bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethnobotanical Documentation, Phytochemical Screening, and Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Medicinal Plants Used to Manage Snakebite Envenomation in Mwingi West Subcounty, Kenya
Authors: Mokua Stella Kwamboka , Mbaria James Mucunu , Maitho Timothy Elias , Moriasi Gervason Apiri
Published: September 2021

Snakebite envenomation (SBE) is a life-threatening global public health problem affecting over 2.7 million persons annually, with a bigger burden lying in the developing world. Despite the successful management of SBE by antivenom therapy in conventional medicine, it is of low efficacy due to the diverse venom composition across snake types, which limits its usefulness. As a result, inhabitants of the sub-Sahara region, where SBE incidence is high, utilise medicinal plants as an alternative remedy for SBE. However, most plants have not been ethnobotanically documented and validated empirically and hence this study is needed. An ethnobotanical survey to document medicinal plants used to manage SBE in Migwani ward, Mwingi West Subcounty, Kitui County, was conducted between January and February, 2021. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 45 purposefully sampled respondents from Migwani ward using semistructured questionnaires, field walks, and oral interviews. In this study, 14 medicinal plants which are used to manage SBE were documented. Four plants with the highest Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) (Entada leptostachya Harms-stem bark (0.58), Senna singueana-roots (0.53), Securidaca longipendunculata-roots (0.36), and Strychnos henningsii-stem bark (0.46)) were selected and extracted using water, methanol, and dichloromethane according to the standard procedures. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of the plant extracts and their cytotoxic effects on brine shrimp nauplii (brine shrimp lethality assay) was conducted according to the standard techniques. Qualitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of anti-SBE-associated phytochemicals, such as alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phenols, and flavonoids, in the aqueous and methanolic extracts of the studied plant extracts. However, the tested phytochemicals were not detected in dichloromethane extracts of all the studied extracts. The anti-SBE effects of the documented plants could be attributable to these associated bioactive phytocompounds, which are synthesized by the studied plants and transfered to humans when consumed. Furthermore, the aqueous and methanolic extracts of Entada leptostachya and Senna singueana had high LC50 of >1000 µg/ml and were considered noncytotoxic. However, Securidaca longipendunculata had an LC50 of <1000 µg/ml and was considered slightly cytotoxic. Further empirical investigations to characterise the bioactive phytochemicals and their safety should be done.
Discrete Two‐Step Cross‐Modal Hashing through the Exploitation of Pairwise Relations
Authors: Wang Shaohua , Kang Xiao , Liu Fasheng , Nie Xiushan , Liu Xingbo
Published: September 2021

The cross‐modal hashing method can map heterogeneous multimodal data into a compact binary code that preserves semantic similarity, which can significantly enhance the convenience of cross‐modal retrieval. However, the currently available supervised cross‐modal hashing methods generally only factorize the label matrix and do not fully exploit the supervised information. Furthermore, these methods often only use one‐directional mapping, which results in an unstable hash learning process. To address these problems, we propose a new supervised cross‐modal hash learning method called Discrete Two‐step Cross‐modal Hashing (DTCH) through the exploitation of pairwise relations. Specifically, this method fully exploits the pairwise similarity relations contained in the supervision information: for the label matrix, the hash learning process is stabilized by combining matrix factorization and label regression; for the pairwise similarity matrix, a semirelaxed and semidiscrete strategy is adopted to potentially reduce the cumulative quantization errors while improving the retrieval efficiency and accuracy. The approach further combines an exploration of fine‐grained features in the objective function with a novel out‐of‐sample extension strategy to enable the implicit preservation of consistency between the different modal distributions of samples and the pairwise similarity relations. The superiority of our method was verified through extensive experiments using two widely used datasets.
Experimental and Numerical Study on Ultimate Shear Load Carrying Capacity of Corroded RC Beams
Authors: Tang Zhanzhan , He Zhixiang , Chen Zheng , Chen Lingkun , Xue Hanyang , Zhuge Hanqing
Published: September 2021

For an RC beam, the strength of steel rebar, the bonding strength between the concrete and reinforcement, and the bite action between the aggregates will deteriorate significantly due to corrosion. In the present study, 10 RC beams were designed to study the impact of corrosion on the shear bearing capacity. The mechanism of corrosion for stirrups and longitudinal bars and their effects were analyzed. Based on the existing experimental data, the correlation between the stirrup corrosion factor and the cross section loss rate was obtained. An effective prediction formula on the shear bearing capacity of the corroded RC beams was proposed and validated by the experimental results. Moreover, a numerical analysis approach based on the FE technique was proposed for the prediction of the shear strength. The results show that corrosion of the reinforcements could reduce the shear strength of the RC beams. The corrosion of stirrups can be numerically simulated by the reduction of the cross section. The formulae in the literature are conservative and the predictions are very dispersed, while the predictions by the proposed formula agree very well with the experiment results.
The Effect of Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion Compared with Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion Combined with Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Program on Patients with Lumbar Degenerative Disease at Short‐Term Follow‐Up
Authors: Chen Wenxiang , Yang Huiying , Jiang Xuesheng , Fan Shunwu
Published: September 2021

Purpose. Oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) approach has been increasingly frequently performed in recent years. However, neither studies of OLIF approach nor the researches of the application of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in spinal surgery are relatively rare. Here, our study is aimed at investigating the therapeutic effects of the application of OLIF compared with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) approach combined with ERAS in dealing with this disorder at short‐term follow‐up. Material and Methods. Thirty‐eight patients who undergone OLIF and forty patients who undergone TLIF with pedicle screws were included in our study. The concept of ERAS was applied in the perioperative period of the patients. Preoperative and postoperative laboratory test indexes of blood were examined and evaluated in all individuals. Visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and Clinical Symptom Score of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) were used in preoperative evaluation and postoperative follow‐up. Satisfaction survey was also performed after surgery. Result. The postoperative results of red blood count, C‐reaction protein, D‐dimer, and albumin were still within the reference ranges in most of the patients. It was shown that objective evaluations including VAS score, ODI index, and JOA score were significantly improved after OLIF and TLIF surgery. The follow‐up of 6 months after surgery showed that VAS, ODI, and JOA were improved more in the OLIF group than that in the TLIF group. The overall satisfaction (satisfied and very satisfied) was 95% and 97.4% in the TLIF group and the OLIF group, respectively, and there was no difference between the two groups. Conclusion. This study indicated that OLIF and TLIF approach were both rather effective therapies for patients with lumbar degenerative diseases. The effect of OLIF procedure could be better than TLIF procedure in the early stage after surgery.
Effect of the Concentration of SrAl2O4: Eu2+and Dy3+ (SAO) on Characteristics and Properties of Environment-Friendly Long-Persistent Luminescence Composites from Polylactic Acid and SAO
Authors: Ni Zhongjin , Fan Tianyu , Bai Shuyang , Zhou Shiyu , Lv Yan , Ni Yihua , Xu Bin
Published: September 2021

We report luminous polylactic acid (PLA) composite prepared via a solvent casting method using different amounts of phosphor strontium aluminate (SrAl2O4: Eu2+ and Dy3+) (SAO). The reason for doing this is that the changes of fluorescence and mechanical properties in the composites with different SAO contents can be directly evaluated. The SAO particles should have a variety of excellent characteristics in the PLA matrix, among which dispersibility and compatibility are particularly important; so, they can be modified by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) to achieve the target characteristics. The results showed that the fluorescence and mechanical properties were affected by SAO addition. The mechanical properties significantly improved with 5 wt% SAO; further, addition had no impact. And the emission band of fluorescence and phosphorescence is just at the peak of 524 nm. The composites with 15 wt% SAO have the best fluorescence properties. The fluorescence decreased with further doping. Fluorescence decay curves with various amounts of SAO particles show a similar tendency as pure SAO particles; the speed of decrease in afterglow intensity was higher for the first 30 min. In addition, the detailed morphological scanning and study by scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the particles had good adhesion to the matrix. In conclusion, the concentration of SAO into the PLA matrix impacts the fluorescence and mechanical properties of a SAO/PLA composite material.
An ECG Heartbeat Classification Method Based on Deep Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Zhang Dengqing , Chen Yuxuan , Chen Yunyi , Ye Shengyi , Cai Wenyu , Chen Ming
Published: September 2021

The electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most powerful tools used in hospitals to analyze the cardiovascular status and check health, a standard for detecting and diagnosing abnormal heart rhythms. In recent years, cardiovascular health has attracted much attention. However, traditional doctors’ consultations have disadvantages such as delayed diagnosis and high misdiagnosis rate, while cardiovascular diseases have the characteristics of early diagnosis, early treatment, and early recovery. Therefore, it is essential to reduce the misdiagnosis rate of heart disease. Our work is based on five different types of ECG arrhythmia classified according to the AAMI EC57 standard, namely, nonectopic, supraventricular ectopic, ventricular ectopic, fusion, and unknown beat. This paper proposed a high-accuracy ECG arrhythmia classification method based on convolutional neural network (CNN), which could accurately classify ECG signals. We evaluated the classification effect of this classification method on the supraventricular ectopic beat (SVEB) and ventricular ectopic beat (VEB) based on the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. According to the results, the proposed method achieved 99.8% accuracy, 98.4% sensitivity, 99.9% specificity, and 98.5% positive prediction rate for detecting VEB. Detection of SVEB achieved 99.7% accuracy, 92.1% sensitivity, 99.9% specificity, and 96.8% positive prediction rate.
A Novel 3D PILA-Type UHF RFID Tag Antenna Mountable on Metallic Objects for IoT Indoor Localization
Authors: Dhaouadi Mondher , Choubani Fethi
Published: September 2021

In this paper, a novel 3D planar inverted-L antenna (PILA) Ultrahigh Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag mountable on metallic surfaces is proposed for the Internet of Things (IoT) indoor localization applications. The proposed tag antenna (45 mm × 82 mm × 4 mm or 0.137λ × 0.25λ × 0.012λ) is designed for mounting on metallic objects. The 3D PILA antenna is fabricated using a copper sheet of thickness 1 mm and air as the dielectric substrate in order to minimize costs for materials and realization. In the design, T-slot has been inserted in the radiating element for tuning of the tag’s resonance for achieving good matching with the chip. Also, a simple equivalent circuit model has been obtained to analyze the impedance of the 3D PILA. Based on the optimized design, the fabricated prototype has been measured in the anechoic chamber. The resonant frequency of the proposed tag is stable, and it is not affected much by the metallic object. The measurement results of the antenna prototype demonstrated a reasonable agreement with the simulation results, and a read range of 3.6 m was measured inside an anechoic chamber. Most importantly, in the building hallway, the proposed tag is able to achieve a maximum read distance of 18 m with a transmitted power of 31.5 dBm at 867 MHz when placed on metal. With the 3D PILA antenna structure, the proposed antimetal tag is a suitable solution that can be integrated into an indoor localization scenario.
A Comparative Study on the Effect of Exosomes Secreted by Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Adipose and Bone Marrow Tissues in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis‐Induced Mouse Model
Authors: Fazaeli Hoda , Kalhor Naser , Naserpour Leila , Davoodi Faezeh , Sheykhhasan Mohsen , Hosseini Seyed Kamal Eshagh , Rabiei Mohammad , Sheikholeslami Azar
Published: September 2021

Background. Exosomes as extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanoscale intercellular messengers secreted from cells to deliver biological signals. Today, exosomes have become a new field of research in regenerative medicine and are considered as potential therapies to control inflammation and wound healing and enhance and improve healing in many diseases. Given the global burden of osteoarthritis (OA) as the fastest‐growing health condition and one of the major causes of physical disability in the aging population, research to establish EVs as therapeutic products can meet the basic clinical needs in the management of osteoarthritis and provide a therapeutic solution. Objectives. The present study is aimed at evaluating the regenerative potentials of the exosomes secreted from adipose and bone marrow tissue‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD‐ and BM‐MSCs) in ameliorating the symptoms of OA. Method. In this experimental study, AD‐ and BM‐MSCs were isolated and cultured in the laboratory until passage 3. Finally, these cells’ secreted exosomes were isolated from their conditioned medium. Ciprofloxacin‐induced OA mouse models underwent intra‐articular injection of exosomes from AD‐MSCs and BM‐MSCs. Finally, the expression levels of collagen I and II, sox9, and aggrecan genes using real‐time PCR, histological analysis, and immunohistochemical (IHC) studies were performed. Results. Real‐time PCR data showed that although the expression level of collagen type II was lower in both exosome‐treated groups than the normal, but it was significantly increased in comparison with the sham and OA, with higher expression in BM‐Exo rather than AD‐Exo group. Similarly, the histological staining and IHC results have provided almost identical data, emphasizing on better therapeutic effect of BM‐MSCs‐exosome than AD‐MSCs‐exosome. Conclusion. BM‐MSCs secreted exosomes in comparison with AD‐MSCs could be considered as a better therapeutic option to improve osteoarthritis and exhibit potential as a disease‐modifying osteoarthritis cell‐free product.
Ground Subsidence Evolution from 1000 m Deep Mining: A Case Study in Fengfeng Mining Area
Authors: Yan Yueguan , Li Ming , Liu Jibo , Yan Weitao , Zhang Jinman , Zhou Bang
Published: September 2021

The mining of coal resources in eastern China has entered the stage of deep mining, and many mines have reached the depth of 1000 meters. Different from shallow and moderate depth mining, the temporal and spatial evolution regulation of surface movement and deformation under deep mining has its particularity. Combining with the geological and mining conditions of Fengfeng mining area, this paper systematically studies the characteristics of surface movement under the condition of shallow, moderate, and near kilometer mining depth. By means of field measurement, InSAR monitoring, we get the subsidence data under different mining depth and get the relevant subsidence parameters by inversion. Through comparative analysis, the special law of subsidence under the mining depth of 1000 meters is obtained. The results show that under the condition of nearly 1000 meters mining depth, the surface movement and deformation have the characteristics of large displacement angle, small displacement deformation value, and large main influence radius. The regulation of small proportion of active period of maximum subsidence point, gentle shape of surface movement basin, and low mining adequacy are obtained. The research results provide technical references for deep mining under buildings, railways, and water bodies and provide basis and reference for scientific mining and safe recovery of coal pillars in kilometer deep mine.
Cost Effectiveness of Lung Cancer Screening With Low-Dose CT in Heavy Smokers in China
Authors: Yuan Jingmin , Sun Yan , Wang Ke , Wang Zhiyi , Li Duo , Fan Meng , Bu Xiang , Chen Mingwei , Ren Hui
Published: September 2021

Although lung cancer screening with low-dose CT (LDCT) can reduce lung cancer mortality by 20%, without an appropriate eligibility criteria, it may result in a waste of medical resources and a degree of unnecessary damage to participants' health. This study aims to give the optimal screening strategy in China based on cost-effectiveness analysis on pros and cons of different situations. From the perspective of primary healthcare system, a Markov model was built to simulate LDCT screening of 100,000 heavy smokers (>30 pack years) aged 40 in different situations. Model parameters mainly came from screening programs conducted in China and other countries, official public data, and published literature. Two indicators of primary outcome, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and net health benefits (NHB), were compared with those of no screening. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate model uncertainties. We defined the optimal strategy as the one with both acceptable cost effectiveness and maximal NHB. Base-case analysis results showed that for all screening strategies, ICERs were less than three times of GDP per capita. As for NHB results, it showed that when the willingness to pay for screening was less than three times of GPD per capita, the largest NHB was obtained in the strategy which started screening at 50 years old and this strategy showed stable performance in univariate and probabilistic sensitivity as well.

Prevention Relevance:

LDCT screening is cost effective in heavy smokers in China, and the optimal age to start screening is suggested to be 50 years old.
Chimyl Alcohol Exhibits Proinflammatory Activity in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Mischenko Polina , Egoraeva Anastasia , Tyrtyshnaia Anna , Kasyanov Sergey , Ponomarenko Arina , Manzhulo Igor
Published: September 2021

Marine organisms are among the prominent and abundant sources of 1-O-alkyl-sn-glycerols, including chimyl alcohol (CA), batyl alcohol and selachyl alcohol. These biologically active compounds are precursors in plasmalogen and phospholipid biosynthesis, which are the main irreplaceable components of cell membranes. The results of this study demonstrate that CA promotes the activation of immune processes in the mouse spleen and in the mouse macrophage cell culture RAW 264.7. We studied the effect of CA on the spleen weight, as well as on the proliferation process and expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and CD86 – a marker of the proinflammatory M1-type macrophage cell surface in experimental animals. We used the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell culture to assess the CA cytotoxicity, its effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO) production and lysosomal activity, as well as IL-1β and CD86 expression in vitro. In vivoand in vitro experiments have shown that CA: (1) enhances cell proliferation without changing the spleen’s weight, (2) increases the activity of the proinflammatory marker CD86, (3) increases the level of ROS/NO/lysosome activity, and (4) does not affect the level of IL-1β. Our study reveals that CA has a complex immunostimulation effect in vitro and in vivo, which opens up prospects for further study of its biological activity.
Regional and Temporal Variation of Ventricular and Conduction Tissue Activity During Ventricular Fibrillation in Canines
Authors: Tan Nicholas Y. , Christopoulos Georgios , Ladas Thomas P. , Jiang Zhi , Sugrue Alan M. , Tri Jason A. , Tolkacheva Elena G. , Del-Carpio Munoz Freddy , McLeod Christopher J. , Asirvatham Samuel J. , DeSimone Christopher V.
Published: September 2021

Background:

Rigorous study of ventricular fibrillation (VF) is not feasible in humans. The spatiotemporal characteristics of prolonged VF remain undefined, limiting our understanding of this lethal rhythm.

Methods:

VF was mapped in 4 canines. The endocardial and epicardial left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) were sequentially mapped at 0 to 15, 15 to 30, 30 to 45, and 45 to 60 minutes post-induction. Ten consecutive beats were used to determine the average cycle length and regularity index of ventricular and His-Purkinje system signals in discrete regions during each time interval.

Results:

Average VF time was 58±12 minutes. The shortest ventricular cycle length was present in the RV apical region (70±10 msec) at 0 to 15 minutes and at 15 to 30 minutes (89±31 msec) and LV apical region at 45 to 60 minutes (242±163 msec). The His-Purkinje system cycle length was the shortest at the RV outflow tract (75±3 msec) at 0 to 15 minutes, RV inflow and free wall (89±12 msec) at 15 to 30 minutes, LV apical region (83±14 msec) at 30 to 45 minutes, and inferior and inferolateral LV (145±23 msec) at 45 to 60 minutes. Regularity index was the highest in the RV inflow and free wall (78%) at 0 to 15 minutes, RV apical region (86%) at 15 to 30 minutes, LV septum and epicardial anterior RV (80%) at 30 to 45 minutes, and anterior and anterolateral LV (75%) at 45 to 60 minutes.

Conclusions:

These data suggest significant regional changes in electrical activity throughout VF in canines. A transition of fastest electrical activity from RV to LV apical regions across VF was observed. These novel insights of the temporal and spatial changes of VF merit further evaluation in diseased hearts to assess for reproducibility of findings.
Automated Brain Perfusion Imaging in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Interpretation Pearls and Pitfalls
Authors: Nicolas-Jilwan Manal , Wintermark Max
Published: September 2021

Recent advancements in computed tomography technology, including improved brain coverage and automated processing of the perfusion data, have reinforced the use of perfusion computed tomography imaging in the routine evaluation of patients with acute ischemic stroke. The DAWN (Diffusion Weighted Imaging or Computerized Tomography Perfusion Assessment With Clinical Mismatch in the Triage of Wake Up and Late Presenting Strokes Undergoing Neurointervention) and DEFUSE 3 (Endovascular Therapy Following Imaging Evaluation for Ischemic Stroke 3) trials have established the benefit of endovascular thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion up to 24 hours of last seen normal, using perfusion imaging-based patient selection. The compelling data has prompted stroke centers to increasingly introduce automated perfusion computed tomography imaging in the routine evaluation of patients with acute ischemic stroke. We present a comprehensive overview of the acquisition and interpretation of automated perfusion imaging in patients with acute ischemic stroke with a special emphasis on the interpretation pearls, pitfalls, and stroke mimicking conditions.
Three Levs Nikolaevich: Tolstoy, Myshkin, Odoevtsev: Dostoevsky’s The Idiot in Light of Andrei Bitov’s Pushkin House
Authors: Parlin Maxwell
Published: September 2021

Exploring the connection between Dostoevsky’s Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin, Bitov’s Lev Nikolaevich Odoevtsev, and Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy, this article interprets The Idiot through the prism of Pushkin House. The overarching claim is that Bitov’s novel and hero provide deep insight into Dostoevsky’s. Specifically, Pushkin House illuminates a dynamic left cryptic in The Idiot: how sentimental scripting (narratology) interrelates with humanism (theology), and how sentimental humanism, despite the good intentions of its practitioners, is counterproductive. In brief, sensitivity, a positive trait, unchecked by the sobering notion of sin, easily tips into sentimentality, prone to idolize the other. Idolatry of other, paradoxically, turns out to be idolatry of self. Apparently innocuous and sympathetic, sentimental scripting nevertheless contains the seeds of tragedy and tyranny, as Bitov’s novel makes explicit, linking this dynamic ultimately with Stalinism. The antidote to endless fear and manipulation of others, Pushkin House suggests, is a personal relationship with God.
Science versus vernacular: should some taxa of animals and plants be renamed according to ‘indigenous’ practices?
Authors: PALMA RICARDO L. , HEATH ALLEN C. G.
Published: September 2021

A recent publication recommended that so-called ‘indigenous’ names should be given priority over conventional binominals when assigning nomina to taxa. Explicit political and sociological reasons were given why such a practice should be considered. Apart from the fact that taxonomy should not be used as an agent for cultural change, a system that has been in unquestioned use for over 250 years has clearly unambiguity, utility, precision and standardisation in its favour, and is also supported and defined by carefully considered rules. In this rebuttal, reasons are given for the value and continuance of the current nomenclatural system and it is argued that the concept of indigeneity as applied to humans is not only questionable, but imprecise. Difficulties with deciding priority within a melange of languages and dialects overlain by diasporic movements, as well as the narrow range of available terms for biota in native languages, adds to the inutility of the system that is being argued against here, and which we reject utterly.
Eponyms as scientific recognition to Queen Astrid and King Leopold III of Belgium
Authors: SAMYN YVES , VAN GOETHEM JACKIE L.
Published: September 2021

This contribution provides an annotated list of taxa named after Queen Astrid and King Leopold III of Belgium, including the time they were Crown Prince Leopold and Princess Astrid of Belgium. The list was compiled by searching online nomenclators as well as ‘logical’ publications in which taxonomists would have published taxa named in honour of Leopold III and Astrid. In total, we discovered 144 scientific names that are based on the name of Leopold III and 26 that honour Astrid. Moreover, serendipitously we found several eponyms given to cultivars which we document only in an incidental way. The compiled impressive number of eponyms demonstrates the recognition of members of the scientific community towards the efforts of the Belgian Royal Household in the exploration and conservation of biodiversity. The legacy of Leopold III lives on in the King Leopold III Fund for Nature Exploration and Conservation. The workings and achievements of the latter organization are here also briefly detailed.
Perugnidiella nom. nov., a new replacement nomen for Peruana Özdikmen, 2008 (Opiliones, Cosmetidae)
Authors: CIANFERONI FABIO , CECCOLINI FILIPPO
Published: September 2021

Roewer (1957: 92) described the new neotropical harvestmen genus Gnidiella to accommodate the new species Gnidiella picta, now a member of the subfamily Cosmetinae (Opiliones, Laniatores, Gonyleptoidea, Cosmetidae).
A new species of Acanthodactylus Fitzinger, 1834 (Sauria: Lacertidae) from the Zagros Mountains, Iran
Authors: MOZAFFARI OMID , MOHAMMADI SIMA , SABERI-PIROOZ REIHANEH , AHMADZADEH FARAHAM
Published: September 2021

Acanthodactylus boskianus is a widespread species in Northern Africa and Western Asia. In this study, we used morphological and genetic approaches to study populations of A. boskianus from the Zagros Mountains in western Iran, the easternmost limit of the species’ distribution. Our morphological and genetic data indicate that populations of A. boskianus in Iran are distinct from other populations of A. boskianus. Therefore, we describe the Iranian populations as Acanthodactylus zagrosicus sp. nov. The new species is the third endemic species of Acanthodactylus in Iran and the ninth Acanthodactylus species distributed in Iran overall. According to our surveys, this species is distributed widely in the Zagros Mountains including Kermanshah, Lorestan, Ilam, and Khuzestan Provinces.
The 3D Structure of Northern Hemisphere Blocking Events: Climatology, Role of Moisture, and Response to Climate Change
Authors: Nabizadeh Ebrahim , Lubis Sandro W. , Hassanzadeh Pedram
Published: September 2021

To better understand the dynamics and impacts of blocking events, their 3D structure needs to be further investigated. We present a comprehensive composite analysis of the 3D structure of blocks and its response to future climate change over North Pacific, North Atlantic, and Russia in summers and winters using reanalysis and two large-ensemble datasets from CESM1 and GFDLCM3. In reanalysis, over both ocean and land, the anomalous winds are equivalent-barotropic in the troposphere and stratosphere, and temperature anomalies are positive throughout the troposphere and negative in the lower stratosphere. The main seasonal and regional differences are that blocks are larger/stronger in winters; over oceans, the temperature anomaly is shifted westward due to latent heating. Analyzing the temperature tendency equation shows that in all three sectors, adiabatic warming due to subsidence is the main driver of the positive temperature anomaly; however, depending on season and region, meridional thermal advection and latent heating might have leading-order contributions too. Both GCMs are found to reproduce the climatological 3D structure remarkably well, but sometimes disagree on future changes. Overall, the future summertime response is weakening of all fields (except for specific humidity), although the impact on near-surface temperature is not necessarily weakened; e.g., the blocking-driven near-surface warming over Russia intensifies. The wintertime response is strengthening of all fields, except for temperature in some cases. Responses of geopotential height and temperature are shifted westward in winters, most likely due to latent heating. Results highlight the importance of process-level analyses of blocks’ 3D structure for improved understanding of the resulting temperature extremes and their future changes.
The Editor’s Note: A new day for young children?
Authors: Heller Rafael
Published: September 2021

Federal support for early education receives strong bipartisan support from parents and from voters in general, says Rafael Heller. However, such support in the past has not always led to concrete reforms. Will the COVID-19 crisis galvanize the public and policy makers to act?.
On Leadership: What stories are we telling about our changing society?
Authors: Starr Joshua P.
Published: September 2021

The release of new U.S. census data led many pundits to opine about what demographic changes mean for the future of the country. But, as Joshua P. Starr explains, educators have been watching their classrooms and schools become less white for many years. What’s important now is not the change itself but how we interpret the change. The stories people tell about past and present changes can affect their response to that change. Leaders who encounter resistance as they propose new equity initiatives can benefit from listening to the stories of those who are wary to try to understand the reason for their resistance.
Layers of Inequality: Unequal Opportunities and Skin Color in Mexico
Authors: Monroy-Gómez-Franco Luis , Vélez-Grajales Roberto , Yalonetzky Gastón
Published: September 2021

We document the contribution of skin color toward quantifying inequality of opportunity over a proxy indicator of wealth. Our Ferreira–Gignoux estimates of inequality of opportunity as a share of total wealth inequality show that once parental wealth is included as a circumstance variable, the share of inequality of opportunity rises above 40%, overall and for every age cohort. By contrast, the contribution of skin tone to total inequality of opportunity remains minor throughout.
Interval observer-based methodology for passive fault tolerant control of linear parameter-varying systems
Authors: Lamouchi Rihab , Raissi Tarek , Amairi Messaoud , Aoun Mohamed
Published: September 2021

The paper deals with passive fault tolerant control for linear parameter varying systems subject to component faults. Under the assumption that the faults magnitudes are considered unknown but bounded, a novel methodology is proposed using interval observer with an [Formula: see text] formalism to attenuate the effects of the uncertainties and to improve the accuracy of the proposed observer. The necessary and sufficient conditions of the control system stability are developed in terms of matrix inequalities constraints using Lyapunov stability theory. Based on a linear state feedback, a fault tolerant control strategy is designed to handle component faults effect as well as external disturbances and preserve the system closed-loop stability for both fault-free and component faulty cases. Two simulation examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Fuzzy fault-tolerant containment control for multi-agent systems with unknown nonlinear dynamics
Authors: Sader Malika , Wang Fuyong , Liu Zhongxin , Chen Zengqiang
Published: September 2021

This paper studies the containment control problem for a class of nonlinear multi-agent systems (MASs) with actuator faults (AFs) and external disturbance under switching communication topologies. To address this problem, a new fuzzy fault-tolerant containment control method is developed via utilizing adaptive mechanisms. Furthermore, a sufficient condition is obtained to guarantee the stability of the considered closed-loop system by the dwell time technique combined with Lyapunov stability theory. Unlike the traditional method to estimate the weight matrix, the fuzzy logic system is used to estimate the norm of weight vectors. Thus, the difficulty that the unknown nonlinear function cannot be compensated for when the actuator produces outage or stuck fault is solved. Compared with the existing controllers for nonlinear MASs, the proposed controller is more suitable for the considered problem under the influence of AFs that are detrimental to the operation of each agent system. Besides which, the closed-loop system is proven to be stable by using the developed controller, and all followers converge asymptotically to the convex hull formed by the leaders. Finally, an example based on a reduced-order aircraft model is presented to verify the effectiveness of the designed control scheme.
Abstentionist Voting – Between Disengagement and Protestation in Neglected Areas: A Spatial Analysis of The Paris Metropolis
Authors: Bourdin Sebastien , Tai1 Jiwan
Published: September 2021

This article analyzes electoral behaviors related to voting abstention in the Metropolis of Paris. We highlight the interest of a contextual approach to examine non-voting behaviors. Using socio-economic and demographic data at the level of municipalities, we construct a spatial model to explain the reasons for abstention. Our results support the idea that abstentionism expresses a disengagement behavior as well as a protestation behavior. People disengage from politics because they believe that politicians (no matter which party is in power) will not be able to change their situation. This hypothesis applies to non-voters peripheral to political life. We also show that these people tend to live in socio-economically marginalized areas. The protest attitude is found especially in “left-behind” areas that have experienced a significant decline in the supply of public services and local shops. Bridging the divide in these neglected areas is essential to avoid further marginalization and growing protest.
Huey Newton’s Lessons for the Academic Left
Authors: Vernon Jim
Published: September 2021

The Black Panther Party was founded to bridge the radical theorizing that swept college campuses in the mid-1960s and the lumpen proletariat abandoned by the so-called ‘Great Society’. However, shortly thereafter, Newton began to harshly criticize the academic Left in general for their drive to find ‘a set of actions and a set of principles that are easy to identify and are absolute.’ This article reconstructs Newton’s critique of progressive movements grounded primarily in academic debates, as well as his conception of vanguard political theory. Newton’s grasp of revolution as a gradual, open, and above all dialectical process, not only provides a corrective to many dominant academic accounts of the nature of progressive change but, more importantly, it also grounds an emancipatory philosophy that can direct collective struggle, precisely because it remains grounded in the imperfect and internally conflicted lives of those whose freedom is to be won through it.
The ‘Cultures’ of Global Mental Health
Authors: David Wenceslau Leandro , Ortega Francisco
Published: September 2021

Global Mental Health is a field of research and practice that addresses the expansion of universal and equitable mental health care worldwide. This article explores the ways the concept of culture is employed in Global Mental Health literature. Global Mental Health advocates and critics assume an ontological separation between ‘nature’ and ‘culture’ to typify mental illness, linking it predominantly to one or the other of these two categories. Advocates of Global Mental Health view mental disorders as a nature–culture hybrid, while critics see them as typically cultural phenomena. The cultural critique of Global Mental Health can be strengthened by a sociological approach to both the role of critique and the uses of the concept of culture within social sciences. As an alternative to the ontologization of culture, we propose a different theoretical approach to the social issues involved in the expansion of international public health care in mental health: Arthur Kleinman's and Didier Fassin’s moral anthropological approaches.
Headache in progressive facial hemiatrophy (Parry-Romberg syndrome): A paradigmatic case and systematic review of the literature
Authors: Foiadelli Thomas , Rossi Alessandra , Trabatti Chiara , Spreafico Eugenia , Santi Viola , Orsini Alessandro , Verrotti Alberto , Savasta Salvatore
Published: September 2021

Background

Parry-Romberg syndrome is a neuro-cutaneous disease characterized by progressive hemifacial atrophy. Although common, headache in this population is scarcely reported in the literature.

Objective

To evaluate the clinical features of headache in pediatric and adult patients with Parry-Romberg syndrome, and to discuss diagnostic and treatment approaches of headache in Parry-Romberg syndrome.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. We searched the MEDLINE database to identify eligible studies and identified patients with Parry-Romberg syndrome and headache. We further reported a paradigmatic case with a complex headache disorder and described its management and outcome.

Results

We identified 74 articles, 41 of which were included in the analysis. A total of 52 patients (55.8% female) were included for data analysis. The main age at onset of headache was 20 years (SD 15.2; range 3–56). A diagnosis of migraine was made in 53.9%. Abnormal brain imaging was found in 82.2% of patients.

Conclusion

Long-term follow-up of patients is required, because headache may develop (and evolve) at any time over the course of the disease. Primary and secondary headaches often co-occur in patients with Parry-Romberg syndrome. Further research into the underlying etiopathogenesis and therapeutic targets would be recommended.
Measuring Substance-Related Disorders Using Canadian Administrative Health Databanks: Interprovincial Comparisons of Recorded Diagnostic Rates, Incidence Proportions and Mortality Rate Ratios
Authors: Huỳnh Christophe , Kisely Steve , Rochette Louis , Pelletier Éric , Morrison Kenneth B. , Li Shelley , Hopkin Gareth , Smith Mark , Burchill Charles , Lin Elizabeth , Asbridge Mark , Jutras-Aswad Didier , Lesage Alain
Published: September 2021

Context

Assessing temporal changes in the recorded diagnostic rates, incidence proportions, and health outcomes of substance-related disorders (SRD) can inform public health policymakers in reducing harms associated with alcohol and other drugs.

Objective

To report the annual and cumulative recorded diagnostic rates and incidence proportions of SRD, as well as mortality rate ratios (MRRs) by cause of death among this group in Canada, according to their province of residence.

Methods

Analyses were performed on linked administrative health databases (AHD; physician claims, hospitalizations, and vital statistics) in five Canadian provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia). Canadians 12 years and older and registered for their provincial healthcare coverage were included. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 or ICD-10 codes) was used for case identification of SRD from April 2001 to March 2018.

Results

During the study period, the annual recorded SRD diagnostic rates increased in Alberta (2001–2002: 8.0‰; 2017–2018: 12.8‰), Ontario (2001–2002: 11.5‰; 2017–2018: 14.4‰), and Nova Scotia (2001–2002: 6.4‰; 2017–2018: 12.7‰), but remained stable in Manitoba (2001–2002: 5.5‰; 2017–2018: 5.4‰) and Québec (2001–2002 and 2017–2018: 7.5‰). Cumulative recorded SRD diagnostic rates increased steadily for all provinces. Recorded incidence proportions increased significantly in Alberta (2001–2002: 4.5‰; 2017–2018: 5.0‰) and Nova Scotia (2001–2002: 3.3‰; 2017–2018: 3.8‰), but significantly decreased in Ontario (2001–2002: 6.2‰; 2017–2018: 4.7‰), Québec (2001–2002: 4.1‰; 2017–2018: 3.2‰) and Manitoba (2001–2002: 2.7‰; 2017–2018: 2.0‰). For almost all causes of death, a higher MRR was found among individuals with recorded SRD than in the general population. The causes of death in 2015–2016 with the highest MRR for SRD individuals were SRD, suicide, and non-suicide trauma in Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, and Québec.

Discussion

Linked AHD covering almost the entire population can be useful to monitor the medical service trends of SRD and, therefore, guide health services planning in Canadian provinces.
Application of Educational Data Mining Approach for Student Academic Performance Prediction Using Progressive Temporal Data
Authors: Trakunphutthirak Ruangsak , Lee Vincent C. S.
Published: September 2021

Educators in higher education institutes often use statistical results obtained from their online Learning Management System (LMS) dataset, which has limitations, to evaluate student academic performance. This study differs from the current body of literature by including an additional dataset that advances the knowledge about factors affecting student academic performance. The key aims of this study are fourfold. First, is to fill the educational literature gap by applying machine learning techniques in educational data mining, making use of the Internet usage behaviour log files and LMS data. Second, LMS data and Internet usage log files were analysed with machine learning techniques for predicting at-risk-of-failure students, with greater explanation added by combining student demographic data. Third, the demographic features help to explain the prediction in understandable terms for educators. Fourth, the study used a range of Internet usage data, which were categorized according to type of usage data and type of web browsing data to increase prediction accuracy.
Human Trafficking: Empowering Healthcare Providers and Community Partners as Advocates for Victims
Authors: Combs Marielle A. , Arnold Tracy
Published: September 2021

Human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery, is a public health crisis and a growing worldwide crime exploiting approximately 40.3 million victims. A decade ago approximately 79% of human trafficking crimes were related to sexual exploitation and 18% were related to forced labor, but more recent reports show approximately 50% and 38%, respectively. Although sexual exploitation continues to make up the majority of human trafficking crimes, forced labor continues to grow at an alarming rate. The purpose of this paper is 2-fold. First, to empower healthcare providers and community volunteers serving potential victims of human trafficking in traditional and nontraditional settings with human trafficking identification training. This education should include the use of a validated human trafficking screening tool and the timely provision of resources. Second, to guide professional nurses in the holistic approach to caring for potential victims of human trafficking. The core values of holistic nursing practice and Watson's Theory of Human Caring are the pillars guiding mindful and authentic nursing care. Merging evidence-based practice with holistic care will boost victim identification and rescue.
Simultaneous solutions for convective heat transfer in dusty-nano- and dusty-hybrid nanoliquids
Authors: Samrat SP , Ashwinkumar GP , Sandeep N
Published: September 2021

The present study investigates the heat transfer and flow behaviour of magnetohydrodynamic dusty-nano- and dusty-hybrid nanoliquids caused by the stretched surface. We considered the copper oxide (CuO) and magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticle suspension in water (H2O) as the base liquid. Similarity transformations are used to transform the partial differential equations to ordinary differential equations and solved by the Runge-Kutta Fehlberg 45 method with a shooting procedure. Outcomes of the velocity and thermal gradients for diverse physical impacts are depicted via plots and the skin friction factor and heat transfer rate are illustrated via tabulated values. Results reveal that dusty-hybrid nanoliquids and their conductive properties play an important role throughout the study. A growth in the mass concentration of dust particles augments the temperature and the Nusselt number, but the reverse reaction to the friction factor and velocity profile has been seen. The Eckert number has a propensity to magnify the temperature of the fluid phase and dust phase. The interaction of dust and nanoparticles extends to the greater heat transmission in the dust phase associated with the fluid phase. Hybridization showed a positive response in the heat transmission of the nanoliquid. The dusty hybrid-nano liquid shows higher heat dispersion compared to the dusty nanoliquid.