bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does integrated medical insurance system alleviate the difficulty of using cross-region health care for the Migrant Parents in China-- evidence from the China migrants dynamic survey
Authors: Ma Chao , Huo Shutong , Chen Hao
Published: October 2021

Background

Many internal migrants during the urbanization process in China are Migrant Parents, the aging group who move to urban areas to support their family involuntarily. They are more vulnerable economically and physically than the younger migrants. However, the fragmentation of rural and urban health insurance schemes divided by “hukou” household registration system limit migrant’s access to healthcare services in their resident location. Some counties have started to consolidate the Urban Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URBMI) and the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) as one Integrated Medical Insurance Schemes (IMIS) from 2008. The consolidation aimed to reduce the disparity between different schemes and increase the health care utilization of migrants.

Results

Using the inpatient sample of migrant parents from China Migrants Dynamic Survey in 2015, we used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) for regression models. We found that the migrant parents covered by the IMIS are more likely to choose inpatient services and seek medical treatment in the migrant destination. We further subdivide Non-IMISs into NCMSs and URBMIs in the regression to alleviate the doubt about endogenous. The results revealed that the migrant parents in IMIS use more local medical services than both of them in URBMI and NCMS.

Conclusions

The potential mechanisms of our results could be that IMIS alleviates the difficulty of seeking medical care in migrant destinations by improving the convenience of medical expense reimbursement and enhancing health insurance benefits.
Evaluation of United States chiropractic professional subgroups: a survey of randomly sampled chiropractors
Authors: Gliedt Jordan A. , Perle Stephen M. , Puhl Aaron A. , Daehler Sarah , Schneider Michael J. , Stevans Joel
Published: October 2021

Background

Professional subgroups are common and may play a role in aiding professional maturity or impeding professional legitimization. The chiropractic profession in the United States has a long history of diverse intra-professional subgroups with varying ideologies and practice styles. To our knowledge, large-scale quantification of chiropractic professional subgroups in the United States has not been conducted. The purpose of this study was to quantify and describe the clinical practice beliefs and behaviors associated with United States chiropractic subgroups.

Methods

A 10% random sample of United States licensed chiropractors (n = 8975) was selected from all 50 state regulatory board lists and invited to participate in a survey. The survey consisted of a 7-item questionnaire; 6 items were associated with chiropractic ideological and practice characteristics and 1 item was related to the self-identified role of chiropractic in the healthcare system which was utilized as the dependent variable to identify chiropractic subgroups. Multinomial logistic regression with predictive margins was used to analyze which responses to the 6 ideology and practice characteristic items were predictive of chiropractic subgroups.

Results

A total of 3538 responses were collected (39.4% response rate). Respondents self-identified into three distinct subgroups based on the perceived role of the chiropractic profession in the greater healthcare system: 56.8% were spine/neuromusculoskeletal focused; 22.0% were primary care focused; and 21.2% were vertebral subluxation focused. Patterns of responses to the 6 ideologies and practice characteristic items were substantially different across the three professional subgroups.

Conclusions

Respondents self-identified into one of three distinct intra-professional subgroups. These subgroups can be differentiated along themes related to clinical practice beliefs and behaviors.
The impact of COVID-19 on primary health care and antibiotic prescribing in rural China: qualitative study
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Shen Xingrong , Liu Rong , Zhao Linhai , Wang Debin , Lambert Helen , Cabral Christie
Published: October 2021

Background

In China, the primary health care (PHC) system has been designated responsible for control and prevention of COVID-19, but not treatment. Suspected COVID-19 cases presenting to PHC facilities must be transferred to specialist fever clinics. This study aims to understand the impact of COVID-19 on PHC delivery and on antibiotic prescribing at a community level in rural areas of central China.

Methods

Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 PHC practitioners and seven patients recruited from two township health centres and nine village clinics in two rural residential areas of Anhui province. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.

Results

PHC practitioners reported a major shift in their work away from seeing and treating patients (due to government-mandated referral to specialist Covid clinics) to focus on the key public health roles of tracing, screening and educating in rural areas. The additional work, risk, and financial pressure that PHC practitioners faced, placed considerable strain on them, particularly those working in village clinics. Face to face PHC provision was reduced and there was no substitution with consultations by phone or app, which practitioners attributed to the fact that most of their patients were elderly and not willing or able to switch. Practitioners saw COVID-19 as outside of their area of expertise and very different to the non-COVID-19 respiratory tract infections that they frequently treated pre-pandemic. They reported that antibiotic prescribing was reduced overall because far fewer patients were attending rural PHC facilities, but otherwise their antibiotic prescribing practices remained unchanged.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic had considerable impact on PHC in rural China. Practitioners took on substantial additional workload as part of epidemic control and fewer patients were seen in PHC. The reduction in patients seen and treated in PHC led to a reduction in antibiotic prescribing, although clinical practice remains unchanged. Since COVID-19 epidemic control work has been designated as a long-term task in China, rural PHC clinics now face the challenge of how to balance their principal clinical and increased public health roles and, in the case of the village clinics, remain financially viable.
Mycobacterium leprae diversity and population dynamics in medieval Europe from novel ancient genomes
Authors: Pfrengle Saskia , Neukamm Judith , Guellil Meriam , Keller Marcel , Molak Martyna , Avanzi Charlotte , Kushniarevich Alena , Montes Núria , Neumann Gunnar U. , Reiter Ella , Tukhbatova Rezeda I. , Berezina Nataliya Y. , Buzhilova Alexandra P. , Korobov Dmitry S. , Suppersberger Hamre Stian , Matos Vitor M. J. , Ferreira Maria T. , González-Garrido Laura , Wasterlain Sofia N. , Lopes Célia , Santos Ana Luisa , Antunes-Ferreira Nathalie , Duarte Vitória , Silva Ana Maria , Melo Linda , Sarkic Natasa , Saag Lehti , Tambets Kristiina , Busso Philippe , Cole Stewart T. , Avlasovich Alexei , Roberts Charlotte A. , Sheridan Alison , Cessford Craig , Robb John , Krause Johannes , Scheib Christiana L. , Inskip Sarah A. , Schuenemann Verena J.
Published: October 2021

Background

Hansen’s disease (leprosy), widespread in medieval Europe, is today mainly prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions with around 200,000 new cases reported annually. Despite its long history and appearance in historical records, its origins and past dissemination patterns are still widely unknown. Applying ancient DNA approaches to its major causative agent,Mycobacterium leprae, can significantly improve our understanding of the disease’s complex history. Previous studies have identified a high genetic continuity of the pathogen over the last 1500 years and the existence of at least fourM. lepraelineages in some parts of Europe since the Early Medieval period.

Results

Here, we reconstructed 19 ancientM. lepraegenomes to further investigateM. leprae’sgenetic variation in Europe, with a dedicated focus on bacterial genomes from previously unstudied regions (Belarus, Iberia, Russia, Scotland), from multiple sites in a single region (Cambridgeshire, England), and from two Iberian leprosaria. Overall, our data confirm the existence of similar phylogeographic patterns across Europe, including high diversity in leprosaria. Further, we identified a new genotype in Belarus. By doubling the number of complete ancientM. lepraegenomes, our results improve our knowledge of the past phylogeography ofM. lepraeand reveal a particularly highM. lepraediversity in European medieval leprosaria.

Conclusions

Our findings allow us to detect similar patterns of strain diversity across Europe with branch 3 as the most common branch and the leprosaria as centers for high diversity. The higher resolution of our phylogeny tree also refined our understanding of the interspecies transfer between red squirrels and humans pointing to a late antique/early medieval transmission. Furthermore, with our new estimates on the past population diversity ofM. leprae, we gained first insights into the disease’s global history in relation to major historic events such as the Roman expansion or the beginning of the regular transatlantic long distance trade. In summary, our findings highlight how studying ancientM. lepraegenomes worldwide improves our understanding of leprosy’s global history and can contribute to current models ofM. leprae’s worldwide dissemination, including interspecies transmissions.
Atherogenic index of plasma is associated with major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Fu Liyao , Zhou Ying , Sun Jiaxing , Zhu Zhaowei , Xing Zhenhua , Zhou Shenghua , Wang Yongjun , Tai Shi
Published: October 2021

Background

Previous studies reported the prognostic value of the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) in the course of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Still, the predictive utility of the AIP is unknown among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) study, which randomized 10,251 patients with long-lasting T2DM. ROC curve analysis was used to determine an optimal threshold for AIP, and the study population was divided into high and low AIP groups. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to determine the association between AIP and primary (major adverse cardiovascular events [MACEs], including nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and/or death from cardiovascular causes) and secondary outcomes (all-cause mortality). Stratified analyses were performed to control for the confounding factors.

Results

AIP was an independent risk factor for the prognosis of T2DM (HR = 1.309; 95% CI 1.084–1.581; P = 0.005). The threshold for AIP was determined to be 0.34 in the study population. After adjustments for confounding factors, multivariable analysis showed that AIP was associated with the risk of MACEs (Model 1: HR = 1.333, 95% CI 1.205–1.474, P < 0.001; Model 2: HR = 1.171, 95% CI 1.030–1.333, P = 0.016; Model 3: HR = 1.194, 95% CI 1.049–1.360, P = 0.007), all-cause mortality (Model 1: HR = 1.184, 95% CI 1.077–1.303, P < 0.001), cardiovascular death (Model 1: HR = 1.422, 95% CI 1.201–1.683, P < 0.001; Model 3: HR = 1.264, 95% CI 1.015–1.573, P = 0.036), and nonfatal myocardial infarction (Model 1: HR = 1.447, 95% CI 1.255–1.669, P < 0.001; Model 2: HR = 1.252, 95% CI 1.045–1.499, P = 0.015; Model 3: HR = 1.284, 95% CI 1.071–1.539, P = 0.007). Subgroup stratified analyses showed that AIP might interact with sex, a classical risk factor of cardiovascular events.

Conclusions

This study showed that AIP might be a strong biomarker that could be used to predict the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with T2DM.

Trial registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00000620.
Eating, sleeping and moving recommendations in clinical practice guidelines for paediatric depression: umbrella review
Authors: Campisi Susan C. , Krause Karolin R. , Chan Benjamin W. C. , Courtney Darren B. , Bennett Kathryn , Korczak Daphne J. , Szatmari Peter
Published: October 2021

Background

Current first-line treatments for paediatric depression demonstrate mild-to-moderate effectiveness. This has spurred a growing body of literature on lifestyle recommendations pertaining to nutrition, sleep and exercise for treating paediatric depression.

Aims

Paediatric depression clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) were reviewed for quality and to catalogue recommendations on nutrition, sleep and exercise made by higher-quality CPGs.

Method

Searches were conducted in Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and CINAHL, and grey literature CPGs databases for relevant CPGs. Eligible CPGs with a minimum or high-quality level, as determined by the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation, Second Edition instrument, were included if they were (a) paediatric; (b) CPGs, practice parameter or consensus or expert committee recommendations; (c) for depression; (d) the latest version and (e) lifestyle recommendations for nutrition, sleep or exercise. Key information extracted included author(s), language, year of publication, country, the institutional body issuing the CPG, target disorder, age group, lifestyle recommendation and the methods used to determine CPG lifestyle recommendations.

Results

Ten paediatric CPGs for depression with a minimum or high-quality level contained recommendations on nutrition, sleep or exercise. Lifestyle recommendations were predominately qualitative, with quantitative details only outlined in two CPGs for exercise. Most recommendations were brief general statements, with 50% lacking supporting evidence from the literature.

Conclusions

Interest in lifestyle interventions for treatment in child and youth depression is growing. However, current CPG lifestyle recommendations for nutrition, sleep or exercise are based on expert opinion rather than clinical trials.
Uncovering the root of LEFT in SMEFT
Authors: Chakrabortty J. , Prakash S. , Rahaman S. U. , Spannowsky M.
Published: October 2021

At energies below the electroweak scale, baryon number B and lepton number L violating processes are of significant importance in identifying the nature of UV extensions of the Standard Model. The imprint of UV theories on low-energy measurements can be calculated to a high accuracy using the theoretical framework of the Low-Energy Effective Theory (LEFT). Using

and the operators' dimensions as classifying characteristics, we construct a network connecting operator classes of the LEFT with the Standard Model Effective Theory (SMEFT). Following the links of this network, the contact interactions described by the effective operators of LEFT can be unambiguously embedded into those of SMEFT, which enables us to constrain the possible realisations of UV theories. In turn, this can help to prioritise low-energy measurements with the aim of comprehensively testing all classes of LEFT and SMEFT operators.
Magnetic semiconductor in rare-earth-element–based quaternary Heusler compounds
Authors: Lu Yue , Li Dehu , Wang Yue , Liu Zhifeng
Published: October 2021

Magnetic semiconductors have become a widely studied direction in spintronic materials due to their unique energy band structure and two different spin transport channels. In this work, we imported rare-earth atoms into quaternary Heusler compounds and considered on Slater-Pauling rules. Magnetic semiconductors FeCrYSn, FeCrYGe, FeCrLuGe, FeCrLuSn, FeCrLuSi, FeVLuSb, MnCrYSb, and MnCrLuSb were found through first-principle calculations. According to the result, the band gaps of these quaternary Heusler compounds are extremely narrow.
Spiral waves in population density distributions of invasive pests in warm-temperate deciduous forest ecosystems
Authors: Gao Jian , Gu Changgui , Shen Chuansheng , Yang Huijie
Published: October 2021

Globally, forests are increasingly being affected by invasive alien pests, some of which have caused wholesale destruction of trees. Recent research suggests that, in the United States, large-scale forests have been invaded by an astonishing number (> 450) of tree-feeding pests. Invasive alien pests always induce cascading ecological effects, leading to harmful socioeconomic consequences; however, the prevention and control of invasive alien pests in forests have been facing significant challenges worldwide. Here, we studied theoretically the control of invasive nonnative pests in warm-temperate deciduous forest ecosystems by their natural enemies (biological control), and controlled them to an extent that ecosystems can bear. We obtained a novel type of spiral wave in the spatial distribution of population density, and also observed a transition phenomenon between spiral wave and anti-spiral wave, which is explained by a mathematical analysis. Specifically, the formation of this type of spiral wave is attributed to the directional transformation of states between the period-5 orbits under the impact of diffusion transport. And the transition phenomenon is caused by changes of relative positions of the period-5 orbits in phase space. Moreover, we also found a novel type of instability of spiral wave, which includes a birth-growth-death process of spiral fragments. The findings provide possible regularities in the process of biological control of invasive alien pests in the complex and changeable forest ecosystems, which may guide actual biological control projects.
Motivational Orientation As a Factor in the Formation of Professional Competence of University Students
Authors: Bikbulatova Valentina , Rabadanova R. , Kagosyan A.
Published: October 2021

This article reveals the process of forming the professional competence of university students. In conditions when the learning process becomes more and more formalized and depersonalized, the teacher should focus on clarifying the motivational sphere in order to form the most important cognitive motives in students. Motivational orientation influences not only the student's learning outcomes, but also changes the educational process itself. What is this influence - positive or negative, developing or standardizing, how universal and intense is it? The strength, effectiveness, form of influence, the predominance of certain functions are determined by the scientific and methodological guidance and management of the educational process by the teacher.
Collective Teaching Methods in Liberal Arts Education
Authors: Sizyh I.
Published: October 2021

The article analyzes the prospect of using collective teaching methods in higher education. The psychological component of the effectiveness of the collective teaching method is substantiated: conditions for the formation of positive self-esteem, improvement of the psychological climate of the study group; decrease in volitional tension during classes due to greater dynamism (complete absence of monotony due to a change in activities). creating a positive emotional background by meeting the social need for communication. The substantiation of the pedagogical effectiveness of the collective learning method is given by the fact that information is perceived immediately through the visual and auditory channel, systematized and refined, the period between the assimilation and use of information is minimal. In the course of clarifying the concept of collective learning, it is compared with group teaching methods. The choice of a collective teaching method is substantiated. A pedagogical experiment on the use of a collective teaching method is presented and its results are evaluated.
The Strengthening and Reproduction of Stereotypes: Ethical Considerations in Conducting Research
Authors: Myasoedov Aleksey
Published: October 2021

Many sociologists are interested in studying stereotypes and stereotypical reasoning. This interest often stems from a desire to contribute to a more just and equal society. When scientists design and conduct research, they are engaged in conducting effective research in accordance with the research criteria. However, when scientists study stereotypes and stereotypical reasoning, they run the risk of reproducing and possibly even amplifying these processes, and thus harming individuals or groups of people. Scientists are constantly faced with methodological obstacles that have to be overcome in order to promote research in the most effective way. However, sometimes scientists find themselves in situations where conducting effective research may contradict ethical considerations or principles. Research projects that study stereotypes and stereotypical reasoning fall into this category. The debate on this ethical issue mainly takes the form of General discussions on the ethics of the study and weighing the purpose of the study against the potential harm to participants. While these reflections are extremely important, it is necessary to discuss how this ethical issue can be resolved in practice. The purpose of this article is to develop a set of practical recommendations for solving this ethical problem, based on the study of ethically sensitive moments experienced in the course of ethnographic research on the formation of health identity and risk. Three guiding principles are suggested: develop ethical sensitivity to identify ethically sensitive issues; ethics and methods should be taken into account when formulating and posing questions; more specifically, briefings and reviews can be used to address ethical issues; and, finally, to get participants to reflect on their views and responses.
Business Models in the Sharing Economy: Manufacturing Durable Goods in the Presence of Peer-to-Peer Rental Markets
Authors: Abhishek Vibhanshu , Guajardo Jose A. , Zhang Zhe
Published: October 2021

With peer-to-peer sharing of durable goods like cars, boats, and condominiums, it is unclear how manufacturers should react. They could seek to encourage these markets or compete against them by offering their own rentals. This work shows why the best business model depends on whether consumer usage rates vary or not. Contrary to what might be expected, this paper shows that manufacturers have an incentive to facilitate transactions of P2P rental markets in a large variety of cases. We find that when consumer variation in usage rates is intermediate, the manufacturer is surprisingly best off avoiding offering its own direct rentals option and instead, facilitating a peer-to-peer rental market where consumers can share among themselves. The reason for this is an effect unique to the sharing economy, the equalizing effect. The equalizing effect shows that peer-to-peer rentals uniquely make previously heterogeneous willingness-to-pay among consumers more similar, making it easier for the firm to discriminate between the higher- and lower-value consumers, thus allowing it to extract a higher portion of consumers’ surplus. Surprisingly, there are some cases where peer-to-peer rentals benefit the manufacturer, but consumers are hurt overall (though the lower-usage consumers do always benefit from the availability of peer-to-peer rentals).
Mixed-Integer Convex Representability
Authors: Lubin Miles , Vielma Juan Pablo , Zadik Ilias
Published: October 2021

Motivated by recent advances in solution methods for mixed-integer convex optimization (MICP), we study the fundamental and open question of which sets can be represented exactly as feasible regions of MICP problems. We establish several results in this direction, including the first complete characterization for the mixed-binary case and a simple necessary condition for the general case. We use the latter to derive the first nonrepresentability results for various nonconvex sets, such as the set of rank-1 matrices and the set of prime numbers. Finally, in correspondence with the seminal work on mixed-integer linear representability by Jeroslow and Lowe, we study the representability question under rationality assumptions. Under these rationality assumptions, we establish that representable sets obey strong regularity properties, such as periodicity, and we provide a complete characterization of representable subsets of the natural numbers and of representable compact sets. Interestingly, in the case of subsets of natural numbers, our results provide a clear separation between the mathematical modeling power of mixed-integer linear and mixed-integer convex optimization. In the case of compact sets, our results imply that using unbounded integer variables is necessary only for modeling unbounded sets.
Hub Location, Routing, and Route Dimensioning: Strategic and Tactical Intermodal Transportation Hub Network Design
Authors: Yıldız Bariş , Yaman Hande , Karaşan Oya Ekin
Published: October 2021

We propose a novel hub location model that jointly eliminates some of the traditional assumptions on the structure of the network and on the discount as a result of economies of scale in an effort to better reflect real-world logistics and transportation systems. Our model extends the hub literature in various facets: instead of connecting nonhub nodes directly to hub nodes, we consider routes with stopovers; instead of connecting pairs of hubs directly, we design routes that can visit several hub nodes; rather than dimensioning pairwise connections, we dimension routes of vehicles; and rather than working with a homogeneous fleet, we use intermodal transportation. Decisions pertinent to strategic and tactical hub location and transportation network design are concurrently made through the proposed optimization scheme. An effective branch-and-cut algorithm is developed to solve realistically sized problem instances and to provide managerial insights.
Are paramedic graduates effectively prepared for death? A scoping review
Authors: Somers Anna
Published: October 2021

Paramedics often come across death because of the nature of their work. Attending an incident involving the death of a patient could affect a paramedic's mental health. A scoping literature review surrounding the readiness and education regarding death in the prehospital setting for paramedic students was carried out. Given the potential impact upon practitioner mental health, the review aimed to determine the quality and extent of new research regarding education in death for paramedics. Four themes arose from the review: inadequate preparation; methods of death education; improved confidence; and implications for more research.
Measuring Self-Regulated Learning in the STEM Framework: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis
Authors: Nu’man Mulin , Retnawati Heri , Sugiman Sugiman , Jailani Jailani
Published: October 2021

Within the context of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), a process of directing oneself to facilitate individual learning more effectively, the SRL instrument development is deemed necessary to measure students’ self-reliance in learning mathematics in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) framework. The research aims to develop and test the validity and reliability of an SRL instrument, namely a 14-item SRL questionnaire accommodating four aspects, namely planning, self-monitoring, self-controlling, and evaluation. The study involved 420 junior high school students in East Java, Central Java, and Yogyakarta Special Region. The results show that the questionnaire was developed as planned and that planning, monitoring, controlling, and evaluating aspects can reflect the SRL variable in a valid, reliable, and significant way supported by each aspect's behavior indicator. The SRL variable theoretical model corresponds (good fit) with the empirical data, and all of the items are likely valid and reliable to assess student's mathematics SRL in the STEM framework. The SRL questionnaire was also found suitable for use by teachers to measure junior high school students’ self-reliance in SRL.
Employing ICTs in Kindergartens in Remote Areas of Jordan: Teachers’ Perspectives on Uses, Importance and Challenges
Authors: Alomyan Hesham , Alelaimat Ali
Published: October 2021

With Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) impacting the way we learn; information and communication technologies (ICTs) play an ever-increasing role in young children’s learning making it crucial to understand the importance and challenges of using ICTs in kindergartens from teachers’ perspectives. The present study, therefore explored the perspectives of teachers in remote areas of Jordan regarding the degree of ICT use, its importance in kindergartens, and potential challenges. To achieve the objective of the study, a quantitative questionnaire was developed and distributed to 263 female kindergarten teachers in remote areas of Jordan. Results indicated that the degree of use and importance of ICTs from teachers’ perspectives was “average”. Further, the study identified several challenges that appeared to hinder teachers’ use of ICTs in kindergartens. Teachers who held a bachelor degree were significantly more likely to employ ICTs in their teaching than those who did not. Yet, there were no significant differences according to the number of training courses in ICTs and experience teachers had. Recommendations and implications for facilitating the use of ICTs in kindergarten education concluded this paper.
Supplemental figure for "Odorous Compound Removal Performance and Water Properties of a Biotrickling Filter Installed in a Piggery"
Authors: Yasuda Tomoko , Waki Miyoko , Fukumoto Yasuyuki , Saito Hiroaki , Yokojima Hiroki
Published: October 2021

This is a supplemental figure 1 for the manuscript entitled "Odorous Compound Removal Performance and Water Properties of a Biotrickling Filter Installed in a Piggery." This figure S1 shows trends in elimination capacity.
Blockchain-based Trusty Buyer Coalition Scheme Using A Group Signature
Authors: Boongasame Laor , Chaising Supansa , Temdee Punnarumol
Published: October 2021

Without trust, buyers may not join a coalition. Despite the tremendous need for trustworthy relationships in buyer coalitions, no current buyer coalition scheme explicitly tackles confidence issues with blockchain technology. This study proposes an algorithmic design, the blockchain-based trusty buyer coalition scheme, to satisfy the trust requirement among different actors while forming the coalition. All activities forming a coalition through a decentralized public ledger can be explicitly examined. Consequently, the proposed algorithm can ensure anonymity within a community, resulting in trusting relationships. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm can ensure correctness and accountability by recognizing misbehavior and enforcing alternative forms of punishment. Additionally, the discovered algorithm can be applied to mobile commerce applications.
Development of a core collection from Sri Lankan traditional rice (Oryza sativa) varieties for phenotypic and genetic diversity
Authors: Weerakoon Shyama , Somaratne Seneviratne
Published: October 2021

Abstract. Weerakoon SR, Somaratne S. 2021. Development of a core collection from Sri Lankan traditional rice (Oryza sativa) varieties for phenotypic and genetic diversity. Nusantara Bioscience 13: 61-67. A collection of over 2000 traditional rice varieties are conserved at Gene Bank, Plant Genetics Resource Center, Sri Lanka. Oryza sativa varieties grown in Sri Lanka from ancient times to the middle of the last century are known as traditional rice. These varieties show adaptability to biotic and abiotic stresses and, an important component of biodiversity of Sri Lanka. A detailed understanding of the diversity of traditional rice varieties is essential for effective utilization of rice genetic resources and identification of potential parents possessing valuable genetic traits for future crop improvement. Study objectives were phenotypic and molecular characterization of one-hundred traditional rice varieties and to identify a core collection for phenotypic and genetic diversity. Rice varieties were grown in a plant house following RCBD with 4 replicates and 5 plants per replicate. Thirty-two agro-morphological characters were observed/collected. Genomic DNA was extracted from 20-days-old seedlings. Thirty?three microsatellite (Simple Sequence Repeat-SSR) primer pairs were used to assay genetic variation and PCR products were subjected to fragment analysis by capillary electrophoresis. Descriptive statistics and basic inferential statistical analyses were performed to access variation of agro-morphological characters among rice varieties. Cluster analysis and Multidimensional scaling produced 07 groups which were further analyzed using Classification and Regression Analysis to extract the diagnostic agro-morphological features. Groups of rice varieties were characterized by lemma palea color, awn color at maturity, seedling height, and flag-leaf angle. Traditional varieties represent distant clusters on agro-morphological features. Molecular analyses revealed all 33 loci displayed polymorphism (66.7-96.9%) among 100 traditional rice varieties with a total of 387 alleles identified with an average of 11.72 alleles per variety. All varieties were genetically structured into fifteen well-separated groups. UPGMA analysis based on Jaccard's similarity separated varieties into 05 major clusters. Genetic diversity information is useful in the efficient use of Sri Lankan rice germplasm and managing in situ and ex situ germplasm collections in conserving traditional rice varieties.
Chaotic dynamics of an atomic Bose–Einstein condensate in a frequency-modulated cavity QED
Authors: Ghasemian Ebrahim , Tavassoly Mohammad Kazem
Published: October 2021

Nonlinear systems, including atom–field interaction, are investigated due to their fundamental applications in quantum mechanics and rapidly growing fields of quantum communication, especially secure communication with chaotic dynamics. In this paper, we study the chaotic dynamics of a system consisting of an atomic Bose–Einstein condensate interacting with a quantized radiation field in a high-quality cavity with a periodically modulated length. The frequency modulation is adapted by a periodic time-dependent atom–field coupling strength. We use a semiclassical approach to decouple the atoms and field variables and then numerically solve the corresponding nonlinear dynamical equations of the system. Generally, the dynamics of the system sensitively depends on its initial conditions, thereby long-term prediction is impossible. We show that the system demonstrates the emergence of classical dynamical chaos from quantum electrodynamics. The chaotic behavior of energy transfer in the system can be enhanced by increasing the depth of frequency modulation. The strange attractor clearly illustrates that the system presents extremely exotic dynamics over a wide range of parameters. This implies that the dynamical quantities oscillate irregularly, never exactly repeating but always remaining in a bounded region of the phase space.
Enhanced absorption in thin and ultrathin silicon films by 3D photonic band gap back reflectors
Authors: Sharma Devashish , Hasan Shakeeb Bin , Saive Rebecca , van der Vegt Jaap J. W. , Vos Willem L.
Published: October 2021

Since thin and ultrathin silicon films have limited optical absorption, we explore the effect of a nanostructured back reflector to recycle the unabsorbed light. As a back reflector, we investigate a three-dimensional (3D) photonic band gap crystal made from silicon that is readily integrated with the thin silicon films. We numerically obtain the optical properties by solving the 3D time-harmonic Maxwell equations using the finite-element method, and model silicon with experimentally determined optical constants. The absorption enhancement spectra and the photonic band gap generated current density are obtained by weighting the absorption spectra with the AM 1.5 standard solar spectrum. We study thin films in two different regimes, much thicker (L
Si
 = 2400 nm) or much thinner (L
Si
 = 80 nm) than the wavelength of light. For L
Si
 = 2400 nm thin film, the 3D photonic band gap crystal enhances the spectrally averaged (λ = 680 nm to 880 nm) silicon absorption by 2.22 × (s −pol.) to 2.45 × (p −pol.), which exceeds the enhancement of a perfect metal back reflector (1.47 to 1.56 ×). The absorption is considerably enhanced by the (i) broadband angle and polarization-independent reflectivity in the 3D photonic band gap, and (ii) the excitation of many guided modes in the film by the crystal’s surface diffraction leading to greatly enhanced path lengths. For L
Si
 = 80 nm ultrathin film, the photonic crystal back reflector yields a striking average absorption enhancement of 9.15 ×, much more than 0.83 × for a perfect metal. This enhancement is due to a remarkable guided mode that is confined within the combined thickness of the ultrathin film and the photonic crystal’s Bragg attenuation length. An important feature of the 3D photonic band gap is to have a broad bandwidth, which leads to the back reflector’s Bragg attenuation length being much shorter than the silicon absorption length. Consequently, light is confined inside the thin film and the remarkable absorption enhancements are not due to the additional thickness of the photonic crystal back reflector. We briefly discuss a number of high-tech devices that could profit from our results, including ultrathin film solar cells.
Iteration-free, simultaneous correction of piston and tilt distortions in large-scale coherent beam combination systems
Authors: Chang Qi , Hou Tianyue , Chang Hongxiang , Ma Pengfei , Su Rongtao , Ma Yanxing , Zhou Pu
Published: October 2021

Coherent beam combination (CBC) holds promise for scaling the output power of the laser system while maintaining good beam quality. Owing to the thermal effect and mechanics instability, piston and tilt distortions always exist and affect the performance of the combined beam. To ensure the constructive interference in the far-field, dynamic correction of the distortions is highly required. Here, we propose an approach for the simultaneous correction of piston and tilt distortions in CBC systems. Based on the position and interval information of the near-field interference fringes, the theoretical expressions for the relative piston phase and tilt errors of each array element are derived, indicating that dynamic distortions in CBC systems can be directly calculated and then corrected by employing phase control servos. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, Monte-Carlo Simulations have been carried out for different perturbative environments. Our results indicate that both piston phase and tilt errors can be calculated and compensated accurately (λ/25 and 0.11μrad) by the proposed approach even in 169 beamlets, which also has high tolerance for defocus errors. This work could provide valuable reference on the practical implementation of high-power, phase-locked fiber laser array systems.
Emerging Roles of DLK1 in the Stem Cell Niche and Cancer Stemness
Authors: Grassi Elisa Stellaria , Pietras Alexander
Published: October 2021

DLK1 is a maternally imprinted, paternally expressed gene coding for the transmembrane protein Delta-like homologue 1 (DLK1), a non-canonical NOTCH ligand with well-described roles during development, and tumor-supportive functions in several aggressive cancer forms. Here, we review the many functions of DLK1 as a regulator of stem cell pools and tissue differentiation in tissues such as brain, muscle, and liver. Furthermore, we review recent evidence supporting roles for DLK1 in the maintenance of aggressive stem cell characteristics of tumor cells, specifically focusing on central nervous system tumors, neuroblastoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. We discuss NOTCH -dependent as well as NOTCH-independent functions of DLK1, and focus particularly on the complex pattern of DLK1 expression and cleavage that is finely regulated from a spatial and temporal perspective. Progress in recent years suggest differential functions of extracellular, soluble DLK1 as a paracrine stem cell niche-secreted factor, and has revealed a role for the intracellular domain of DLK1 in cell signaling and tumor stemness. A better understanding of DLK1 regulation and signaling may enable therapeutic targeting of cancer stemness by interfering with DLK1 release and/or intracellular signaling.
Fatal opioid overdoses during and shortly after hospital admissions in England: A case-crossover study
Authors: Lewer Dan , Eastwood Brian , White Martin , Brothers Thomas D. , McCusker Martin , Copeland Caroline , Farrell Michael , Petersen Irene
Published: October 2021

Background

Hospital patients who use illicit opioids such as heroin may use drugs during an admission or leave the hospital in order to use drugs. There have been reports of patients found dead from drug poisoning on the hospital premises or shortly after leaving the hospital. This study examines whether hospital admission and discharge are associated with increased risk of opioid-related death.

Methods and findings

We conducted a case-crossover study of opioid-related deaths in England. Our study included 13,609 deaths between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2019 among individuals aged 18 to 64. For each death, we sampled 5 control days from the period 730 to 28 days before death. We used data from the national Hospital Episode Statistics database to determine the time proximity of deaths and control days to hospital admissions. We estimated the association between hospital admission and opioid-related death using conditional logistic regression, with a reference category of time neither admitted to the hospital nor within 14 days of discharge. A total of 236/13,609 deaths (1.7%) occurred following drug use while admitted to the hospital. The risk during hospital admissions was similar or lower than periods neither admitted to the hospital nor recently discharged, with odds ratios 1.03 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.21; p = 0.75) for the first 14 days of an admission and 0.41 (95% CI 0.30 to 0.56; p < 0.001) for days 15 onwards. 1,088/13,609 deaths (8.0%) occurred in the 14 days after discharge. The risk of opioid-related death increased in this period, with odds ratios of 4.39 (95% CI 3.75 to 5.14; p < 0.001) on days 1 to 2 after discharge and 2.09 (95% CI 1.92 to 2.28; p < 0.001) on days 3 to 14. 11,629/13,609 deaths (85.5%) did not occur close to a hospital admission, and the remaining 656/13,609 deaths (4.8%) occurred in hospital following admission due to drug poisoning. Risk was greater for patients discharged from psychiatric admissions, those who left the hospital against medical advice, and those leaving the hospital after admissions of 7 days or more. The main limitation of the method is that it does not control for time-varying health or drug use within individuals; therefore, hospital admissions coinciding with high-risk periods may in part explain the results.

Conclusions

Discharge from the hospital is associated with an acute increase in the risk of opioid-related death, and 1 in 14 opioid-related deaths in England happens in the 2 weeks after the hospital discharge. This supports interventions that prevent early discharge and improve linkage with community drug treatment and harm reduction services.
Estimating the effect of a scanner upgrade on measures of grey matter structure for longitudinal designs
Authors: Medawar Evelyn , Thieleking Ronja , Manuilova Iryna , Paerisch Maria , Villringer Arno , Witte A. Veronica , Beyer Frauke
Published: October 2021

Longitudinal imaging studies are crucial for advancing the understanding of brain development over the lifespan. Thus, more and more studies acquire imaging data at multiple time points or with long follow-up intervals. In these studies changes to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners often become inevitable which may decrease the reliability of the MRI assessments and introduce biases. We therefore investigated the difference between MRI scanners with subsequent versions (3 Tesla Siemens Verio vs. Skyra) on the cortical and subcortical measures of grey matter in 116 healthy, young adults using the well-established longitudinal FreeSurfer stream for T1-weighted brain images. We found excellent between-scanner reliability for cortical and subcortical measures of grey matter structure (intra-class correlation coefficient > 0.8). Yet, paired t-tests revealed statistically significant differences in at least 67% of the regions, with percent differences around 2 to 4%, depending on the outcome measure. Offline correction for gradient distortions only slightly reduced these biases. Further, T1-imaging based quality measures reflecting gray-white matter contrast systematically differed between scanners. We conclude that scanner upgrades during a longitudinal study introduce bias in measures of cortical and subcortical grey matter structure. Therefore, before upgrading a MRI scanner during an ongoing study, researchers should prepare to implement an appropriate correction method for these effects.
Intra-acting bio-object: A posthuman approach to the player–game relation
Authors: Janik Justyna
Published: October 2021

The main aim of this article is to explore how posthuman values and premises can change the approach to video game research, in terms of reframing the relation between game and player as a meaning-making process. The idea of the bio-object, which originated in Tadeusz Kantor’s avant-garde theatre, is introduced and reread in the context of the critical posthumanism and new materialism of Karen Barad, especially her concept of intra-action. By meshing together Kantor’s and Barad’s ideas, a framework is developed for conceptualizing the bond between the player and the video game object, pointing out how their constant rivalry is not only resolved in meaning-generative tension, but also intra-actively shapes their ontic borders. The game and the player become equal in this new unity, and the video game object stops being perceived as a secondary to the player and can be analysed as the equal partner in this relation.
La mode rétro: French mystery games – Between nostalgia and historical revisionism (1986–91)
Authors: Jankowski Filip
Published: October 2021

This article examines how games set in the past reflect contemporary social and political events without overtly communicating messages. Using a simplified version of Astrid Ensslin’s methodological toolkit, the author studies four critically acclaimed retrospective mystery games produced in France within the 1986–91 period. The research results allow one to externalize a trend marked by ambiguous meanings called la mode rétro, namely a nostalgic re-creation of the past and a simultaneous coming-to-terms with France’s history. The author contextualizes the games examined here in terms of their references to a problematic past – the nation’s wartime stance towards Nazi Germany, and colonialism – and contemporaneous events such as the emergence of the National Front in France. The titles examined here demonstrate how discursively ambiguous computer games are as cultural texts.