bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ensemble K-Nearest Neighbors Method to Predict Composite Stock Price Index (CSPI) in Indonesia
Authors: Jusman Moh. , Nur’eni Nur’eni , Handayani Lilies
Published: May 2022

The Composite Stock Price Index (CSPI) is a guide for investors to see the movement of stock prices as a whole from time to time. These movements always change from time to time, so it is necessary to use analytical methods to make predictions. The method that can be used to examine this is the K-Nearest Neighbor method. The combination of the results of several K-NN predictions is an effective way to get one final prediction result, namely the method ensemble K-NN. The response variable used in this study is the Composite Stock Price Index (CSPI), while the predictor variables are the gold price, the rupiah exchange rate against the dollar, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) index. The data used are 52 periods. The data used for training are 39 periods and the data used for testing is 13 periods. The prediction results from the ensemble have better results than the K-NN. The prediction results from the ensemble have better results than the single K-NN. The prediction results from the method are ensemble K-NN average of 6078, 634 with a MAPE value of 7,16% including high accuracy
Stability and Bifurcation Analysis of Mathematical Models of Meningitis Transmission with Vaccination and treatment
Authors: Adawiyah Rabiatul , Toaha Syamsuddin , Kasbawati Kasbawati
Published: May 2022

Meningitis is an infectious disease that occurs in inflammation of the meninges and the spinal cord in consequence of bacteria and viruses. Vaccination and treatment using antibiotics is used to increase growth rate in infected people so that the spread rate can be reduced. This study aims to see the effect of vaccination and treatment using some compartments:  susceptible, carrier, infected without symptoms, infected with symptoms, recovery without disability, and recovery with disability; show the sensitivity analysis in order to discover the parameter that affect basic reproduction number and bifurcations analysis. The result from sensitivity found the relation between parameter and  that can increase and decrease the  value. This study also showed the influence of stability change from equilibrium point caused by the parameter  value change form bifurcations analysis. Models simulation show that the effect of vaccination and treatmen for spread of meningitis can be handled.
Bivariate Negative Binomial Regression for Modelling Covid-19 Confirmed Cases and Death Cases in Kalimantan
Authors: Putera Muhammad Luthfi Setiarno
Published: May 2022

Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) caused a pandemic severely affecting various sectors and paralyzed health services in Indonesia. As of June 2020, the percentage of Covid-19 confirmed cases in Kalimantan, the second largest island in Indonesia, contributed about 7% of the total national cases. In the same period, the percentage of Covid-19 deaths reached 12% of the national figure. This study used regression models to respond to bi-response count data consisting of Covid-19 confirmed cases and Covid-19 deaths in regencies/cities in Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan provinces. This study compared the results of bivariate Poisson regression and bivariate negative binomial regression. There were thirteen predictors representing the determinants of health, social, economic, and demography indicators. The results showed that the prevalence of pneumonia had positive effect on Covid-19 confirmed cases and Covid-19 deaths. The percentage of elderly had negative effect on confirmed cases, while it had no significant effect on Covid-19 deaths. Bivariate negative binomial regression showed more satisfying performance on modeling Covid-19 cases and Covid-19 deaths jointly because it produced lower AIC and deviance than that of Poisson one. The negative bivariate model was also better than the Poisson one because it was able to overcome over-dispersion.
Estimation of Dynamic Panel Data Regression Parameters Using Generalized Methods of Moment
Authors: Ahmad Nur Aminah , Tinungki Georgina M. , Sunusi Nurtiti
Published: May 2022

Panel data is a combination of cross section and time series. There are two panel data models, namely static and dynamic panel data. Because seeing the advantages of the dynamic panel data model which is able to overcome endogeneity problems related to the use of the dependent variable lag where in the static panel data model the use of the dependent variable lag causes the estimation results to be biased and inconsistent, so the author examines the dynamic panel data regression model. In the dynamic data model there is a lag of the dependent variable, this variable is correlated with error. Thus, estimation using OLS will result in a biased and inconsistent estimator. To overcome this, the dynamic panel data model can be estimated using the GMM Blundell-Bond approach. Based on the discussion, the parameter estimation formula for dynamic panel data regression using the Blundell-Bond GMM approach is as follows:
CNN-based Server State Monitoring and Fault Diagnosis using Infrared Thermal Images
Authors: Nkwawir Beltus Wiysobunri , Erden Hamza Salih , Toreyin Behcet Ugur
Published: May 2022

The recent spike in the demand for high-performance computing (HPC) server systems has created many challenges in data centers (DCs) including thermal management, system reliability sustenance and server failure minimalization. Lately, deep neural networks applied to infrared thermography (IRT) images have been successfully used for fault diagnosis in several fields. This paper evaluates seven state-of-the-art deep pretrained convolutional neural network (CNN)-based architectures and two shallow CNN-based architectures applied on server surface IRT images for the automatic diagnosis of five server operation conditions: partial CPU load; maximum CPU load; main fan failure; CPU fan failure; and server entrance blockage. Our approach is based on the concept of transfer learning which involves two main stages. First, a CNN model classifier pretrained on the large ImageNet dataset is used to extract lower level features. Second, the IRT images are used to finetune the higher levels of the CNN model classifier. A stratified five-fold cross-validation resampling method is used to evaluate the effectiveness and generalization of the nine architectures for five dataset split ratios. Results suggest that the CNN architectures achieve high prediction performance accuracies, with the majority having above 98% test accuracies across multiple split ratios. In addition, our diagnostic results are significantly higher than those obtained using a traditional support vector machine classifier trained on handcrafted features. The effectiveness and robustness of the CNN-based algorithms can provide
Unsupervised detection of interesting discrete sequences using Bayesian surprise
Authors: McGarry Ken , McDonald Sharon , Button Dominic
Published: May 2022

BackgroundIn this work we employ Bayesian surprise to detect interesting/anomalous patterns from discrete sequence data.Many domains consist of discrete sequential time-series such as DNA analysis, online transactions, web click-stream navigation, cyber-attacks, financial transactions and especially sociology life-course data. The difficulty is that each data set has its own unique characteristics and many anomalies defy categorization. Since anomalies are by nature infrequent and elusive, we often do not have enough data for a supervised approach. However, novelty and surprise play a fundamental role in human and animal behavior for survival, attention and adaptation.MethodsWe use three sequence datasets (Swiss Health, Sepsis, and BioFamilies) which are are composed of simpler motifs which are used to build Probabilistic Suffix Trees (PST) which can capture complex relationships based on motif location and frequency of occurrence. New data that deviates from established motifs either in location of appearance, frequency of appearance, or motif composition may represent recurring patterns that may be different in some way. Bayesian surprise is the result of mismatches between our expectations and actual results, hence the degree of surprise or anomalousness attached to a pattern will vary with respect to these differences.ResultsEach data set is assessed by Bayesian Surprise and several other criteria, providing indications of why certain patterns are interesting and why others are not.ConclusionsBayesian surprise can detect data with other properties that would be missed by information theoretic measures such as Shannon surprise and entropy for example.
Exploring multi-disciplinary cancer care for immunotherapy-related dermatological symptoms
Authors: Kruger Dikla , Samuels Noah , Lacey Judith , Keshet Yael , Gressel Orit , Dodiuk-Gad Roni , Shulman Katerina , Tapiro Yehudit , Golan Miri , Ben-Arye Eran
Published: May 2022

Context and objectives: The present study examined the perspectives of healthcare providers (HCPs) in designing a multi-disciplinary model of supportive cancer care for the relief of dermatology-related symptoms caused by immunotherapy. Methods: This qualitative study identified patients undergoing oncology therapy with MoAB, anti-HER2 and anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies among a cohort of patients referred to an integrative oncology (IO) consultation for symptom relief and improved quality of life (QoL). Case-studies with significant dermatology-related concerns were selected and presented to a panel of 6 HCPs trained in medical oncology, oncology nursing, family medicine, supportive cancer care and IO. HCP narratives were qualitatively analyzed and assessed using ATLAS.Ti software for systematic coding. Results: Of 924 patients referred to the IO consultation, 208 were treated with immunotherapy, from which 50 were selected for further evaluation. Of these, and 7 cases were presented to the HCP team which then identified treatment gaps requiring a multi-disciplinary approach. Qualitative analysis identified 3 major themes: a biophysical perspective; a psycho-social-spiritual perspective; and the implementation of integrated care. Discussion: There is a need for a multi-disciplinary approach when treating patients suffering from immunotherpay-related skin toxicities. HCP-reported themes highlight the need to identify patients where such an approach is warranted; conditions where a psycho-social-spiritual perspective should be considered in addition to the bio-physical approach; and considerations of who should be appointed as the patient’s case manager.
Population Genetic Study of 17 Y-STR Loci of the Sorani Kurds in the Province of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
Authors: Albarzinji Balnd M. , Abdulkarim Farhad M. , Hussein Shaho A. , Rashid Dlshad , Lazim Hayder
Published: May 2022

BackgroundThe Kurds as an ethnic group are believed to be a combination of earlier Indo-European tribes who migrated and inhabited a mountainous area thousands of years ago. However, as it is difficult to describe the precise history of their origin, it is necessary to investigate their population relationship with other geographical and ethnic groups. ResultsSeventeen Y-STR markers included in the AmpFLSTR™ Yfiler™ PCR Amplification Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) were used to type DNA samples from the Sorani (Central) Kurdish population in Sulaymaniyah province. 157 haplotypes were obtained from 162 unrelated male individuals. The highest and lowest gene diversities were DYS385a/b (GD = 0.848) and DYS392 (GD = 0.392), respectively. The haplotypes were used to predict the most likely haplogroups in the Sulaymaniyah population. ConclusionHaplogroup prediction indicated predominance (28%) of subclade J2 (44/157) in the Sorani Kurds, northeast of Iraq. The pairwise genetic distance results showed that the Kurdish group clustered along with Asian populations, whereas the furthest countries were Europeans and Africans.
Dynamic analysis of a fractional-order nonlinear 2-DOF vehicle system by incremental harmonic balance method
Authors: Chang Yujian , Li Yonghao , Chen Enli
Published: May 2022

A two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) quarter vehicle fractional-order nonlinear model is presented to describe the suspension with viscoelastic material. A general calculation scheme for the 2-DOF incremental harmonic balance method (IHBM) for nonlinear systems with fractional order is derived. The nonlinear dynamic of the present model obtain is acquired by using this method. The accuracy of the proposed method is verified by comparing with the power series expansion method. Afterward, the effects of the various parameters on the dynamic performance are analyzed. Results show that the fractional-order parameters play very important roles in the amplitude-frequency response of the system.
An explanatory model of depressive symptoms from anxiety, post-traumatic stress, somatic symptoms and symptom perception: The role of inflammatory markers in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Authors: Villarreal-Zegarra David , Paredes-Angeles Rubí , Mayo-Puchoc Nikol , Vilela-Estada Ana Lucia , Huarcaya-Victoria Jeff , Copez-Lonzoy Anthony
Published: May 2022

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a bigger problem for mental health in the world. The aim of this study was to propose a model of mental health variables in hospitalized patients of COVID-19 and determine which model explained best the depression symptoms in both groups with and without biological response.Method: We conducted a cross sectional study, following a simple random sampling. Data from 277 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Lima-Peru, were collected to assess mental health variables (i.e., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, somatic symptoms), self-perception of COVID-19 related symptoms, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) such as inflammatory marker. By performing a structural equation modeling analysis as a technique to evaluate a predictive model of depression. Results: The results showed a prevalence of depressive symptoms (11.2%), anxious symptoms (7.9%), somatic symptoms (2.2%), and symptoms of post-traumatic stress (6.1%) in the overall sample. No association was found between the prevalence of these mental health problems among people with and without severe inflammatory response. The mental health indicators with the highest prevalence were sleep problems (48%), low energy (47.7%), nervousness (48.77%), worry (47.7%), irritability (43.7%) and back pain (52%) in the overall sample. The model proposed to explain depressive symptoms was able to explain more than 83.7% of the variance and presented good goodness-of-fit indices. Also, a different performance between the proposed model was found between people with and without severe inflammatory response, mainly in the relationship between anxiety and post-traumatic stress, and between the perception of COVID-19 related symptoms and somatic symptoms.Conclusions: Results demonstrated that our model of mental health variables may explain depression in hospitalized patients of COVID-19 from a third-level hospital in Peru. In the model, perception of symptoms influences somatic symptoms, which influence both anxiety symptoms and post-traumatic stress. Thus, anxious symptoms could directly influence depressive symptoms or through post-traumatic stress. Our findings could be useful to decision-makers for the prevention of depression, using screening tools (i.e. perception of symptoms, somatic symptoms, anxiety) to identify vulnerable patients early.
Comparison of VMAT, IMRT, and 3DCRT radiotherapy techniques in the treatment of synchronous bilateral breast cancer patients
Authors: Salim Nidal , Stolbovoy Alexandr , Tumanova Kristina , Shonus Daria
Published: May 2022

Purpose: Synchronous bilateral irradiation of both the mammary glands and the chest wall is a challenging task due to technical difficulties and limited evidence supporting an optimal technique for positive treatment outcomes. We analyzed and compared the dosimetry data of three radiotherapy techniques and selected the most effective one.Methods: Three-dimensional conformal radiation treatment (3DCRT), intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) were compared during the irradiation of synchronous bilateral breast cancer. This was followed by examination of the dose distribution to the target organs (myocardium, left anterior descending artery (LADA), right coronary artery (RCA), and lungs in nine patients.Results: Dose distribution in the lungs was optimal using VMAT, while IMRT was less effective. Doses in the lungs, myocardium, and LADA were highest with 3DCRT. The highest mean dose in the myocardium was observed with IMRT, and a similar effect was noted with RCA. VMAT is the most sparing technique for the myocardium and LADA, despite the RCA dose being slightly higher when compared with that of 3DCRT.Conclusion: We concluded that VMAT is a very effective and satisfactory radiation technique for sparing critical organs. With VMAT, regardless of the volume and side of irradiation, a lower mean dose (Dmean) value was noted in organs at risk such as the myocardium, LADA, and lungs, but not the cardiac conduction system. The use of 3DCRT significantly increases the dose of ionizing radiation reaching the lungs, myocardium, and LADA, which can subsequently cause cardiovascular and lung complications.
Desk based prompts to replace workplace sitting with climbing; a pilot study of acceptability, effects on behaviour and disease risk factors
Authors: Azmi Intan Suhana Munira Mat , Wallis Gareth A. , White Mike J. , Puig-Ribera Anna , Eves Frank F.
Published: May 2022

Background: Prolonged sitting is associated with increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Occupational sitting accounts for up to 50 hours per week for employees. This pilot study assessed 1) the acceptability of stair climbing as an interruption to sitting throughout working hours, 2) provide preliminary data of the effects on glucose and lipid profiles. Methods: Participants (n = 16) were randomised to intervention and control groups. For the intervention, a continuous 4-floor stair climb and descent at self-selected pace was performed eight times.day-1 spread evenly over the working day. A prompt to climb was presented on the participant’s computer 8-times.day-1. A log sheet recorded floors climbed in response to each prompt and total weekly steps were measured with pedometers. Blood samples were collected pre and post intervention to test effects on fasting glucose and OGTT, triglycerides, and total (TC), LDL and HDL cholesterol. Experimental participants were interviewed at the end of the study. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare the median changes (pre-post) of the dependent variables. Results: On average, the experimental group climbed 121 floors.week-1 when prompted. There were significant reductions in fasting blood glucose, TC and LDL, as well as the derived measures of ‘bad’ cholesterol and the TC/HDL ratio in the experimental group. Post-experimental interviews indicated that the interruption to sitting was well tolerated. Conclusion: Prompted stair climbing activity had impacts on health outcomes and was found acceptable to employees at work.Trial registration: Ethics for this study was approved by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Ethical Review Committee, University of Birmingham with ethics reference number ERN_15_0491.
Fabrication of Conductive Polyaniline Nanomaterials based on Redispersed Cellulose Nanofibrils
Authors: Wang Ping , Liu Hefang , Gao Wenhua , Zeng Jinsong , Wang Bin , Xu Jun , Wang Zhiwei
Published: May 2022

Dewatering or drying of diluted cellulose nanofibril suspensions is an effective way for reducing the costs of transportation and storage. In this study, poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) was introduced into a redispersing system of concentrated CNFs, and the obtained redispersed CNFs were used for fabricating CNF/PANI (polyaniline) nanomaterials by in situ polymerization method. The results showed that mechanical grinding with grinding gap of -20 µm was an effective way to redisperse the concentrated CNFs, especially when the PVP was added in the redispersing process. The conductivity of the redispersed CNF/PANI film reached 1.08 S/cm and the specific capacitance reached 118.3 F/g (at 0.3 A/g), when the concentrated CNFs were redispersed with 5% PVP. During the polymerization process, PVP facilitated the PANI coating on the CNFs uniformly as steric stabilizer. This study provided a basis for the application of redispersed CNFs in conductive nanomaterials area.
Design of Biomass-Based Composite Photocatalysts for Wastewater Treatment: A Review Over the Past Decade and Future Prospects
Authors: Pastre Marina Meloni Gória , Cunha Deivisson Lopes , Marques Marcia
Published: May 2022

Biomass-based composites (BCPs) have been investigated for more than one decade as photocatalysts for pollutants´ water treatment, however their technological application remains restricted. The systematic review performed aims to exhibit the latest advancement in photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in aqueous solution by BCPs synthesized with biomass and TiO2 and/or ZnO, and to identify the necessary steps to achieve BCPs large scale application. Multivariate data analysis approach was performed to identify trend relationships between the BCPs synthesis method, the experimental conditions, and the BCPs characteristics correlated with the observed removal efficiency and the photodegradation kinetics. The results indicated the relevance of adsorption processes on the pollutants removal efficiency, reflected by the principal component analysis (PCA) performed on all categories of pollutants (PCA_pol). Furthermore, the PCA applied to textile dyes (PCA_dyes) and pharmaceutical compounds (PCA_pharma) also indicate the influence of variables related to the composite synthesis (i.e. thermal treatment and time spent on BCPs synthesis) and photocatalytic experimental parameters (catalyst concentration, pollutant concentration and irradiation time) on the degradation kinetic accomplished by BCPs. The characterization of composites reveals that the specific surface area and the narrow band gap are key characteristics for BCPs to serve as a competitive photocatalyst. The stability and recyclability of the BCPs are also discussed as necessary properties to overcome the experimental/lab scale phase and to move to full-scale applications. Further investigations are recommended to assess the performance of BCPs when treating real water, compared to commercial catalysts, as well as cost evaluation.
WITHDRAWN: Lignin metabolism involved in zinc-alleviating effects on iron-induced phytotoxicity in wheat roots
Authors: Li Yaping , Zhang Ya , Zhang Aimei , Wang Zhaofeng , Li Qiong , Shi Shuqian , Yang Yingli
Published: May 2022

In order to reveal the mechanisms of Fe-inhibited plant root growth and Zn-alleviating effects on iron (Fe) toxicity, wheat cultivars Xihan 4 seedlings were used to investigate the relationship between root growth and synthetic metabolism of lignin in response to 300 µM Fe stress alone or in combination with 50 or 250 µM zinc (Zn). Fe-alone-exposed roots exhibited significant increase of cell wall lignin content and the stimulation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), 4-coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), laccase (LAC), cell wall bound guaiacol peroxidase activity (CW-bound GPX) and conifers alcohol peroxidase (CAPX) activities as well as the up-regulation of TaPAL, Ta4CL, TaCAD and TaLAC expression. In comparison with Fe stress alone, the presence of Zn effectively alleviated the changes of these parameters in Fe-treated roots. And also, the results of lignin staining in the root tissue were consistent with those of lignin detection in wheat seedlings under different treatments. Further study showed the increase of apoplastic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content in conjunction with the stimulation of CW-bound nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidase, plasma membrane (PM) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and apoplastic superoxide dismutase (SOD) in Fe-alone-stressed roots compared with untreated ones, but Fe + Zn treatment partially reversed the changes of these parameters in comparison with Fe exposure alone. Furthermore, the application of exogenous H2O2 not only enhanced the amount of cell wall lignin in Zn + Fe-treated roots but also significantly blocked Zn-alleviating effect on Fe-induced inhibition of root growth. In conclusion, the inhibition of root growth was associated with the increased accumulation of cell wall lignin in response to Fe exposure alone, which was due to the stimulation of lignin metabolizing enzymes and the up-regulation of related enzyme gene expression and the increase of apoplastic H2O2 generation in wheat roots under Fe exposure alone. It was also suggested that Zn-alleviating effect on Fe-induced inhibition of root growth might be related to the reduction of lignin content of root cell wall resulting from the decrease of apoplastic H2O2 content when wheat seedlings were exposed to Fe + Zn treatment.
Characteristic and Phylogenetic analysis of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Strain CH/JSXZ /2015
Authors: Huan Changchao , Guo Xinyue , Chen Pengxiang , Ni Bo , Zhang Wei , Yao Jingting , Jiang Luyao , Gao Song
Published: May 2022

We report here the complete genome sequence of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) strain CH/JSXZ/2015, from natural onset piglets in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. The gene sequence of isolate CH/JSXZ/2015 (JSXZ) consists of 42% G + C and 58% A + T. The total length excluding the poly(A) tail is 28,044 nucleotides (nt). At the whole-genome level, CH/JSXZ/2015 showed the highest nucleotide identity (99.5%) with CH/GDZHDM/1401 strain (KR153326.1 and KR153326.1), and the lowest similarity (93.5%) to 85 − 7-mutant1 strain. CH/JSXZ/2015 S amino acid identity was 90.8%‐99.8% compared with other strains. CH/JSXZ/2015 ORF3 amino acid identity was 91.2%‐100.0% compared with other PEDV strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on the whole genome, S and ORF3 revealed that CH/JSXZ /2015 is most genetically close to CH/GDZHDM/1401 strain (KR153326.1 and KR153326.1) isolated in China in 2014. It will assist to understand the trend of popularity and evolution of PEDV in China.
Biodigester model selection method with a multicriteria approach
Authors: Júnior Edward Seabra , Colmenero¹ João Carlos , Junior Aldo Braghini , Montequin Vicente Rodriguez
Published: May 2022

The installation of biodigesters in rural properties, slaughterhouses, and agro-industries is considered a useful measure for treating biomass and biogas and biofertilizer production and the anaerobic digestion is an effective solution for the biomass treatment. To install the system, it is common for the decision-maker to come across several models of biodigesters. Therefore, the most appropriate one must be chosen, taking into account the characteristics of the project. The biodigester type's lousy choice can result in ineffective biomass treatment, insufficient biogas production, and extra costs for the project. To solve this problem, the present study proposes a method to support the selection of biodigester types for biogas production. The technique consists of applying six steps in conjunction with a multicriteria process. To demonstrate its practical application, a case study was carried out considering six biodigester alternatives: Floating bell, Cylindrical chamber, Batch, Biokohler, Tubular, Uasb. In addition to the criteria of installation, cleaning and maintenance costs, efficiency in treatment, the volume of biogas, life cycle, and biomass flow. The results obtained allowed us to reach an order of preference among biodigesters' models from the most preferable to the least preferable.
Comparative study on ventilation and air conditioning system schemes based on virus pollution control in hospital infusion room
Authors: Cao Weixue , Zhang Xudong , Yao Wanxiang , Sun Run , Du Yutong , Shi Quanbin , Li Zipeng
Published: May 2022

Covid-19 is transmitted through droplets containing the virus and very small particles exhaled by infected people. These droplets and particles may be inhaled by others, or fall into their eyes, mouth and nose. In some cases, they may contaminate the contact surface. It is most likely to be infected if they are less than 1m away from the infected person. To evaluate the effects of different air conditioning systems on the spread of human exhaled pollutants, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to study the movement and diffusion of exhaled air from two rows of 12 sitting adults in a hospital's closed transfusion room. In this paper, a closed transfusion room with 12 human models was established firstly, and the mathematical model verified by experimental test results was used to study the propagation of viral aerosol particles in the enclosed space under different air conditioning systems. The result showed that when the transverse strong air flow is generated in the room, the concentration distribution of virus particles will show a roll like distribution, and the personnel inside the roll will cause new infection. The air flow generated by the air conditioning system will affect the dispersion of droplets in the air. Evaluating and guiding the air flow to avoid blowing air from one person to another may reduce the risk.
Rectangular Top-Hinged Plate as a Portable Flow Measuring Device
Authors: Gorgin F. , Vatankhah Ali R.
Published: May 2022

Flow measurement is still one of the important topics in the field of irrigation and drainage. The present study investigates the hinged plates for discharge measurement in horizontal and sloping rectangular open channels under free flow condition. The proposed simple device is a portable one; an advantage that other devices such as weirs, orifices, gates, and fixed flumes do not have. A top-hinged plate deflects by flowing water. The deflection angle of the plate can be used for formulating the flow discharge either as dependent or as independent variable. Two discharge models are proposed based on the Buckingham’s theorem of dimensional analysis. The first model (Model I) considers deflection angle as an independent variable while the second model (Model II) considers it as a dependent variable. The top-hinged plate may be installed in a horizontal or in a sloping channel, which is more practical. A series of laboratory experiments (687 runs) were performed to investigate different plates configurations installed along the horizontal and sloping rectangular channels. Using the data collected from the channels of slopes 0 and 0.005, the proposed models were calibrated. The results showed that as the slope of the channel increases, the accuracy of the proposed method slightly decreases. The first general model had an average error of 2.32%, while the second general model had an average error of 3.19%, thus flow discharge through the rectangular channels with longitudinal slopes in range of [0, 0.005] can be accurately estimated using the proposed discharge models. Based on this experimental study, when the mass plate is unknown the plate length can be used instead in Modell II and effect of the plate mass may be compensated by the plate length in this case. The proposed inline top-hinged portable plate offers a simple and reliable discharge measurement approach with acceptable accuracy for both horizontal and sloping rectangular channels.
Preparation of Super-hydrophobic Cotton Fabrics with Conductive Property based on Graphene/Ag Composite Aerogels
Authors: Liu Yangchun , Xu Lihui , Pan Hong , Wang Liming , Shen Yong , Xu Wei
Published: May 2022

In this work, graphene/Ag (GA/Ag) composite aerogels with the micro rough porous structure and conductive property and polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) with the low surface energy were used to prepare super-hydrophobic cotton fabric (GA/Ag/PDMS@cotton) with conductive property was successfully prepared. The surface morphologies, chemical composition, wettability, conductive property and microwave absorption property of GA/Ag/PDMS@cotton fabric were characterized. It was shown that GA/Ag and PDMS were successfully coated onto the surface of cotton fabrics. The water contact angle of GA/Ag/PDMS@cotton was 157°. And it could make the luminous diode shining continuously. The treated cotton fabrics exhibited excellent super-hydrophobic and conductive properties. The minimum reflection loss of GA/Ag/PDMS@cotton fabric was − 28dB, and it had a larger effective absorption bandwidth. In addition, the treated cotton fabric also showed excellent anti-fouling and self-cleaning properties. The GA/Ag/PDMS@cotton fabric cannot be wetted and polluted by water, fruit juice, milk and black tea. And it also had excellent laundering durability, acid and alkali corrosion and storage stability.
Surgical outcomes between posterior decompression alone and posterior decompression with fusion surgery among patients with Meyerding grade 2 degenerative spondylolisthesis: A multicenter cohort study
Authors: Tozawa Keiichiro , Matsubayashi Yoshitaka , Kato So , Doi Toru , Taniguchi Yuki , Kumanomido Yudai , Higashikawa Akiro , Yosihida Yuichi , Kawamura Naohiro , Sasaki Katsuyuki , Azuma Seiichi , Yu Jim , Hara Nobuhiro , Iizuka Masaaki , Ono Takashi , Fukushima Masayoshi , Takeshita Yujiro , Tanaka Sakae , Oshima Yasushi
Published: May 2022

Background
Whether lumbar decompression with fusion surgery is effective against Meyerding grade 2 degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) is unknown. Therefore, the current study aimed to compare the surgical outcomes between posterior decompression alone and posterior decompression with fusion surgery among patients with grade 2 DS with central canal stenosis.
Methods
This retrospective cohort study included prospectively registered patients (n = 3863) who underwent surgery for degenerative lumbar spinal canal stenosis at nine high-volume spine centers from April 2017 to July 2019. Patients with grade 2 DS and central canal stenosis were included in the analysis. Patients with radiculopathy, including foraminal stenosis, degenerative scoliosis, and concomitant anterior spinal fusion, and those with a previous history of lumbar surgery were excluded. The participants were divided into the decompression alone group (group D) and decompression with fusion surgery group (group F). Data about patient-reported outcomes, including Numeric Rating Scale (low back pain, leg pain, leg numbness, and foot numbness), Oswestry Disability Index, EuroQol Five-Dimensional questionnaire, and 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey scores, were obtained preoperatively and 2 years postoperatively.
Results
In total, 2354 (61%) patients, including 42 (1.8%) with grade 2 DS (n = 18 in group D and n = 24 in group F), completed the 2-year follow-up. Group D had a higher proportion of female patients than group F. However, the two groups did not significantly differ in terms of other baseline demographic characteristics. Group D had a significantly shorter surgical time and lower volume of intraoperative blood loss than group F. Postoperative patient-reported outcomes did not significantly differ between the two groups, although the preoperative degree of low back pain was higher in group F than in group D. The slip degree of group D did not worsen during the follow-up period.
Conclusions
The surgical outcomes were similar regardless of the addition of fusion surgery among patients with grade 2 DS. Decompression alone was superior to decompression with fusion surgery as it was associated with a lower volume of intraoperative blood loss and shorter surgical time.
Synthesis and Properties of Degradable Starch-based Waterborne Polyurethane Coatings
Authors: Zhang Jianjun , Chen Xiaohua , Ma Sude
Published: May 2022

In this study, starch-based waterborne polyurethane (WPU) was successfully synthesized. The developed starch-based polyurethane was a key component with good degradation performance. It was further prepared to make the waterborne resin, which was self-emulsified and cured to form a film. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showed that the necessary groups such as urethane bond and ether bond have been successfully incorporated into polyurethane. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and particle size distribution curve results showed that the synthesized starch-based WPU emulsion had small and uniform particle size and regular spherical particle morphology. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) detection showed that the surface of the coating film was smooth and had good adhesion. The starch-based WPU studied in this research had high thermal stability, good corrosion resistance, pollution-free to the environment. Moreover, the starch-based WPU is easy to be degraded, which has good application prospects.
Exopolysaccharide of Enterococcus faecium L15 promotes the osteogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells via p38 MAPK pathway
Authors: Kim Hyewon , Oh Naeun , Kwon Mijin , Kwon Oh-Hee , Ku Seockmo , Seo Jeongmin , Roh Sangho
Published: May 2022

Background: Bone has important functions in the body. Several researchers have reported that the polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharide derived from microbes can promote osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. Enterococcus faecium, a lactic acid bacterium (LAB), produces several bioactive metabolites and has been widely applied in the food and nutraceutical industries. The exopolysaccharide (EPS) from LAB has also been extensively examined for its postbiotic effects and for its in vivo and in vitro functionalities. However, studies on promoting bone differentiation using polysaccharides from LAB are lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of E. faecium L15 extract and EPS on osteogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and to identify the underlying mechanisms.Methods: hDPSCs were obtained from dental pulp tissue, and L15 extract and EPS were isolated from L15. Gene and protein expression of the osteogenic differentiation markers were analyzed with qPCR and western blotting and the possible signaling pathways were also investigated using western blotting. Osteogenic differentiation potential was examined by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and alizarin red s (ARS) staining. In addition, osteogenic differentiation potential of L15 EPS was explored in ex vivo culture of neonate murine calvaria.Results: The calcium deposition and ALP activity were enhanced by addition of L15 extract or EPS. The expression levels of RUNX2, ALP, and COL1A1 mRNA and the protein expression levels of RUNX2, ALP, and BMP4 were increased in hDPSCs treated with the L15 extract or EPS. The L15 EPS treatment enhanced phosphorylation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). The L15 EPS-induced increases in RUNX2, ALP, and BMP4 expression were suppressed by the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. The promoting effect of L15 EPS on osteogenic differentiation was not only seen in hDPSCs, but also in osteoblast precursors. ALP activity and the expression of Runx2, Alp, and Col1a1 increased in the L15 EPS-treated osteoblast precursors. In addition, L15 EPS increased bone thickness of neonate murine calvaria in ex vivo culture.Conclusions: The stimulatory effect of L15 extract and EPS on osteogenic differentiation occurred through the p38 MAPK pathway, and L15 EPS enhanced new bone formation in neonate murine calvaria. These data suggest that L15 EPS has therapeutic potential applicable to bone regeneration. This study is the first to demonstrate the prospective functional effect of LAB EPS in promoting osteogenic differentiation.
A new way of protection of the transmission power system
against the effects of magnetic storms
Authors: Mayer Daniel
Published: May 2022

Abstract. Severe collapses caused by anomalies in the Earth's magnetosphere, known as geomagnetic storms, have been reported in the operation of transmission power systems. A semi-saturating phenomenon occurs in which geomagnetic induced currents (GIC) are induced in high voltage lines, which cause the power transformers of the system to be overloaded with current and subsequently also thermally. The presented article describes a device that will either completely eliminate or at least significantly reduce the possibility of a power transformer accident. The essence of this device are frequency filters, which are automatically connected in parallel to the high-voltage windings of the power transformers at the beginning of the magnetic storm and are disconnected after the storm subsides. The online information about the effect of the magnetic storm on the system is provided by the indicator to the control workplace. The proposed equipment can be easily implemented into existing transmission systems.
Thyroid cancer risk prediction model using m6A RNA methylation regulators: integrated bioinformatics analysis and histological validation
Authors: Zhou Wei , Lin Junchao , Liu Jinqiang , Zhang Rui , Fan Aqiang , Xie Qibin , Fan Daiming , Liu Hong
Published: May 2022

Background: Epigenetic reprogramming has been reported to play a critical role in the progression of thyroid cancer (TC). RNA methylation accounts for more than 60% of all RNA modifications, and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common modification of RNAs in higher organisms. The purpose of this study was to explore the related modification mode of m6A regulators construction and its evaluation on the clinical prognosis and therapeutic effect of TC.Materials and methods: The levels of 23 m6A regulators in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were analyzed. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and survival analysis were performed based on TCGA-THCA clinicopathological and follow-up information, and the mRNA levels of representative genes were verified using clinical TC data. In order to detect the effects of m6A regulators and their DEGs, consensus cluster analysis was carried out, and the expression of different m6A scores in Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB) and immune double antibodies (PD-1 antibody and CTLA4 antibody) were evaluated to predict the correlation between m6A score and TC tumor immunotherapy response.Results: Different expression patterns of m6A regulatory factors were detected in TC tumors and normal tissues, and several prognosis related m6A genes were obtained. Two different m6A modification patterns were determined by consensus cluster analysis. Two different subgroups were established by screening overlapping DEGs between two m6A clusters, with cluster A having the best prognosis. According to the m6A score extracted from DEGs, TC patients can be divided into high and low score subgroups. Patients with lower m6A score have longer survival time and better clinical features. The relationship between m6A score and Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB) and its correlation with the expression of PD-1 antibody and CTLA4 antibody proved that m6A score could be used as a potential predictor of the efficacy of immunotherapy in TC patients.Conclusion: We screened DEGs from cluster m6A and constructed a highly predictive model with prognostic value by dividing TCGA-THCA into two different clusters and performing m6A score analysis. This study will help clarify the overall impact of m6A modification patterns on TC progression and formulate more effective immunotherapy strategies.
Molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Lymphatic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) in ticks in Jilin Province, northeastern China
Authors: Liu Ziyan , Li Liang , Wang Di , Zhang Li , Wang Zedong , Fan Siyuan , Liang Xiaojie , Wei Feng
Published: May 2022

Background: Lymphatic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), belongs to the viral family Arenaviridae, genus Mammarenavirus, can cause aseptic meningitis in humans. Rodents are usually considered as the natural reservoir host of LCMV. But recent study indicates that LCMV may be transmitted by ticks in northeastern (NE) China. To further explore the epidemic distribution of LCMV, we conducted the prevalence and genetic characterization of LCMV in ticks in Jilin Province, NE China. Methods: Ticks were collected in Huadian, Dunhua, and Jiaohe, and were pooled and detected for LCMV using real-time RT-PCR. LCMV positive pools were used for complete genome amplification and phylogenetic analysis. Results: A total of 1679 ticks were collected and divided into 170 pools, including Ixodes persulcatus (5%), Dermacentor silvarum (89%), and Haemaphysalis japonica (6%). 24 pools of D. silvarum (14.9%, 95% CI: 9.5–22.3) and 3 pools of H. japonica (36.3%, 95% CI: 9.8–99.5) were detected LCMV positive, while no I. persulcatus pools were identified LCMV positive. Two complete genome sequences (Strain JL-DH01 and JL-DH02) were successfully amplified from LCMV positive pools, showing nucleotide identities of 96.4–99.8 per cent with JX31, JX14, DH46, JX4 strains isolated in ticks from Jilin Province. Phylogenetic analysis further indicated that the two viruses clustered with the Jilin strains in the same branch and belonged to LCMV genotype I. Conclusions: This study further expands the genetic diversity and the geographical distribution of LCMV in Jilin Province, providing important information for prevalence and genetic characteristics of the virus.
Homo-and heterofermentative lactobacilli are differently affected by lignocellulosic inhibitory compounds
Authors: Giacon Thamiris Guerra , Cunha Gabriel Caetano de Gois e , Eliodório Kevy Pontes , Oliveira Ricardo Pinheiro de Souza , Basso Thiago Olitta
Published: May 2022

Purpose
Second generation (2G) ethanol is produced using lignocellulosic biomass. However, the pre-treatment processes generate a variety of molecules (furan derivatives, phenolic compounds, and organic acids) that act as inhibitors of microbial metabolism, and thus reduce the efficiency of the fermentation step in this process. In this context, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of furan derivatives on the physiology of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains that are potential contaminants of ethanol production.
Methodology:
Homofermentative and heterofermentative strains of laboratory LAB and isolated from first generation ethanol fermentation were used. LAB strains were challenged to grow in the presence of furfural and hydroxymethyylfurfural (HMF).
Results
We found that the effect of HMF and furfural on the growth rate of LAB is dependent of the metabolic type, and growth kinetics in the presence of these compounds is enhanced for heterofermentative LAB, whereas is inhibitory to homofermentative LAB. Sugar consumption and product formation were also enhanced in the presence of furaldehydes in heterofermentative LAB, that displayed effective detoxification kinetics when compared to the homofermentative LAB.
Conclusion
This knowledge is important because lactic acid bacteria can be explored within the scope of bio-detoxification, as well as to guide metabolic engineering strategies to yeast biocatalysts based on the mechanisms used by these bacteria.