bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differentiation between myopericarditis and acute myocardial infarction on presentation in the emergency department using the admission C-reactive protein to troponin ratio
Authors: Meisel Simcha R. , Nashed Hamuda , Natour Randa , Abu Fanne Rami , Saada Majdi , Amsalem Naama , Levin Carmel , Kobo Ofer , Frimerman Aaron , Levi Yaniv , Mohsen Jameel , Shotan Avraham , Roguin Ariel , Kleiner-Shochat Michael
Published: April 2021

Background

The treatment of myopericarditis is different than that of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, since their clinical presentation is frequently similar it may be difficult to distinguish between these entities despite a disparate underlying pathogenesis. Myopericarditis is primarily an inflammatory disease associated with high C-reactive protein (CRP) and relatively low elevated troponin concentrations, while AMI is characterized by the opposite. We hypothesized that evaluation of the CRP/troponin ratio on presentation to the emergency department could improve the differentiation between these two related clinical entities whose therapy is different. Such differentiation should facilitate triage to appropriate and expeditious therapy.

Methods

We evaluated the CRP/troponin ratio on presentation among patients consecutively included in a large single center registry that included 1898 consecutive patients comprising 1025 ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, 518 Non-STEMI (NSTEMI) patients, and 355 patients diagnosed on discharge as myopericarditis. CRP and troponin were sampled on admission in all patients and their ratio was assessed against discharge diagnosis. ROC analysis of the CRP/troponin ratios evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of myopericarditis against all AMI, STEMI, and NSTEMI patients.

Results

Median admission CRP/troponin ratios were 84, 65, and 436 mg×ml/liter×ng in STEMI, NSTEMI and myopericarditis groups, respectively (p<0.001) demonstrating good differentiating capability. The Receiver-operator-curve of admission CRP/troponin ratio for diagnosis of myopericarditis against all AMI, STEMI, and NSTEMI patients yielded an area-under-the curve of 0.74, 0.73, and 0.765, respectively. CRP/troponin ratio>500 resulted in specificity exceeding 85%, and for a ratio>1000, specificity>92%.

Conclusion

The CRP/troponin ratio can serve as an effective tool to differentiate between myopericarditis and AMI. In the appropriate clinical context, the CRP/troponin ratio may preclude further evaluation.
Perception and prediction of the putting distance of robot putting movements under different visual/viewing conditions
Authors: Kollegger Gerrit , Wiemeyer Josef , Ewerton Marco , Peters Jan
Published: April 2021

The purpose of this paper is to examine, whether and under which conditions humans are able to predict the putting distance of a robotic device. Based on the “flash-lag effect” (FLE) it was expected that the prediction errors increase with increasing putting velocity. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the predictions are more accurate and more confident if human observers operate under full vision (F-RCHB) compared to either temporal occlusion (I-RCHB) or spatial occlusion (invisible ball, F-RHC, or club, F-B). In two experiments, 48 video sequences of putt movements performed by a BioRob robot arm were presented to thirty-nine students (age: 24.49±3.20 years). In the experiments, video sequences included six putting distances (1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 m; experiment 1) under full versus incomplete vision (F-RCHB versus I-RCHB) and three putting distances (2. 0, 3.0, and 4.0 m; experiment 2) under the four visual conditions (F-RCHB, I-RCHB, F-RCH, and F-B). After the presentation of each video sequence, the participants estimated the putting distance on a scale from 0 to 6 m and provided their confidence of prediction on a 5-point scale. Both experiments show comparable results for the respective dependent variables (error and confidence measures). The participants consistently overestimated the putting distance under the full vision conditions; however, the experiments did not show a pattern that was consistent with the FLE. Under the temporal occlusion condition, a prediction was not possible; rather a random estimation pattern was found around the centre of the prediction scale (3 m). Spatial occlusion did not affect errors and confidence of prediction. The experiments indicate that temporal constraints seem to be more critical than spatial constraints. The FLE may not apply to distance prediction compared to location estimation.
Sparse Poisson regression via mixed-integer optimization
Authors: Saishu Hiroki , Kudo Kota , Takano Yuichi
Published: April 2021

We present a mixed-integer optimization (MIO) approach to sparse Poisson regression. The MIO approach to sparse linear regression was first proposed in the 1970s, but has recently received renewed attention due to advances in optimization algorithms and computer hardware. In contrast to many sparse estimation algorithms, the MIO approach has the advantage of finding the best subset of explanatory variables with respect to various criterion functions. In this paper, we focus on a sparse Poisson regression that maximizes the weighted sum of the log-likelihood function and the L2-regularization term. For this problem, we derive a mixed-integer quadratic optimization (MIQO) formulation by applying a piecewise-linear approximation to the log-likelihood function. Optimization software can solve this MIQO problem to optimality. Moreover, we propose two methods for selecting a limited number of tangent lines effective for piecewise-linear approximations. We assess the efficacy of our method through computational experiments using synthetic and real-world datasets. Our methods provide better log-likelihood values than do conventional greedy algorithms in selecting tangent lines. In addition, our MIQO formulation delivers better out-of-sample prediction performance than do forward stepwise selection and L1-regularized estimation, especially in low-noise situations.
Disparities in smokeless tobacco use in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan: Findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2014-2017
Authors: Zhao Luhua , Mbulo Lazarous , Twentyman Evelyn , Palipudi Krishna , King Brian A.
Published: April 2021

Background

Smokeless tobacco (SLT) use is associated with multiple adverse health effects. It is prominent in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, but disparities in use within and across these countries are not well documented or understood. This study assessed the prevalence, patterns, and correlates of SLT use in these three countries.

Method

Data came from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, a household survey of adults aged ≥15 years. Data were collected in 2014 (Pakistan), 2017 (Bangladesh), and India (2016–2017). Current SLT use (nasal or oral use) was defined as reported SLT use daily or less than daily at the time of the survey. Prevalence of both overall and specific SLT types were assessed. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess correlates of SLT use.

Results

Overall, SLT use among adults ≥15 years of age was 20.6% in Bangladesh, 21.4% in India, and 7.7% in Pakistan, corresponding to 22.0 million SLT users in Bangladesh, 199.4 million in India, and 9.6 million in Pakistan. Among current tobacco users overall, the percentage of those who used SLT was 58.4% (CI: 56.0–60.7) in Bangladesh, 74.7% (CI: 73.4–76.0) in India, and 40.3% (CI: 36.2–44.5) in Pakistan. The most commonly used oral SLT product was Zarda (14.5%) in Bangladesh, Khaini (11.2%) in India, and Naswar (5.1%) in Pakistan. Females had greater odds of SLT use than males in Bangladesh, but lower odds of SLT use than males in India and Pakistan. In all three countries, the odds of SLT use was higher among those 25 years and older, lower education, lower wealth index, and greater exposure to SLT marketing.

Conclusion

An estimated 231 million adults aged 15 years or older currently use SLT in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, comprising 40.3%-74.7% of overall tobacco product use in these countries. Moreover, marked variations in SLT use exist by population groups. Furthermore, exposure to pro-SLT marketing was found to be associated with higher SLT use compared to non-exposed. It is important that tobacco control strategies address all forms of tobacco product use, including SLT.
Clinical utility of hepatitis C virus core antigen (HCVcAg) assay to identify active HCV infection in hemodialysis and renal transplant patients
Authors: Ponnuvel Suresh , Fletcher Gnanadurai John , Anantharam Raghavendran , Varughese Santosh , David Vinoy George , Abraham Priya
Published: April 2021

Background

The prevalence of HCV infection is high and it is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis and renal transplant patients. Diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection requires both HCV antibody screening and confirmatory nucleic acid testing (NAT). Hepatitis C virus core antigen (HCVcAg) is a reliable direct viral marker to identify active HCV infection.

Aim

To assess the clinical utility of HCV core antigen to identify active HCV infection in hemodialysis and renal transplant patients.

Methods

A representative total of 231 plasma samples with a predominance of low viral load were included for HCVcAg testing and its performance characteristics were compared with the gold standard HCV RNA.

Results

Comparison of HCVcAg with HCV RNA showed an excellent specificity of 99% (95% CI: 94.7 to 100%) and sensitivity of 80.62% (95% CI: 73.59 to 87.7%). Likewise, the PPV and NPV of HCVcAg were 99.1% (95% CI: 93.7% to 99.9%) and 80.2% (95% CI: 74% to 85.2%) respectively. The correlation between HCVcAg and HCV RNA was found to be good (R2 = 0.86, p<0.0001). Among common Indian HCV genotypes (1, 3 & 4), good correlation was observed between HCV RNA and HCVcAg (R2 = 0.81, p <0.0001).

Conclusions

It is the first Indian study to show that HCVcAg is a reliable, cost-effective direct marker to identify active HCV infection in hemodialysis and renal transplant patients. Implementation of HCVcAg testing could improve the accessibility to efficacious and affordable disease management in hemodialysis and renal transplant patients. In HCVcAg negative cases, sequential testing with anti-HCV antibody followed by HCV RNA could be a reliable and cost-effective approach.
Association of prescription opioid use on mortality and hospital length of stay in the intensive care unit
Authors: Hardy Nicole , Zeba Fatima , Ovalle Anaelia , Yanac Alicia , Nzugang-Noutonsi Christelle , Abadier Mike , Ovalle Anais , Chahin Abdullah
Published: April 2021

Objective

Several studies show that chronic opioid dependence leads to higher in-hospital mortality, increased risk of hospital readmissions, and worse outcomes in trauma cases. However, the association of outpatient prescription opioid use on morbidity and mortality has not been adequately evaluated in a critical care setting. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an association between chronic opioid use and mortality after an ICU admission.

Design

A single-center, longitudinal retrospective cohort study of all Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients admitted to a tertiary-care academic medical center from 2001 to 2012 using the MIMIC-III database.

Setting

Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database based in the United States.

Patients

Adult patients 18 years and older were included. Exclusion criteria comprised of patients who expired during their hospital stay or presented with overdose; patients with cancer, anoxic brain injury, non-prescription opioid use; or if an accurate medication reconciliation was unable to be obtained. Patients prescribed chronic opioids were compared with those who had not been prescribed opioids in the outpatient setting.

Interventions

None.

Measurements and main results

The final sample included a total of 22,385 patients, with 2,621 (11.7%) in the opioid group and 19,764 (88.3%) in the control group. After proceeding with bivariate analyses, statistically significant and clinically relevant differences were identified between opioid and non-opioid users in sex, length of hospital stay, and comorbidities. Opioid use was associated with increased mortality in both the 30-day and 1-year windows with a respective odds ratios of 1.81 (95% CI, 1.63–2.01; p<0.001) and 1.88 (95% CI, 1.77–1.99; p<0.001), respectively.

Conclusions

Chronic opioid usage was associated with increased hospital length of stay and increased mortality at both 30 days and 1 year after ICU admission. Knowledge of this will help providers make better choices in patient care and have a more informed risk-benefits discussion when prescribing opioids for chronic usage.
Chorismate mutase peptide antibody enables specific detection of Acanthamoeba
Authors: Lee Hae-Ahm , Chu Ki-Back , Kim Min-Jeong , Quan Fu-Shi , Kong Hyun-Hee , Moon Eun-Kyung
Published: April 2021

Accurate and rapid diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is difficult. Although the diagnostic procedure for AK has improved, further development and effective diagnostic tool utilization for AK need to continue. Chorismate mutase is a key regulatory enzyme involved in the shikimate pathway, a metabolic pathway absent in mammals but central for amino acid biosynthesis in bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants. In this study, we describe the identification and production of a polyclonal peptide antibody targeting chorismate mutase secreted by A. castellanii, which could be used for AK diagnosis. Western blot was performed using the protein lysates and conditioned media of the human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells, non-pathogenic Acanthamoeba, pathogenic Acanthamoeba, clinical isolate of Acanthamoeba spp., and other causes of keratitis such as Fusarium solani, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. Polyclonal antibodies raised against A. castellanii chorismate mutase specifically interacted with lysates of Acanthamoeba origin and their culture media, while such interactions were not observed from other samples. Acanthamoeba-specificity of chorismate mutase was also confirmed using immunocytochemistry after co-culturing Acanthamoeba with HCE cells. Specific binding of the chorismate mutase antibody to Acanthamoeba was observed, which were absent in the case of HCE cells. These results indicate that the chorismate mutase antibody of Acanthamoeba may serve as a method for rapid and differential Acanthamoeba identification.
Nucleic acid amplification techniques for rapid diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacteria: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yu Guocan , Shen Yanqin , Xu Xudong , Lin Lihua
Published: April 2021

Background

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection is similar to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. Early clinical identification and differentiation of NTM and MTB infections continues to be a major challenge. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) have the ability to efficiently and rapidly detect pathogens and are widely used in mycobacterial infections. The objective of this study is to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of NAATs for NTM.

Methods

We will search candidate studies that assessing the accuracy of NAATs for diagnosis of NTM through PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library until May 2021. Studies with full text that meet the inclusion criteria will be included. Following a revised tool for Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2), two researchers will independently evaluate the study quality. The STATA software (version 15.0) will be used to carry out meta-analyses. When heterogeneity is observed, subgroup analyses and meta-regression analyses will be used to explore sources of heterogeneity. Sensitivity analyses will be used to check the robustness of analyses.

Conclusion

We hope that this study will provide meaningful evidence for the early and rapid diagnosis of NAATs for NTM, which will help to guide the treatment of NTM and improve the prognosis of patients.
Meibomian glands dropout in patients with inactive thyroid related orbitopathy
Authors: Satitpitakul Vannarut , Rattanaphong Tanavadee , Pruksakorn Vannakorn
Published: April 2021

Purpose

To evaluate the structure and function of meibomian glands in patients with thyroid related orbitopathy (TRO) compared with age- and sex-matched controls without TRO.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included 106 eyes of 53 patients with TRO and 106 eyes of 53 age- and sex-matched controls without TRO. Patients with TRO were assessed for thyroid hormone status, activity and severity of TRO. All participants completed OSDI questionnaires. Their meibomian glands’ structure and function were assessed, including the area of meibomian gland dropout, lipid layer thickness (LLT), meibum expressibility and quality scores, tear break-up time (TBUT), corneal and conjunctival staining scores. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to compare between the two groups. The correlations between the area of meibomian gland dropout with symptoms and signs of TRO were evaluated using GEE and Spearman correlation.

Results

All patients with TRO had inactive status. The mean area of meibomian gland dropout was higher in the TRO group (34.5±11.2%) compared with that of controls (30.1±10.7%, P = 0.03). Both mean meibum quality (TRO, 1.6±0.7; Controls, 2.0 ±0.5) and expressibility (TRO, 1.5 ±0.7; Controls, 1.7 ±0.6) scores were slightly better in the TRO group compared with those of controls (P = 0.01). There was no significant difference in OSDI, corneal and conjunctival staining, TBUT and LLT. The area of meibomian gland dropout in patients with TRO was correlated with euthyroid status (P<0.05) and lagophthalmos (P = 0.03).

Conclusions

Patients with inactive TRO showed significantly higher meibomian gland dropout compared with that of age- and sex-matched controls without TRO.
Oncolytic virotherapy promotes radiosensitivity in soft tissue sarcoma by suppressing anti-apoptotic MCL1 expression
Authors: Omori Toshinori , Tazawa Hiroshi , Yamakawa Yasuaki , Osaki Shuhei , Hasei Joe , Sugiu Kazuhisa , Komatsubara Tadashi , Fujiwara Tomohiro , Yoshida Aki , Kunisada Toshiyuki , Urata Yasuo , Kagawa Shunsuke , Ozaki Toshifumi , Fujiwara Toshiyoshi
Published: April 2021

Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a rare cancer that develops from soft tissues in any part of the body. Despite major advances in the treatment of STS, patients are often refractory to conventional radiotherapy, leading to poor prognosis. Enhancement of sensitivity to radiotherapy would therefore improve the clinical outcome of STS patients. We previously revealed that the tumor-specific, replication-competent oncolytic adenovirus OBP-301 kills human sarcoma cells. In this study, we investigated the radiosensitizing effect of OBP-301 in human STS cells. The in vitro antitumor effect of OBP-301 and ionizing radiation in monotherapy or combination therapy was assessed using highly radiosensitive (RD-ES and SK-ES-1) and moderately radiosensitive (HT1080 and NMS-2) STS cell lines. The expression of markers for apoptosis and DNA damage were evaluated in STS cells after treatment. The therapeutic potential of combination therapy was further analyzed using SK-ES-1 and HT1080 cells in subcutaneous xenograft tumor models. The combination of OBP-301 and ionizing radiation showed a synergistic antitumor effect in all human STS cell lines tested, including those that show different radiosensitivity. OBP-301 was found to enhance irradiation-induced apoptosis and DNA damage via suppression of anti-apoptotic myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL1), which was expressed at higher levels in moderately radiosensitive cell lines. The combination of OBP-301 and ionizing radiation showed a more profound antitumor effect compared to monotherapy in SK-ES-1 (highly radiosensitive) and HT1080 (moderately radiosensitive) subcutaneous xenograft tumors. OBP-301 is a promising antitumor reagent to improve the therapeutic potential of radiotherapy by increasing radiation-induced apoptosis in STS.
Toward understanding microbiota homeostasis in the plant kingdom
Authors: Paasch Bradley C. , He Sheng Yang
Published: April 2021

A diverse community of microorganisms inhabits various parts of a plant. Recent findings indicate that perturbations to the normal microbiota can be associated with positive and negative effects on plant health. In this review, we discuss these findings in the context of understanding how microbiota homeostasis is regulated in plants for promoting health and/or for preventing dysbiosis.
Termeléstervezés a visszutas logisztikában (Production planning in the reverse logistics)
Authors: Dobos Imre
Published: April 2021

A dolgozat az újrafelhasználás termeléstervezésbe történő integrálását elemzi. A nemzetközi kutatások is gyermekcipőben járnak még ezen a területen. A legtöbb alkalmazást a német irodalomban találhatjuk meg, de az angol nyelvű irodalom is csak elvétve található. Ismereteink szerint magyar nyelvű vizsgálódások ezen a területen még nem születtek, ezért a következő munka úttörőnek számíthat ezen a területen. ______ The aim of the paper is to investigate the introduction of reuse in materials reqiurements planning systems. There are no sigificant contribution on this field in the Hungarian management literature. The paper reviews the available international literature.
A fenntartható (és multifunkcionális) mezôgazdaság hatékonyságmérési problémái
Authors: Laki Gábor
Published: April 2021

A szerző dolgozatában a fenntartható mezőgazdaság hatékonyságmérési kérdéseivel foglalkozik. Ebben a témában egy rendkívül szerteágazó, túlburjánzó szakirodalmi háttér áll a kutatók rendelkezésére, ugyanakkor a legtöbb szerző írásában csak általánosságokat, jövőbeni elképzeléseket, illetve gyakran egymásnak ellentmondó elveket ismételget, amelyek konkrét megvalósítására csupán kevés esély látszik. E kérdés problémáinak feloldására olyan integrált mutatószám bevezetése lenne célszerű, amely egyfelől egyszerű, így könnyen kezelhető, másfelől „integráltságából” eredően, változása az egész gazdaság a fenntarthatóság irányába történő egyidejű elmozdulását eredményezi.
Extended Bandwidth and Increased Efficiency Quasi-Doherty Power Amplifier Design With A Revised Approach For Load Modulation
Authors: Rouhani Seyedehmarzieh , Rouhi Kasra , Abrishamifar Adib , Tayarani Majid
Published: April 2021

This paper presents an approach to power added efficiency (PAE) increase for Quasi-Doherty power amplifier (Q-DPA) design. For this aim, active feedback is utilized instead of a passive quarter wavelength transmission line (TL) usage, which is conventionally used in the DPA schematic. PAE increase can be done by applying an accurate load modulation to the main amplifier (PAmain), especially for technologies in which output impedance of the main power amplifier (Zout,main) considerably varies in both low and high power regions. Because such precise modulation is still based on a modified TL, this approach suffers from the inherent narrowband behavior of that TL. As a consequence, expecting a wideband DPA may not be satisfied in all cases. To deal with this issue, active feedback is used to play a role in reaching PAmain, which is not saturated before, to its maximum efficiency at the highest level of received input power (Pin) in the high power region. Following Zout,main trajectories in power and frequency sweeps simultaneously just by a passive TL are not needed anymore. Still, for the sake of preventing total PAE degradation due to the consummated power by the feedback path’s power amplifier (PAfeedback) should be limited, analytical confinement is provided in this work. A comparison is made between GaAs pHEMT 0.25um MMIC technology-based conventional DPA and the proposed revised approach based-DPA to verify the mentioned approach. The proposed PA shows maximum output power of 33.4 dBm, maximum PAE of 41.6, fractional bandwidth of 11%. The Q-DPA works with a maximum power gain of 24.16.
Leisure Studies on Program Output With Delay Relaxation.
Authors: Appiah Frank
Published: April 2021

Interactive computing environments consisting of screen and keyboard provides a means to relax and enjoy the program output. Leisurely, ways to slow and relax program execution is delved with system calls like delay execution, synthesis execution and file management execution. The leisure time can be the exact delay time used in slowly the chances of output activity.
ESTUDO SOBRE BENCHMARKS PARA AVALIAÇÃO DE DESEMPENHOS ORIENTADOS A NUVEM
Authors: de Oliveira DANIELLE COSTA
Published: April 2021

Com a crescente adoção da computação em nuvem, observa-se um aumento da necessidade de avaliar o desempenho das nuvens. Avaliar esses ambientes é um desafio em aberto, uma vez que diferentemente da computação tradicional, os benchmarks que podem ser usados para avaliação, devem acompanhar os possíveis múltiplos cenários existentes que são configurados dinamicamente, provisionam recursos sob demanda e os liberam com esforço mínimo de gerenciamento. O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar um estudo sobre benchmark para nuvem e que discute os desafios sobre o seu uso e formulação. O estudo é o resultado parcial de um projeto pesquisa em andamento que visa a criação de um portifólio dos benchmarks típicos para as nuvens.
ALBERTA STROKE PROGRAM EARLY CT SCORE AUTOMÁTICO: UMA BREVE REVISÃO
Authors: BRITO RAFAEL DE FREITAS , Veiga Antônio Cláudio Paschoarelli , Destro Filho João Batista
Published: April 2021

Acidente Vascular Cerebral (AVC) é uma das principais causas de morte e incapacitação no mundo, afetando em especial países de renda baixa e média. Para prognóstico e seleção de pacientes para tratamento da doença é muito utilizada a Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS), pontuação que visa quantificar sinais inicias da doença em tomografias computadorizadas. Para facilitar e até automatizar a avaliação de ASPECTS, que possuí confibilidade limitada, foram desenvolvidos vários métodos computacionais, alguns dos quais são aqui apresentados e avaliados.
BELÉM: URBANIZAÇÃO REGIONAL POLICÊNTRICA E CIDADE-REGIÃO
Authors: Ribeiro Willame de Oliveira
Published: April 2021

Os objetivos do artigo consistem em analisar as concepções de cidade-região e urbanização regional policêntrica no âmbito do debate sobre as morfologias urbano-regionais e reconhecer os principais elementos da realidade urbano-regional configurada, nas últimas décadas, a partir de Belém, capital do Estado do Pará, no norte do Brasil. Mediante o desenvolvimento de procedimentos metodológicos como levantamentos bibliográficos e documentais, bem como trabalhos de campo, constatou-se que há razoável disseminação das morfologias urbano-regionais no mundo atual, com manifestação, inclusive, em realidades precárias como a de Belém, onde se registram fatores do processo de urbanização regional policêntrica e de sua forma espacial, a cidade-região, como: diversidade de renda e de tipos de assentamentos dos grupos sociais nas antigas e novas áreas dispersas; dispersão dos espaços de consumo; ampliação da escala da dispersão e da configuração das novas periferias; e fortalecimento de outras centralidades (além do núcleo metropolitano) e, conseguinte, diversificação e complexificação dos fluxos.
IDENTIFICAÇÃO DAS REGIÕES PLUVIOMÉTRICAS HOMOGÊNEAS E INÍCIO E FIM DA ESTAÇÃO CHUVOSA NA BACIA DO MÉDIO SÃO FRANCISCO (BRASIL)
Authors: Alves Laurizio Emanuel Ribeiro , Gomes Heliofábio Barros , Correia Filho Washington Luiz Félix , Oliveira Júnior José Francisco de , Gonçalves Luis Gustavo Gonçalves de , Herdies Dirceu Luis , Silva Fabrício Daniel dos Santos
Published: April 2021

A escassez hídrica resultante da má distribuição espaço-temporal das chuvas gera grandes dificuldades no abastecimento de água para a população da maior parte do semiárido nordestino e regiões adjacentes. Desta maneira, torna-se imprescindível o conhecimento sobre o regime pluviométrico de uma Bacia Hidrográfica como maneira de monitorar ocorrências de seca, neste caso, da Bacia do Médio São Francisco (BMSF), Brasil. Neste trabalho utilizaram-se dados diários de chuvas de 22 estações meteorológicas convencionais do Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET), localizadas na BMSF e áreas adjacentes, do período de 2001 a 2017. Para a identificação dos padrões de chuva, utilizou-se a análise de Cluster via método de Ward para a obtenção de grupos homogêneos. Em seguida, foi estudada a sazonalidade da bacia, bem como o início (IEC) e fim (FEC) da estação chuvosa via método de Liebmann. O regime de chuvas ao longo da BMSF foi subdividido em três grupos homogêneos (G1, G2 e G3). Além disso, esses grupos apresentaram padrão sazonal de chuva similar, um seco entre os meses de maio e setembro e outro chuvoso entre os meses de outubro a abril. O IEC e FEC se iniciam em meados de outubro e em março, respectivamente.
Study the effect of Heavy Oil Fuel Ash on the geotechnical properties of clay soil
Authors: Ousta Rami , Tawalo Ali
Published: April 2021

Power stations are widely spread in Arabic Syrian Republic, unlike most of power stations in the world that work by using coal as the operating fuel, most of Syrian power stations depend on the heavy fuel oil to generate electricity. Although there are a lot of studies about use of the fly ash produced from burning coal, the fly ash resulted by using heavy fuel oil as an operating material for the power stations had less attention. This paper aims to study the effect of this type of fly ash on the geotechnical properties of the clay soil and comparison it with the effect of fly ash resulted by power stations that use the coal. Two percentages of heavy oil fuel ash were mixed with the soil 5% and 10% of the dry soil weight with two curing periods 7 and 28 days. The results indicated that adding heavy oil fuel ash to the soil will decrease the cohesion in addition to increase the internal friction angle. There is not clear effect of the curing periods and the increase in the percentage of fly ash on the Atterberg limits.
COVİD-19 DÜNYA VE TÜRKİYE TEDARİK ZİNCİRİ ÜZERİNE ETKİLERİ
Authors: ÇATUK Cüneyt , AYDIN Kadir
Published: April 2021

COVİD-19 salgını ilk olarak 31 Aralık 2019 tarihinde Çin hükümetinin Dünya Sağlık Örgütüne bildirmesiyle kamuoyunun gündemine geldi, Küresel olarak 3,4 milyondan fazla teyit edilmiş vaka ve 86 binden fazla ölüm vakasına neden oldu (5 Mayıs 2020 itibariyle). Covid-19 dünya ekonomisini etkilediğinden dolayı küresel bir konu haline gelmiştir. Bu çalışma mevcut raporları kullanarak salgının Dünya ekonomisine ve Türkiye’nin tedarik zincirine etkisini analiz eden bir inceleme makalesidir.
Sonuç olarak Salgının diğer ülke ekonomileri gibi Türkiye ekonomisini de kötü yönde etkileyeceği ama Türkiye virüsün yayılmasını kısa vadede engelleyebilirse tedarik zincirinde yaşanan aksaklıkları doğru stratejiler kullanarak fırsata çevirebileceği sonucuna varılmıştır.
Technological mediation in a global competence virtual exchange project:
a critical digital literacies perspective
Authors: Nicolaou Anna
Published: April 2021

The changing cultural and social landscape of our world today, along
with the emergence of various technologies, has redefined 21st century
societies. In light of these changes, new pedagogical approaches have been
implemented to support civic life, education, and communication in our
highly complex, digitised era (Pegrum, Dudeney, & Hockly, 2018). One
such approach is virtual exchange, a technologically-mediated practice which
involves engaging classes in online intercultural interaction and
collaboration projects with geographically dispersed partners (O’Dowd, 2007,
2019). Many studies (Helm, 2014; Hauck & Satar, 2018; Vinagre, 2016)
have examined the role of technology in virtual exchange projects as well as
the development of various digital competences, along with linguistic and
intercultural learning. The present study contributes to the discussion
pertaining to the role of technology in the virtual exchange context adding
a critical digital literacies perspective manifested in the use of
technology for global competence development and as a social praxis (Ávila
& Pandya, 2013). Specifically, the study aims at exploring the students’
perceptions about digital skills development through their participation in
a global competence virtual exchange project, as well as the ways in which
students interact with technology in order to develop global competence and
active citizenship.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice toward COVID-19 among Healthy Population in the Philippines
Authors: Tuppal Cyruz P. , Ninobla Marina Magnolia G. , Ruiz Mara Gerbabe D. , Loresco Richard D. , Tuppal Shanine Mae P. , Panes Iril I. , Oducado Ryan Michael F. , Prudencio Denise Angelo M. , Vega Paolo D. , Eribal Mark John E. , Real Don Vicente P. , Roa Mary Nellie T.
Published: April 2021

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has become a severe health threat to the Philippines and around the world. At the early onset of the pandemic, it is imperative to measure the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among healthy individuals to better understand the causes, transmission, and preventive measures. Purpose: This study aimed to identify the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards COVID-19 in a healthy Filipino population during the early onset of the pandemic outbreak.Methods: This cross-sectional rapid online and web-based survey was conducted among healthy Filipino population. A total of 1634 subjects participated via the Google survey link. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the respondents' profile characteristics and KAP scores. The One-Way ANOVA or independent sample t-test was used to measure KAP scores' differences when grouped according to respondents' profile characteristics. Pearson correlation was used to measure the relationship among the KAP scores. The data were all analyzed using the SPSS version 26.0. Results: The overall knowledge scores revealed 67.7%. Filipinos believed COVID-19 would finally be successfully controlled and confident that the Philippines can win the battle against the virus through preventive practices. KAP scores showed significant differences with age, sex (p<0.000), and place of residence (p<0.000), occupation (p<0.000), and marital status (p<0.000). A significant positive low correlation between knowledge and practice (r=0.076, p<0.01), attitude and practice (r=0.100, p<0.01).Conclusion: Albeit a low knowledge of COVID-19, healthy Filipino populations had a positive attitude and compliant with the preventive measures. This study hopes to contribute to the growing corpus of literature on COVID-19 to provide evidence-based information towards health promotion, illness prevention, and control of possible virus' spread.
The effects of salinity on changes in characteristics of soils collected in a saline region of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Authors: Van Tan Lam , Thanh Tran
Published: April 2021

Due to the impacts of climate change and the reduction in the flow of the Mekong River, saline intrusion into the inland has been an emergent and pressing issue. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of various saline conditions (0–25‰) on changes in some soil properties under laboratory conditions. Ten topsoil samples were collected from a depth of 0–20 cm in the dry seasons in the rice–corn rotation fields with low salinity, in Thanh Phu district, Ben Tre province, Vietnam. The examined criteria consisted of soil pH, soil electrical conductivity of the saturated paste extract (ECe), exchangeable Na, percentage of exchangeable Na, and content (%) of nitrogen and phosphorus. The results revealed that the pH range of soil decreased from 5.14–5.72 to 4.08–5.14 when the soil salinity increased from 0 to 25‰. At the salinity of 10‰ and higher, the available nitrogen began to decline. Meanwhile, the available phosphorus tended to decrease as the salinity increased past 12‰. Some measures are also discussed, with the aim of ensuring sustainable rice farming in the circumstances of increased salinity.
Error Analysis of an Unconditionally Energy Stable Local Discontinuous Galerkin Scheme for the Cahn–Hilliard Equation with Concentration-Dependent Mobility
Authors: Yan Fengna , Xu Yan
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we mainly study the error analysis of an unconditionally energy stable local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) scheme for the Cahn–Hilliard equation with concentration-dependent mobility.
The time discretization is based on the invariant energy quadratization (IEQ) method.
The fully discrete scheme leads to a linear algebraic system to solve at each time step.
The main difficulty in the error estimates is the lack of control on some jump terms at cell boundaries in the LDG discretization.
Special treatments are needed for the initial condition and the non-constant mobility term of the Cahn–Hilliard equation.
For the analysis of the non-constant mobility term, we take full advantage of the semi-implicit time-discrete method and bound some numerical variables in

L
∞

L^{\infty}

-norm by the mathematical induction method.
The optimal error results are obtained for the fully discrete scheme.
A review of thermal spray coatings for protection of steels from degradation in coal fired power plants
Authors: Dhand Deepak , Kumar Parlad , Grewal Jasmaninder Singh
Published: April 2021

In coal fired power plants, the metallic surfaces such as boiler tubes, walls of combustion chambers and other parts degrade by corrosion, erosion and abrasion. It happens due to the hot gaseous environment, steam oxidation and presence of hard minerals and impurities in the coal. It is very important to protect these surfaces from material loss, otherwise it would lead to increased repair and maintenance cost along with decreased plant efficiency. In this paper, the role of thermal spray coatings has been studied for the protection of different steel grades exposed to such degrading conditions at high temperatures, in coal-based power plants. A comprehensive study has been done by analysing and comparing the work done by various researchers. Some recent advancements related to coating materials and modification in coating techniques have also been studied. This paper would be helpful for the researchers to get an idea for selecting an appropriate substrate material and coating material for industrial applications.
To study or not to study abroad? students’ decision in perspective of motivations, barriers and attachment
Authors: Sulejmanov Filip , Seitlová Klára , Seitl Martin , Kasalová Barbora
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study is to explore the antecedents of studying abroad. First, we explore motivations for and barriers against studying abroad in two groups of students (who had studied abroad, and who had not studied abroad). Second, differences in attachment dimensions and styles are examined in both groups. A deductive thematic analysis supported the thematic structure identified by Krzaklewska (2008) in regard to motivations. Furthermore, five barriers were identified using inductive thematic analysis. Although the same motivational and barrier themes were found in both groups, there were some notable qualitative differences in meaning attached to them. A one-way MANOVA showed non-significant differences between the two groups of students and attachment dimensions. Finnaly, Fisher’s exact test was conducted, and the post hoc comparison showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of students who had studied abroad and had a secure attachment style compared to students who had not studied abroad.
‘Baby factories’ versus the objectification of surrogacy cum child adoption in Nigeria
Authors: Okoli Al Chukwuma , Eze Chika
Published: April 2021

This paper examines the phenomenon of ‘baby factories’ as an abusive pattern of surrogacy and child adoption practices in Nigeria. Relying on a mixed qualitative approach that draws on extant literature and field-based personal insights, the paper posits that the economic, socio-cultural and psycho-emotional value of bearing and having a child, as well as the tacit disapproval of adoptive parenting by some cultures in Nigeria, have driven childless couples and adults into seeking child adoption through illicit and unconventional paths, such as ‘baby factories’. The paper contends that the commercialization and non-regulation of surrogacy in Nigeria has created pretexts for the proliferation of ‘baby factories’, where babies are bought and sold, with pregnant girls and infants objectified as ‘stocks-in-trade’. To mitigate the phenomenon, it is expedient to regulate the bourgeoning illicit baby market in the country through proper legislation that is capable of moderating the excesses of surrogate and adoptive practices.
Decolorization and mineralization of diazo dye under artificial and solar light assisted Fenton and photo-Fenton conditions
Authors: Bousnoubra Ibtissem , Fassi Soumia , Djebbar Kamel E.
Published: April 2021

The aim of this study is to verify the ability of some photochemical processes in the absence of light (Fenton) and in its presence (photolysis/UV, photo-Fenton/UV and photo-Fenton/Solar) to obtain total decolorization and mineralization of an diazo dye in aqueous solution: the Evans Blue (abbreviated as EB). Batch experiments were carried out to evaluate, on the first stage, the influence of different processes on EB decolorization and mineralization. During the second stage the optimal operational conditions like: H2O2 dosage, EB concentration and source of light were investigated. The reaction efficiencies have been compared for the same system in the dark or under the assistance of an artificial or solar light source. The obtained results showed that color removal followed the increasing order: photolysis/UV (18.2%) < Fe(II)/H2O2 (64.12%) < Fe(II)/H2O2/UV365 nm (83.4%) < Fe(II)/H2O2/solar light (86.3%) < Fe(II)/H2O2/UV254 nm (99.9%) with a reaction time of 60 min This improvement could be related to a better production of radicals OH•. In another hand, The efficiency of substrate mineralization in each process has been comparatively discussed by total organic carbon (TOC) and total chemical oxygen demand content of EB solutions.
Formation of boride layers on a commercially pure Ti surface produced via powder metallurgy
Authors: Kaplan Yavuz , Gülsün Mehmet , Aksöz Sinan
Published: April 2021

In this study, powder metallurgy was applied in a furnace atmosphere to form titanium boride layers on a commercially pure Ti surface. Experiments were carried out using the solid-state boriding method at 900 °C and 1000°C for 12 h and 24 h. Samples were produced by pressing the commercially pure Ti powders under 870 MPa. The sintering process required by the powder metallurgy method was carried out simultaneously with the boriding process. Thus, the sintering and boriding were performed in one stage. The formation of the boride layer was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, optical-light microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and elemental dispersion spectrometry analyses. In addition, microhardness measurements were performed to examine the effect of the boriding process on hardness. The Vickers microhardness of the boronized surface reached 1773 HV, which was much higher than the 150 HV hardness of the commercially pure Ti substrate. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the boriding process had enabled the formation of TiB and TiB2 on the powder metallurgy Ti substrate surface. Consequently, the production of Ti via powder metallurgy is a potentially cost-effective alternative to the conventional method, and the boriding process supplies TiB and TiB2 that provide super-high hardness and excellent wear and corrosion resistance.
National disparities in colorectal cancer screening in patients with comorbid conditions: an analysis of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Authors: Greiner Benjamin , Gandhi Ronak , Abrol Robinder , Patel Milee , Hartwell Micah
Published: April 2021

Context

Each year, approximately 53,200 people die in the U.S. from colorectal cancer (CRC), indicating a need to increase screening efforts. Some studies have suggested mammography use is higher in patients with comorbid conditions, a reflection of increased follow up. Another study found that patients with obesity were less likely to be screened for CRC than nonobese patients. However, no study has assessed the impact of multiple comorbidities on CRC screening.

Objectives

To analyze CRC screening rates in patients with comorbidities compared with healthy patients, and to assess whether the number of comorbid diagnoses impacted screening rates.

Methods

A cross sectional analysis of patients who received CRC screening was performed using the 2018 and 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Respondents were classified as having had CRC screening if they answered “yes” to either of the following: “Have you ever had a blood stool test?” or “Have you ever had a sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy?” Respondents younger than age 50 were excluded. A weighted multivariate logistic regression model was constructed to determine adjusted risk ratios (ARR). Confidence intervals (CI) were reported at 95%.

Results

We identified 279,784 respondents who met inclusion criteria. Of those, 79.7% (sample n=222,879; population N=46,304,360) of respondents had received CRC screening. Patients with diabetes, hypertension, skin cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), arthritis, depression, and chronic kidney disease were significantly more likely to be screened than those without comorbidities. There was no statistically significant difference in screening rates between patients with and without cardiovascular disease. Compared with patients with zero comorbidities, those with one were significantly more likely to receive screening (ARR, 1.11; CI, 1.09–1.12) as were those with two to four (ARR, 1.2; CI, 1.18–1.22). Patients with five or more comorbidities were significantly less likely to be screened than those with two to four (ARR, 1.12; CI, 1.1–1.14).

Conclusions

Patients with one or more comorbidities were more likely to be screened than those without comorbidities, but those with five or more conditions were less likely to be screened than patients with two to four conditions. This indicates that physicians may be more fatigued and less likely to recommend CRC screening to patients with many comorbidities compared with patients diagnosed with only a few conditions. The results of this study add to the literature by identifying an interaction between the number of comorbidities and likelihood of being screened for CRC.
Poetik einer neuen Metamorphose: zu Róža Domašcynas Dichtung
Authors: Koschmal Walter
Published: April 2021

The paper characterizes the poetics of the Sorbian poet Róža Domašcyna (*1951). Domašcyna creates diverse methods of metamorphosis in her numerous lyrical works. Different concepts of metamorphosis from Ovid to Goethe as well as concepts of Chinese philosophy are discussed. The novelty of Domašcyna’s concept lies in her language, particularly in the mutation of sound and transformation of all reality. The paper uses “parkfiguren,” a speech composition created together with the composer Harald Muenz, as an example to analyze Domašcyna’s new metamorphosis. It is precisely her extremely uncertain take on metamorphosis that makes this poetic language the language of our present.