bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Architecture Optimization for Filtered Multicarrier Waveforms in 5G
Authors: Abid Muhammad , Ali Farman , Armghan Ammar , Alenezi Fayadh , Khan Sharoz , Muhammad Fazal , Khan Maqsood Ahmad , Qamar Muhammad Salman
Published: April 2021

Wireless communication network is the backbone of each and every organization of today modern globe. The rapid emergence of smart devices, smart homes, internet of things and clean energy become key sources in today society. In result the data traffic, emerging of new service and application are increase every year. Hence, there is a growing demand for 5G technology in all above mentioned fields. Therefore, better waveform types for 5G technology is needed, which has ability of high spectral efficiency, lower latency and less complexity. It is predicted that the data traffic will arise 1000x in near future. In this work filtered orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (F-OFDM) and universal filtered orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (UF-OFDM) techniques will be discussed to degrade key issues such as computational complexity, peak average power ratio (PAPR), lower spectral efficiency, and higher latency. The suggested work will clearly overcome the drawbacks faced by previous work like limited capacity and complexity. We also analyze algorithms and simplification for F-OFDM and UF-OFDM waveforms from an implementation perspective towards low complexity and efficient transceiver design. Moreover, F-OFDM and UF-OFDM will be mainly based on multicarrier modulation and will be enabled to reduce to out-of-band power leakage (OOBPL) of OFDM.
Patterns and drivers of evapotranspiration in South American wetlands
Authors: Fleischmann Ayan , Laipelt Leonardo , Papa Fabrice , Ruhoff Anderson , Paiva Rodrigo , Biudes Marcelo , Kayser Rafael , Prigent Catherine , Cosio Eric , Machado Nadja , Collischonn Walter
Published: April 2021

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a key process linking surface and atmospheric energy budgets, yet its drivers and patterns across wetlandscapes are poorly understood worldwide. Here we assess the ET dynamics in 12 wetlands complexes across South America, revealing major differences under temperate, tropical, and equatorial climates. While net radiation is a dominant driver of ET seasonality in most environments, flooding also contributes strongly to ET in tropical and equatorial wetlands, especially in meeting the evaporative demand. Moreover, significant water losses through wetlands and ET differences between wetlands and uplands occur in temperate, water-limited environments and in highly flooded areas such as the Pantanal, where slow river flood propagation drives the ET dynamics. Finally, floodplain forests produce the greatest ET in all environments except the Central Amazon, where upland forests sustain high rates year round. Our findings highlight the unique hydrological functioning and ecosystem services provided by wetlands on a continental scale.
Acute psychosis in COVID-19: Is it due to favipiravir treatment or acute viral illness?
Authors: Duyan Murat , Ozturan Ibrahim Ulas
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

In this report, we present a case of acute psychosis that occurred after the loading dose of favipiravir, one of the most prescribed antiviral drugs in many countries, in a patient with COVID-19.
Case presentation:

A 31-year-old female was readmitted to the emergency department after three days of sleep disturbance, intermittent paranoid delusions, auditory hallucinations, and agitation that started after the favipiravir treatment was initiated. A physical examination revealed disorganized speech, distorted orientation, and agitation. All laboratory tests, including drug screening and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, were normal. After excluding all the other causes of acute psychosis, favipiravir treatment was discontinued, antipsychotic treatment was started, and the patient was admitted to the psychiatric ward. The symptoms resolved on the second day of hospitalization. Although acute viral illness does seldomly cause psychosis in patients with increased inflammatory response, in the presented case, none of the inflammatory markers were positive and acute psychosis was attributed to the loading dose of favipiravir.
Conclusion

In conclusion, emergency department physicians should be aware of this rare adverse effect and prescribe cautiously to patients at a high risk of psychosis.
Does agricultural cooperative membership help reduce the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides? Evidence from rural China
Authors: Liu Tongshan , Wu Gang
Published: April 2021

The overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides (CFPs) has negatively impacted the environment and human health. It is an urgent issue that should be addressed. In this study, we investigate whether agricultural cooperatives can serve as an institutional arrangement that helps reduce the consumption of CFPs, using the data of 2012 family farms from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China. Various approaches, including instrumental variable based two-stage residual inclusion approach (2SRI), endogenous switching probit (ESP) model, and endogenous switching regression (ESR) model, are utilized to help address the endogeneity issues of the cooperative membership variable. The results show that agricultural cooperative membership significantly increases the probability of reducing fertilizers and pesticides of the family farms and improves net return per yuan CFPs. Our findings highlight the importance of promoting the development of agricultural cooperatives to support green agricultural production in China.
Thermodynamics simulation performance of rice husk combustion with a realistic decomposition approach on the devolatilization stage
Authors: Steven Soen , Hernowo Pandit , Restiawaty Elvi , Irawan Anton , Rasrendra Carolus Borromeus , Bindar Yazid
Published: April 2021

Rice husk has a great potential in its calorific value and silica content in ash which makes its valorization through combustion becomes important and interesting. This study presents the thermodynamics simulation performance of rice husk combustion using a realistic decomposition approach. A non-ideal gas approach and fugacity coefficient were also considered in the calculation. From this study, rice husk is devolatilized to form gases (63.37%), tar (8.69%), char (27.94%), and all of these are then oxidized to form flue gas. The realistic decomposition approach calculated that about 2.6 MJ/kg of specific combustion energy is produced, the maximum combustion temperature is up to 1457oC for perfect insulation condition, and up to 1400oC if there is a heat loss. It is found that combustion equipped with larger excess air could quench the heat produced and reduce the combustion efficiency but could maintain the temperature at 700oC. Furthermore, the thermodynamics simulation expressed that NO emission amount from rice husk combustion is negligible and there is still a probability for CO and H2 to be produced at above 500oC due to Boudouard reaction and homogeneous water gas shift reaction (WGSR). The study showed that a realistic decomposition approach could predict the rice husk combustion performance with a reasonable and logical result. Supplying excess air of about 180–200% is advantageous to keep the combustion temperature at 700oC in order to prevent silica crystalline formation which harms human health, as well as suppressing NO emission and reducing CO emission from the simultaneous Boudouard and WGSR.
Beneficial effects of a mouthwash containing an antiviral phthalocyanine derivative on the length of hospital stay for COVID-19: Randomised trial
Authors: Santos Paulo Sérgio da Silva , Orcina Bernardo , Machado Rafael , Vilhena Fabiano , Alves Lucas , Zangrando Mariana , Oliveira Rodrigo de , Soares Mariana , Simão Andréa , Pietro Emilene , Kuroda Juliana , Benjamim Ivanilda , Araújo Danielle , Toma Sergio , Flor Lourival , Araki Koiti , Durigon Edison
Published: April 2021

Background: The risk of contamination and dissemination by SARS-CoV-2 has a strong link with nasal, oral and pharyngeal cavities. Recently, our research group observed the promising performance of an anionic phthalocyanine derivative (APD) used in a mouthwash protocol without photoexcitation; this protocol improved the general clinical condition of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: The present two-arm study evaluated in vitro the antiviral activity and cytotoxicity of APD. Additionally, a triple-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with 41 hospitalized patients who tested positive for COVID-19. All the included patients received World Health Organization standard care hospital treatment (non-intensive care) plus active mouthwash (experimental group AM/n=20) or nonactive mouthwash (control group NAM/n=21). The adjunct mouthwash intervention protocol used in both groups consisted one-minute gargling/rinsing / 5 times/day until hospital discharge. Groups were compared considering age, number of comorbidities, duration of symptoms prior admission and length of hospital stay (LOS). The associations between group and sex, age range, presence of comorbidities, admission to Intensive care unit (ICU) and death were also evaluated. Results: The in vitro evaluation demonstrated that APD compound was highly effective for reduction of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in the 1.0 mg/mL (99.96%) to 0.125 mg/mL (92.65%) range without causing cytotoxicity. Regarding the clinical trial, the median LOS of the AM group was significantly shortened (4 days) compared with that of the NAM group (7 days) (p=0.0314). Additionally, gargling/rinsing with APD was very helpful in reducing the severity of symptoms (no ICU care was needed) compared to not gargling/rinsing with APD (28.6% of the patients in the NAM group needed ICU care, and 50% of this ICU subgroup passed way, p=0.0207). Conclusions: This study indicated that the mechanical action of the protocol involving mouthwash containing a compound with antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 may reduce the symptoms of the patients and the spread of infection. The use of APD in a mouthwash as an adjuvant the hospital COVID-19 treatment presented no contraindication and reduced the hospital stay period. Trial Registration: The clinical study was registered at REBEC - Brazilian Clinical Trial Register (RBR-58ftdj) in 10/28/2020.
Molecular Modeling Analyses for Electronic Properties of CNT/TiO2 Nanocomposites
Authors: Elhaes H. , Morsy M. , Yahia I. S. , Ibrahim M.
Published: April 2021

Electronic properties of carbon nanotube (CNT) is enhanced with the help of metal oxides which in turn paves the way toward functionality of CNT for many applications based on their electronic properties. Accordingly, density functional theory at B3LYP/3-21g** is utilized to model the decoration of CNT and TiO 2 . 7 molecules of TiO 2 are interacted with the CNT surface as adsorb state and complex. As a result of this decoration, a change in the Mulliken atomic charges of a carbon atom which is interacted with the metal is recorded, changing both the total dipole moment and HOMO/LUMO bandgap energy. The molecular electrostatic potential is localized toward the left side for the adsorb state then up and down for the complex state, which enhances the probability of forming hydrogen bonding with the surrounding. The change in the physical parameters of the surface promotes the decorated CNT for many applications. For verification, CNT is prepared with homemade CVD then decorated with TiO 2 . XRD, TEM, and TGA confirmed that TiO 2 is located on the surface. Finally, the FTIR spectrum indicated that the studied model is suitable for the investigated system regarding both accuracy and computational time.
Association of Anemia with Rehabilitation Outcome for Subacute Geriatric Rehabilitation Patients in a Secondary Hospital in Malaysia
Authors: Chin Mann Leon , Chan Christopher WS , Chong Huey Ee , Cheah Wee Kooi
Published: April 2021

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Anemia on Rehabilitation Outcome for Geriatric Subjects in Taiping Hospital Subacute Geriatric Rehabilitation Ward.Methodology: This was a retrospective study, with 126 subjects to compare the change in modified Barthel Index score of anemic and non anemic subjects.Results: 44% of subjects were anemic and the Mean corpuscular hemoglobin and Mean corpuscular volume for anemic subjects were 85.4pg and 29.8fL. Among anemic subjects 45.5% were Malay, 38.2% were Chinese, 14.5% were Indian and 1% were others. The Median(IQR) Modified Barthel Index (MBI) on admission for anemic subjects and non anemic subjects were insignificantly difference which were 47 (29, 63) and 36 (21, 59) respectively, (p=0.059). The median(IQR) of MBI improvement for non anemic subjects was found to be significantly higher than anemic subjects which were 14 (5, 26) and 8 (1, 18) (p=0.021). Subject with hemoglobin (hb) ≥ 9g/dL were significantly associated with MBI improvement of more than 20, p=0.014. Multiple linear regression revealed a significant linear relationship between age and MBI score improvement (p=0.010). Subjects 10 years younger showed a 3.55 score improvement in MBI.Conclusion: The study suggested that non-anemic subjects showed significant MBI improvement. Our study also suggested judicious transfusion practices to maintain a hemoglobin threshold of 9 g/dL might be able to improve subject’s functional outcome. These results should encourage further research with a larger elderly subject population to provide insights and awareness for the need to correct anemia in rehabilitation subjects.
Investigation of Heavy Metalloid Pollutants in the Earth's Environment Using Kriging Method and Hydrus Model 
Authors: mirzaei farhad , Abbasi Yasser , Sohrabi Teymour , Mirhashemi Seyed Hassan
Published: April 2021

The zoning of copper, nickel and lead heavy metals was investigated by using Kriging method in GIS environment using circular, spherical, exponential and Gaussian variorums. In addition, one-dimensional Hydrus modeling of water flow and heavy metals in the soil environment was simulated up to 50 cm depth for a 210-day period and the concentration of heavy metals to the root .depth was simulated. Distribution of lead element in soil surface with spherical model showed that its variation was in the range of 20 to 70 mg / kg. These values were 50-60 mg / kg for copper and 30 mg / kg for nickel. Investigation of heavy metals in the soil using the Hydrus model showed that the simulated value at the initial 0-15 cm depth has the highest value and at lower depths is decreased. Comparison of the concentrations of these elements with the standard allowed by the WHO showed that the lead element in this region was higher than the permissible level.
The influence of the enhancement of the convective activities of tropical Pacific on the trend of stratospheric sudden warmings in the period of 1948-2003
Authors: Li Yuanpu , Wen Zhiping
Published: April 2021

The exploration of the trend of stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) in the Northern Hemisphere is conducive to predict SSWs in the future. Utilizing the National Centre for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) (1948–2017) and Japanese 55-year reanalysis data (JRA55) (1958–2017), we investigated the duration and strength of SSWs in the Northern Hemisphere winter (December-February). We found the duration of SSWs has an increasing trend and the strength of SSWs tends to strengthen from 1948 to 2003. However, after 2003, these trends did not continue. We also utilize the observed cloudiness from the International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS) to examine the convective activities in the tropical Pacific and found that the convective activities in the tropical central Pacific are enhanced during the period of 1948–2003, and the trend of the enhancement of the convective activities ceases after 2003. The circulation anomalies caused by the enhanced convective activities propagate to the troposphere at high latitudes through wave trains. The anomalies of circulation and the climatic circulation at high latitudes interfere with each other and superimpose, which has a significant impact on planetary wave 1 (PW1). As a result, the PW1 in the troposphere also showed an increasing trend from 1948 to 2003 and a decreasing trend after 2003. After the stratosphere filters out the planetary wave with a large wavenumber, PW1 accounts for more proportion of planetary waves, which causes the trend of SSW to change synchronously.
Synthesis and Characterization of Functionalize HY Zeolite With Sulfunic Acid, A Micro-meso Structure as an Efficient Reusable Catalyst in Organic Transformations
Authors: Zendehdel Mojgan , Tavakoli Fatemeh
Published: April 2021

A new class of catalyst has been prepared with sulfunic acid functionalized HY zeolite (HY-N-SO3H) and characterized by FESEM, TEM, FTIR, TGA, XRD and BET. The result show that the catalyst has the micro-meso structure without ordering in the mesophase. Then, two sets of organic reaction were examined to consider of catalytic activity. The micro-meso structure HY-N-SO3H was used as an acidic catalyst to synthesis of coumarins via Pechmann reaction and facile transformation of amines to formamides under solvent free condition. This catalyst was compared with NaY-N-SO3H and MCM-N-SO3H and pure porous material to consider of the effect of acidity and kind and size of porous in the catalyst. The significant advantages of HY-N-SO3H respect to other catalyst are short reaction times, high yields, pure products, mild conditions and easy workup. In addition, we report an original and environmentally friendly solvent-free procedures which reusability of catalyst makes this method nearly green and environmental friendly.
PRM-MS Quantitative Analysis of Isomeric N-Glycopeptides Derived From Human Serum Haptoglobin of Patients With Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Reyes Cristian D. Gutierrez , Huang Yifan , Atashi Mojgan , Zhang Jie , Zhu Jianhui , Liu Suyu , Parikh Neehar D. , Singal Amit G. , Dai J. , Lubman David M. , Mechref Yehia
Published: April 2021

Currently surveillance strategies have inadequate performance for the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Protein glycosylation is a potential source of biomarkers to differentiate between cirrhosis and HCC. We performed a comprehensive LC-PRM-MS approach where a targeted parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) strategy was coupled to a powerful LC system to study the microheterogeneity of haptoglobin (Hp) extracted from 15 patients with cirrhosis and 15 with HCC. We found that our strategy was able to identify a large number of isomeric N-glycopeptides mainly located in the glycosylation site Asn207. Nine out of twelve N-glycopeptides, located in the Asn207 site, had significant differences in abundance between patients with cirrhosis and HCC (p < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was alone 0.85, which improved to 0.95 (95% CI: 0.88, 1) when NLF_5613 Isomer 1 was combined with AFP. When comparing the early HCC vs. cirrhosis, four sialylated-fucosylated glycopeptides better estimated AUCs with respect to AFP (AUCAFP = 0.66, and AUCN−glycopeptides = 0.86, 0.84, 0.88, and 0.80, respectively). Further large scale validation of glycopeptides for the early detection of HCC is warranted.
Cytokeratin 7 expression as a predictor of an unfavorable prognosis in colorectal carcinoma
Authors: Hrudka Jan , Fišerová Hana , Jelínková Karolína , Matěj Radoslav , Waldauf Petr
Published: April 2021

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cytokeratins (CKs) are widely expressed in various types of carcinomas, whereas in CRC it is usually CK7 − and CK20+. A subset of CRCs is CK7+. This study aims to determine the prevalence of CK7 expression in CRC and its impact on overall survival. We analyzed 300 randomly selected surgically treated CRC cases using paraffin embedded tumor tissue samples and evaluated CK7 and CK20 expression using the tissue microarray method. Tumors with positivity > 10% and > 25% of tumor cells were considered CK7 and CK20 positive, respectively. Expression of both CKs and several clinical-pathological variables (stage, grade, laterality, mismatch-repair/MMR status) were evaluated using patient follow up data (Kaplan-Meier analysis of cancer-specific survival (CSS)). Significant results include shorter CSS (restricted mean 4.98 vs. 7.74 years, p = 0.007) and 5-year survival (29.4% vs. 64.6%, p = 0.0221) in CK7 + tumors compared to CK7 − tumors, respectively; without significant association with grade, stage or right-sided location. CK20 + tumors are more frequently MMR-proficient than left-sided. MMR-deficient tumors are more frequently right-sided and had longer survival. CK7 expression, right-sided location (rmean CSS 6.83 vs. 8.0 years, p = 0.043), MMR-deficiency (rmean CSS 7.41 vs. 9.32 years, p = 0.012), and UICC stages III + IV (rmean CSS 6.03 vs. 8.92 years, p < 0.001) of the tumor correlated with negative prognostic outcomes, whereas the most significant results concern stage and CK7 positivity. The result concerning negative prognostic role of CK7 differs from those obtained by several previous studies focused on this topic.
Should Complex Comminuted C3-Type Tibial Pilon Fractures Be Fused or Fixated? A Systematic Review
Authors: Chaudhry Yash Paul , Papadelis Efstratios , Hayes Hunter , Stahel Philip F. , Hasenboehler Erik A.
Published: April 2021

Background: Comminuted intra-articular tibial pilon fractures can be challenging to manage, with high revision rates and poor functional outcomes. This study reviewed (1) treatment, complications, and clinical outcomes in studies of complex comminuted tibial pilon fractures (type AO43-C3); and (2) primary ankle arthrodesis as a management option for these types of complex injuries.Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on PubMed from 1990-2020 to determine complications and outcomes after staged fracture fixation and primary ankle joint arthrodesis for comminuted C3-type tibial pilon fractures.The search was conducted in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines, using the following MeSH terms: “tibial pilon”/“pilon fracture”/“plafond fracture”/“distal tibial”/“43-C3”/“ankle fracture”/“ankle fusion”/“primary ankle arthrodesis”/“pilon fracture staged”/“pilon external fixation” and “pilon open reduction internal fixation.” Inclusion criteria were restricted to original articles in English language on adult patients ≥18 years of age. Eligibility criteria for retrieved publications were determined using a “PICO” approach (population, intervention/exposure, comparison, outcomes). Weighted analysis was used to compare treatment groups on time to definitive treatment, follow-up time, range of motion, fracture classification, and complications.Results: The systematic literature review using the defined MeSH terms yielded 72 original articles. Of these, 13 articles met the eligibility criteria based on the PICO statements, of which 8 publications investigated the outcomes of a staged fixation approach in 308 cumulative patients, and 5 articles focused on primary ankle arthrodesis in 69 cumulative patients. For staged treatment, the mean wound complication rate was 14.6%, and the malunion/nonunion rate was 9.9%. For primary arthrodesis, the mean wound complication rate was 2.9%, and the malunion/nonunion rate was 2.9%. After risk stratification for fracture type and severity, the small cumulative cohort of patients included in the primary arthrodesis publications did not provide sufficient power to determine a clinically relevant difference in complications and long-term patient outcomes compared to the staged surgical fixation group.Conclusions: At present, there is insufficient evidence in the published literature to provide guidance towards consideration of ankle arthrodesis for complex comminuted C3-type tibial pilon fractures, compared to the standard treatment by staged surgical fracture fixation.
Pulmonary Embolism and Splenic Infarction Caused by Polycythemia Vera
Authors: HUANG Ping , LI Yuhong
Published: April 2021

Background: Pulmonary embolism and splenic infarction are rare in patients with embolism caused by polycythemia vera, which is easy to be neglected. Case presentation: We presented a case who was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and splenic infarction caused by polycythemia vera. The patient’s main symptoms were chest tightness, cough and sputum expectoration. Anti-infection, bronchial relaxation and phlegm treatments did not release his symptoms. Pulmonary artery Computed Tomography Angiography showed pulmonary embolism and the abdomen CT showed multiple low-density changes in the spleen. Bone marrow aspiration cytology, biopsy and genetic testing confirmed polycythemia vera. Symptoms relieved after treatment with low molecular weight heparin, hydroxyurea, diuresis, vasodilation and oxygen inhalation.Conclusions: This case emphasized that patients with polycythemia vera should be considered with the possibility of embolism, and we should give early interventions to minimize or delay the harm caused by its complications.
Accurate prediction of the extrusion forming bonding reliability for heterogeneous welded sheets based on GA-BP neural network
Authors: Gao Lei , Li Feng , Huo Peng Da , Li Chao , Xu Jie
Published: April 2021

As a widely recognized optimization method, BP neural network can provide scientific guidance for the formulation of reasonable process parameters. However, due to the randomness of its own weights and thresholds, the prediction accuracy remains to be further improved. The forming and manufacturing of heterogeneous welded sheet is a new extrusion connection method. There are many factors affecting the bonding quality, which brings trouble to the evaluation of bonding strength and quality. In this paper, orthogonal experiment, finite element simulation and process experiment were used to design and verify the key process parameters that affected the bonding strength of heterogeneous sheets. BP neural network and genetic algorithm neural network were used to predict the bonding strength. The results showed that the genetic algorithm neural network model has higher reliability, and the prediction accuracy was 99.5 %. Compared with the traditional BP neural network, the prediction accuracy was improved by 5.78 %, and the error was reduced to 0.5 %. It has good generalization ability, and provides a new way for intelligent reliability evaluation of high performance heterogeneous sheets extrusion manufacturing.
Development and Application of Rapid Injection Molds Using Aluminum-Filled Epoxy Resins for Metal Injection Molding
Authors: Kuo Chil-Chyuan , Pan Xin-Yu , Tasi Cheng-Xuan
Published: April 2021

Metal injection molding (MIM) is a near net-shape manufacturing process combing conventional plastic injection molding and powder metallurgy. Two kinds of injections molds for MIM were developed using conventional mold steel and aluminum (Al)-filled epoxy resins in this study. The characteristics of the mold made by rapid tooling technology (RTT) were evaluated and compared to that fabricated conventional machining method through MIM process. It was found that the service life of the injection mold fabricated by Al-filled epoxy resins is about 1300 molding cycles. The saving in manufacturing cost of an injection mold made by Al-filled epoxy resins is about 30.4% compared to that fabricated conventional mold steel. The saving in manufacturing time of an injection mold made by RT technology is about 30.3% compared to that fabricated conventional machining method.
Practical geospatial and sociodemographic predictors of human mobility
Authors: Ruktanonchai Corrine , Lai Shengjie , Utazi Chigozie , Cunningham Alexander , Koper Patrycja , Rogers Grant , Ruktanonchai Nick , Sadilek Adam , Woods Dorothea , Tatem Andrew , Steele Jessica , Sorichetta Alessandro
Published: April 2021

Background: Understanding seasonal human mobility at subnational scales has important implications across sciences, from urban planning efforts to disease modelling and control. Assessing how, when, and where populations move over the course of the year, however, requires spatially and temporally resolved datasets spanning large periods of time, which can be rare, contain sensitive information, or may be proprietary. Here, we aim to explore how a set of broadly available covariates can describe seasonal subnational mobility in Kenya, therefore enabling better modelling of seasonal mobility across low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. Methods: To do this, we used the Google Aggregated Mobility Research Dataset, containing anonymized mobility flows aggregated over users who have turned on the Location History setting, which is off by default. We combined this with socioeconomic and geospatial covariates from 2018 to 2019 to quantify seasonal changes in domestic and international mobility patterns across years. We undertook a spatiotemporal analysis within a Bayesian framework to identify relevant geospatial and socioeconomic covariates important to predicting human movement patterns, while accounting for spatial and temporal autocorrelations. Results: Mobility patterns in Kenya mostly consisted of shorter, within-county trips, followed by longer domestic travel between counties and international travel, respectively, across both years. Mobility peaked in August and December, closely corresponding to school holiday seasons, which was found to be an important predictor in our model. We further found that socioeconomic variables including urbanicity, poverty, and female education strongly predicted mobility patterns, in addition to geospatial covariates such as accessibility to major population centres and temperature. Conclusions: These findings derived from novel data sources elucidate broad spatiotemporal patterns of how populations move within and beyond Kenya, and can be easily generalized to other LMIC settings before the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding such pre-pandemic mobility patterns provides a crucial baseline to interpret both how these patterns have changed as a result of the pandemic, as well as whether human mobility patterns have been permanently altered once the pandemic subsides. Our findings outline key correlates and predictors of mobility using broadly available covariates, alleviating the data bottlenecks of highly sensitive and proprietary mobile phone datasets, which many researchers do not have access to. These results further provide novel insight on monitoring mobility proxies in the context of disease surveillance and control efforts through LMIC settings.
Using Intervention Mapping to Develop ‘ROSE’: An Intervention to Support Peer Workers in Overdose Response Settings
Authors: Mamdani Zahra , McKenzie Sophie , Cameron Fred , Knott Mike , Conway-Brown Jennifer , Scott Tracy , Buxton Jane A. , Pauly Bernie
Published: April 2021

Background: Peer workers (those with lived/living experience of substance use working in overdose response settings) are at the forefront of overdose response initiatives in British Columbia (BC). Working in these settings can be stressful, with lasting social, mental and emotional impacts. Peer workers have also been disproportionately burdened by the current dual public health crises characterized by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and rise in illicit drug overdose deaths. It is therefore critical to develop supports tailored specifically to their realities.Methods: We used the steps outlined in the Intervention Mapping (IM) framework to identify needs of peer workers and design an intervention model to support peer workers in overdose response settings. Eight peer-led focus groups were conducted at the pilot sites and other community settings to identify peer workers’ needs and transcripts were analyzed using interpretive description. The strategies within the intervention model were informed by the organizational development theory as well as by the lived/living experience of peer workers. Results: The support needs identified by peer workers were categorized into three key themes and these formed the basis of an intervention model titled ‘ROSE’; R stands for Recognition of Peer Work, O for Organizational Support, S for Skill Development and E for Everyone. The ROSE model aims to facilitate culture change within organizations, leading towards a more equitable and just workplace for peer workers. This, in turn, has the potential for positive socio-ecological impact. Conclusions: Centering lived/living experience in the Intervention Mapping process led us to develop a framework for supporting peer workers in BC. The ROSE model can be used as a baseline for other organizations employing peer workers.
CircACAP2 promotes cell proliferation and migration in lung adenocarcinoma via LASP1-mediated TGF‐β/Smad3 pathway
Authors: Xu Jianyu , Ma Jianli , Guan Bixi , Li Jian , Wang Yan , Hu Songliu
Published: April 2021

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), a common malignant tumor, has led to a great number of deaths around the world. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been certified as essential players in the progression of diverse cancers. CircRNA ACAP2 (hsa_circ_0068568) is an oncogene in several cancers. However, the role of circACAP2 in LUAD remains unknown. This study revealed that the expression of circACAP2 was significantly elevated in LUAD tissues and cell lines, especially in the tissues of LUAD patients at advanced stage. Additionally, circACAP2 enhanced cell proliferation, migration, invasion abilities and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in LUAD. Moreover, miR-342-3p interacted with circACAP2 in LUAD cells. Importantly, we found that miR-342-3p targeted LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP1), and circACAP2 positively regulated LASP1 expression by competing for miR-342-3p in LUAD. Further, it was confirmed that circACAP2 promoted the malignant behaviors and stimulated the activation of TGF-β/Smad3 pathway in LUAD by modulating the miR-342-3p/LASP1 axis. To conclude, the molecular regulatory mechanism of circACAP2 in LUAD was under discussion in the current study. The findings revealed that circACAP2 facilitated malignant phenotypes in LUAD via the activation of the TGF‐β/Smad3 pathway.
Natural Astaxanthin From Haematococcus Pluvialis Enhanced Antioxidant Capacity And Improved Semen Quality In Aging Layer Breeder Roosters Through The Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase/Nuclear Factor-Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (MAPK/Nrf2) Pathway
Authors: Gao Shan , Heng Nuo , Liu Fang , Guo Yong , Chen Yu , Wang Liang , Ni Hemin , Sheng Xihui , Wang Xiangguo , Xing Kai , Xiao Longfei , Qi Xiaolong
Published: April 2021

Background: Natural astaxanthin (ASTA) has strong antioxidant properties and has been widely used as a health product to improve human health. However, the effects of ASTA on the reproductive performance of aging roosters have been poorly studied. We aimed to investigate the effects of dietary ASTA on semen quality and antioxidant capacity in aging roosters and to explore the potential mechanism of semen quality change via anti-oxidation defense system.Methods: In the present study, 96 53-week-old Jinghong No. 1 layer breeder roosters were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet containing ASTA at 0, 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg for 6 week. Results: Semen quality in the ASTA groups remarkably improved as compared to those in the control group and antioxidant activities, the abilities to scavenge hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions increased gradually with ASTA addition (P < 0.05). In addition, the mRNA levels of antioxidant enzymes, the mRNA and protein levels of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) were markedly increased in the 50-100 mg/kg ASTA group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Collectively, these results demonstrate that dietary ASTA may improve semen quality by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities, and the ability to scavenge hydroxyl radicals, which may be related to up-regulation of the MAPK/Nrf2 pathway.
Spatial Assessment of 2014-flood Disaster and Extent of Associated Damages in Lower Chenab Basin, Upper Indus Plain, Pakistan
Authors: Mahmood Shakeel , Rani Razia
Published: April 2021

This study is an effort of spatial assessment of 2014-flood and associated damages in Upper Indus Plain (UIP). Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) approach in integration to geo-spatial techniques is implemented to assess the nature and damages as well as community perception in reducing floods. In this regard, a semi-structured questionnaire was designed for micro-level detail investigation. A total of 422 households were surveyed in 22 flood affected villages in eight districts forms the lower Chenab Basin using random sampling techniques. Secondary data regarding river discharge is collected from Regional Meteorological Centre, Lahore. Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) having 30m spatial resolution and Landsat satellite image of September 2014 with same resoluation is acquired from open source geo-database of United States Geological Survey (USGS). Landsat satellite image is processes to extract the spatial extent of inundation. Watershed modelling approach is utilized to demarcate Chenab River Basin in GIS environment. Buffer analysis and Inverse Desistance Weighted (IDW) technique of spatial interpolation are used to geo-visualize the spatial extent and depth of flood based on community perception. Analysis reveals that flood is one of the recurring phenomena in Chenab Basin. The upper catchment areas of Chenab Basin are dominated by flash floods and low-lying areas are prone to riverine floods. The 2014-flood has caused estimated economic damage of 1409.295 million Pakistani Rupees (mPKR). Housing sector suffered the major losses of more than 1000mPKR followed by agricultural sector. Based on spatial extent, vertical profile and damages the study region is categorised into upper and lower zones. The lower zone is most affected in terms of extent, depth and damages. This study can assist the decision makers and disaster managers in designing location specific flood risk reduction.
Semantic Segmentation With Labeling Uncertainty and Class Imbalance
Authors: Bressan Patrik Olã , Junior José Marcato , Martins José Augusto Correa , Melo Maximilian Jaderson , Gonçalves Diogo Nunes , Freitas Daniel Matte , Ramos Ana Paula Marques , Osco Lucas Prado , Silva Jonathan Andrade , Luo Zhipeng , Li Jonathan , Garcia Raymundo Cordero , Gonçalves Wesley Nunes
Published: April 2021

Recently, methods based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) achieved impressive success in semantic segmentation tasks. However, challenges such as the class imbalance and the uncertainty in the pixel-labeling process are not completely addressed. As such, we present a new approach that calculates a weight for each pixel considering its class and uncertainty during the labeling process. The pixel-wise weights are used during training to increase or decrease the importance of the pixels. Experimental results using different datasets like aerial, terrestrial, and ultrasound images show that the proposed approach leads to significant improvements in three challenging segmentation tasks in comparison to baseline methods. It was also proved to be more invariant to noise. The approach presented here may be used within a wide range of semantic segmentation methods to improve their robustness.
Green Globular Body (GGB) Induction and Differentiation in the Medicinal fern Drynaria Roosii
Authors: Wang Di , Li Yang , Li Dong , Shi Lei
Published: April 2021

Background: The green globular body (GGB) of ferns is a special propagule induced in plant in vitro culture systems. Owing to its high proliferation efficiency, GGB is widely used in the in vitro propagation of important ornamental and medicinal ferns. In addition, propagation using GGB shows great development prospects in the conservation of rare or endangered ferns and the breeding of new fern varieties. However, due to the lack of systematic studies on GGB ontogenesis, the morphogenetic aspects of GGB during induction and differentiation remain unclear.Results: We characterized the response of five types of explants of Drynaria roosii to GGB inductive medium and further investigate morphological and anatomical changes of explants that developed GGBs. We found that the rhizome explants directly produced GGBs through cell proliferation of the shoot apical meristem and lateral meristem. The leaf and petiole explants produced GGBs indirectly through the proliferation of meristematic cells of somatic embryos derived from the epidermal cells of the explants. The root and gametophyte explants failed to produce GGB under our induction conditions. We further investigated the differentiation process of GGB. During GGB differentiation, shoot primordia and leaf primordia differentiate from meristematic cells on the epidermis, and the root primordia develop from an inner meristematic tissue with developing vascular tissue connecting all these primordia, which indicates the involvement of multiple organogenesis processes.Conclusions: Our results suggested that preexisting or reestablished meristematic cells were the direct source of GGB in D. roosii. Somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis were involved in GGB induction and differentiation, respectively. The comparison with other common propagules revealed that GGB in D. roosii was largely different from somatic embryos, callus, and protocorm or protocorm-like bodies.
Online Learning as Teaching - Learning Pedagogy in B.ED. Colleges
Authors: Farooqui Yusra , Shah Darshana , Saboowala Rabiya
Published: April 2021

In the 21st century, the attainment of knowledge and education goes far beyond the boundaries of educational institutions. Learning takes place in many diversified forms, be it in form of location or time or course content. This makes it easy to facilitate learning across the globe with ease so that the learners can pursue what they wish to. Among these various diversified and facilitated forms of learning, the most adopted and acceptable way of promoting academics in reputed educational setup undoubtedly is online learning. The concept of online learning has been implemented in all educational sectors throughout the globe due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. The present action research aimed at examining the attitudes of second year Prospective teachers who are working as well as those who are not working towards online learning during the prevailing pandemic in Mumbai. A questionnaire with 5-point Likert scale was adopted for data collection from a sample of 54 prospective teachers. Findings of the study reveal the working prospective teachers have a higher attitude towards adopting online learning as teaching-learning pedagogy for B.Ed. teachers as compared to non-working Prospective teachers. Also, working Prospective teachers had a higher attitude towards Computer/Internet self-efficacy, Self-directed learning and Online communication self-efficacy dimension of online learning when compared with non-working Prospective teachers. Not-Working B.Ed. Teachers had a higher attitude towards the Learner Control dimension of online learning, whereas both working and non-working Prospective teachers had a similar attitude towards Motivation for learning (in an online context) dimension of online learning. Policy makers should include online learning topics in the B.Ed. curriculum not just theoretically but also practically in order to help learners develop a positive attitude towards adoption of online learning not just for learning but also for teaching. Also, the government and educational institutes need to organize workshops and seminars for teachers and student-teachers in order to equip them with knowledge and application of computers in the academic process which is the need of the hour during the prevailing pandemic.
Population suppression of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae by gene drive technology: A large-cage indoor study bridging the gap between laboratory and field testing
Authors: Hammond Andrew , Pollegioni Paola , Persampieri Tania , North Ace , Minuz Roxana , Trusso Alessandro , Bucci Alessandro , Kyrou Kyros , Morianou Ioanna , Simoni Alekos , Nolan Tony , Müller Ruth , Crisanti Andrea
Published: April 2021

CRISPR-based gene drives are self-sustaining genetic elements that have been recently generated in the laboratory with the aim to develop potent genetic vector control measures targeting disease vectors including Anopheles gambiae. We have shown that a gene drive directed against the gene doublesex (dsx) effectively suppressed the reproductive capability of mosquito populations reared in small laboratory cages. These experiments, though informative, do not recapitulate the complexity of mosquito behaviour in natural environments. Additional information is needed to bridge the gap between laboratory and the field to validate the vector control potential of the technology.
We have investigated the suppressing activity of dsx gene drive strain Ag(QFS)1 on age-structured populations of Anopheles gambiae in large indoor cages that provide a more challenging ecology by more closely mimicking natural conditions and stimulating complex mosquito behaviours. Under these conditions, the Ag(QFS)1 drive spreads rapidly from a single release to the indoor large-cage populations at low initial frequency, leading to full population suppression within one year and without inducing resistance to the gene drive.
Initial stochastic simulations of the expected population dynamics, as based on life history parameters estimated in small cages, did not fully capture the observed dynamics in the large cages. Thus, we used the method of approximate Bayesian computation to better estimate population dynamics in the more realistic ecological setting in large cages, allowing the mosquitoes to show a complex feeding and reproductive behaviour.
Together, these results establish a new paradigm for generating data to bridge laboratory and field studies, and form an essential component in the stepwise and sound development of gene drive based vector control tools.
Association of Early Pubertal Onset in Female Rats with Inhalation of Lavender Oil
Authors: Kim Yoo-Mi , Lim Han H.
Published: April 2021

Background
Central precocious puberty is caused by early activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis but its major cause remains unclear. Studies have indicated an association between chronic environmental exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and pubertal onset.
Methods
To evaluate this association, we compared the hormone levels and timing of vaginal opening in female rats exposed to lavender oil (LO) through different routes [study groups: control, LO nasal spray (LS), and indoor exposure to LO (LE)] during the prepubertal period. The body weights of the animals were also compared every 3 days until the day of vaginal opening, at which time gonadotropin levels and internal organ weights were assessed.
Results
The LS group showed early vaginal opening at 33.8 ± 1.8 days compared with the control (38.4 ± 2.9 days) and LE (36.6 ± 1.5 days) groups. Additionally, luteinizing hormone levels were significantly higher in the LE and LS groups than in the control group. Body weights did not differ significantly among the groups.
Conclusions
Exposure to an exogenic simulant via inhalation during the prepubertal period triggered early puberty onset in female rats. Further evaluation of exposure to other endocrine-disrupting chemicals capable of inducing central precocious puberty through the skin, orally, and/or nasally is warranted.