bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visualization of the Dynamic Brain Activation Pattern During a Decision Making Task
Authors: Parmar Harshit , Walden Eric
Published: September 2022

Decision making is a complex process involving various parts of the brain which are active during different times. It is challenging to measure externally the exact instance when any given region becomes active during the decision-making process. Here we try to extract and visualize the dynamic functional brain activation information from the observed fMRI data. We propose the use of a regularized deconvolution model to simultaneously map various activation regions within the brain and track how different activation regions changes with time. Thus, providing both spatial and temporal brain activation information. The activation information can then be further analyzed as per need and requirements. The proposed technique was validated using simulated data and then applied to a simple decision-making task for identification of various brain regions involved in different stages of decision making. The visualization aspect of the algorithm allows us to actually see the flow of activation (and deactivation) in form of a motion picture. The dynamic estimate may aid in understanding the causality of activation between various brain regions in a better way.
INDONESIAN ACCOUNTING STUDENTS’ SELF-CONFIDENCE TO ADOPT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
Authors:   University of Lampung, Andani Gina , Lindrianasari Lindrianasari ,   University of Lampung, Oktavia Reni ,   University of Lampung, Septiyanti Ratna ,   University of Lampung
Published: September 2022

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) in accounting as the impact of industrial revolution 4.0 has raised various concerns regarding the future of accountants and the possibility that accountants will be replaced by AI. Businesses are continuously adopting AI globally and particularly in Indonesia, AI adoption raises concerns that accountants will be replaced with AI due to the lack of competence to work with AI. A descriptive study with a quantitative approach was conducted in January 2021 by distributing questionnaires that collected a convenience sample of 476 respondents from universities across Indonesia. The required criteria of respondents are the active Indonesian undergraduate accounting students (class of 2016-2020). Therefore, this research will examine how the AI-based curriculum provided by universities relates to the competency of prospective accountants. The research also examines how the prospective accountants’ competency affects the readiness of accounting students to adapt and work with AI so that their roles are not entirely replaced by AI, especially for Indonesian accounting students as prospective accountants. The last part of this research will underline that the development of AI therefore should not be a concern for the future of accountants and accounting students in Indonesia. However, to have the prospective accountants prepared to work with AI and enter the industry 4.0 workforce after they graduate, the accounting students need to enhance their competencies. The accounting educators also need to enhance their curricula by providing more practice-related courses to improve the capability of accounting students to operate accounting softwares.
EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TAX OBJECTION REVIEW IN INDONESIA’S TAX AUTHORITY
Authors:   Universitas Indonesia, Trisnawati Yuli , Nuryanah Siti ,   Universitas Indonesia
Published: September 2022

An evaluation of the effectiveness of tax objection review by the Directorate General of Taxes (DGT) is required due to the increasing number of tax disputes that continue to litigation and a low winning rate for DGT in tax court (approximately 40%). This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of reviewing tax objections at DGT using Campbell's Effectiveness Theory (1989) with criteria of programs and goals success, program satisfaction, inputs and outputs conformity, and overall goal achievement. This is case study research with a qualitative method presented in a descriptive analysis. Data was collected through documentation, interviews, and satisfaction surveys. Informants are from the DGT, Taxpayers, Tax Consultants, Tax Lecturers and the Secretariat of the Tax Supervisory Committee (Setkomwasjak). The results indicate that the tax objection review at the DGT has been moderately effective, as evidenced by the achievement of the predetermined targets. However, several criteria should be improved, such as input and output quality, workload and independence. The separation of the objection review unit from the Regional Office (Kanwil) of the DGT is one of the recommendations proposed to increase the independence of tax objection review.
Electronic Archives Management to Realizing the Development of Information and Communication Technology in Achieve SDGs in Kendal Village, Sekaran District, Lamongan Regency
Authors: Karimah Arzetya Fitri Al , Gading Gamaputra  , Agus Prasetyawan  , Prasetyo Isbandono  , Weni Rosdiana  , Yuni Lestari  , Noviyanti  , Dian Arlupi Utami  , Isnaini Fitri Effendi  , Naufal Hanif Ramadhan
Published: September 2022

Archiving activities are part of the dministrative activities in an organization, which are very important. Archival management is a major factor in supporting the course of administrative activities in an organization. However, in practice, there are still organizations that are lacking in managing archives, so it can also affect the service process to the community. The purpose of this study was to determine the application of electronic mail archiving applications in the form of APEL SISA in Kendel Village to realize the development of information and communication technology in achieving the Village SDGs. The method used is descriptive qualitative. The focus of this research refers to the theory of Muhidin and Winata (2016) that digital archive management activities include two things, namely archive storage and archive retrieval. The data collection techniques in this study were through interviews and observation. The results of this study indicate that by using APEL SISA, archive storage in Kendal Village, which was originally manual, becomes more effective and efficient in providing services to the community, and electronic retrieval of archives can facilitate archive management at the Kendal Village office. Based on this, the management of archives in Kendal Village needs to be done all electronically to make it easier to manage archives that are stored and find back archives when needed.
Implementation of The Hope Family Program (PKH) in Bligo Village, Candi District, Sidoarjo Regency
Authors: Ningrum Retno Agustin , Rodiyah Isnaini
Published: September 2022

This study aims to determine the implementation of the Family Hope Program (PKH) in Bligo Village, Candi District, Sidoarjo Regency and to determine the supporting factors and inhibiting factors for the implementation of the Expected Family Program. This study uses a qualitative descriptive research method with the technique of determining the informant using purposive sampling. The location of this research is in Bligo Village, Candi District, Sidoarjo Regency. Data collection techniques obtained by means of observation, documentation and interviews. The collection technique consists of data collection, data reduction, data presentation and conclusion drawing. The method used for research is the method according to Edward III and has 4 factors consisting of communication, resources, disposition and bureaucratic structure. The results of this study indicate that the implementation of the Family Hope Program in Bligo Village, Candi District, Sidoarjo Regency in terms of communication is still not optimal, in terms of resources, it is in accordance with the job disk and the facilities provided are appropriate, in terms of disposition, implementation is in accordance with regulations and has commitment. and in terms of bureaucratic structure has been implemented. Constraints faced from data inhibiting factors which are still top-down and supporting factors for very high public enthusiasm
Supporting Factors in the Implementation of Smart Governance through E-Performance of the Regional Civil Service Agency of Sidoarjo Regency
Authors: Chiqmah Zachiyatul , Choiriyah Ilmi Usrotin
Published: September 2022

The availability of adequate resources, regulations, budget funds, facilities and infrastructure is an important component in the implementation of e-government. The government is required to provide quality services to the community to create goals in improving the welfare of the community. One effort to improve government performance is through smart city. One of the applications of smart city in the government is realized by E-Kinerja conducted by the Sidoarjo Regency Regional Civil Service Agency. In its application there are still problems including the lack of ability of human resources (HR) apparatus caused by age, low desire to learn technology, and low levels of education. The purpose of this study is to explain and analyze the Implementation of Smart Governance through E-Kinerja in the Sidoarjo Regency Regional Civil Service Agency. This type of research is a qualitative descriptive study. Data collection techniques in this study used observation, interviews and documentation. Data analysis techniques in this study used data collection, data reduction, data presentation and data verification. The results of this study indicate that the supporting factors in the implementation of E-Kinerja in the Sidoarjo Regency Personnel Agency, (1) telecommunications infrastructure, are adequate because they are equipped with e-performance applications that can be accessed via private mobile phones of each civil servant. (2) the availability of funds and budget for the implementation of e-performance applications funded by the Sidoarjo Regency Regional Budget. (3) written legal instruments regarding the application of e-performance
Planning in the Management of BUMDes Karya Unggul in Punggul Gedangan Village, Sidoarjo
Authors: Utomo Bagio
Published: September 2022

BUMDes (Village-Owned Enterprises) are formed by the community and for the community, planning in their management already has a vision, mission, goals and work programs but there are still obstacles, namely lack of organization and lack of movement, direction in the management of BUMDes Karya Unggul Desa Punggul, if seen from the management indicators, namely planning or planning in the management of BUMDes in Punggul Village already has a vision, mission, objectives, work program, organizational structure, just how to execute the programs that have been prepared properly. If viewed from the planning indicators or planning has planned to make BUMDes according to or guided by the AD / ART that has been set by the BUMDes Punggul village, it already has a multiplicity of planning like its goals and work programs and has formed business units that will be run which It is hoped that it will be able to help the economy of the Punggul Village community and be able to increase village income. As for the AD / ART data in the form of BUMDes programs, such as savings and loan businesses, market businesses and stationery businesses. This study used a qualitative descriptive method with data collection techniques carried out by means of observation, documentation, interviews with informant determination techniques, data analysis techniques using the theory of Miles and Huberman (1984).
Analysis of Child Marriage Prevention in Sidoarjo Regency
Authors: Sukmana Hendra , Suhartini Dian
Published: September 2022

Writer 's it aims to analyze and describe the strategies an obstacle Strategies Prevention of Marriage Children in the District of Sidoarjo . Writer 's is based on a fact that child marriages still occur in age or mentality of the child's thought patterns that are caused due to the circumstances pregnant at the outside of marriage on children that are into a problem which should be in preventing the marriage of children . Methods The author 's is using descriptive qualitative , techniques of collecting the data is done with interviews in depth , observation and study of literature that is relevant . The technique of determining the informants used purposive sampling. The informant in the Writer 's this is the Head of the Protection of Women's Rights and Protection , Head of Fulfillment Rights of the Child , Head of Security Family & Community Engagement , Head of Processing Data Population at the Department P3AKB, Ket ua Children's Forum and Actors Marriage Children in the District of Sidoarjo . Mechanical analysis of the author 's of this is the type of analysis of qualitative Referring to the theory of Miles and Huberman. The author 's results show that , prevention of child marriage is successful , as evidenced by the programs that run on the prevention of child marriage so that the number of child marriages in Sidoarjo can be reduced, in the absence of a culture of "marrying children as soon as possible so they don't become old virgins" This also supports the decline in the number of child marriages. K endala in the prevention of marriages child one of them is the lack of willingness of young people to think critically the mindset of young people should continue learning with the strategy of prevention marriage of children who applied P3AKB , associated with P ola think those parents who do not give priority to the ideals of children then from the Office of P3AKB should provide regular counseling to parents as one of the strategies of prevention marriage of children , so the mindset of parents are not primitive. Regarding the use of technology, parents must limit the use of cellphones, laptops, computers and so on
Association of anemia and platelet activation with necrotizing enterocolitis with or without sepsis among low birth weight neonates: a case–control study
Authors: jiang zhou , Ye guangyong , Zhang songying , Zhang long
Published: September 2022

Background：To evaluate the value of the proportion of large platelets (PLCR) and platelet crit (PCT) in predicting necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in low birth weight (LBW) neonates.
Methods：A total of 155 LBW (< 2500 g) neonates with NEC admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the hospital from January 1, 2017 to November 30, 2019 were included in the case group. According to the 1:3 case-control study design, a total of 465 LBW neonates without NEC (3 for each LBW neonate with NEC) in the NICU born ≤ 24 h before or after the birth of the cases were included in the control group.
Results：During the study period, a total of 6946 LBW neonates were born, and 155 had NEC, including 98 who also had sepsis. Neonatal sepsis was the most important risk factor and confounding factor for NEC in LBW neonates. Further stratified analysis of the sepsis showed that in LBW neonates without sepsis, anemia, high PLCR, and high PCT increases the risk of NEC, and the receiver operating characteristic curve area of PLCR was 0.739, the sensitivity was 0.770, the specificity was 0.610, and the cutoff value was 33.55.
Conclusions: The data showed that 2/100 LBW neonates were prone to NEC, and stratified analysis of confounding factors of sepsis identified the risk factors of NEC in LBW neonates. This study first reported the significant value of PLCR in the early prediction of NEC occurrence in LBW neonates without sepsis.
Illegal Activity Detection on Bitcoin Transaction using Deep Learning
Authors: nerurkar Pranav ajeet
Published: September 2022

Forensic investigations increasingly leverage artificial intelligence to identify illegal activities on Bitcoin. Bitcoin transactions have an original graph (network) structure, which is sophisticated and yet informative. However, machine learning applications on Bitcoin have given limited attention to developing end to end deep learning frameworks that are modeled to exploit the Bitcoin graph structure. To identify illegal transactions on Bitcoin, the current paper extracts nineteen features from the bitcoin network and proposes a deep learning based graph neural network model using spectral graph convolutions and transaction features. The proposed model is compared with two state of the art techniques an Ensemble of Decision Trees, and a Decision trees trained on Convoluted features for classification of illegal transactions on Bitcoin. To understand the efficacy of the proposed model, a dataset is collected consisting of 13310125 transactions of 2059 entities having 3152202 Bitcoin account addresses and belonging to 28 categories of users. Two sets of experiments are performed on the datasets: labeling transactions as legal or illegal (binary classification) and identifying the originator of the transaction to one of the twenty-eight types of entities (multi-class classification). For fast and accurate decisions, binary classification is appropriate, and for pinpointing the category of bitcoin users, a multi-class classifier is suitable. On both the tasks, the proposed models achieved a maximum of 92\% accuracy, validating the methodology and suitability of the model for real-world deployment.
Adhesion of Lymph Node Anthracosilicosis with Pulmonary Artery:a Case Report
Authors: Murakami Junichi , Tanaka Toshiki , Hoshii Yoshinobu , Hamano Kimikazu
Published: September 2022

Introductions; Although thoracic surgeons occasionally encounter a dense adhesion of interlobar lymph nodes with the pulmonary artery, the macroscopic features of this remain limited.
Case presentation; In this report, we demonstrate the histopathological details of the adhesion. During right upper lobectomy under thoracoscopic surgery, several interlobar lymph nodes were too adherent to a posterior ascending branch of the pulmonary artery to the right upper lobe. After an unplanned conversion to thoracotomy in order to avoid massive bleeding, the branch of the pulmonary artery was divided safely. Microscopic examination revealed that anthracosilicosis in interlobar lymph nodes presented fibrotic nodules and adventitial stroma of the pulmonary artery, which contacted with lymph node anthracosilicosis and developed into dense and borderless fibrous tissue with variable numbers of dust-laden macrophages.
Conclusions; Our findings suggest that it was too delicate a surgery to dissect adventitia of the pulmonary artery in contact with lymph node silicosis using regular maneuvers. Therefore, this case can help gain a greater understanding of the risk of forced adhesiolysis and contribute to increased safety when addressing the problem.
Genetic Diversity of Freshwater Bivalves Using Inter Simple Sequence Repeat Markers
Authors: Abdel-Mawgood Ahmed , radwan eman hashem , Ghonim Amal Zaki , Nagar Rasha El , Radwan Khaled Hashem
Published: September 2022

Freshwater muscles are highly impacted by many human activities. As a result, it is considered as one of the most threatened ecosystem worldwide. Studying genetic diversity is crucial for any further research on conservation efforts. In the present study, inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker analysis was employed to study genetic diversity between 8 randomly selected specimens of bivalve. Total of 53 bands were produced from the 10 primers. Of these 37 bands were polymorphic, resulted in 69.8% polymorphism. Some primers showed more polymorphic bands than the others. For example, primer ISSR M17 produced no polymorphic bands. While primer ISSR M1 produced 3 polymorphic bands (100% polymorphism). Cluster analysis based on similarity matrix obtained showed that the 8 bivalve specimens can be clustered into two groups, one group containing specimens 2 and 6 and the other group represents specimens 4, 5, 1, 3, 7, and 8. These data may suggest that the bivalves in Abohomos, Behera Governorate may have more than one species. The implication of these data on the conservation of the bivalve is explained. The conclusion is that the bivalve population have enough genetic diversity. These populations are adapted to the environment they lives in.
The Impact of Inconsistent Human Annotations on AI driven Clinical Decision Making
Authors: Wu Honghan , Sylolypavan Aneeta , Sleeman Derek , Sim Malcolm
Published: September 2022

In supervised learning model development, domain experts are often used to provide the class labels (annotations). Annotation inconsistencies commonly occur when even highly experienced clinical experts annotate the same phenomenon (e.g., medical image, diagnostics, or prognostic status), due to inherent expert bias, judgements, and slips, among other factors. While their existence is relatively well-known, the implications of such inconsistencies are largely understudied in real-world settings, should supervised learning on such ‘noisy’ labelled data be used in AI-driven clinical decision-making systems. To shed light on these issues, we conducted extensive experiments and analyses on three real-world Intensive Care Unit (ICU) datasets. Specifically, individual models were built from a common dataset, annotated independently by 11 Glasgow Queen Elizabeth University Hospital ICU consultants, and model performance estimates were compared through internal validation (fair agreement: Fleiss’ κ = 0.383). Further, broad external validation (on both static and time series datasets) of these 11 classifiers was carried out on a HiRID external dataset, where the models’ classifications were found to have low pairwise agreements (average Cohen’s κ = 0.255). Moreover, they tend to disagree more on making discharge decisions (Fleiss’ κ = 0.174) than predicting mortality (Fleiss’ κ = 0.267). Given these inconsistencies, further analyses were conducted to evaluate the current best practices in obtaining gold-standard models and determining consensus. The results suggest that: (a) there may not always be a “super expert” in acute clinical settings; and (b) standard consensus seeking (such as majority vote) consistently leads to suboptimal models. Further analysis, however, suggests that assessing annotation learnability and using only ‘learnable’ annotated datasets for determining consensus achieves optimal models in most cases.
Threatened stick-nest rats preferably consume invasive boxthorn over native vegetation on Australia’s Reevesby Island
Authors: Kraehe Annie Grace , Weisbecker Vera , Hill Robert , Hill Kathryn
Published: September 2022

Due to an abundance of feral predators on the mainland, native rodent species Leporillus conditor (greater stick-nest rats) live almost exclusively on small islands off the coast of South Australia. Many of these islands are heavily degraded novel ecosystems, overrun with African Boxthorn. African boxthorn (Lycium ferocissimum) is an aggressive invasive plant that negatively impacts biodiversity by outcompeting native vegetation and degrading habitat. However, it can also provide habitat and food sources for vulnerable native species. To understand if boxthorn is an important dietary component of the stick-nest rat, we used point-intercept vegetation surveys to estimate relative availability for each plant species in areas inhabited by stick-nest rats. We then collected faecal pellets from the study site and used micro-histological faecal analysis to measure plant use by the animals. This allowed us to calculate the “selection ratio” of plant use (abundance in faecal pellets)/plant availability. We found a strong preference of the stick-nest rat for the highly invasive African boxthorn, with a selection ratio of 4.397. This is valuable information as it suggests that other heavily degraded, African boxthorn-infested ecosystems have the potential to provide suitable habitat for the greater stick-nest rat. However, due to the potential of African boxthorn to continue to invade and inflict damage on the greater ecosystem, further research is crucial to ensure a context specific management plan that maximises the resilience of the greater stick-nest rat, as well as the other native species that rely on these island habitats.
Distinct approaches to inhibit fructose-induced obesity
Authors: Li Zhu , Jia Jia , Hao Han , Qiao Shiyang , Zhang Qinglei , Zhang Xinlin , Qi Yu , Sun Xuan , Wang Kun , Gu Rong , Kang Lina , Xu Biao
Published: September 2022

Background
Obesity is primarily a consequence of eating disorder. Drugs have been confirmed effective for weight loss more or less related to the functional connectivity in neural networks and metabolic pattern. Functional connectivity, amplitudes of neural signals, and the major ways of ATP productions were analyzed to discover the mechanisms of Metformin and Dapagliflozin.
Methods
Male ob/ob mice were divided into high-fat-diet fed (HFD), high-fat-diet fed with Metformin, and high-fat-diet fed with Dapagliflozin groups. Functional connectivity amplitude of low-frequency signal fluctuations and rCBV quantification were statistically analyzed in the linear mixed model, meanwhile, metabolic pattern of intestinal cells was also tested.
Results
Our results showed that Bold signaling responses, functional connectivity, and rCBV quantification tended to be attenuated in the Metformin-treated group compared to the HFD and Dapagliflozin groups. And only Dapagliflozin prevented fructose-induced hyper survival of intestinal cells and hypertrophy of intestinal villus by reducing glycolysis levels. Both Metformin and Dapagliflozin are effective for weight loss.
Conclusions
Our findings showed distinct mechanisms by which Dapagliflozin and Metformin inhibit obesity related eating disorders, combined use of both drugs Dapagliflozin and Metformin may be more beneficial for clinical improvement in fructose-induced obesity.
How Economic Growth affected from Technological Innovation, CO2 Emissions, and Renewable Energy Consumption? Empirical Analysis in G7 Countries
Authors: Ayvaz Erkam Emin , Över Didem
Published: September 2022

Today's economically developed nations are also among the most advanced in terms of energy production and consumption. In particular, the widespread implementation of renewable energy sources and the plethora of technological advancements supporting long-term prosperity stand out. The research aims to examine how carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, technological advancements, and the use of renewable energy sources affect economic expansion. Research and development (R&D) expenses are regarded as a proxy for technological progress. Using annual data for the G7 countries from 1996 through 2020, the analysis quantified the interplay between the factors. We examine the association between our variables using panel unit root tests, Pedroni cointegration tests, ARDL coefficient estimations, and Granger (Dumitrescu Hurlin) causality tests. The Pedroni cointegration test indicated that the variables are cointegrated. According to the ARDL method of computation, increasing levels of CO2 emissions are beneficial to long-term economic growth. However, improvements in renewable energy and technology dampen economic expansion. As a conclusion, the Dumitrescu-Hurlin causality test shows that there is a unidirectional chain of events from CO2 emissions to technological improvements, from economic growth to use of renewable energy, and from consumption of renewable energy to technological advances. Expansion of the economy and increased emissions of carbon dioxide have a reciprocal relationship.
Jel classification: O13, O32, O47, Q53
“Value my culture, value me”: A Case for Culturally Relevant Mentoring in Medical Education and Academic Medicine
Authors: Sotto-Santiago Sylk , Mac Jacqueline , Genao Inginia
Published: September 2022

Introduction : Mentoring programs are one mechanism used to increase diversity and participation of historically underrepresented groups in academic medicine. However, more knowledge is needed about the mentoring experiences and how culturally relevant concepts and perspectives may influence diverse students, trainees, and faculty success. This case study utilized the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model which examines the experiences of students in higher education. We used this model to examine the mentoring experiences of Black and Latine faculty and offer practical implications for the medical education continuum.
Methods: Our research approach is best understood through qualitative inquiry stemming from a single-case study which allowed for in-depth understanding of the contexts informing the phenomenon. Phenomenology is well positioned to contribute to understanding science and health professions. Selection criteria included individuals who self-identified as Black or Latine; inclusive of all faculty ranks and tracks. This analysis focuses on 8 semi-structured interviews, averaging 3 hours in length.
Results: Findings centered on the area of cultural relevance, and participant narratives revealed the connection of mentoring with cultural familiarity, culturally relevant knowledge, cultural service and engagement, and cultural validation.
Conclusion: The use of cultural relevance indicators can inform the creation and evolution of mentoring programs towards holistic support of historically underrepresented trainees and faculty. Implications also focus on the development of mentors and championing the incorporation of cultural humility in the mentoring process. The implications in praxis offers the possibility for a new framework for culturally relevant mentoring (CRM). Through this framework we aim to enhance and facilitate inclusive learning environments and career development.
Efficacy and safety of intracorneal allogenic ring segment implantation in keratoconus
Authors: NACAROGLU Senay ASIK , Yesilkaya Ceren , Perk Fatma Kesin , Tanrıverdi Cafer , Taneri Suphi , Kilic Aylin
Published: September 2022

Background:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of corneal allogenic intrastromal ring segments in the management of keratoconus patients.
Methods: The retrospective, nonrandomized, interventional case series consisted of 65 keratoconic eyes of 49 consecutive patients who had ring segment-shaped corneal allografts (KeraNatural®) implanted in intrastromal tunnels created using a femtosecond laser. The main outcome measures were uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), corrected distant visual acuity (CDVA), refraction, keratometry, and pachymetry. Computed tomography scans of the corneal surfaces were also performed preoperatively as well as 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively.
Results:Mean age was 29.5 ± 7.3 years (median 29, range: 20 to 52 years). The mean UCVA improved from 0.91 ± 0.50 logMAR preoperatively to 0.40 ± 0.24 logMAR postoperatively at 6 month follow-up (p<0.01) and the mean CDVA improved from 0.87 ± 0.20 logMAR preoperatively to 0.27 ± 0.06 logMAR postoperatively (p<0.01). Mean spherical equivalent improved from -8.82 ± 4.57 to -3.45 ± 4.81D (p<0.01). Average Keratometry decreased from 49.23 ± 5.22 preoperatively to 45.63 ± 4.89 D postoperatively (p<0.01). Mean anterior and posterior maximum elevation were also decreased significantly (p<0.01). Dislocation of the graft towards the implantation site and swelling at the tunnel entrance were observed in one case. Yellow white deposits were observed in the segment tunnels in five case after 6 months.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that implantation of corneal allograft ring segments is a viable alternative treatment for keratoconus with safety and good visual results.
Gate-based Quantum Computing for Protein Design
Authors: Kim Philip , Khatami Mohammad Hassan , Mendes Udson , Wiebe Nathan
Published: September 2022

Protein design is a technique to engineer proteins by permuting amino acids in the sequence to obtain novel functionalities. However, exploring all possible combinations of amino acids is generally impossible due to the exponential growth of possibilities with the number of designable sites. The present work introduces circuits implementing a pure quantum approach, Grover’s algorithm, to solve protein design problems. Our algorithms can adjust to implement any custom pair-wise energy tables and protein structure models. Moreover, the algorithm's oracle is designed to consist of only adder functions. Quantum computer simulators validate the practicality of our circuits, containing up to 234 qubits. However, a smaller circuit is implemented on real quantum devices. Our results show that using \(\mathcal{O}\left(\sqrt{N}\right)\) iterations, the circuits find the correct results among all N possibilities, providing the expected quadratic speed up of Grover's algorithm over classical methods (i.e., \(\mathcal{O}\text{(}N\text{)}\)).
Quadcopter Attitude Control with Vibration Reduction by Additive-State-Decomposition Dynamic Inversion Design with a Notch Filter
Authors: Chen Lian , Zhang Jing , Quan Quan
Published: September 2022

In practice, the unbalanced mass of the propeller is the leading cause of vibration in a quadcopter. First, a mechanical model of the unbalanced masses is established. Next, consider the vibration reduction problem for quadcopter attitude control. A notch filter is incorporated into to an additive-state-decomposition dynamic inversion controller to obtain a new controller. Stability analysis shows that the proposed control method guarantees that all attitude signals are globally uniformly ultimately bounded. In particular, the notch filter can effectively reduce the vibration having a specific frequency. Finally, the proposed controller is performed on a real quadcopter to verify its vibration reduction performance.
Effects of Conferring Business Resource on Rivals
Authors: Jamison Mark , Ajit Tejaswi Channagiri
Published: September 2022

We examine how requiring platforms to give rivals resources, such as data, affects innovation. There are two firms, one if which is the first to provide the first of two technologies. A second firm adopts the same technology and then both firms are given an opportunity to adopt a second, more valuable technology. The firms do not charge the platform users but do charge entities that value access to the users, perhaps for advertising or to sell products. The value of that access depends on how much knowledge that each platform has accumulated, either from serving users or receiving data from another firm. Users’ willingness to adopt a service follows s-shaped curves that limit the quantities that firms are able to sell. We find that without a data sharing requirement, the second firm adopts the new technology first because it gives up less profit as users migrate from the first technology to the second. Data sharing dampens that incentive and can slow introduction of the new technology. We examine whether it is feasible for regulators to establish a price for data that incentivizes optimal sharing and conclude that the information requirements make finding an efficient price unlikely.
JEL codes: L13, L15, L51
Chronic Supplementation of Noni in Diabetic Type 1-stz Rats: Effects on Glycemic Levels and Exercise Performance
Authors: Fernandes Débora Oliveira , César Fernanda Gracia , Melo Bruno Pereira , Brandao Jéssica Silva Faria , Santos Kelvin Jaques , Andrade Marcelo Teixeira , Casteluber Marisa Cristina Fonseca , Carvalho Moisés Vieira , de Barcellos Luiz Alexandre Medrado , Soares Danusa Dias , Guimaraes Juliana Bohnen
Published: September 2022

Thirty-two male Wistar rats were used to verify the effects of chronic noni juice administration on blood glucose levels and its relation to physical performance. In half of the rats, diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced with STZ, and the rats were submitted to an incremental workload running test (IWT) until fatigued so that oxygen consumption and performance indexes (exercise time to fatigue and workload) could be analyzed before noni administration. Then, the control and DM groups received a placebo (saline solution) or noni juice (dilution 2:1) at a dose of 2 mL/kg once a day for 60 days. The result was four groups: control + placebo (CP), control + noni (CN), DM + placebo (DMP), and DM + noni (DMN). All groups were then given a third IWT to verify the effect of the noni juice on exercise performance and glycemia. Twenty-four hours after the third test, all animals were euthanized and blood and kidneys were removed for posterior analysis. Noni administration improved the time to fatigue and workload in DM rats by reducing hyperglycemia. These results could be associated with an improved energy efficiency promoted by noni ingestion. However, our results provided evidence that chronic noni administration causes kidney damage since elevated glomerular filtration was observed at the same magnitude as the non-treated DM group. In conclusion, chronic noni ingestion promoted glycemic control and improved the performance in DM rats but caused kidney toxicity.
Double balloon device for labor induction in women with and without previous cesarean delivery
Authors: Bleicher Inna , DASHKOVSKY-FELDGORN Marianna , SAGI Shlomi , GUTZEIT Ola , BLUMEN Lihi , Farrago Naama , KHATIB Nizar , ZIPORI Yaniv , VITNER Dana
Published: September 2022

Purpose

Induction of labor (IOL) after cesarean delivery is reasonable option and should be discussed. While IOL has been shown to be superior to expectant management in low-risk nulliparous women, the literature in women after cesarean delivery (CD) is sparse. The aim of our study was to compare IOL between in nulliparous women to women who had IOL after cesarean (TOLAC)

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study, from two medical centers, that compared between TOLAC and nulliparous women who had IOL with a double balloon device. Inclusion criteria were: singleton pregnancy > 37 + 0 weeks and no contraindication for vaginal delivery. We excluded women who withdrew their consent for TOLAC. Primary outcome was the mode of delivery.

Results:

We compared 161 TOLAC to 1577 nulliparous women. Vaginal delivery rate was 70% in both groups, and CD rate remained similar even after adjusting for confounders (29.8% vs. 28.9%, OR 1.1, 95% CI = 0.76–1.58, p = 0.59). CD due to non-reassuring fetal heart rate (NRFHR) was more common in the TOLAC group (75% vs. 56%, p = 0.014) and CD due to non-progressive labor (NPL) was more likely in the Nulliparous group (45.4% vs. 25%, p = 0.014). Other secondary maternal and neonatal outcomes remained similar between groups.

Conclusion:

Induction of labor, with double balloon device in women with a previous cesarean delivery, results in a similar vaginal delivery rate when compared to nulliparous women, with no additional adverse maternal or neonatal outcome.
Labor progression might be different in these women attempting TOLAC, and if managed accordingly, VBAC can be achieved in a higher rate when given a genuine trial of labor, regardless of a previous vaginal delivery.
Feasibility of simultaneous development of laparoscopic and robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: Chao Ying-Jui , Lu Wei-Hsun , Liao Ting-Kai , Su Ping-Jui , Wang Chih-Jung , Lai Chao-Han , Hung Jo-Ying , Su Pei-Fang , Shan Yan-Shen
Published: September 2022

Laparoscopic (LPD) and robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) are both challenging procedures. The feasibility and safety of simultaneously developing LPD and RPD remain unreported. We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients undergoing LPD or RPD between 2014 and 2021. A total of 114 patients underwent minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy (MIPD): 39 LPDs and 75 RPDs. The learning process of LPD and RPD were similar. The cutoff points of the learning curve were LPD, 13th patient (the 27th patient of MIPD), and RPD, 18th patient (the 31st patient of MIPD) according the cumulative sum analysis of operative time. A decrease in the operative time was associated with the case sequence (p < 0.001) but not with the surgical approach (p = 0.36). The overall surgical outcomes were comparable between both the LPD and RPD groups. When evaluating the learning curve impact on MIPD, LPD had higher major complication ( ≧ Clavien-Dindo grade III), bile leak and wound infection rates in the pre-learning curve phase than those in the after-learning curve phase, while RPD had similar surgical outcomes between two phases. Simultaneous development of LPD and RPD is feasible and safe for experienced surgeons, with similar learning process and comparable surgical outcomes.
The association between physical symptoms and self-care behaviours in Chinese patients who poorly manage their heart failure: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Liu Xu , Liu Li , Li Yan , Cao Xi
Published: September 2022

Background
Physical symptoms are frequently experienced by patients with heart failure and may affect their self-care. Little is known about the association between physical symptoms and self-care in heart failure patients who are not proficient in managing their illness. The study aimed to explore the association between physical symptoms and self-care behaviours in Chinese patients who poorly managed their heart failure.
Methods
This was a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional study exploring factors contributing to the self-care of Chinese heart failure patients. Physical symptoms were measured with the Heart Failure Somatic Perception Scale. Self-care behaviours (i.e., self-care maintenance and management) of heart failure were measured with the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (version 6.2). Patients who reported scores < 70 on both self-care maintenance and management were eligible and included in the analysis. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed to explore the association of physical symptoms with self-care behaviours.
Results
In total, 189 patients were included in this analysis, with a mean age of 65, who had been diagnosed with heart failure for 24 months as the median. Most participants were classified as New York Heart Association class III or IV. Physical symptoms related to dyspnoea were most frequently reported. Severe heart failure physical symptoms were significantly related to better self-care management (β = 0.157, 95% CI: 0.010, 0.368, p = 0.039) rather than self-care maintenance (β = -0.133, 95% CI: -0.316, 0.026, p = 0.097).
Conclusions
Worse physical symptoms may serve as a driver of better self-care management in Chinese heart failure patients with poor self-care behaviours. Tailored care and support taking their physical symptoms into consideration should be provided to patients with different levels of self-care proficiency.
DEHP exposure impairs human skeletal muscle cell proliferation in primary culture conditions
Authors: Brassea-Pérez Elizabeth , Labrada-Martagón Vanessa , Hernández-Camacho Claudia , Gaxiola-Robles Ramón , Vázquez-Medina José Pablo , Zenteno-Savín Tania
Published: September 2022

The plasticizer di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) inhibits differentiation, impairs glucose metabolism, and decreases mitochondrial function in murine muscle satellite cells; however, if these effects are translated to human cells is unknown. The goal of this study was to evaluate changes in morphology and proliferation of primary human skeletal muscle cells exposed to DEHP. Rectus abdominis muscle samples were obtained from healthy women undergoing programed cesarean surgery. Skeletal muscle cells were isolated and grown under standard primary culture conditions, generating two independent sample groups of 25 subcultures each. Cells from the first group were exposed to 1 mM DEHP for 13 days and monitored for changes in cell morphology, satellite cell frequency and total cell abundance, while the second group remained untreated (control). Differences between treated and untreated groups were compared using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM). Cell membrane and nuclear envelope boundary alterations, loss of cell volume and presence of stress bodies were observed in DEHP-treated cultures. DEHP-treated cultures also showed a significant reduction in satellite cell frequency compared to controls. Exposure to DEHP reduced human skeletal muscle cell abundance. Statistical differences were found between the GLMM slopes, suggesting that exposure to DEHP reduced growth rate. These results suggest that exposure to DEHP inhibits human skeletal muscle cell proliferation, as evidenced by reduced cell abundance, potentially compromising long-term culture viability. Therefore, DEHP induces human skeletal muscle cell deterioration potentially inducing an inhibitory effect of myogenesis by depleting satellite cells.
Fetuin B alleviates testosterone propionate-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in KGN cells by upregulating the TGFR2/SMAD3 pathway
Authors: Gao Yiyin , Zheng Lianwen , Wu Guijie , Ma Yalan , Zou Yinggang
Published: September 2022

Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common reproduction and endocrine disorders. Patients with abnormal follicle growth develop ovulation disorders and amenorrhea, and eventually infertility. The role of Fetuin-B (FETUB), one of the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in follicular fluid (FF) of PCOS patients, in pathogenesis of PCOS was not clearly clarified. Methods In this study, we performed iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis on FF collected from non-PCOS healthy controls and PCOS patients to identify DEPs. In addition, KGN cells treated with testosterone propionate (TP) were used as a model of hyperandrogenism in vitro to investigate the regulatory effects of the selected DEP, FETUB, on cellular processes in KGN cells and its molecular mechanism by detecting steroid hormone secretion, measuring indicators of oxidative stress (OS), mitochondria functions and apoptosis and characterizing the FETUB-altered downstream signaling. Results We found that supplementation with recombinant FETUB could significantly restore the total antioxidant capacity and activity of antioxidant enzymes, which were reduced by treatment with TP. Additionally, FETUB restored the secretory and mitochondrial functions in TP-impaired KGN cells and reduced their apoptosis. Furthermore, our study revealed that FETUB could bind with transforming growth factor beta receptor 2 (TGFR2) on the cell membrane of KGN cells and promote phosphorylation of SMAD3, which had a therapeutic effect against tissue injury and inflammation. And the protective effect of FETUB on TP-treated KGN cells was inhibited by pre-treatment with SB431542 and SIS3, selective inhibitors of TGFR2 and SMAD3, respectively. Conclusions These results indicate that FETUB may protect TP-treated KGN by alleviating OS and mitochondrial dysfunction via the TGFR2-mediated SMAD pathway. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD036531
Correlation of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression levels in nasopharyngeal swab samples of COVID-19 patients with disease severity
Authors: Mohammadi Marzieh , Rahimi Amir Abbas , Salehi-Vaziri Mostafa , Sharifnia Fariba , Mehrjerdi Ebrahim Kalantar , Karimipoor Morteza
Published: September 2022

Background: Angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) and Transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) are key proteins that serve as receptors and co-receptor in the Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infective process, which could affect host susceptibility or severity in response to infection. We evaluated the expression levels of above genes to consider the probable relationship with age, sex, and respiratory distress.
Method and Result: Here, in a case-control study, we compared the expression levels of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 genes in nasopharyngeal swab samples of one hundred Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) patients against 50 negative samples. In the positive group, 50 patients selected with mild symptoms and fifty patients were included in the severe / critically ill subgroup We determine the expression levels of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 by Quantitative Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and statistical analyzes were implemented to consider the probable relationship between the expression levels of the above genes with sdisease severity, age, and sex. Our results showed ACE2 was down regulated in laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients comparing normal control group. In addition, considerable downregulation of ACE2 levels was detected in the severe subgroup compared to mild patients. ACE2 mRNA levels were negatively correlated to age, while there was no significant association between the expression levels of the ACE2 and TMPRSS2 genes and sex. No association was found between the expression levels of TMPRSS2 and the clinical findings of the patients.
Conclusion: This data indicate there is a probable prognostic value of ACE2 expression in the follow-up of the COVID-19 patients.