bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insights into urticaria in pediatric and adult populations and its management with fexofenadine hydrochloride
Authors: Ansotegui Ignacio J. , Bernstein Jonathan A. , Canonica Giorgio W. , Gonzalez-Diaz Sandra N. , Martin Bryan L. , Morais-Almeida Mario , Murrieta-Aguttes Margarita , Sanchez Borges Mario
Published: May 2022

Objective

The present narrative review provides a comprehensive update of the current knowledge on urticaria, both in adult and pediatric populations, and on the safety and efficacy of fexofenadine hydrochloride (HCl) as a treatment option.

Data source

A literature search was conducted on Embase and Medline.

Study selection

Clinical studies published in English and published between 1999 and 2020 were selected.

Results

Although the exact pathogenesis of urticaria is not fully understood, multiple pathways of mast cell activation are discussed to explain the existence of phenotypically different clinical manifestations of urticaria. An overview of the worldwide prevalence of chronic urticaria, including disease burden and patient’s quality of life is provided. The impact of urticaria on patient’s life differs on the basis of whether its form is acute or chronic, but pharmacological approaches are most often needed to control the disabling symptoms. A summary of the current management of urticaria recommended by different guidelines across countries (Global; European; American; Australian; Asian; Japanese) is presented. Non-sedating, second-generation H1-antihistamines are the preferred choice of treatment across several guidelines worldwide. Herein, the efficacy and safety of fexofenadine HCl, a representative second-generation H1-antihistamine approved for the treatment of urticaria, is discussed. The occurrence of urticaria manifestations in COVID-19 patients is also briefly presented.

Conclusion

The burden of acute and chronic urticaria is high for patients. Second generation anti-histamines such as fexofenadine HCl can help managing the symptoms.
Multi-orientation local ternary pattern-based feature extraction for forensic dentistry
Authors: Rajmohan Karunya , Abdul Khader Askarunisa
Published: May 2022

Accurate and automated identification of the deceased victims with dental radiographs plays a significant role in forensic dentistry. The image processing techniques such as segmentation and feature extraction play a crucial role in image retrieval in accordance with the matching image. The raw image undergoes segmentation, feature extraction and distance-based image retrieval. The ultimate goal of the proposed work is the automated quality enhancement of the image by providing advanced enhancement techniques, segmentation techniques, feature extraction, and matching techniques. In this paper, multi-orientation local ternary pattern-based feature extraction is proposed for feature extraction. The grey level difference method (GLDM) is adopted to extract the texture and shape features that are considered for better results. The image retrieval is done by the computation of similarity score using distances such as Manhattan, Euclidean, vector cosine angle, and histogram intersection distance to obtain the optimal match from the database. The manually picked dataset of 200 images is considered for performance analysis. By extracting both the shape features and texture features, the proposed approach achieved maximum accuracy, precision, recall, F-measure, sensitivity, and specificity and lower false-positive and negative values.
Mixed Cauchy problem with lateral boundary condition for noncharacteristic degenerate hyperbolic equations
Authors: Kakharman Nurbek , Kal’menov Tynysbek
Published: May 2022

In this paper, in a cylindrical domain $D=\Omega \times (0,T)$
D
=
Ω
×
(
0
,
T
)
with $\Omega \subset {R}^{n}$
Ω
⊂

R
n

, we consider a mixed Cauchy problem with a potential lateral boundary condition for the following noncharacteristic degenerated equation $$\begin{aligned} Lu=u_{tt}-k(t)\Delta _{x}u(x,t)=f(x,t), \end{aligned}$$
L
u
=

u

t
t

−
k
(
t
)

Δ
x

u
(
x
,
t
)
=
f
(
x
,
t
)
,
where $k(t)\geq 0$
k
(
t
)
≥
0
. As in the case for strictly hyperbolic equations, we first establish that $u\in W_{2}^{1}(D)$
u
∈

W

2

1

(
D
)
and $u\in W_{2}^{2}(D)$
u
∈

W

2

2

(
D
)
under the assumptions $\Vert \frac{f}{k} \Vert _{L_{2}(\Omega )}(t)<\infty $

∥

f
k

∥

L
2

(
Ω
)

(
t
)
<
∞
and $\Vert \frac{\mathrm{grad}_{x} f}{k} \Vert _{L_{2}(\Omega )}(t)<\infty $

∥

grad
x

f

k

∥

L
2

(
Ω
)

(
t
)
<
∞
for every $t\in [0,T]$
t
∈
[
0
,
T
]
, respectively.
Determinants of under-five mortality in Ethiopia using the recent 2019 Ethiopian demographic and health survey data: nested shared frailty survival analysis
Authors: Ayele Belete Achamyelew , Abebaw Tiruneh Sofonyas , Azanaw Melkalem Mamuye , Shimels Hailemeskel Habtamu , Akalu Yonas , Ayele Asnakew Achaw
Published: May 2022

Background

Worldwide, there is remarkable progress in child survival in the past three decades. Ethiopia is off-track on sustainable development targets in under-five mortality since 2020. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate time to death and its associated factors among under-five children in Ethiopia.

Methods

Nationally representative demographic and health survey data were used for this study. A total of 5772 under-five children were included. Data were analyzed using R software. Semi-parametric nested shared frailty survival analysis was employed to identify factors affecting under-five mortality. Adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) with 95% Confidence interval (CI) was reported and log-likelihood was used for model comparison. Statistical significance was declared at P-value < 0.05.

Results

The weighted incidence of under-five death before celebrating the first fifth year was 5.76% (95% CI: 5.17 – 6.40). Female sex and under-five children living in urban areas were high probability of survival than their counterparts. After controlling cluster and region level frailty, multiple births (AHR = 7.03, 95% CI: 4.40—11.24), breastfed within one hour after birth (AHR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.28—0.61), preceding birth interval 18–23 months (AHR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.12 -2.36), and under-five children younger than 18 months (AHR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.93 -3.86), and teenage pregnancy (AHR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.01—2.87) were statistically significant factors for time to under-five death.

Conclusion

Even though Ethiopia has a significant decline under-five death, still a significant number of under-five children were dying. Early initiation of breastfeeding, preceding birth interval and teenage pregnancy were the preventable factors of under-five mortality. To curve and achieve the SDG targets regarding under-five mortality in Ethiopia, policymakers and health planners should give prior attention to preventable factors for under-five mortality.
Prevalence of and factors associated with inappropriate Clostridioides difficile testing in a teaching hospital in Korea
Authors: Jo Hee Bum , Ham Sin Young , Jung Jongtak , Moon Song Mi , Kim Nak-Hyun , Song Kyoung-Ho , Park Jeong Su , Park Kyoung Un , Kim Eu Suk , Kim Hong Bin
Published: May 2022

Background

Given the increasing incidence of Clostridioides difficile infections in Korea, there has been an increase in inappropriate testing for C. difficile, which has rendered overdiagnosis of asymptomatic colonisers common. We aimed to investigate the appropriateness of C. difficile testing and the related factors.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who were admitted to a 1300-bed tertiary-care teaching hospital in Korea and were tested for C. difficile infection from September 2019 to November 2019. We performed logistic regression analysis to investigate factors related to inappropriate testing. Further, a survey was conducted on physicians to assess the knowledge and ordering patterns of C. difficile testing.

Results

We included 715 tests from 520 patients in the analysis. Testing was classified as hospital-onset and community-onset and subclassified as appropriate and inappropriate following an algorithmic method. Among the 715 tests, 576 (80.6%) and 139 (19.6%) tests were classified as hospital-onset and community-onset, respectively. Among the hospital-onset tests, 297 (52%) were considered inappropriate. The risk of inappropriate testing increased when C. difficile tests were conducted in the emergency room (OR 24.96; 95% CI 3.12–199.98) but decreased in intensive care units (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.19–0.67). The survey was conducted on 61 physicians. Internal medicine physicians had significantly higher scores than non-internal medicine physicians (7.1 vs. 5.7, p = 0.001). The most frequently ordered combination of tests was toxin + glutamate dehydrogenase (47.5%), which was consistent with the ordered tests.

Conclusion

Almost half of the C. difficile tests were performed inappropriately. The patient being located in the emergency room and intensive care unit increased and decreased the risk of inappropriate testing, respectively. In a questionnaire survey, we showed that internal medicine physicians were more knowledgeable about C. difficile testing than non-internal medicine physicians. There is a need to implement the diagnostic stewardship for C. difficile, especially through educational interventions for emergency room and non-internal medicine physicians.
Prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma response to transarterial chemoembolization with intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging
Authors: Ghadery Abdolkarim Haji , Yazdi Niloofar Ayoobi , Bagheri Hamed , Kazerooni Anahita Fathi , Salahshour Faeze , Javidi Sam Sharifzadeh , Saeedi Sandra , Rad Hamidreza Saligheh , Shekarchi Babak
Published: May 2022

Background

There are several therapeutic options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As predicting the treatment response is critical in clinical decision making, we aimed to evaluate the quantitative intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) parameters as potential predictors of treatment response of HCC lesions to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Results

Twelve patients (eight males; mean age, 56.12 ± 7.88) with 26 confirmed HCC lesions were recruited in the study. Thirteen lesions (50%) responded to TACE, and the remaining lesions were categorized as nonresponder. Age > 60 year (p value: 0.018), D (p value: 0.005), D* (p value: 0.005), and f (p value: 0.004) values were significantly different in response and nonresponse group lesions. Logistic multivariate analysis showed that f value (OR: 0.847 (95% CI 0.732–0.98), p value = 0.025) could independently predict tumor response to TACE. The ROC curve analysis showed f value could predict the HCC response to TACE with sensitivity and specificity of 76.9% and 76.9%, respectively.

Conclusions

IVIM-DWI parameters, especially the f value, might be useful for predicting the response of the intermediate-stage HCC to TACE.
Epithelioid myoepithelioma of the parotid gland: a case report with a brief literature overview
Authors: Vardag Abdul Basit Shah , Danish Muhammad Hassan , Ikram Mubasher , Awan Muhammad Ozair , Kayani Naila
Published: May 2022

Background

Parotid tumors are frequently encountered by otolaryngologists, and the vast majority of these are of the pleomorphic variety. Myoepitheliomas represent a small subset of parotid tumors. Due to their lack of specificity, they can easily be mistaken by an untrained eye for a pleomorphic adenoma. However, the recent advent of immunohistochemical staining of the tumors has aided in their diagnosis. These tumors show both benign and malignant potential; therefore, careful evaluation and subsequent appropriate management are warranted.

Case presentation

Here, we present a case of a young female patient who presented with a parotid lesion diagnosed as a case of myoepithelioma and dealt with accordingly. She underwent superficial parotidectomy under general anesthesia. A 2 × 2 cm firm nodular swelling was excised from the left parotid gland, and the facial nerve was identified and preserved.

Conclusions

The management of these lesions is usually centered on the surgeon’s experience and opinion as there have not been enough reported cases required for the formulation of an evidence-based guideline, hence more single-center studies are essential for evidence-based management.
Teacher’s awareness regarding epistaxis first-aid management inside schools in Asser Region, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alasiri Ahmed Saeed Y. , Magboul Nasir A. , Alasiri Ahmed Bandar Y. , Al-Amri Deafullah , Albarqi Hasan Hayaza Hasan , AlAlhareth Mansour Saeed Mubarak , Alshandari Tahani
Published: May 2022

Background

Epistaxis is defined as bleeding that originates from the nasal cavity. Considered as one of the most common ENT emergencies, epistaxis is estimated to account for 0.5% of all emergency department visits and up to one-third of all otolaryngology-related emergency department encounters. Nasal bleeding is the most common ENT emergency in the USA. According to the site of bleeding, it can be divided into anterior or posterior. The prevalence of epistaxis was noted to be 35.5% among the children of the participants in a survey conducted in Saudi Arabia in 2019. A cross-sectional study done in Saudi Arabia found that 27% of the participants experienced nasal bleeding. However, the Saudi population’s knowledge about emergency epistaxis management is inadequate. Increased awareness and education about first aid management of epistaxis can improve knowledge and recall among the general population. On the other hand, a study conducted in 2020 showed good knowledge among the Saudi Arabian population about epistaxis management. In most of the cases, epistaxis occurs in an out-of-the-hospital setting. Thus, it is very important for the general population to understand and know some first aid measures for epistaxis.

Objective

To assess the level of awareness regarding epistaxis first aid management at schools in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia.

Results

A total of 75.9% of the teachers in this study correctly reported that they would apply nasal compression in case of a nosebleed. When asked how they would try to stop the bleeding, 58.1% reported that they would keep the head tilted forward and 55.8% stated that they could put ice on the head or nose. Overall, 53.7% knew that they should go to the emergency in case the nosebleed continued for more than 10 min. Only 49.5% reported that they would block the nose with tissue or gauze, and 11.9% knew the compression time to be 6–10 min. A total of 61(15.5%) teachers in this study had good awareness regarding the first aid of epistaxis, while 333 (84.5%) had poor awareness levels.

Conclusion

Nearly two thirds of the teachers were knowledgeable regarding epistaxis and its management, despite the fact that less than half of them had not attended any training or courses in related areas. The lowest awareness was regarding the method and duration of nasal compression. Higher awareness was observed among young male teachers, those teaching scientific subjects, and those who had received information.
A new qP-wave approximation in tilted transversely isotropic media and its reverse time migration for areas with complex overburdens
Authors: Li Junxiao , Xin Kefeng , Dzulkefli Farah Syazana
Published: May 2022

During seismic imaging in anisotropic media, undesired SV waves may be detected when conventional wave equations are used for wavefield simulation, which will contaminate the final seismic image. A pure qP-wave equation that is free of S-wave artifacts is desired, such that crosstalk introduced from the interference of different waves can be eliminated. We have developed a new fully decoupled P-wave equation in transversely isotropic media with titled symmetry axis that avoids unwanted energy during migration. The qP and qSV phase velocities for the new approximations are plotted and compared with the exact solution and some other approximations and indicate high accuracy for various anisotropic models (from low to high degrees of anisotropy). During wavefield simulation, the finite-difference and pseudospectral methods also are combined to accelerate the computation. Moreover, a hybrid perfectly matched layer (H-PML) that combines two different perfectly matched layers for second-order wave equations in the wavenumber domain also is proposed and applied to eliminate the artificial boundary reflections. Comparisons of different absorbing boundary layers also are illustrated to validate the wavenumber domain H-PML. Finally, the new proposed wave approximation together with the new absorbing layer is further incorporated in a new 3D anisotropic reverse time migration (RTM). We test the RTM on the 3D synthetic SEG Advanced Modeling Corporation data and offshore field data with a complicated overburden (salt and gas overburden) and obtain seismic images with high resolution. Benchmarks against commercial implementations also are demonstrated, which proves that the positioning of the reflectors is more reliable and accurate with the new algorithm.
Nonlinear petrophysical amplitude variation with offset inversion with spatially variable pore aspect ratio
Authors: Guo Qiang , Ba Jing , Luo Cong
Published: May 2022

Petrophysical amplitude variation with offset (AVO) inversion, which combines a rock-physics model and prestack inversion, aims at effectively quantifying reservoir-property parameters from prestack seismic data. However, for a reservoir with complex pore structures, this approach may suffer from difficulties in rock-physics modeling, which hinders solving the relevant inverse problem. We have proposed a petrophysical AVO inversion method that considers the complex pore structures within reservoir rocks. The method integrates a differential effective medium model, the Gassmann equation, and the exact Zoeppritz equation as the forward operator. In particular, the pore complexity is addressed by favoring the spatial variation of pore type. Differing from conventional sequential inversion methods, the pore-type variation is introduced by updating the aspect ratio together with the reservoir parameters during the inversion process. To enhance the stability of the results, the estimation of aspect ratio and reservoir parameters is jointly conditioned to seismic and elastic data under a Bayesian framework, which leads to the objective function with joint data misfit terms. The objective function is optimized with a simulated annealing algorithm that includes the full nonlinearity of the forward operator. The proposed method is demonstrated by testing and applying on a carbonate reservoir. It generally outperforms methods that are either purely conditioned on the seismic data or based on a constant aspect ratio.
Screening potentials derived from the central force problem in a deformed space
Authors: Ramirez Michael T. , Andrade José S. , Moreira André A.
Published: May 2022

The action of long-range potentials can be hindered by the collective effect of free charges in a medium, a process dubbed screening. This effect is usually modeled by adding an exponential crossover to a power-law potential. We show here how these exponential cutoffs can be obtained from first principles in the central force problem through the addition of a radial deformation of space,

. When considering a potential in the form

, we find that the radial part of the Schrödinger equation displays an effective potential that takes the form of two well-known screening potentials, namely, the Eckart and the Manning-Rosen potentials.
Effects of Sustained Hyperglycemia on Skeletal Muscle Lipids in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Shannon Christopher E , Merovci Aurora , Fourcaudot Marcel , Tripathy Devjit , Abdul-Ghani Muhammad , Wang Hu , Han Xianlin , Norton Luke , DeFronzo Ralph A
Published: May 2022

Asbtract

Context

Sustained increases in plasma glucose promote skeletal muscle insulin resistance independent from obesity and dyslipidemia (ie, glucotoxicity). Skeletal muscle lipids are key molecular determinants of insulin action, yet their involvement in the development of glucotoxicity is unclear.

Objective

To explore the impact of mild physiologic hyperglycemia on skeletal muscle lipids.

Design

Single group pretest-posttest.

Participants

Healthy males and females with normal glucose tolerance.

Interventions

72-hour glucose infusion raising plasma glucose by ~50 mg/dL.

Main Outcome Measures

Skeletal muscle lipids, insulin sensitivity, lipid oxidation.

Results

Despite impairing insulin-mediated glucose disposal and suppressing fasting lipid oxidation, hyperglycemia did not alter either the content or composition of skeletal muscle triglycerides, diacylglycerides, or phospholipids. Skeletal muscle ceramides decreased after glucose infusion, likely in response to a reduction in free fatty acid concentrations.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that the major lipid pools in skeletal muscle are unperturbed by sustained increases in glucose availability and suggest that glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity drive insulin resistance through distinct mechanistic pathways.
Polygenic Scores for Plasticity: A New Tool for Studying Gene–Environment Interplay
Authors: Johnson Rebecca , Sotoudeh Ramina , Conley Dalton
Published: May 2022

Fertility, health, education, and other outcomes of interest to demographers are the product of an individual's genetic makeup and their social environment. Yet, gene × environment (G×E) research deploys a limited toolkit on the genetic side to study the gene–environment interplay, relying on polygenic scores (PGSs) that reflect the influence of genetics on levels of an outcome. In this article, we develop a genetic summary measure better suited for G×E research: variance polygenic scores (vPGSs), which are PGSs that reflect genetic contributions to plasticity in outcomes. First, we use the UK Biobank (N ∼ 408,000 in the analytic sample) and the Health and Retirement Study (N ∼ 5,700 in the analytic sample) to compare four approaches to constructing PGSs for plasticity. The results show that widely used methods for discovering which genetic variants affect outcome variability fail to serve as distinctive new tools for G×E. Second, using the PGSs that do capture distinctive genetic contributions to plasticity, we analyze heterogeneous effects of a UK education reform on health and educational attainment. The results show the properties of a useful new tool for population scientists studying the interplay of nature and nurture and for population-based studies that are releasing PGSs to applied researchers.
Pretty Gross: Dialectics of Desire and Disgust in the Reception of Pipilotti Rist
Authors: Watlington Emily
Published: May 2022

This article considers the often-overlooked role that disgusting imagery plays in the work of Swiss video artist Pipilotti Rist. In immersive installations and in single-channel videos, Rist updates abject feminist performance art of the 1960s and 1970s for a media-saturated age. But her work brings up—and plays with—a question that has haunted abject feminist figurative art: does the genre attract the male gaze, or avert it? After all, the artist has garnered immense popular appeal while making work with motifs like menstrual blood. Theorists of disgust, however—from Immanuel Kant to Julia Kristeva to Sianne Ngai—have long understood seduction and disgust as intricately bound. The reception of Rist's work shows that the pretty and the gross in fact share many formal characteristics, and that desire and disgust often go hand in hand.
Tumbling Backward: Scrolling, Temporality, and One Direction Fan Narratives on Tumblr
Authors: Mecklenburg Anne-Charlotte
Published: May 2022

The English/Irish boy band One Direction (2010–16) was one of the first major artists to capitalize on social media's potential for building and maintaining a dedicated fan base over time. The One Direction fandom was particularly pervasive on the blogging site Tumblr, which was prominent between 2007 and 2018 both for its chaotic and confusing “rhizomatic” structure, as well as its popularity with marginalized users and fan communities. This article uses the One Direction fandom as a lens through which to examine the affordances of Tumblr as a platform. It argues that Tumblr encourages its users to draw on the fragmentary, potentially incoherent pieces of information they regularly encounter on the site in order to collectively create narratives that can accommodate them. In other words, Tumblr's platform characteristics produce a queer temporality that combines provisionality and multiplicity with narrative forms and meanings. The article highlights three specific characteristics of Tumblr's platform—its “backward scroll,” its tagging structure, and its recirculation of content—that together encourage users to understand time as comprised of these multiple provisional pasts, presents, and futures. The article points toward the way that narrative and theories of collective storytelling can be used as frameworks for understanding social media platforms.
The “Bright Falx” Sign—Midline Embolic Penetration Is Associated With Faster Resolution of Chronic Subdural Hematoma After Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization: A Case Series
Authors: Samarage Hasitha Milan , Kim Wi Jin , Zarrin David , Goel Keshav , Chin-Hsiu Wang Anthony , Johnson Jeremiah , Kaneko Naoki , Nour May , Szeder Viktor , Tateshima Satoshi , Jahan Reza , Duckwiler Gary , Colby Geoffrey Philip
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND:

Chronic subdural hematomas (CSDHs) are common in the elderly population and patients taking antiplatelet/anticoagulation medications. Middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization has become an adjunctive treatment to observation and surgery. Despite many embolization techniques, best practices for optimal CSDH resolution remain unknown.

OBJECTIVE:

To report a retrospective case series of MMA embolization for CSDHs regarding rate of hematoma improvement and the significance of distal embolic penetration into the falx.

METHODS:

Retrospective chart review was performed on all patients who underwent MMA embolization for CSDHs between January 2017 and June 2021. Patient demographics, clinical presentation, anticoagulant use, and radiographic features were collected. Pre-embolization and postembolization computed tomography scans were analyzed for volumetric changes and assessed for midline penetration of embolic material in the falx.

RESULTS:

MMA embolization was performed in 37 patients and 53 hemispheres. Older patients took longer to obtain complete resolution of CSDHs (r = 0.47, P = .03). Patients with larger pre-embolization (r = 0.57, P = .007) and postembolization (r = 0.56, P = .008) CSDH volumes took longer to completely resolve. Patients who had n-butyl cyanoacrylate embolization with midline penetration, as evidenced by the “bright falx” sign, had faster improvement rates than those who did not (5.64 cm3/d vs 1.2 cm3/d, P = .02).

CONCLUSION:

Distal penetration of embolic material, particularly n-butyl cyanoacrylate, into the falx may lead to more rapid improvement of CSDH.
Thermogenesis is supported by high rates of circulatory fatty acid and triglyceride delivery in highland deer mice
Authors: Lyons Sulayman A. , McClelland Grant B.
Published: May 2022

Highland native deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) have greater rates of lipid oxidation during maximal cold challenge in hypoxia (hypoxic cold-induced V̇O2,max) compared with their lowland conspecifics. Lipid oxidation is also increased in deer mice acclimated to simulated high altitude (cold hypoxia), regardless of altitude ancestry. The underlying lipid metabolic pathway traits responsible for sustaining maximal thermogenic demand in deer mice is currently unknown. The objective of this study was to characterize key steps in the lipid oxidation pathway in highland and lowland deer mice acclimated to control (23°C, 21 kPa O2) or cold hypoxic (5°C, 12 kPa O2) conditions. We hypothesized that capacities for lipid delivery and tissue uptake will be greater in highlanders and further increase with cold hypoxia acclimation. With the transition from rest to hypoxic cold-induced V̇O2,max, both highland and lowland deer mice showed increased plasma glycerol concentrations and fatty acid availability. Interestingly, acclimation to cold hypoxia led to increased plasma triglyceride concentrations at cold-induced V̇O2,max, but only in highlanders. Highlanders also had significantly greater delivery rates of circulatory free fatty acids and triglycerides due to higher plasma flow rates at cold-induced V̇O2,max. We found no population or acclimation differences in fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) abundance in the gastrocnemius or brown adipose tissue, suggesting that fatty acid uptake across membranes is not limiting during thermogenesis. Our data indicate that circulatory lipid delivery plays a major role in supporting the high thermogenic rates observed in highland versus lowland deer mice.
Fast Solvothermal Synthesis of Organic-Modified Single-Nanosized Zirconia Dispersed in Benzyl Alcohol
Authors: Fujii Tatsuya , Nakamura Takashi , Kawasaki Shin-ichiro
Published: May 2022

To develop a fast synthesis method for organic-modified single-nanosized zirconium oxide (zirconia) particles dispersed in a solvent, the effects of temperature (300–400 °C), simultaneous modification with carboxylic acids, and precursors on the solvothermal synthesis with benzyl alcohol as a solvent were investigated. The formation of zirconia nanoparticles in this study occurred much faster than in a typical solvothermal condition (250 °C), and nanoparticles (2.6–3.4 nm) were successfully obtained at 2–5 min. The combination of TG and FT-IR analysis for the sample treated with benzoic acid at 400 °C confirmed that benzoic acid was chemically modified on the nanoparticles. In addition, the carbon number of the alkyl group of the zirconia precursor is an important factor that determines the size of zirconia.
RED-I: A RED-Based Algorithm for Internet Routers
Authors:   Department of Mathematical Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria, Hassan Samuel O. , Ajaegbu Chigozirim , Ajaegbu Chigozirim , Kanu Richmond U. , Maitanmi Olusola S.
Published: May 2022

An essential goal of Active Queue Management (AQM) algorithm is to improve delay by keeping the average queue size low and maintain a high throughput. However, Random Early Detection (RED) and its various improved variants have not been able to achieve much in this regard. This paper is concerned with the problem of RED in terms of large delay resulting from RED’s inability to keep the average queue size small. Therefore, we propose a new RED-based AQM algorithm named RED-Improved (RED-I) which utilizes two linear packet dropping functions. ns-3 simulation experiments to compare the performance of the proposed RED-I with RED confirmed that RED-I outperformed RED in terms of delay especially at both light and heavy traffic load scenarios. Replacing/upgrading the RED algorithm implementations in Internet routers (either software or hardware) requires minimal effort since only the packet dropping probability profile needs to be adjusted.
Designing and Simulating of Tunable Microstrip Patch Antenna for 5G Communications Utilising Graphene Material
Authors:   Communications Engineering Department, Iraq University College, Iraq, Alwazzan Saif Ali Mahdi , Khamees Ali Abdullah , Al-Rubaye Mustafa
Published: May 2022

The patch antennas are considered one of the widespread antennas that are extensively utilized due to their capability to combine and unite with various devices, and their manufacturing cost is low, in addition to their low weight. On the other hand, in contrast to these advantages, these antennas are tainted by their narrow bandwidth and low efficiency, in addition to their weak gain. The use of high frequencies such as 60-GHz for indoor uses and the future of the next generation of wireless communications allows users to obtain a high data transfer speed of up to many gigabits per second but at the expense of losses in this frequency band, which must be rationed as much as possible through the antenna design. In this article, a Microstrip Patch (MP) antenna with the rectangular patch shape will be simulating and improved for 60-GHz applications based on graphene material. This material has amazing and unique characteristics one of which is the variable surface impedance which can be tuned via practised DC voltage on the material layer. This property allows constructing the tunable antennas that are considered as a good solution to eliminate the narrow bandwidth of the MP antennas. The introduced antenna structure comprises of fully copper radiated patch inside it two graphene slots are inserted, a substrate with 2.2 relative permittivity and 0.1 mm thickness, and a fully copper ground plane. The suggested antennas design is done by using the finite integration that is offered by the CST software. The obtained gain results for the simulated antenna is diverse among 6.19-4.6dBi for both states of the surface impedance (i.e. low graphene surface impedance and high graphene surface impedance).
RF Fingerprinting of Software Defined Radios Using Ensemble Learning Models
Authors:   Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Trivandrum, India, A Arun Kumar K
Published: May 2022

Machine Learning (ML) is becoming a transformative technology in wireless communication. The deployment of large scale RF devices particularly in IoT applications escalates security threats and also setting up of secure networks using wireless devices is becoming a big challenge. Along with ensuring security, identifying each RF device in an autonomous network is essential and the RFML (Radio Frequency Machine Learning) can play a crucial role here. This paper focuses on the RF characterization of a set of Software Defined Radios (SDR) using advanced machine learning models. This helps to identify each SDR module in the deployed network which runs only a specific protocol in a particular network. The SDRs will be configured for a particular specification and the test will be conducted. The transmitted data from multiple radio nodes were collected using a reconfigurable radio’s receive chain in IQ-format, in the laboratory environment. The RF features like IQ-imbalance, DC-offset and the image leakages in the multicarrier modes were used to set fingerprints for identifying the reconfigurable radios. Two ensemble learning models Random Forest and AdaBoost were used to train and develop predictive models to identify the radio. At a SNR of 30dB Random Forest achieved an accuracy of 85% and AdaBoost achieved an accuracy of 78% with 32K multicarrier data. A maximum recognition rate of 92% is achieved with RF and 83% with AdaBoost.
Adaptive Channel Equalization Using Seagull Optimization with Various Initialization Strategies
Authors:   Visveswaraya Technological University, Belagavi, Karnataka, India, N Shwetha , Priyatham Manoj , N Gangadhar
Published: May 2022

In a digital communication channel, the transmitted signal may be dispersive causing the information to not be transmitted as same. Due to the distortion, the communication channel is affected known as Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI). To reducing the ISI effect, adaptive channel equalization plays an important role in digital communication. In the proposed method, the Finite Impulse Response (FIR) channel ISI effect is reduced by the proposed optimization algorithm. The FIR channel weight or coefficients are optimized by the proposed Seagull Optimization Algorithm (SOA) with different initialization strategies. Normally, SOA has random initialization of population but to improve the process of adaptive channel equalization, Random Number Generation (RNG), Opposition based learning (OBL) and Quasi-Opposition based learning (QBL) methods are utilized for initialization. The objective function of the equalization process is minimization error values where the error value is estimated based on the desired signal and channel output signal. The experiment is carried out on the MATLAB platform. The proposed method's effectiveness is shown to compare the various initialization methods of RNG, OBL and QBL with SOA. Based on different SNRs, the error value is computed and shows the convergence results.
A Proportional Scheduling Protocol for the OFDMA-Based Future Wi-Fi Network
Authors:   Centre for Higher Studies and Research, Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka-1216, Bangladesh, Islam Gazi Zahirul , Kashem Mohammod Abul
Published: May 2022

The IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) and IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) adopt the OFDMA technology to provide high-speed and uninterrupted communications in the dense network. Until the advent of IEEE 802.11ax standard, Wireless LAN (WLAN) predominantly uses the Random Access (RA) mechanism to access the network. IEEE 802.11ax and IEEE 802.11be (proposed) provide another access mechanism for WLAN (i.e., Wi-Fi), which is known as Scheduled Access (SA). This mechanism utilizes the OFDMA technology to provide highspeed and smooth communications in congested areas. By the way, the performance of the OFDMA based wireless LAN largely depends on the scheduling protocol. Many researchers propose RA and SA protocols independently, which do not consider the simultaneous implementation of both mechanisms. This paper proposes a Proportional Resource Scheduling (PRS) scheme for the OFDMA-based wireless LAN that simultaneously implements RA and SA mechanisms for data transmission. We design two algorithms for the resource scheduling for the PRS protocol. Algorithm 1 provides the initial scheduling information, which is received by Algorithm 2 as the input. After performing revision, Algorithm 2 provides the final scheduling information to the access point. The PRS distributes the channel resources proportionally to the stations according to their available loads. Thus, it utilizes the resources efficiently and increases the throughput and fairness in accessing the channel. We construct analytical models both for the SA and RA mechanisms and conduct rigorous simulations to measure the efficiency of the PRS protocol. The analyses validate the robustness of the proposed protocol in throughput, goodput, fairness, and retransmissions. The main contribution of the proposed protocol is that it provides a framework for simultaneous implementation of RA and SA mechanisms for the future wireless LAN.
Development of a Simulated Portable Mesh Network via ESP8266-Based Devices with Utility Application
Authors:   College of Computer and Information Science, Malayan Colleges Laguna, Pulo Diezmo, Cabuyao City Laguna 4025, Philippines, Martillano Dennis A. , Asiddao John Patrick M. , Dupaya Roy Carlos B. , Lavina Ken Brian B. , Sy Patricia Alexandra A.
Published: May 2022

Mesh network is very effective for node-to-node communications. In networks that require and demand devices for home monitoring and control, uncommon topology like Mesh is viewed to have a more effective advantage. However, when it comes to networks, Mesh Network is almost left untouched in most studies simply due to the existing network solutions such as WLAN or Bluetooth. The existence of low-powered WPAN devices fill the demand in integrating devices into mesh networks. However, constant configuration could be very complex and difficult for a mesh using existing WPAN devices since nodes constantly move in and out dynamically in the mesh network. This study focused on the development of a simulated mesh network through ESP8266 enabled devices to deliver a straightforward setup and portable connectivity. The study also developed a utility application that integrates an algorithm for node network operations, and a facility that keeps track of mesh network information including delays, node connections, and data transmission. Three(3) portable ESP8266 devices were used and configured in the study. The devices were integrated in a simulated mesh network and subjected to network processes including identity tagging, dynamic connection, routing, One-way Delay and Payload Size Tests. Results of One-Way Delay and Payload Size Tests indicate consistency of transmission and receiving of data of nodes connecting and disconnecting to the simulated network. This can be used as basis in extending further into more high-end nodes like handheld devices and even computers. Similarly, the utilization of dedicated algorithm for Mesh in this study proved that portability can be achieved to avoid loss of connection when nodes abruptly fail in the network.
Radiation Pattern, Surface Current Distribution, and Q-Factor Improvement Technique Using DMS CSPA: Part-II
Authors:   Department of Electronic Engineering, Howard College, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban-4041, South Africa, Omoru Elliot O. , Srivastava Viranjay M.
Published: May 2022

In order to improve the efficiency, reliability, and accuracy during fabrication of antenna in 5G regime of frequencies, a Double-Material Substrate (DMS) Cylindrical Surrounding micro-strip fed Patch Antenna (CSPA) has been designed for use in 2.4/5.8 GHz WLAN, 2.5/5.15 GHz WiMAX wireless standards, 5.9 GHz Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) band (5.85-5.925 GHz) and middle band of 5G technology (2.3 GHz ~ 2.4 GHz and 2.5 GHz ~ 2.69 GHz). The proposed antenna addresses the negative effect of dimension inaccuracy caused by the high permittivity substrate material used in CSPA. The antenna was designed, simulated, and thoroughly analyzed on the basis of the radiation pattern, surface current distribution, and Q factor. Findings reveal that the DMS CSPA showed a worthy radiation pattern and Q-factor of 3.62 and 2.31 at 2.68 GHz and 5.55 GHz bands, respectively. The radiation plots of simulation results present the angular width values between 450 ~ 1040, showing a wider coverage area with minimal sidelobe level between -4.4 dB ~ 11.9 dB for the E-planes and H-planes at both resonance frequencies.
Media Aggression Within Political Communication Context (Based on British and US Media Texts)
Authors: Greydina N.
Published: May 2022

The research article presents a pragmatic communicative analysis of the concept «media aggression» as one of the forms of manipulative technologies in the field of public speech. Aggressive language behaviour is considered within the framework of media discourse through the use of language manipulation technologies. The description is given to manipulative nature and goal-setting of the British and American mass media. The concept «verbal aggression» and its forms (explicit and implicit) are differentiated in the media context based on the texts of British and American mass media. Various technologies of explicit and implicit forms of verbal aggression are considered. The methodological concept «information aggressiveness index» is introduced and is calculated on the basis of the presented analytical material. Both headline and text original media materials are analyzed. The nature of information policy is interpreted at the level of interstate relations. The theoretical positions of the research article are illustrated by the original examples of the topical political articles published by British and American media.
Anatoly Nikolaevich Shchukin. Tango with the Methodology of Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language
Authors: Koneva N.
Published: May 2022

This article is dedicated to the bright representative of the teaching staff at the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, Professor A. N. Shchukin. The article also describes the importance of methodology of teaching Russian as a foreign language in the developing Russian as a foreign language teacher’s professional competence.
Netflix: análisis comparativo del consumo de los usuarios antes y durante la pandemia
Authors: Iglesias Albores Emiliano Lucas
Published: May 2022

Las plataformas digitales de distribución de contenido audiovisual se han convertido en un fenómeno de consumo que ha trastocado no solo la industria de producción, sino la forma de consumir y decidir lo que el usuario finalmente visualiza en la pantalla. Este trabajo plantea un acercamiento teórico y empírico a la forma en la que Netflix utiliza la información del usuario con la intención de predecir su consumo futuro. El artículo revisita los conceptos de algoritmo, base de datos e inteligencia artificial y, posteriormente, describe los resultados de un estudio de monitorización del consumo de Netflix. Es un estudio de caso en el que participaron doce usuarios de diferentes países y condición sociodemográfica que cumplimentaron plantillas de recolección de datos de su consumo cada dos semanas, durante seis meses, en distintas condiciones experimentales de oferta y de restricciones de la movilidad por la covid-19. El trabajo demuestra que cuanto mayor es el consumo en tiempo y en producciones de la plataforma, mayor es el poder de Netflix para generar sugerencias de consumo más certeras y aceptadas por los usuarios. El poder de predicción de consumos futuros de la plataforma, alimentado por el efecto pandemia, determina un escenario de control sobre la toma de decisiones humanas que se extiende, en otras plataformas de Internet, a todos los rincones y experiencias de la vida.
COVID-19 outbreak management in a mental healthcare setting
Authors: Aziz Ann-Marie
Published: May 2022

Since the beginning of the novel coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19), inadvertent exposure of hospitalised patients and healthcare workers has been a major concern. Patients in inpatient settings with mental illnesses have also been impacted by the restrictions the pandemic has caused, with many having experienced the confines and loss of liberties that COVID-19 has brought. This article identifies the infection prevention and control measures required in a mental health setting during an outbreak of COVID-19. The focus is on the challenges of working in a mental health setting and identifies the difficulties in containing the infection within this ill-designed built environment and includes the additional pressures of managing this complex and diverse group of patients. Current guidance on outbreak measures is given with particular attention applied to the patients, the practices and the environment.
Consultation and clinical assessment for advanced clinical practitioners in sexual health
Authors: McPhillips Hazel , Wood Alison F
Published: May 2022

Sexual health is a very important aspect of patient wellbeing, but it is a topic health professionals still find challenging within patient consultations. The incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continues to rise, highlighting the need for all advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) to understand the principles of a sexual health consultation as they may have to support patients who present with a sexual health concern, not purely those in specialist clinics and roles. This article provides a comprehensive overview of key points to include as part of a consultation and assessment within this area of specialist practice. Effective communication is a key skill for obtaining a thorough, clear history, allowing for more accurate differentials and a smoother patient journey. The environment and body language are two other considerations when undertaking a sexual health consultation. As with all histories, a systematic approach is essential and having a solid knowledge of the foundations of sexual health will enable the ACP to focus this history to obtain pertinent information.
The Indonesian National Nurses Association: aims and achievements
Authors: Fadhillah Harif , Mustikasari Mustikasari , Sunadi Apri , Hapsari Elsi Dwi
Published: May 2022

Harif Fadhillah, Mustikasari Mustikasari ( mustikasari@ui.ac.id ), Apri Sunadi and Elsi Dwi Hapsari, Central Board of the Indonesian National Nurses Association
Renal and ureteric stones: a clinical review
Authors: Redfern Vicky , Mortimore Gerri
Published: May 2022

This clinical review on renal and ureteric stones discusses how stones form, the incidence, risks, and complications associated with calculi. It reflects on the management and treatment options available, and highlights the important contribution by nurses and those working in advanced clinical practice roles in using their knowledge and rational clinical decision making to ensure timely recognition, prompt investigation, management and ongoing health promotion.