bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AUDIO JOURNAL: ALIH MEDIA JURNAL ILMIAH DALAM BENTUK AUDIO SEBAGAI ALTERNATIF LITERASI DALAM PEMBELAJARAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Authors: Sakti Reza Ginandha
Published: June 2021

This article describes the creation and use of audio media containing scientific journal content. Scientific Journal is a form of news or communication that contains scientific works and is published on schedule in electronic and / or printed form. Scientific journal articles is made to provide useful information and knowledge. Currently most of the higher education institutions have Journal products. The problem that occurs is that the community does not take advantage of this scientific article, journalists are dominated by academics. Students who are supposed to cultivate scientific literacy are less interested in reading scientific journals. The low literacy culture is relevant to the instant culture of the younger generation who tend to be less likely to read. The purpose of this research is to provide an alternative literacy by transferring scientific article media from reading media to listening media. Scientific articles according to published entrepreneurial material are recorded with digital sound technical standards, this product prototype in the form of an Audio Journal can be accessed through all Digital Podcast Providers. Through the Audio Journal, students have easy access to scientific articles anywhere and anytime. This research uses qualitative methods and an interdisciplinary approach. Scientific journals are windows to an ever-evolving science, so that ease of access should be an important principle. The result achieved in this study is an alternative media literacy that is easy and fun for students to access, especially in the Entrepreneurship course. Audio Journal can also be used by people with disabilities to be able to access journals using listening media.Keywords: audio journaling, literacy, science
Impact Based on Quarantine Psychology: Analysis of Left and Right Brain Hemispheres
Authors: Sar Abhinanda , Kaur Jaspreet , Jindal Manoj Kumar , Prasad Kauleshwar
Published: June 2021

Brain, the most complex object known in the universe, uses few watts of power. To mimic it a nuclear power plant will be required and this power house controls the human body, single handedly. Surprisingly, “On the left side, nothing is right and on the right side there is nothing left”. Typically, there are two lateral halves of the brain: Left hemisphere and right hemisphere working distinctly. Left hemisphere is inclined towards logic; Right hemisphere is the root cause of imagination added with critical thinking. In situations like the current pandemic, COVID-19, it is the right half which tends to dominate the processing. This gives birth to mental stress, anxiety thus, aggravating the existing medical condition. Considering this pattern, a survey was conducted in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, which is one of the most hard hit epicentre of the COVID-19 second wave in India. According to this survey, it was revealed that largely women of all age groups (10-25, 26-40, 40 above) were right brained i.e. dominance of right over left hemisphere. Being more imaginative and creative thinkers they are more likely to suffer from mental issues than males. The aim of this research is to improve the mental wellbeing of the citizens in such threatening conditions. To prevent this situation awareness is a must and some stress relieving games have also been created.
From TOD to TAC: Why and How Transport Policy Needs to Shift to Regenerating Main Road Corridors with New Transit Systems.
Authors: Newman Peter , Davies-Slate Sebastian , Conley Daniel , Hargroves Karlson , Mouritz Mike
Published: June 2021

The need for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) around railway stations has been well accepted and continues to be needed in cities looking to regenerate both transit and urban development. Large parts of suburban areas remain without quality transit down Main Roads which are usually filled with traffic resulting in reduced urban value. The need to regenerate both the mobility and land development along such roads will likely be the next big agenda in transport policy. This paper learns from century-old experiences in public-private approaches to railway systems from around the world, along with new insights from entrepreneurship theory and urban planning to create the notion of a ‘Transit Activated Corridor’ (TAC). TAC’s prioritise fast transit and a string of station precincts along urban Main Roads. TOD’s were primarily a government role, whereas TAC’s will be primarily a private sector, entrepreneurship role. The core policy processes for a TAC are outlined with some early case studies. Five design principles for delivering a TAC are presented in this paper, three principles from entrepreneurship theory and two from urban planning. The potential for Trackless Trams to enable TAC’s is used to illustrate how these design processes can be an effective approach for designing, financing and delivering a ‘Transit Activated Corridor’.
Understanding the Molecular Bases of the Endophytic/Pathogenic Behavior of Fusarium Oxysporum Interacting With Vanilla Planifolia
Authors: Solano De la Cruz Marco Tulio , Elías Escobar – Hernández Esteban Elías , Arciniega – González Jorge Arturo , Rueda – Zozaya Rocío  del Pilar , Adame – García Jacel , Pérez-López Edel , Luna – Rodríguez Mauricio
Published: June 2021

Members of the Fusarium oxysporum species complex (FOSC) has the capacity to specialize into host-specific pathogens known as formae speciales through horizontal gene transfer between pathogenic and endophytic individuals. To this day, the origin of these formae speciales and the genetic determinants dictating the switch from endophytic to pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum (Fox) are still unknown. F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae (Fov), member of FOSC, is the causal agent of root and stem rot disease, representing the main phytosanitary problem in vanilla plantations worldwide. Here we analyzed the RNA-seq libraries resulting from the interaction vanilla-Fov at early and late stages of the infection, and what we initially identified as control in a previous study, detecting the presence of Fox endophytes. We identified virulence, hypervirulence, sporulation, conidiation, necrosis, and production of fusaric acid as key processes taking place during Fov-vanilla interaction. Through comparison with endophytic Fox, we found that Fov can infect vanilla thanks to the presence of pathogenicity islands and genomic regions associated with supernumerary chromosomes. These play a central role as carriers of genes involved with pathogenic activity and could have being obtained by Fov through horizontal gene transfer. We also found that, unlike other pathogenic members of FOSC, Fov do not use Secreted in Xylem proteins (SIX) to infect vanilla.
Building Millennials Generation Character Through Civic Education to Face The Era of Globalization
Authors: Fadhila Nurul , Pandin Moses Glorino Rumambo
Published: June 2021

Background: The rapid flow of globalization makes the world free from barriers so that the existence of globalization gives birth to a new concept of "World Without Borders". This situation puts the character of millennials on the brink of collapse and needs to be straightened out. Based on the problems above, the researcher determines the question: How is the role of civic education in shaping millennial character in the era of globalization? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of the current globalization on society, as a form of knowledge of the importance of citizenship education as a shield in the era of globalization, knowing the role of civic education in shaping the character of the millennial generation. Method: The method used in this research is a literature review. The search for journals was carried out using the google scholar database with the keywords “citizenship educations”, “millennial generation”, and “globalization”. Feasibility studies are assessed based on title, abstract, and full text. Data analysis using qualitative analysis based on research findings. Results: The results of this study show the influence of globalization causes character problems in millennials increasing every year. The high nature of individualism, consumerism, and westernization shows the characteristics of Indonesia began to erode and eventually also impacted the moral damage. Therefore, prevention is necessary through citizenship education as the basis for character formation by the values of Pancasila.
Global Ocean Studies from CALIOP/CALIPSO by Removing Polarization Crosstalk Effects
Authors: Lu Xiaomei , Hu Yongxiang , Omar Ali , Baize Rosemary , Vaughan Mark , Rodier Sharon , Kar Jayanta , Getzewich Brian , Lucker Patricia , Trepte Charles , Hostetler Chris , Winker David
Published: June 2021

Recent studies indicate that the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) aboard the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite provides valuable information about ocean phytoplankton distributions. CALIOP’s attenuated backscatter coefficients, measured at 532 nm in receiver channels oriented parallel and perpendicular to the laser’s linear polarization plane, are significantly improved in the Version 4 data product. However, due to non-ideal instrument effects, a small fraction of the backscattered optical power polarized parallel to the receiver polarization reference plane is misdirected into the perpendicular channel, and vice versa. This effect, known as polarization crosstalk, typically causes the measured perpendicular signal to be higher than its true value and the measured parallel signal to be lower than its true value. Therefore, the ocean optical properties derived directly from CALIOP’s measured signals will be biased if the polarization crosstalk effect is not taken into account. This paper presents methods that can be used to estimate the CALIOP crosstalk effects from on-orbit measurements. The global ocean depolarization ratios calculated both before and after removing the crosstalk effects are compared. Using CALIOP crosstalk-corrected signals is highly recommended for all ocean subsurface studies.
Current Status of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Type II Diabetes
Authors: Mustapha Sagir , Mohammed Mustapha , Azemi Ahmad Khusairi , Jatau Abubakar Ibrahim , Shehu Aishatu , Mustapha Lukman , Aliyu Muazzamu , Danraka Rabi’u Nuhu , Amin Abdulbasit , Bala Auwal Adam , Ahmad Wan Amir Nizam Wan , Rasool Aida Hanum Ghulam , Mustafa Mohd Rais , Mokhtar Siti Safiah
Published: June 2021

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays a multifunctional role in lipid biosynthesis, calcium storage, protein folding, and processing. Thus, maintaining ER homeostasis in insulin-secreting beta-cells is essential. Several pathophysiological conditions and pharmacological agents disrupt the ER homeostasis, thereby causing ER stress. The cells react to ER stress by initiating an adaptive signaling process called the unfolded protein response (UPR). However, the ER initiates death signaling pathways whenever the ER stress persists. ER stress has been linked to several diseases, such as cancers, obesity, and diabetes. Thus, the regulation of ER stress may provide possible therapeutic targets for many diseases. Current evidence suggests that chronic hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia linked to type II diabetes disrupt ER homeostasis, resulting in irreversible UPR activation and cells death. Despite much progress in understanding the pathophysiology of UPR and ER stress, to date, the mechanisms of ER stress in relation to type II diabetes remain unclear. This review provided up-to-date information regarding the current status of UPR, ER stress mechanisms, insulin dysfunction, oxidative stress, and the therapeutic potential of targeting specific ER stress pathways.
Genotypic and Haplotype Analysis of Interleukin-6 and-18 Gene Polymorphisms in Association with Clinicopathological Factors in Breast Cancer
Authors: Padala Chiranjeevi , Puranam Kaushik , Shyamala Nivas , Kupsal Keerthi , Kummari Ramanjaneyulu , Galimudi Rajesh Kumar , Gundapaneni Kishore Kumar , Tupurani Mohini Aiyengar , Suryadevara Aparna , CSK Sanjeeva Kumari , Hanumanth Surekha Rani
Published: June 2021

Background: Cytokines are multifunctional glycoproteins playing a vital role in the tumor microenvironment and in the progression of breast cancer. The immune responses in the tumors restrained by pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine expressions could be influenced by genetic polymorphisms. Hence, the present study evaluated the contribution of IL6 (rs1800797, rs1800796, and rs1800795), and IL18 (rs1946518, rs187238, and rs549908) genotypes and its haplotypes with risk and progression of breast cancer in south Indian population. Methods: The polymorphisms of IL6 gene -597G>A, -572G>C, -174G>C and IL18 gene -607C>A, -137G>C, and 105A>T were genotyped through PCR-RFLP and As-PCR assays in blood DNA of 600 subjects. We have performed haplotype, LD, univariate, multivariate logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses for the obtained data. Results: The frequency of AA genotype & A-allele of IL6 -597G>A, and CC genotype & C allele of IL6 -174G>C polymorphism was higher in breast cancer patients and was found to be significantly associated with TNM staging, late (advanced) stage, metastasis, etc. While, CG and GG genotypes of IL6 -572 C>G polymorphism had a protective role against breast cancer. Further, IL18 -607C>A, -137G>C & 105A>T polymorphisms were found to be associated with lobular carcinoma subtype, PR-ve and HER2+ve breast cancer patients. Perfect LD was observed between all SNPs of IL6 & IL18 genes under study; G-C-C, A-G-G and A-C-C haplotype combination of IL6 genes had conferred 2.09, 2.25 and 4.72 folds risk for breast cancer respectively. In survival analysis, we observed that the C allele of rs 1800795 was found to be significantly associated with 5years overall survival in breast cancer subjects. Conclusions: Overall, our results suggest the importance of genotypic and haplotype analysis of IL6, and IL18 gene variants in progression and risk identification of breast cancer.
Effect of COVID-19-related Lockdown οn Hospital Admissions for Asthma and COPD Exacerbations: Associations with Air Pollution and Patient Characteristics
Authors: Sigala Ioanna , Giannakas Timoleon , Giannakoulis Vasileios , Zervas Efthimios , Mprinia Aikaterini , Gianniou Niki , Asimakos Andreas , Dima Efhrosyni , Kalomenidis Ioannis , Katsaounou Paraskevi
Published: June 2021

We conducted a retrospective observational study to assess the hospitalization rates for acute exacerbations of asthma and/or COPD during the first imposed lockdown in Athens, Greece. Patient characteristics and the concentration of eight air pollutants (namely, CO, NO, NO2, O3 PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and benzene) were considered. A total of 153 consecutive hospital admissions were studied. Reduced admissions occurred in the lockdown period when compared to the Pre-lockdown 2020 (p<0.001) or the Control 2019 (p=0.007) period. Furthermore, the concentration of 6/8 air pollutants positively correlated with weekly hospital admissions in 2020 and significantly decreased during the lockdown. Finally, admitted patients for asthma exacerbation during the lockdown were younger (p=0.046) and less frequently presented respiratory failure (p=0.038), whereas patients with COPD presented higher blood eosinophil percentage (p=0.017) and count (p=0.012). Overall, admissions for asthma and COPD exacerbations decreased during the lockdown. This might partially explained by reduction of air pollution during this period while medical care avoidance behavior, especially among elderly patients cannot be excluded. Our findings aid in understanding the untold impact of the pandemic on diseases beyond COVID-19, focusing on patients with obstructive diseases..
Confounding Factors Influencing the Kinetic and the Magnitude of Serological Response Following Administration of BNT162b2
Authors: Bayart Jean-Louis , Morimont Laure , Closset Mélanie , Wieërs Grégoire , Roy Tatiana , Gerin Vincent , Elsen Marc , Eucher Christelle , Van Eeckhoudt Sandrine , Ausselet Nathalie , David Clara , Mullier François , Dogné Jean-Michel , Favresse Julien , Douxfils Jonathan
Published: June 2021

Background: Little is known about potential confounding factors influencing the humoral response in individuals having received the BNT162b2 vaccine. Methods: Blood samples from 231 subjects were collected before and 14, 28 and 42 days following COVID-19 vaccination with BNT162b2. Anti-Spike Receptor-Binding-Domain protein (anti-Spike/RBD) immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were measured at each time-point. Impact of age, sex, childbearing age status, hormonal therapy, blood group, body mass index and past-history of SARS-CoV-2 infection were assessed by multivariable analyses. Results and Conclusions: In naïve subjects, the level of anti-Spike/RBD antibodies gradually increased following administration of the first dose to reach the maximal response at day 28 and then plateauing at day 42. In vaccinated subjects with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, the plateau was reached sooner (i.e. at day 14). In the naïve population, age had a significant negative impact on anti-Spike/RBD titers at day 14 and 28 while lower levels were observed for males at day 42, when corrected for other confounding factors. BMI as well as B and AB blood groups had a significant impact in various subgroups on the early response at day 14 but no longer after. No significant confounding factors were highlighted in the previously infected group.
The Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Within the Dog Population in Croatia: Host Factors and Clinical Outcome
Authors: Stevanovic Vladimir , Tabain Irena , Vilibic-Cavlek Tatjana , Mauric Maljkovic Maja , Benvin Iva , Hruskar Zeljka , Kovac Snjezana , Smit Iva , Miletic Gorana , Hadina Suzana , Staaresina Vilim , Radin Lada , Plichta Valentina , Skrlin Branimir , Vrbanac Zoran , Brkljacic Mirna , Cvetnic Marija , Habus Josipa , Martinkovic Kresimir , Zecevic Iva , Jurkic Gabrijela , Ferencak Ivana , Stritof Zrinka , Perharic Matko , Bucic Lovro , Barbic Ljubo
Published: June 2021

Over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, there is growing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infections among dogs are more common than previously thought. In this study, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was investigated in two dog population. The first group was comprised of 1069 dogs admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital for any given reason. The second group included dogs that shared households with confirmed COVID-19 cases in humans. This study group numbered 78 dogs. In COVID-19 infected households, 43.9% tested ELISA positive, and neutralisation antibodies were detected in 25.64% of dogs. Those data are comparable with the secondary attack rate in the human population. With 14.69% of dogs in the general population testing ELISA positive, there was a surge of SARS-CoV-2 infections within the dog population amid the second wave of the pandemic. Noticeably seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the dog and the human population did not differ at the end of the study period. Male sex, breed and age were identified as significant risk factors. This study gives strong evidence that while acute dog infections are mostly asymptomatic, they can pose a significant risk to dog health. Seropositive dogs had a 1.97 times greater risk for developing central nervous symptoms.
Sudden Unexpected Death Associated with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: Study of the Cardiac Conduction System
Authors: Ottaviani Giulia , Alfonsi Graziella , Ramos Simone G. , Lavezzi Anna M. , Buja L. Maximilian
Published: June 2021

A retrospective study was conducted on pathologically diagnosed arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) from consecutive cases over the past 34 years (n = 1,109). The cardiac conduction system (CCS) was removed in two blocks, containing the following structures: Sino-atrial node (SAN), atrio-ventricular junction (AVJ) including the atrio-ventricular node (AVN), the His bundle (HB), the bifurcation (BIF), the left bundle branch (LBB) and the right bundle branch (RBB). The ACM cases (2.07% of the total cases) consisted of 20 (86.96%) sudden unexpected cardiac death (SUCD) and 3 (13.04%) native explanted hearts; 16 (69.56%) were males and 7 (30.44%) were females, ranging in age from 5 to 65 (mean age ± SD, 36.13 ± 16.06) years. The following anomalies of the CCS, displayed as percentages of ACM SUCD cases, have been detected: Hypoplasia of SAN (80%) and/or AVJ (86.67%) due to fatty-fibrous involvement, AVJ dispersion and/or septation (46.67%), central fibrous body (CFB) hypoplasia (33.33%), fibromuscular dysplasia of SAN (20%) and/or AVN (26.67%) arteries, hemorrhage and infarct-like lesions of CCS (13.33%), islands of conduction tissue in CFB (13.33%), Mahaim fibers (13.33%), LBB block by fibrosis (13.33%), AVN tongue (13.33%), HB duplicity (6.67%%), CFB cartilaginous meta-hyperplasia (6.67%), and right sided HB (6.67%). Arrhythmias are the hallmark of ACM, not only from the fatty-fibrous disruption of the ventricular myocardium that accounts for reentrant ventricular tachycardia, but also from the fatty-fibrous involvement of CCS itself. The careful examination of the cardiac conduction system on serial sections was crucial in documenting the fatty-fibrous infiltration of CCS in ACM.
Delineating the Upc2A Regulon in Candida glabrata
Authors:   ,   University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Li Yu
Published: June 2021

Candida glabrata is the second most common cause of invasive candidiasis. Intrinsic resistance has greatly limited the utility of the triazole antifungal, fluconazole, in the treatment of invasive fungal infection. The transcription factor Upc2 regulates the expression of sterol biosynthesis genes in yeast. Disrupting UPC2A in C. glabrata greatly increases its susceptibility to fluconazole (FLU) in both FLU-susceptible and -resistant clinical isolates. Therefore, the Upc2A and its target genes represent a potential pathway for overcoming FLU resistance in C. glabrata. We aimed to delineate the Upc2A regulon to determine its target genes involved in FLU resistance. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was used to compare gene expression profiles of: a) wild-type (WT) strains with and without UPC2A under non-stressed conditions; b) those same strains treated with three sterol biosynthesis inhibitors (SBIs; FLU, terbinafine, fenpropimorph); and c) strains with an activating mutation (GOF) in UPC2A. Global chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP-seq) was used to identify genes whose promoters were bound by Upc2A in strains carrying WT and GOF alleles of Upc2A with and without fluconazole exposure. Only three genes (UPC2A, ERG25, and ERG3) were found to be downregulated in the absence of UPC2A. Sixteen genes were commonly upregulated in response to SBIs’ treatment in a Upc2A-dependent way, including ERG2, ERG3, and ERG11, the promoters of 10 of which were bound by Upc2A. A total of 15 genes were upregulated, including ERG2, ERG3, ERG25, and ERG11 in the strain containing GOF mutation and the promoters of 6 of these genes were bound by Upc2A. Based on our data, ERG3, ERG11, HEM13, and CAGL0H09592g (ScTIR1) could be potential targets of Upc2A in C. glabrata. This more comprehensive understanding of the Upc2A regulon in C. glabrata may eventually lead to strategies to overcome FLU resistance and enhance fluconazole activity against this important fungal pathogen.
Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Melalui Ekowisata pada Desa Pesisir di Kabupaten Bintan
Authors: Rianto Faizal , Jenawi Billy , Sujarwani Riau
Published: June 2021

Ecotourism activities and the community-based ecotourism model are not new in Bintan District. Some coastal villages such as the Village of Kuala Sempang through Ballond Mangrove Tour and the Village of Pengudang through Pengudang Bintan Mangrove are even able to promote the mangrove forest ecotourism activities managed by the local communities. The success in promoting tourism potential through the concept of ecotourism in these villages certainly brings the hope of empowerment to the communities. Some studies even emphasize that tourism with the concept of ecotourism and community-based ecotourism models can contribute positively and can be used as a means or tool for community empowerment, especially for economically marginalized local communities. However, so far, studies on tourism in Bintan District are more focused on aspects of managing ecotourism activities, evaluating the development of ecotourism, and studying the potential of mangroves, while studies on community empowerment through ecotourism activities are needed to be encouraged to provide understanding based on empirical evidence of the impact and benefits of ecotourism activities for community empowerment, especially in coastal villages. Therefore, this study aims to describe how ecotourism activities empower the communities in coastal villages in Bintan District.
Filling Provenance in Fracture Cavity Formation within Aksu Area, Tarim Basin, NW China: Indicators from Major and Trace Element, Carbon-Oxygen, and Strontium Isotope Compositions
Authors: Ren Qiqiang , Feng Jianwei , Ma Ji , Du He
Published: June 2021

With an aim to increase the understanding about sedimentary environment and isotopic and chemical characteristics of fillings in fracture cavities with multiple compositions, we conducted scanning electron microscope (SEM), fluid inclusion testing (FIT), common and trace element chemistry, full analysis testing, isotopic compositions (δ13C, δ18O, 87Sr/86Sr), and apatite fission track testing to study the formation environment of Aksu area, Tarim Basin. According to outfield and microscope observations, combined with SEM results, three textural and compositional type fractures and cavities were distinguished. Through fine analysis of geochemistry characteristics on fractures, cavities, multiple filling periods, and environments were interpreted. Constrained by rare earth element (REE) pattern diagram, relationships between carbon and oxygen isotopes, strontium isotope, the compositional patterns, and generation environment of the fracture and cavities were determined. The results show that (1) cavity, fracture filling, and wall rock primarily consist of calcite, with a proportion of 56.85%, 80.48%, and 81.00%, respectively. (2) Four fracture sets have been distinguished in the Ordovician limestone of the karst cave, Middle-Late Caledonian (Set 1), Early Hercynian (Set 2), Indo-Yanshanian (Set 3), and Himalayan orogeny (Set 4). Two stages of cave filling deposition are distinguished. Stage I was coeval with the Middle-Late Caledonian Set 1 fractures and is attributable to the circulation of freshwater fluid. Stage II was coeval with the Early Hercynian Set 2 fractures and is attributable to deep hydrothermal fluid circulation. (3) Cavity, fracture filling, and wall rock in Ordovician strata are slightly influenced by diagenesis alteration and territorial supply. Three significant filling stages were distinguished, freshwater fluid with strong oxidizing environment (Middle-Late Caledonian), hydrothermal fluid with authigenic abnormal enrichment (indicating obvious hypoxic sedimentary water, Early Hercynian), and high-temperature hydrothermal fluid from deep earth (primarily influenced by magmatism, Indo-Yanshanian, and Himalayan).
A Novel Approach for Protecting RPL Routing Protocol against Blackhole Attacks in IoT Networks
Authors: Zangeneh Saeid , Roustaei Rassoul
Published: June 2021

Nowadays, we are witnessing an increasing trend towards interconnected devices. This process of connecting devices instead of people is called the Internet of Things (IoT). The main concept of IoT is to connect heterogeneous objects separately and centrally in different places using standard protocols. The general idea is to create an independent world using intelligent objects that have the ability to exchange information and make decisions. Connected objects allow users to monitor and track remotely and in real-time. IoT relies on the development of a low-power, high-throughput network to support communication between objects and their connection to the Internet. These networks are characterized by limited resources in terms of energy, memory, and processing. In the true sense of the Internet of Things, networks called 6LoWPAN were created, and a new routing protocol compatible with these networks, called RPL, was introduced. Due to the limited nature of RPL-based networks, they may be exposed to a variety of internal attacks. Neighbor attacks and DIS are specific attacks in this protocol. This study proposes a trust-based RPL routing protocol which deals with blackhole threats. Besides, it is shown that while our recommended system is secure against blackhole attacks, it doesn’t incur any unwanted expenses in terms of network traffic.
Factors Associated With The Prevalence And Severity of Nausea While Undergoing Radiation Among Women Diagnosed With Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Authors: Harpel Caroline , Sereika Susan M. , Alsbrook Karen , Grayson Susan , Wesmiller Susan
Published: June 2021

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to estimate radiation-induced nausea (RIN) prevalence and severity among 183 women with early-stage breast cancer and to identify its predictors. Methods. Among participants who underwent radiotherapy, a case-control design compared those who experienced RIN to those who did not. Nausea was measured weekly and operationalized on an 11-point scale with ‘0’ representing “no nausea” and ’10’ representing the “worst nausea ever experienced.” Participants self-reported these symptoms while undergoing radiotherapy. Predictor variables were identified using multivariable binary logistic regression for RIN prevalence and multiple linear regression for RIN severity. Results. Over forty percent (n=75) of participants undergoing radiotherapy experienced RIN, with a mean nausea severity rating of 3.27/10. Significant predictors of RIN prevalence were higher pain levels (p<0.0001), history of motion sickness (p=0.024), and younger age (p=0.032). Higher pain levels (p<0.0001), younger age (p=0.038) and history of postoperative nausea (p=0.042) were significant predictors of increased RIN severity. Conclusions. The RIN prevalence of 41.0 percent among study participants was higher than previously reported for patients undergoing breast radiotherapy. This could be due to the collection of weekly self-reported data that quantified RIN severity. Younger age, history of nausea, and higher average pain levels should be identified as potential RIN risk factors among patients with early-stage breast cancer. Risk factor identification at the onset of radiotherapy would allow for increased prophylactic mitigation of RIN.
Using Plasmonic Cloaking Method on Infinite Cylindrical Structures and its Applications
Authors: Rezaei Afsaneh , Mohajeri Farzad , Zarghani Zahra Hamzavi
Published: June 2021

In recent years, cloaking using materials with negative electric permittivity or magnetic permeability has been studied and researched. It has been demonstrated that covering an object with a cloak that has negative electric permittivity or magnetic permeability or less than one can cause a reduction of the scattering cross section (SCS) of the object. In this paper, we have solved the problem of scattering for the object and single-layer or multi-layer cylindrical cloaks and by doing so, we have obtained the necessary fundamental equations for designing these types of cloaks in two conditions, with and without considering the effects of coupling on the mathematics of solving the problem of scattering. Using the obtained equations we have demonstrated that by using this technique reducing the level of visibility of the object is possible.
New Metamaterial Absorber Based on Electromagnetic Coupling of Triangular SRR and Square SRRs for X-Band RADAR Applications
Authors: BERKA MOHAMMED , Bouguenna Driss , Bendaoudi Amina , Mahdjoub Zoubir
Published: June 2021

In this paper, a new metamaterial absorber (MA) is presented. The proposed absorber is a microwave structure constituted by a network of four split ring resonators (SRRs) of magnetic resonance and negative permeability (µ < 0); one resonator SRR central for triangular shape and three others resonators SRRs of the same square shape and the same dimensions. All resonators SRRs are printed on the upper surface of the FR4_Epoxy substrate (εr = 4.4; τgδ = 0.02), its dimensions are chosen to obtain the resonance in the X-band frequency. To eliminate the transmission, we add a copper conductive metal plate that will be etched on the upper face of the same substrate. The proposed MA is optimized for dimensions of (27.9 mm × 32 mm), its electromagnetic characteristics are studied for transverse electric (TE) polarization for different incidences and different inter-resonator spacing. The obtained results with the simulations performed by the high-frequency structure simulator (HFSS) show that our metamaterial absorber still has three peaks of different absorptions estimated at a maximum on the order of 98.76%. The main advantage of this study based on the proposed structure is that it is possible to control its absorption percentage for X-band radar applications.
A Spatial temporal classification analysis and visualization of tropical cyclone tracks in Bay of Bengal using GIS
Authors: N Vanitha , R Rene Robin C , D Doreen Hephzibah Miriam
Published: June 2021

Tropical cyclones (TC) are among the most devastating forms of natural hazards and the east coast of India is more prone to TC landfall causing significant socio-economic impacts. The Bay of Bengal (BoB) which forms the eastern sub basin of North Indian Ocean experiences the seasonally reversing monsoon, depression and TCs. In this study TC best track dataset of NIO basin over the period 1960–2016 from the IBTrACKs archive maintained by NOAA are used. In this work Firefly optimization is coupled with FCM for TC tracks classification. The classical FCM uses random initialization of cluster centroid often gets trapped in local optimal problem. The firefly algorithm is applied on the FCM for the cluster centroid computation, in this way improving the efficiency of FCM algorithm. The obtained classes are then projected in the visualization space. Visualizations are generated using the GIS environment to gain insight into the spatial distribution of TC tracks over decades. This study aims to develop a comprehensive assessment of variability in tropical cyclones with respect to ENSO modulated events, inter decadal variability and track sinuosity. In this paper we attempt to convey the cognitive results of comparative visualizations of TC tracks over Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal sub basin during the strong, very strong El Niño and La Niña events. Finally we use Parallel Coordinate Plot (PCP) a visualization technique to demonstrate the correlation patterns of the TC parameters.
Predictors of internet addiction among medical students of North India
Authors: Dhamnetiya Deepak , Singh Satya Vir
Published: June 2021

Background The prevalence of internet addiction in India varies from 20% to 59% in undergraduate medical students. Therefore this study was planned to assess the prevalence, pattern and reason of internet usage and to assess predictors of internet addiction in medical undergraduate students.Material and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 201 medical undergraduate students in a medical college of North India from April 1st to May 31st, 2019.A self-designed semi-structured and pre tested questionnaire was used to know pattern and reasons associated with internet addiction (IA) and Dr. Kimberly Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT) tool was used to measure level of IA. Discriminant analysis was used to assess predictors of internet addiction. Data was recorded in MS Excel and trial version of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 27.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) software was used for statistical analysis. Result Prevalence of internet addiction was found to be 90%, where prevalence of mild IA was 48.8% followed by moderate and severe IA, 38.8% and 2.4% respectively. Predictive accuracy of model based on socio-demographic, social media applications usage, Entertainment site usage, Educational site usage and final model were found to be 61.2%, 63.7%, 63.2%, 61.7% and 66.2% respectively.Conclusion Medical undergraduate students are highly vulnerable for internet addiction. We should create awareness among medical students regarding internet addiction and its potential harms; this could be included in foundation course of curriculum implementation support program (CISP) for MBBS students.
The Differences of Slovenian and Italian Daily Practices Experienced in the First Wave of Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Pišot Saša , Šimunič Boštjan , Gentile Ambra , Bianco Antonino , Coco Gianluca Lo , Pišot Rado , Dird Patrik , Milovanović Ivana
Published: June 2021

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic situation with the lockdown of public life caused serious changes in people's everyday practices. The study evaluates the differences between Slovenia and Italy in health-related everyday practices induced by the restrictive measures during first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: The study examined changes through an online survey conducted in nine European countries from April 15-28, 2020. The survey included questions from a simple activity inventory questionnaire (SIMPAQ), the European Health Interview Survey, and some other questions. To compare changes between countries with low and high incidence of COVID-19 epidemic, we examine 956 valid responses from Italy (N=511; 50% males) and Slovenia (N=445; 26% males).Results: During the survey, there was a 4.7-fold higher incidence and 12.1-fold more deaths (per 100,000) in Italy than in Slovenia. Barring periods and measures were similar, the latter more stringent in Italy. We found more changes in Italy than in Slovenia: physical inactivity increased (Italy: +65% vs. Slovenia: +21%; p< 0.001), walking time decreased (Italy: -68% vs. Slovenia: -4.4%; p< 0.001); physical work increased by 38% in Slovenia (p< 0.001), and recreation time decreased by 37% in Italy (p< 0.001). Italians reported a decrease in quality of general health, fitness level, psychological well-being, and quality of life (p<0.001); Slovenians showed a decline in psychological well-being and quality of life (p<0.001) but generally had a higher concern for their own health (p=0.005). Changes in eating habits (meal size and consumption of unhealthy food), age and physical inactivity were positively correlated with increases in body mass, while changes in general well-being and concern for health were negatively correlated.Conclusion: The study highlights the implications of COVID-19 measures and epidemiological data and provides insight into the relationship between them and various lifestyle consequences of COVID-19 measures. These findings should be taken into consideration in the implementation of further measures to mitigate the COVI-19 pandemic.
Effects of Accumulated And Transient Heat Exposure On Schizophrenia Hospitalizations: A Time-Series Analysis On Hourly Temperature Basis
Authors: Tang Chao , Ji Yifu , Li Qingru , Yao Zhenhai , Cheng Jian , He Yangyang , Liu Xiangguo , Pan Rubing , Wei Qiannan , Yi Weizhuo , Su Hong
Published: June 2021

Background: Growing studies have shown that high temperature is a potential risk factor of schizophrenia occurrence. Therefore, elaborate analysis of different temperature exposure patterns such as cumulative heat exposure within a time period and transient exposure at a particular time point, is of important public health significance. This study aims to utilize hourly temperature data to better capture the effects of cumulative and transient heat exposures on schizophrenia during the warm season in Hefei, China. Methods: We included the daily mean temperature and daily schizophrenia hospitalizations into the distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) to simulate the exposure-response curve and determine the heat threshold (19.4℃). We calculated and applied a novel indictor–daily excess heat hourly (DEHH) to examine the effects of cumulative heat exposure over a day on schizophrenia hospitalizations. Temperature measurements at each time point were also incorporated in the DLNM as independent exposure indicators to analyze the impact of transient heat exposure on schizophrenia. Results: Each increment of interquartile range (IQR) in DEHH was associated with elevated risk of schizophrenia hospitalizations from lag 1 (RR=1.036, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.016, 1.057) to lag 4 (RR=1.025, 95% CI: 1.005, 1.046). Men and people over 40 years old were more susceptible to DEHH. Besides, we found a greater risk of heat-related schizophrenia hospitalizations between 0 am and 6 am.Conclusions: This study revealed the negative effects of accumulated and transient heat exposures on schizophrenia hospitalizations. Our findings need to be further tested in other regions with distinct regional features.
Gene Profiling of Toll-like Receptor Signaling Pathways in Neutrophils of Patients With Acute-on-chronic Liver Failure
Authors: Zhang Yi , Wu Wei , Wang Yijie , Tong Lingjia , Hong Meng , Xia Qi , Chen Zhi
Published: June 2021

Objectives: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) of neutrophils play a crucial role in detecting pathogens and organ/tissue injury in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). However, little is known about the exact mechanisms and the potential signaling pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate alterations of TLR signaling pathways in neutrophils of ACLF patients.Methods: Twenty-seven patients with compensated cirrhosis (n=9), de-compensated cirrhosis (n=9) and ACLF (n=9) were enrolled in the study. Neutrophils were isolated, and alterations in TLR signaling pathways were evaluated using an RT² Profiler™ PCR Array. The fold change for each gene (2(-∆∆CT)) was compared among the groups. Genes with a fold change ratio of ≥2 or ≤0.5 along with a p value of < 0.05 were considered to be differentially expressed.Results: A total of 17 genes were up-regulated in neutrophils from patients with compensated cirrhosis, which were mainly distributed in adaptors, TLR-interacting proteins and downstream pathways. Six genes were detected in patients with de-compensated cirrhosis. A trend of down-regulation of genes in the TLR signaling pathway was observed in neutrophils of patients with cirrhosis and ACLF. TLR3, IFNG, IL1B, TBK1, CCL2 and LTA were downregulated in neutrophils. Moreover, CD14 and IL10 were up regulated in neutrophils of ACLF patients.Conclusions: TLR signaling pathway genes were differentially regulated in neutrophils between cirrhosis and ACLF. In ACLF patients, there was defective expression of TLR3 and IFN, along with enhanced CD14 and IL10 expression, characterized by transcriptional alterations of neutrophils.
Improving Rural Women’s Health in China: Cooking With Clean Energy
Authors: Li Na , Zhang Guanglai , Zhang Liguo , Zhou Yingheng , Zhang Ning
Published: June 2021

It is well known that women bear the greatest burden of health, time and labor supply due to gender disparity in many developing countries. In this study, we analyze the health inequality in rural China caused by indoor air pollution from traditional energy use. Specifically, we study the effect of clean energy access on woman health outcome by exploiting a nationwide rollout of clean cooking fuel program in 2014. Based on interviews with rural women in 2014 and 2016, this study analyzes the impact of clean energy use on women's health by using the Propensity Score Matching method with the Difference-in-Differences model (PSM-DID). We also analyze the heterogeneous health effects of clean energy uptake on rural women with different characteristics. The results show that clean energy applications can significantly improve the health of rural women. The positive health effects are substantial for middle-aged and older women, illiterate women and those women lived in northeastern China. The results highlight the role of clean energy in reducing gender disparities in health inequality. Therefore, the government in developing countries should do more to educate the people on the uses of clean energy and its benefits for women's health, provide technical and economic support for clean energy applications, and optimize clean energy promotion strategies.
Evaluation of Anti-diabetic Effects of Eryngium Billardieri on Streptozotocin-induced Diabetes in Male Mice
Authors: Hosseini Kamran , Touri Elaheh , Vaez Haleh , Garjani Alireza , Asgharian Parina , Tarhriz Vahideh
Published: June 2021

Background: One of the largest plant genera of the Umbelliferae family is Eryngium including 274 species, of which only 9 species are native to Iran and one of the most dominant species is E. billardieri. Numerous pharmacological effects of E. billardieri such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant have been reported in several studies. Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the anti-diabetic effects of E. billardieri on streptozotocin-induced diabetes in male mice.Methods: The extraction was performed by maceration with 70% ethanol solvent. Forty eight mice, weighing 32 g, were randomly divided into 8 groups (6 mice per group): healthy control, diabetic control (151 mg/kg STZ; IP), healthy extract control group (receiving the high dose of the extract orally), diabetic groups (receiving low dose and high dose of extract in the form of IP and Oral), the treatment group which received STZ (IP) and high dose of the extract group (Oral) for five days. To induce diabetes, a single dose of STZ (151 mg/kg) was injected intra-peritoneally. After diabetes, 100 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg of extract were injected into diabetic animals for 18 days as IP and Oral were given, and finally, serum samples were isolated and stored at -71 °C. Three days before surgery, OGTT test was performed.Results: IP injection of 300 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extract of E. billardieri reduced the weight of diabetic rats and significantly reduced glucose tolerance. Furthermore, gavage at a dose of 300 mg/kg of extract caused significantly the increase in serum insulin while the decrease in blood sugar, glucose tolerance and malondialdehyde. Conclusion: E. billardieri extract, due to its components, probably increases serum insulin and decreases serum malondialdehyde by two mechanisms including protects pancreatic beta cells from further damage by streptozotocin and stimulation of insulin secretion from the remaining healthy pancreatic beta cells. In other words, part of the beneficial effects of the extract is associated with inhibition of oxidative stress and increased insulin secretion.