bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nationalist Ideas and the Colonial Episteme: The Antinomies Structuring Sociological Traditions of India
Authors: Patel Sujata
Published: April 2021

The paper traces the growth of sociology in India through three phases. The first phase, it argues, begins in the 30s with the slow consolidation of the discipline. In this phase, sociology was associated with the Indological perspective and the social was perceived in culturist terms and analysed through the prism of the past, in and through Sanskrit texts. In the second phase, which begins in the early 60s, when University education expands in India, this indigenous perspective is re‐framed. There is a shift from textual studies to empirical investigation and the village becomes the site for studying Indian civilization. This paper makes a detailed analysis of the social anthropological perspective of M.N. Srinivas whose theories on village and caste influenced the sociological imagination in this phase. The third phase starts in the late 70s with the growth of social movements of the subalterns which challenge the received culturist nationalist sociological imagination. Today sociology together with other social sciences are at crossroads in India due to the impact of neoliberalism. The latter has encouraged privatisation of education, decreased state funding in material and human resources and an increased state control on academia. All three have affected the autonomy of the teachers and as well the University system and thus the efforts to chart a new sociological imagination in which the Indian social is perceived in global comparative terms. It is difficult to assess which turn sociology in India will take in these circumstances.
Between North and South: Historicizing the Indigenization Discourse in Chinese Sociology
Authors: Chen Hon‐Fai
Published: April 2021

This paper aims to examine the indigenization discourse in mainland China by charting its evolution in shifting historical contexts. Three phases are distinguished. In the 1980’s, the idea of indigenization or “sinicization” was promulgated by Taiwanese and American Chinese social scientists. In taking up the idea, the early indigenization discourse in mainland China embraced rather than rejected positivism and modernity. The second phase is the 1990’s to 2000’s, when remarkable efforts at indigenization were made in the theory of social change, social psychology and post‐positivist philosophy. Yet these efforts did not constitute a pointed critique of Western social science. Most recently, there is a revival of interest in the indigenization idea, as evident in a major controversy over its adequacy and relevance in the Chinese context. While the call for indigenization is gaining currency, there is a concurrent trend of coalescence with the state‐sanctioned program of building “discursive power”.
Prospective evaluation of a change in dietary therapy in dogs with steroid‐resistant protein‐losing enteropathy
Authors: Jablonski Wennogle S. A. , Stockman J. , Webb C. B.
Published: April 2021

Objective

To describe the clinical effect of dietary alteration as a sole change to therapy in dogs with steroid‐resistant protein‐losing enteropathy.

Materials and Methods

Prospective study. Eligible enrolled dogs received dietary alteration as sole change to their therapeutic plan. Canine Chronic Enteropathy Clinical Activity Index and serum albumin were monitored for the 3‐month study period. Long‐term follow‐up data were also available for some of the study participants.

Results

Fifteen dogs were eligible for enrollment over the study period. Twelve were enrolled, 10 remained in the study at 30 days, nine completed the 3‐month study period. Following dietary alteration, eight of 10 dogs achieved complete remission, one dog achieved partial remission and one dog had no response. Seven of eight dogs achieving complete remission have remained in remission up to 4 years following study. In dogs with complete remission, median Canine Chronic Enteropathy Clinical Activity Index score was 11.5 and 4, and median serum albumin concentration was 15 g/L and 26 g/L at 0 and 14‐28 days, respectively.

Clinical Significance

Dogs with protein‐losing enteropathy with previous lack of response to a combination of dietary therapies, glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive medications can achieve remission following a dietary change. Improvement is likely to be seen within 14 to 30 days. A change in dietary approach may be an alternative to further immunosuppression or anti‐inflammatory strategies in some dogs with difficult to treat protein‐losing enteropathy.
Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation‐time of flight mass spectrometry: Protocol standardisation, comparison and database expansion for faster and reliable identification of dermatophytes
Authors: Shaw Dipika , Ghosh Anup K. , Paul Saikat , Singh Shreya , Chakrabarti Arunaloke , Kaur Harsimran , Narang Tarun , Dogra Sunil , Rudramurthy Shivaprakash M.
Published: April 2021

Background

Accurate and early identification of dermatophytes enables prompt antifungal therapy. However, phenotypic and molecular identification methods are time‐consuming. MALDI‐TOF MS‐based identification is rapid, but an optimum protocol is not available.

Objectives

To develop and validate an optimum protein extraction protocol for the efficient and accurate identification of dermatophytes by MALDI‐TOF MS.

Materials/methods

Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex (n = 4), T. rubrum (n = 4) and Microsporum gypseum (n = 4) were used for the optimisation of protein extraction protocols. Thirteen different methods were evaluated. A total of 125 DNA sequence confirmed clinical isolates of dermatophytes were used to create and expand the existing database. The accuracy of the created database was checked by visual inspection of MALDI spectra, MSP dendrogram and composite correlation index matrix analysis. The protocol was validated further using 234 isolates.

Result

Among 13 protein extraction methods, six correctly identified dermatophytes but with a low log score (≤1.0). The modified extraction protocol developed provided an elevated log score of 1.6. Significant log score difference was observed between the modified protocol and other existing protocols (T. mentagrophytes complex: 1.6 vs. 0.2–1.0, p < .001; T. rubrum: 1.6 vs. 0.4–1.0, p < .001; M. gypseum:1.6 vs. 0.2–1.0, p < .001). Expansion of the database enabled the identification of all 234 isolates (73.5% with log score ≥2.0 and 26.4% with log scores range: 1.75–1.99). The results were comparable to DNA sequence‐based identification.

Conclusion

MALDI‐TOF MS with an updated database and efficient protein extraction protocol developed in this study can identify dermatophytes accurately and also reduce the time for identifying them.
Ideology, Fetishism, Apophaticism: Marxist Criticism and Christianity
Authors: Saunders Daniel
Published: April 2021

This paper explores Christianity's ambiguous relationship to capitalism by engaging Marx's notion of the fetishism of commodities as a way of rethinking Marxism's critique of religion from the standpoint of political economy. Following Etienne Balibar's distinction between the theory of ideology and Capital's theory of fetishism, I examine how the later Marx conceived of religion as socially conditioned by the society of commodity production, which takes on religious dimensions. Commodities are the basis for a concept of fetishism which commands total subjection, alienating human beings under capitalism. This critical focus also reveals Christianity in its totalizing role as a symbolic structure shaped by the inescapable logic of exchange-value, money, and universal equivalents. Nonetheless, Christianity retains the impetus to anti-fetishism, provided it unites with the Marxist science of critical perception. This anti-fetishistic union focuses on the transparent and revolutionized social relations of real presence as the nonalienated reverse of fetishism's false presence. A critical apophaticism, tempered by the materialist amendments of Marika Rose and Slavoj Žižek, offers the bridge to such a union and highlights the anti-fetishistic avenues of failure and utopia.
Heritage Versus Hate: Assessing Opinions in the Debate over Confederate Monuments and Memorials
Authors: Cooper Christopher A. , Huffmon Scott H. , Knotts H. Gibbs , McKee Seth C.
Published: April 2021

Objective

This study evaluates factors that might explain southerners’ opinions toward Confederate monuments.

Method

We conduct a series of multivariate analyses of opinions toward Confederate monuments based on a poll of 789 respondents who live in the American South.

Results

The majority of southerners surveyed want to leave Confederate monuments where they are, place a marker next to them for historical context, or place them in a museum. Southerners who express high levels of racial resentment are more likely to want to leave monuments where they are, without additional context. Southern identity has no effect on opinions toward Confederate monuments.

Conclusions

Southerners are divided in their opinion on symbols of the Confederacy. Racial resentment explains much more of opinions on Confederate monuments than southern identity, suggesting that “hate” rather than “heritage” is the primary driver of opinions on these symbols of the South's Confederate legacy.
The Influence of Cycle-to-Cycle Hydrocarbon Emissions on Cyclic NO:NO2 Ratio From a HSDI Diesel Engine
Authors: Leach Felix , Shankar Varun , Davy Martin , Peckham Mark
Published: April 2021

Knowledge of the NO:NO2 ratio emitted from a diesel engine is particularly important for ensuring the highest performance of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) NOx after-treatment systems. As real driving emissions from vehicles increase in importance, the need to understand the NO:NO2 ratio emitted from a diesel engine during transient operation similarly increases. Previous work by the authors identified significant differences in NO:NO2 ratio throughout the exhaust period of a single-engine cycle, with proportionally more NO2 being emitted during the blowdown period compared to the rest of the exhaust stroke. At the time it was not known what caused this effect. In this study, crank-angle resolved NO and NO2 measurements using fast response chemiluminescence detector (CLD) (for NO) and a new fast laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) instrument (for NO2) have been taken from a single-cylinder high-speed light-duty diesel engine at three different speed and load points including a point with and without exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). In addition, crank-angle resolved unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) measurements have been taken simultaneously using a fast flame ionization detection (FID). The NOx emitted per cycle and the peak cylinder pressure of that cycle have shown high correlation coefficients (R2 < 0.97 at all test points) in this work. In addition, a variation of the NO:NO2 ratio through the engine's exhaust stroke is also observed indicative of in-cylinder stratification of NO and NO2. A new link between the NO:NO2 ratio and the UHC emissions from an individual engine cycle is observed - the results show that where there are higher levels of UHC emissions in the first part of the exhaust stroke (blowdown), perhaps caused by injector dribble or release from crevices, the proportion of NO2 emitted from that cycle is increased. This effect is observed and analyzed across all test points and with and without EGR. The performance of the new fast LIF analyzer has also been evaluated, in comparison with the previous state-of-the-art and standard “slow” emissions measurement apparatus showing a reduction in the noise of the measurement by an order of magnitude.
Complete Genome Sequence of Mycobacterium avium subsp.
paratuberculosis
Strain 42-13-1, Isolated in Japan
Authors: Ueno Yuichi , Ogawa Yohsuke , Takamura Yuji , Nagata Reiko , Kawaji Satoko , Mori Yasuyuki
Published: April 2021

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of
Mycobacterium avium
subsp.
paratuberculosis
strain 42-13-1, isolated from cattle presenting with chronic diarrhea caused by Johne’s disease in Japan, which was assembled via long- and short-read hybrid assembly.
Complete Genome Sequences of Three Invasive Strains of Streptococcus pyogenes Subtype
emm
5.23 Isolated in Scotland
Authors: Pagnossin Davide , Smith Andrew , Weir William , Crestani Chiara , Lindsay Diane , Ure Roisin , Oravcova Katarina
Published: April 2021

Streptococcus pyogenes
emm
5.23 is uncommon; however, it has recently been involved in a relatively high proportion of cases of invasive disease in Scotland. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of three
emm
5.23 isolates, which may be used as a reference to investigate the virulence and epidemiology of this strain.
Draft Genome Sequences of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato Strains J4 and J6, Isolated in Florida
Authors: Thapa Naweena , Timilsina Sujan , Minsavage Gerald V. , Pereira-Martin Juliana , Vallad Gary E. , Goss Erica M. , Roberts Pamela , Mou Zhonglin , Zhang Shouan , Jones Jeffrey B.
Published: April 2021

Pseudomonas syringae
pv. Tomato causes bacterial speck in tomato. We report the genome sequences of two
P. syringae
pv. Tomato strains, J4 and J6, that are genetically closely related, with >99.9 average nucleotide identity (ANI), but vary in the presence of coronatine-associated genes.
Genome Sequences of Five SARS-CoV-2 Variants from Mumbai, India, Obtained by Nanopore Sequencing
Authors: Nilgiriwala Kayzad , Mandal Ayan , Patel Grishma , Mestry Tejal , Vaswani Smriti , Shaikh Ambreen , Sriraman Kalpana , Parikh Swapneil , Udupa Shreevatsa , Chatterjee Nirjhar , Shastri Jayanthi , Mistry Nerges
Published: April 2021

We report here the genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 variants from five COVID-19 patients in Mumbai, India. Viral genomic RNA was isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs and/or respiratory particles from the masks of the patients. Genomic variant analysis determined 8 to 22 mutations, and the variants belong to lineages previously associated with Indian variants.
Rare case of bilateral petrous apex cephalocele
Authors: Pruthi Aastha , Rai Garjesh , Mehra Ketan
Published: April 2021

The petrous apex is a pyramidal-shaped structure which is difficult to examine due to difficult anatomical location. Lesions in the petrous apex can be managed surgically or they can be incidental lesions, which are managed conservatively. Petrous apex cephaloceles (PAC) are the cystic lesion due to herniation in the Meckel’s cave of temporal bone. Bilateral PAC is a very rare phenomenon with only 21 cases reported in the literature so far. We present here a case of bilateral PAC, who presented with headache and was managed conservatively.
Para sport translation of the IOC consensus on recording and reporting of data for injury and illness in sport
Authors: Derman Wayne , Badenhorst Marelise , Blauwet Cheri , Emery Carolyn A , Fagher Kristina , Lee Young-Hee , Kissick James , Lexell Jan , Miller Ian Stuart , Pluim Babette M , Schwellnus Martin , Steffen Kathrin , Van de Vliet Peter , Webborn Nick , Weiler Richard
Published: April 2021

In 2020, the IOC proposed a universal methodology for the recording and reporting of data for injury and illness in sport. Para sport is played by individuals with impairment, and they have a unique set of considerations not captured by these recommendations. Therefore, the aim of this addendum to IOC consensus statement was to guide the Para sport researcher through the complexities and nuances that should be taken into consideration when collecting, registering, reporting and interpreting data regarding Para athlete health. To develop this translation, experts in the field of Para sports medicine and epidemiology conducted a formal consensus development process, which began in March 2020 with the formation of a consensus group that worked over eight phases, incorporating three virtual consensus meetings to finalise the translation. This translation is consistent with the IOC consensus statement, yet provides more detailed Para athlete specific definitions and recommendations on study population, specifically, diagnostic and eligible impairment categorisation and recording of adaptive equipment, and defining and classifying health problems in the context of Para sport. Additionally, recommendations and Para athlete specific examples are described with regards to injury mechanism, mode of onset, injury and illness classification, duration, capturing and reporting exposure and risk. Finally, methods and considerations are provided to cater to the varied needs of athletes with impairment with respect to data collection tools. This harmonisation will allow the science to develop and facilitate a more accurate understanding of injury and illness patterns for tailoring evidence-informed prevention programmes and enabling better planning of medical services for Para sport events.
Comparison of care utilisation and medical institutional death among older adults by home care facility type: a retrospective cohort study in Fukuoka, Japan
Authors: Kim Sung-A , Babazono Akira , Jamal Aziz , Li Yunfei , Liu Ning
Published: April 2021

Objectives

We compared the care services use and medical institutional deaths among older adults across four home care facility types.

Design

This was a retrospective cohort study.

Setting

We used administrative claims data from April 2014 to March 2017.

Participants

We included 18 347 residents of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, who received home care during the period, and aged ≥75 years with certified care needs of at least level 3. Participants were categorised based on home care facility use (ie, general clinics, Home Care Support Clinics/Hospitals (HCSCs), enhanced HCSCs with beds and enhanced HCSCs without beds).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

We used generalised linear models (GLMs) to estimate care utilisation and the incidence of medical institutional death, as well as the potential influence of sex, age, care needs level and Charlson comorbidity index as risk factors.

Results

The results of GLMs showed the inpatient days were 54.3, 69.9, 64.7 and 75.0 for users of enhanced HCSCs with beds, enhanced HCSCs without beds, HCSCs and general clinics, respectively. Correspondingly, the numbers of home care days were 63.8, 51.0, 57.8 and 29.0. Our multivariable logistic regression model estimated medical institutional death rate among participants who died during the study period (n=9919) was 2.32 times higher (p<0.001) for general clinic users than enhanced HCSCs with beds users (relative risks=1.69, p<0.001).

Conclusions

Participants who used enhanced HCSCs with beds had a relatively low inpatient utilisation, medical institutional deaths, and a high utilisation of home care and home-based end-of-life care. Findings suggest enhanced HCSCs with beds could reduce hospitalisation days and medical institutional deaths. Our study warrants further investigations of home care as part of community-based integrated care.
Contributions of treatment centre and patient characteristics to patient-reported experience of haemodialysis: a national cross-sectional study
Authors: Hawkins Janine , Smeeton Nigel , Busby Amanda , Wellsted David , Rider Beth , Jones Julia , Steenkamp Retha , Stannard Catherine , Gair Rachel , van der Veer Sabine N , Corps Claire , Farrington Ken
Published: April 2021

Objectives

To examine the relative importance of patient and centre level factors in determining self-reported experience of care in patients with advanced kidney disease treated by maintenance haemodialysis (HD).

Design

Analysis of data from a cross sectional national survey; the UK Renal Registry (UKRR) national Kidney patient-reported experience measure (PREM) survey (2018). Centre-level data were obtained from the UKRR report (2018).

Setting

National survey of patients with advanced kidney disease receiving treatment with maintenance HD in UK renal centres in 2018.

Participants

The Kidney PREM was distributed to all UK renal centres by the UKRR in May 2018. Each centre invited patients receiving outpatient treatment for kidney disease to complete the PREM. These included patients with chronic kidney disease, those receiving dialysis—both HD and peritoneal dialysis, and those with a functioning kidney transplant. There were no formal inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Main outcome measures

The Kidney PREM has 38 questions in 13 subscales. Responses were captured using a 7-point Likert scale (never1,always7). The primary outcome of interest was the mean PREM score calculated across all questions. Multilevel modelling was used to determine the proportion of variation of the mean PREM score across centres due to patient-related and centre-related factors.

Results

There were records for 8253 HD patients (61% men, 77% white) from 69 renal centres (9–710 patients per centre). There was significant variation in mean PREM score across centres (5.35–6.53). In the multivariable analysis there was some variation in relation to both patient- and centre-level factors but these contributed little to explaining the overall variation. However, multilevel modelling showed that the overwhelming proportion of the explained variance (45%) was explained by variation between centres (40%), only a small proportion of which is identified by measured factors. Only 5% of the variation was related to patient-level factors.

Conclusions

Centre rather than patient characteristics determine the experience of care of patients receiving HD. Further work is required to define the characteristics of the treating centre which determine patient experience.
NHS Health Check programme: a protocol for a realist review
Authors: Duddy Claire , Wong Geoff , Gadsby E W , Krska Janet , Hibberd Vivienne
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The NHS Health Check aims to identify individuals at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among the adult population in England. The Health Check includes calculation of CVD risk and discussion of pharmacological and lifestyle approaches to manage risk, including referral to lifestyle support services. The programme is commissioned by Local Authorities (LAs) and is delivered by a range of different providers in different settings. There is significant variation in activity, with uptake ranging from 25% to 85% in different areas, and clear evidence of variation in implementation and delivery practice.

Methods and analysis

We aim to understand how the NHS Health Check programme works in different settings, for different groups, so that we can recommend improvements to maximise intended outcomes. To do so, we will undertake a realist review and a survey of LA public health teams. Our review will follow Pawson’s five iterative stages: (1) locate existing theories, (2) search for evidence, (3) article selection, (4) extract and organise data and (5) synthesise evidence and draw conclusions. Our review will include documents describing local implementation alongside published research studies. We will recruit a stakeholder group (including Public Health England, commissioners and providers of Health Checks, plus members of the public and patients) to advise us throughout. Our survey will be sent to all 152 LAs in England to gather detailed information on programme delivery (including COVID-19-related changes) and available referral services. This will enable us to map delivery across England and relate these data to programme outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required for this review. For the survey, we have received approval from the University of Kent Research Ethics Committee. Our findings will be used to develop recommendations on tailoring, implementation and design strategies to improve delivery of the NHS Health Check in different settings, for different groups.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020163822.
Income-related differences in out-of-hours primary care telephone triage using national registration data
Authors: Jansen Tessa , Hek Karin , Schellevis François G , Kunst Anton E , Verheij Robert A
Published: April 2021

Background

Telephone triage is used to facilitate efficient and adequate acute care allocation, for instance in out-of-hours primary care services (OPCSs). Remote assessment of health problems is challenging and could be impeded by a patient’s ambiguous formulation of his or her healthcare need. Socioeconomically vulnerable patients may experience more difficulty in expressing their healthcare need. We aimed to assess whether income differences exist in the patient’s presented symptoms, assessed urgency and allocation of follow-up care in OPCS.

Method

Data were derived from Nivel Primary Care Database encompassing electronic health record data of 1.3 million patients from 28 OPCSs in 2017 in the Netherlands. These were linked to sociodemographic population registry data. Multilevel logistic regression analyses (contacts clustered in patients), adjusted for patient characteristics (eg, age, sex), were conducted to study associations of symptoms, urgency assessment and follow-up care with patients’ income (standardised for household size as socioeconomic status (SES) indicator).

Results

The most frequently presented symptoms deduced during triage slightly differed across SES groups, with a larger relative share of trauma in the high-income groups. No SES differences were observed in urgency assessment. After triage, low income was associated with a higher probability of receiving telephone advice and home visits, and fewer consultations at the OPCS.

Conclusions

SES differences in the patient’s presented symptom and in follow-up in OPCS suggest that the underlying health status and the ability to express care needs affect the telephone triage process . Further research should focus on opportunities to better tailor the telephone triage process to socioeconomically vulnerable patients.
Strengthening emergency care knowledge and skills in Uganda and Tanzania with the WHO-ICRC Basic Emergency Care Course
Authors: Kivlehan Sean M , Dixon Julia , Kalanzi Joseph , Sawe Hendry R , Chien Emily , Robert Jordan , Wallis Lee , Reynolds Teri A
Published: April 2021

Background

There is a pressing need for emergency care (EC) training in low-resource settings. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of training frontline healthcare providers in emergency care with the World Health Organization (WHO)-International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Basic Emergency Care (BEC) Course using a training-of-trainers (ToT) model with local providers.

Methods

Quasiexperimental pretest and post-test study of an educational intervention at four first-level district hospitals in Tanzania and Uganda conducted in March and April of 2017. A 2-day ToT course was held in both Tanzania and Uganda. These were immediately followed by a 5-day BEC Course, taught by the newly trained trainers, at two hospitals in each country. Both prior to and immediately following each training, participants took assessments on EC knowledge and rated their confidence level in using a variety of EC skills to treat patients. Qualitative feedback from participants was collected and summarised.

Results

Fifty-nine participants completed the four BEC Courses. All participants were current healthcare workers at the selected hospitals. An additional 10 participants completed a ToT course. EC knowledge scores were significantly higher for participants immediately following the training compared with their scores just prior to the training when assessed across all study sites (Z=6.23, p<0.001). Across all study sites, mean EC confidence ratings increased by 0.74 points on a 4-point Likert scale (95% CI 0.63 to 0.84, p<0.001). Main qualitative feedback included: positive reception of the sessions, especially hands-on skills; request for additional BEC trainings; request for obstetric topics; and need for more allotted training time.

Conclusions

Implementation of the WHO-ICRC BEC Course by locally trained providers was feasible, acceptable and well received at four sites in East Africa. Participation in the training course was associated with a significant increase in EC knowledge and confidence at all four study sites. The BEC is a low-cost intervention that can improve EC knowledge and skill confidence across provider cadres.
Temperature and salt effects of the kinetic reactions of substituted 2-pyridylmethylene-8-quinolyl iron (II) complexes as antimicrobial, anti-cancer, and antioxidant agents with cyanide ions
Authors: Mohamad Ahmad Desoky M. , Abualreish M.J.A , Abu-Dief Ahmed M.
Published: April 2021

Kinetics of substitution reaction of three high-spin pyridylmethylene-8-quinolyl iron (II) complexes by CN– ions were studied spectrophotometrically in various ratios of aqueous–methanol binary mixtures at 298 ± 0.2 K. Kinetics of the substitution reaction follow the rate law (k2[CN−][complex]) on applying of the conditions of the pseudo first order reaction. Reactivity of the reaction was investigated in terms of ligand moiety and solvent effects. The rate of the reaction increased as the co-solvent methanol ratio increased. This reactivity trend is predominantly due to increases in the activity coefficient of those hydrophobic complexes in the organic methanol co-solvent, depending upon the hydrophobicity of the substituent groups (R) in the coordinated ligand in the complexes. Reactivity trends of the prepared complexes in the presence of the inserted hydrophobic salts such as tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB), tetraethylammonium bromide (TEAB), and tetramethylammonium bromide (TMAB) or hydrophilic salt potassium bromide (KBr) were studied. The observed decrease in the rate constants with increasing salt concentration was due to the cationic character of the reacting complexes. In addition, the synthesized compounds were tested for antimicrobial activity against selected strains of microbes. The results showed that the order of reactivity of the investigated complexes against the selected microbes were as follows: ppaqFe > paaqFe > pmaqFe. In addition, the investigated ligands and their Fe(II) complexes were screened for anticancer activities against several cell lines of cancer. The ppaqFe complex showed the best cytotoxic efficiency against the selected cancer lines (IC50 = 8.75–21.50 µg/µl), whereas the pmaq ligand showed the lowest cytotoxic efficiency (IC50 = 58.25– 72.40). Furthermore, the antioxidant potential of the presented compounds was studied by applying DPPH assays and showed a potential activity compared with standard vitamin C. The excellent antimicrobial and anticancer activities of the investigated Fe(II) chelates compared with literature values are promising and deserve further study.
Origin and evolution of highly polymorphic rDNA sites in Alstroemeria longistaminea (Alstroemeriaceae) and related species
Authors: Ribeiro Tiago , Nascimento Jéssica , Santos Amanda , Félix Leonardo P. , Guerra Marcelo
Published: April 2021

Alstroemeria (Alstroemeriaceae) displays a conserved and highly asymmetric karyotype, where most rDNA sites can be properly recognized by the size and morphology of the chromosomes. We analyzed the intraspecific variation of rDNA sites in A. longistaminea and compared with their distribution in other species (A. caryophyllaea and A. piauhyensis) and a representative of a sister genus, Bomarea edulis. All three species of Alstroemeria presented 2n = 16, and one to six B chromosomes were found in some individuals of A. longistaminea. There was a set of 12 conserved rDNA sites (four 5S and eight 35S) and up to 11 variable sites. B chromosomes were almost entirely covered by 35S signals, coupled with tiny 5S sites. Noteworthy, most rDNA sites found in A. caryophyllaea and A. piauhyensis were localized in chromosome positions similar to those in A. longistaminea, suggesting the existence of conserved hotspots for rDNA accumulation. Some of these hotspots were absent in Chilean Alstromeria as well in B. edulis. We propose that insertions of rDNA sequences on chromosomes do not occur randomly but rather on preferential sites or hotspots for insertions. The maintenance of these arrays, however, may be favored/constrained by different factors, resulting in stable or polymorphic sites.
Influence of Lorentz and permeability on migration of nanoparticle
Authors: Ge-JiLe Hu , Alawee Wissam H. , Nasir Dara Rebwar , Issakhov Alibek , Mohamed Selim Mahmoud , Reza Hajizadeh Mohammed
Published: April 2021

To detect the influence of MHD on migration of hybrid nanopowders, CVFEM has been employed in this paper. Mixture of Fe3O4 and MWCNT was added in water and for calculating properties, experimental formulas were utilized. To increase the convective mode, porous media has been used and tank was experienced in the horizontal magnetic field. In governing equations, there exist two new terms, one for permeable media and the other for MHD effect. Such complex physics needs special numerical approach and CVFEM has been utilized for this goal. Final formulation of PDEs did not have pressure terms and the stream function scalar was introduced. As permeability of zone enhances, nanopowders can transfer faster and the interaction of them with wall enhances, so, Nusselt number augments as well as stream function. Besides, employing higher Ha, the force against the buoyancy force increases and the velocity of operating fluid declines which provides lower convective flow. With rise of Ha, stream function declines about 48% and Nu declines about 31.92% when [Formula: see text]. As Da rises, Nu rises about 33.43% when [Formula: see text]. Augment of Rd leads to augmentation of Nu.
Singular spinors and their connection
Authors: Rogerio Rodolfo José Bueno
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we analyze some properties regarding singular spinors and how they are connected. The method employed here consists of mapping the spinorial structure and also the adjoint structure. Such a mathematical device is useful to determine propagators without invoking the vacuum expected value of the quantum field time-ordered product.
Classification of Chest X-Ray Images Using Novel Adaptive Morphological Neural Networks
Authors: Liu Shaobo , Shih Frank Y. , Zhong Xin
Published: April 2021

The chest X-ray images are difficult to classify for the radiologists due to the noisy nature. The existing models based on convolutional neural networks contain a giant number of parameters, and thus require multi-advanced GPUs to deploy. In this paper, we are the first to develop the adaptive morphological neural networks to classify chest X-ray images, such as pneumonia and COVID-19. A novel structure, which can self-learn morphological dilation and erosion, is proposed to determine the most suitable depth of the adaptive layer. Experimental results on the chest X-ray and the COVID-19 datasets show that the proposed model can achieve the highest classification rate as compared against the existing models. Moreover, it can significantly reduce the computational parameters of the existing models by 97%. The advantage makes the developed model more attractive than others to deploy in the internet and other device platforms.
Asymptotic behavior of solutions to differential equations with p(t)-Laplacian
Authors: Došlá Zuzana , Fujimoto Kōdai
Published: April 2021

This paper deals with the second-order nonlinear differential equation [Formula: see text] involving [Formula: see text]-Laplacian. The existence and the uniqueness of nonoscillatory solutions of this equation in certain classes, which are related with integral conditions, are studied. Moreover, a minimal set for solutions of this equation is introduced as an extension of the concept of principal solutions for linear equations. Obtained results extend the results for equations with [Formula: see text]-Laplacian.
On the geometry of polytopes generated by heavy-tailed random vectors
Authors: Guédon Olivier , Krahmer Felix , Kümmerle Christian , Mendelson Shahar , Rauhut Holger
Published: April 2021

We study the geometry of centrally symmetric random polytopes, generated by [Formula: see text] independent copies of a random vector [Formula: see text] taking values in [Formula: see text]. We show that under minimal assumptions on [Formula: see text], for [Formula: see text] and with high probability, the polytope contains a deterministic set that is naturally associated with the random vector — namely, the polar of a certain floating body. This solves the long-standing question on whether such a random polytope contains a canonical body. Moreover, by identifying the floating bodies associated with various random vectors, we recover the estimates that were obtained previously, and thanks to the minimal assumptions on [Formula: see text], we derive estimates in cases that were out of reach, involving random polytopes generated by heavy-tailed random vectors (e.g., when [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]-stable or when [Formula: see text] has an unconditional structure). Finally, the structural results are used for the study of a fundamental question in compressive sensing — noise blind sparse recovery.
Symplectic induction, prequantum induction, and prequantum multiplicities
Authors: Ratiu Tudor S. , Ziegler François
Published: April 2021

Frobenius reciprocity asserts that induction from a subgroup and restriction to it are adjoint functors in categories of unitary [Formula: see text]-modules. In the 1980s, Guillemin and Sternberg established a parallel property of Hamiltonian [Formula: see text]-spaces, which (as we show) unfortunately fails to mirror the situation where more than one [Formula: see text]-module “quantizes” a given Hamiltonian [Formula: see text]-space. This paper offers evidence that the situation is remedied by working in the category of prequantum [Formula: see text]-spaces, where this ambiguity disappears; there, we define induction and multiplicity spaces and establish Frobenius reciprocity as well as the “induction in stages” property.
Information geometric aspects of probability paths with minimum entropy production for quantum state evolution
Authors: Gassner Steven , Cafaro Carlo , Ali Sean A. , Alsing Paul M.
Published: April 2021

We present an information geometric analysis of both entropic speeds and entropy production rates arising from geodesic evolution on manifolds parametrized by pure quantum states. In particular, we employ pure states that emerge as outputs of suitably chosen [Formula: see text] time-dependent Hamiltonian operators that characterize analog quantum search algorithms of specific types. The [Formula: see text] Hamiltonian models under consideration are specified by external time-dependent magnetic fields within which spin-[Formula: see text] test particles are immersed. The positive definite Riemannian metrization of the parameter manifold is furnished by the Fisher information function. The Fisher information function is evaluated along parametrized squared probability amplitudes obtained from the temporal evolution of these spin-[Formula: see text] test particles. A minimum action approach is then utilized to induce the transfer of the quantum system from its initial state to its final state on the parameter manifold over a finite temporal interval. We demonstrate in an explicit manner that the minimal (that is, optimum) path corresponds to the shortest (that is, geodesic) path between the initial and final states. Furthermore, we show that the minimal path serves also to minimize the total entropy production occurring during the transfer of states. Finally, upon evaluating the entropic speed as well as the total entropy production along optimal transfer paths within several scenarios of physical interest in analog quantum searching algorithms, we demonstrate in a transparent quantitative manner a correspondence between a faster transfer and a higher rate of entropy production. We therefore conclude that higher entropic speed is associated with lower entropic efficiency within the context of quantum state transfer.
The Baer–Kaplansky Theorem for all abelian groups and modules
Authors: Breaz Simion , Brzeziński Tomasz
Published: April 2021

It is shown that the Baer–Kaplansky Theorem can be extended to all abelian groups provided that the rings of endomorphisms of groups are replaced by trusses of endomorphisms of corresponding heaps. That is, every abelian group is determined up to isomorphism by its endomorphism truss and every isomorphism between two endomorphism trusses associated to some abelian groups [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is induced by an isomorphism between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] and an element from [Formula: see text]. This correspondence is then extended to all modules over a ring by considering heaps of modules. It is proved that the truss of endomorphisms of a heap associated to a module [Formula: see text] determines [Formula: see text] as a module over its endomorphism ring.
Location of the zeros of certain cuspforms
Authors: Xue Hui , Zhu Daozhou
Published: April 2021

In this note, we prove a conjecture of Reitzes, Vulakh and Young on the location of the zeros of certain cuspforms of level one.
On pairs of quadratic forms in five variables
Authors: Mallesham Kummari
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we obtain an upper bound for the number of integral solutions, of given height, of system of two quadratic forms in five variables. Our bound is an improvement over the bound given in [H. Iwaniec and R. Munshi, The circle method and pairs of quadratic forms, J. Théor. Nr. Bordx. 22 (2010) 403–419].
Coupled fixed points theorems for generalized weak contractions in ordered b-metric spaces
Authors: Kalyani Karusala , Seshagiri Rao Namana , Mishra Lakshmi Narayan
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we prove some fixed points, coupled coincidence point and coupled common fixed point results for mappings satisfying an almost generalized contraction conditions in partially ordered [Formula: see text]-metric spaces. These results generalize, extend and unify many comparable results in the existing literature. Few examples are given to support our results.
Total colorings of certain classes of lexicographic product graphs
Authors: Sandhiya T. P. , Geetha J. , Somasundaram K.
Published: April 2021

A total coloring of a graph G is an assignment of colors to all the elements (vertices and edges) of the graph in such a way that no two adjacent or incident elements receive the same color. The Total Chromatic Number, [Formula: see text] is the minimum number of colors which need to be assigned to obtain a total coloring of the graph [Formula: see text]. The Total Coloring Conjecture made independently by Behzad and Vizing claims that, [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] represents the maximum degree of [Formula: see text]. The lower bound is sharp, the upper bound remains to be proved. In this paper, we prove the Total Coloring Conjecture for certain classes of lexicographic product and deleted lexicographic product of graphs.
Sample canonical correlation coefficients of high-dimensional random vectors: Local law and Tracy–Widom limit
Authors: Yang Fan
Published: April 2021

Consider two random vectors [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], where the entries of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are i.i.d. random variables with mean zero and variance one, and [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are respectively, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] deterministic population covariance matrices. With [Formula: see text] independent samples of [Formula: see text], we study the sample correlation between these two vectors using canonical correlation analysis. Under the high-dimensional setting with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] as [Formula: see text], we prove that the largest sample canonical correlation coefficient converges to the Tracy–Widom distribution as long as we have [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], which we believe to be a sharp moment condition. This extends the result in [19], which established the Tracy–Widom limit under the assumption that all moments exist for the entries of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Our proof is based on a new linearization method, which reduces the problem to the study of a [Formula: see text] random matrix [Formula: see text]. In particular, we shall prove an optimal local law on its inverse [Formula: see text], called resolvent. This local law is the main tool for both the proof of the Tracy–Widom law in this paper, and the study in [26, 27] on the canonical correlation coefficients of high-dimensional random vectors with finite rank correlations.
PERI
Authors: Tiwari Sugandha , Gala Neel , Rebeiro Chester , Kamakoti V.
Published: April 2021

Owing to the failure of Dennard’s scaling, the past decade has seen a steep growth of prominent new paradigms leveraging opportunities in computer architecture. Two technologies of interest are
Posit
and RISC-V.
Posit
was introduced in mid-2017 as a viable alternative to IEEE-754, and RISC-V provides a commercial-grade open source Instruction Set Architecture (ISA). In this article, we bring these two technologies together and propose a Configurable
Posit
Enabled RISC-V Core called PERI.

The article provides insights on how the Single-Precision Floating Point (“F”) extension of RISC-V can be leveraged to support
posit
arithmetic. We also present the implementation details of a parameterized and feature-complete
posit
Floating Point Unit (FPU). The configurability and the parameterization features of this unit generate optimal hardware, which caters to the accuracy and energy/area tradeoffs imposed by the applications, a feature not possible with IEEE-754 implementation. The
posit
FPU has been integrated with the RISC-V compliant SHAKTI C-class core as an execution unit. To further leverage the potential of
posit
, we enhance our
posit
FPU to support two different exponent sizes (with posit-size being 32-bits), thereby enabling multiple-precision at runtime. To enable the compilation and execution of C programs on PERI, we have made minimal modifications to the GNU C Compiler (GCC), targeting the “F” extension of the RISC-V. We compare
posit
with IEEE-754 in terms of hardware area, application accuracy, and runtime. We also present an alternate methodology of integrating the
posit
FPU with the RISC-V core as an accelerator using the custom opcode space of RISC-V.
The Development of Connective Action during Social Movements on Social Media
Authors: Mirbabaie Milad , Brünker Felix , Wischnewski Magdalena , Meinert Judith
Published: April 2021

In recent years, the development of information communication technologies, such as social media, has changed the way people communicate and engage in social movements. While conventional movements were fought in the streets, social media has enabled movements to take place online. In this article, we aim to investigate the role of social media during social movements that evolve online under the scope of the theory of connective action. Specifically, we examined Twitter communication during the #metoo debate. To this end, we examined two datasets (2017 and 2019) and combined methods from social media analytics to identify influential users, with a manual content analysis to classify influential users into roles. Likewise, a manual classification found distinct communication categories. Through regression analysis, we were able to gage the individual contribution of these categories and roles based on the retweet probability. This study introduces for the first time the terms of connective action starters and maintainers.