The Effect of Nano-Zinc Oxide and Nano-Titanium Dioxide on Inhabitation of Ochratoxin A

The experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Office in Baghdad during July 2020 to test the ability of nanomaterials (ZnO and TiO2) to inhibit ochratoxin A, which is produced by a number of microbiology (fungi) including: Aspergillus ochraceus, A. niger, ,A. steynii, A. carbonarius, Pencillume verrucosum and P. nordicum. The standard ochratoxin A, with known concentration, was treated with different concentrations of nanomaterials (20, 40, 60, and 80 ppm) and two different particle sizes of nanoparticles approximately (15 nm) and (70 nm) for each (ZnO) and TiO2; with 16 transactions. Through an examination of the HPLC, the results showed that all transactions led to a noticeable inhibition in the concentration of ochratoxin A, and the highest inhibition rate was for ZnO nanoparticles with particle-size (70 nm) and 80 ppm concentration, where the inhibition rate was 99%. In other hand, the TiO2 nanoparticles with particle-sized (70 nm) and the concentration (80 ppm) were followed by 95%.

Історія журналістики в часи презентизму: досвід США

Дослідження змін темпоральних уявлень останнім часом актуалізувалися в межах технічних наук, у комунікативістиці, історії, психології, культурології та мистецтвознавстві. Поширеними стали практики переосмислення часу історичного, як результат — звернення до явища презентизму, у якому «суспільство переорієнтовується на поточний момент» (Д. Рашкофф), контекстність відтворюється через повсякденний приватний досвід, а емоційність/емпатичність є своєрідним посередником для розуміння минулого. Метод «дослідження життєвих історій» запропонований автором як спосіб представлення історико-журналістського контексту через взаємодію між індивідуальним досвідом і узагальненими практиками та як можливий варіант виходу з неподоланої досі кризи ідентичності дисципліни «Історія журналістики». В американському журналістикознавстві такий міждисциплінарний підхід зреалізовано в діяльності Асоціації освіти в галузі журналістики та масових комунікацій, у просторі академічних дискусій: відповідну тематичну підбірку проаналізовано в журналах Journalism & Mass Communication Educator (JMCE) та American Journalism. Історія журналістики як дискурс пам’яті очевидців та свідків у статті проілюстрований трьома видами усноісторичних матеріалів: класичні традиційні архіви медіаеліти (колекції Колумбійського університету Columbia University’s Oral History Research Office, Інституту медіадосліджень Пойнтера); архіви журналістських об’єднань та спільнот (Фонд «Усні історії» Вашингтонського пресклубу, проєкт пенсільванських журналістів Newspaper Journalists Oral History Program, журналістів Айови Iowa Journalists Oral Histories) з окремішнім проєктом «Жінки в журналістиці»; на прикладі ресурсу Riptide представлені осучаснені варіанти подання історико-журналістської інформації.

Longitudinal Experience With and Impressions of COVID-19–Related Clinical Research Changes

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to profound changes in clinical research, including remote consent, telehealth, off-site procedures, shipment of therapy, and remote study monitoring. We assessed longitudinal perceptions of these adjustments among clinical research professionals. METHODS: We distributed an anonymous survey assessing experiences, perceptions, and recommendations regarding COVID-19–related clinical research adjustments to cancer clinical research office personnel in May 2020 and again in November 2020. Responses were compared using Fisher's exact and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: A total of 90 of 102 invited research personnel (88%) responded. Fifty-three (59%) reported participating in both initial and follow-up surveys. The proportion of respondents reporting personal experience with COVID-19–related adjustments increased over time, particularly for remote initial consent (29% v 4%), remote reconsent (24% v 9%), and remote study monitoring (36% v 22%). Perceived impact of COVID-19–related adjustments on data quality ( P = .02) and patient experience ( P = .002) improved significantly. However, perceived effect on patient safety ( P = .02) and respondent's experience ( P = .09) became less favorable. Individuals with personal experience with the adjustment were more likely to recommend continuing remote consent (62% v 38%; P = .04), remote monitoring (69% v 45%; P = .05), and therapy shipment (67% v 35%; P = .01) after the COVID-19 pandemic, with nonsignificant trends for off-site diagnostics (44% v 24%; P = .13) and telehealth visits (66% v 45%; P = .08). CONCLUSION: More than 6 months into the global pandemic, perceptions of COVID-19–related clinical research changes remain favorable. Experienced individuals are more likely to recommend that these changes continue in the future.

Maritime Historical Archaeology Research at Balok River, Belitung Island

Balok River is one of the rivers in the southern part of Belitung Island, which empties into Balok Bay. This bay forms wide and sheltered water in which it is directly connected to the Java Sea. This paper aims to provide an overview of the past maritime relationship pattern along the Balok River and the surrounding waterfront environment. This study examines existing data from archaeological research conducted by South Sumatra Archaeological Research Office and the National Archaeological Research Center from 2011 to 2021. Archaeological remains such as ceramic artifacts from China, Southeast Asia, and Europe showed that these regions had been involved in long-distance international trade networks. Regional contact with outsiders is also proved by findings of pottery shreds such as jug and roof tile fragments that were not produced locally in the Belitung area. Oral history reveals that there was once arouse a kingdom named the Balok Kingdom along this river. This kingdom raised in the sixteenth century. Nevertheless, dwellings from the period before the Balok Kingdom’s existence is unknown. The toponym along the Balok River also indicates topographical features associated with maritime culture, namely Pangkalan. This toponym probably refers to the docks in the past. At this time, places using pangkalan toponyms are still functioned as boat mooring places by Balok Villagers and its surroundings. Balok River is the main route for people to the sea for fishing

Institutionalizing Financial Cooperation in East Asia

Since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, East Asia’s ASEAN+3 states have built the second-largest regional emergency liquidity fund in the world, the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM). With a total commitment of $ 240 billion to aid member states facing a currency crisis, CMIM can provide more funds to members than the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Nonetheless, CMIM continues to be functionally subordinate to IMF decisions. This may now be changing following the 2011 creation of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) as a regional mechanism to manage surveillance and design of CMIM lending programs. The ability to delegate surveillance and program design to an independent body is a crucial prerequisite to ending CMIM’s subordination to the IMF, and AMRO seeks to ensure such autonomy through its institutional design. This article analyzes AMRO’s progress toward autonomy, using indicators of effective delegation drawn from organizational theory and newly available information and data on AMRO.