distonic Aryl and Alkyl Radical Cations with Amines: The Role of Charge and Spin Revealed by Mass Spectrometry, Kinetic Studies, and DFT Calculations
Authors: Andrikopoulos Benjamin , Sidhu Parvinder K. , Taggert Bethany I. , Nathanael Joses G. , O'Hair Richard A. J. , Wille Uta
Published: December 2019

Gas‐phase reaction of the aromatic distonic radical cations 4‐Pyr+. and 3‐Pyr+. with amines led to formation of the corresponding amino pyridinium ions 4‐Pyr+NR2 and 3‐Pyr+NR2 through amine addition at the site of the radical, followed by homolytic β‐fragmentation. The reaction efficiencies range from 66–100 % for 4‐Pyr+. and 57–86 % for 3‐Pyr+., respectively, indicating practically collision‐controlled processes in some cases. Computational studies revealed that the combination of positive charge and spin makes nucleophilic attack by the amine at the site of the radical barrierless and strongly exothermic by about 175±15 kJ mol−1, thereby rendering ‘conventional’ radical pathways through hydrogen abstraction or addition onto π systems less important. Exemplary studies with 4‐Pyr+. showed that this reaction can be reproduced in solution. A similar addition/radical fragmentation sequence occurs also in the gas‐phase reaction of amines with the aliphatic distonic radical cation Oxo+C., showing that the observed charge‐spin synergism is not limited to aromatic systems.
Electro‐kinetically driven route for highly sensitive blood pathology on a paper‐based device
Authors: Mani Naresh Kumar , Das Sankha Shuvra , Dawn Sayantan , Chakraborty Suman
Published: December 2019

Enhancing the sensitivity of colorimetric detection in paper‐devices is a quintessential step in achieving frugal diagnosis. Here, we demonstrate an effective way of improving the detection sensitivity of paper‐based devices, as mediated by electro‐kinetic mechanisms. By directly employing blood plasma, we investigate the electro‐kinetic clustering of glucose, a neutral molecule in paper devices. Under the influence of uniform electric field, dispersed glucose gets accumulated in the paper strips. Due to the combination of EOF and electrophoretic migration, we achieve twofold increase in the colour intensity for both normal and diabetic samples. This approach is robust and possesses better sensitivity than conventional colorimetric assays and can be easily extended to other body fluid based diagnosis. These results may turn out to be of profound importance in improving the quality of pathological diagnosis in low‐cost paper‐based point‐of‐care devices deployed in resource‐limited settings.
Barndorff‐Nielsen and Shephard model for hedging energy with quantity risk
Authors: Wilson William , Nganje William , Gebresilasie Semere , SenGupta Indranil
Published: December 2019

In this paper, the Barndorff‐Nielsen and Shephard (BN‐S) model is implemented to find an optimal hedging strategy in the presence of quantity risk for oil produced in the Bakken, a new region of oil extraction that is benefiting from fracking technology. Hedging and price risk management become much more involved with the inclusion of quantity risk. Explorers and drillers have uncertainty on the quantity of oil that would be extracted, and governments have uncertainty of the quantity of oil that will be extracted, sold, and available for imposing tax regimes. One of the main assumptions typically made in a portfolio model of hedging is that the quantity of inventory or demand is known. This is inappropriate in many hedging situations. Quantity risk compounds the difficulty of determining the optimal size of the position under both price and production risk. In this paper, we provide a novel way of handling the quantity risk in connection with the BN‐S model. The model is analyzed as a quadratic hedging problem and related analytical results are developed. The results indicate that oil can be optimally hedged with a combination of variance swaps and options. For various quantity risks, the model is implemented to analyze hedging decisions numerically for managing price risk in the Bakken oil commodities.
Robust segmentation of optic disc and optic cup using statistical Kurtosis test
Authors: Biswal Birendra , Eadara Vyshnavi , Bebarta Dwiti K. , Sahu Gupteswar
Published: December 2019

Glaucoma is a chronic and irreversible eye disease that leads to the loss of vision. Evaluation of the Cup to Disc Ratio (CDR) plays a prominent role in the early detection of glaucoma. This paper presents a novel algorithm to compute the CDR for the fundus images. In order to calculate the CDR, the vertical diameter of Optic Disc (OD) and the vertical diameter of the Optic Cup (OC) are calculated from the segmented OD and segmented OC, respectively. This study presents OD and OC segmentation algorithms based on a new statistics‐based kurtosis test. A unique OC boundary segmentation method is presented, which is the combination of partial cup extraction and the cup boundary under the Central Retinal Blood vessels (CRBV). A novel preprocessing technique is introduced to extract the CRBV from the automated Region of Interest (ROI). The experimental results confirm that the proposed algorithm outperforms the state‐of‐art OD and OC segmentation on the three publicly available datasets: ORIGA, DIARETDB0, and DIARETDB1. The proposed OD and OC segmentation achieve accuracies of up to 0.99 and 0.97, respectively. In addition, the proposed model achieves excellent CDR evaluation with an average error percentage reduced to up to 9.6496 for the considered datasets.
Factors that affect the translation of dietary restriction into a longer life
Authors: von Frieling Jakob , Roeder Thomas
Published: December 2019

Nutritional interventions, such as dietary or calorie restriction, are known to have a variety of health‐promoting effects. The most impressive are the direct effects on life expectancy, which have been reproduced in many animal models. A variety of dietary restriction protocols have been described, which differ either in their macronutrient composition or in the time window for consumption. Mechanistically, the effects of dietary restriction are mediated mainly through signaling pathways that have central roles in the maintenance of cellular energy balance. Among these, target of rapamycin and insulin signaling appear to be the most important. Such nutritional interventions can have their effects in two different ways: either by direct interaction with the metabolism of the host organism, or by modulating the composition and performance of its endogenous microbiome. Various dietary restriction regimens have been identified that significantly alter the microbiome and thus profoundly modulate host metabolism. This review aims to discuss the mechanisms by which dietary restriction can affect life expectancy, and in particular the role of the microbiome.
Sublethal exposure to propylparaben leads to lipid metabolism impairment in zebrafish early‐life stages
Authors: Perugini Monia , Merola Carmine , Amorena Michele , D'Angelo Michele , Cimini Annamaria , Benedetti Elisabetta
Published: December 2019

Parabens are widely used in cosmetics, toiletries, food and pharmaceuticals. Toxicological effects of parabens on human lipid metabolism are not well established. The present study used the early‐life stages of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to determine the toxicity of propylparaben (PP). The embryos were exposed for 96 hours postfertilization (hpf) at five different concentrations of PP, and lethal and sublethal alterations were recorded daily. The lethal concentration 50 (LC50) value was 3.98 mg/L. The most common sublethal alterations recorded at 1 and 2 mg/L were an enlarged and misshaped yolk sac, hyperexcitability, and reduction in head size and swim bladder. At sublethal concentrations of 1 and 2 mg/L, we observed an altered lipid metabolism, in terms of decrease in neutral lipid mobilization from yolk and alteration of phospholipid metabolism, both in the body and in the yolk sac. These observations were combined with strong head cartilage defects, indicating a strong effect of PP on head development. This research demonstrates that PP interferes with lipid utilization in zebrafish during early‐life stages that might be involved in neurological and skeletal abnormalities.
Effect of the Solute Cavity on the Solvation Energy and its Derivatives within the Framework of the Gaussian Charge Scheme
Authors: Garcia‐Ratés Miquel , Neese Frank
Published: December 2019

The treatment of the solvation charges using Gaussian functions in the polarizable continuum model results in a smooth potential energy surface. These charges are placed on top of the surface of the solute cavity. In this article, we study the effect of the solute cavity (van der Waals‐type or solvent‐excluded surface‐type) using the Gaussian charge scheme within the framework of the conductor‐like polarizable continuum model on (a) the accuracy and computational cost of the self‐consistent field (SCF) energy and its gradient and on (b) the calculation of free energies of solvation. For that purpose, we have considered a large set of systems ranging from few atoms to more than 200 atoms in different solvents. Our results at the DFT level using the B3LYP functional and the def2‐TZVP basis set show that the choice of the solute cavity does neither affect the accuracy nor the cost of calculations for small systems (< 100 atoms). For larger systems, the use of a vdW‐type cavity is recommended, as it prevents small oscillations in the gradient (present when using a SES‐type cavity), which affect the convergence of the SCF energy gradient. Regarding the free energies of solvation, we consider a solvent‐dependent probe sphere to construct the solvent‐accessible surface area required to calculate the nonelectrostatic contribution to the free energy of solvation. For this part, our results for a large set of organic molecules in different solvents agree with available experimental data with an accuracy lower than 1 kcal/mol for both polar and nonpolar solvents.