bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pengaruh Budaya Kerja Dan Komitmen Organisasi Terhadap Kinerja Pelayanan Publik Di Dinas Pariwisata Dan Kebudayaan Kabupaten Karawang
Authors: Sudarman Enjang
Published: May 2022

Tujuan_ Untuk mengetahui pengaruh budaya kerja dan komitmen organisasi terhadap kinerja pegawai dalam pelayanan publik di Dinas Pariwisata dan Kebudayaan Kabupaten KarawangDesain/Metode_menggunakan metode korelasi dan regresi , untuk mencari pengaruh antar variabel yang diteliti yaitu; variabel independen budaya kerja (X1 ) dan komitmen organisasi (X2 ) terhadap variabel dependen kinerja pegawai (Y). Subjek dalam penelitian ini adalah pegawai negeri sipil sebanyak 48 orang dari total sampel. Sumber data primer diambil menggunakan kuesioner / instrumen: varibel budaya kerja, variabel komitmen organisasi, dan variabel kinerja pegawai. Analisis data menggunakan Statistik inferensial dengan SPSS versi:22.Temuan_terdapat pengaruh yang signifikan secara simultan antara budaya kerja dan komitmen organisasi terhadap kinerja pegawai (F hitung = 421,613, p < 0,000).

Implikasi _(1) pimpinan organisasi mengubah paradigma budaya kerja dan komitmen organisasi dalam pelayanan publik (2) pimpinan organisasi memelihara kinerja pegawai dengan cara memotivasi, komunikasi, pengembangan karir dan program pendidikan latihan.Originalitas_(1) indikator budaya kerja: efisiensi, kemudahan, kejelasan, kepastian, keterbukaan, dan kewajaran, (2) indikator komitmen organisasi: pendidikan pelatihan, komunikasi, motivasi dan pengembangan karir, (3) indikator kinerja pegawai: perencanaan, pelaksanaan, pengawasan, pembinaan, promosi, pelestariaan budayaTipe Penelitian_Studi EmpirisKata Kunci : budaya kerja, komitmen organisasi, kinerja pegawai, paradigma pelayanan.
Analisis Faktor-Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Minat Pemanfaatan Sistem Informasi Dan Keberhasilan Penggunaan Sistem Informasi Pada Organisasi
Authors: . Melyani , Sulistyawati Meiva Eka Sri , Novayanti Deasy
Published: May 2022

Tujuan_ Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menguji faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi minat pemanfaatan sistem informasi dan pengaruhnya terhadap penggunaan sistem informasi dengan menguji model UTAUT yang diajukan oleh Venkatesh et al.,(2003).Desain/Metode_ Data yang digunakan penelitian ini diperoleh dari persepsi individu pemakai sistem informasi pada perusahaan manufaktur yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Jakarta. Data dikumpulkan melalui mail survey. Sebanyak 83 kuesioner kembali dari 300 yang dikirim dan hanya 60 kuesioner yang dapat diolah. Analisa data dilakukan dengan menggunakan teknik regresi berganda.Temuan_Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ekspektasi kinerja dan ekspektasi usaha dan faktor sosial berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap minat pemanfaatan sistem informasi. Kondisi-kondisi yang memfasilitas pemakai berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap penggunaan sistem informasi dan minat pemanfaatan sistem informasi tidak berpengaruh terhadap penggunaan sistem informasi.Implikasi_ Para peneliti selanjutnya dapat mempertimbangkan untuk menggunakan variabel penelitian yang berasal dari faktor intrinsik pemakai SI. Hal ini perlu dilakukan karena sebagai pemakai SI justru mereka yang menentukan apakah suatu SI dapat beroperasi dengan baik sehingga menghasilkan manfaat bagi pemakai dan institusi yang menyediakannya.Originalitas_Merupakan Pengujian model UTAUT menurut persepsi pengguna Tipe Penelitian_Studi EmpirisKata Kunci:    ekspektasi kinerja, ekspektasi usaha, faktor sosial, kondisi-kondisi yang memfasilitasi pemakai, minat pemanfaatan sistem informasi dan penggunaan sistem informasi
Weaponizing the Peer Review System
Authors: Shaw Christopherr
Published: May 2022

The long-revered “peer review” process, as it is currently being applied in the health sciences, is increasingly controlled by commercial interests that are in too many instances using it as a tool forcing technical publications in prestige journals and books toward certain outcomes favorable to those interests. The “peer review” process has in the last two decades especially, increasingly become a process to serve the interests of the manufacturers and promoters of drugs and medicines. Although it was conceived as a way to ensure quality in academic and scientific publications it has increasingly, especially in the health sciences, taken on a commercial aspect with power, momentum, and governmental support that enables it to be used to against unwanted outcomes that threaten the bottom line of those commercial interests. This paper examines the process as it was intended to be used and contrasts its good purposes for uses to which some bad actors are presently perverting it. The practical limits of the problem and remedies to staunch the bleeding, so to speak, are plainly laid out. There is no intention to give legal advice, but merely to examine recent experience looking toward what can be done to preserve the good and valid uses of the imperfect process of peer review.
The Age of COVID-19: Fear, Loathing, and the “New Normal”
Authors: Shaw Christopher A.
Published: May 2022

In this article, I give some of the history of COVID-19, and review some of the unanswered questions about what is being represented as an extraordinary “pandemic”. Foremost among them is whether those “fashioning the narrative”, to borrow a phrase from the Stanford mathematician Richard Moore, also had a hand in fashioning the “pandemic” itself. I also introduce the articles in the rest of this issue that follow my own.
Planned Surveillance and Control by Global Technocrats: A Big-Picture Look at the Current Pandemic Beneficiaries
Authors: Children's Health Defense Team
Published: May 2022

Global financial patterns and pronouncements point to a seismic overhaul of governance and financial systems that is playing out beneath the surface of the Covid-19 pandemic, reaching far beyond the health domain. Increased centralized control has the potential to create an unbridgeable chasm between a tiny handful of winners and a majority of losers. To foster an integrated analysis of the technocratic and financial forces and agendas at play, this rapid review identifies some of the pandemic’s principal beneficiaries across the interwoven financial, tech, biopharmaceutical, and military-intelligence sectors, assessing developments in the context of the accelerating global push for technocratic consolidation and control. The evidence suggests that Trojan horse coronavirus vaccines may challenge bodily integrity and informed consent in entirely new ways, transporting invasive technologies into people’s brains and bodies. Technologies such as brain-machine interfaces, digital identity tracking devices, and cryptocurrency-compatible chips would contribute to the central banking goal of replacing currencies with digital transaction and identification systems and creating a global control grid that connects the world population to the military-pharma-intelligence cloud of the global technocrats. Moreover, using vaccines as a delivery vehicle for surveillance technologies cancels any legal liability.
Vaccine Practice Payment Schedules Create Perverse Incentives for Unnecessary Medical Procedures – at What Cost to Patients?
Authors: Lyons-Weiler James , Thomas Paul
Published: May 2022

No published assessment of revenue variation associated with variance in pediatric vaccine uptake exists. Using data from patients in a pediatric practice that provides full-service with informed consent, we provide a detailed analysis of the financial realities of respecting informed consent and allowing parents to exercise their legal right to refuse some or all pediatric vaccines. The data from a 30-day period of billing were tracked and analyzed via superbills, noting vaccines that were ordered and those that were refused. Considering that other practice income covered all operating expenses; these numbers reflect actual profits (from vaccines given) and losses (from vaccines refused). Patients in the practice exhibited increased refusal of some or all vaccines over a period of approximately ten years.  These real-world data show losses would exceed one million US dollars for a practice that bills out just over 3 million (gross revenue). With pediatric administrative overhead running 60–80%, it becomes clear that the financial incentives to vaccinate are now a matter of survival for pediatric practices.
Receipt of HPV Vaccine Associated with Increased Prevalence of High-Risk HPV Infections
Authors: Delong Gayle
Published: May 2022

Identifying possible negative side effects of vaccines helps to determine whether benefits outweigh the costs of a medical intervention that claims to prevent a disease. Such a cost-benefit analysis is essential both for vaccine policy as well as informed consent. This study seeks to determine whether the use of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is related to an increase in high-risk (HR), possibly cancer related, HPV infections. Data from the U.S. National Health and Examination Nutrition Survey reveal a statistically significantly higher percentage of women who received an HPV vaccine carried an HR-HPV than women who did not receive an HPV shot (Rao-Scott Chi-square contrast p-value of 0.002). Vaccine recipients tested positive less frequently for HPVs targeted by the vaccines, but had a higher prevalence of other HR (cancer related) HPVs. The results suggest that a thorough investigation of the effects of HPV vaccines on HR-HPV viruses (and other pathogens) not targeted by them is warranted.
proibição de discriminação e os critérios do cálculo atuarial nos contratos de seguro
Authors: Bergstein Lais , Trautwein José Roberto
Published: May 2022

O presente trabalho, inspirado pela fala de Sylvio Capanema de Souza de que a análise jurídica deve ser permeada “pelos novos paradigmas que hoje inspiram o direito e a justiça, entre os quais, o maior de todos, é o da boa-fé objetiva”, propõe uma reflexão acerca dos dados pessoais que são considerados no cálculo atuarial dos contratos de seguros no Brasil. A partir da experiência do direito comparado e das mudanças implementadas no setor securitário em virtude da decisão do Tribunal de Justiça da União Europeia que obstou o tratamento diferenciado entre homens e mulheres, analisa-se a questão na perspectiva do ordenamento jurídico brasileiro. Conclui-se que a transparência quanto aos dados que são considerados no cálculo atuarial e sua influência na precificação de produtos e serviços ofertados no mercado de consumo, mais do que uma exigência normativa, é uma imposição de natureza humanitária e uma necessidade frente às mudanças sociais e culturais da contemporaneidade.
Clinical characteristics and diagnosis of the COVID-19 in patients in COVID outpatient clinics
Authors: Petrov-Kiurski Miloranka , Živanović Slavoljub
Published: May 2022

Objective. Examine clinical manifestations, PCR test results, and visit outcomes in patients in COVID-outpatient clinics. Method. The survey was performed using the questionnaire, in February 2021. in patients in four COVID-outpatient clinics in Belgrade and one in Subotica. We got the data about their jobs, gender, age, present symptoms and comorbidities, PCR-testing, and visit outcomes. The data were processed using the software statistical package SPSS 17. Statistical significance was defined for level p<0,05. Results. We included 676 participants, of both genders, with an average age of 49. They visited the doctor 1-3 days after symptoms onset. The most common symptoms were fever and cough, followed by fatigue and muscle aches. Hypertension and obesity were the most common comorbidities, mostly in patients over 65 (p=0,000). We tested 92% of the participants, using PCR tests, and out of 676, 60,95% tested PCR positive, mostly those over 50 (p=0,010). Due to the disease severity, 17,3% of the participants were referred to the hospitals, mostly those aged 51 to 65, but the difference wasn't statistically significant (p=0,183). Conclusion. The most common symptoms of the COVID-19 were high temperature and cough, and the participants visited the doctor 1 to 3 days after symptoms onset. Hypertension and obesity were the most common comorbidities, more often in participants over 65. The PCR tests were positive in more than half of the participants, mostly in those over 50.
Motor Insurers' Bureau: Guarantee fund in the United Kingdom
Authors: Radovanović Miloš
Published: May 2022

Redress, in cases when the damage has been caused by uninsured or unidentified vehicle, in the United Kingdom is organized on specific manner. Task of providing compensation in such cases is entrusted to the organization Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB). This task has been entrusted by agreements concluded between the state and MIB. Regardless of this specificity, MIB is a guarantee fund, an institute which exists in other European states. British courts expressed their stance on legal nature of MIB. Case-law of the United Kingdom earlier had considered that MIB was an institute of private law. Due to the influence of the Court of Justice of the European Union, a different stance has prevailed. Courts of Great Britain accepted arguments of the European judicial institution. Now they consider that MIB is a subject of the public law - emanation of the state. This standpoint has been implemented in the United Kingdom's law and will not be abandoned after the Brexit. The British example shows how the dilemma on the legal nature of a guarantee fund can be resolved in the country that is not a member of the European Union.
Basic aspects of drag along and tag along rights
Authors: Kajević Amina
Published: May 2022

The paper analyses the rights of members of closed companies originating from common law - drag along and tag along rights. Since they represent effective instrument of prevention of second agency problem of corporate governance, relating to the conflict of interest between majority and minority shareholder, as well as for resolving conflicts between members that may occur in case of the sale of a company's share, these rights were introduced in civil law countries as well. In recent years, drag along and tag along rights have become more significant in domestic practice, since they are often contracted between members of domestic companies. For this reason, it is important to understand the purpose of these rights and the interests that are protected by them. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explain the concept and purpose of drag along and tag along rights.
Effectiveness of labour legislation and the role of labour inspection in light of international labour organization standard
Authors: Kovačević Ljubinka
Published: May 2022

Regulation of labour relations is accompanied by adoption of measures pivotal to ensuring effective implementation of labour legislation. One of the most important measures is labour inspection. During the last century, a solid legal and institutional framework for labour inspection had been developed in most of the world, with many countries using the standards contained in the International Labour Organization conventions no. 81 and 129 as inspiration or model. Nevertheless, labour inspectors face many challenges and obstacles, because the proliferation of labour regulations and the emergence of new occupational risks and new forms of work are not accompanied by appropriate mechanisms to ensure effective protection of labour rights. This also applies to the emergence of economic and financial crises, which are regularly linked to employers' efforts to reduce the cost of work by bypassing the labour, social and tax regulations. We should not lose sight of the fact that a large number of workers are outside of the personal scope of application of labour legislation, which, in the contemporary world of work, is a serious obstacle to successful labour inspection. In addition, a large number of workers performs undeclared work, and the so-called externalization of work has blurred the legal position of workers, calling into question the traditional distinction between employment and independent work for others, but also the traditional (unitary) concept of an employer, as its prerogatives are now exercised by two or more entities. The seriousness of these challenges becomes even greater if we take into account the insufficient number of labour inspectors and their inadequate training, which often results in the unacceptably modest number of (registered and unregistered) entities being inspected. The low probability of inspection actually taking place will further encourage employers to continue to circumvent the applicable regulations. This is bolstered by the lenient penalties that the labour inspectors have at their disposal, as well as the fact that their work is often rendered meaningless by the negligence of the misdemeanor courts. Another problem is the lack of specialization of labour inspectors for certain labour issues, such as the protection of particularly sensitive categories of workers. The authoress seeks to examine the goals, functions and prerogatives of labour inspectors in view of the International Labour Organization standards, as well as to review them taking into consideration the current trends in labour law, like economic and political turn towards neoliberalism, economic and financial crises as well as the intense international migrations.
A VARIABLE SAMPLE SIZE SYNTHETIC CHART FOR THE COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION
Authors: Yahaya Masthura , Li Lim Sok , Ibrahim Adriana Irawati , Yeong Wai Chung , Khoo Michael Boon Chong
Published: May 2022

A variable sample size (VSS) synthetic chart to monitor the coefficient of variation is proposed in this paper to improve the performance of the existing synthetic chart. A description of how the chart operates, as well as the formulae for various performance measures (i.e., the average run length (ARL), standard deviation of the run length (SDRL), average sample size (ASS), and expected average run length (EARL)) are proposed. The algorithms that optimise the out-of-control ARL (ARL1) and EARL (EARL1), subject to the constraints in the in-control ARL (ARL0) and ASS (ASS0), are also proposed. Subsequently, optimal charting parameters for various numerical examples are obtained. The proposed chart shows a significant improvement over the existing synthetic -chart. Comparisons with other -charts also show that the proposed chart performs better than the Shewhart- and VSS- charts under all cases, while showing better performance than the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) and VSS EWMA- charts for moderate and large shift sizes. Finally, this paper shows the implementation of the proposed chart on an actual industrial example.
A pesquisa científica na era do Big Data: cinco maneiras que mostram como o Big Data prejudica a ciência, e como podemos salvá-la
Authors: Leonelli Sabina
Published: May 2022

A partir de anos de estudos, a pesquisadora italiana Sabina Leonelli percebeu muitos vieses e diversos problemas e desafios na transformação de dados em conhecimento. O livro reúne ideias e lições extraídas dessas pesquisas, refletindo sobre como cientistas podem utilizar os chamados Big Data para atender às necessidades da sociedade e promover a integridade em pesquisa, entre outras ações. A autora mostra que, apesar dos muitos desafios, a comunidade científica pode aproveitar as potencialidades dos dados, preservando princípios éticos. A professora de Filosofia e História da Ciência da Universidade de Exeter (Reino Unido) compila, nesta obra de tema fundamental para a ciência contemporânea, observações baseadas em mais de uma década de análises das maneiras pelas quais os pesquisadores produzem, gerenciam e interpretam os dados como fontes de conhecimento.
First principle study of tuning metal-insulator transition and magnetic properties of (SrVO3)5/(SrTiO3)1 (111) heterostructures
Authors: Fang Xiao-Nan , Du Yan-Ling , Wu Chen-Yu , Liu Jing ,   College of Information Engineering, Shandong Management University, Jinan 250355, China,   College of Intelligence and Information Engineering, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, China,   School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
Published: May 2022

Perovskite heterostructure has a honeycomb lattice when a bilayer along the [111] direction is considered. The material usually presents a wealth of unique properties. Recently, (111)-oriented perovskite heterojunctions have received more and more attention. In this work, the first-principle calculations are employed to investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of (SrVO3)5/(SrTiO3)1 (111) heterostructure. The calculations show that the ground state of (SrVO3)5/(SrTiO3)1 (111) heterostructure is a half-metallic ferromagnet. Further study reveals the existence of different correlated-electron ground states in (SrVO3)5/(SrTiO3)1 (111) heterostructure, and they can be tuned by changing in-plane strain and interfacial cation intermixing. This system can keep half-metallic properties under difffferent in-plane strains from –4% to 2%. The half-metallic properties mainly come from V 3d electrons. The ground state of the system can evolve from a half-metal to a antiferromagnetic insulator if the in-plane compressive (tensile) strain is added up to 8% (4%). The interfacial Ti-V intermixing can destroy the original half-metallic properties, and the system exhibits a ferromagnetic insulator phase. These results demonstrate that the system has potential applications in the field of spintronics, and provide a theoretical reference for the use of (SrVO3)5/(SrTiO3)1 (111) heterostructures to explore quantum phase transitions.
Power of Position
Authors: Montoya Robert D.
Published: May 2022

How biodiversity classification, with its ranking of species, has social and political implications as well as implications for the field of information studies.

The idea that species live in nature as pure and clear-cut named individuals is a fiction, as scientists well know. According to Robert D. Montoya, classifications are powerful mechanisms and we must better attend to the machinations of power inherent in them, as well as to how the effects of this power proliferate beyond the boundaries of their original intent. We must acknowledge the many ways our classifications are implicated in environmental, ecological, and social justice work—and information specialists must play a role in updating our notions of what it means to classify.

In Power of Position, Montoya shows how classifications are systems that relateone entity with other entities, requiring those who construct a system to value an entity's relative importance—by way of its position—within a system of other entities. These practices, says Montoya, are important ways of constituting and exerting power. Classification also has very real-world consequences. An animal classified as protected and endangered, for example, is protected by law. Montoya also discusses the Catalogue of Life, a new kind of composite classification that reconciles many local (“traditional”) taxonomies, forming a unified taxonomic backbone structure for organizing biological data. Finally, he shows how the theories of information studies are applicable to realms far beyond those of biological classification.
The DNA sensors AIM2 and IFI16 are SLE autoantigens that bind neutrophil extracellular traps
Authors: Antiochos Brendan , Trejo-Zambrano Daniela , Fenaroli Paride , Rosenberg Avi , Baer Alan , Garg Archit , Sohn Jungsan , Li Jessica , Petri Michelle , Goldman Daniel W , Mecoli Christopher , Casciola-Rosen Livia , Rosen Antony
Published: May 2022

Background:

Nucleic acid binding proteins are frequently targeted as autoantigens in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other interferon (IFN)-linked rheumatic diseases. The AIM-like receptors (ALRs) are IFN-inducible innate sensors that form supramolecular assemblies along double-stranded (ds)DNA of various origins. Here, we investigate the ALR absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) as a novel autoantigen in SLE, with similar properties to the established ALR autoantigen interferon-inducible protein 16 (IFI16). We examined neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) as DNA scaffolds on which these antigens might interact in a pro-immune context.

Methods:

AIM2 autoantibodies were measured by immunoprecipitation in SLE and control subjects. Neutrophil extracellular traps were induced in control neutrophils and combined with purified ALR proteins in immunofluorescence and DNase protection assays. SLE renal tissues were examined for ALR-containing NETs by confocal microscopy.

Results:

AIM2 autoantibodies were detected in 41/131 (31.3%) SLE patients and 2/49 (4.1%) controls. Our SLE cohort revealed a frequent co-occurrence of anti-AIM2, anti-IFI16, and anti-DNA antibodies, and higher clinical measures of disease activity in patients positive for antibodies against these ALRs. We found that both ALRs bind NETs in vitro and in SLE renal tissues. We demonstrate that ALR binding causes NETs to resist degradation by DNase I, suggesting a mechanism whereby extracellular ALR-NET interactions may promote sustained IFN signaling.

Conclusions:

Our work suggests that extracellular ALRs bind NETs, leading to DNase resistant nucleoprotein fibers that are targeted as autoantigens in SLE.

Funding:

These studies were funded by NIH R01 DE12354 (AR), P30 AR070254, R01 GM 129342 (JS), K23AR075898 (CM), K08AR077100 (BA), the Jerome L. Greene Foundation and the Rheumatology Research Foundation. Dr. Antiochos and Dr. Mecoli are Jerome L. Greene Scholars. The Hopkins Lupus Cohort is supported by NIH grant R01 AR069572. Confocal imaging performed at the Johns Hopkins Microscopy Facility was supported by NIH Grant S10 OD016374.
Spatial signatures of anesthesia-induced burst-suppression differ between primates and rodents
Authors: Sirmpilatze Nikoloz , Mylius Judith , Ortiz-Rios Michael , Baudewig Jürgen , Paasonen Jaakko , Golkowski Daniel , Ranft Andreas , Ilg Rüdiger , Gröhn Olli , Boretius Susann
Published: May 2022

During deep anesthesia, the electroencephalographic (EEG) signal of the brain alternates between bursts of activity and periods of relative silence (suppressions). The origin of burst-suppression and its distribution across the brain remain matters of debate. In this work, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to map the brain areas involved in anesthesia-induced burst-suppression across four mammalian species: humans, long-tailed macaques, common marmosets, and rats. At first, we determined the fMRI signatures of burst-suppression in human EEG-fMRI data. Applying this method to animal fMRI datasets, we found distinct burst-suppression signatures in all species. The burst-suppression maps revealed a marked inter-species difference: in rats, the entire neocortex engaged in burst-suppression, while in primates most sensory areas were excluded—predominantly the primary visual cortex. We anticipate that the identified species-specific fMRI signatures and whole-brain maps will guide future targeted studies investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of burst-suppression in unconscious states.
Social-affective features drive human representations of observed actions
Authors: Dima Diana C , Tomita Tyler M , Honey Christopher J , Isik Leyla
Published: May 2022

Humans observe actions performed by others in many different visual and social settings. What features do we extract and attend when we view such complex scenes, and how are they processed in the brain? To answer these questions, we curated two large-scale sets of naturalistic videos of everyday actions and estimated their perceived similarity in two behavioral experiments. We normed and quantified a large range of visual, action-related, and social-affective features across the stimulus sets. Using a cross-validated variance partitioning analysis, we found that social-affective features predicted similarity judgments better than, and independently of, visual and action features in both behavioral experiments. Next, we conducted an electroencephalography experiment, which revealed a sustained correlation between neural responses to videos and their behavioral similarity. Visual, action, and social-affective features predicted neural patterns at early, intermediate, and late stages, respectively, during this behaviorally relevant time window. Together, these findings show that social-affective features are important for perceiving naturalistic actions and are extracted at the final stage of a temporal gradient in the brain.
Regional opportunities for tundra conservation in the next 1000 years
Authors: Kruse Stefan , Herzschuh Ulrike
Published: May 2022

The biodiversity of tundra areas in northern high latitudes is threatened by invasion of forests under global warming. However, poorly understood nonlinear responses of the treeline ecotone mean the timing and extent of tundra losses are unclear, but policymakers need such information to optimize conservation efforts. Our individual-based model LAVESI, developed for the Siberian tundra-taiga ecotone, can help improve our understanding. Consequently, we simulated treeline migration trajectories until the end of the millennium, causing a loss of tundra area when advancing north. Our simulations reveal that the treeline follows climate warming with a severe, century-long time lag, which is overcompensated by infilling of stands in the long run even when temperatures cool again. Our simulations reveal that only under ambitious mitigation strategies (relative concentration pathway 2.6) will ∼30% of original tundra areas remain in the north but separated into two disjunct refugia.
Magnetic stimulation allows focal activation of the mouse cochlea
Authors: Lee Jae-Ik , Seist Richard , McInturff Stephen , Lee Daniel J , Brown M Christian , Stankovic Konstantina M , Fried Shelley
Published: May 2022

Cochlear implants (CIs) provide sound and speech sensations for patients with severe to profound hearing loss by electrically stimulating the auditory nerve. While most CI users achieve some degree of open set word recognition under quiet conditions, hearing that utilizes complex neural coding (e.g., appreciating music) has proved elusive, probably because of the inability of CIs to create narrow regions of spectral activation. Several novel approaches have recently shown promise for improving spatial selectivity, but substantial design differences from conventional CIs will necessitate much additional safety and efficacy testing before clinical viability is established. Outside the cochlea, magnetic stimulation from small coils (micro-coils) has been shown to confine activation more narrowly than that from conventional microelectrodes, raising the possibility that coil-based stimulation of the cochlea could improve the spectral resolution of CIs. To explore this, we delivered magnetic stimulation from micro-coils to multiple locations of the cochlea and measured the spread of activation utilizing a multielectrode array inserted into the inferior colliculus; responses to magnetic stimulation were compared to analogous experiments with conventional microelectrodes as well as to responses when presenting auditory monotones. Encouragingly, the extent of activation with micro-coils was ~60% narrower compared to electric stimulation and largely similar to the spread arising from acoustic stimulation. The dynamic range of coils was more than three times larger than that of electrodes, further supporting a smaller spread of activation. While much additional testing is required, these results support the notion that magnetic micro-coil CIs can produce a larger number of independent spectral channels and may therefore improve auditory outcomes. Further, because coil-based devices are structurally similar to existing CIs, fewer impediments to clinical translational are likely to arise.
A cellular and molecular analysis of SoxB-driven neurogenesis in a cnidarian
Authors: Chrysostomou Eleni , Flici Hakima , Gornik Sebastian G , Salinas-Saavedra Miguel , Gahan James M , McMahon Emma T , Thompson Kerry , Hanley Shirley , Kilcoyne Michelle , Schnitzler Christine E , Gonzalez Paul , Baxevanis Andreas D , Frank Uri
Published: May 2022

Neurogenesis is the generation of neurons from stem cells, a process that is regulated by SoxB transcription factors (TFs) in many animals. Although the roles of these TFs are well understood in bilaterians, how their neural function evolved is unclear. Here, we use Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, a member of the early-branching phylum Cnidaria, to provide insight into this question. Using a combination of mRNA in situ hybridization, transgenesis, gene knockdown, transcriptomics, and in vivo imaging, we provide a comprehensive molecular and cellular analysis of neurogenesis during embryogenesis, homeostasis, and regeneration in this animal. We show that SoxB genes act sequentially at least in some cases. Stem cells expressing Piwi1 and Soxb1, which have broad developmental potential, become neural progenitors that express Soxb2 before differentiating into mature neural cells. Knockdown of SoxB genes resulted in complex defects in embryonic neurogenesis. Hydractinia neural cells differentiate while migrating from the aboral to the oral end of the animal, but it is unclear whether migration per se or exposure to different microenvironments is the main driver of their fate determination. Our data constitute a rich resource for studies aiming at addressing this question, which is at the heart of understanding the origin and development of animal nervous systems.
Down-regulated NEDD4L facilitates tumor progression through activating Notch signaling in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Lin Liping , Wu Xuan , Jiang Yuanxue , Deng Caijiu , Luo Xi , Han Jianjun , Hu Jiazhu , Cao Xiaolong
Published: May 2022

Neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated 4-like protein (NEDD4L), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, exerts an important role in diverse biological processes including development, tumorigenesis, and tumor progression. Although the role of NEDD4L in the pathogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has been described, the mechanism by which NEDD4L promotes LUAD progression remains poorly understood. In the study, the correlation between NEDD4L level and clinical outcome in LUAD patients was analysed using the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. NEDD4L expression in LUAD cell lines and tissue samples was assessed through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The biological function of NEDD4L on regulating LUAD cell proliferation was tested with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay in vitro, and mouse xenograft tumor model in vivo. We found that NEDD4L expression was significantly decreased in LUAD tissues and cell lines. Lower expression of NEDD4L exhibited a significantly poorer overall survival. Functionally, NEDD4L knockdown in H1299 cells accelerated cell growth, whereas NEDD4L overexpression in A549 cells repressed cell proliferation. NEDD4L overexpression also inhibited tumor xenograft growth in vivo. Mechanistically, NEDD4L decreased the protein stability of notch receptor 2 (Notch2) through facilitating its ubiquitination and degradation by ubiquitin-proteasome system. Consequently, NEDD4L negatively regulated Notch signaling activation in LUAD cells, and RO4929097 (a Notch inhibitor) treatment effectively repressed the effect of NEDD4L knockdown on LUAD cell proliferation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that down-regulated NEDD4L facilitates LUAD progression by activating Notch signaling, and NEDD4L may be a promising target to treat LUAD.
El aislamiento social de la conservación de la naturaleza en el bosque templado del sur de Chile. Caso de estudio: Parque Nacional Alerce Andino y Reserva Nacional Llanquihue
Authors: Mardones Rivera Gonzalo
Published: May 2022

La exclusión por acción u omisión de las comunidades locales en el manejo de las áreas protegidas, conocida como ‘conservación fortaleza’, es una práctica que persiste a pesar del amplio consenso teórico que promueve una mayor integración de la población local en la conservación de la biodiversidad. Este artículo presenta el caso de estudio de dos áreas protegidas en el bosque templado del sur de Chile en donde, a través del mapeo de actores y el análisis de redes sociales, se ha indagado sobre el grado de vinculación social entre múltiples actores con interés y/o influencia en el área protegida y su zona de amortiguación. Los resultados muestran una baja densidad de relaciones sociales, alta fragmentación de la red social en torno a intereses sectoriales (agricultura, pesca, turismo, entre otras), así como un significativo nivel de aislamiento social del área protegida. Este aislamiento es explicado, en parte, por la existencia de un modelo de manejo del área protegida que no ha incorporado, principalmente por omisión, la participación activa de la amplia variedad de actores locales y regionales, en especial de las comunidades. Esta omisión ha generado un escenario territorial adverso para la gobernanza del área protegida y su zona de amortiguación, creando una situación de riesgo al polarizar la conservación y el desarrollo en el territorio.
Gestión tecnológica e innovación en salud: el caso del HPV Easy Typing para la prevención del Cáncer Cervicouterino
Authors: Padilla Navarro Patricio Andrés , Vásquez Miranda Fabiola
Published: May 2022

En el marco de los estudios de sociología de la innovación, el artículo sintetiza los resultados de una investigación cuyo objetivo fue describir y analizar la trayectoria que ha tenido el proyecto “HPV Easy Typing, un kit de identificación y genotipificación del cáncer” utilizando el apartado conceptual de la Teoría del Actor-Red y su enfoque sobre interesamientos, que han resultado ser más pertinentes para abordar la innovación desde este enfoque. Con ello, además se extraen aprendizajes y desafíos en materia de gestión tecnológica en el contexto chileno.
A Rare Case Report of a 8-weeks-old Infant with Hypercalcaemia and Subcutaneous Fat Necrosis
Authors: Manjula KS , Shweta KV , Shruthi AN , Adarsh E , Shasikala K
Published: May 2022

Subcutaneous Fat Necrosis (SCFN) is an uncommon transient panniculitis more commonly seen in first week of newborn life. Hypercalcaemia is tell-tale of this disorder, resulting in consequences like metabolic derangements, polyuria, seizures, vomiting, nephrocalcinosis and cardiovascular disturbances contributing to morbidity and mortality of SCFN. This is a case report of an eight-week-old male infant who presented with hypercalcaemia and multiple nodules all over the body. Histopathology is the gold standard method which helps in diagnosis and evaluation of a patient with SCFN. In this case, histopathological report revealed focal areas of fat necrosis in the fat lobules along with lobular panniculitis with infiltration of lymphocytes, histocytes, fibroblasts and multinucleated giant cells. Its granules were suggestive of SCFN. The diagnosis of SCFN was confirmed by skin biopsy and additionally supported by hypercalcaemia. This study highlights the importance of performing detailed skin examination for the evaluation of patients until the resolution of hypercalcaemia and skin lesions. In this case, hypercalcaemia resolved by the end of 12th week of life. Though, it is a benign and self-limiting condition, educating and creating awareness among the parents is of utmost importance and to prevent renal and cardiac complications associated with hypercalcaemia. Rehydration therapy, calcium and Vitamin D restricted diet are the modes of treatment for treating this condition.
A trait-based analysis for predicting impact of wildfires on frogs
Authors: Mahony M. , Gould J. , Beranek C. T. , Callen A. , Clulow J. , Clulow S. , Klop-Toker K. , Mahony S. , Wallace S. , Seeto R. , Stock S. , Garnham J. , Lemckert F. , Thumm K. , Moses B. , Pickett E.
Published: May 2022

An increase in the frequency and intensity of catastrophic wildfires is associated with anthropogenic climate change. Wildfires are extreme environmental events that result in dramatic fluctuations in temperature and moisture, which are likely to disproportionately impact animals such as amphibians (Anura) whose distributions and ecology are strongly tied to climate. In response to the 2019/20 Australian summer wildfires, we used expert elicitation to analyse the traits of frogs that potentially influence fire sensitivity or resilience. Traits that were ranked high in terms of influencing fire sensitivity were range size, dominant adult habitat, reproductive mode, and relative abundance. While species restricted to cool, moist habitats are less exposed to the threat of wildfire, they had the highest sensitivity scores. This is due to their typically low fecundity, reliance on micro-refugia away from water for reproduction and shelter, and small, isolated distributions. The group considered least sensitive were those which occupy riparian zones as macro-refugia, which includes species with wide geographic distributions, general reproductive strategies, high fecundity, and moderate physiological capacity. Our findings suggest that it is the behavioural capacity of frogs to locate micro-refugia, a morphology that enables them to move into these safe spaces, and physiological adaptations to subsequently maintain water balance during and after wildfire that influence the probability of surviving wildfire. While many traits have evolved among amphibians to avoid climatic extremes and likely confer resistance to wildfire as “exaptations”, it remains unknown to what extent they protect populations from predicted hotter and drier climates. Our predictions should be tested by obtaining direct measures of the thermal and moisture buffering capacities of micro-refuges, along with the continued monitoring of species recovery post-fire, so that they can feedback into future trait-based analyses. We suggest that strategic management actions for mitigating the effect of climate-driven wildfires on amphibians should involve protection and enhancement of micro-refugia components of the landscape, which are used as shelter during times of heat and moisture stress, and provision of buffer zones around macro-refugia habitat, such as around streams.
Improving and Sustaining some Soil Properties by Application of some Soil Amendments and N- Fertilizer and its Effect on Productivity of Wheat and Rice Crops under Salt-Affected Soils
Authors: Rashed S. H. , Abo-Elela E. G. , Amer M. M.
Published: May 2022

Two field experiments were conducted at El-Hamoul, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, over two seasons, winter 2020/2021 and summer 2021, to improve and sustain some soil properties and productivity both of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) by adding phosphogypsum (PG), vermicompost (VC), and different rates of nitrogen fertilizers to salt-affected soils. Split plot design was used to arrange the experimental designs. Soil amendments were used in the main plots: T1: Control, T2: PG (10.39Mg ha-1)equivalent to 100% gypsum requirement (GR), (Mg = 1000kg), T3:VC(10Mg ha-1)and T4: PG (10.39Mg ha-1)+ VC (5Mg.ha-1). The N-fertilization subplots were N1: 50%, N2: 75% and N3: 100% of the N-recommended dose. The obtained results revealed that soil amendments significantly (P ≤ 0.01) reduced electrical conductivity (ECe, dSm-1), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP, %), soil bulk density (kg m3), and soil penetration resistances (Mpa), while PG + VC treatment had the lowest values afterharvesting both of wheat and rice. In addition, the combination treatment (PG + VC) showed significantly increased for cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil porosity (%), and soil basic infiltration rate (IR, cm h-1) after harvesting both of wheat and rice. 1000-grain weight, grain, and straw yield of wheat and rice were highly significantly increased by application of PG , VC and increased up to 100% from N recommended and they attained the highest values due to the interaction of 100%PG + 50%VC + 100% N, which may be suggested to be applied under this circumstance.
Factors Influencing Social Participation and Self-esteem among Children with Cognitive Disability within African Families: The Case of Ilala District in Tanzania
Authors: Rwegoshora Harold , Mohamed Fauzia , Mnyanyi Cosmas
Published: May 2022

Social participation is one of the main strategies for teaching children and imparting to them problem solving skills, fostering self-confidence and making them feel valued in the family and community. This study aimed to examine the extent to which social impacts their self-esteem, with particular focus on children with cognitive disability among African families. The study was conducted in Dar es Salaam region, specifically in Ilala Municipality in Tanzania. The study adopted the qualitative approach. The target population was children with cognitive disability, their parents and included parents with no children with disabilities, neighborhood, community members and community leaders. The total number of respondents in the study was 66. The study was based on exploratory design which required the researcher to use different methods of data collection, including informal interviews, observations, and focus group discussions. Social participation was measured in terms of the frequency with which a child participated in family activities and how frequently the family members paid attention and listened to them. On the other hand, self-esteem was measured in terms of the observed level of confidence demonstrated by the children as they performed or participated in activities at family level. The main findings of the study were that there was minimal frequency at which children with cognitive disability participated and interacted in family chores. There was also minimal frequency at which children were listened to by the members of their families. The study noted that, the observations made were mainly due to the social environment in which the children lived. An unfriendly environment was one of the main causes of low self-confidence and low self-esteem among the children with cognitive disability. The study concludes that a child’s self-esteem is a product of his/her social living environment. The study recommends that policy makers involved in children’s social welfare do all they can to encourage parents and other family members to change their current mind sets and outlooks regarding children with cognitive and other mental disabilities as they while taking advantage of available social welfare support services, psychotherapy services and involving other stakeholders in children’s welfare in the alleviation of socially unacceptable disregard, low treatment and general lack of concern for the proper upbringing, care and support of all children with particular focus on those with cognitive or mental disabilities.
New Media Adaptation through Environmentally Friendly Dissemination Messages at a Religious Organization during the COVID-19 Era in Indonesia
Authors: Njoko Vellycia , Priyowidodo Gatut
Published: May 2022

This study seeks to explore new media adaptation through environmentally friendly dissemination messages at a religious organization during the Covid 19 era in Indonesia. This study used the phenomenographic method in a constructive/interpretive paradigm to explore the difference in the experience of members of the congregation who participate in online worship versus face-to-face worship to demonstrate environmentally friendly dissemination messages. Data collection was carried out through in-depth interviews with informants who represented three levels of membership of ordinary members, church administrators, and organization administrators. Secondary data was obtained through the documentation of social media of the religious organization (the Christian Church of East Java) in Surabaya, East Java Province, Indonesia. The findings of this study confirm different variations of experience in synchronous and asynchronous worship. The variety of experiences is divided into knowledge, feelings, and mindset of the congregation. Synchronous message dissemination contributes strongly to the knowledge, feelings, and mindset of the congregation in facing changes in worship models. This study contributes by offering an alternative to the phenomenographic method in the study of organizational communication. The limitation of the study lies in the object of the study which is limited to informants from the local church in urban areas. This research has yet to accommodate the online worship experience for congregations in rural areas.