Benchmarking the vertically integrated ice-sheet model IMAU-ICE (version 2.0)

Ice-dynamical processes constitute a large uncertainty in future projections of sea-level rise caused by anthropogenic climate change. Improving our understanding of these processes requires ice-sheet models that perform well at simulating both past and future ice-sheet evolution. Here, we present version 2.0 of the ice-sheet model IMAU-ICE, which uses the depth-integrated viscosity approximation (DIVA) to solve the stress balance. We evaluate its performance in a range of benchmark experiments, including simple analytical solutions, as well as both schematic and realistic model intercomparison exercises. IMAU-ICE has adopted recent developments in the numerical treatment of englacial stress and sub-shelf melt near the grounding-line, which result in good performance in experiments concerning grounding-line migration (MISMIP) and buttressing (ABUMIP). This makes it a model that is robust, versatile, and user-friendly, and which will provide a firm basis for (palaeo-)glaciological research in the coming years.

The life, death and diversity of pro-government militias: The fully revised pro-government militias database version 2.0

This article presents version 2.0 of the Pro-Government Militias Database (PGMD). It is increasingly clear that it is untenable to assume a unified security sector, as states often rely on militias to carry out security tasks. The PGMD 2.0 provides new opportunities for studying questions such as when states rely on militias, how they chose among different types and the consequences for stability and peace. We detail how the PGMD 2.0 provides new information on the characteristics, behaviour, life cycle and organization of 504 pro-government militias across the globe between 1981 and 2014.

Evaluación de la microfiltración en restauraciones con resina Clase I

Objetivo: Comparar la profundidad de microfiltración en restauraciones con resina en cavidades Clase I, variando el método de restauración y el sistema adhesivo. Material y Métodos: se realizó un estudio experimental ex vivo, en el que se incluyeron 128 molares sin alteraciones morfológicas en la estructura coronaria, en los cuales se tallaron cavidades en la cara oclusal en forma estandarizada (4x4x3mm) y posteriormente distribuidos en forma aleatoria en dos grupos según el sistema adhesivo aplicado (Grupo I, grabado ácido previo al adhesivo; Grupo II, adhesivo autograbado), subdividiendose a su vez cada grupo en dos subgrupos según el método de restauración, A: resina compuesta; B: base de resina fluida, restauración con resina compuesta y sellador superficial. Todos los cuerpos de prueba fueron sellados en el ápice y en toda la superficie externa con dos capas de esmalte de uñas hasta 1 mm de la interfase diente-restauración, termociclados entre 5 °C y 55 °C, sumergidos en azul de metileno al 2% durante 24 horas y cortados transversalmente en sentido vestíbulo palatino/lingual para realizar la medición en milímetros. Resultados: Los datos fueron analizados estadísticamente con IBM SPSS stadicts versión 2.0, aplicando ANOVA de doble clasificación; se observó diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p<0,05) entre los subgrupos según el método de restauración. Conclusiones: la utilización de base y sellador superficial en combinación con la restauración de resina compuesta disminuyeron la microfiltración aplicando tanto el sistema adhesivo con grabado ácido previo como el sistema adhesivo autograbado, mientras que la mayor microfiltración se obtuvo con resina compuesta (sin base ni sellador superficial) y la utilización del sistema adhesivo autograbado.

DNA Nanodevice-Based Drug Delivery Systems

DNA, a natural biological material, has become an ideal choice for biomedical applications, mainly owing to its good biocompatibility, ease of synthesis, modifiability, and especially programmability. In recent years, with the deepening of the understanding of the physical and chemical properties of DNA and the continuous advancement of DNA synthesis and modification technology, the biomedical applications based on DNA materials have been upgraded to version 2.0: through elaborate design and fabrication of smart-responsive DNA nanodevices, they can respond to external or internal physical or chemical stimuli so as to smartly perform certain specific functions. For tumor treatment, this advancement provides a new way to solve the problems of precise targeting, controllable release, and controllable elimination of drugs to a certain extent. Here, we review the progress of related fields over the past decade, and provide prospects for possible future development directions.

Development of curriculum design evaluation instruments in strengthening Al-Irsyad ideology in Indonesia

The purpose of this research was to develop a curriculum design evaluation instrument in strengthening Al-Irsyad ideology. The research activity began with a literature review on the curriculum then continues with the development of the instrument. The results of the development of the instrument items were validated by 11 experts and tested on a limited scale by involving 17 teachers from Al-Irsyad Junior High School, Surakarta, Cirebon, and Purwokerto, Indonesia. The next activity was an expanded trial involving 53 teachers from Al-Irsyad schools in West Java, Central Java, and East Java, the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. Data from expert reviews were analyzed by using Aiken's formula. Limited trial data were analyzed with the EFA model using the help of the SPSS program, and data from the extended trial results were analyzed by CFA using the help of the Smart PLS version 2.0 program. The results indicated that the instrument has a good validity guarantee because the loading factor value ranges from 0.5571-0.9463 (&gt;0.5), and the AVE value ranges from 0.5901-0.8051 (&gt;0.5), and has guaranteed reliability because of the CR value ranges from 0.8394-0.9397 (&gt;0.7) and Cronbach alpha ranges from 0.7692-0.9286 (&gt;0.7). The instrument feasible to be used as a measurement tool in evaluating the Al-Irsyad curriculum design in Indonesia.

DockStream: a docking wrapper to enhance de novo molecular design

Recently, we have released the de novo design platform REINVENT in version 2.0. This improved and extended iteration supports far more features and scoring function components, which allows bespoke and tailor-made protocols to maximize impact in small molecule drug discovery projects. A major obstacle of generative models is producing active compounds, in which predictive (QSAR) models have been applied to enrich target activity. However, QSAR models are inherently limited by their applicability domains. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a structure-based scoring component for REINVENT. DockStream is a flexible, stand-alone molecular docking wrapper that provides access to a collection of ligand embedders and docking backends. Using the benchmarking and analysis workflow provided in DockStream, execution and subsequent analysis of a variety of docking configurations can be automated. Docking algorithms vary greatly in performance depending on the target and the benchmarking and analysis workflow provides a streamlined solution to identifying productive docking configurations. We show that an informative docking configuration can inform the REINVENT agent to optimize towards improving docking scores using public data. With docking activated, REINVENT is able to retain key interactions in the binding site, discard molecules which do not fit the binding cavity, harness unused (sub-)pockets, and improve overall performance in the scaffold-hopping scenario. The code is freely available at https://github.com/MolecularAI/DockStream.