bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinant Factor that Influence Muslim Consumers to Choosing Restaurant: The role of Halal, Expectation and Attributes
Authors: Bawono Anton , Saputra Yudi
Published: July 2022

Research related to halal food is dominated by halal manufactured products compared to halal restaurants products. Halal is a matter that concerns every aspect of Muslim life including food, it is important to know the factors that affect the purchase of restaurant product, in this case a halal restaurant. This research tries to find determinants of purchasing restaurant food in Indonesia. The model provide time dimension-based. Data collection was carried out through 438 questionnaires for Indonesian Muslim respondents and only 420 questionnaires could be analyzed. This research found that the halal label is not a direct variable that can influence restaurant food purchases. Men and women have different preferences in buying restaurant food. The results of this study are expected to be able to encourage restaurant manufacturers to adopt halal certification to increase sales. This research focuses on looking for determinants of restaurant food purchases, with time dimension-based modeling.
Quantification of free sialic acids, Effect of EHF therapy in pulmonary edema: a possible alternative in the fight against COVID-19
Authors: Jacquet Edner , Satskaya Zhanna , Tarasova Darya
Published: July 2022

The relevance of the problem of therapy and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with the development of pulmonary edema, the lack of rehabilitation methods and accurate diagnostic indicators of pulmonary edema. In this regard, the objective of this work was to evaluate the level of free sialic acids and the therapeutic effect of EHF therapy in rats with pulmonary edema. The work was carried out on 14 sexually mature female Wistar rats weighing 150-200g, divided into 3 groups. An EHF therapy biocorrector (CEM-TECH, 40–43 GHz, Russia) was used for 10 days for treatment. A standard reaction method with 2-thiobarbituric acid was used for the determination of free sialic acids. In the control group, the level of free sialic acids was increased by 2 times (0.420 ± 0.011 µmol / ml). In the experimental group, EHF therapy reduced the level of free sialic acids by 1.8 times (0.235 ± 0.043 µmol / ml). The level of free sialic acids increases with the development of pulmonary edema. This result may suggest the use of this indicator in addition to the known traditional methods of diagnosis and prognosis of pulmonary edema, as well as in pulmonary rehabilitation in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
The effects of a three-day mountain bike cycling race on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and heart rate variability in amateur cyclists: a prospective quantitative research design
Authors: Swart Anton , Constantinou Demitri
Published: July 2022

Background
Increased endurance exercise may cause an acute reduction in cardiac function, causing a physiological cascade. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a physiological measurement used to evaluate the autonomic nervous system (ANS) state. This study set out to determine the changes in the ANS by participating in a three-day mountain bike cycling event using HRV as an outcome measure.
Methods
Sixteen healthy participants (male and female) participating in a three-day mountain bike cycling event underwent five-minute resting electrocardiography (ECG) recordings in a supine position. In addition, heart rate variability measurements were recorded two days before the race (baseline testing), after each race day, and 24-hours post-event (recovery).
Results
Time-domain and frequency domain measures showed significant changes from baseline HRV parameters after each race day (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, our data revealed that the mean heart rate (HR) and R-R variability intervals did not return to baseline values after 24-hours of recovery. Thus, reflecting autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction due to increased sympathetic activity and parasympathetic withdrawal.
Conclusions
The main strength of this study is using HRV as a measuring and screening tool to assess cardiac autonomic activity, whereby the state of the ANS before and after endurance events can be measured. Thus, physicians, athletes, and coaches can assess the stress of endurance events on the ANS and plan for correct recovery strategies. The reasoning is that if the ANS is in a state of dysfunction, susceptible amateur athletes might be at risk for a cardiovascular event.
A flexible compartment model for simulation specific to COVID-19
Authors: Ohmori Hiroo
Published: July 2022

The dynamic relation among ‘Susceptible’, ‘Infected’, ‘Removed (Recovered)’, ‘Death’ and others for COVID-19 disease is a kind of multibody problem. It has been simulated mainly by compartment models, of which the representative is the SIR model. For the SIR model, ‘Infected’ infects ‘Susceptible’ through the recovery period, and ‘Infected’ is removed as ‘Removed’ not only from the disease but also from the community after the recovery period is ended. For COVID-19, however, the infected individuals should be isolated from the community when they become symptomatic after the latent period is ended. Thus, the infected individuals do not infect susceptible individuals in the community after the latent period, even during the recovery period. Additionally, the infection has occurred in the community even during the latent period before the infected individuals are isolated due to being symptomatic. These two facts for COVID-19 suggest that the simulation by the SIR model would be less accurate in calculating the number of infected individuals and that the results might mislead political and medical interventions. For the model proposed here, the infected individuals are isolated from the community when they become symptomatic after the latent period is ended, but the recovered individuals who have medically recovered and have immunity return to the community, and the infection occurs even during the latent period. The model shows remarkably different results from those simulated by the SIR model. The model also provides the processes evaluating the political and social countermeasures against COVID-19.
Potential cultivation areas of Euterpe edulis (Martius) for rainforest recovery, repopulation and açai production in Santa Catarina, Brazil
Authors: Vianna Luiz Fernando , Zambonim Fábio , Pandolfo Cristina
Published: July 2022

Euterpe edulis is an endangered palm species that provides the most important non-timber forest product exploited in its natural habitat, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest hotspot1,2. From 1991 to 2017, pasturelands, agriculture, and monoculture of tree plantations were responsible for 97% of Atlantic Forest deforested areas in Brazil and Santa Catarina was one of the Brazilian states with the greatest loss of forest area 3. In the last decade, E. edulis fruits reached their highest commercial value, producing the southeastern equivalent of Amazonian ‘‘açai’’ (Euterpe oleracea) 4–6. As a shade-tolerant species, E. edulis adapts very well to agroforestry systems 5,7. To evaluate potential areas for cultivation of E. edulis through agroforestry systems, we developed and applied a spatial model for mapping suitable areas. To accomplish this, we analyzed multisource biophysical data and E. edulis distribution data from the Forest Inventory of Santa Catarina. We identified two areas with potential occurrence of the species, one in the domains of coastal Dense Ombrophilous Forest where the species is more common and another in the domains of inland Deciduous Seasonal Forest where its occurrence was suspected, but not proven, until 2021. Today, Deciduous Seasonal Forest is the most fragmented and impacted by agriculture. Our model, together with confirmed areas of occurrence, indicates that deciduous seasonal forest region should be prioritized for production and recovery of E. edulis through agroforestry systems.
Bunium Persicum Seeds Extract in Combination with Vincristine Mediates Apoptosis in MCF-7 Cells through Regulation of Involved Genes and Proteins Expression
Authors: Samandari-Bahraseman Mohammad Rasoul , Ismaili Ahmad , Esmaeili-Mahani Saeed , Ebrahimie Esmaeil , Loit Evelin
Published: July 2022

Background
Seeds of Bunium persicum, a member of the Apiaceae family, are traditionally consumed in the Iranian diet. Although many of its biological properties have been fully studied, no reliable information about the anticancer/cytotoxicity of this herb is available currently.
Methods
Herein, we first determined the major bioactive compounds of B. persicum seeds extract (BPSE) using GC-Mass analysis. Then, the cytotoxicity of the extract alone and in combination with vincristine (VCR), a common chemotherapy drug, was investigated on Breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, and a normal cell line, MCF-10A, via MTT assay. Furthermore, the anticancer activity of these compounds was evaluated on MCF-7 cells through ROS assay, Real-Time PCR, Western blot, flow cytometry, and cell cycle assay.
Results
Our results showed that the extract considerably reduced the viability of cancerous cells while was harmless to normal ones. Besides, the combination of BPSE with VCR resulted in synergistic activity. The MCF-7 cells’ intracellular ROS increased more than 2 times after treatment with BPSE and/or BPSE-VCR. Moreover, the IC30 of BPSE (100 µg/ml) significantly increased the BAX/BCL-2 and P53 genes expression, while reducing the expression of the MYC gene. Also, the cell cycle was arrested in the G2 phase, in treated cells. The BPSE-VCR combination synergistically reduced the NF-κB and increased the Caspase-3 proteins’ expression. The percent of apoptosis in the cell treated with the extract, VCR, and their combination was 27, 11, and 50, respectively.
Conclusion
The present study demonstrated the anticancer activity of the BPSE and its potential for application in combination therapy with VCR.
Efficacy of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta for hemorrhage control in patients with abnormally invasive placenta: a historical cohort study
Authors: Ye Yuanhua , Li Jing , Liu Shiguo , Zhao Yang , Wang Yanhua , Chu Yijing , Peng Wei , Lu Caixia , Liu Chong , Zhou Jun
Published: July 2022

Background: Patients with abnormally invasive placenta (AIP) are at high risk of massive postpartum hemorrhage. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) as an adjunct therapeutic strategy for hemostasis offers the obstetrician an alternative for the treatment of patients with abnormally invasive placenta. This study aimed to evaluate the role of REBOA for hemorrhage control in patients with AIP. Methods: This is a historical cohort study with prospectively collected data at a single tertiary center between January 2014 to July 2021. In total, 364 singleton pregnant AIP patients with desire to preserve uterus and delivered were separated into two groups. The study group (balloon group, n=278) underwent REBOA during cesarean section, whereas the reference group (n=86) did not undergo REBOA. Surgical details and maternal outcomes were collected. The primary outcome was estimated blood loss and the rate of uterine preservation. Results: A total of 278 [76.4%] participants experienced REBOA during cesarean section. Patients in the balloon group had less mean (SD) blood loss during cesarean section (1370.5 [752.0] ml vs. 3536.8 [1383.2] ml; P<.001) and had their uterus salvaged more often (264 [95.0%] vs. 23 [26.7%]; P<.001). These patients were also less likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit after delivery (168 [60.4%] vs. 67 [77.9%]; P=.003) and had less mean (SD) operating time (96.3 [37.6] min vs. 160.6 [45.5] min; P<.001). The rate of neonatal intensive care unit admission (176 [63.3%] vs. 52 [60.4%]; P=.70) and total mean (SD) maternal medical costs ($4925.4 [1740.7] vs. $5083.2 [1705.1]; P=0.13) did not differ between the groups.Conclusions: As a robust hemorrhage-control technique, REBOA can reduce intraoperative hemorrhage in patients with AIP. The next step is to identify associated risk factors and define REBOA inclusion criteria to identify the subgroups of AIP patients who may gain more benefits.
Quantification of the methodological error in kinematic evaluation of the DRUJ using dynamic CT
Authors: Oonk J.G.M. , Dobbe J.G.G. , Streekstra G.J. , Strijkers G.J. , Strackee S.D.
Published: July 2022

Distal radio-ulnar joint (DRUJ) motion analysis using dynamic CT is gaining popularity. Following scanning and segmentation, 3D bone models are registered to (4D-)CT target frames. Imaging errors like low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), limited Z-coverage and motion artefacts influence registration, causing misinterpretation of joint motion. This necessitates quantification of the methodological error. A cadaver arm and dynamic phantom were subjected to multiple 4D-CT scans, while varying tube charge-time product and phantom angular velocity, to evaluate the effects of SNR and motion artefacts on registration accuracy and precision. 4D-CT Z-coverage is limited by the scanner. To quantify the effects of different Z-coverages on registration accuracy and precision, 4D-CT was simulated by acquiring multiple spiral 3D-CT scans of the cadaver arm. Z-coverage was varied by clipping the 3D bone models prior to registration. The radius position relative to the ulna was obtained from the segmentation image. Apparent relative displacement seen in the target images is caused by registration errors. Worst-case translations were 0.45-, 0.08- and 1.1 mm for SNR-, Z-coverage- and motion-related errors respectively. Worst-case rotations were 0.41-, 0.13- and 6.0 degrees. This study showed that quantification of the methodological error enables composition of accurate and precise DRUJ motion scanning protocols.
Influence of Hydrogenated Diesel/H2O2 Blend Fuel on Diesel Engine Performance and Exhaust Emission Characterization
Authors: Moujdin Iqbal Ahmed , Khan Muhammad Saad , Abulkhair Hani , Shaiban Amer , Organji Hussam , Alsaiari Abdulmohsen
Published: July 2022

The oxygenated hydro diesel (OHD) is prepared from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), acetone, and seaweed polysaccharide. A long-term study carried out the OHD fuel blend stability for about a year at various temperatures. The long-term stability shows very stable properties, no easy emulsion breaking, and a long storage period. The neat diesel and blend fuel performance test was conducted at various engine speeds, 1700-3100 RPM—the diesel blend with 5 wt.% and 10wt. % of H2O2 revealed the best fraction for reducing smoke and emissions. The blend contains 15 wt.% H2O2, revealing a significant reduction in exhaust temperature without considering the engine's performance. Moreover, the performance of the OHD also revealed an economizing rate, decreasing environmental pollution and prolonging the engine's service life. The diesel engine performance and environmental evaluation leading to exhaust emissions characterization (COX, SOX,NOX, and others). Based on the results, the various concentrations of H2O2 are an effective method for reducing the emission of diesel engines. Decreased CO, SO2 and unburned hydrocarbons, and NO2 were also observed as percentages of hydrogen peroxide were linearly increased. Due to increased oxygen content, the number of unburned hydrocarbons from diesel fuel decreased. Therefore, the OHD blend can significantly curtail the exhaust emission of conventional diesel fuel, which will help reduce the harmful greenhouse gas emissions from diesel fuel sources.
Diagnostic reliability of serum active vitamin B12 (holo-transcobalamin) in true evaluation of vitamin B12 deficiency:Relevance in current perspective
Authors: Dastidar Rinini , Sikder Kunal
Published: July 2022

Objective
Measurement of total vitamin B12 (vit B12) concentration raised concerns over early detection of vit B12 deficiency due to its clinical unreliability. In this present article we aimed to assess the efficacy of active vit B12 for the detection of true vit B12 deficiency. This retrospective study included 100 participants referred for vit B12 assay. Serum total vit B12, active vit B12 and homocysteine were estimated.
Results
Our study showed 59% of the total participants with vit B12 deficiency (185 ± 64.62 pg/ml) and 18% with hyper-cobalaminemia (1666.9 ± 367.13 pg/ml) based on their total vit B12 concentrations. A comparative study on total vit B12 and active vit B12 was done which reflected a striking disparity in results. Active vit B12 reported 28.8% patients with vit B12 deficiency (19.8 ± 17.48 pg/ml) and only 16.6% patients with hyper-cobalaminemia (224.14 ± 10 pg/ml). Active vit B12 appeared to be more sensitive (82.35%vs 65%) and specific (46.6% vs 43.8%) diagnostic marker compared to total vit B12. Pearson Correlation study indicated a strong positive correlation (r = 0.695 at p < 0.01) hence justified use of the two methods. Therefore, we claim that active vit B12 is a much more reliable biomarker than total vit B12 for early diagnosis of vit B12 deficiency.
Systemic management of water resources with environmental and climate change considerations
Authors: Sadeghi Behnam , Borazjani Mahmoud Ahmadpour , Mardani Mostafa , Ziaee Saman , mohammadi hamid
Published: July 2022

Due to water scarcity and its various uses, managing the supply and demand of resources in catchments is challenging. Therefore, modeling water resources and uses in catchments with a complex hydro system is essential. In the present study, modeling was performed for the southeastern part of the Aras River catchment area located in Iran. In this area, due to the implementation of policies to increase the cultivation area and the need to provide environmental water rights, there is intense competition for water, and this situation causes a lack of water supply for some sectors. In this study, water supply and demand in five sub-basins of Aras River were investigated using the WEAP MABIA model. four separate scenarios, including reference scenario (S1), reference scenario with a priority of meeting environmental demands (S2), and climate scenarios (S3, S4) under general circulation models (GCMs) based on the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) for the near (2021-2040), the middle (2041-2020) and the far (2061-2080) future periods were produced. Scenarios S3 and S4 considered the policy of increasing efficiency and the cultivated area to evaluate the response of sub-basins to changes in demand. The simulation results of scenario S1 show that the current water resources provide the existing requirements in wet years but are insufficient in dry years and years when the cultivated area has increased. Water shortage will also rise due to the policy of increasing the cultivated area and the impact of climate change, especially in scenarios S3 and S4. The results also indicated that in scenarios S3 and S4 in comparison with scenarios S1 and S2 the rate of lack of environmental water rights and the deficit of three aquifers in the study area has increased significantly, which requires the adoption of appropriate management policies to achieve sustainable water resources for all subsections.
Occipital encephalocele at a tertiary care hospital
Authors: AKILIMALI Aymar , CAKWIRA Hugues , BYIRINGIRO Elysée , Charmant Samuel MAYUWANO , ONESIME Jones , vérité CYUBAHIRO KARANGWA
Published: July 2022

BackgroundOccipital encephalocele is a rare congenital malformation, it is an anomaly of the brain and skull. It is defined as a defect of closure of the neural tube and it is associated with a hernia of the cerebral tissue outside the skull during the period of fetal development. Encephalocele affects between 0.4 and 4 cases per 10,000 births.The caseWe documented the case of a female Newborn from a full-term pregnancy and eutocic delivery, the baby was born eutrophic. She was admitted on the third day of life, followed for occipital encephalocele, and hospitalized in the neonatology department for specialized clinical and paraclinical monitoring while awaiting surgery. Surgery was performed in several stages, an occipital plasty with repositioning of the bulging area in the skull, removing protrusions, correcting deformities, and relieving the pressure that could interfere with the physiological development of the brain by a ventriculoperitoneal diversion of cerebrospinal fluid on the sixth day of life. This innervation involved the participation of different teams for optimal management. The patient did not develop any early postoperative complications and remained under observation in the neonatology department. His clinical evolution continued to improve in the days after the cure of the encephalocele.ConclusionThis case report demonstrates that folic acid intake during pregnancy can prevent the occurrence of the anomaly and that early repair significantly increases the child's vital and functional prognosis of the nervous system.
Impact of ropivacaine volume and concentration on functional recovery following surgical treatment of hip fractures: a randomized, observer-masked, controlled trial
Authors: Huang Ying , Dong Chun-Shan , Lu Yao , Wang Jun , Lu Qiang , Bao Hai-Feng , Liu Lang
Published: July 2022

Background: The pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block is a novel regional anaesthesia technique aiming to provide better hip analgesia without hampering motor function . However, the factor of pain on muscle strength cannot be ruled out and unexpected motor block has still been observed clinically. So it is unknown whether the motor-reservation is partly due to the effect of pain reduction and it is unknown whether this unexpected motor block is caused by the inappropriate dose of ropivacaine.Methods: We investigated the ropivacaine volume and concentration effect on muscle strength and analgesia. With ethical committee approval, 90 consenting patients undergoing surgical treatment of hip fractures were randomly allocated to receive one of three volume/concentration combinations of ropivacaine (20 ml/0.5%, 20 ml/0.25% and 10 ml/0.5%). The primary outcome measure was postoperative quadriceps strength using the knee extension test and Oxford muscle strength grading 12, with grouped scores of intact (5/5), reduced (1-4/5) and absent (0/5) measured at 6 and 12 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included postoperative pain scores (0-10 numeric rating scale), blood pressure, patient movement assessments, patient satisfaction and side effects.Results: Overall, 10 ml of 0.5% ropivacaine resulted in a lower incidence of quadriceps motor block at 6 hours (76.7% vs. 40.0% vs. 46.7%; p<0.05), 12 hours (86.7% vs. 53.3% vs. 53.3%; p<0.05). No intergroup differences were found in terms of postoperative pain scores at any interval (p>0.05). Similarly, we found no signiﬁcant differences in resting pain or exercise pain among the three groups . Conclusions: As for the PENG block, the effect of pain on muscle strength can be ruled out. Unexpected motor block of PENG block may be caused by inappropriate dose of ropivacaine. We found that 10 ml 0.5% ropivacaine resulted in better muscle strength, considering the significance of rapid rehabilitation, we recommend performing PENG block with 10 ml 0.5%Trial registration: ChiCTR2100052511 . Register Date 2021/10/30
Ex-situ catalytic cracking of gasifier tar using Ni-loaded pigeonpea stalk char catalyst
Authors: Mandal Sandip , Jena Prakash Chandra , Gangil Sandip , Pal Surendra , Haydary Juma
Published: July 2022

Purpose
Tar in producer gas causes detrimental effects in downstream pipelines in gasifier based power generation system. Ni-supported char based catalysts have been proven to be effective and low-cost solution for cracking of tar. Use of simple method to make the catalyst with locally available biomaterial and its optimization can effectively solve this problem.
Methods
This paper includes efficacy of ex-situ catalytic cracking temperature, Ni-loading, particle size of char catalyst and catalyst bed depth on cracking efficiency. Producer gas generated from pigeonpea stalk pellets using a laboratory scale downdraft gasifier was passed through a hot catalyst bed in an ex-situ reactor. Taguchi method was used for de-compositional analysis of the variables affecting tar-cracking efficiency.
Results
Experiments showed increase in cracking efficiency with increasing temperature, Ni loading, bed depth and with decrease in particle size. Optimum values of operating parameters were 700 °C catalyst bed temperature, 0.3 M Ni loading, 5–10 mm particle size and 400 mm bed depth. Improvement in gas composition with the increase in Ni-loading was observed.
Conclusion
These findings confirmed that using pigeonpea stalk char supported with Ni, tar in producer gas can be decomposed to the tune of 84% at 600°C which can be easily achievable at the peripheral space of oxidation zone in a downdraft gasifier. With further increase in temperature to 700°C and using low size of 1–5 mm catalysts cracking efficiency can be achieved up to 93%. Catalytic cracking also improved the quality of producer gas.
Effects of the material properties and thickness on the minimum formable radius in the subtle feature forming process
Authors: Chung Yun-Chan , YU Jae-Hyeong , Jung Kyu-Seok , Song Yong-Ho , Jeon Young-Bae , Kim Young-Jae , Jun Sung-Min , Kwon Sung-Oh , LEE Chang-Whan
Published: July 2022

The subtle feature geometry, also called a feature line, is considered an important geometric characteristic of automotive outer panels. The influences of material properties and thickness on the radius of curvature of subtle features were investigated in this study. First, the stamping process was simplified to a combined forming process between tensile and bending deformation. Subsequently, test materials, namely, 180B2, 210B2, CR2, CR3, and CR4, with various thickness values were adopted in the finite element analysis and experiments. In addition, the radius of curvature with respect to the material, thickness, punch radius, and punch angle was studied. The simulation results were compared with the experimental results for verification. From this comparison, it was found that the simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental data. Finally, the forming characteristics of the subtle feature-forming process were investigated to determine the effects of the material properties and thickness on the radius of curvature. The reason for the minimum formable radius when the radius of the punch was zero was studied. The results showed that, as the material thickness increased, more concentrated deformation occurred in the central region. In contrast, the radius of curvature of the subtle features increased as the thickness of the central region decreased. Similarly, decreased n-value results were identified for the same reason as the increased radius of curvature.
Exploring the chaotic relationships of Annelida produced by mitogenomic data: skew inversions and their effect on evolutionary studies
Authors: Lei Hong-Peng , Jakovlić Ivan , Zou Hong , Zhang Dong
Published: July 2022

BackgroundSeveral studies have shown that the phylogeny of Annelida is pronouncedly data- and methodology-influenced. Inversions of the origin of replication (ORI) in mitochondrial genomes may interfere with phylogenetic reconstruction, as well as other evolutionary studies in Arthropoda. ORI events and their impacts on evolutionary analyses remain very poorly understood in other metazoan lineages. This also includes the Annelida, in which a handful of studies merely reported inverted base composition skews in isolated lineages.ResultsWe observed that some of the inverted-skew species exhibited long branches and ‘rogue’ behaviour in phylogenetic analyses. This made us hypothesise that ORI events may be a major factor interfering with phylogenetic reconstruction in Annelida. We first inferred the evolutionary history of ORI events in Annelida on a dataset comprising almost all available annelid mitogenomes (174). We identified twelve new ORI species and six ORI events in total. Most ORI events occurred at lower taxonomic levels (species, genus, family), but one was mapped to a common ancestor of sister-families Sabellidae & Serpulidae, and one to the entire suborder Hirudiniformes. In comparison to non-ORI lineages, ORI lineages exhibited a higher: mutational saturation, number of nonsynonymous substitutions, dN/dS ratios, hydropathicity of the translated gene products, and compositional heterogeneity; but a lower codon bias index. They also exhibited relaxed purifying selection pressures. We found several putative examples of ORI events causing artefactual clustering of lineages with homoplastic base composition biases in phylogenetic analyses. We attempted several different strategies aimed at stabilizing the topology, such as the removal of ORI species and third codon sites, but none of these managed to fully stabilize the topology.ConclusionsWe inferred the evolutionary history of skews in annelids and explored the underlying mechanisms by which ORI events may cause artefactual clustering. We conclude that ORI events may be one of the causes for the chaotic relationships of Annelida. In the context of currently available strategies for phylogenetic reconstruction, mitogenomes are not suitable for studying the phylum-level and class-level phylogeny of Annelida. Given the strong evidence that ORIs may interfere with evolutionary studies in annelids, researchers should pay close attention to indications of skew inversions.
Molecular mapping and characterization of QTLs for grain quality traits in a RIL population of US rice under high nighttime temperature stress
Authors: Kumar Anuj , Thomas Julie , Gill Navdeep , Dwiningsih Yheni , Ruiz Charles , Famoso Adam , Pereira Andy
Published: July 2022

Elevated nighttime temperatures resulting from climate change significantly impact the rice crop worldwide. The rice (Oryza sativa L.) plant is highly sensitive to high nighttime temperature (HNT) during grain-filling (reproductive stage). HNT stress negatively affects grain quality traits and has a major impact on the value of the harvested rice crop. In addition, along with grain dimensions determining rice grain market classes, the grain appearance and quality traits determine the rice grain market value. During the last few years, there has been a major concern for rice growers and the rice industry over the prevalence of rice grains opacity and the reduction of grain dimensions affected by HNT stress. Hence, the improvement of heat-stress tolerance to maintain grain quality of the rice crop under HNT stress will bolster future rice value in the market. In this study, 185 F11-recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from two US rice cultivars, Cypress (HNT-tolerant) and LaGrue (HNT-sensitive) were screened for the grain quality traits grain length (GL), grain width (GW), and percent chalkiness (%chalk) under control and HNT stress conditions and evaluated to identify the genomic regions associated with the grain quality traits. In total, there were 15 QTLs identified; 6 QTLs represented under control condition explaining 3.33–8.27% of the phenotypic variation, with additive effects ranging from − 0.99 to 0.0267 on six chromosomes and 9 QTLs represented under HNT stress elucidating 6.39 to 51.53% of the phenotypic variation, with additive effects ranging from − 8.8 to 0.028 on nine chromosomes for GL, GW, and % chalk. These 15 QTLs were further characterized and scanned for natural genetic variation in a japonica diversity panel (JDP) to identify candidate genes for GL, GW, and %chalk. We found 6,160 high impact single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) characterized as such depending on their type, region, functional class, position, and proximity to the gene and/or gene features, and 149 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the 51Mbp genomic region comprising of the 15 QTLs. Out of which, 11 potential candidate genes showed high impact SNP associations. Therefore, the analysis of the mapped QTLs and their genetic dissection in the US grown japonica rice genotypes at genomic and transcriptomic levels provide deep insights into genetic variation beneficial to rice breeders and geneticists for understanding the mechanisms related to grain quality under heat stress in rice.
Enabling pathways for sustainable livelihoods in planned relocation
Authors: Bower Erica , Badamikar Anvesh , Wong-Parodi Gabrielle , Field Christopher
Published: July 2022

The planned relocation of entire communities to less hazard-exposed destinations is an increasingly salient climate change adaptation strategy, yet often results in maladaptive livelihood outcomes. Drawing on data from fourteen completed flood-related relocation cases, we assessed planning decisions (community engagement, site distance, scale, speed, and transfer dynamics) and outcomes in terms of changes to relocated people’s access to physical, economic, natural, human, social, and cultural assets. Through fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, we investigated how such decisions, alone and taken together, contributed to sustainable livelihood outcomes. We find that relocation processes initiated and driven by community members had better outcomes than government driven processes. Speed and transfer dynamics were also critical, although varied for small and large communities. As a result, multiple pathways of planning decisions can lead to improved outcomes, highlighting potential entry points for policy to promote more sustainable and people-centered planned relocation.
Investigation of chip formation of Ti-6Al-4V in oxygen-free atmosphere
Authors: Denkena Berend , Bergmann Benjamin , Schaper Florian
Published: July 2022

Titanium and titanium alloys have high strength at low density, good corrosion resistance and excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, the use of titanium materials is well established in high performance applications such as aerospace and biomedical. However, titanium and titanium alloys such as Ti-6Al-4V have low thermal conductivity, exhibit unfavorable chip formation with typical segmented chips, and have high chemical affinity to surrounding elements such as oxygen. Tool wear and the properties of the component surface and sub-surface are significantly influenced by the presence of oxygen and resulting chemical interactions. Among other things, chemical reactions such as oxidation occur due to the high temperatures and presence of oxygen. In this work, the chip formation of Ti-6Al-4V at different cutting speeds in discontinuous orthogonal cutting process under different atmospheres is investigated. A conventional air atmosphere, a pure argon atmosphere, and a silane-doped atmosphere were used. The oxygen content of the silandoped argon atmosphere corresponds to an extremely high vacuum (XHV), which is practically oxygen-free. It was found that chip formation is affected by the surrounding atmosphere. At the cutting speed vc = 80 m/min, non-periodic segmentation is present under oxygen-free atmosphere, while segmental chip formation occurs under air. This is accompanied by up to 16.5% lower feed force under inert gas atmosphere, which is due to reduced friction caused by the use of an oxygen-free atmosphere.
Community Dialogue Meetings among District Leaders Improved Their Willingness to Receive COVID-19 Vaccines in Western Uganda, May 2021
Authors: Nsubuga Edirisa Juniour , Fitzmaurice Arthur G. , Komakech Allan , Odoi Tom Dias , Kadobera Daniel , Bulage Lilian , Kwesiga Benon , Elyanu Peter James , Ario Alex Riolexus , Harris Julie R.
Published: July 2022

Background
Widespread COVID-19 vaccine uptake can facilitate epidemic control. A February 2021 study in Uganda suggested that public vaccine uptake would follow uptake among leaders. In May 2021, Baylor Uganda led community dialogue meetings with district leaders from Western Uganda to promote vaccine uptake. We assessed the effect of these meetings on the leaders’ COVID-19 risk perception, vaccine concerns, perception of vaccine benefits and access, and willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine.
Methods
All departmental district leaders in the 17 districts in Western Uganda, were invited to the meetings, which lasted approximately four hours. Printed reference materials about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines were provided to attendees at the start of the meetings. The same topics were discussed in all meetings. Before and after the meetings, leaders completed self-administered questionnaires with questions on a five-point Likert Scale about risk perception, vaccine concerns, perceived vaccine benefits, vaccine access, and willingness to receive the vaccine. We analyzed the findings using Wilcoxon’s signed-rank test.
Results
Among 268 attendees, 164 (61%) completed the pre- and post-meeting questionnaires, 56 (21%) declined to complete the questionnaires due to time constraints and 48 (18%) were already vaccinated. Among the 164, the median COVID-19 risk perception scores changed from 3 (neutral) pre-meeting to 5 (strong agreement with being at high risk) post-meeting (p < 0.001). Vaccine concern scores reduced, with medians changing from 4 (worried about vaccine side effects) pre-meeting to 2 (not worried) post-meeting (p < 0.001). Median scores regarding perceived COVID-19 vaccine benefits changed from 3 (neutral) pre-meeting to 5 (very beneficial) post-meeting (p < 0.001). The median scores for perceived vaccine access increased from 3 (neutral) pre-meeting to 5 (very accessible) post-meeting (p < 0.001). The median scores for willingness to receive the vaccine changed from 3 (neutral) pre-meeting to 5 (strong willingness) post-meeting (p < 0.001).
Conclusion
COVID-19 dialogue meetings led to district leaders’ increased risk perception, reduced concerns, and improvement in perceived vaccine benefits, vaccine access, and willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These could potentially influence public vaccine uptake if leaders are vaccinated publicly as a result. Broader use of such meetings with leaders could increase vaccine uptake among themselves and the community.
Factors associated with pharmacological treatment in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders: retrospective study of a series of 77 cases in a single third-level reference center in Apulia Region
Authors: Amendola Simone , Fanizza Isabella , Scoditti Sara , De Rinaldis Marta , TRABACCA ANTONIO
Published: July 2022

Background: The present study analyzed data of children and adolescents with a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who referred to the ADHD reference center Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea (Brindisi, Italy) for ADHD pharmacotherapy initiation and monitoring overtime. The main aim of the study was to examine differences between patients according to pharmacological treatment status, i.e., treatment continuation vs discontinuation.Methods: Seventy-seven children and adolescents (mean age at pharmacotherapy initiation= 9.5, standard deviation= 2.6) with ADHD received drugs treatment for ADHD at the reference center between January, 2013 and May, 2022. Demographic and clinical data were obtained from the Italian Registry for ADHD and medical records. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) available data were used.Results: Pharmacological treatment status was examined for patients (n= 63) with at least 12 months of follow-up after the first pharmacological administration for ADHD. After starting pharmacotherapy treatment, 49 (77.8%) patients were still on treatment whereas 14 (22.2%) discontinued it. No between group difference was observed on demographic and clinical data except for quotient of intelligence/intellectual disability and rule-breaking behavior (n= 40). Conclusions: The findings of this study highlighted the need of periodical assessment monitoring difficulties with (or reasons for poor) treatment compliance in order to provide individualized care, and were discussed according to recent scientific evidence.
NRAP: Nearest reliable anchors-based wireless positioning for irregular multi-hop networks
Authors: Hu Xiayun , WANG Mingyue , YAN Jiajia , DONG Hai
Published: July 2022

The position of nodes is the critical foundation for information transfer between "person to things" and "things to things" at any time and from any location in wireless multi-hop networks. The hop-based wireless positioning technology has received widespread attention because it does not requiring additional ranging devices. However, most existing hop-based positioning algorithms ignore the network topology irregularities issues, which are frequently observed in multi-hop networks and may lead to poor positioning performance. In this paper, we present a novel wireless positioning algorithm, named NRAP, for irregular networks based on the nearest reliable anchors to mitigate the impact of topology irregularities. Specifically, a more accurate per-hop distance estimation model is firstly adopted. Then, NRAP divides the entire network into multiple sub-networks with the node to be positioned and its nearest four neighbor anchor nodes. Moreover, a hybrid particle swarm optimization and natural selection algorithm are employed to search in each sub-network to find the optimal estimated position of the node to be positioned. We evaluate and analyze the performance of NRAP under various network topologies and parameters in comparison with the many state-of-the-art works, and the results further demonstrated the superior performance than these benchmarks.
Long-term Administration of CU06-1004 Ameliorates Cerebrovascular Aging and BBB Injury in Aging Mouse Model: A Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Kim Hyejeong , Noh Minyoung , Zhang Haiying , Kim Yeomyeong , Park Songyi , Park Jeongeun , Kwon Young-Guen
Published: July 2022

Background
Age-related changes in the cerebrovasculature, including blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and vascular dementia are emerging as potential risks for many neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, endothelial cells that constitute the cerebrovasculature play a key role in preventing brain injury. Our previous study showed that CU06-1004, endothelial cell dysfunction blocker, prevented vascular leakage and enhanced vascular integrity in ischemic reperfusion injury and normalization of tumor vasculature. Here, we evaluate the effects of CU06-1004 on age-related decline in cerebrovascular function of aged mice brain.
Results
In this study, we investigated the protective effects of CU06-1004 on reducing oxidative stress-induced damage in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). HBMECs were treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to establish an oxidative stress-induced cellular injury model. Pretreatment with CU06-1004 considerably reduced oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity, ROS generation, senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, and senescence markers in HBMECs. Additionally, pretreatment with CU06-1004 decreased the expression levels of inflammatory proteins, compared to H2O2 treatment alone. Based on the cytoprotective effect of CU06-1004 in HBMECs, we further examined the vascular protective effects of CU06-1004 on cerebrovascular aging in aged mice. Long-term administration of CU06-1004 alleviated age-associated cerebral microvascular rarefaction and cerebrovascular senescence in the aged mouse brain. CU06-1004 supplementation also reduced extravasation of plasma IgG by improving BBB integrity in the aged mouse brain. This improvement in BBB integrity was associated with reduced neuronal injury and cognition memory dysfunction in aged mice. A series of behavioral tests revealed improved motor and cognitive function in aged mice that received CU06-1004.
Conclusion
These findings suggest CU06-1004 has promise as a therapeutic for delaying age-related cerebrovascular impairment and improving cognitive function in old age.
Five-Band Millimeter-Wave Antenna of Circular/Linear Polarization for Forthcoming Generations of Mobile Handsets
Authors: Elsharkawy Rania , fawzy khalid , Farahat Asmaa
Published: July 2022

A compact planar antenna is proposed to operate in five millimeter-wave frequency bands at 28, 51, 55, 59, and 63 GHz. The antenna is designed to produce circular polarization at 28 GHz and linear polarization at the other four frequencies. The 28 GHz frequency band is recommended for long range communications, whereas the other four frequencies are recommended for short range communications due to the atmospheric absorption in this range of the millimeter-wave frequencies and to provide more secure communications. The reasons behind the selection of the specific values of the higher frequency bands (51, 55, 59, and 63 GHz) are (i) to provide enough number of multiple bands at such unlicensed frequency range to be used as alternatives for different applications, (ii) to give about 4 GHz separation between the center frequencies of each band and, (iii) finally, to avoid the operation at 60 GHz, in particular, due to the peak atmospheric absorption of millimeter-wave encountered at this frequency. The antenna is constructed as a square patch surrounded by five parasitic elements that are capacitively coupled to the square patch so as to realize the location of the resonant frequencies of the higher frequency bands. The antenna is fabricated and its performance is experimentally evaluated. The proposed antenna is shown to operate efficiently over the five frequency bands 28, 51, 55, 59, and 63 GHz providing impedance matching bandwidths of 2.0, 0.9, 1.2, 1.1, and 1.6 GHz, respectively. The corresponding values of the maximum gain are 7.0, 6.8, 6.0, 6.0, and 8.0 dBi, respectively. Also, the corresponding radiation efficiencies are 90%, 90%, 91%, 78%, and 86%, respectively. The 3 dB- axial ratio bandwidth at 28 GHz is about 1.2 GHz.
Effects of obesity, and of weight loss following bariatric surgery, on methylation of DNA from the rectal mucosa and in cfDNA from blood
Authors: ElGendy Khalil , Malcomson Fiona , Afshar Sorena , Bradburn Mike , Mathers John C.
Published: July 2022

Background
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism through which environmental factors including obesity influence health. Obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for many common diseases including cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Obesity-induced inflammation resulting from aberrantly-methylated inflammatory genes may drive disease risk. This study is the first to investigate the effects of weight loss induced by bariatric surgery (BS) on DNA methylation in the rectum and in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from blood.
Subjects and Methods:
DNA methylation was quantified in rectal mucosal biopsies and cfDNA from serum of 28 participants with obesity before and 6 months after BS, as well as in12 Non-Obese participants matched for age and sex from the Biomarkers Of Colorectal cancer After Bariatric Surgery (BOCABS) Study. DNA methylation of LEP, IL6, POMC, LINE1, MAPK7 and COX2 was quantified by pyrosequencing.
Results
BMI decreased significantly from 41.8kg/m2 pre-surgery to 32.3kg/m2 at 6 months after BS. Compared with Non-Obese participants, obesity was associated with lower LEP methylation in both the rectal mucosa and in cfDNA from serum. BS normalised LEP methylation in DNA from the rectal mucosa but not in cfDNA. BS decreased methylation of some CpG sites of LINE1 in the rectal mucosal DNA and in cfDNA to levels comparable with those in Non-Obese participants. Methylation of POMC in rectal mucosal DNA was normalised at 6 months after BS.
Conclusion
BS normalised LINE1, POMC and LEP methylation in the rectal mucosa of patients with obesity to levels similar to those in Non-Obese individuals. These findings support current evidence of effects of BS-induced weight loss on reversibility of DNA methylation in other tissues. The DNA methylation changes in the rectal mucosa shows promise as a biomarker for objective assessment of effects of weight-loss interventions on risk of cancer and other diseases.