bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Thermal-infrared Dust Emission and Refinements to the Nucleus Properties of Centaur 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 1
Authors: Schambeau Charles A. , Fernández Yanga R. , Samarasinha Nalin H. , Womack Maria , Bockelée-Morvan Dominique , Lisse Carey M. , Woodney Laura M.
Published: July 2021

We present analyses of Spitzer observations of 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 1 using 16 μm IRS “blue” peak-up (PU) and 24 and 70 μm MIPS images obtained on UT 2003 November 23 and 24 that characterize the Centaur’s large-grain (10–100 μm) dust coma during a time of non-outbursting “quiescent” activity. Estimates of ϵ
f
ρ for each band (16 μm (2600 ± 43 cm), 24 μm (5800 ± 63 cm), and 70 μm (1800 ± 900 cm)) follow the trend between nucleus size versus ϵ
f
ρ that was observed for the WISE/NEOWISE comet ensemble. A coma model was used to derive a dust production rate in the range of 50–100 kg s−1. For the first time, a color temperature map of SW1's coma was constructed using the 16 and 24 μm imaging data. With peaks at ∼140 K, this map implies that coma water-ice grains should be slowly sublimating and producing water gas in the coma. We analyzed the persistent 24 μm “wing” (a curved southwestern coma) feature at 352,000 km (90″) from the nucleus attributed by Stansberry et al. to nucleus rotation and instead propose that it is largely created by solar radiation pressure and gravity acting on micron-sized grains. We performed coma removal to the 16 μm PU image in order to refine the nucleus’ emitted thermal flux. A new application of the Near Earth Asteroid Thermal Model at five wavelengths (5.730, 7.873, 15.80, 23.68, and 71.42 μm) was then used to refine SW1's effective radius measurement to R = 32.3 ± 3.1 km and infrared beaming parameter to η = 1.1 ± 0.2, respectively.
Notes on the Afrotropical hover fly genus Meromacroides Curran (Syrphidae, Eristalinae)
Authors: Bellingan Terence , Midgley John , Goergen Georg , Jordaens Kurt
Published: July 2021

The African endemic hover fly Meromacroides meromacriformis (Bezzi, 1915) (Syrphidae, Eristalinae) was described more than a century ago and its monotypic status established in 1927, but subsequent collections and publications are rare. Only the male has been described and nothing is known about its biology. We re-describe the male, including geographic variation, describe the female for the first time and provide the first DNA barcodes for the species. Despite the large range and observed variations, there is insufficient evidence to describe additional taxa in the genus. Biological observations are presented, which may shed some insight into this rare and enigmatic hover fly, whose known distribution now spans the Afrotropical Region.
Morphological phylogenetic analyses and taxonomic revision of the Panorpa davidi group (Mecoptera: Panorpidae)
Authors: Ning Li , Wang Ji-Shen , Hua Bao-Zhen
Published: July 2021

Abstract

The Chinese Panorpa species without anal horn are normally assigned to the Panorpa davidi group. Here, we taxonomically revise the P. davidi group, which currently includes 17 known species and four new species: P. gaokaii sp. nov., P. huayuani sp. nov., P. uncinata sp. nov. and P. yaoluopingensis sp. nov. Panorpa shanyangensis Chou & Wang, 1981 and P. sexspinosa zhongnanensis Chou & Ran, 1981 are treated as junior synonyms of P. sexspinosa Cheng, 1949. We describe for the first time the male of P. stigmosa Zhou, 2006, and the females of P. curva Carpenter, 1938, P. davidi Navás, 1908, P. difficilis Carpenter, 1938, P. fructa Cheng, 1949, and P. jinchuana Hua, Sun & Li, 2001. A key to species of the group is provided. Phylogenetic analyses of maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood based on 79 morphological characters show that the newly defined P. davidi group is a well-supported monophyletic group and is sister to the genus Cerapanorpa Gao, Ma & Hua, 2016.
Reprendre la Manche ou la « crise des traversées »
Authors: Corporate Watch  , Watch the
Channel
Published: July 2021

Au printemps 2020, les arrivées par small boats (petits bateaux) au Royaume-Uni ont connu une spectaculaire augmentation, devenant le principal moyen de traverser la Manche pour demander l’asile. L’extrême sécurisation autour de Calais – des kilomètres de clôtures, plus de 1 000 policiers anti-émeute et un vaste réseau de surveillance – a rendu plus difficiles les autres moyens de passage clandestin.
Un Dublin extra-européen dans les Balkans ?
Authors: Bisiaux Sophie-Anne , Naegeli Lorenz
Published: July 2021

Depuis le début des années 2000, le règlement Dublin fait peser sur les pays de l’Union européenne (UE) situés en première ligne sur les principales routes empruntées par les exilé·es la responsabilité de l’enregistrement du premier accueil et de la gestion des demandes d’asile. Dans le cadre de l’externalisation de sa politique migratoire, l’UE irait-elle jusqu’à étendre le mécanisme Dublin dans les Balkans pour tenir à distance celles et ceux qu’elle considère comme « indésirables » ? *
Factors Affecting Health Literacy as Related to Asthma and COPD Management: Learning from Patient and Health Care Professional Viewpoints
Authors: van der Heide Iris , Poureslami Iraj , Shum Jessica , Goldstein Roger , Gupta Samir , Aaron Shawn , Lavoie Kim L. , Poirier Claude , FitzGerald J. Mark ,   on behalf of the Canadian Airways Health Literacy Study Group
Published: July 2021

Background:

Studies have identified health literacy (HL) as an important determinant of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management. There are, however, limited data on patients' and health care professionals (HCPs') insights about the link between HL and management of asthma and COPD.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to elicit patients' and HCPs' perspectives with respect to factors affecting HL in the context of asthma and COPD management.

Methods:

A total of 16 semi-structured focus groups (10 in English and 6 in French) with patients with asthma or COPD (n = 93) and 45 interviews with HCPs, researchers, and policymakers were conducted between June 2015 and April 2017. Participants were asked to share their perspectives with respect to five predefined HL domains—accessing, understanding, evaluating, communicating, and using health-related information—in relation to disease self-management practices. Data were analyzed qualitatively, using a content analysis approach.

Key Results:

Most patients and HCPs reflected on factors hampering HL in relation to asthma and COPD management. Thoughts such as “not having enough time during medical consultations,” “not receiving consistent messages from different health care professionals,” and “language or cultural differences” were frequently mentioned by both patients and HCPs.

Conclusions:

We identified multiple factors affecting communication between patients and HCPs as it relates to the self-management of their disease. These included inconsistent messages from different providers, limited consultation time, use of technical language, failure to account for cultural differences, and reduced health literacy, especially as it related to written communication. Future interventions that aim to enhance HL skills in the context of asthma and COPD self-management should consider these issues.

[
HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice
. 2021;5(3):e179–e193.]

Plain Language Summary:

The current study advances the health literacy (HL) knowledge base by adding patients' and health care professionals' valuable insights on factors that hamper or facilitate HL in relation to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management. An important insight from this study is that receiving conflicting information from different health care professional's hampers HL in patients with asthma and/or COPD.
Propagation dynamics in a diffusive SIQR model for childhood diseases
Authors: Zhang Shuo , Lin Guo
Published: July 2021

This paper is concerned with the propagation dynamics in a diffusive susceptible-infective nonisolated-isolated-removed model that describes the recurrent outbreaks of childhood diseases. To model the spatial-temporal modes on disease spreading, we study the traveling wave solutions and the initial value problem with special decay condition. When the basic reproduction ratio of the corresponding kinetic system is larger than one, we define a threshold that is the minimal wave speed of traveling wave solutions as well as the spreading speed of some components. From the viewpoint of mathematical epidemiology, the threshold is monotone decreasing in the rate at which individuals leave the infective and enter the isolated classes.
Just-in-time scheduling in identical parallel machine sequence-dependent group scheduling problem
Authors: Goli Alireza , Keshavarz Taha
Published: July 2021

In this research, a parallel machine sequence-dependent group scheduling problem with the goal of minimizing total weighted earliness and tardiness is investigated. First, a mathematical model is developed for the research problem which can be used for solving small-sized instances. Since the problem is shown to be NP-hard, this research focuses on proposing meta-heuristic algorithms for finding near-optimal solutions. In this regard, the main contribution of this research is to apply the Biogeography-based Optimization (BBO) algorithm as a novel meta-heuristic and Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) algorithm as a best-known one. In order to evaluate the mathematical model and solution methods, several computational experiments are conducted. The computational experiments demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed meta-heuristic algorithms in terms of speed and solution quality. The maximum gap of BBO algorithm is 1.04% and for VNS algorithm, it is 1.35%.
Nationalism from Below: State Failures, Nollywood, and Nigerian Pidgin
Authors: Haynes Jonathan
Published: July 2021

The Nigerian film industry known as “Nollywood” was shaped (and even created) by profound weaknesses of the Nigerian state, but it inherited and carried forward one of the state’s major accomplishments: the creation of a national culture on and through television. This mission was reinterpreted in the context of a low-budget feature-film industry grounded in the informal sector of the economy. Twenty-five years on, governmental failures continue to structure the industry, even as new distribution technologies and the transnational corporations that have entered with them have created a whole new sector of production alongside the original one and have fractured the audience along class lines, adding to original linguistic and cultural divisions. Still, through its storytelling, Nollywood remains a powerful unifying cultural force on the national and Pan-African levels. In this context, Nigerian Pidgin is more important than ever as a linguistic medium of communication and as a symbol of national, regional, and Pan-African unity and communicability.
Hong Kong Unraveled: Social Media and the 2019 Protest Movement
Authors: Anonymous
Published: July 2021

Social media played a toxic role in the Hong Kong protests of 2019, overwhelming diverse voices and taxing mainstream media to a degree that it relinquished traditional principles of discovery and balance. As in other places where social media has mixed with politics, it helped polarize the Hong Kong public and dominated international views of the protests. Among other consequences, Hong Kong became a pawn in geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States, in part because both China and the United States accepted the view that Hong Kong was in the throes of full-fledged rebellion. Left behind were voices in the middle ground, the business community, and others who were mostly silent witnesses as Hong Kong devolved into widely traded scenes of violent protest.
Tragedy of Errors at Warp Speed: The 2019 Unrest
Authors: Ho Sam
Published: July 2021

The 2019 unrest in Hong Kong was the result of complex factors simmering over the years, culminating in a tragedy of errors unreeling at warp speed. This paper examines a few of the factors from the personal perspective of a Hong Kong-born Chinese American. Since the 1997 Retrocession, Hong Kong had been engaged in a unique version of post-colonial condition, “one country, two systems” (OCTS), meaning that it must contend with not only ways of a new beginning and ways of the former days but also ways for a future beginning—that of future China when OCTS expires. Hong Kong had also been conditioned to look at itself through the Western gaze and its future through Western imagination, resulting in self-objectification. Many of its people were consumed by misguided idealism that compelled citizens toward a profound mistrust of China while turning a blind eye to the country’s unique accomplishment. A powerful media dedicated to promoting the Western agenda further fanned the fire, turning the former colony into an unwitting proxy of the new Cold War waged by the United States on China. Such was a tragedy of errors that a movement launched against a worrisome rule, resulting in the passing of a law even more worrisome.
L’espace russe face au VIH
Authors: Mathieu Daniel
Published: July 2021

Cet article fait une présentation de la situation épidémiologique russe en ce qui concerne l’infection par le VIH et le sida, et de la réponse qui lui a été apportée par les autorités sanitaires. Il essaie également de dégager et d’analyser les différents facteurs, notamment idéologiques, qui ont déterminé cette réponse et qui expliquent ses carences, tout particulièrement en ce qui concerne les mesures de prévention et d’accompagnement des groupes à risque. Il revient ensuite sur la géographie de l’infection au VIH, et les inégalités très marquées entre régions, pour conclure à la nécessité de mieux appréhender ces écarts territoriaux, ainsi que la sociologie de l’épidémie, pour que les politiques sanitaires puissent les prendre en compte.
Points de vue et créations paysagères. Être un paysan agroforestier
Authors: Bories Olivier , Fontorbes Jean-Pascal , Granié Anne-Marie
Published: July 2021

L’agroforesterie rhabille des campagnes dénudées par l’étalement parcellaire. Elle remet des lignes d’arbres dans le pays et joue de ses effets de rangs, de contours et de détourages pour créer la surprise dans le paysage. Nous sommes rentrés avec la caméra dans ces champs rayés d’arbres. Pendant une année nous y avons rencontré et filmé des paysans agroforestiers. Cinq. A Auriac-sur-Vendinelle, Caubiac et Fontenilles en Haute-Garonne, Noilhan et Auch dans le Gers. Cet article présente les résultats de notre recherche filmique et met en mots nos images et nos sons. Il nous parle d’émotions, de paysage agroforestier, et de ces Hommes qui écrivent discrètement dans le territoire ce qu’ils sont, en plantant des arbres dans leurs parcelles. Nous avons filmé leurs gestes comme une parole agroforestière silencieuse. Nous avons découvert que dans ces lignes d’arbres, les agroforestiers se construisent un chemin de pensée durable et de pratiques agro-écologiques, un rapport avec le monde.
« La Pomorie n’est pas une décharge pour les déchets de Moscou ! » Shies, un conflit d’aménagement exceptionnel dans le Grand-Nord
Authors: Poupin Perrine
Published: July 2021

En Russie et partout dans le monde, des territoires sont sacrifiés en raison d’activités humaines qui s’appuient sur l’environnement en prélevant des ressources et en détruisant la nature (accidents, pollutions, nuisances, risques, déchets). Cet article se propose d’examiner l’expérience de communautés locales vivant dans des territoires relégués de la région d’Arkhangelsk face à la construction illégale d’une décharge devant recevoir des millions de tonnes de déchets ménagers de Moscou. Il est basé sur une recherche qui a suivi le projet en cours, saisi dans ses dynamiques, tout en analysant les résistances qu’il a suscitées. Par cette étude, nous avons pu saisir des liens entre rapports à l’espace et engagement dans les territoires concernés du Grand Nord russe.
THE ROTATIONAL EFFECT OF MAGNETIC PARTICLES ON CELLULAR APOPTOSIS BASED ON FOUR ELECTROMAGNET FEEDBACK CONTROL SYSTEM
Authors: Lee Jia Ji , Pua Chang Hong , Misran Misni , Lee Poh Foong
Published: July 2021

Objectives: Magnetic drug targeting offers the latest popular alternative option to deliver magnetic drug carriers into targeting region body parts through manipulation of an external magnetic field. However, the effectiveness of using an electromagnetic field to manipulate and directing magnetic particles is yet to be established.

Methods: In this paper, a homemade cost-effective electromagnet system was built for the purpose of studying the control and directing the magnetic drug carriers. The electromagnet system was built with four electromagnetic sources and tested the capability in directing the particles’ movement in different geometry patterns. Besides that, the creation of the self-rotation of individual magnetic particle clusters was achieved by using fast switching between magnetic fields. This self-rotation allows the possibility of cell apoptosis study to carry out. The system was constructed with four electromagnets integrated with a feedback control system and built to manipulate a droplet of commercially available iron (II, III) oxide nanoparticles to steer the magnetic droplet along different arbitrary trajectories (square, circle, triangle, slanted line) in 2-dimensional.

Results: A dynamic magnetic field of 25 Hz was induced for magnetic nanoparticles rotational effect to observe the cell apoptosis. A profound outcome shows that the declining cell viability of the cell lines by 40% and the morphology of shrinking cells after the exposure of the dynamic magnetic field.

Conclusion: The outcome from the pilot study gives an idea on the laboratory setup serves as a fundamental model for studying the electromagnetic field strength in applying mechanical force to target and to rotate for apoptosis on cancer cell line study.
An Interactional and Aligned Educational Design Framework to Support Teachers' Pedagogical Reasoning
Authors: Holmberg Jörgen , Fransson Göran
Published: July 2021

This chapter presents and problematizes a theoretical design framework for understanding and supporting teachers' pedagogical reasoning in online contexts. The framework synthesizes existing educational theories to illustrate how digital technologies can be used to create interactional and aligned educational designs and is therefore referred to as the IAED framework. The IAED framework can be used in teacher education and development programs, and by teachers, researchers, educational designers, and others. In the chapter, empirical examples and analysis are provided to illustrate and discuss how the IAED framework can be used to (1) support teachers' pedagogical reasoning and educational design practices, (2) evaluate existing educational designs and design practices, and (3) study educational designs and design practices, as well as (changes in) teachers' pedagogical reasoning.
Formal Metamodeling for Secure Model-Driven Engineering
Authors: Favre Liliana Maria
Published: July 2021

Systems and applications aligned with new paradigms such as cloud computing and internet of the things are becoming more complex and interconnected, expanding the areas in which they are susceptible to attacks. Their security can be addressed by using model-driven engineering (MDE). In this context, specific IoT or cloud computing metamodels emerged to support the systematic development of software. In general, they are specified through semiformal metamodels in MOF style. This article shows the theoretical foundations of a method for automatically constructing secure metamodels in the context of realizations of MDE such as MDA. The formal metamodeling language Nereus and systems of transformation rules to bridge the gap between formal specifications and MOF are described. The main contribution of this article is the definition of a system of transformation rules called NEREUStoMOF for transforming automatically formal metamodeling specifications in Nereus to semiformal-MOF metamodels annotated in OCL.
Application of CSK Encryption Algorithm in Video Synergic Command Systems
Authors: Qin Lele , Zhang Guojuan , You Li
Published: July 2021

Video command and dispatch systems have become essential communication safeguard measures in circumstances of emergency rescue, epidemic prevention, and control command as, data security has become especially important. After meeting the requirements of voice and video dispatch, this paper proposes an end-to-end encryption method of multimedia information that introduces a multiple protection mechanism including selective encryption and selective integrity protection. The method has a network access authentication and service encryption workflow, which implants startup authentication and key distribution into the information control signaling procedure. This method constitutes a key pool with the three-dimensional Lorenz System, the four-dimensional Cellular Neural Network (CNN) System and the four-dimensional Chen System where the key source system and initial conditions are decided by the plaintext video frame itself. Then, this method optimizes the chaotic sequences to further enhance system security.
Acute spinal cord infarction syndrome unusually mimicking Transverse myelitis: A case report
Authors: Ibrahim Aliyu , Shuaibu Aisha , Nuhu Usman Adamu , Aliyu Hauwa A.
Published: July 2021

Anterior Spinal Cord Infarction (ASCI) syndrome typically results from ischemia that affects the anterior spinal artery territory characterized by history of sudden onset flaccid paraplegia or quadriplegia depending on the level of the lesion. We describe a 57-years-old woman with sudden onset flaccid weakness of the lower limbs and numbness of the feet of two days duration, preceded by a day history of fever and several episodes of vomiting. Examination initially revealed bilateral hypotonia, hyporeflexia and dense paraplegia, with preservation of dorsal column sensations (fine touch/2-point discrimination, position and vibration sensation). Twenty-four hours thereafter a repeat examination showed hyper-reflexia and extensor plantar response with spastic paraplegia. Thoracic spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed thinning of the spinal cord extending from T1 to T9 levels with associated widening of the thecal sac suggestive of anterior spinal cord infarction with no other signal changes seen within the substance.
Principles and practices of biosafety
Authors: Manju Murli , Ghosh Amrita , Pal Ranabir , Quiñones-Ossa Gabriel Alexander , Mohan Rajashekar , Agrawal Amit
Published: July 2021

The perception of biosafety on food and supply chains moves around the philosophical axis of “coping and living with occupational health hazards” to upheld the sustainable development of occupational safety. COVID-19 pandemic opened the “Pandora's box” of prevailing lackadaisical attitude on the basic public health aspects principles that should apply to food safety and food supply chain. We must revamp the collaboration of food production and public health-care delivery system to save the community by containing the spread of highly infectious agent from known and unknown natural and artificial reservoirs. Equity of distribution of quality and quantity of the food and nutrition has to be ensured for the majority of the global population at this crossroads of socio-economic crisis which has pauperized en masse as the negative fallout of pandemic. Food safety should be an urgent agenda for comprehensive internalization and be supplemented with the mitigation plan to minimize psychosomatic stresses and revitalize emotional and psychosocial health by targeted interventions. There is dire need of translational research and holistic streamlining of biosafety program in the phase of the rising trend of the cases and sequels epidemiologic pandemic curve on ground. Needless to mention that apart from SARS-COV2, the holistic concept of the implementation of the biosafety programs can interrupt the transmission of innumerable infectious agents from the plant and animal resources. Biosafety models were reviewed for high laboratory standards in the real time “new normal” situation of containment and risk assessment in this unprecedented pandemic of new millennium.
Cardioprotective Effects of Gallic Acid on an Isoprenaline-Induced Myocardial Infarction Rat Model
Authors: Abdelhalim Abdelbaset Taher , Mahmoud Sayed A.M. , Nur Nuruddin Mohammed , Shaban Mossad Abdelhak , Mansour Sherif , Ibrahim Suhaidah
Published: July 2021

The use of antioxidants to protect against a wide range of human disease, including ischemic heart disease, has moved to the forefront in cardiovascular research. Gallic acid has shown promising effects against oxidative stress-induced disease; however, its effect in ischemic heart disease has not been well-studied. We designed the current work to investigate the potential protective effect of gallic acid against isoprenaline (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI). Rats were injected subcutaneously with ISO, 100 mg/kg for 2 days, to induce MI. Gallic acid treated rats received 15 mg/kg gallic acid orally for 10 days prior to ISO injection. The histopathological examination of the Hematoxylin and Eosin-stained heart sections from the ISO treated rats shows karyopyknosis, hypereosinophilia, loss of striation, infiltration of macrophage in the interstitium, and thrombosis of the blood vessels, all of which indicate the induction of MI. In addition, ISO treatment significantly increased the plasma level of malondialdehyde and troponin-I, as well as the activity of alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase, compared to untreated controls. Pretreatment with gallic acid significantly attenuated the ISO-induced biochemical and histopathological changes, compared to untreated controls. Our results show that ISO induced oxidative stress-mediated MI, and that gallic acid protects the rat heart from MI, at least in part, through antioxidant mechanisms.
A Clinicopathological Study of Benign Breast Diseases in Females
Authors: Singh Sandesh Bharat , Chakrabarti Nilay
Published: July 2021

Introduction:

Benign breast diseases are often considered as aberrations of normal development and involution. The increasing campaigns for breast health have increased awareness among women causing an increase in the number of cases detected. Around 70%–80% of the biopsies performed are of benign nature. The most common complaints are lump, pain, and discharge.

Aim:

Our primary aim was to study the clinicopathological correlation of benign breast disease and view it in the context of other similar studies in the past.

Materials and Methods:

Sixty patients attending the Outpatient and Inpatient Department of Surgery at a tertiary care hospital from June 2011 to December 2012 was carried out. Various parameters such as age, sex, disease pattern, lesion types, histopathological diagnosis, and clinical diagnosis were studied and compared. Cramer's V test was applied.

Results:

In our study, fibroadenoma (66.7%) was the most common lesion which occurred in patients in the age group of 21–30 years, followed by fibroadenosis (16.7%) which occurred mostly in the age group of 21–30 years. The lesion mostly occurred in the age group between 21 and 30 years (40%). The most common complaint in women was lump (73.33%), followed by lump and pain.

Conclusions:

Epidemiology of benign breast diseases still remains the same when analyzed with a past and recent study on benign breast diseases. Triple assessment remains the key in the evaluation of breast lumps.
Role of GeneXpert or CBNAAT in Diagnosing Tuberculosis
Authors: Garg Archana , Agarwal Lakshmi , Mathur Rishab
Published: July 2021

About a quarter of the world's population is infected with tuberculosis (TB), with new infection occurring every second. The global burden, particularly with multidrug resistance, is also increasing simultaneously and has become a major health challenge. Earlier and improved case detection, including smear-negative disease, often associated with HIV co-infection, and expanded capacity to diagnose multidrug-resistant TB are global priorities for TB control. Conventional laboratory methods are slow and cumbersome. Hence, novel technologies for rapid detection are the focus of TB research and development. GeneXpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampicin (MTB/RIF) is one of them, currently unique in its simplification of molecular testing with amplification and detection based on real-time polymerase chain reaction. Xpert MTB/RIF detects MTB as well as RIF resistance directly from sputum within 2 h. This article focuses on the significance of new diagnostic test for TB.
Smokeless Tobacco use among online app-based Cab Drivers in Pune City and Recommended Measures for Tobacco Cessation from the Literature
Authors: Kakodkar Pradnya V.
Published: July 2021

Objective:

The objective of this study is to assess the smokeless tobacco (SLT) use among online-app based cab drivers in Pune city and recommended measures for tobacco cessation from the literature.

Materials and Methods:

A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted during February 2019 to October 2019 among the morning shift cab drivers in Pune city. A total of 360 drivers using SLT were recruited for the study. A standard checklist was used to collect the information such as the time of use of SLT, reasons for the use of SLT, and reason for the cessation of the habit. Approval was obtained from the Scientific and Institutional Ethics committee before starting.

Results:

Majority 62.8% (n = 226) of the drivers used SLT while driving, followed by 14.4% (n = 52) who preferred it only before driving and 8.9% (n = 32) used anytime during the day. Among the major reasons for the use of SLT, 80.3% (n = 289) reported it helps to improve concentration, whereas 67.5% (n = 243) used it under peer pressure. Participants (n = 90) declared that they have attempted to quit the habit and the main reason for quitting of the habit was burning sensation in the mouth among 64.4% (n = 58) followed 26.7% (n = 24) by self-motivation.

Conclusion:

This study serves as an evidence to plan and execute the cessation programs for the driver cohort by its company. It is proposed that the successful tobacco cessation measures from the literature can be implemented and evaluated for its effectiveness in the future studies.
Correlates of COVID-19 Mortality
Authors: Haldar Dibakar , Maji Baisakhi , Ray Samir Kumar , Mondal Tanushree , Mandal Pankaj Kumar , Haldar Piyali
Published: July 2021

Background and Objectives:

The enigma COVID-19 pandemic already involved major parts of the globe with a toll of 3,175,207 victims and 224,172 deaths from 215 countries/territories as on May 1, 2020. It cripples nations by the loss of human resources, economic decline, hunger, unemployment insecurities giving way to mental morbidities, and still many others to be discovered. A systematic search about correlates of its killing attribute is urgently warranted.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional survey for 3 weeks (03/5/2020–23/5/2020) was conducted in a teaching institution at Kolkata aiming to describe the magnitude and correlates of COVID-19 mortality. Data pertaining to COVID-19 cases, deaths of affected countries, and their potential correlates were retrieved from various public domains, for example, https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports, worldpopulationreview.com, data.worldbank.org.

Results:

Multiple linear regressions analysis through forward method revealed a maximum R2 of 57.7% (P = 0.03) and a significant model fit (P = 0.000) for COVID-19 mortality rate per million which was revealed to have a positive association with median age of the population of the country (β = 0.073), proportion of population sustaining obesity (β = 0.051) and %of population consumed alcohol over the past 12 months (β = 0.018). It meant for 1 year increase in median age COVID-19 mortality would be increased by 8.0%. Similarly, COVID-19 mortality would be increased by 2.0% and 5.0% by inclusion in the model of 1% alcoholic, and 1% obese individual, respectively,

Conclusion:

Notwithstanding variations in testing, reporting, and patients' management strategy the findings of this research have some implications to the scientific fraternity and policymakers.
To Study the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Meditation in the Functional Outcome of Osteoarthritis Knee and Perceived Stress Scores and Markers of Obesity in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Sannigrahi Neelanjan , Chaudhuri Arunima , Adhya Debasis
Published: July 2021

Background:

The global burdens of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and obesity are rising, producing enormous losses of life and disability-adjusted life-years in both developed and developing nations. Stress is a modifiable risk factor for the development of CVD. Postmenopausal women with osteoarthritis (OA) of knee joint may often report episodes of knee instability limiting their daily activities and this causes an added stress.

Aims:

To evaluate the effects of mindfulness-based meditation on functional outcome of OA knee and to study the effect of mindfulness-based meditation on perceived stress scores (PSSs) and markers of obesity in postmenopausal women.

Materials and Methods:

This interventional study was conducted on forty postmenopausal women in a tertiary care hospital of Eastern India after taking institutional ethical clearance and informed consent of the patients. Presumptive stressful life events scale (PSLES) scores and PSSs of the patients were assessed. Patients with PSLES scores more than 200 were included in the study. They were all on nonvegetarian diet and came from the middle socioeconomic class. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups and received either balancing exercises and mindfulness-based meditation (Group A) or balancing exercises (Group B). Patients of both groups were age matched. Body mass index (BMI) and waist/hip ratios were measured. The outcome measures were visual analog scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores.

Results:

There was no significant difference in age, PSLES and PSS scores, and WOMAC and VAS scores between the two groups before intervention. AGE Group A 62.4 ± 4.16 versus Group B 62.15 ± 3.75, P = 0.85; BMI Group A 26.6 ± 1.97 versus Group B 26.2 ± 1.002, P = 0.41; waist/hip Group A 0.833 ± 0.033 versus Group B 0.832 ± 0.03, P = 0.96; PSLES Group A 296.3 ± 34.95 versus Group B 291.8 ± 25.2, P = 0.65; PSS Group A 33.38.1 ± 1.97 versus Group B 32.8 ± 2.86, P = 0.185. PSS scores (20.75 ± 1.9 vs. 27.1 ± 1.65; P < 0.0001) and waist/hip ratio were significantly less in Group A as compared to Group B following intervention. Group A had significantly lower WOMAC (38.1 ± 4.03 vs. 50.8 ± 3.78; P < 0.0001) and VAS (4.35 ± 0.77 vs. 5.75 ± 0.68; P < 0.0001) scores as compared to Group B after practice of balancing exercises along with mindfulness-based meditation. Waist/hip ratio was significantly less in the group practicing mindfulness-based meditation (Group A) as compared to Group B.

Conclusion:

The results of the present study indicate that balancing exercises when practiced along with stress relaxation exercises are more effective in improving the functional ability of OA knee in postmenopausal women.
Risk Factors Associated with Delays in Seeking Treatment and Diagnosis of Tuberculosis Patients at DOTS Center of a Tertiary Care Institute in Himachal Pradesh
Authors: Singh Resham , Dhadwal Dineshwar Singh , Mahajan Anjali , Barwal Vijay Kumar
Published: July 2021

Background:

Delays in diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is still a problem at all levels of health care. Understanding the etiology of these delays is essential for all stakeholders involved in TB control. This study was done to find the delays related to health-care seeking behavior, diagnosis, and major contributors to such delays among newly diagnosed patients of TB.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted from August 1, 2018, to July 2019 among the patients of TB diagnosed at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla. A consecutive sample of 105 patients was enrolled for the study. Newly diagnosed cases aged 18 years and above were included in the study. Prevalence ratio with 95% confidence interval was calculated for risk factors associated with the identified delays.

Results:

At the patient level around 55% reported a delay of more than 14 days in seeking care with a median delay of 45 days (interquartile range [IQR] of 30–60 days). Nearly 67% patients were found to have a diagnostic delay of more than 7 days at the health-care provider level (Median 30 days; IQR 12.5–54.7 days). Delayed initiation of treatment after 7 days of diagnosis was found in 6.6% cases (Median 10 days; IQR 8–15 days) and all of these were patients of extra pulmonary TB. Delay was significantly associated (P = 0.01) with patients who travelled <5 km to reach the health facility.

Conclusion:

Inter-sectoral coordination, refresher trainings of health-care providers, patient education and capacity building for diagnostics at peripheral institutions can reduce delay in diagnosis and treatment of TB.
A Review of Self-Medication Practices Among Students of Health-Care Professions in India
Authors: Pareek Shatrughan
Published: July 2021

The principles of medication management include storing, ordering, dispensing, and administration of the medications. Each of these steps is equally important to achieve the maximum benefits of the medicines. However, self-medication is common across the globe where these principles are severely compromised. Self-administration of medication is an approach in which an individual uses a medicine or drug to treat any symptoms or diagnosed disorder. It is an individual's initiative to take medicines without consulting a doctor and commonly used to gain personal independence and autonomy to treat minor illness. Its prevalence in developing countries is significantly high and ranges from 12.7% to 95%. This review examines self-medication practices among students of various health-care courses. The search criteria included studies published from 2008 to 2018. All studies that explored the use of self-medication practices among the Indian students of various health-care professions were retrieved. Three major databases Google Scholar, PubMed, and Shodhganga were searched. The keywords used for search included “self-medication,” India, prevalence, students, medical, dental, nursing, pharmacology, and physiotherapy. In total, 106 articles were reviewed, 21 of these studies met the inclusion criteria. The number of total participants across all studies was 7271. Overall, 5875 (80.80%) participants were practicing self-medication. Analgesics, antipyretics, antibiotics, antacids, and anti-allergic drugs were commonly used drugs for self-medication. Some studies also revealed that students have poor knowledge regarding drug reactions, and this can significantly compromise patient safety. Whereas, the study reveals that the practice of self-medication among the students is alarmingly high. This presents a significant challenge to patient safety and also poses a threat to public health in view of ever-increasing antibiotics resistant. The government must take immediate actions to regulate over-the-counter medication availabilities and also ensure a wider education program for the public.
Performance of a small-scale construction and demolition waste recycling unit: a case study in northeastern Brazil
Authors: Santos Laís Carlos Boaventura , Lopes Thaís Andrade de Sampaio , Queiroz Luciano Matos , Zanta Viviana Maria
Published: July 2021

Environmental and operational performance of a full-scale small and decentralized construction and demolition waste (C&DW) recycling unit (SDRU) were evaluated. The SDRU was defined as having a production capacity of up to 5 m3 per hour, occupying up to 100 m2. The operational and environmental performance indicators of the SDRU were obtained from the literature and validated by expert judgment. Subsequently, the values of these indicators were obtained from a real-scale SDRU in Bahia state, Brazil. The results showed that the SDRU presented lower levels of noise emission, very small water and energy consumption, and inhalable-particle concentration values lower than the requirements of Brazilian environmental legislation. It was observed that 90% of the C&DW in the storage area had recycling potential. The characteristics of the fine recycled aggregate make it suitable for use in road or sidewalk paving, and the coarse recycled aggregate is suitable for use in concrete without structural function. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the SDRU was also applied and it was concluded that the use of the recycled aggregate for manufacturing concrete without structural function reduced the environmental impact in all the categories considered, compared with the impact of natural sand and gravel extraction from nature. It was possible to conclude that the implementation of the SRDU in developing countries can provide an effective step towards reducing environmental impacts from the construction sector.
Trace class properties of the non homogeneous linear Vlasov–Poisson equation in dimension 1+1
Authors: Després Bruno
Published: July 2021

We consider the abstract scattering structure of the non homogeneous linearized Vlasov–Poisson equations from the viewpoint of trace class properties which are emblematic of the abstract scattering theory [13, 14, 15, 19]. In dimension 1+1, we derive an original reformulation which is trace class. It yields the existence of the Moller wave operators. The non homogeneous background electric field is periodic with 4 +

\varepsilon

bounded derivatives.
Spectral analysis of 2D outlier layout
Authors: Putinar Mihai
Published: July 2021

Thompson’s partition of a cyclic subnormal operator into normal and completely non-normal components is combined with a non-commutative calculus for hyponormal operators for separating outliers from the cloud, in rather general point distributions in the plane. The main result provides exact transformation formulas from the power moments of the prescribed point distribution into the moments of the uniform mass carried by the cloud. The proposed algorithm solely depends on the Hessenberg matrix associated to the original data. The robustness of the algorithm is reflected by the insensitivity of the output under trace class, or by a theorem of Voiculescu, under certain Hilbert–Schmidt class, additive perturbations of the Hessenberg matrix.
Jordan chains of elliptic partial differential operators and Dirichlet-to-Neumann maps
Authors: Behrndt Jussi , ter Elst A. F. M.
Published: July 2021

Let

\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^d

be a bounded open set with Lipschitz boundary

\Gamma

. It will be shown that the Jordan chains of m-sectorial second-order elliptic partial differential operators with measurable coefficients and (local or non-local) Robin boundary conditions in

L_2(\Omega)

can be characterized with the help of Jordan chains of the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map and the boundary operator from

H^{1/2}(\Gamma)

into

H^{-1/2}(\Gamma)

. This result extends the Birman–Schwinger principle in the framework of elliptic operators for the characterization of eigenvalues, eigenfunctions and geometric eigenspaces to the complete set of all generalized eigenfunctions and algebraic eigenspaces.
Sub-shock formation in shock structure of a binary mixture of polyatomic gases
Authors: Ruggeri Tommaso , Taniguchi Shigeru
Published: July 2021

The differential system of the field equations of a binary mixture of Eulerian gases is hyperbolic and, according to a general theorem of Boillat and Ruggeri, the shock-structure solution is not always regular and a discontinuous jump (sub-shock) may appear depending on the velocity of the shock wave. In this paper, we give all the necessary conditions for the subshock formation and we identify for prescribed values of the mass ratio of the constituents and degrees of freedom of molecules four regions depending on the concentration and the Mach number in which there may exist the sub-shock for one or both constituents or not. Preliminary numerical tests calculating the shock-structure solution in these regions confirm the qualitative analysis.
Output stabilization of strongly minimum-phase multivariable nonlinear systems
Authors: Isidori Alberto
Published: July 2021

This paper addresses the problem of output stabilization of invertible MIMO nonlinear systems. A unifying procedure is presented, that consists in the preliminary use of a statefeedback to induce an upper triangular structure. Assuming that the upper subsystem in this structure is input-to-state stable (to a compact invariant set), the output stabilization problem is reduced to the problem of globally asymptotically stabilizing the lower subsystem.
Reduction of Salmonella Enteritidis in Fish by Microwave Cooking
Authors: Ucok Alakavuk Didem , Ulusoy Safak , Cosansu Serap , Mol Sühendan
Published: July 2021

The effect of microwave cooking on the survival of Salmonella Enteritidis was investigated. Inoculated whiting and salmon fillets (6-7 log cfu/cm2) were cooked in microwave either packed or unpacked at two internal temperatures (50 and 70°C). When the samples were cooked up to the internal temperature of 50°C, the reductions were 1.82 log cfu/cm2 (29%) for packed and 0.69 log cfu/cm2 (11%) for unpacked whiting. For the same cooking temperature, the reductions were 2.39 (33%) and 0.73 log cfu/ cm2 (10%) for packed and unpacked salmon, respectively. When the internal temperature was 70°C, the reductions in S. Enteritidis counts were 2.89 (45%) and 3.90 cfu/cm2 (54%) unpacked whiting and salmon, respectively. However, the reductions were higher in packed samples of both fish cooked to 70C internal temperature than that of unpacked samples and counts of the pathogen were below the detectable level (<1.00 log cfu/cm2
). These results suggested that packaging increased the S. Enteritidis reduction during microwave cooking and the reductions were higher in salmon than that of whiting. Microwave-cooking instructions must be included in the MW operating manuals. The foods must be cooked in microwave not lower than 360 W and 70°C.
Vse slovenske G(e)rlice
Authors: Škulj Edo
Published: July 2021

Predmet obravnave so štiri glasbene zbirke s podobnimi naslovi: Slovenska gerlica, (Fleišmanova) Gerlica, (Kumarjeva) Grlica in revija Grlica. Naslov hoče objeti vse štiri zbirke, zato je nekoliko zapleten. - Slovenske gerlice je izšlo sedem zvezkov (1848, 1848, 1850, 1852, 1859, 1859, 1862). Tretji zvezek je uredil Gregor Rihar, morda tudi ostalih prvih šest. Peti in šesti zvezek sta celota s skupnim naslovom: Venec slovenskih pesem dr. Fr. Prešern-a. Napevi od Kamillo Mašek-a. Sedmi zvezek je uredil Jurij Fleišman. - Potem ko je izdal 7., zadnji zvezek Slovenske gerlice, je Jurij Fleišman leta 1864 izdal drugo zbirko v treh zvezkih z naslovom Gerlica, v kateri je naredil izbor napevov iz prvotne zbirke. Zdi se, da Fleišman ni imel namena izdati celotne pesmarice, saj je pobral uspešnice iz Slovenske gerlice in jih izdal kot Gerlica. Poleg tega so v tretjem zvezku pesmi iz 1. in 2. zvezka. - Proti koncu leta 1933 je Srečko Kumar v Zagrebu začel izdajati Grlico s podnaslovom Revijalna zbirka omladinske muzike, ki jo je sam urejal in izdajal. - Leta 1953 je začela izhajati revija Grlica s podnaslovom Revija z mladinsko zborovsko glasbo, ki jo je izdajal Aktiv ljubljanskih srednješolskih profesorjev glasbe založila pa Mladinska knjiga. Z 9. letnikom se je Grlica iz Revije za mladinsko zborovsko glasbo prelevila v Revijo za glasbeno vzgojo, hkrati je odgovorno uredništvo prevzel Pavle Kalan. Sprememba je bila napovedana v uvodniku Grlica pred novimi nalogami, ki sta ga podpisala uredništvo in uprava. Sprememba ni bila toliko v glasbenih prilogah kot v knjižnem delu. Grlica je leta 1988 po 35 letih od ustanovitve, vendar v 28. letniku sklenila svoje izhajanje.