bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-term outcomes of CO2 laser cauterization for 238 children congenital pyriform sinus fistula
Authors: Long Ting , Liu Yuwei , Tai Jun , Zhang Jie , Li Yanzhen , Zhang Xuexi , Liu Zhiyong , Liu Qiaoyin , Sun Nian , Ge Wentong , Liu Yuanhu , Guo Yongli , Wang Shengcai , Ni Xin
Published: July 2022

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of single CO2 laser cauterization management for children CPSF, we collected patients underwent CO2 laser cauterization for internal fistula and accessed the long-term outcomes.Methods: Retrospective and single-center study was conducted. Microlaryngoscopy management of CO2 laser cauterization was implemented to children with CPSF to the end point as internal fistula completely closed through one or several procedures. After the standard therapeutic strategy, all patients received return visits at regular interval. Here we tested and summarized the predicting factors for effect modification and the medium and long-term outcomes. Results: We totally enrolled 238 patients cured by once or several operations of CO2 laser cauterization, with 149 (62.6%) needed one operation. The median follow-up time was 3.45 ± 1.37 years (ranging from 1.04 to 6.38 years). There were only 3 (1.26%) patients got relapse of neck infection. Throughout, none patients suffered permanent complications. We also found that the age at the first operation of CO2 laser cauterization was proved to be an independent risk factor associated with the operation frequency, in contrast to the previous therapeutic measures such as open neck surgery or incision and drainage. Conclusions: Our study found that the therapeutic strategy of CO2 laser cauterization for children CPSF showed low recurrence rate and few complications. Additionally, it suggested that the CO2 laser cauterization could be implemented to children once diagnosis confirmed without age limit. These confirm that the single CO2 laser cauterization can be a preferred first-line treatment option for children CPSF.Level of Evidence: Ⅲ
A Study on Microbe-Metal interaction: Aluminium Alloy (6061) and Bacillus sp in simulated Marine environment
Authors: Ghosal Joydeep , M Lavanya , S Divyashree M
Published: July 2022

The metals affect the growth of microorganisms and their activity. Microbes use different mechanisms to interact with metal and metalloids present in the environment. Few trace elements are required for their metabolism and absorb these metal ions present in natural and synthetic environment. Some of the metal play important role in physiological functions of organism but if it is in excess may cause toxic. But few metal doesn’t have any significant role in organism’s metabolism, but still microbes interact with them. Electrochemical and chemical interactions cause the gradual decaying of metals’ exteriors and interiors. Metal degrades with the action of microorganisms. Microbial corrosion is a special type of metal corrosion in which microbes act on such metals where it does not have any intrinsic function. In present article interaction of Aluminioum Alloy (AA) 6061 with Bacillus sp in 3.5% NaCl (W/V) solution has been reported. The interaction study was performed under static and dynamic conditions for 4 weeks and 2 weeks respectively. Weight loss of the metal coupons was performed regularly. Microbial load in both conditions were checked by doing viability cell count to ensure metal toxicity. Scanning Electron Microscope observation was done for biofilm formation on metal coupons.
Essential and non-essential elements in lettuce produced on a rooftop urban garden in São Paulo metropolitan region (Brazil) and assessment of human health risks
Authors: Sussa Fábio Vitório , Furlan Marcos Roberto , Victorino Marcos , Figueira Rubens Cesar Lopes , Silva Paulo Sergio Cardoso
Published: July 2022

Urban agriculture is considered an important solution to food security. Rooftops are a new addition to possible places to grow vegetables due to urban land being limited and expensive. However, urban agriculture can be a risk in the case that vegetables are contaminated with heavy metals via atmospheric deposition because of traffic emissions. Among the vegetables, lettuce stands out as one of the most popular in Brazilian food and it is a very important vegetable for the human diet, but its consumption is the most common route for human exposure to toxic metals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the essential and non-essential elements in lettuce cultivated on a rooftop urban garden developed by Agronomy College within the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. In addition, to assess the human health risks associated with the potentially toxic metals based on the estimated daily intake (EDI) and the target hazard quotient (THQ), and to access the possible sources of heavy metal contamination by multivariate statistical. Instrumental neutron activation analysis, graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer, and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry were applied to determine the elemental concentration in lettuce leaves. This study demonstrated that lettuces grown on a rooftop are sources of essential macronutrients such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium and have lower concentrations of trace elements. The Cd, Cu, and Pb concentrations did not exceed the Brazilian legislation limit. The Ba, Co, Cr, Ni, and Pb presented low levels compared to oral reference dose (RfD). The results of the cluster analysis showed that Ni, Cr, Co, and Pb may be associated to vehicles emissions. Both EDI and THQ values suggested minimal risk upon consumption of lettuce.
Tailoring and optimizing fatty acid production by oleaginous yeasts through the systematic exploration of their physiological fitness
Authors: Duman-Özdamar Zeynep Efsun , Santos Vitor A.P. Martins dos , Hugenholtz Jeroen , Suarez-Diez Maria
Published: July 2022

Background: The use of palm oil for our current needs is unsustainable. Replacing palm oil with oils produced by microbes through the conversion of sustainable feedstocks is a promising alternative. However, there are major technical challenges that must be overcome to enable this transition. Foremost among these challenges is the stark increase in lipid accumulation and production of higher content of specific fatty acids. Therefore, there is a need for more in-depth knowledge and systematic exploration of the oil productivity of the oleaginous yeasts. In this study, we cultivated Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus and Yarrowia lipolytica at various C/N ratios and temperatures in a defined medium with glycerol as carbon source and urea as nitrogen source. We ascertained the synergistic effect between various C/N ratios of a defined medium at different temperatures with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and explored the variation in fatty acid composition through Principal Component Analysis.Results: By applying RSM, we determined a temperature of 30 °C and a C/N ratio of 175 g/g to enable maximal oil production by C. oleaginosus and a temperature of 21 °C and a C/N ratio of 140 g/g for Y. lipolytica. We increased production by 71 % and 66 % respectively for each yeast compared to the average lipid accumulation in all tested conditions. Modulating temperature enabled us to steer the fatty acid compositions. Accordingly, switching from higher temperature to lower cultivation temperature shifted the production of oils from more saturated to unsaturated by 14 % in C. oleaginosus and 31 % in Y. lipolytica. Higher cultivation temperatures resulted in production of even longer saturated fatty acids, 3 % in C. oleaginosus and 1.5 % in Y. lipolytica.Conclusions: In this study, we provided the optimum C/N ratio and temperature for C. oleaginosus and Y. lipolytica by RSM. Additionally, we demonstrated that lipid accumulation of both oleaginous yeasts was significantly affected by the C/N ratio and temperature. Furthermore, we systematically analyzed the variation in fatty acids composition and proved that changing the C/N ratio and temperature steer the composition. We have further established these oleaginous yeasts as platforms for production of tailored fatty acids.
Impact of high-risk of obstructive sleep apnea on chronic cough: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Kim Tae Hoon , Heo I Re , Kim Ho Cheol
Published: July 2022

Background: Chronic cough is an extremely common clinical symptom of various diseases. However, the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic cough in the general population has not been sufficiently studied.Methods: Using the 2019 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data, we identified a group at high-risk of OSA via the STOP-Bang questionnaire and determined the association between OSA and chronic cough by a regression model.Results: Of the eligible 4,217 participants, 97.1% and 2.9% were classified into the non-chronic cough and chronic cough groups, respectively. The chronic cough group had higher STOP-Bang scores than those of the group without chronic cough (2.32 ± 1.38 vs. 2.80 ± 1.39; P<0.001). In the group at high-risk of OSA, 40.4% and 52.0% of participants scored ≥ 3 in STOP-Bang, depending on the absence or presence of chronic cough (P=0.012), respectively. Chronic cough independently correlated with impaired lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second ≥50–<80% predicted value, P=0.001; <50, P<0.001), low household income (P=0.015), and a group at high-risk of OSA (STOP-Bang score 3–4, P=0.004; 5–8, P<0.001). Obesity I had a protective role against the occurrence of chronic cough (P=0.023).Conclusion: A high-risk for OSA is a significant risk factor for chronic cough. OSA should be considered when evaluating chronic cough patients.
Meta-relationship for Course Recommendation in MOOCs
Authors: Hao Pengyi , Li Yali , Bai Cong
Published: July 2022

Course recommendations are used to help students with different needs to choose courses. However, students’ needs are not always determined by their personal interests, they are also influenced by different curriculum settings, different teacher teams and other factors. Current course recommendation methods lack the consideration of complex relational semantic information that affects students’ needs, resulting in unsatisfied recommendation. To address this issue, we propose Meta-Relationship Course Recommendation (MRCRec) to enrich the expression of relational information. Focusing on complex semantic information of multi-entity relationship and entity association, we construct creatively the multi-entity relational self-symmetric meta-path (MSMP) and associative relational self-symmetric meta-graph (ASMG), which are referred as meta-relationship (MR). We also design an algorithm of meta-relationship correlation measure (MRCor) to obtain semantic correlational information. Then we adopt the graph embedding to mine and fuse the latent representations of users and that of courses as user preference and course characteristic respectively. Finally, we optimize matrix factorization to complete recommended task. Comprehensive experiments are conducted on the MOOCCube dataset and the results show that MRCRec can effectively recommend courses for users.
Mathematical modeling and projection of Vitamin D levels before and during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study including 86.772 samples
Authors: Arayici Mehmet Emin , Korkut-Uysal Sila Ovgu , Leblebici Asim , Akcali Zeynep , Edizer Deniz Tuna , Kabul Seher , Cimrin Dilek , Ellidokuz Ender Berat
Published: July 2022

Objective
Vitamin D (Vit-D) defined as a steroid hormone produced in the body by exposure of the human skin to UV (ultraviolet) B rays and has important roles in calcium and phosphorus metabolism as well as bone mineralization. In this study, it was aimed to examine Vit-D deficiency not only biologically but also mathematically and produce a mathematical model to determine the level of Vit-D as long as the COVID-19 measures continue.
Methods
In this study included 86.772 patients samples. Vit-D levels has a wave-curved form with stochasticity in essence. A mathematical modeling has been made for such a curve and this model has been defined. For describing the model MATLAB Curve fitting Toolbox has been used. SSE has been optimized by the Trust-Region algorithm where all the other parameters are selected as default.
Results
There is no significant difference between sexs according to Vit-D levels (p > .05). It was determined that Vit-D levels were significantly higher in the summer months and lower in the winter months (p < .001). When comparing the spring months, Vit-D levels in 2020 were found to be significantly lower than in 2019 (p < .001); on the contrary, when examined on the basis of summer, autumn, and winter months, it was determined that Vit-D levels increased in 2020 compared to 2019 (p < .001).
Conclusion
Restrictions, partial or complete closures, and curfews can significantly affect individuals' Vit-D levels during the COVID-19 outbreak. There is a need for multicenter studies with larger populations covering different regions to strengthen and support our results.
Triazine Dendrimers: An Excellent Drug Carrier for Improving the Solubility of Glyburide an Antidiabetic Agent
Authors: Malek MOHAMMED ABRAR H , Patel Pravinkumar M.
Published: July 2022

The intent of this work was to synthesized, develop and characterize a novel dendrimer and drug-dendrimer solutions to resolve poorly aqueous solubility of glyburide which is an antidiabetic BSC class-II drug’s problem. Drug- dendrimer complex formation is one of the widely reported method for solubility enhancement of the drug which can increase the efficiency of the drug. A number of glyburide drug solutions were formulated with different quantities of G1, G2 and G3 dendrimers via Higuchi and Connors method. The effects of pH, dendrimer concentration and generation of dendrimers (G1-G3) on the aqueous solubility of drug was investigated and characterized by FT-IR, NMR ( 1 H and 13 C). The experimental outcomes recommended that solubility of glyburide was significantly enhanced with the increasing concentration of dendrimers as well as the generations of dendrimers.
Single-center retrospective clinical evaluation of venetoclax combined with HMAs and half-dose CAG in the treatment of unfit or refractory/relapsed AML
Authors: Chen Xiaotong , Zhao Yanqiu , Li Qi , fan shengjin
Published: July 2022

Purpose The prognosis of unfit or relapsed/refractory (R/R) AML patients remains poor. Venetoclax has been proved to have anti-leukemia stem cell activity. However, there is little published information on the efficacy and safety of VEN combined with both demethylated drugs and half-dose chemotherapy in the treatment of unfit or R/R AML patients.Methods In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, treatment details, safety profile and clinical outcomes of unfit or R/R AML patients who were treated with VEN+ HMAs+ half-dose CAG.Results A total of 21 AML patients were involved in the study, 11 patients (52.4%) were in the unfit group, while 10 patients (47.6%) were in R/R group. FLT3 (6/21, 28.6%) was the most common gene aberration. Patients in the R/R group were found more likely to carry KIT (5/ 10, 50%) when compared to the unfit group (0/11, 0%) (P = 0.012). The median duration of CR+ CRi was 11.5 months (95% CI 8.9 to 14.1). Twelve patients achieved CR (57.1%), two CRi (9.5%), and three PR (14.3%), for an ORR 80.9% (17/21) and cCR 66.7% (14/21). CR was observed in 100% (5/5) AML patients with TP53, 80% (4/5) AML patients with IDH, 75% (3/4) AML patients with NPM1, 50% (3/6) AML patients with FLT3, 40% (2/5) AML patients with KIT, 40% (2/5) AML patients with DNMT3A, and 20% (1/5) AML patients with RUNX1. The most common AEs during VEN+ HMAs+ half-dose CAG therapy were persistent cytopenia, infection and gastrointestinal symptoms (decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea).Conclusion The results of this investigation show that VEN+ HMAs+ half-dose CAG demonstrated promising efficacy (even high-risk cytogenetics) and a tolerable safety profile in unfit or R/R AML patients.
Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) by Pterolobium hexapetalum (Roth) Santapau & Wagh Aqueous Leaf Extract and Its Assessment of Biocompatible, Antibacterial, DPPH Radical Scavenging, Anticancer and Larvicidal Activities: An Effective Eco-Friendly Approach
Authors: Loganathan Settu , Manimaran Kumar , Mutamimurugan Karuvelan , Prakash Dhakshinamoorthy Gnana , Subashini Rajakannu
Published: July 2022

Pterolobium hexapetalum aqueous leaf extract (P. hexapetalum-ALE) was utilized as a reducing agent to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and it’s forms of white precipitate. The synthesized P. hexapetalum - ZnO-NPs (Ph-ZnO-NPs) were characterized by UV-Vis, XRD, IR, EDAX, and HR-TEM with SAED pattern. UV-visible spectra results showed an absorbance peak at 280 and 370nm for Ph-ALE and synthesized Ph-ZnO-NPs. The HR-TEM result shows a spherical in shape with a size of 10-93 nm by Ph-ZnO-NPs. X-ray powder diffraction (P-XRD) spectra confirmed the crystalline nature of the synthesized ZnO-NPs. Hemolytic activity of the synthesized ZnO-NPs was carried out against Human RBCs and it’s found to be 0.6% at 100 µg/mL. The synthesized Ph-ZnO-NPs appeared excellent antibacterial and antioxidant activity against P. aeruginosa (17.8mm) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50:118.14µg/mL). Ph-ZnO-NPs exposed superior anticancer activity against breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) with an IC50 value of 22.91 µg/mL. Additionally, the synthesized Ph-ZnO-NPs exhibited an excellent larvicidal activity with LC50 & LC90 values of 4.178 and 16.157 mg/mL on Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae at 24h inspection. Thus, plant-based synthesized Ph-ZnO-NPs exhibit significant biological activities, and hence it can be considered a potential source for the development of innovative drugs.
Desire and motivation for parenthood during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparison of cis-gender minoritized sexual identities with cis-heterosexual individuals living in Germany
Authors: Batz Falk , Lermer Eva , Lech Sonia , O'Malley Grace , zehni Alaleh Zati , Zenz-Spitzweg Davina , Mahner Sven , Behr Joachim , Thaler Christian J. , Buspavanich Pichit
Published: July 2022

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe and is associated with significant clinical and humanitarian burden. Indeed, the SARS-COV 2 virus has impacted on society asymmetrically: Marginalized social minority groups, such as individuals who do not exclusively sexually identify as heterosexual, represent a vulnerable population in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. While higher rates of anxiety and depression have been reported in individuals with minoritized sexual identities (compared to heterosexual individuals) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the specific impact of the pandemic and its social restriction measures on this population is poorly understood.Methods: From April to July 2020, we conducted an anonymous cross-sectional survey online among N = 2463 adults living in Germany. We screened for depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-4; PHQ-4) and assessed individuals’ desire for parenthood during the pandemic, and motives for or against the desire for parenthood (Leipzig questionnaire on motives for having a child, Version 20; LKM-20), with the aim of identifying differences between individuals with minoritized sexual identities and heterosexual individuals. Results: Compared to heterosexual individuals (n = 1304), individuals with minoritized sexual identities (n = 831) indicated higher levels of depressive symptoms. In our study sample the majority of all participants’ (81.9%) reported no change in the desire for parenthood since the COVID-19 pandemic. The ranking of the motives for parenthood did not change since the pandemic in heterosexuals and individuals with minoritized sexual identities. Nevertheless, both subgroups scored lower in all motives compared to the time before the pandemic. Conclusions: The findings underline the unmet need for social, psychological and medical support in regard to family planning and the desire for parenthood during the pandemic. Furthermore, future research should explore COVID-19-related psychological consequences on individuals’ desire for parenthood and building a family.
Immunodominance of epitopes and protection efficacy of RBD antigen are differentially altered by different adjuvants and immune pathways
Authors: Li Sisi , Duan Lianli , Zhang Xiaoli , yang Rui , Chen Longlong , Chen Zhifu , Gou Qiang , Bao Wenxin , Yuan Yue , Jing Haiming , zhang Yi , Cheng Ping , Luo Ping , Zou Quanming , Wang Wanneng , Zhao Zhuo
Published: July 2022

Purpose
Previous studies have revealed that the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein is immunogenic in both mice and healthy volunteers, and the humoral immune response plays key roles in RBD-mediated protection. In this study, we evaluated the immunodominant humoral response of RBD with different adjuvants and different immune routes in inducing neutralizing antibodies and immunodominant epitopes in RBD.
Methods
In this study, we investigated the protective efficacy of immunization with RBD plus three different adjuvants (Al(OH)3, ASO3 or AddaVax) and two different routes (intramuscular immunity or intranasal immunity) in a mouse model.
Results
The results showed that RBD-mediated protection was altered in response to different adjuvants; even with the same adjuvant, RBD-mediated protection was altered in different immune routes. Using antisera from immunized mice, we identified six B-cell immunodominant epitopes in the RBD, including 2 novel epitopes (RBD1 − 18 and RBD49 − 66) in intramuscular immunity and 3 novel epitopes (RBD31 − 48, RBD61 − 78, RBD97 − 114) in intranasal immunity. The B-cell immunodominant epitopes identified from mice immunized with RBD plus different adjuvants were also different from each other, which may explain the differences in protective immunity observed in each immunized group.
Conclusions
This study indicate that adjuvants and immune pathways largely affect the immunodominance of epitopes and the protective efficacy of RBD, which may guide further adjuvant screening for vaccine development and optimization.
Antiviral activity of canine interferon lambda 3 expressed using a recombinant adenovirus against canine coronavirus, canine parvovirus, and canine distemper virus
Authors: Kim Dong-Hwi , Han Sang-Hoon , Go Hyeon-Jeong , Kim Da-Yoon , Kim Jae-Hyeong , Lee Joong-Bok , Park Seung-Yong , Song Chang-Seon , Lee Sang-Won , Choi In-Soo
Published: July 2022

Canine coronavirus (CCoV), canine parvovirus (CPV), and canine distemper virus (CDV) are highly contagious canine pathogens; dogs with these diseases are difficult to treat. In a previous study, we developed a recombinant adenovirus expressing canine interferon lambda 3 (Ad-caIFNλ3) in canine epithelial cells. This study aimed at investigating the antiviral activity of Ad-caIFNλ3 against CCoV, CPV, and CDV in two canine cell lines, A72 and MDCK. Ad-caIFNλ3 transduction suppressed replication of these viruses without cytotoxicity. These results suggested that Ad-caIFNλ3 may be a therapeutic candidate for canine viral diseases.
Impact of marital status at diagnosis on overall survival in patients with anal canal squamous cell carcinoma: a propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Yang Ting , Xiao Hongqi , Sun Fei , Guo Xinggang
Published: July 2022

Purpose
Marital status has been shown to be an important psychosocial factor that plays an important role in the prognosis of various cancers. The effect of marital status on survival outcomes in anal canal squamous cell carcinoma has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of marital status on overall survival in anal canal squamous cell carcinoma.
Methods
According to the established screening criteria, we obtained 2441 patients with anal canal squamous cell carcinoma from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to analyze the overall survival of anal canal squamous cell carcinoma patients with different marital status. 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match 888 unmarried patients with 888 married patients to further demonstrate the effect of marital status on overall survival in patients with anal canal squamous cell carcinoma.
Results
The 5-year overall survival rates of married, separated/divorced, single and widowed patients with anal canal squamous cell carcinoma were 75.6%, 69.4%, 62.1%and 51.5%, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that being married was a protective factor for overall survival among anal canal squamous cell carcinoma patients (Divorced/Separated: HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.06–1.54; P = 0.012; Single: HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.10–1.55; P = 0.002; widowed: HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.48–2.23; P < 0.001). Furthermore, married patients were found to have better overall survival than unmarried patients both before and after propensity score matching.
Conclusion
This study found that married patients with anal canal squamous cell carcinoma had better survival outcomes, while widowed patients had the worst overall survival.
Monkeypox virus and the safety margins of plasma-derived medicinal products
Authors: Kindermann Johanna , Karbiener Michael , Kreil Thomas R.
Published: July 2022

The currently ongoing outbreak of Monkeypox virus in many non-endemic countries around the world has also raised concerns about the safety of plasma-derived medicinal products. Based on what is known about the poxvirus family, i.e., that members are exceedingly large and carry a lipid envelope, effective removal and inactivation by plasma product manufacturing processes is expected. For the widely used solvent-detergent treatments, however, poxviruses have been reported as potentially being a bit more resistant. The current investigation sought to verify poxvirus inactivation by Triton X-100-based solvent-detergent treatment. For vaccinia virus, a model closely resembling monkeypox virus, we measured fast inactivation to the assay detection limit, i.e., reduction of infectivity greater than 4 log10 within 10–20 min. As use of Triton X-100 will, based on environmental concern around its release, be restricted, a physicochemically virtually identical alternative, Nereid, was also tested, and found fully equivalent.
Experiments Exploring Mystery of Double Slit --- Utilizing Photon Chamber
Authors: peng hui
Published: July 2022

Young’s double slit experiments, which represent the mystery of quantum mechanics, have been described by the optic wave theory, the electromagnetic wave (EM wave) theory and pilot wave theory. Recently, the coexistence of the particle nature and the wave distribution of light in double slit experiments has been confirmed. In this article we utilize the photon chamber to detect the traces of the light beam in the double slit experiments, namely to visualize the particle nature of the light beam. The existence of the light tracks indicates the particle nature of the light beam in the wave experiments.Furthermore, the two sides of the chamber are covered by copper foil for shielding the EM wave. If the light were the EM waves, then the interference pattern would be disturbed. The experiments show that the light behave as particles moving through the photon chamber. The double slit photon chamber experiments challenge the optic wave theory, EM wave theory, but support the pilot wave theory at far field. The photon chamber is very inexpensive and may be used to study the nature of the light.
Modeling Infragravity Wave Runup and Spectral Properties
Authors: Montoya Luis , Lynett Patrick
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to establish a method to model infragravity (IG) waves and their runup using a nonlinear, phase-resolving Boussinesq-type numerical model (COULWAVE) and (2) to discuss possible sources of error/convergence issues when modeling IG runup. To establish a method of modeling IG waves, runup height predictions were first compared between COULWAVE and the Stockdon (2006) empirical equation and good agreement was found (R2 = 0.951). This study shows the importance of the spectral frequency resolution when studying IG runup. Numerically convergent runup distributions were found using a frequency resolution of 10-4 Hz; this is more than 100 times smaller than what is typically used in coastal phase-resolving models. To determine a statistically convergent infragravity (0-0.02Hz) spectrum, around 30 different phase realizations are needed with either a reef or planar beach configuration, for the wave heights and periods studied here. A methodology is presented on how to address numerical domain resonance and sponge layer performance.
Design of a 3.2 mW Differential Ring VCO with Wide Tuning-Range using Self Biased Active Inductor Topology in 180 nm CMOS process
Authors: Kumar Nitin , Kumar Manoj , SINGH VIKRAM
Published: July 2022

This paper reports a design of the most significant electronic circuit used in modern wireless and optical communications systems, known as voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). A variable delay stage is a core element of ring VCO and in this work, a new differential delay stage based on the inductive shunt peaking technique using active inductors (AI) is presented to increase the ring VCO’s frequency bandwidth. The presented four-stage ring VCO architecture with a new differential delay stage utilizes the dual delay path scheme to achieve high oscillation frequency, low power dissipation, and low phase noise. The proposed VCO circuit is designed and simulated in a 180 nm TSMC CMOS process and 1.8 V supply voltage (Vdd). The VCO generates an output frequency range from 2.876 GHz to 2.039 GHz (34.05%) for 0 V to 1 V variation in control voltage (Vc). The designed VCO circuit's power dissipation ranges from 3.289 mW to 2.888 mW, and its phase-noise at 1 MHz offset frequency is -108.9 dBc/Hz. The VCO exhibits figure of merit is -171.9 dBc/Hz and a layout area of 1148.67 µm2.
Students’ Perspective of Remote Synchronous Activities Developed in the Morphofunctional and Integrated Practices Laboratories During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors:   School of Medicine, University of Franca, Brazil, Barbosa Marcus V. J. , Duarte Sinésio G. ,   School of Medicine, University of Franca, Brazil, Barbosa Angélica Marchini de S. J. ,   School of Medicine, University of Franca, Brazil
Published: July 2022

The objective of this study was to evaluate students’ perception of online activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A self-administered online questionnaire was sent to first- to fourth-year medical students. A total of 398 medical students answered the questionnaire. About 90% of the students perceived the overview of the activities as positive (satisfactory/very satisfactory), while 88.66% considered their adaptation satisfactory. The same pattern was observed in the other items, except for the motivation for classes. Self-assessment and faculty members/lecturers’ performance along with the methodology adopted were also perceived positive (satisfactory/very satisfactory) by more than 70% and 75% of the students, respectively. In this study, synchronous distance learning classes were developed through Blackboard® using different pedagogical resources and a multiple-choice test was also applied at the end of every class. It was observed that most of the content was contemplated and validated with the online activities and audiovisual materials provided throughout the semester, and it was considered that the transition in the teaching-learning process required a joint effort by both faculties and students. Undergraduate students had a very positive perception regarding synchronous online activities developed in the morphofunctional and integrated practices laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Challenges, Effectiveness and Attitude Towards e-Learning Among Medical Undergraduates in a Private University in Malaysia
Authors:   Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Kedah, Malaysia, Kaur Gill Karismajeet , Siak Chieu Goh ,   Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Kedah, Malaysia, R.Sivabalan Suriaprakash ,   Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Kedah, Malaysia, Ting Wei Yew ,   Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Kedah, Malaysia, Sekharan Gunalan ,   Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Kedah, Malaysia, Bina Rai Saraswathi ,   Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, AIMST University, Kedah, Malaysia
Published: July 2022

With the onset of the pandemic and the concurrent orders to stay home, many students were forced onto e-learning. This resulted in numerous challenges. While some adapted easily, concerns about the effectiveness of e-learning remain. We carried out a study amongst medical students with the aim to identify the challenges they faced, their perceived effectiveness of e-learning as well as their attitude towards it. A cross-sectional study was conducted using Google Forms. The sample size was 260 based on 95% confidence interval, margin of error 5%, and response distribution 50% on 800 undergraduate medical students. Data was analysed descriptively for demography, challenges and attitudes. The effectiveness of e-learning was scored based on a 5-point Likert scale and analysed. Analysis was by SPSS IBM Statistical Package 25. Overall, mostly Chinese students and females perceived e-learning to be more effective. Challenges were not having a personal study space, a non-conducive environment, large-sized family, technical difficulties and other distractions at home. A major challenge was the technical issues faced by lecturers that often led to extension of class sessions. In terms of attitude, traditional face-to-face classes are still their preferred choice. They are more motivated to study and are more engaged in face-to-face classes. Medical students in this private university prefer traditional face-to-face learning even though most find e-learning just as effective. However, they do face many challenges in e-learning.
A Guide for Writing Single Best Answer Questions to Assess Higher-Order Thinking Skills Based on Learning Outcomes
Authors:   Department of Medical Education, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia, Abdul Rahim Ahmad Fuad , Simok Anna Alicia ,   Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia, Abdull Wahab Shaik Farid ,   Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, MALAYSIA
Published: July 2022

The single-best answer (SBA) question is popularly used in medical education assessment. Writing an SBA which assesses higher order thinking skills (HOTS) is daunting for newcomers as it requires familiarity with learning outcomes (LOs). This guide provides steps to create LOs for HOTS, introduces the SBA, its parts and how the parts relate to the LO. It then provides steps to convert the LO into an SBA. Examples from anatomy, emergency medicine and medical education are provided.
Turist Rehberleri Rollerinin Yerel Mutfak Kültürü Bağlamında İncelenmesi (Examining the Roles of Tour Guides in the context of Local Cuisine)
Authors: Şenel Pınar , Kalyoncu Merve , Demiral Gül Nur
Published: July 2022

Yerel mutfak kültürünün destinasyon pazarlamasına yönelik olumlu etkileri, destinasyonlara ilişkin bu kültür ögesinin ziyaretçilere aktarımının gerekliliğini ortaya koymaktadır. Tur sürecinde, destinasyon yerel mutfak kültürünün ziyaretçiler tarafından anlaşılması ve deneyimlenmesinde turist rehberleri önemli roller üstlenmektedir. Son 10 yılda ziyaretçi sayısının giderek arttığı bir tur destinasyonu hâline gelen Eskişehir de zengin bir yerel mutfak kültürüne sahiptir. Ancak Eskişehir turlarında yerel mutfak kültürünün rehberler tarafından turistlere nasıl aktarıldığı bilinmemektedir. Bu noktadan hareketle araştırmanın amacı, Eskişehir’e gerçekleştirilen turlarda turist rehberlerinin yerel mutfak kültürünün tanıtılması ve aktarılmasındaki rollerinin incelenmesidir. Nitel araştırma yönteminden yararlanılan araştırmada, veriler amaçlı örneklem tekniği ile sıklıkla Eskişehir turları gerçekleştiren 16 eylemli turist rehberinden toplanmıştır. Yapılandırılmış soru formu aracılığıyla toplanan araştırma verileri, içerik analizi yönteminden faydalanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak turist rehberlerinin; kültür elçiliği, enformasyon sağlama ve eğitici/öğretici olma ve yönetici/lider olma rollerini gerçekleştirme konusunda yetersiz oldukları tespit edilmiştir. Turist rehberlerinin arabuluculuk rollerinin ise turistlerin yerel mutfak kültürüne olan ilgisinin yüksek olması sebebiyle ön plana çıktığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
An Integrated Fuzzy TOPSIS and Best-Worst Methodology for a Sinkhole Selection as a Geotourism Destination
Authors: Çiçekdağı Münevver
Published: July 2022

Sinkholes are important formations for the tourism sector with their natural beauties and structures that scare people but make them want to see. The study aims to determine which of the sinkholes has the highest criteria for being a tourism destination, by weighting the criteria of being a tourism destination for the sinkholes according to their importance. In this way, it is aimed to contribute to directing the investments to be made through the sinkholes as a geotourism center to the right sinkhole. The criteria that a place should have to be a tourism destination have been ranked by the experts according to their importance with the Best-Worst Method (BWM). Thus, determine the weighting coefficients of the criteria. Then, expert opinions were taken for four different sinkholes and the FUZZY TOPSIS method, which facilitates decision making in blurred environments, was used. The most suitable sinkhole was chosen for the visitors.
The Effect of Service Employees Technology Readiness on Technology Acceptance
Authors: Bağıran Özşeker Demet , Kurgun Hülya , Kırant Yozcu Özen
Published: July 2022

The goal of the present paper is to identify the effects of service employees’ technology readiness on technology acceptance in TAV Airports Holding, Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport. In our study we combined the technology readiness index (TRI) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) into one model. Specifically, we measured the relation between TRIs personality trait dimensions – optimism, innovativeness, discomfort, and insecurity – and the cognitive dimensions of TAM. Also, the demographics of the employees were examined to determine the effect of demographics on the technology readiness and technology acceptance level. TRI (Parasuraman & Colby, 2015) and TAM (Davis, 1989) were adapted to measure employees’ propensity to embrace and use cutting-edge high technologies. The data were collected from 300 employees of a multisite tourism service provider. Analysis revealed that personality traits had the expected impact on user perceptions. The results of the study showed that personal optimism and innovativeness (motivators) positively influenced perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, but discomfort and insecurity (inhibitors) in a negative relationship with them. Surprisingly, while insecurity had no impact on perceived usefulness, discomfort had no impact on perceived ease of use.
Foreign Visitors Dining Experiences in Asian Restaurants Operating in Istanbul
Authors: Aktaş Polat Semra
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this study is to reveal the dimensions of dining experience by modeling the foreign visitors reviews for Asian restaurants operating in Istanbul, Turkey. In the study, the latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) algorithm, sentiment analysis, dimensional salience and valence analysis (DSVA), and lexicon salience and valence analysis (LSVA) were used as text mining methods to analyze 3,843 online English reviews for Asian restaurants on TripAdvisor. Five dimensions were found for the Asian restaurants experience: authenticity, staff, sushi, service, and view. According to the dimensional salience analysis, the authenticity forms the core of the Asian restaurants experience. As a result of the dimensional valence analysis, the staff has a highly positive valence and the service has a highly negative valence dimension. As a result of lexicon salience analysis based on the SVM estimation, the most salience term was food, while the least salience term was Bosphorus. Bosphorus, delicious, and amazing were determined as the terms with the highest positive valence by lexicon valence analysis, respectively. The results may also be of interest to various gastronomy stakeholders interested in the Asian restaurant experience from a customer perspective.
Güney Avrupa Ülkelerinin Seyahat ve Turizm (T T) Rekabet Edebilirlik Endeksi Üzerine Bir Çalışma (A Study on the Travel and Tourism (T T) Competitiveness Index of South European Countries)
Authors: Serçek Sadık , Yıldız Yıldız
Published: July 2022

2007 yılından itibaren iki yılda bir yayınlanan Seyahat ve Turizm Rekabet Edebilirlik Raporu’nun temelini oluşturan Seyahat ve Turizm Rekabet Edebilirlik Endeksi (TTCI), ülkelerin seyahat ve turizm (T&T) rekabet gücünü ölçmektedir. Bu doğrultuda çalışmanın amacı 2019 yılında yayınlanmış olan Seyahat ve Turizm Rekabet Edebilirlik Endeksi içerisinde yer almakta olan Güney Avrupa Ülkeleri’ne dair içerik analizini yapmaktır. Bu amaçla 2019 itibari ile raporda yer alan 8 Güney Avrupa Ülkesi araştırma kapsamına alınmış olup 2007-2019 dönemlerine ait veriler analiz edilmiş ve Seyahat ve Turizm Rekabet Edebilirlik faktörlerinin içerik analizinin sonucunda Avrupa ve Avrasya Bölgesi içerisinde Güney Avrupa, bölgenin en rekabetçi ikinci alt bölgesi olduğu; Güney Avrupa ülkelerinin 2017’den 2019’a kadar rekabet edebilirliklerini iyileştirdikleri sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Güney Avrupa ülkelerinin güçlü olduğu tespit edilen yönlerinin geliştirilmesi ve nispeten zayıf yönlerinde ise iyileştirmeler yapmaya gitmesi önerilmektedir. Böylece ilgili endeks içerisindeki konumunu daha da üst sıralara taşıyabileceği ve küresel turizm pastasındaki paylarını artırabileceği düşünülmektedir
Evaluation of Tourism Potential of Sinop Destination With SWOT Analysis
Authors: Ünal Aydın , İnceöz Serap , Çelen Onur , Çilesiz Emre
Published: July 2022

The Black Sea region is one of the regions of Turkey that draws attention with its natural beauties and history. It is extremely important to investigate the tourism potential of Sinop which is shown among the cities that attract attention with its unique structure, originality and historical-cultural beauties in the Black Sea region. Sinop is accepted as the happiest and most livable area of Turkey. The main purpose of the research is to determine the tourism potential of Sinop in terms of tourism. In line with the determined purpose, SWOT analysis was carried out according to the researches made on this subject in the literature and the information on the official website of the Sinop Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. As a result of the SWOT analysis it has been determined that Sinop has a lot of strengths in tourism and has the necessary resources for culture and nature tourism. It has been concluded that the bed capacity of Sinop should be strengthened and the related situation constitutes the weak side of Sinop. Regarding the opportunities, it has been determined that it is suitable for the development of new types of tourism as it is suitable for activities such as photography and sailing. The presence of stronger and more well-known destinations around Sinop seems to be a serious threat for Sinop.
Train Tourism in the Context of Experiential Tourism: The Example of the Touristic Eastern Express Travel
Authors: Bayraktar Yusuf , Selçuk Gökalp Nuri
Published: July 2022

Businesses focus on the concept of customer orientation in order to plan their activities correctly in the modern market. The concept of consumption experience has emerged in the modern marketing approach and the experiential tourism understanding has become widespread in the field of tourism. In this direction, the research focused on the concept of "train tourism", which is one of the alternative tourism types that the experiential tourism phenomenon is adopted as an approach. Moreover, the research aimed to develop a substantive theoretical model in order to determine the experiences of the individuals participating in the Eastern Express and Touristic Eastern Express travels. In the study using the grounded theory research design, the data obtained were analyzed using the constant comparative method, the three-step coding method and the coding manual. As a result of the analysis, a theoretical model named "Train Tourism Experience" and having a substantive nature was revealed. As a result of the research, eight components that generate the train tourism experience and named as "Emotional Experience, Gastronomic Experience, Hedonism, Innovative Experience, Authenticity, Popular Culture, Symbolism and Social Interaction" were revealed.
Sağlık Çalışanlarının Personel Yemek Hızmetleri Memnunıyet Düzeyleri: Kastamonu Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Örneği (Staff Food Services Satisfactıon Levels of Healthcare Professıonals: Case of Kastamonu Trainıng and Research Hospital)
Authors: Çaylak Dönmez Özge , Çılgınoğlu Hakkı
Published: July 2022

Çalışan insanlar vakitlerinin büyük bir kısmını çalıştıkları kurumlarda gerçekleştirmektedir. Sağlık çalışanlarının dikkatlerinin dağılmaması ve performanslarının en üst düzeyde olması gerekmektedir. Yemekhane hizmeti memnuniyet düzeyinin iş performansını etkileyeceği düşünülmektedir. Covid-19 sürecinde sağlık çalışanları hastanelerde uzun mesai saatleri geçirmişlerdir. Araştırmada hastane personellerinin personel yemeklerinden memnuniyet düzeylerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Çalışma alt amaçları arasında ise sağlık personellerinin statü dağılımı ve kıdem yıllarına göre toplu yemek hizmeti memnuniyet düzeylerinin farklılık gösterip göstermediğinin belirlenmesi ve hastanelerdeki yemek hizmetlerinde var olan aksaklıkların ortaya çıkarılması bulunmaktadır. Çalışmanın amacı doğrultusunda Kastamonu Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesinde görevli 282 personele yemek hizmetlerini değerlendiren anket uygulanmıştır. Sağlık çalışanlarının yemek hizmetleri memnuniyetinden demografik özelliklere göre farklılıklarının belirlenmesi amacıyla t-testi ve ANOVA testi gibi farklılık testleri uygulanmıştır. Farklılık testleri sonucunda, yemek kalitesi ve çevresel faktörlerden en memnun olunan boyutlar olduğu, servis personeli durumu da en az memnun olunan boyut olduğu belirlenmiştir. Memnuniyetin demografik değişkenler açısından farklılık gösterip göstermediğini belirlemek amacıyla yapılan testler sonucunda cinsiyet, kıdem yılı, kıdem dağılımı ve yaş değişkenlerinin memnuniyet açısından farklılık gösterdiği medeni durumun ise farklılık göstermediği tespit edilmiştir.