bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Questionnaire Survey of the Mental Health of Japanese Expatriates in China During the COVID-19 Epidemic in 2021
Authors: Kamei Yukari , Hamada Atsuo
Published: March 2023

This study examined the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Japanese expatriates living in China. The survey period was from March 30 to July 31, 2021; responses were received via an online survey. An online survey gathered responses from 236 participants about the impact of COVID-19 on their work and life. While 80% of the participants responded that COVID-19 had impacted their work and life, 60% said that it had a physical or mental impact. Kruskal–Wallis test and Mann–Whitney U test were conducted to compare the effects of COVID-19 on job performance, including personal attributes. The impact of COVID-19 was associated with gender (p = .007), age (p = .010), occupation (p = .005), job title (p = .009), and living arrangements with or without a partner (p = .005). The impact was also correlated with age (p = .030), job position (p = .014), number of times the respondent had lived in Japan (p = .003), and number of years in Japan (p = .015). The most significant effect on mental and physical health was correlated with job position (p = .016). Thus, Japanese expatriates living in China were substantially affected by the COVID-19 epidemic; although, 60% of them said their region was easy to live in. Further, despite the Chinese government’s strict isolation orders, they found the thorough testing and use of the coronavirus tracking app reassuring. This suggests the importance of providing not only mental care for expatriates during the COVID-19 epidemic but also prompt decision-making based on an accurate understanding of the local situation.
Proposal of a Recommended Correspondence Method for Companies and Organizations in Case of Partial Rupture of the Nankai Trough Earthquake
Authors: Maruya Hiroaki , Torayashiki Tetsuya , Sasaki Hiroyuki , Imamura Fumihiko
Published: March 2023

The occurrence rate of a subsequent earthquake is estimated to become a hundred times more than that at ordinary times when a case of partial rupture of the Nankai Trough Earthquake occurs. Companies and organizations that play a key role in social activities should take practicable actions positively in cooperation with relevant actors. Their recommended correspondences would be different by area according to the influence level by the subsequent partial rupture earthquake. Areas would be classified into three types: 1) strong earthquakes and tsunami are anticipated, 2) strong earthquakes without tsunami are anticipated, and 3) neither strong earthquakes nor tsunami is anticipated (this area should contribute as a supporter). There is also difference depending on business character and industry type. Therefore, it would be effective to examine the responses in the case of partial rupture, counting these differences in, and based on their business continuity plans (BCP). The authors will propose a recommended correspondence method (“recipe”) as an example of this means. In addition, there should be recommended actions of companies and organizations such as their operations not preventing evacuation and stockpiling in the local communities.
Nursing of mink in nest boxes insulated with different materials
Authors:   Department of Animal Anatomy and Zoology, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Klemensa Janickiego 33, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland, Felska-Błaszczyk Lidia , Ławrów Natalia ,   Department of Animal Anatomy and Zoology, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Klemensa Janickiego 33, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland
Published: March 2023

The aim of this study was to compare the rearing of mink in nests insulated with different materials. The study was conducted on a large-scale mink farm located in northwestern Poland. The results of rearing mink from 144 females of the pearl variety, aged one and two years, were analyzed. Four groups were created, taking into account the type of nest lining material and the age of the females. Two weeks prior to the scheduled birth, the nesting houses were lined with two types of insulating material - sawdust from deciduous trees and a mixture of barley straw and hay from meadow vegetation. Data were collected on: the number of born and live-born cubs per litter, the number of reared mink per litter, and the mortality of mink during the rearing period at the mothers. It was found that the material with which mink nests are insulated has an effect on the number of born, live-born and weaned mink. Better reproductive results were reported for females whose nests were insulated with barley straw mixed with meadow hay. They gave birth to larger litters, with more live mink, and raised more young. The mortality rate of young mink was lower in nests insulated with a mixture of straw and hay. The results showed that the use of sawdust as a nest insulating material is associated with a lower survival rate of reared mink. The study shows that the choice of a suitable nest insulating material can favorably affect the number of reared young mink.
Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan dan Disiplin Kerja terhadap Kinerja guru Sekolah Dasar Swasta di Jakarta Timur
Authors: Sari Nanda
Published: March 2023

Kinerja guru merupakan faktor penentu keberhasilan pendidikan di Indonesia. Kinerja seorang guru dipengaruhi oleh beberapa hal di antaranya adalah gaya kepemimpinan kepala sekolah dan disiplin kerja. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah mengukur pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan dan disiplin kerja terhadap kinerja guru pada sekolah dasar swasta di Jakarta Timur. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif dengan sampel 109 guru. Data dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner dengan media google form. Analisis data menggunakan teknik analisis jalur. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan sebesar 0,425 pada koefisien korelasi dan 0,241 pada koefisien jalur terhadap kinerja. Selain itu, terdapat pengaruh disiplin kerja sebesar 0,593 pada koefisien korelasi dan 0,505 pada koefisien jalur terhadap kinerja. Kemudian, terdapat pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan sebesar 0,365 pada koefisien korelasi dan 0,365 pada koefisien jalur terhadap disiplin kerja.

Kata Kunci:    Kinerja, Disiplin, Kepemimpinan.

Teacher performance is a decisive factor for education success in Indonesia. Teacher performance affected by few things such as leadership style of headmaster and discipline. The purpose of this research is measure the impact leadership style and work discipline on teacher performance at private primary school in East Jakarta. This study using  quantitative method with 109 teachers as sample. Data were collected through the questionnaire which distributed by google form and analyzed using  path analysis. The research results show  leadership style is influence 0,425 at the correlation coefficient and 0,241 at the path coefficient on performance. In addition, discipline is influence of 0,593 at the correlation coefficient and 0,505 path coefficient on performance.Then, leadership style is influence 0,365 at the correlation coefficient and 0,365 at the path coefficient on work discipline

Key word :    Performance, Discipline, Leadership
Refleksi Kepercayaan Kepala Sekolah: Studi Narative Inquiry Dalam Konteks Kepemimpinan
Authors: Nuraini Hera , Nafisah Ilfi Johar , Ahmad Masduki , Zulaikha Siti
Published: March 2023

This research was conducted with three objectives, namely to find out (1) the principal's reflection on trust in the context of leadership; (2) The vice principal's reflection on trust in the context of being led; (3) The leadership relationship between the principal and the vice principal. The research method is a Narrative Inquiry Study and a qualitative approach. Participants consisted of the researchers themselves, teachers, vice principals and school principals. This research was conducted at SMKN 26 Pulo Gadung, East Jakarta. Data collection techniques with various types of field texts from photos, field notes, and transcripts of conversations to interview transcripts. Data analysis technique with resto-rying stage (telling back) and coding for themes (codification). Research results In terms of intrapersonal competence, principals are very confident to be able to analyze problems and opportunities. The type of leadership management in the school is participatory management and there is mutual trust from all structural members who are in charge and fulfill their respective responsibilities. If the leader's trust cannot be given, the organization's journey will be confused in determining the direction.
Menyoktek = Drop Out? Sebuah Strategi Untuk Menegakkan Integritas Akademik Mahasiswa
Authors: Juwita Rahmi
Published: March 2023

Di era semakin berkembangnya ilmu pengetahuan dan bertambahnya jurusan serta universitas baru baik di Indonesia maupun dunia, penelitian tentang integritas semakin meningkat. Salah satu penelitian menyebutkan bahwa banyak pelanggaran integritas yang dilakukan oleh mahasiswa saat ujian. Penegakkan integritas dapat dimulai dengan adanya peraturan yang tegas bagi para pelanggar. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan eksplorasi terkait dengan sanksi drop out bagi mahasiswa yang menyontek sebagai salah satu strategi penegakkan integritas akademik mahasiswa. Penelitian menggunakan metode studi kasus dengan wawancara, observasi, dan studi dokumentasi sebagai teknik pengumpulan data. Enam langkah penelitian studi kasus Robert K. Yin digunakan dalam penelitian ini, yaitu plan, design, prepare, collect, analyze, dan share. Analisa data menggunakan validitas data dengan membandingkan seluruh data yang diperoleh dengan tiga teknik pengumpulan yang dilakukan, mengklasifikasikan data berdasarkan pertanyaan penelitian, penggabungkan data yang diperoleh dalam bentuk tabel, dan terakhir membuat simpulan berdasarkan data yang telah diperoleh. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dampak dari sanksi drop out bagi mahasiswa yang menyontek adalah munculnya kesadaran terkait dengan nilai integritas seperti jujur, tanggung jawab, timbulnya rasa percaya diri mahasiswa dalam mengerjakan soal ujian, dan mampu untuk menurunkan jumlah mahasiswa yang menyontek saat ujian.
Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Talking Stick Dalam Meningkatkan Keterampilan Berbicara Siswa
Authors: Hamdani Nidaul Fitri , Rambe Riris Nurkholidah
Published: March 2023

Tujuan dari penelitian ini ialah akan mengidentifikasi dampak wujud Pelatihan Talking Stick dalam melatih kemampuan berbicara anak ajar. Investigasi ini dicoba di MIN 04 Kabupaten Labuhanbatu Utara, subyek amatan ini merupakan anak didik kelas 4 SD, ditambah 2 kelas, spesial kelas A serta kelas B, tiap- tiap kelas berisi 18 anak didik, kelas A berjalan selaku Analitis tanpa henti kelas B jadi kelas Kontrol. Peninjauan ini ditunjukan dengan bentuk penelitian kuantitatif jenis trial. Mengakulasi data dalam keterangan ini memakai lembar Persepsi serta Uji. Efek samping dari kajian ini wajib terlihat dari tabel example t- Test yang melaporkan kalau angka kebutuhan 0, 000 di dasar 0, 05. Ho ditolak serta Ha diakui, serta itu sesungguhnya berarti terdapat akibat besar bentuk pembelajaran Talking Stick dalam melatih keahlian berbicara anak didik. Oleh sebab itu, dianjurkan untuk guru serta calon guru buat memakai bentuk pembelajarannyang cocok dengan sasaranppembelajaran, salahssatunya merupakan model pembelajaran Talking Stick yang bisa pengaruhi keahlian berbicara anak didik.
learning model for battery lifetime prediction of LoRa sensors in additive manufacturing
Authors: Morato Alberto , Fedullo Tommaso , Vitturi Stefano , Rovati Luigi , Tramarin Federico
Published: March 2023

Today, an innovative leap for wireless sensor networks, leading to the realization of novel and intelligent industrial measurement systems, is represented by the requirements arising from the Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) paradigms. In fact, unprecedented challenges to measurement capabilities are being faced, with the ever-increasing need to collect reliable yet accurate data from mobile, battery-powered nodes over potentially large areas. Therefore, optimizing energy consumption and predicting battery life are key issues that need to be accurately addressed in such IoT-based measurement systems. This is the case for the additive manufacturing application considered in this work, where smart battery-powered sensors embedded in manufactured artifacts need to reliably transmit their measured data to better control production and final use, despite being physically inaccessible. A Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN), and in particular LoRaWAN (Long Range WAN), represents a promising solution to ensure sensor connectivity in the aforementioned scenario, being optimized to minimize energy consumption while guaranteeing long-range operation and low- cost deployment. In the presented application, LoRa equipped sensors are embedded in artifacts to monitor a set of meaningful parameters throughout their lifetime. In this context, once the sensors are embedded, they are inaccessible, and their only power source is the originally installed battery. Therefore, in this paper, the battery lifetime prediction and estimation problems are thoroughly investigated. For this purpose, an innovative model based on an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is proposed, developed starting from the discharge curve of lithium-thionyl chloride batteries used in the additive manufacturing application. The results of experimental campaigns carried out on real sensors were compared with those of the model and used to tune it appropriately. The results obtained are encouraging and pave the way for interesting future developments.
General Sensor Network application approach
Authors: Koval Martin , Havlíček Marek , Tesař Jiří
Published: March 2023

The paper describes the general approach for Sensor Networks and deals with principled components of Sensor Networks, architecture as well and opportunities for the implementation of current and new technologies. The paper also illustrates an example of the application of the EN 12830:2018 standard.
El liderazgo transformacional y su relación con las competencias socioemocionales y morales en futuros docentes
Authors: Álamo Mercedes , Falla Daniel
Published: March 2023

Los estudios han evidenciado que un liderazgo transformacional favorece la innovación, el cambio e implicación hacia la mejora y resolución de problemas, generando una atmósfera de respeto y tolerancia y considerándose un liderazgo idóneo en el ámbito educativo. Asimismo, las competencias socioemocionales y morales son esenciales en los líderes y docentes de los centros escolares. Sin embargo, existe una brecha sobre qué tipo de competencias socioemocionales y morales pueden relacionarse con un estilo de liderazgo transformacional en futuros docentes y que podría ser una información relevante para la formación universitaria, siendo este el propósito de este trabajo. Para esta investigación ex post facto de corte cuantitativo a través de encuesta se contó con una muestra de 395 futuros docentes (81.3% mujeres y 18.7% hombres) entre 17 y 63 años (M = 21.08; DT = 3.49. Los análisis estadísticos incluyeron la prueba t de Student y regresiones lineales. Los resultados mostraron puntuaciones elevadas en liderazgo transformacional y un alto grado en competencias socioemocionales y morales. Se hallaron diferencias significativas en sexo, de forma que las chicas presentaron puntuaciones más altas. Se encontró relación entre la autogestión y motivación, conciencia social y conducta prosocial, toma de decisiones responsables y emociones morales con liderazgo transformacional. Se discute las implicaciones prácticas de estos hallazgos y se concluye señalando la importancia del trabajo y fomento de las competencias socioemocionales y morales en futuros docentes dentro de su formación universitaria para favorecer un liderazgo transformacional que facilite una mejor dirección en los centros educativos.
Review Artikel: Potensi Tenggek Burung (Melicope ptelefolia) sebagai Kandidat Obat
Authors: Hapsari Widie Kemala , Hayatillah Raudhah
Published: March 2023

Tenggek burung (Melicope ptelefolia) merupakan famili Rutaceae, merupakan tanaman herba yang dapat hidup setinggi 1-14 m, banyak ditemukan di daerah Riau, dan juga ditemukan di Malaysia, Vietnam dan China. Tenggek burung biasa dikonsumsi dan dimanfaatkan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari dan diyakini memiliki manfaat secara klinis. Tujuan penulisan artikel ini adalah untuk mengetahui potensi tenggek burung sebagai kandidat tanaman obat. Metode yang digunakan adalah studi literatur, literatur online didapat dari jurnal publikasi lokal maupun internasional yang diperoleh dari penyedia jurnal di internet menggunakan mesin pencari google. Hasil yang didapat menunjukkan bahwa tanaman tenggek burung memiliki kandungan metabolit alam yang dapat berperan sebagai antioksidan, tenggek burung diketahui memiliki senyawa bioaktif seperti fenolik, flavonoid, saponin dan senyawa bioaktif lainnya. Kandungan senyawa bioaktif tersebut dapat berperan sebagai penangkal radikal bebas untuk menggurangi terjadinya stres oksidatif, selain itu adanya kandungan bioaktif yang terkandung pada tanaman tenggek burung membuat tanaman ini memiliki potensi sebagai kandidat obat yang dapat dikembangkan dikemudian hari.
Capital Inflows, Institutional Quality and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence From Oil Exporting African Countries.
Authors: Nkire Nneamaka Loretta , Akomolafe John Kehinde , Aiyegbusi Oluwole
Published: March 2023

The study investigates the effect of capital inflows and institutional quality on economic growth in eight oil exporting African countries using FGLS and AMG methods to analyse the data spanning from 1996 to 2020. It was observed that foreign direct investment, external debt and official development assistance present no significant influence on economic growth. Institutional quality has a positive and significant influence on economic growth. When institutional quality was interacted with the various capital inflows, it only had influence on external debt as the interaction between institutional quality and external debt revealed a significant effect but did not spur economic growth. The study therefore concluded that capital inflows have no effect on economic growth. Consequently, the study recommends that, for oil exporting African countries to reduce the risks and uncertainties inherent with foreign direct investment, good institutions must be set up and made to work, long-term economic growth and fiscal and debt sustainability must be emphasized, and finally, aid should be provided based on achieved policy levels rather than promises of improvement in order to boost foreign aid effectiveness.
VR system application in the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage gongs and drums based on Video simulation
Authors: Chen Nan
Published: March 2023

In recent years, with the rapid popularization of Internet technology and the development and development of a large number of smart terminal devices for the Internet of Things, Internet of Things systems and devices have become more and more popular in people’s daily lives, and the types and numbers of smart Internet of Things applications are constantly increasing. In VR, more and more input devices and more and more data and information directly affect the depth of embedding. In the era of big data, data storage is overvalued, and a reasonable solution to data storage strategies is needed. When sending video simulation applications, the emergence of VR technology has played a huge role in the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage. Through immersive virtual reality or interactive virtual reality, it has injected new blood of the times into excellent traditional culture and has become an intangible help. The list of intangible cultural heritage protection includes many traditional folk music with unique local characteristics. The gong and drum music in a certain place is one of them. This thesis analyzes the problems in depth from the development status of gongs and drums in a certain place and the problems faced in the later period, and explores executable inheritance and protection strategies.
Comparative and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes of 10 Artemisia selengensis resources based on high- throughput sequencing
Authors: Wang Yuhang , Wei Qingying , Xue Tianyuan , He Sixiao , Fang Jiao , Zeng Changli
Published: March 2023

Background: Artemisia selengensis, a perennial herb of the genus Artemisiain the family Asteraceae, has both edible and medicinal values. There are few studies on the chloroplast genome of Artemisia selengensis, and the phylogeographic classification is vague, which makes phylogenetic analysis and evolutionary studies very difficult.
Results: The chloroplast genomes of 10 Artemisia selengensisin this study were highly conserved in terms of gene content, gene order, and gene intron number. The genome lengths ranged from 151,148 to 151,257 bp and were typical of a quadripartite structure with a total GC content of approximately 37.5%. The chloroplast genomes of all species encode 133 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Due to the contraction and expansion of the inverted repeats (IR), the overlap of ycf1and ndhF genes occurred at the inverted repeats B (IRB) and short single copy sequence (SSC) boundaries. According to a codon use study, the frequent base in the chloroplast genome of Artemisia selengensis' third codon position was A/T. The number of SSR repeats was 42-44, most of which were single nucleotide A/T repeats. Sequence alignment analysis of the chloroplast genome showed that variable regions were mainly distributed in single copy regions, nucleotide diversity values of 0 to 0.009 were calculated by sliding window analysis, eight mutation hotspot regions were detected, and coding regions were more conserved than non-coding regions. Analysis of non-synonymous substitution (Ka) and synonymous substitution (Ks) revealed that accD, rps12, petB, and atpF genes were affected by positive selection and no genes were affected by neutral selection. Based on the findings of the phylogenetic analysis, Artemisia selengensis was sister to the genus Chrysanthemumand formed a monophyletic group with other Artemisia genera.
Conclusions: In this research, the present study systematically compared the chloroplast genomic features of Artemisia selengensis and provided important information for the study of the chloroplast genome of Artemisia selengensis and the evolutionary relationships among Asteraceae species.
Maternal exposure to metal components of PM2.5 and low birth weight in New Mexico, USA
Authors: Huang Yanhong , Gong Xi , Liu Lin , Luo Li , Leng Shuguang , Lin Yan
Published: March 2023

Infants with low birth weight (LBW) are more likely to have health problems than normal weight infants. In studies examining the associations between particulate matter (PM) exposures and LBW, there is a tendency to focus on PM2.5 as a whole. However, insufficient information is available regarding the effects of different components of PM2.5 on birth weight. This study identified the associations between maternal exposure to 10 metal components of PM2.5 and LBW in offspring based on small area (divided by population size) level data in New Mexico, USA, from 2012 to 2016. This study used a pruned feed-forward neural network (pruned-FNN) approach to estimate the annual average exposure index to each metal component in each small area. The linear regression model was employed to examine the association between maternal PM2.5 metal exposures and LBW rate in small areas, adjusting for the female percentage and race/ethnicity compositions, marriage status and educational level in the population. An interquartile range increase in maternal exposure to mercury and chromium of PM2.5 increased LBW rate by 0.43% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18%-0.68%) and 0.63% (95% CI: 0.15%-1.12%), respectively. These findings suggest that maternal exposure to metal components of air pollutants may increase the risk of LBW in offspring. With no similar studies in New Mexico, this study also posed great importance because of a higher LBW rate in New Mexico than the national average. These findings provide critical information to inform further epidemiological, biological, and toxicological studies.
Invasive freshwater snails are less sensitive to population density than native conspecifics.
Authors: Najev Briante Shevon Lewis , Neiman Maurine
Published: March 2023

Species invasion can negatively affect natural ecosystems by causing biodiversity loss, changing nutrient cycling processes, and altering trophic webs. Understanding how and why some species or lineages become invasive is critically important to preventing and controlling invasions. We address whether key life history traits of invasive vs. native lineages – here Potamopyrgus antipodarum - differ in response to environmental stressors that could determine the outcome of invasions. We focus here on population density, which is a fundamental characteristic of all populations and to which native lineages of P. antipodarum are very sensitive. This New Zealand freshwater snail successfully invaded Europe in the 19th century and is a more recent invader in North America. In just a few decades, invasive populations of P. antipodarum have spread across much of North America, with detrimental effects for local food webs and native species. We quantified individual growth rate and embryo number in P. antipodarum from multiple distinct native range and invasive lineages cultured from the juvenile stage across three different population density treatments. The growth of native but not invasive lineages decreased as density increased, and reproduction in invasive but not native snails was positively affected by increased density. These results are consistent with a scenario where differential sensitivity to population density could help explain why some lineages become invasive while others do not. Our findings also align with previous studies that show that invasive lineages of P. antipodarum exhibit a relatively wide range of tolerance to environmental stressors.
The Clinical Impact of Recent Methamphetamine Exposure in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Patients
Authors: Vitt Jeffrey R , Cheng Roger C , Chung Jason , Canton Michael Travis , Zhou Bo , Ko Nerissa , Meisel Karl , Amorim Ediberto
Published: March 2023

Background
Methamphetamines (MA) are a frequently used drug class with potent sympathomimetic properties that can affect cerebral vasculature. Conflicting reports in literature exist about the effect of exposure to MA on vasospasm risk and clinical outcomes in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). This study aimed to characterize the impact of recent MA use on the timing, severity and features of vasospasm in aneurysmal subarachnoid as well as neurological outcomes.
Methods
We retrospectively screened 441 consecutive patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital with a diagnosis of SAH who underwent at least one cerebral digital subtraction angiogram (DSA). Patients were excluded if no urinary toxicology screen was performed within 24 hours of admission, if there was a diagnosis of non-aneurysmal SAH, or if ictus was greater than 72 hours from hospital admission. Vasospasm characteristics were collected from DSA and transcranial doppler (TCD) studies and demographic as well as clinical outcome data was abstracted from the chart.
Results
129 patients were included and 24 tested positive for MA. Among the 312 excluded patients, 281 did not have a urinary toxicology screen and 31 had a non-aneurysmal pattern of SAH or ictus occurring greater than 72 hours from hospital admission. No significant differences were found in respect to patient age, sex, or admission Hunt and Hess Score or Modified Fisher Scale based on MA use. There was no difference in the severity of vasospasm or time to peak severity using either TCD or DSA criteria on multivariate analysis. Aneurysms were more likely to be in the anterior circulation for both groups, however the MA cohort experienced less vasospasm involving the anterior circulation and more isolated posterior circulation vasospasm. There was no difference in delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) incidence, length of ICU stay, need for ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement, functional outcome at discharge or hospital mortality.
Interpretation:
Recent MA use was not associated with worse vasospasm severity, time to vasospasm, or DCI in aSAH patients. Further investigations about localized MA effects in the posterior circulation and impact on long-term functional outcomes are warranted.
Global urbanization benefits food security and nature restoration
Authors: Wang Sitong , Deng Ouping , Reis Stefan , Zhu Yong-Guan , Xu Jianming , Gu Baojing
Published: March 2023

Urbanization has been considered as an antagonist to food security and nature restoration due to land-taking by urban expansion. However, if urbanization was undertaken with a focus on integrated urban–rural development, it could in face release land areas globally. Here show that domestic rural-to-urban migration with urbanization can support a global population with 2 billion more people, while requiring 49 million hectares of less built-up lands due to higher population density in urban relative to rural areas, over the period from 2020 to 2050. If no urbanization would occur, currently predicted growth trends in global population would require an additional 46 million hectares of lands. If cross-countries rural-to-urban migration is supported, land release could be increased up to 67 million hectares. This amount could satisfy 51% of global cropland demand in 2050, and as an additional benefit, reduce cropland fragmentation. If the land areas released were set aside for nature restoration, 4,488 more species could be protected. As a further co-benefit, additional carbon sequestration of 15 billion tonnes could be achieved over the period from 2020 to 2050. Policies to promote cross-countries rural-to-urban migration and management of released lands would help to benefits food security and natural restoration.
Energy harvesting of flow induced vibration enhanced by bionic non-smooth surfaces
Authors: Wang Jiawei , Tang Bowen , Yang Hewei , Tan Wei
Published: March 2023

Inspired by the shield scale on the shark surface, a D-type bionic fin with non-smooth surface is proposed and used in tandem cylinders piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) for the utilization of wind energy on the roof of buildings. The repeating unit of D-type bionic fin is semicircle, and the corresponding center angle of each repeating unit is 7.2°. PEHs consist of a piezoelectric cantilever beam and a wind-interference cylinder connected to the beam tip. The influence of the spacing ratio on the amplitude of PEHs with D-type bionic fins added under elastic interference is studied through wind tunnel tests and three installation positions are designed: only installed upstream, only installed downstream, and not installed upstream and downstream (bare). It is found that the maximum amplitude response law of the upstream piezoelectric energy harvester (UPEH) is not affected by the D-type bionic fins, and the D-type bionic fins can make the downstream piezoelectric energy harvester (DPEH) realize the change of the maximum amplitude from small spacing ratio to large spacing ratio. In addition, the influence of the installation position of D-type bionic fins on the output voltage of upstream and downstream PEHs is also studied. The research shows that the addition of D-type bionic fins significantly changes the vibration behavior of PEHs. D-type bionic fins can enhance the energy harvest performance by coupling "coupled vortex-induced vibration" and wake induced galloping (WIG), and increasing the surface velocity of PEHs. D-type bionic fins can also expand the bandwidth of the voltage harvested by the PEHs. The analysis of the power under the experimental wind speed shows that the installation of D-type fins in PEHs can increase the output power of the upstream and downstream PEH by 392.28% and 13% respectively compared with the bare piezoelectric energy piezoelectric energy harvester (BARE-PEH). In addition, the computational fluid dynamics is used to analyze the flow pattern, wake structure and lift coefficient of PEHs, and the reason why the installation of D-type bionic fins in the upstream has an impact on the harvest performance of upstream and downstream PEHs at 1.5 spacing ratio is explained.
Demonstration of a Hamiltonian Based Quantum Router Using IBM Quantum Experience Platform
Authors: Lone Rashed Hussain , Imtiyaz Sahreena , Bahera Bikash K.
Published: March 2023

A quantum router is a device that is proposed to direct a quantum data signal in a quantum network system. Here, we demonstrate a Hamiltonian based quantum router on a four-qubit system using the IBM quantum experience platform. Transfer of information through input message qubit to the desired output qubit in a router is performed by following certain conditions. Using quantum state tomography, we show that message from the input qubit gets transferred to a particular output qubit with 0.99 fidelity. Our study also presents the time evolution of the system Hamiltonian for a four-qubit quantum router. Finally, with a three output qubit router example, we illustrate the scalability of the quantum router system using the Hamiltonian required.
Nutritional Knowledge and Eating Habits of Medial students in Hengyang
Authors: Jiang Tianyi , Liu Xuan , Wu Jiange
Published: March 2023

Background
Nutrition is an important issue to ensure growth and development. Nutritional knowledge is one of the factors affecting the eating habits and maintaining the healthy life. However, nutritional knowledge and life practices of medical students in Hengyang have not been studied.
Methods
A self-reported questionnaire was administered to 550 students, ranging in age from 18–23 years. Medical students from the University of South China (270 men and 280 women) participated in this research. SPSS 20.0 was used to analyze the experimental data, one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for the comparison between groups, and p < 0.01 was considered statistically significant. Frequency distributions and Chi-square analyses were conducted, and a p value less than 0.01 was considered statistically significant.
Results
Our results showed that 71.45% of students had a normal BMI and 2.18% of students were underweight, with an increased prevalence of overweight and obesity. Even though students understand the importance of taking nutritional balanced food, whereas only a small number of students take it into consideration when they are selecting food.
Variability of contribution of 1,25 (OH)2D3 (vitamin D) level to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation outcome
Authors: Kamel Azza , Radwan Eman , Zeidan Ashraf , Zaky Amen , Ibrahim Abeer , Refaat Ahmed , Abdelfattah Raafat , Abdelfattah Maged
Published: March 2023

Background: The impact of vitamin D status on the outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has recently been the focus of interest with a lot of controversy. In this study we aimed to evaluate the impact of pre-transplant vit. D level on the outcome of HSCT. We also wanted to find an explanation of the controversy in the literature.
Methods: In this study, we evaluated the impact of vitamin D level on the risk of development of graft versus host disease (GVHD) and survival after HSCT. The study included 97 patients who received allogeneic HSCT from an identical sibling. Serum vitamin D level was measured before conditioning using ELIZA.
Student t- test, Mann-Whitney U test, ANOVA F-test and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used to determine significance of difference for quantitative data. Pearson correlation, Spearman correlation and Chi-square test were used to determine correlations and associations. Kaplan-Meier and Log rank (Mantel-Cox) tests were used for analysis of survival. P value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Vitamin D level showed a range of 18.24 - 84.6 with a mean of 38.14 ± 9.73 and a median of 36.26 ng/ml. Two patients had vitamin D level <20 and 17 had a level <30 ng/ml. Acute GVHD occurred in 33 (34%) and chronic GVHD in 29 (29.9%) patients. Vitamin D level had no impact on frequency or severity of GVHD; either did it impact survival. This might be attributable to the relatively normal level in the majority of our patients on account of the sunny weather of Egypt. This might also be a potential explanation for the inconsistency of the different studies with variable levels of vitamin D. Conclusions: The current study failed to demonstrate an impact of pre-transplant vitamin D level on the outcome of HSCT. This might be attributed to the low prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in our population on account of our almost always sunny weather. The marked variability in the level of vitamin D that is considered sufficient interferes with objective comparison between studies; a consensus on what is considered sufficient, insufficient, or deficient is essential.
Juvenile colon cancer diagnosed by onset of intussusception: a case report suggestive of Lynch syndrome treated with laparoscopic colectomy
Authors: Ogata Ryosuke , Fujii Toshiyuki , Hino Keisuke , Tsunedomi Ryouichi , Nagano Hiroaki , Ishihara Tokuhiro , Kamei Toshiaki , Nagasaka Takeshi , Nagahiro Yosuke , Yoshida Kazuya , Ikeda Akihiko , Hashiyada Hiroshi , Nakamoto Kenbu , Kajiyama Mika , Yamashita Aogu , Inoue Motoshige , Okita Kiwamu , Hazama Shoichi
Published: March 2023

Background: One characteristic of Lynch syndrome, which is caused by germline mutations in a group of genes encoding mismatch repair proteins, is the early onset of colorectal cancer. Here, we report a rare case of juvenile colon cancer, diagnosed based on the onset of intussusception with high microsatellite instability (MSI) and the absence of BRAF mutations, which was suggestive of Lynch syndrome.
Case presentation: A 28-year-oldman presented with right lower abdominal pain for approximately 3 months and defecated blacky stool for several weeks. He visited our hospital because of increasingly intense right lower abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed a contrast-enhanced tumor and lymph nodes with a crab-claw-like fitted image extending into the ascending colon. Colon endoscopy revealed a large submucosal tumor-like lesion with ulceration. Laparoscopy-assisted ileal resection with level 3 lymph node dissection was performed 3 days after the endoscopic reduction of the intussusception. The histological diagnosis was a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Gene analysis of the resected tumor revealed high MSIand KRAS mutations, and the absence of BRAF mutations. Immunohistochemistry indicated the absence of MLH1 and PMS2 expression in tumors. Genetic analysis of peripheral blood and tumors revealed no pathological mutations in MLH1, MSH2, PMS2, or MSH6.
Conclusion
A rare case of Lynch-like syndrome was diagnosed with intussusception. MSI-high, wild-type BRAF, and the absence of MLH1 and PMS2 expression suggested Lynch syndrome. The absence of pathological mutations in germline and somatic genes suggests the possibility of MLH1 promoter methylation or MLH1 epimutation in the pathogenesis of this case.
Understanding fluoride adsorption from groundwater by alumina modified with alum using PHREEQC surface complexation model
Authors: Adu-Boahene Francis , Boakye Patrick , Agyemang Frank Ofori , Kanjua Jolly , Oduro‑Kwarteng Sampson
Published: March 2023

Fluoride is recognized as a vital ion for human and animal growth because of the critical role it plays in preventing skeletal and dental problems. However, when it is ingested at a higher concentration it can cause demineralization of teeth and bones resulting in fluorosis, therefore, the production of high-adsorptive capacity material which is also cost-effective is necessary for the treatment of fluorides. In this study, aluminium foil is valorised into alumina nanoparticles. The as-prepared alumina was modified with alum in two different ratios of 1:0.5 and 1:1 (alumina to alum w/w%) and later used as adsorbents for the removal of fluoride from groundwater. The adsorbents were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), point of zero charge and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Different factors that influence the removal efficiency of fluorides such as pH, initial concentrations, contact time and adsorbent dosage were studied and optimized using a simulated fluoride solution. The optimum conditions obtained were used to test real groundwater. The static experiment conditions were used to calibrate the PHREEQC geochemical model which was later used to simulate the fluoride sorption onto the modified alumina at different conditions. PHREEQC was also coupled with parameter estimation software (PEST) to determine equilibrium constants for the surface reactions between the fluoride species and the adsorbent in a way that the simulations accurately reflect the outcomes of laboratory experiments. Isotherm studies were carried out on the adsorbents. Both Langmuir and Freundlich's non-linear models fitted well for the equilibrium data. However, with a higher coefficient of regression and low chi-square test values, the adsorption process was more of chemisorption on a monolayer surface. Kinetic studies were also carried out by using the non-linear equations from the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. The pseudo-second-order model fitted well for the equilibrium data. The mechanism for the fluoride ion adsorption was also studied by the intraparticle (IP) diffusion model and was found that IP was not the rate-determining factor and therefore the most plausible mechanism for the sorption process was ion exchange or attraction of fluoride ions to the sorbent surface. The findings obtained from this research show that readily available waste could be valorised into a useful product that could be employed in the removal of fluoride from water samples, including groundwater, that may contain too much fluoride and pose a risk to the general public's health.
Trend Analysis Using Meteorological Data and Non-parametric Statistical Tests: A Case Study of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Authors: Choudhary Surendra Singh , Saini Rashmi
Published: March 2023

This paper presents trend analysis and change point detection of time-series data of climatic rainfall and temperature data for more than one century (Year 1901–2017) for Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. For detailed analysis, non-parametric test Mann-Kendall trend test (MK-test), Modified Mann-Kendall trend test (Modified MK test), and Modified Mann-Kendall trend test with pre-whitening (Modified MK-test PWMK), have been carried out for trend detection. In addition, Sen's Slope test has been performed to analyzed the magnitude of trend, whereas, Pettitt's test has been carried out to assess change point detection. Results indicated that Z-test of Mann-Kendall has shown overall positive trend in annual and all seasonal except winter season with respect to both the data i.e. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Climate Research Unit (CRU) data. Temperature analysis trends have shown a positive value for Z in yearly and all seasons, which indicated that there has been a general tendency toward rising temperatures. For annual and seasonal rainfall time series analysis, no shift has been observed; however, climatic variables have shifted for the past few years as a result of global changes in temperature and rainfall. Results revealed that trend assessment and shift point detection (annual and seasonal) rainfall was not more significantly changed at the 10% significant level. Three non-parametric statistical tests have shown that air temperature has increased at 10% significant level annually and on seasonal basis. Analysis of this study may be helpful to show the relationship among different parameters and determine the prediction of climatic data variables.
Investigating the Factor that Influences the Implementation of Virtual Reality for Science Learning
Authors: Sumardani Dadan , Lin Chih-Hung
Published: March 2023

Intensively developed virtual reality (VR) has great potential in education and can be reliably integrated into the classroom, fostering authenticity to facilitate the rapid developments in science. This research aims to investigate the factor that influence the implementation of VR and the correlation between each dimension of the technology acceptance model that can lead to intentions to use VR. The structural equation modeling is performed that was tested on participants of preservice teachers who performed simulated science explorations in the weightlessness concept. The results show that most participants believe that VR is useful in many educational contexts, including immersion, authentic learning, motivation, and engagement. Moreover, the predicted model has good explanatory power to predict intention to use VR in the classroom (R2 = 64.7%), influenced by usefulness, enjoyment, and absence of cybersickness. Educators and researchers should consider avoiding the 360-degree VR beyond the advantages of ease and economics, then adopt more comfortable and accessible graphics-based VR for implementation in the classroom, as well as the suitability of content for students to avoid any cybersickness.
Electromagnetically Induced Transparency Based on Spoof Localized Surface Plasmonic
Authors: Tong Jinye , Wang Yi , Xu Zhixia
Published: March 2023

In this paper, a pair of resonators to realize multiple electromagnetically induced transparency-like (EIT-like) transmission peaks operating in the microwave band is designed, where the symmetric double-ellipsoids (SDEs) and the spoof localized surface plasmons (spoof LSPs) are used as the bright and dark modes, respectively. In order to reveal the mechanism of multiple EIT-like, a simplified mechanical model consisting of multiple particles is derived to visualize the metamaterial. The simulation and measurement results are identical showing that the EIT-like metamaterial can produce three transparent EIT-like transmission peaks in the frequency range of 7 ~ 10 GHz. We next proposed a plasmonically induced transparency refractive index sensor working in the infrared regions and analyzed it by simulation to reveal the sensing potential of EIT-like metamaterial. In this sensor, the group delay is treated as a high-Q sensing parameter, which has broad applications in various surface sensing applications based on EIT-like metamaterials.
Association of LHCGR gene variant rs2293275 with the polycystic ovary syndrome risk: an updated meta-analysis
Authors: Ibrahim Mohanand A. , Almutairi Mikhlid H. , Almutairi Bader O.
Published: March 2023

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most pervasive endocrinopathy among women of reproductive age and its etiopathogenesis is poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the association of LHCGR polymorphic variant rs2293275 (p.Asn312Ser) with the PCOS risk. We performed a systematic literature survey and meta-analysis on 12 published studies containing rs2293275 and PCOS. Pooled odds ratio and confidence intervals were determined to evaluate the associations using STATA software. Bioinformatic analysis was also performed to evaluate the pathogenicity and conservation of LHCGR p.Asn312Ser. We analysed genotypic data from 2142 PCOS cases and 4464 controls from 12 independent studies. We did not find any cumulative association between the rs2293275 variant and the PCOS in the allelic model (G vs A: OR=1.30, 95%CI: 0.81 – 1.78, p>0.05) or genotypic dominant model (GG vs GA+AA: OR=1.08; 95%CI:0.65 – 1.51), with a fair heterogeneity among studies. The bioinformatic analysis revealed that the variant is highly frequent across different populations and the corresponding amino acid residue p.Asn312 is variable and unlikely to be pathogenic. The present meta-analysis indicated rs2293275 polymorphism of LHCGR gene may not modulate the risk of PCOS. More replicative studies are required to corroborate our findings.