bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal by Natural Pyrite based Constructed Wetland with Intermittent Aeration
Authors: Li Liya , Feng Jingwei , Zhang Liu , Yin Hao , Fan Chunli , Wang Zechun , Zhao Menglei , Ge Chengchang , Song Hao
Published: April 2021

Four subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SFCWs) filled with different substrates including ceramsite, ceramsite + pyrite, ceramsite + ferrous sulfide, and ceramsite + pyrite + ferrous sulfide (labeled as SFCW-S1, SFCW-S2, SFCW-S3, and SFCW-S4) were constructed, and the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus by these SFCWs coupled with intermittent aeration in the front section was discussed. The key findings from different substrate analyses, including nitrification and denitrification rate, enzyme activity, microbial community structure, and the X-ray diffraction, revealed the nitrogen and phosphorus removal mechanism. The results showed that the nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiency for SFCW-S1 always remains the lowest, and the phosphorus removal efficiency for SFCW-S4 is recorded as the highest one. However, after controlling the dissolved oxygen by intermittent aeration in the front section of SFCWs, the nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies of SFCWs-S2 and S4 becomes higher than those of SFCW-S1, and SFCW-S3. It was noticed that the pollutants were removed mainly in the front section of the SFCWs. Both precipitation and adsorption on the substrate were the main mechanisms for phosphorus removal. A minute difference of nitrification rate and ammonia monooxygenase activity was observed in the SFCWs aeration zone. The denitrification rates, nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, and electron transport system activity for SFCW-S2 and SFCW-S4 were higher than those detected for SFCW-S1 and SFCW-S3 in the non-aerated zone. Proteobacteria was the largest phyla found in the SFCWs. Moreover, Thiobacillus occupied a large proportion found in SFCW-S2, and SFCW-S4, and it played a crucial role in pyrite-driven autotrophic denitrification.
Pediatric and Adult Obesity Concern Female Health: A Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: yan yishang , Qu Zihao , Lv Ping-ping , Huang He-Feng
Published: April 2021

Purpose: Adulthood and childhood obesity are associated with female reproductive endocrinology and gynecological cancers. However, the causality of such association is yet to be identified. Independent of inverse bias and confounding, mendelian randomization is like a random control trial where genetic groups are settled during meiosis, which could be effective to examine the causality. Methods: We carried out several Mendelian randomization trials based on combined genetic scores of 75 adult-associated and 15 child-associated BMI single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), diseases databases of several gynecological cancers and reproductive diseases from UK Biobank with 194,153 participants, using traditional inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, Weighted Median (WM) approach, MR-Egger regression and updated MR-PRESSO analysis. Results: Elevated adult-associated BMI (effect:1.003;95%CI:1.001,1.004) and child-associated BMI (effect:1.003;95%CI:1.001,1.004) genetic scores were related to higher risk of PCOS incidence by using traditional IVW method. Random IVW method showed a negative causal association between the child-associated BMI and subsequent endometriosis attack(effect:0.995;95%CI:0.991,0.999). Conclusions: Consistent with observational consequences, our findings suggested that childhood and adulthood obesity may play roles in the development of PCOS, and children obesity can elevate the possibility of PCOS but decrease the incidence of endometriosis in later life. More researches need to be conducted for further validation and potential mechanisms.
Protective Effects of Rutin Against Deltamethrin-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity in Rats via Regulation of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Apoptosis
Authors: Küçükler Sefa , Kandemir Fatih Mehmet , Özdemir Selçuk , Çomaklı Selim , Caglayan Cuneyt
Published: April 2021

Deltamethrin (DLM) is a type-II pyrethroid synthetic insecticide that is extensively used for controlling mosquitoes, flies, pests, insects worldwide. Oxidative stress is one of the DLM toxicity mechanisms. This study was carried out to evaluate the likelihood protective effects of rutin (RUT), a natural antioxidant, against DLM-induced liver and kidney toxicities in rats. Hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity were evaluated after the rats were treated orally with DLM (1.28 mg/kg b.w.) alone or with RUT (25 and 50 mg/kg b.w.) for 30 days. DLM administration caused an increase in lipid peroxidation level and a decrease in activities of SOD, CAT, and GPx and GSH levels in the both tissues. DLM also increased serum ALT, AST, ALP, urea, and creatinine levels, while reduced nephrine levels in rats. In addition, DLM increased the activation of inflammatory and apoptotic pathways by decreasing Bcl-2 and increasing TNF-α, NF-κB, IL-1β, p38α MAPK, COX-2, iNOS, beclin-1, Bax, and caspase-3 protein levels and/or activities. Furthermore, DLM increased mRNA expression levels of PARP-1, VEGF and immunohistochemical expressions of c-fos in the tissues. RUT treatment significantly improved all examined parameters and restored the liver and kidney histopathological and immunohistochemical alterations. These findings demonstrate that RUT could be used to ameliorate hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in DLM-induced rats.
Urbanization-Related Changes Over the Last 20 Years in Occurrence, Sources and Human Health Risks of Soil PAHs in Rural Tianjin, China
Authors: Fan Ying , Zhao Zongshan , Shi Rongguang , Li Xiaohua , Yang Yanying , Lan Jing
Published: April 2021

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), one of the key pollutants in urban areas, have presented a great risk to the resident health. So far, however, studies in-depth on changes of local PAH emissions and associated health risks closely related to urbanization are scarce. Here, the concentrations of PAHs were determined in 57 surface soil samples obtained from two rural districts in 2018 in Tianjin, China. The sources, risks and the linkage between urbanization and PAH contamination of soil PAHs in 2018 were compared with the data in 2001 from a previous study to investigate the changes related to urbanization effects. The temporal changes in the concentrations and composition of PAHs for two districts were similar. The increased total concentrations of soil PAHs could be attributed to the fact that ANT and DahA became the dominated compounds, which was related to changes of the PAH sources. Results of the positive matrix factorization model suggest that the major sources of soil PAHs changed from coal combustion (32.9%), petroleum sources (32.1%), and traffic sources (22.1%) in 2001 to traffic sources (63.7%) and petroleum and biomass combustion (18.7%) in 2018. Results from incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) model showed that the carcinogenic risk of soil PAHs to residents also increased from safe level to low level, and dermal contact was the prevailing pathway of PAH exposure. The increase in cancer risks were mainly related to the alterations of PAH sources.
Realisation of Pressure Sensor using one Dimensional Indium Arsenide (InAs) Based Photonic Waveguide in 3 Communication Windows
Authors: MISHRA CHANDRA SEKHAR , Nayak Manas Ranjan , Arunachalam Rajesh , Palai Gopinath
Published: April 2021

Indium arsenide (InAs) based one dimensional photonic crystal waveguide is cautiously considered in three optical communication windows. Here, the emerging transmitted signal from one dimensional photonic structure is determined with the consideration of five types of losses (diffraction loss, reflection loss, absorption loss, propagation loss, polarisation loss). Further, the transmitted signal is obtained with respect to pressure, which ranges from 0 GPa to 5 GPa for different lattice constant of photonic structure (100 nm, 120 nm, 140 nm). Simulation upshots revealed that indium arsenide semiconductor based photonic waveguide shows an excellent outcome for pressure sensor in the three optical windows as well as different waveguide lengths.
New Records and Mitochondrial DNA Markers of Two Deep-sea eels Collected from the Western Pacific Ocean
Authors: Kim Han-Jun , han jeonghoon , Kim Byung-Jik , Lee Kyun-Woo , Hyeong Kiseong , Choi Young-Ung
Published: April 2021

Two deep-sea eels collected from the western Pacific Ocean are described in this study. Based on their morphological characteristics, the two deep-sea eel specimens were assumed to belong to the cusk-eel family Ophidiidae and the cutthroat eel family Synaphobranchidae. To accurately identify the species of the deep-sea eel specimens, we sequenced the mitochondrial genes (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA)). Through molecular phylogenetic analysis based on mtDNA CO1 and 16S rRNA gene sequences, these species clustered with the genera Bassozetus and Synaphobranchus, suggesting that the deep-sea eel specimens collected are two species from the genera Bassozetus and Synaphobranchus in the western Pacific Ocean, respectively. This is the first study to report new records of the genera Bassozetus and Synaphobranchus from the western Pacific Ocean based on mitochondrial DNA markers.
A clinical and in-silico analysis of hsa-miR-21 and Growth Differentiation factor-15 expression in Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Agarwal Riddhi Girdhar , Purohit Purvi , Khokhar Manoj , Modi Anupama , Bajpai Nitin Kumar , Bohra Gopal Krishna , Garg Mahendra Kumar , Sharma Praveen
Published: April 2021

Background: Diabetic Nephropathy (DN), a microvascular complication, is a major cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). GDF-15 and hsa-miR-21 are closely associated with endothelial dysfunction and inflammation.Methods: In-silico analysis was used to identify GDF-15 and insulin related protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and a common set of GDF-15 regulating transcription factors. Common targeting miRNA of GDF-15 regulating transcription factors were investigated in miRNet and TargetScan. Further, 30 type 2 DN patients and 30 healthy controls were included for clinical chemistry analysis, to analyze serum GDF-15 levels by ELISA and to evaluate the fold change expression (FCE) of circulating hsa-miR-21 by RT-PCR.Results: In the PPI network of IRS1, IRS2, INSR, IGF1R, INS, AKT1, PPARG, CEBPB, EGR1, TP53, KLF4, ATF3, GDF15, TWIST2, the common nodes between insulin and GDF-15 were identified. MicroRNA-21 was bioinformatically observed to directly target GDF-15 downregulating transcription factors KLF4, TP-53, and CEBPB. Serum GDF-15 was nearly ten (10) folds higher in DN patients (p˂0.0001) as compared to healthy controls. A positive and significant correlation of serum GDF-15 was found with HbA1c, HOMA-IR, serum urea and serum creatinine. The FCE of hsa-miR-21 was 9.18 folds higher in DN patients. Conclusion: Raised serum GDF-15 and circulating hsa-miR-21 can serve as clinically important therapeutic targets and biomarkers of progressive renal disorder.
The Usage of IoT and far off Sensor Associations and their Application in Horticulture for the Improvement of Yield Efficiency in India
Authors: GHUTKE PRATIK CHOKHOBA , Agrawal Rahul
Published: April 2021

In the development of mortal civilization, farming assumes a key part. Individuals are taking a stab at giving extra endeavor likewise extraordinary ways to deal with duplicate food presentation as a result of the expanded interest for food. One such activity is the utilization of different advances for horticulture. As IoT sensors are equipped for giving horticultural field data and afterward following up based on crack information, keen cultivating is an arising term. The rising need of sustenance, in respects with total and greatness, has expanded the interest for the farming area to heighten and industrialize. The IoT is a very reassuring family of robotizations having able in giving various answers for rural modernization In this work, the development of a wise ranch structure utilizing the guaranteed winner of progressive automation including Arduino Uno, Web of Things and Remote Sensor Organization is proposed. The element of this paper is the improvement of a framework is utilized to control temperature, moistness, mugginess and furthermore the mediation of creatures through sensors to execute crops in the farming area utilizing the Arduino board in case of any distinction, following ecological conditions utilizing 3G/4G/5G/Wi-Fi modules are considered as major ingredient in achieving the yield of productive crops, and sending the SMS notification and an application notification designed similar towards producer's smart phone making use of 3G/4G/5G/Wi-Fi modules. There are a few examination issues identified with sensors and their organizations due to the meaning of sensor innovation. A portion of the significant sensor network issues for which a few arrangements have been proposed by scientists are energy requirements, restricted handling power, little memory and information security. The work fundamentally centers in investigating the requirement for remote sensors in various fields of agribusiness additionally tells the new progression in the IoT market, need of robotization in horticulture area likewise what all difficulties ranchers are confronting utilizing IoT.
Improvable Education in Palliative Care A Qualitative Research About Palliative Care Education From the Perspective of Young Physicians
Authors: Hagedorn Carolin , Tadevosyan Artashes , Mason Stephen , Elsner Frank
Published: April 2021

Background

Due to i.e. demographic changes, an aging society and the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, Palliative Care has become a relevant topic worldwide. The need for Palliative Care in Armenia is faced with inadequate care. (Undergraduate) education marks a major barrier to provide sufficient care and remains deficient. This research aimed to assess the current status of Palliative Care (undergraduate education) in Armenia and identify issues that need to be addressed.
Methods

Twenty Armenian first-year residents with different specializations were questioned in July – September 2016 regarding understanding/knowledge, experiences, self-perception of competence and expectations of Palliative Care and Palliative Care (undergraduate) education. These semi-structured interviews resulted in complete transcripts which were analyzed in a summarizing Qualitative Content Analysis subsequently.
Results

According to the interviews, Armenia’s health care system lacked sufficient Palliative Care and Palliative Care (undergraduate) education. Some topics, included in different subjects, only partially provided a clear understanding of typical Palliative Care patients/symptoms, approaches of incurable patients and missing training on breaking bad news. Challenges included emotional difficulties, communication of diagnosis/prognosis, uninformed patients and feared consequences for patients, families and physicians. Self-confidence in treating incurable patients varied. Stated wishes included increasing availability and accessibility of Palliative Care and extension of education in all levels (undergraduate, postgraduate, specialization).
Conclusions

Missing education resulted in misconceptions and ignorance of common Palliative Care concepts, expandable confidence in such situations and widely individual, varying, non-standardized approaches towards incurable patients. Palliative Care education needs to be implemented and expanded in Armenia. This research may set a base for further exploration in this field. It can be assumed that these specific results are also applicable to Palliative Care Education in other countries of the Caucasus region and beyond.
Synergistic Effects of Zn, Cu, and Ni and Bacillus Thuringiensis On the Hemocyte Count and the Antioxidant Activities of Hyphantria Cunea Drury (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) Larvae
Authors: Yanar Oğuzhan , Topkara Elif F. , Solmaz Fatma G. , Mercan Sevcan
Published: April 2021

Insects are model organisms for immunological studies. The cellular and the antioxidant enzyme responses of insects are major bioindicators against environmental stresses (metal exposure, infection, etc.). In our study, the differences in the hemocyte counts and the antioxidant enzyme activities of Hyphantria cunea larvae exposed to the different amounts of zinc, copper, and nickel and Bacillus thuringiensis infection were determined. With metal exposure, the superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities increased, but the hemocyte counts decreased. Additionally, both the hemocyte counts and the enzyme activities increased with Bacillus thuringiensis infection. As a result of this study, we found that the superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase and the hemocyte counts varied in response to both metal exposure and bacterial infection.
The Pandemic Coping Scale – Factorial Validity and Reliability of a Brief Measure of Coping During a Pandemic
Authors: Lotzin Annett , Ketelsen Ronja , Buth Sven , Krause Linda , Ozga Ann-Kathrin , Böttche Maria , Schäfer Ingo
Published: April 2021

Background: This study aimed to assess the factorial validity and reliability of the Pandemic Coping Scale, a new brief measure of coping behavior in response to the stressors of a pandemic. Methods: The scale was administered to N = 2,316 German participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. An exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis were applied among two random splits of the sample. The global goodness of fit (χ², RMSEA, SRMR, CFI, TLI), the local goodness of fit (factor loadings, communalities, factor reliability, discriminant validity), and test quality criteria (internal consistency, item discrimination, and difficulty) were evaluated for two models (Model 1: four-factor model; Model 2: four-factor model combined with a second-order general factor). Results: The exploratory factor analysis suggested a four-factor solution with factor loadings accounting for 44.6% of the total variance (Factor 1 ‘Healthy Lifestyle’, Factor 2 ‘Joyful Activities’, Factor 3 ‘Daily Structure’, Factor 4 ‘Prevention Adherence’). The confirmatory factor analysis showed a sufficient global fit for both specified models (Model 1: χ² (59, N =1172) = 366.97, p < .001, RMSEA = .067, SRMR = .043, CFI = .926, TLI = .902; Model 2: χ² (61, N = 1172) = 373.33, p < .001, RMSEA = .066, SRMR = .043, CFI = .925, TLI = .904). Model 1 and Model 2 did not significantly differ in their fit to the data (∆χ² (2, N = 1172) = 6.36, p = .042). Local goodness of fit indices were similar for both models and mostly showed moderate to large factor loadings, and good factor reliabilities except for ‘Prevention Adherence’. Conclusion: The Pandemic Coping Scale showed sufficient factorial validity for the four measured dimensions of coping and reliability for the scales except for ‘Prevention Adherence’ to assess coping during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The ‘Prevention Adherence’ subscale might be improved by adding items with higher item difficulties.
Key Factors Controlling Microbial Distribution on a DNAPL Source Area
Authors: Herrero Jofre , Puigserver Diana , Nijenhuis Ivonne , Kuntze Kevin , Carmona José M.
Published: April 2021

The chlorinated solvents are among the common groundwater contaminants that show high complexity in their distribution in the subsoil. Microorganisms play a vital role in the natural attenuation of chlorinated solvents. Up to now, how the in situ soil microbial community responds to chlorinated solvents contamination remains unclear. In this study, the microbial community distribution within two boreholes located in the source area of perchloroethene (PCE) were investigated via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and clone library analysis. Microbial data were related to the lithological and geochemical data and the concentration and isotopic composition of chloroethenes to stablish the key factors controlling the distribution of the microbial communities. The results indicated that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were the most abundant phylums in the sediment. The statistical correlation with the environmental data proved that fine granulometry, oxygen tolerance, terminal electron acceptor processes and toxicity control microbial structure. This study improves our understanding of how the microbial community in the subsoil responds to high concentration of chlorinated solvents.
Intelligent Computing Technique Based Supervised Learning for Squeezing Flow Model
Authors: Almalki Maryam Mabrook , Alaidarous Eman Salem , Maturi Dalal , Raja Muhammad Asif Zahoor , Shoaib Muhammad
Published: April 2021

In this study, the unsteady squeezing flow between infinite parallel plates (USF-IPP) is investigated through the intelligent computing paradigm of Levenberg-Marquard backpropagation neural networks (LMBNN). Similarity transformation introduces the fluidic system of the governing partial differential equations (PDEs) into nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). A dataset is generated based on squeezing fluid flow system USF-IPP for the LMBNN through the Runge-Kutta method by the suitable variations of Reynolds number and volume flow rate. TO attain approximation solutions for USF-IPP to different scenarios and cases of LMBNN, the operations of training, testing, and validation are prepared and then the outcomes are compared with the reference data set to ensure the suggested model's accuracy. The output of LMBNN is discussed by the mean square error, dynamics of state transition, analysis of error histograms, and regression illustrations.
Influent salinity affects substrate selection in surface flow constructed wetlands
Authors: Zhou Shenyan , Zhao Ran , Li Qiming , Du Juan , Chen Chen , Lu Qianqian , Zhang Miao , Zhao Dehua , An Shuqing
Published: April 2021

Conducted in pilot-scale surface flow constructed wetlands (SFCWs), this study’s objective is to identify the effect of influent salinity on substrate selection. Compared with gravel and sand SFCWs, soil SFCWs performed similarly to worse and similarly to better at low and high salinities, respectively, in removal efficiencies (REs) of salt, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Soil generally increased macrophyte growth (especially at high salinity) in dry biomass, leaf chlorophyll concentration, root activity and root catalase and superoxide dismutase activities. The decrease of bacterial diversity in rhizosphere may be caused by high salinity, while soil improved rhizosphere bacterial community stability at varying salinities more than gravel or sand. At high salinity, soil support of macrophytes and rhizosphere microorganism increased pollutant REs in SFCWs or at least offset relatively poor biofilm attachment to soil. This highlights the necessity of the varying substrate selection in SFCWs with influent salinities for both increasing pollutant REs and reducing input cost.
Thermal Kinetics of SiCp Reinforced Al-Zn-Mg-Cu Alloy Composite
Authors: Das Saikat , Rao R. Govinda , Rout Prasanta Kumar
Published: April 2021

In the present work, the artificial aging kinetics of SiCp particles reinforced AA7075-SiCp composite fabricated by stir casting method was investigated. The aging behavior of AA7075-SiCp composite was investigated by Rockwell hardness tests and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results show there are no changes in the sequences of formation and dissolution of precipitate. Reinforced particles are uniformly distributed throughout the matrix. The hardness profile shows increase in hardness with the comparison of AA7075 base alloy. In addition to SiCp in the matrix, precipitation kinetics has changed compared with base alloy since higher dislocations present in composite, hence requires lower activation energy to form ή precipitate and takes less time to reach the maximum hardness. In contrast, the addition of SiCp at low volume percent also showing accelerated aging phenomena in the composite during the aging process. High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) micrograph of peak age (T6) condition divulges that enormous fine and plate-like ή (MgZn2) precipitates are uniformly distributed in the composite.
Neuropeptide W Attenuates Oxidative Multi-Organ Injury in Rats Induced with Intra-Abdominal Sepsis
Authors: Atici Ali Emre , Tamer Sevil Arabacı , Levent Hilal Nisva , Eyuboglu İrem Peker , Ercan Feriha , Akkiprik Mustafa , Yegen Berrak Ç
Published: April 2021

Sepsis leads to systemic hypotension, disturbed perfusion, inflammation and tissue toxicity in vital organs. Neuropeptide W (NPW) has modulatory effects in the control of blood pressure and inflammatory processes, implicating a potential beneficial effect against sepsis-induced oxidative damage. Under anesthesia, male Sprague Dawley rats underwent cecal ligation and puncture. Immediately after surgery, either saline or TNF-alpha inhibitor (etanercept; 1 mg/kg) antibiotic (ceftriaxon; 100 mg/kg) combination or NPW (0.1, 1 or 3 µg/kg) was given subcutaneously, and injections were repeated at 12th and 24th h. The sham-operated control group was treated with saline at the same time points. All rats were euthanized at the 25th h of surgery. Sepsis resulted in oxidative damage of the brain, heart, lung, liver and kidney. Elevations in blood urea nitrogen and alkaline phosphatase, showing renal and hepatic dysfunction, were not evident when septic rats were treated with NPW. NPW reduced serum levels of C-reactive protein, corticosterone and interleukin-6, while histopathologically verified tissue damage in all the studied tissues was ameliorated. NPW treatment suppressed lipid peroxidation in the heart, lung and brain, and the depleted antioxidant GSH levels of the brain and heart were replenished by NPW. Moreover, sepsis-related neutrophil recruitment to liver and lung was also suppressed by NPW. Although survival rate of the rats was not significantly prolonged by NPW, most of these improvements in systemic and local inflammatory events were comparable with those reached by the etanercept and antibiotic combination, suggesting the therapeutic impact of NPW during the acute period of sepsis.
Advance Care Planning Conversations in Primary Care: a Quality Improvement Project Using the Serious Illness Care Program
Authors: Hafid Abe , Howard Michelle , Guenter Dale , Elston Dawn , Gallagher Erin , Winemaker Samantha , Waters Heather
Published: April 2021

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) conversations are associated with improved end-of-life healthcare outcomes and patients want to engage in ACP with their healthcare providers. Despite this, ACP conversations rarely occur in primary care settings. Therefore, the objective of this study was to implement ACP through adapted Serious Illness Care Program (SICP) training sessions, and to understand primary care provider perceptions of implementing ACP into practice. Methods: We conducted a quality improvement project guided by the Normalization Process Theory (NPT). NPT is an explanatory model the delineates the processes by which organizations implement and integrate new work. The project was implemented in an interprofessional academic family medicine group in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Primary care providers (PCP), consisting of physicians, family medicine residents, and allied health care providers, completed Pre- and post-SICP training self-assessments, NoMAD surveys, and structured interviews. Results: 30 PCPs participated in SICP training and completed self-assessments, 14 completed NoMAD surveys, and 7 were interviewed. Training self-assessments reported improvements in ACP confidence and skills. NoMAD surveys reported mixed opinions towards ACP implementation into primary care, raising concerns with their colleagues’ abilities to conduct ACP and their patients’ abilities to participate in ACP conversations. Interviews identified barriers to successful implementation including busy clinical schedules, patient preparedness, and provider discomfort or lack of confidence in having ACP conversations. Allied health identified discussing prognosis, scope of practice limitations and identification of appropriate patients as barriers. Conclusions: Our findings complement existing literature regarding high PCP confidence and willingness to conduct ACP, but low participation which may be attributed to logistical challenges. Our findings identified areas of the SICP that were more difficult to implement (i.e., prognostication). Future iterations will require a more systematic process to support the implementation of ACP into regular practice and to address knowledge gaps identified with targeted training.
Analysis of the Sagittal Root Angle and Its Correlation With Hard and Soft Tissue Indices in Anterior Teeth for Immediate Implant Evaluation - A Retrospective Study
Authors: Shi Mengru , Wang Xiaoshuang , Zeng Peisheng , Liu Haiwen , Gong Zhuohong , Lin Yixiong , Li Zhipeng , Chen Zetao , Chen Zhuofan
Published: April 2021

Background: To assess the root angle characteristics of maxillary incisors, and to analyze the relationship between the root angle and other implant-related anatomical indices to use the sagittal root angle as an index for immediate implant evaluation and design. Methods: A random sample consisting of 400 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images and 65 maxillary plaster models were selected for the present study. CBCT and stereolithography (STL) scan images were imported as DICOM files into coDiagnostiX software for matching the hard and soft tissue. The angle between the long axis of the anterior tooth and the corresponding alveolar bone and implant-related hard and soft tissue indices were measured in the sagittal section. Descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, multi-level comparisons, and correlation analyses were performed. Results: The average sagittal root angles were 15° at the central incisor and 19° at the lateral incisor. The root angle in males was significantly larger than that in females, and increased with age. The largest angle, 22.35º, was found in the lateral incisors of the oldest (> 50 years old) male group. The root angle was found to correlate with coronal buccal bone thickness, coronal palatal bone thickness, apical buccal bone thickness, palatal bone thickness, and the below apex bone thickness. Conclusions: The sagittal root angle could reflect the distribution of other implant-related anatomical indices, which may provide additional reference for the evaluation of immediate implant placement.
Iterative qubit-excitation based variational quantum eigensolver
Authors: Yordanov Yordan , Armaos Vasileios , Barnes Crispin , Arvidsson-Shukur David
Published: April 2021

Molecular simulations with the variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) are a promising application for emerging noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers.
Constructing accurate molecular ansatze that are easy to optimize and implemented by shallow quantum circuits is crucial for the successful implementation of such simulations.
Ansatze are, generally, constructed as
series of fermionic-excitation evolutions.
Instead, we demonstrate the usefulness of constructing ansatze with ``qubit-excitation evolutions', which, contrary to fermionic excitation evolutions, obey ``qubit commutation relations'.
We show that qubit excitation evolutions, despite the lack of some of the physical features of fermionic excitation evolutions, accurately construct ansatze, while requiring asymptotically
fewer gates.
Utilizing qubit excitation evolutions, we introduce the iterative qubit excitation based VQE (IQEB-VQE) algorithm.
The IQEB-VQE performs molecular simulations using a problem-tailored ansatz, grown iteratively by appending evolutions of single and double qubit excitation operators.
By performing numerical simulations for small molecules, we benchmark the IQEB-VQE, and compare it against other competitive VQE algorithms.
In terms of circuit efficiency and time complexity, we find that the IQEB-VQE systematically outperforms the previously most circuit-efficient, practically scalable VQE algorithms.
Contour Error Modeling and Compensation of CNC Machining Based on Deep Learning and Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Jiang Yakun , Chen Jihong , Zhou Huicheng , Yang Jianzhong , Hu Pengcheng , Wang Junxiang
Published: April 2021

Contour error compensation of the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine tool is a vital technology that can improve machining accuracy and quality. To achieve this goal, the tracking error of a feeding axis, which is a dominant issue incurring the contour error, should be firstly modeled and then a proper compensation strategy should be determined. However, building the precise tracking error prediction model is a challenging task because of the nonlinear issues like backlash and friction involved in the feeding axis; besides, the optimal compensation parameter is also difficult to determine because it is sensitive to the machining tool path. In this paper, a set of novel approaches for contour error prediction and compensation is presented based on the technologies of deep learning and reinforcement learning. By utilizing the internal data of the CNC system, the tracking error of the feeding axis is modeled as a Nonlinear Auto-Regressive Long-Short Term Memory (NAR-LSTM) network, considering all the nonlinear issues of the feeding axis. Given the contour error as calculated based on the predicted tracking error of each feeding axis, a compensation strategy is presented with its parameters identified efficiently by a Time-Series Deep Q-Network (TS-DQN) as designed in our work. To validate the feasibility and advantage of the proposed approaches, extensive experiments are conducted, testifying that, our approaches can predict the tracking error and contour error with very good precision (better than about 99% and 90% respectively), and the contour error compensated based on the predicted results and our compensation strategy is significantly reduced (about 70%~85% reduction) with the machining quality improved drastically (machining error reduced about 50%).
Synergetic Effect of Carbon Dot at Cellulose Nanofiber for Sustainable Metal-free Photocatalyst
Authors: Ahn Jungbin , Pak Sewon , Kim Hyungsup
Published: April 2021

Metal-free photocatalyst was synthesized by attaching carbon dot (CD) to cellulose nanofiber (CNF) via simple in-situ synthesis. The graphitic core and functional groups of CD on CNF was controlled along the precursor concentration, while the fibrous structure of CNF was intact. The optical property of the samples was profoundly analyzed focusing on the electron recombination pathway. It reveals that the excited electrons in the CD transferred to the CNF and delayed the radiative recombination. The electron-hole pairs were efficiently separated in the composite where abundant amide group and sulfide bonding existed. The CD on the CNF surface improved the morphological stability of CNF under UV irradiation as well. As a result, the composite showed superior photocatalytic performance to degrade 98% of MB molecules within 25 min. The aerogel synthesized from CDCNF had good re-usability without sacrificing its photocatalytic effect. The synthesized CDCNF composite showed superior possibility for applying cellulose nanofiber to sustainable metal-free photocatalyst.
Fueling the Future With Green Economy: An Integration of Its Determinants From Renewable Sources
Authors: Li Weiqing , Khan Abdul Razzaq , Bashir Shahid , Iqbal Wasim , Khokhar Maryam
Published: April 2021

Green hydrogen energy is a clean alternative fuel that can help developing economies to increase energy security. This study assesses possible solutions for Pakistan's energy scarcity based on a renewable source of green hydrogen generated through wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy. For this purpose, four main criteria: economic, commercialization, environmental, and social acceptance, have been assessed. The study used two-step models, the Fuzzy-analytical hierarchal process, and the Data Envelopment Analysis techniques to evaluate hydrogen energy production through available renewable energy sources. According to the fuzzy-led analysis's empirical results, wind energy source optimization is best suited to produce hydrogen energy in Pakistan for all four criteria (economic benefit, environmental impacts, commercial potential, and social acceptance). At the same time, solar is the second-best option in all the given criteria. The DEA-led analysis also considers wind energy as the most efficient source to produce hydrogen energy in Pakistan. This study can help policymakers develop fact-based hydrogen energy projects in their respective areas, especially in developing economies, as most share the same characteristics.
Characteristics of Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Positive Cerebrospinal Fluid: A Systematic Review
Authors: Salman Maryam A. , Mallah Saad I. , Khalid Wasay , Moran Laura Ryan , Abousedu Yousef A. I. , Jassim Ghufran A.
Published: April 2021

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been shown to affect several systems, notably the respiratory system. However, there has been considerable evidence implicating the nervous system in COVID-19 infection. This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients whose cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, WHO Coronavirus database, bioRxiv, medRxiv, and Web of Science databases was carried out in August 2020. Original studies involving patients who tested positive for SARS-COV-2 in their CSF were included. Key search terms encompassed all variations of “COVID-19” AND “Cerebrospinal Fluid”.Results: A total of 525 studies were identified. 56 full-text articles were assessed, of which 14 were included. In total, 14 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in their CSF. 21.4% (3/14) of patients had negative nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs despite a positive CSF sample. 14.2% (2/14) of patients who initially had positive NP swabs developed neurological deterioration after a supposed recovery as indicated by their negative NP swabs, but their CSF still tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Common symptoms were headache (42.8%; 6/14), fever (35.6%; 5/14), vomiting (28.6%; 4/14), cough (28.6; 4/14), visual disturbances (28.6%; 4/14), diarrhea (21.4%; 3/14), and seizures (21.4%; 3/14). Four patients (28.6%) were admitted to ICU, one (7.14%) was admitted to a rehabilitation facility, and two (14.3%) died.Conclusions: Physicians should be familiar with the presenting neurological features of COVID-19, and be aware that they can occur despite a negative NP swab. The results of this study are intended to aid in the development of informed guidelines to diagnose and treat COVID-19 patients with neurological manifestations.
Human Immunodeficiency and Hepatitis B Viral Infections Among Patients With Sickle Cell Disease in Dar Es Salaam City, Tanzania: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Shayo Grace A. , Makundi Irene , Luzzatto Lucio
Published: April 2021

Background: Tanzania is not only the fourth in the world with the highest number of sickle cell disease (SCD) births but also endemic to Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. This study was done to determine the prevalence of HIV and HBV infections and their associated factors among SCD patients in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Methods: A multicenter hospital-based descriptive cross sectional study was done among participants aged ≥16 years. Participants’ socio-demographic and clinical data were recorded. Blood samples were drawn for HIV and HBV diagnosis. Categorical variables were summarized into frequencies and compared using Fisher’s exact test while continuous variables were summarized into mean and standard deviation. Logistic regression was done to ascertain predictors of HIV infection. P values <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: There were 185/325 (56.7%) females. Mean (SD) age and hemoglobin were 23.04 ± 7.45 years and 7.4 (± 1.58)g/dl respectively. The prevalence of HIV and HBV were 1.8% and 1.2% respectively. None of the risk factors was associated with HIV. No associations were calculated for HBV owing to small numbers. Conclusions: Prevalence of HIV and that of HBV infection are much lower in SCD patients in Dar es Salaam than the national prevalence of the two infections in the general population. The findings could not associate any risk factor with HIV infection. A nationwide similar study should be conducted to obtain enough numbers for characterization of the two infections in these patients.
Assisted Reproductive Technology and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses
Authors: Chih Hui Ju , Elias Flavia , Gaudet Laura , Velez Maria
Published: April 2021

BackgroundHypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) is one of the most common pregnancy complications and causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Many cohort studies were conducted to study adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with pregnancies from assisted reproductive technology. We aimed to comprehensively review all available evidence to date to compare the odds of HDP and preeclampsia between pregnancies achieved by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and spontaneous pregnancies.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis based on cohort studies identified from EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library (up to 2020) and manually using a structured search strategy. Cohort studies that compared pregnancies after IVF with or without intracytoplasmic sperm fertilization (ICSI) and SC with HDP or preeclampsia as the outcome of interest were included. The control group was women who conceived spontaneously without ART or fertility medications. Studies published in English, French, Chinese, and Portuguese were reviewed. Eligibility and quality of studies were evaluated by two reviewers independently. Quality assessment was conducted using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) for Cohort Studies. The pooled results were reported in odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals based on random effects models. I-squared (I2) test was used to evaluate heterogeneity and publication bias was assessed using funnel plots.ResultsSeventy-eight studies were included after a screening of 1,879 abstracts and 275 full text articles. Compared to SC, IVF/ICSI singleton pregnancies (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.54-1.74; I2 = 79%) and multiple pregnancies (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.18-1.47; I2 = 73%) were both associated with higher odds of HDP. Singleton pregnancies with oocyte donation had the highest odds of HDP out of all groups analyzed (OR 4.11; 95% CI 2.75-6.16; I2 = 85%). Frozen embryo transfer resulted in higher odds of HDP (OR 1.74; 95% CI 1.58-1.92; I2 = 55%) than fresh embryo transfer (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.33-1.53; I2 = 72%). Similar findings for preeclampsia were also reported.ConclusionsOur meta-analysis confirmed that IVF/ICSI pregnancies are at high odds of HDP and preeclampsia than SC, irrespective of the plurality. The odds were especially high in frozen embryo transfer and oocyte donation pregnancies.
Analysis of Thermal Error Model of Ball Screw Feed System Based on Experimental Data
Authors: Yang Jiancheng , Li Changyou , Xu Mengtao , Zhang Yimin
Published: April 2021

In order to investigate the effect of thermal expansion on the ball screw feed system (BSFS) of a precision machine tool, theoretical modeling of and experimental study on thermally induced error are focused in this paper. A series of thermal experiments are conducted on the machine tool to measure the temperature of the main heat source and measuring points of BSFS. To classify the main heat sources and discuss the impact on the ball screw feed system separately. By the experimental data of ball screw system, the thermal model of screw shaft in the axial direction is analyzed and verified. Based on the heat generation and transfer analysis of ball screw system, thermal expansion of screw shaft in the axial direction is modeled mathematically. In addition, by analyzing the effects of machining parameters such as rotational speed, preloads and lead, we get the parameter influence of BSFS’s temperature rising and thermal deformation. This work can help us reduce thermal deformation effectively, and improve the precision of CNC machining.
Advanced applications of microcombs: From optical neural networks to data transmission
Authors: Tan Mengxi , Xu Xingyuan , Moss David
Published: April 2021

We report ultrahigh bandwidth applications of Kerr microcombs to optical neural networks and to optical data transmission, at data rates from 44 Terabits/s (Tb/s) to approaching 100 Tb/s. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are a powerful category of artificial neural networks that can extract the hierarchical features of raw data to greatly reduce the network complexity and enhance the accuracy for machine learning tasks such as computer vision, speech recognition, playing board games and medical diagnosis [1-7]. Optical neural networks can dramatically accelerate the computing speed to overcome the inherent bandwidth bottleneck of electronics. We use a new and powerful class of micro-comb called soliton crystals that exhibit robust operation and stable generation as well as a high intrinsic efficiency with an extremely low spacing of 48.9 GHz. We demonstrate a universal optical vector convolutional accelerator operating at 11 Tera-OPS/s (TOPS) on 250,000 pixel images for 10 kernels simultaneously — enough for facial image recognition. We use the same hardware to sequentially form a deep optical CNN with ten output neurons, achieving successful recognition of full 10 digits with 900 pixel handwritten digit images. We also report world record high data transmission over standard optical fiber from a single optical source, at 44.2 Terabits/s over the C-band, with a spectral efficiency of 10.4 bits/s/Hz, with a coherent data modulation format of 64 QAM. We achieve error free transmission across 75 km of standard optical fiber in the lab and over a field trial with a metropolitan optical fiber network. Our work demonstrates the ability of optical soliton crystal micro-combs to exceed other approaches in performance for the most demanding practical optical communications applications.
Synchronous Axillary Intranodal SCC And Scalp SCC Case Report – Skip Nodal Metastasis Or Malignant Transformation Of An Intranodal Squamous Cyst?
Authors: Hing Jun Xian Jeffrey , Lee Tee Sin , M Anjarwalla Salim , Tan Sze Hwa , Tan Chien Sheng , Tan Su-Ming
Published: April 2021

BackgroundIsolated axillary SCC nodal metastasis from a head and neck primary is a highly unusual presentation. Different possibilities include that of a skipped nodal metastasis bypassing the cervical region, or an axillary SCC of a separate unknown primary (SCCUP), or even malignant transformation of a preexisting intranodal squamous cyst. To date, there has been no report of isolated SCC nodal metastases from a scalp primary and even rarer, a case of malignant transformation of an intranodal squamous cyst. Case presentationWe present a successful management of a synchronous axillary nodal SCC and scalp SCC through curative surgery in a 73-year-old gentleman with extensive psoriasis and a history of immunosuppression from methotrexate use.ConclusionWe reviewed the literature of this rare entity of an axillary SCCUP, discussed its optimal investigations and management, and the three distinct possible explanations for this unusual presentation.