bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
O PRIMADO DO AMOR NA AMORIS LAETITIA: APROXIMAÇÕES À TEOLOGIA DE DUNS SCOTUS
Authors: Almeida Juliano Ribeiro
Published: April 2021

Este artigo analisa particularmente a exortação apostólica pós-sinodal Amoris Laetitia, situando-a na mesma linha que outros textos promulgados pelo Papa Francisco, que priorizam a caridade em relação à verdade. Tal preferência aproxima o magistério deste pontificado da tradição filosófica e teológica chamada Escola Franciscana, especialmente na pessoa de João Duns Scotus, considerado um pensador à altura de Tomás de Aquino. O pensamento escotista, devido às suas importantes diferenças, representa uma alternativa em relação ao tomista. Em Amoris Laetitia, o Papa Francisco apresenta continuidade doutrinal com o magistério papal anterior, mas inova ao ressaltar mais o amor conjugal do que os aspectos canônicos do sacramento do matrimônio, o que abre espaço para novas práticas de pastoral familiar.
Quantitative Coastal Resilience Assessment Framework under Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
Authors: Wu Tao
Published: April 2021

Accompanied by increasing population growth and urban sprawl, most coastal cities are unprecedentedly vulnerable to climate change and its impacts, such as sea level rise, increasing extreme storm events, and coastal flooding. Coastal resilience and sustainable development are antidotes to vulnerability; they aim to enhance the adaptive capability of absorbing disturbances and resisting uncertainty. This study explores building a quantitative assessment framework to measure resilience and provide an objective and comparable method to understand the strengths and weaknesses in a given region. The proposed 25 resilience indicators incorporate the aspects of essential livelihood protection, infrastructure and natural resource maintenance, emergency facilities and institutions, floodplain management regulations, and adaptive planning process. Each indicator is assigned the resilience quality that includes robustness, resourcefulness, redundancy, and rapidity. The aggregated resilience quality scoring reflects the systematic performance of the city to cope with the coastal hazards. The innovative part of this framework is combining hazard mitigation measures, climate adaptation strategies, and sustainable development goals together to achieve a comprehensive assessment method. In the case of New Haven, the resilience assessment is taken as a practical monitoring tool and decision-making support.
Сравнение двух методов распараллеливания вычислений при решении интегро-дифференциального уравнения переноса излучения
Authors: Николаева Ольга Васильевна , Nikolaeva Ol'ga Vasil'evna
Published: April 2021

Рассматривается задача распараллеливания вычислений при решении интегро-дифференциального уравнения переноса излучения в сильно рассеивающих средах. Распараллеливание выполняется для двухшагового итерационного алгоритма решения системы сеточных уравнений. На первом шаге применяется метод простой итерации. На втором шаге к сеточным значениям, полученным на первом шаге, прибавляется ускоряющая сходимость итераций поправка. Уравнение для поправки решается методом подпространств Крылова. Выполнено сравнение эффективности двух методов распараллеливания двухшагового итерационного алгоритма. В BJ (Block Jacobi) методе расчет простой итерации выполняется локально в каждой пространственной подобласти. В BS (Block Seidel) методе выполняется сквозной расчет по всей области. Оба метода реализованы в программе РАДУГА Т решения уравнения переноса на неструктурированных сетках. Исследование эффективности методов выполнено на модели легководного реактора.
Extraction of Guardrails from MMS Data Using Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Matsumoto Hiroki ,   The University of Electro-Communications 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan, Mori Yuma , Masuda Hiroshi
Published: April 2021

Mobile mapping systems can capture point clouds and digital images of roadside objects. Such data are useful for maintenance, asset management, and 3D map creation. In this paper, we discuss methods for extracting guardrails that separate roadways and walkways. Since there are various shape patterns for guardrails in Japan, flexible methods are required for extracting them. We propose a new extraction method based on point processing and a convolutional neural network (CNN). In our method, point clouds and images are segmented into small fragments, and their features are extracted using CNNs for images and point clouds. Then, features from images and point clouds are combined and investigated using whether they are guardrails or not. Based on our experiments, our method could extract guardrails from point clouds with a high success rate.
PENGARUH KOMPETENSI SUMBER DAYA MANUSIA, PENERAPAN STANDAR AKUNTANSI PEMERINTAH, PENERAPAN SISTEM AKUNTANSI KEUANGAN DAERAH DAN NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT TERHADAP KUALITAS LAPORAN KEUANGAN PEMERINTAH
Authors: Jultri Antonia , Made Anwar , Wirshandono Y. Doni
Published: April 2021

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui Pengaruh Kompetensi Sumber Daya Manusia (SDM), Penerapan Standar Akuntansi Pemerintah (SAP), Penerapan Sistem Akuntansi Keuangan Daerah(SAKD), Dan New Public Management Terhadap “Kualitas Laporan Keuangan Pemerintah”. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode kuantitatif, dengan menggunakan jenis penelitian Eksplanatori explanatory research. Adapun metode pengambilan sampel yang digunakan adalah Teknik Purposive sampling yaitu dilakukan pada 65 Pegawai Badan Keuangan dan Aset Daerah dengan Teknik pengumpulan data melalui penyebaran kuesioner atau angket. Sedangkan tehknik analisis data dalam penelitian ini menggunakan teknik uji asumsi klasik serta analisis statistic regresi linear berganda Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa secara simultan dan parsial Pengaruh Kompetensi Sumber Daya Manusia (SDM), Penerapan Standar Akuntansi Pemerintah (SAP), Penerapan Sistem Akuntansi Keuangan Daerah (SAKD), dan New Public Management berpengaruh terhadap “Kualitas Laporan Keuangan Pemerintah”. Penerapan Sistem Akuntansi Keuangan Daerah berpengaruh negatif dan signifikan terhadap Kualitas Laporan Keuangan Pemerintah. Variabel lain berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap Kualitas Laporan Keuangan Pemerintah.
Jeopardy classroom instruction: Fostering students’ motivation to learn English vocabulary
Authors: Kusumaningrum Widya Ratna , Binarti Endang
Published: April 2021

The issue, dealing with gamification to foster learners’ motivation and vocabulary in learning English, has been investigated recently. It is perceived that gamification will directly affect the teaching-learning process and determine the learning ambiance. This study aims to shed light on the extent of the employment of Jeopardy Classroom Instruction to foster EFL learners’ motivation to learn English vocabulary. The study deployed an action research method with three phases of pre-cycle, cycle 1, and cycle 2. Pre-cycle was to document the initial classroom condition before using Jeopardy Classroom Instruction, while cycle 1 and cycle 2 were for knowing the teaching-learning process situation during the use of Jeopardy Classroom Instruction. The participants were junior high school students. The data were collected through observation, closed-ended questionnaire, and students’ score. The results suggested that Jeopardy Classroom Instruction is an adjunct to aid students’ motivation to learn vocabulary. It helped students to acquire self-belief, learning focus, the value of learning, study management, planning and monitoring and persistence. Also, it mitigated some motivation guzzlers such as learning anxiety, low control, failure avoidance and self-sabotage that might hinder them from learning vocabulary.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Jeopardy Classroom Instruction helped students to acquire self-belief, learning focus, the value of learning, study management, planning and monitoring and persistence. 

It mitigated some motivation guzzlers such as learning anxiety, low control, failure avoidance and self- sabotage that might hinder them from learning vocabulary.
Evaluating reading-writing materials for office administration students
Authors: Solihat Siti Maryam , Darmahusni  , Sumarni Sri
Published: April 2021

Office Administration students at VHS require English reading-writing materials to assist them acquiringcompetencies as stated in SKNNI. The present study aimed to evaluate the existing materials and seektheir relevance to SKNNI. The evaluation involved three English textbooks entitled Bahasa InggrisSMA/MA/SMK/MAK for Grade X, XI, and XII through checklist method. The authors used an evaluativechecklist adapted from Cunningsworth (1995) and focused on three aspects — learning objective,language content, and text type. The results show that learning objectives in all assessed textbooksmismatch with the competencies defined in SKKNI. Likewise, language content (grammar andvocabulary) covered in those textbooks is irrelevant with language knowledge needed as the basics toattain the competencies in SKKNI. Then, the textbooks provide the kind of texts which are distinct fromthose required by SKKNI that must be business documents. Although one topic in textbook for GradeXII relates to office administration (about job application), it remains insufficient. To put it simply, thefindings indicate that the three textbooks do not correspond to the national standards, so they areinappropriate for Office Administration students. Therefore, designing reading-writing materials basedon SKNNI is the future action in response to the results of this study.
Prevotella Copri Increases Fat Accumulation in Pigs Fed by Formula Diets
Authors: Chen Congying , Fang Shaoming , Wei Hong , He Maozhang , Fu Hao , Xiong Xinwei , Zhou Yunyan , Wu Jinyuan , Gao Jun , Yang Hui , Huang Lusheng
Published: April 2021

Background: Excessive fat accumulation of pigs is undesirable, as it severely affects economic returns in the modern pig industry. Studies in humans and mice have examined the role of the gut microbiome in host energy metabolism. Commercial Duroc pigs are often fed formula diets with high energy and protein contents. Whether and how the gut microbiome under this type of diet regulates swine fat accumulation is largely unknown.Results: In the present study, we systematically investigated the correlation of gut microbiome with pig lean meat percentage (LMP) in 698 commercial Duroc pigs and found that P. copri was significantly associated with pig fat accumulation. Fat pigs had significantly higher abundance of P. copri in the gut. High abundance of P. copri was correlated with increased concentrations of serum metabolites related to chronic inflammation, e.g., lipopolysaccharides, branched chain amino acids, aromatic amino acids, and the metabolites of arachidonic acid. Host intestinal barrier permeability and chronic inflammation response were increased. A gavage experiment using germ-free mice confirmed that the P. copri isolated from experimental pigs was a causal species increasing host fat accumulation and altering serum metabolites. Colon, adipose tissue, and muscle transcriptomes in gavage mice indicated that P. copri colonization activated host chronic inflammatory responses through the TLR4 and mTOR signaling pathways and significantly upregulated the expression of the genes related to lipogenesis and fat accumulation, but attenuated the genes associated with lipolysis, lipid transport, and muscle growth.Conclusions: Taken together, the results identified and confirmed that P. copri in the gut microbial communities of pigs fed by commercial formula diets results in significantly increased host fat deposition. We propose a possible mechanism of P. copri affecting fat accumulation. The results provide fundamental knowledge for reducing pig fat accumulation through regulating the gut microbial composition.
A new species of Balansia (Clavicipitaceae) associated with a cyperaceous plant in Brazil
Authors: Guterres Debora , Ramos-Sobrinho Roberto , Pinho Danilo B. , Assunção Iraildes P. , Lima Gaus S.A.
Published: April 2021

Fungal species belonging to the genus Balansia (Clavicipitaceae) are well known as endophytic and epibiotic species commonly found on grasses or sedges. Among the 36 species of Balansia described worldwide, ten have been reported in Brazil. While most species of balansoid fungi were described on graminaceous plants, only four were characterized on cyperaceous hosts. To correctly identify the species of balansoid fungi associated with Scleria bracteata (Cyperaceae), specimens were collected in the state of Alagoas, Brazil, in 2014 and 2016. Nucleotide partial sequences of the second-largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1), 18S subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU), 28S subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU), and internal transcribed spacers (ITS) were obtained from each balansoid specimen. Based on morphology and molecular data, the specimens were identified as a putative new species of Balansia, herein referred to as Balansia scleriae sp. nov.
Virucidal activity of the antiseptic mouthwash and dental gel containing anionic phthalocyanine derivative: in vitro study
Authors: Santos Caique Andrade , Orcina Bernardo da Fonseca , Reia Verônica Brito , Ribeiro Lucas Gabriel , Grotto Rejane Maria Tommasini , Prudenciatti Aruã Mastrangelo , de Moraes Leonardo Nazario , Zangrando Mariana Schutzer Ragghianti , Vilhena Fabiano Vieira , Santos Paulo Sérgio da Silva
Published: April 2021

Aim: This research suggested an in vitro virucidal action of a dental gel and a mouthwash with phthalocyanine derivative.Purpose: The aim of this study was to report an in vitro study evaluating the virucidal capacity of mouthwash and dental gel containing anionic phtalocyanine derivate (APD).Methods: The research followed the recommendations of the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) and adapted methodology, described in the standards EN14776: 2015; ASTM E1053-11 and the Robert Koch Institute - RKI, in addition to Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). The determination of the percentage of inactivation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus particles was carried out by imposing the viral solution in contact with the respective tested products, with intervals of 30 seconds, 1 and 5 minutes, with subsequent submission of the aliquots, recovered in cell culture microplates following virus titration using the TCID50 (50% Median Tissue Culture Infectious Dose).Results: The Mouthwash APD presented 90% of viral inactivation percentage while the dental gel APD demonstrated 99.99% of viral inactivation.Conclusion: In vitro analyzes showed that mouthwash and dental gel APD can reduce the viability of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles.
Change of Hospitalization Status Among Patients With End-Stage Kidney Disease Before and After Receiving Chronic Hemodialysis
Authors: Li Hsiu-Lan , Tai Pei-Hui , Hwang Yi-Ting , Lin Shih-Wei , Lan Li-Ching
Published: April 2021

Background:Compared with other diseases, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) carries a greater risk of comorbidities including diabetes and anemia and has a higher hospital admission rate. The cause of hospital admission appears to be a common factor affecting the prognosis of patients with ESKD. Therefore, this study conducted a retrospective cohort analysis on all patients diagnosed with ESKD and receiving hemodialysis, investigating whether the type of their diagnosis for hospital admission changed before and after they started hemodialysis.Methods:This study recruited 592 patients with ESKD who received hemodialysis at any period between January 2005 and November 2017 and had been assigned the International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code for ESKD. The patients’ demographic data and hospitalization status one year before and two years after they received hemodialysis were analyzed. A McNemar test was conducted to analyze the diagnostic changes from before to after hemodialysis in patients with ESKD.Results:The study’s sample of patients with ESKD comprised more women (51.86%) than men and had an average age of 67.15 years. The numbers of patients admitted to hospital for the following conditions all decreased significantly after they received hemodialysis: type 2 (non-insulin-dependent and adult-onset) diabetes; native atherosclerosis; urinary tract infection; gastric ulcer without mention of hemorrhage, perforation, or obstruction; pneumonia; reflux esophagitis; duodenal ulcer without mention of hemorrhage, perforation, or obstruction; and bacteremia. Most patients exhibited one or more of the following comorbidities: diabetes (n = 407, 68.75%), hypertension (n = 491, 82.94%), congestive heart failure (n = 161, 27.20%), ischemic heart disease (n = 125, 21.11%), cerebrovascular accident (n = 93, 15.71%), and gout (n = 96, 16.22%). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that changes in the ICD-9-CM codes for native atherosclerosis, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and hyperkalemia were associated with age. Patients who developed pneumonia before or after they received hemodialysis tended to be older (range: 69–70 years old). Conclusions:This study investigated the causes of hospital admission among patients with ESKD one year before and two years after they received hemodialysis. This study results revealed hypertension to be the most common comorbidity. Regarding cause of admission, pneumonia was more prevalent in older than in younger patients. Moreover, changes in the ICD-9-CM codes of native atherosclerosis, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and hyperkalemia were significantly correlated with age. Therefore, when administering comprehensive nursing care and treatment for ESKD, clinicians should not focus only on comorbidities but also consider factors (e.g., age) that can affect patient prognosis.
Characterisation of Tuberculosis Mortality in Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya: Analysis of Data Between 2002 and 2016
Authors: Gichuki Judy , Mategula Donnie
Published: April 2021

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the key public health problems in Africa. Due to multifaceted challenges, its burden is poorly described in informal settlements. We describe tuberculosis mortality in informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of 2002-2016 verbal autopsy data from the Nairobi Urban Health Demographic Surveillance System (NUHDSS). A descriptive analysis of deaths assigned as caused by TB was done. Pearson chi-square tests were used to determine differences between background characteristics. Logistic regression was carried out to examine the risk of death from TB within the background characteristics.Results: There were 6,218 deaths in the NUHDSS within the period of analysis, of which 930 (14.96 %) were deaths from TB. There was a downward trend of TB deaths while the average number of TB deaths per year was 62(SD 23.9). Males had 1.39 higher odds of dying from TB than females (AOR 1.39; 95% CI 1.18-1.64; p-value <0.001). Compared to those aged 30-39 years, the ≥50-year-olds had a 42 % lower chance of dying from TB (AOR 0.57; 95% CI 0.47-0.73; p-value <0.001). Those dying at home had 1.39 odds of dying from TB as compared to those who died in a health facility(AOR 1.93; 95% CI 1.17-1.64; p value<0.001).Conclusion: There was a reduction in TB deaths over the study period. Males had the highest risk of death. There is a need to strengthen TB surveillance and access to TB diagnosis and treatment within informal settlements to enhance early diagnosis and treatment.
The zombification and reanimation of purple urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) in response to food availability
Authors: Dolinar Dillon , Edwards Mathew
Published: April 2021

To survive periods of starvation, organisms can reduce their metabolism and/or decrease energy allocation to reproduction. This is especially important for coastal rocky reefs where widespread kelp deforestation has become increasingly common in recent decades. This deforestation often results in the formation of urchin barrens that have high densities of herbivorous sea urchins and little macroalgae for them to consume. While it is clear that these barrens can persist for years to decades, it is unclear how the urchins within them survive such prolonged periods without regular access to macroalgae. Here, we show that urchin metabolism and gonad mass both decrease significantly when the urchins are starved, and that these urchins regain normal metabolic activity and gonad masses when access to food is restored. However, if urchins occur in barren areas that receive drift algae from nearby kelp forests, it appears they can maintain normal metabolic activity and gonad mass. Together, our results provide experimental evidence that reducing metabolism may be a primary strategy for avoiding starvation in urchins occurring within barrens. Our results can be especially important to researchers looking to restore kelp forests and to urchin fishers who seek to harvest these urchins for their gonads but currently cannot because their gonads are of poor quality. Additionally, this has important implications for consumers in other ecosystems where access to energetic resources is spatially or temporally variable and can point to new avenues of research to explain how organisms adjust their energetic needs to survive extended periods of starvation.
Factors Affecting Self-Care Among Hypertensive Older Adults Dwelling in the Community: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Jung Soo Youn , Moon Kyoung Ja
Published: April 2021

Background: Hypertension is a prevalent health problem in older adults, with better outcomes expected through proper self-care. However, little is known about the effects of cognitive function level on self-care in older adults living in the community. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted from October 2019 to January 2020, analyzed the effect of cognitive function on self-care in elderly individuals aged > 65 years with hypertension who visited a local general hospital for the treatment of hypertension. The Korean versions of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K) were used to assess cognitive function. The Hypertension Self-Care Behavior Scale (HBP-SC Behavior Scale) was used to analyze the subjects’ self-care, which was divided into diet behavior and health behavior (except diet). The general characteristics and degrees of self-care of the subjects were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the factors affecting self-care. Results: Factors influencing HBP-SC diet behavior scores were religion (β =.27, SE = 0.69, p =.007) and MoCA-K scores (β =.31, SE = 0.08, p = .002). HBP-SC health behavior (except diet) scores were associated with comorbidities (β = −.20, SE = 0.60, p = .032), and the power of the model was 20%. However, there were no variables that significantly affected the total HBP-SC score, which included the diet behavior and health behavior (except diet) scores. Conclusions: Although there was no significant factor influencing the total HBP-SC score, religion, MoCA-K scores, and comorbidities were factors influencing diet behavior and health behavior (except diet). Therefore, tailored education takes into account religion, MoCA-K domains, and comorbidities is necessary to promote self-care in hypertensive older adults.
A novel nomogram based on cardia and chemotherapy to predict postoperative overall survival of gastric cancer patients
Authors: Mo Hanjun , Li Pengfei , Jiang Sunfang
Published: April 2021

Background: We aimed to establish and externally validate a nomogram to predict the 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) of gastric cancer (GC) patients after surgical resection and explored the roles of cardia and chemotherapy.Methods: A total of 6543 patients diagnosed with primary GC during 2004-2016 were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. We grouped patients diagnosed during 2004-2012 into a training set (n=4528) and those diagnosed during 2013-2016 into an external validation set (n=2015). A nomogram was constructed after univariate and multivariate analysis. Performance was evaluated by Harrell’s C-index, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), decision curve analysis (DCA), and calibration plot.Results: The multivariate analysis identified age, race, location, tumor size, T stage, N stage, M stage, and chemotherapy as independent prognostic factors. In multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio (HR) of non-cardia was 0.762 (P<0.001), and that of chemotherapy was 0.556 (P<0.001). Our nomogram was found to exhibit excellent discrimination: in the training set, Harrell’s C-index was superior to that of the 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM classification (0.736 vs 0.699, P<0.001); the C-index was also better in the validation set (0.748 vs 0.707, P<0.001). The AUCs for 3- and 5-year OS were 0.806 and 0.815 in the training set and 0.775 and 0.783 in the validation set, respectively. The DCA and calibration plot of the model also shows good performance.Conclusions: We established a well-designed nomogram to accurately predict the OS of primary GC patients after surgical resection. We also further confirmed the prognostic value of cardia and chemotherapy in predicting the survival rate of GC patients.
Effect of Sublethal Concentrations of the Antiparasitic Ivermectin on the Polychaete Species Hediste Diversicolor: Biochemical and Behavioral Responses
Authors: Nunes Bruno , Pinheiro Diana , Gomes Ana
Published: April 2021

Pharmaceutical drugs have emerged as major micropollutants in aquatic ecosystems. Their presence has been systematically reported in monitoring survey, and their wide distribution and constant presence in the wild is a direct consequence of their massive use, in both human and veterinary therapeutics. Drugs used to treat parasitic infections in livestock are major contaminants, given the amounts in which they are administered, and reach the aquatic compartment in high amounts, where they may affect non target species. Some of these drugs are prone to find their final deposit in sediments of estuarine areas, exerting their toxic effects preferentially at these locations. Sediment dwelling organisms of coastal areas, such as polychaetes, are especially prone to have their major physiological functions compromised. Ivermectin is one of the most used antiparasitic drugs, and its effects are not limited to biochemical traits, but also behavioral features may be compromised considering their neurotoxic actions. Despite these putative effects, little is known about their toxicity on polychaetes. The present study aimed to characterizes the toxicity of realistic levels of ivermectin on the polychaete Nereis diversicolor, in biochemical and behavioral terms. The obtained results showed that low levels of ivermectin are capable of causing significant disturbances in mobility and burrowing activity of exposed worms, as well as alterations of metabolic and anti-oxidant defense efficacy of exposed animals, suggesting that its environment presence may mean a major environmental concern.
Crystallographic, Energy Gap, Photoluminescence and Photo-Catalytic Investigation of Cu Doped Cd0.9Zn0.1S Nanostructures by Co-Precipitation Method
Authors: Raju P. , Jesuraj Joseph Prince , Muthukumaran S.
Published: April 2021

The controlled synthesis of Cd0.9Zn0.1S, Cd0.89Zn0.1Cu0.01S and Cd0.87Zn0.1Cu0.03S nanostructures by simple chemical co-precipitation technique was reported. The XRD investigation confirmed the basic CdS cubic structure on Zn-doped CdS and also Zn, Cu dual doped CdS with no secondary/impurity related phases. No modification in cubic structure was detected during the addition of Zn/Cu into CdS. The reduction of crystallite size from 63 Å to 40 Å and the changes in lattice parameter confirmed the incorporation of Cu into Cd0.9Zn0.1S and generation of Cu related defects. The shift of absorption edge along upper wavelength region and elevated absorption intensity by Cu doping can be accredited to the collective consequence of quantization and the generation of defect associated states. The enhanced optical absorbance and the reduced energy gap recommended that Cd0.87Zn0.1Cu0.03S nanostructure is useful to enhance the efficiency of opto-electronic devices. The presence of Cd-S / Zn-Cd-S /Zn/Cu-Cd-S chemical bonding were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared investigation. The elevated green emissions by Cu incorporation was explained by decrease of crystallite size and creation of more defects. Zn, Cu dual doped CdS nanostructures are recognized as the possible and also efficient photo-catalyst for the removal dyes like methylene blue. The enhanced photo-catalytic behaviour of Zn, Cu dual doped CdS is the collective consequences of high density electron-hole pairs creation, enhanced absorbance in the visible wavelength, surface area enhancement, reduced energy gap and the formation of novel defect associated states. The stability measurement signified that Cu doped Cd0.9Zn0.1S exhibits superior dye removal ability and better stability even after 6 repetitive runs with limited photo-corrosion.
EBSD Study on Proeutectoid Ferrite and Eutectoid Ferrite Refinement Mechanism of D2 Wheel Steel Under a Rolling Condition
Authors: Hua Jun , Liu Pengtao , Zhao Xiujuan , Su Chong , Ren Ruiming
Published: April 2021

In this paper, the SEM (with EBSD system) is used to study the refinement mechanism of proeutectoid ferrite (Pro-f) and eutectoid ferrite (Eut-f) of D2 wheel steel in a rolling contact. The results indicate that with the increase of the shear strain (γ<0.21), the dislocation density in the proeutectoid ferrite increased continuously, and the dislocation cells formed were uniformly distributed in the grains. Subsequently, the dislocation cell boundaries were changed into low-angle boundaries (LABs), and then the low-angle boundaries were gradually changed into the high-angle boundaries (HABs), and the average grain size was refined from the original 8 μm to 710 nm. When the shear strain is at 0.21≤γ≤0.84, dislocation piled up occurred at the ferrite side of the interface of eutectoid ferrite/cementite, and the spatial misorientation between adjacent two eutectoid ferrites increased gradually, then the ferrite lamellar is divided into bamboo-like by the low-angle boundaries, and proeutectoid ferrite the grains are gradually refined into equiaxed grain. When the shear strain is at 0.84<γ<3.314, the number of high-angle boundaries inside the eutectoid ferrite lamellar increased, and it is refined into bamboo-like grains. The two kinds of ferrite grains are repeatedly refined many times by the equiaxial grains "elongation- bamboo like refinement-elongation", which gradually reduced the size difference. As the shear strain further increases, the two kinds of ferrite are completely mixed into the same morphology, the dislocation density is dramatically reduced, and ultra-fine equiaxed grains about 110 nm is formed.
Immediate Hypersensitivity Reaction Followed by Successful Oral Desensitization to Ursodiol
Authors: Lee Erika Yue , Song Christine
Published: April 2021

Background: Immediate hypersensitivity reaction to ursodiol is rare and there is no previously published protocol on ursodiol desensitization. Case presentation: A 59-year-old woman with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) developed an immediate hypersensitivity reaction to ursodiol – the first-line treatment for PBC. When she switched to a second-line treatment, her PBC continued to progress. As such, she completed a novel 12-step desensitization protocol to oral ursodiol. She experienced recurrent pruritus after each dose following desensitization, which subsided after a month of being on daily ursodiol.Conclusion: Immediate hypersensitivity reaction to ursodiol is uncommon. Our case demonstrated that this novel desensitization protocol to ursodiol could be safely implemented when alternative options are not available or have proven inferior in efficacy.
Differential Response of Oxidative and Glycolytic Skeletal Muscle Fibers to Mesterolone
Authors: Asfour Hasan A. , Shaqoura Emad I. , Said Raed S. , Mustafa Ayman G. , Emerald Bright Starling , Allouh Mohammed Z.
Published: April 2021

Background: Oxidative and glycolytic muscle fibers differ in their ultrastructure, metabolism, and responses to physiological stimuli and pathological insults. We examined whether these fibers respond differentially to exogenous anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) by comparing morphological and histological changes between the oxidative anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) and glycolytic pectoralis major (PM) fibers in adult avian muscles. Methods: Adult female White Leghorn chickens (Gallus gallus) were randomly divided into five groups: a vehicle control and four mesterolone treatment groups (4, 8, 12, and 16 mg/kg). Mesterolone was administered orally every three days for 4 weeks. Immunocytochemical techniques and morphometric analyses were employed to measure the changes in muscle weight, fiber size, satellite cell (SC) composition, and number of myonuclei. Results: Mesterolone increased both body and muscle weights and induced hypertrophy in glycolytic PM fibers but not in oxidative ALD fibers. Mesterolone induced SC proliferation in both muscles; however, the myonuclear accretion was noticeable only in the PM muscle. In both muscles, the collective changes maintained a constant myonuclear domain size and the changes were dose independent.Conclusion: Mesterolone induced distinct dose-independent effects in avian oxidative and glycolytic skeletal muscle fibers; these findings might be clinically valuable in the treatment of age-related sarcopenia.
A Pilot Study of a Culturally-Appropriate, Educational Intervention to Increase Participation in Cancer Clinical Trials Among African Americans and Latinos
Authors: Cunningham-Erves Jennifer , Mayo-Gamble Tilicia , Hull Pamela C , Lu Tao , Barajas Claudia , McAfee Caree R. , Sanderson Maureen , Canedo Juan R. , Beard Katina , Wilkins Consuelo H.
Published: April 2021

Aim: Culturally-appropriate, educational programs are recommended to improve cancer clinical trial participation among African Americans and Latinos. This study investigated the effect of a culturally-appropriate, educational program on knowledge, trust in medical researchers, and intent for clinical trial participation among African Americans and Latinos in Middle Tennessee.Method: Trained community health educators delivered a 30-minute presentation with video testimonials to 198 participants in 13 town halls. A pre-post survey design was used to evaluate the intervention among 102 participants who completed both pre- and post-surveys one to two weeks after the session. Results: Paired-sample t-test showed significant increases in unadjusted mean scores for knowledge (p < .001), trust in medical researchers (p < .001), and willingness to participate in clinical trials (p = .003) after the town halls in the overall sample. After adjusting for gender and education, all three outcomes remained significant for the overall sample (knowledge: p < .001; trust in medical researchers: p < .001; willingness: p = .001) and for African Americans (knowledge: p < .001; trust in medical researchers: p = .007; willingness: p = .005). However, willingness to participate was no longer significant for Latinos (knowledge: p < .001; trust in medical researchers: p = .034; willingness: p = .084).Conclusions: The culturally-appropriate, educational program showed promising results for short-term, clinical trial outcomes. Further studies should examine efficacy to improve research participation outcomes.
Deep and Shallow Neural Networks for Blockchain in Edge Computing Environment
Authors: Mulani Samina Shiraj , Dua Amit , Tanwar Sudeep , Kumar Neeraj
Published: April 2021

With the rise in traffic congestion and associated costs, it becomes crucial to readily make available accurate traffic reports to the general public and also to predict the traffic levels to mitigate further congestion. Various tools and technologies have emerged to solve the aforementioned problem, which comprises of secure and accurate data collection, storage, utilisation of this data for the purpose of prediction, and making required data available to the public. Motivated from the aforementioned discussion, in this paper, various approaches to solve this larger puzzle have been discussed and analysed, and a holistic solution combining the power of blockchain, InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), and neural networks has been suggested. Simulation results show that an LSTM model with 50 time steps and 200 units in the hidden layer, followed by a dense layer leads to minimum Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) value, with a randomly generated but complete dataset. Security analysis of the proposed solutions shows its efficacy compared to state-of-the-art approaches.
Clinical-radiological predictive model in differential diagnosis of small (≤ 20 mm) solitary pulmonary nodules
Authors: Zhao Hai-Cheng , Xu Qing-Song , Shi Yi-Bing , Ma Xi-Juan
Published: April 2021

Background: There is a lack of clinical-radiological predictive models for the small (≤ 20 mm) solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs). We aim to establish a clinical-radiological predictive model for differentiating malignant and benign small SPNs.Materials and Methods: Between January 2013 and December 2018, a retrospective cohort of 250 patients with small SPNs was used to construct the predictive model. A second retrospective cohort of 101 patients treated between January 2019 and December 2020 was used to independently test the model. The model was also compared to two other models that had previously been identified.Results: In the training group, 250 patients with small SPNs including 156 (62.4%) malignant SPNs and 94 (37.6%) benign SPNs patients were included. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that older age, pleural retraction sign, CT bronchus sign, and higher CEA level were the risk factors of malignant small SPNs. The predictive model was established as: X = -10.111 + [0.129 × age (y)] + [1.214 × pleural retraction sign (present = 1; no present = 0)] + [0.985 × CT bronchus sign (present = 1; no present = 0)] + [0.21 × CEA level (ug/L)]. Our model had a significantly higher region under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (0.870; 50% CI: 0.828-0.913) than the other two models. Conclusions: We established and validated a predictive model for estimating the pre-test probability of malignant small SPNs, that can help physicians to choose and interpret the outcomes of subsequent diagnostic tests.
Long-Term Modelling Reveals Contrasting Population Trends Among North American Hummingbirds
Authors: English Simon G. , Bishop Christine A. , Wilson Scott , Smith Adam C.
Published: April 2021

As pollinators, hummingbirds play a critical role for both the function of ecological communities and in providing ecosystem services for people. Throughout North America, this diverse family of birds is experiencing impacts of transformations to their habitat. To examine the conservation status of North American hummingbirds, we analyzed Breeding Bird Survey data for 8 species and 3 genera from 1970 to 2019 (long-term) and from 2009 to 2019 (short-term, approximately three generations). Among the Selasphorus genus, Allen’s, rufous, and broad-tailed hummingbirds have declined since 1970, and the rate of decline increased from 2009 to 2019. In a reversal of the trends from the past half-century, ruby-throated hummingbirds of Eastern North America have declined since approximately 2004 throughout most of the species range. In contrast, Anna’s hummingbird populations have increased dramatically since 1970 in their range in western North America. This increase is most exaggerated in Canada, related to a northern range expansion. Our results highlight contrasting population trends across species and provide an important first step to address declines, most notably among species in the Selasphorus and Archilochus genera. Our geographic modelling also emphasizes the need to prioritize regions of conservation interest in the breeding and wintering ranges of hummingbirds.
SSR Marker Based Genetic Diversity Analysis and SNP Haplotyping of Genes Associating Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance, Rice Growth and Development and Yield Across 93 Rice Landraces
Authors: Vasumathy Smitha Kunhiraman , Alagu Manickavelu
Published: April 2021

I. Background: As rice is the staple food for more than half of the world population, enhancing grain yield irrespective of the variable climatic conditions is indispensable. Many of the traditionally cultivated rice landraces are well adapted to severe environmental conditions and have high genetic diversity that could play an important role in crop improvement.II. Methods and Results: The present study disclosed high level of genetic diversity among the unexploited rice landraces cultivated by farmers of Kerala. Twelve polymorphic markers detected a total of seventy- seven alleles with an average of 6.416 alleles per locus. PIC value ranged from 0.459 to 0.809 and to differentiate the rice genotypes, RM 242 was found to be the most appropriate marker with the highest value of 0.809. The current study indicated that the rice landraces were highly diverse with higher values of the effective number of alleles, PIC, and Shannon information index and utilizing these informative SSR markers for future molecular characterization and population genetic studies in rice landraces are advisable. Haplotypes are sets of genomic regions within a chromosome that are inherited together and haplotype-based breeding is a promising strategy for designing next-generation rice varieties. Here, haplotype analysis explored 270 haplotype blocks and 775 haplotypes from all the chromosomes of landraces under study. The number of SNPs in each haplotype block ranged from two to 28. Haplotypes of genes related to biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, yield-enhancing, and growth and development in rice landraces were also elucidated in the current study.III. Conclusions: The present investigation revealed genetic diversity of rice landraces and the haplotype analysis will open the way for genome wide association studies, QTL identification, and marker assisted selection in the unexplored rice landraces collected from Kerala.
Clinical outcomes of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in COVID-19 related acute respiratory distress syndrome: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ali Husain S , Elshafei Moustafa S , Saad Mohamed O , Mitwally Hassan A , Wraidat Mohammad Al , Aroos Asra , Shaikh Nissar , Ananthegowda Dore C , Abdelaty Mohamed A , George Saibu , Nashwan Abdulqadir J , Mohamed Ahmed S , Khatib Mohamad Y
Published: April 2021

Background: Immunomodulatory property of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been used to counteract severe systemic inflammation in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, its use in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19 pneumonia is not well established.Methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed electronic health records of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) at Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital, Qatar, between March 7, 2020, and September 9, 2020. Patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation for moderate-to-severe ARDS were divided into two groups based on whether they received IVIG therapy. The primary outcome was all-cause ICU mortality. Secondary outcomes studied were ventilator-free days and ICU-free days at day-28 and incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI). Propensity score matching was used to adjust for confounders, and the primary outcome was compared using competing-risks survival analysis.Results: Among 590 patients included in the study, 400 received routine care, and 190 received IVIG therapy in addition to routine care. One hundred eighteen pairs were created after propensity score matching with no statistically significant differences between the groups. Overall ICU mortality in the study population was 27.1%, and in the matched cohort, it was 25.8%. Mortality was higher among IVIG-treated patients (36.4% vs. 15.3%; sHR 3.5; 95% CI 1.98- 6.19; P<0.001). Ventilator-free days and ICU-free days at day-28 were lower (P<0.001 for both), and the incidence of AKI was significantly higher (85.6% vs. 67.8%; P=0.001) in the IVIG group.Conclusion: IVIG therapy in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 related moderate-to-severe ARDS was associated with higher ICU mortality. A randomized controlled study is required to confirm this observation further.
Effect of magnetic field on Newtonian fluid sandwiched between non-Newtonian fluids through porous cylindrical shells
Authors: Maurya Deepak Kumar , Deo Satya
Published: April 2021

The present work deals with the influence of magnetic field on Newtonian fluid sandwiched between two porous cylindrical pipes which are filled with micropolar fluids. Fluid motion is occurring along z*-axis and applied magnetic field is taken in the direction perpendicular to the direction of fluid motion. On applying appropriate boundary conditions, velocity profiles, microrotations, flow rate and shear stresses are obtained for the corresponding fluid regions. The graphs for volumetric flow rate and fluid velocity are plotted and discussed for different values of micropolar parameter, couple stress parameter, porosity, viscosity ratio parameter, Hartmann number, conductivity ratio parameters and Darcy numbers.MSC (2020): 76A05, 76S05, 76W05, 35Q35
RF and microwave photonic signal processing with Kerr micro-combs
Authors: Moss David
Published: April 2021

Integrated Kerr micro-combs, a powerful source of many wavelengths for photonic RF and microwave signal processing, are particularly useful for transversal filter systems. They have many advantages including a compact footprint, high versatility, large numbers of wavelengths, and wide bandwidths. We present our recent work on photonic RF and microwave high bandwidth temporal signal processing based on Kerr micro-combs with spacings from 49-200GHz. We cover integral and fractional Hilbert transforms, differentiators as well as integrators. The potential of optical micro-combs for RF photonic applications in functionality and ability to realize integrated solutions is also discussed.
A Novel Provably Secure Key-Agreement Using Secret Subgroup Generator
Authors: Babiker Abdelhaliem
Published: April 2021

In this paper, a new key-agreement scheme is proposed and analyzed. In addition to being provably secure in the shared secret key indistinguishability model under Decisional Diffie-Hellman assumption for subgroup of matrices over GF(2) with prime order, which considered as basic security requirement, the scheme has an interesting feature; it uses exponentiations over cyclic group using hidden secret subgroup generator as a platform for the key exchange, whereby - unlike many other exponentiation based key exchange schemes - it transcends the reliance on intractability of Discrete Logarithm Problem in its security.
Identification of TCR repertoires in functionally competent cytotoxic T cells cross-reactive to SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Shimizu Kanako , Iyoda Tomonori , Sanpei An , Nakazato Hiroshi , Okada Masahiro , Ueda Shogo , Kato-Murayama Miyuki , Murayama Kazutaka , Shirouzu Miyako , Harada Naoko , Hidaka Michihiro , Fujii Shin-ichiro
Published: April 2021

SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells are detectable in infected individuals but are low in unexposed healthy donors (UHD). Little is known about whether pre-existing human coronavirus (HCoV)-specific CD8+ T cells are converted to functionally competent T cells cross-reactive to SARS-CoV-2. Induction of cross-reactive immunity requires the recognition of multiple epitopes. Here, we show that SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells elicited in response to a selected dominant epitope are multifunctional and respond to various HCoVs in UHD. TCRαβ chains from each T cell clone were identified; TCRαβ-transduced T cells responded broadly to the relevant epitopes on several HCoVs, thus implying that TCRαβ may exhibit selective diversity at the single-cell level. We further defined four sets of optimal SARS-CoV-2-peptides and demonstrated the response of CD8+ T cells even in hematological malignant patients. Together, the proposed epitopes inducing pre-existing CD8+ T cells to cross-react with SARS-CoV-2 may be beneficial in vaccine development.