bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of high-protein distillers dried grains on growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs
Authors: Rao Zhong-Xing , Goodband Robert D , Tokach Mike D , Dritz Steve S , Woodworth Jason C , DeRouchey Joel M , Calderone Hilda I , Wilken Mallorie F
Published: March 2021

A total of 1,890 growing-finishing pigs (PIC; 359 × 1,050; initially 27.1 kg) were used in a 124-d growth trial to compare the effects of high-protein distillers dried grains (HPDDG; 39% crude protein [CP]) or conventional distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS; 29% CP) on growth performance and carcass characteristics. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial with main effects of distillers dried grains source (conventional DDGS or HPDDG) and level (15% or 30%). A corn–soybean meal-based diet served as the control and allowed linear and quadratic level effects to be determined within each distillers dried grains (DDG) source. All diets were formulated on an equal standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys-basis with diets containing HPDDG having less soybean meal than diets with conventional DDGS. Pens were assigned to treatments in a randomized complete block design with initial weight as the blocking factor. There were 27 pigs per pen and 14 pens per treatment. Overall, increasing conventional DDGS decreased (linear, P < 0.04) final body weight (BW), whereas increasing HPDDG tended to decrease (linear, P = 0.065) final BW. The decreased final BW was a result of decreased (linear, P < 0.01) ADG in the grower phase of the study as either DDG source increased. However, there were no differences observed in the finisher phase or overall ADG between pigs fed either DDG source or either inclusion level. Pigs fed HPDDG had decreased (P < 0.001) ADFI and increased (P < 0.001) G:F compared with those fed conventional DDGS. For carcass traits, increasing either conventional DDGS or HPDDG decreased carcass yield and HCW (linear, P < 0.02); however, there were no differences between pigs fed HPDDG or conventional DDGS. Iodine value (IV) increased (linear, P < 0.02) with increasing DDG and was greater (P < 0.001) in pigs fed HPDDG than conventional DDGS. In summary, pigs fed HPDDG had no evidence of difference in overall ADG compared to pigs fed conventional DDGS, but had greater overall G:F. Carcass fat IV was also greater in pigs fed HPDDG compared with pigs fed conventional DDGS. These differences were probably due to the difference in oil content.
Anthracnose Risk Establishment Based on Age-Related Susceptibility of Grape Leaves, Flowers, and Berries to Infection by Elsinoë ampelina
Authors: Carisse Odile , Levasseur Audrey , Provost Caroline
Published: March 2021

Anthracnose is an important disease of grapevines caused by the fungus Elsinoë ampelina. In recent years, there have been regular outbreaks in humid grape-growing regions around the world. Young leaves and berries are reported to be highly susceptible to E. ampelina, but detailed and seasonal development of age-related susceptibility remains unclear. Experiments were conducted under greenhouse and vineyard conditions by inoculating 1- to 19-day-old leaves, flowers, and berries at different phenological stages of three grapevine cultivars (Vandal-Cliche, Marquette, and Vidal). Leaf susceptibility was highest when inoculated at 1 to 2 days old, and inoculated leaves were moderately susceptible at 3 to 6 days old and almost resistant when older than 6 days. The influence of leaf age on anthracnose relative severity was adequately described by an exponential decay model. The susceptibility of the inflorescences was high when inoculated from their initiation to the full flowering (50% fall of the caps), and the inflorescences/flowers were moderately susceptible until veraison, after which the berries were practically resistant. The flower/berry susceptibility as a function of degree-days accumulated since 1 April was modeled using a sigmoid model. Based on this model, 50% disease incidence is reached when 656, 543, and 550 degree days are accumulated for the cultivars Vandal-Cliche, Marquette, and Vidal, respectively. These results suggest that the risk of anthracnose development is high from bud-break to fruit set, and on newly emerged leaves either early in the season or following pruning. More knowledge on anthracnose epidemiology is needed, but these results could be used to improve timing of fungicide applications and pruning activities.
Where Do We Go From Here? The Delivery of Addiction Treatment in a Post-COVID World
Authors: McCann-Pineo Molly , Polydorou Soteri
Published: March 2021

Many healthcare institutions across the nation experienced significant disruptions in addiction treatment services as a result of COVID-19. As restrictions now begin to loosen, there is an opportunity to transition towards a new treatment structure informed by the experience from both the current public health crisis and precrisis operations. However, there is currently limited information on how best to do so, leaving many providers and specialty programs searching for answers. The permanent integration of recent regulatory changes into routine clinical practice, specifically regarding prescribing flexibility and use of telehealth, is yet to be determined, but implementation experience highlights the adaptability within this field of medicine. Providing patients with a spectrum of care that is both clinically informed and technologically supported should be at the forefront as we settle into a postcrisis world.
Targeted polymeric nanoparticle for anthracycline delivery in hypoxia-induced drug resistance in metastatic breast cancer cells
Authors: Almoustafa Hassan A. , Alshawsh Mohammed A. , Chik Zamri
Published: March 2021

Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles are intensively studied nanocarriers in drug delivery because of their biodegradability and biochemical characteristics. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating for nanocarriers gives them long circulation time in blood and makes them invisible to the reticuloendothelial system. Breast cancer cells have greater uptake of hyaluronic acid compared to normal cells as it binds to their overexpressed CD44 receptors. Since hypoxia plays an important role in cancer metastasis; we formulated PEG–PLGA nanoparticles coated with hyaluronic acid as targeted delivery system for doxorubicin (DOX) using nanoprecipitation method, and characterized them for chemical composition, size, surface charge, shape, and encapsulation efficiency. Then we tested them in vitro on hypoxia-optimized metastatic breast cancer cells. The nanoparticles were spherical with an average size of about 106 ± 53 nm, a negative surface charge (−15 ± 3 mV), and high encapsulation efficiency (73.3 ± 4.1%). In vitro investigation with hypoxia-elevated CD44 MDA-MB-231 cells showed that hyaluronic acid-targeted nanoparticles maintained their efficacy despite hypoxia-induced drug resistance unlike free DOX and nontargeted nanoparticles. In conclusion, this study revealed a simple third generation nanoparticle formulation for targeted treatment of hypoxia-induced drug resistance in breast cancer metastatic cells. Further, optimization is needed including In vivo efficacy and nanoparticle-specific pharmacokinetic studies.
BRAF inhibitor treatment is feasible in the oldest-old advanced melanoma patients
Authors: Kohtamäki Laura M. , Hernberg Micaela , Jaakkola Marjut , Mäkelä Siru
Published: March 2021

Although new compounds have improved the treatment landscape of metastatic melanoma, very limited data exist on the efficacy and safety of treating older patients with novel agents. Here, we provide results of BRAF (BRAFi) ± MEK (MEKi) inhibitor treatment in patients over 75 years (oldest-old patients) with metastatic melanoma. Between 2011 and 2020, 34 consecutive patients with metastatic melanoma over 75 years of age (range 75–89) were treated with BRAFi ± MEKi at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Helsinki University Hospital. Data on clinical and histopathological features, toxicity, response rate (RR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were collected. Patients were treated with BRAFi (n = 22) or BRAFi in combination with MEK inhibitor (MEKi) (n = 12). Grade 1–2 adverse events occurred in 68% of the patients, 32% had grade 3 adverse effects, dose reductions were made for 41% of patients and 29% terminated treatment due to toxicity. Overall, the RR was 62%. Complete responses were achieved in 27% of the patients, and 35% had partial responses. The median PFS was 8 months (range 0–57), and the median OS was 15 months (range 0–71). Tailored BRAFi ± MEKi treatment for older patients is feasible. Adverse effects occur frequently but are manageable by dose adjustment. The occurrence of toxicity of monotherapy was similar to that of combination therapy. The RR and median OS from our retrospective study are comparable with those reported in clinical trials and combination therapy produced somewhat more and longer-lasting responses. Hence, it seems that older patients may benefit from BRAFi treatment.
A Mobility Measure for Inpatient Rehabilitation Using Multigroup, Multidimensional Methods
Authors: Deom Caitlin E. , Carpenter Julia , Bodine Andrew J. , Taylor Sally M. , Heinemann Allen W. , Lieber Richard L. , Sliwa James A.
Published: March 2021

Background and Purpose:

Inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) report patient functional status to Medicare and other payers using Quality Indicators (QI). While the QI is useful for payment purposes, its measurement properties are limited for monitoring patient progress. A mobility measure based on QI items and additional standardized assessments may enhance clinicians' ability to track patient improvement. Thus, we developed the Mobility Ability Quotient (Mobility AQ) to assess mobility during inpatient rehabilitation.

Methods:

For 10 036 IRF inpatients, we extracted assessments from electronic health records, used confirmatory factor analysis to define subdimensions of mobility, and then applied multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) methods to develop a unidimensional construct. Assessments included the QI items and standardized measures of mobility, motor performance, and wheelchair and transfer skills.

Results:

Confirmatory factor analysis resulted in good-fitting models (root-mean-square errors of approximation ≤0.08, comparative fit indices, and nonnormed fit indices ≥0.95) for 3 groups defined by anticipated primary mode of locomotion at discharge—walking, wheelchair propulsion, or both. Reestimation as a multigroup, MIRT model yielded scores more sensitive to change compared with QI mobility items (d
last-first = 1.08 vs 0.60 for the QI; d
max-min = 1.16 vs 1.05 for the QI). True score equating analysis demonstrated a higher ceiling and lower floor for the Mobility AQ than the QI.

Discussion and Conclusions:

The Mobility AQ demonstrates improved sensitivity over the QI mobility items. This MIRT-based mobility measure describes patient function and progress for patients served by IRFs and has the potential to reduce assessment burden and improve communication regarding patient functional status.

Video Abstract available for more insights from authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A341).
Effect of Body Size on Quality of Bowel Preparation Among Patients Experiencing Colonoscopy
Authors: Mohammed Ribwar A. , Lafi Samir Y.
Published: March 2021

The body size of patients is considered to have an impact on the quality of bowel preparation. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on bowel preparation and prediction of unprepared patients who underwent colonoscopies. A retrospective study was undertaken with data retrieved from health records at the Center for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Sulaymaniyah City of 12,527 colonoscopies carried out between February 2012 and December 2018. From the 12,527 records, a total of 9,659 colonoscopy examinations were included in this study. The results showed 21.3% unacceptable colon preparations: 15% poor and 6.3% inadequate. Patients with BMI of 25 and greater accounted for 36.1%. No significant association was found between increased BMI with inadequate preparation (odds ratio [OR]: 1.104, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.869–1.401, p value .418 and OR: 0.988, 95% CI: 0.813–1.201, p value .903). However, inadequate preparation could be associated with underweight females, who report constipation, and the elderly. Although there has been shown to be in practice an adverse bias toward patients with a high BMI, this study has shown that an increased body size does not interfere with the quality of bowel preparation or resultant colonoscopy.
Wages, Travel, and Lodging Reimbursement by the National Kidney Registry: An Important Step Toward Financial Neutrality for Living Kidney Donors in the United States
Authors: Garg Neetika , Waterman Amy D. , Ranasinghe Omesh , Warnke Leza , Morris Jonathan , Cooper Matthew , Mandelbrot Didier A.
Published: March 2021

Background.

Since 2007, the National Living Donor Assistance Center has provided the most financial support to US living donors meeting specific income criteria by reimbursing travel, meal, and lodging expenses. In 2019, the National Kidney Registry started providing lost wages, travel, and lodging reimbursement via their Donor Shield program. Donor Shield is automatically provided to donors who participate in kidney paired donation through the National Kidney Registry or who donate at a Donor Shield Direct center, without any income restrictions.

Methods.

The support donors across the United States received from the Donor Shield program between January 2019 and February 2020 was studied.

Results.

During the study period, 326 (25.9%) of the 1260 donors covered by Donor Shield, from 46 programs received reimbursements amounting to a total of $647 384.45, with $472 389.97 (73.0%) covering lost wages. Median reimbursement per donor was $1813.80 (range, $44.0–$165.63). Eighty-one percent of 108 reimbursed donors who were surveyed reported that the lack of these reimbursements would have posed a financial hardship, and 4% said they would have been unable to donate without this support.

Conclusions.

Expansion of lost wages reimbursement programs to all donors in the United States would be an important step toward achieving financial neutrality for this unique population and could also help meet the growing demand for transplantable organs by increasing living donation rates.
Lack ofTgfbr1andAcvr1bsynergistically stimulates myofibre hypertrophy and accelerates muscle regeneration
Authors: Hillege M.M.G. , Shi A. , Galli R.A. , Wu G. , Bertolino P. , Hoogaars W.M.H. , Jaspers R.T.
Published: March 2021

In skeletal muscle, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family growth factors, TGF-β1 and myostatin, are involved in atrophy and muscle wasting disorders. Simultaneous interference with their signalling pathways may improve muscle function, however little is known about their individual and combined receptor signalling. Here we show that inhibition of TGF-β signalling by simultaneous muscle-specific knockout of TGF-β type I receptorsTgfbr1andAcvr1bsimultaneously, induces substantial hypertrophy, while such effect does not occur by single receptor knockout. Hypertrophy is induced by increased phosphorylation of Akt and p70S6K and reduced E3 ligases expression, while myonuclear number remains unaltered. Combined knockout of both TGF-β type I receptors increases the number of satellite cells, macrophages and improves regeneration post cardiotoxin-induced injury by stimulating myogenic differentiation. Extra cellular matrix gene expression is exclusively elevated in muscle with combined receptor knockout.Tgfbr1andAcvr1bare synergistically involved in regulation of myofibre size, regeneration and collagen deposition.
Long noncoding RNA KCNQ1OT1 targets miRNA let-7a-5p to regulate Osteoarthritis development and progression
Authors: Ahmad Kashif Aziz , Ramzan Hafiza Sobia
Published: March 2021

bioRxiv has withdrawn this preprint owing to plagiarism. Therefore, this work should not be cited as a reference for this project.
The Effect of the COVID‐19 Pandemic on South Korea's Stock Market and Exchange Rate
Authors: Hoshikawa Takeshi , Yoshimi Taiyo
Published: March 2021

This study examines COVID‐19 pandemic effects on the stock market and exchange rate of South Korea. With daily data from January 2, 2019 to August 31, 2020, we show that a new infection spike increases stock price index volatility and decreases foreign investors' holdings of domestic stocks, and indirectly leads to the depreciation of the South Korean won. We indicate that investors may have repurchased the South Korean won seven days after an infection spike, thereby slightly increasing its value. We also find that the Bank of Korea's foreign exchange intervention had a short‐run effect with a limited impact. The intervention did not have a significant effect on exchange rate volatility.
Child and Pet Care‐Planning During COVID‐19: Considerations for the Evolving Family Unit
Authors: Adams Britni L. , Applebaum Jennifer W. , Eliasson Michelle N. , McDonald Shelby E. , Zsembik Barbara A.
Published: March 2021

Objective

Using a mixed‐methods design, we aimed to understand household dynamics and choices in hypothetical planning for child and pet care if an individual is faced with hospitalization for COVID‐19.

Background

As the COVID‐19 public health crisis persists, children and pets are vulnerable to caregiver hospitalization.

Methods

Bivariate associations from a large‐scale survey explore hypothetical options for dependent care‐planning. An open‐ended question regarding pet–child interactions is coded applying a grounded theory framework.

Results

Caregivers expect to rely on family and friends to care for children, especially young children, and pets if hospitalized. The presence of pets in the home has been predominately positive for children during the pandemic, suggesting benefits of alternative care options that keep children and pets together.

Conclusions

Relying on one's social network to care for dependents if caregivers become ill from COVID‐19 could place loved ones at risk for contracting the virus, which could present obstacles to arranging care plans, especially inclusive of pets and children.

Implications

The changing information regarding COVID‐19 warrants that families establish concrete care plans for dependent children and pets. The spread of COVID‐19 to the most vulnerable, such as grandparents and other family who may be expected to care for dependents, could create additional public health concerns.
Whole family—based Helicobacter pylori eradication is a superior strategy to single‐infected patient treatment approach: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhao Jun‐Bo , Yuan Lin , Yu Xue‐Chun , Shao Qiao‐Qiao , Ma Jing , Yu Miao , Wu Yue , Qi Ya‐Bin , Hu Ruo‐Bing , Wei Pei‐Ru , Jia Bai‐Ling , Zhang Lian‐Zhong , Zhang Yan‐Rui , Ding Song‐Ze
Published: March 2021

Background

Two critical concerns during Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication are the successful eradication and recurrence. It is debatable whether whole family‐based H. pylori treatment regimen might have any advantage over single‐infected patient treatment approach in increasing eradication rate and reducing recurrence rate. We conduct systematic review and meta‐analysis to compare the efficacy of these two treatment regimens in order to provide clinical practice a better option for H. pylori eradication.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials evaluating H. pylori eradication and recurrence in whole family‐based treatment group (WFTG) versus single‐infected patient treatment group (SPTG) were collected from published literature up to July 2020 from common databases. Pooled results were analyzed using either fixed‐effect or random‐effect model. Results were expressed as the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

A total of 1751 relevant articles were identified, and 12 studies were eligible for analysis. Among them: (a) Eight articles including 1198 patients were selected to analyze H. pylori eradication rate, pooled result showed that eradication rate of WFTG was higher than that of SPTG (OR=2.93; 95% CI 1.68–5.13). Stratified analysis showed that H. pylori eradication rate in WFTG were higher over SPTG in children subgroup, but had no difference in spouse subgroup. (b) Six studies including 881 patients were analyzed for recurrence rate between the two groups, pooled analysis showed that the overall recurrence rate of WFTG was lower than that of SPTG (OR=0.3; 95% CI 0.19–0.48). Stratified analysis showed that the recurrence rate in WFTG was lower over SPTG at 6, 12, 18, and more than 24 months post‐treatment subgroups.

Conclusion

Whole family‐based H. pylori treatment can partially increase eradication rate and reduce recurrence rate over single‐infected patient treatment approach, the results provide clinical practice a novel notion for H. pylori eradication and infection prevention.
Hypoglycin A absorption in sheep without concurrent clinical or biochemical evidence of disease
Authors: González‐Medina Sonia , Bevin William , Alzola‐Domingo Rafael , Chang Yu‐Mei , Piercy Richard J.
Published: March 2021

Background

Hypoglycin A (HGA) intoxication after ingestion of Acer spp. tree material has never been confirmed in domesticated ruminants despite their similar grazing habitats.

Objectives

To investigate whether sheep have low HGA bioavailability caused by rumen HGA breakdown.

Animals

Stomach and rumen fluid samples from 5 adult horses and 5 adult sheep respectively. Residual serum samples from 30 ewes and lambs.

Methods

Experimental and retrospective cohort study. Hypoglycin A concentration was quantified in horse gastric and sheep ruminal samples after in vitro incubation with Acer pseudoplatanus seeds. Serum samples from grazing sheep (n = 20) and nursing lambs (n = 10) obtained before and after their release onto pastures with and without Sycamore seedlings were analyzed for HGA and methylenecyclopropyl‐acetic acid carnitine, and serum biochemistry.

Results

Neither ovine rumen nor equine gastric fluid affected HGA content in samples incubated for up to 2 hours. Despite HGA's detection in serum from sheep (n = 13/15; median, 23.71 ng/mL; range, 5.62‐126.4 ng/mL) grazing contaminated pastures and in their nursing lambs (n = 2/5; median, 12.5 ng/mL; range, 8.82‐15.67 ng/mL), there was no apparent clinical or subclinical disease.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Any reduced sensitivity to HGA intoxication in sheep seems unrelated to ruminal degradation. Serum HGA concentrations in sheep were similar to those of subclinically affected atypical myopathy horses. Any reduced sensitivity of sheep to HGA might be related to greater metabolic resistance rather than selective grazing habits or lower bioavailability. Hypoglycin A was found in nursing lambs, suggesting that HGA is excreted in milk.
Comparison of Tri‐Lock Bone Preservation Stem and the Conventional Standard Corail Stem in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Guo Jiang , Tan Jie , Peng Lei , Song Qian , Kong Hao‐ran , Wang Peng , Shen Hui‐yong
Published: March 2021

Objective

To compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes between the Tri‐Lock Bone Preservation Stem (BPS) and the conventional standard Corail stem in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods

From March 2012 to May 2014, we retrospectively reviewed 84 patients (104 hips) who received Tri‐Lock (BPS) and 84 patients (115 hips) who received conventional standard Corail stem in THA. Their mean ages were 53.12 ± 2.32 years and 52.00 ± 2.11 years, respectively. The clinical outcomes were assessed by Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Harris Hip Score (HHS). The radiological outcomes were evaluated by the radiological examination. Accordingly, Intraoperative and postoperative complications were observed as well.

Results

The mean follow‐up time was 48.23 ± 2.91 months in the Tri‐Lock (BPS) group and 49.11 ± 2.11 months in the Corail group, respectively. The bleeding volumes in two groups were comparable (169.22 ± 58.11 mL vs 179.30 ± 59.14 mL, P = 0.003), with more bleeding volume in Corail group patients, while no statistically significance with respect to operation time was observed (65.41 ± 6.24 min vs 63.99 ± 6.33 min, P = 0.567). The rates of intraoperative fracture was 8% for the Corail group while 1% for the Tri‐Lock (BPS) group (8% vs 1%, P = 0.030). At final follow‐up, no statistical differences in regard to HHS, WOMAC, and Pain VAS were revealed between the two groups (P > 0.05). The rate of thigh pain was higher in Corail group than in Tri‐lock (BPS) group (5% vs 0%, P = 0.043). However, incidence of stress shielding in grade 1 was higher in Tri‐Lock (BPS) than in the Corail group (76% vs 23%, P < 0.01), while those in grade 2 and 3 were lower compared to the Corail stem (15% vs 28%, P < 0.01; 9% vs 16%, P = 0.008, respectively). Intriguingly, other assessments in relation to radiographic outcomes and postoperative complications were not comparable between the two groups. The Kaplan–Meier survival rate (revision surgery performed for any reason was defined as the end point) was similar between the two groups (P = 0.57), with 98.8% (95% confidence interval, 92.3%–100%) in Tri‐lock (BPS) group and 97.6% (95% confidence interval, 94.6%–100%) in Corail group.

Conclusions

The Tri‐Lock (BPS) has similar clinic performances compared to the Corail stem. Furthermore, the Tri‐lock (BPS) stem has some advantages in achieving lower incidence of thigh pain, stress shielding and intra‐operative fracture. Therefore, we recommend the Tri‐lock (BPS) stem as a good alternative in primary total hip arthroplasty, especially taking into account patient factors, including bone deficiency and convenience of extraction of the stem in hip revision.
Anti-Inflammatory Investigations of Extracts of Zanthoxylum rhetsa
Authors: Imphat Chureeporn , Thongdeeying Pakakrong , Itharat Arunporn , Panthong Sumalee , Makchuchit Sunita , Ooraikul Buncha , Davies Neal M.
Published: March 2021

Zanthoxylum rhetsa has been consumed in the diet in northern Thailand and also used as a medicament in ancient scripture for arthropathies. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the activity of various extracts from differential parts of Z. rhetsa via inhibition of inflammatory mediators (NO, TNF-α, and PGE2) in RAW264.7 macrophages. The chemical composition in active extracts was also analyzed by GC/MS. The parts of this plant studied were whole fruits (F), pericarp (P), and seed (O). The methods of extraction included maceration in hexane, 95% ethanol and 50% ethanol, boiling in water, and water distillation. The results demonstrated that the hexane and 95% ethanolic extract from pericarp (PH and P95) and seed essential oil (SO) were the most active extracts. PH and P95 gave the highest inhibition of NO production with IC50 as 11.99 ± 1.66 μg/ml and 15.33 ± 1.05 μg/ml, respectively, and they also showed the highest anti-inflammatory effect on TNF-α with IC50 as 36.08 ± 0.55 μg/ml and 34.90 ± 2.58 μg/ml, respectively. PH and P95 also showed the highest inhibitory effect on PGE2 but less than SO with IC50 as 13.72 ± 0.81 μg/ml, 12.26 ± 0.71 μg/ml, and 8.61 ± 2.23 μg/ml, respectively. 2,3-Pinanediol was the major anti-inflammatory compound analyzed in PH (11.28%) and P95 (19.82%) while terpinen-4-ol constituted a major anti-inflammatory compound in SO at 35.13%. These findings are the first supportive data for ethnomedical use for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity in acute (SO) and chronic (PH and P95) inflammation.
Text Classification Using Novel Term Weighting Scheme-Based Improved TF-IDF for Internet Media Reports
Authors: Jiang Zhiying , Gao Bo , He Yanlin , Han Yongming , Doyle Paul , Zhu Qunxiong
Published: March 2021

With the rapid development of the internet technology, a large amount of internet text data can be obtained. The text classification (TC) technology plays a very important role in processing massive text data, but the accuracy of classification is directly affected by the performance of term weighting in TC. Due to the original design of information retrieval (IR), term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) is not effective enough for TC, especially for processing text data with unbalanced distributions in internet media reports. Therefore, the variance between the DF value of a particular term and the average of all DFsDF¯, namely, the document frequency variance (ADF), is proposed to enhance the ability in processing text data with unbalanced distribution. Then, the normal TF-IDF is modified by the proposed ADF for processing unbalanced text collection in four different ways, namely, TF-IADF, TF-IADF+, TF-IADFnorm, and TF-IADF+norm. As a result, an effective model can be established for the TC task of internet media reports. A series of simulations have been carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed methods. Compared with TF-IDF on state-of-the-art classification algorithms, the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed methods are confirmed by simulation results.
An Efficient DOA Estimation Method for Passive Surveillance System Based on Troposcatter
Authors: Mi Xinping , Liu Zan , Chen Xihong , Liu Qiang
Published: March 2021

Direction of arrival (DOA) estimation plays an important role in the passive surveillance system based on troposcatter. Rank deficiency and subspace leakage resulting from multipath propagation can deteriorate the performance of the DOA estimator. In this paper, characteristics of signals propagated by troposcatter are analyzed, and an efficient DOA estimation method is proposed. According to our new method, the invariance property of noise subspace (IPNS) is introduced as the main method. To provide precise noise subspace for INPS, forward and backward spatial smoothing (FBSS) is carried out to overcome rank deficiency. Subspace leakage is eliminated by a two-step scheme, and this process can also largely reduce the computational load of INPS. Numerical simulation results validate that our method has not only good resolution in condition of closely spaced signals but also superior performance in case of power difference.
A Dynamic Joint Angle Measurement Device for an Active Hand Rehabilitation System
Authors: Chen Yi-Tai , Van Hieu Nguyen , Phan Thien Luan , Li Tzong Shiun , Chen Siang-Ru , Ching Congo Tak Shing
Published: March 2021

Traditional methods of measuring a joint angle are neither repeatable nor accurate and cannot instantly display, record, and upload the data onto a cloud drive. These mechanisms require development if they are to be used to evaluate rehabilitation programs. This pilot study aim is to create a simple dynamic joint angle measurement system and develop a hand rehabilitation application for stroke users using small and sensitive 3-axis accelerometers. Using Bluetooth communication technology, an electrogoniometer is developed to measure the free range of motion of lower limb joints and automatically send and save all data on to a cloud drive. The reliability of the proposed device is evaluated by comparison with a commercial electrogoniometer. Five healthy youth subjects and five health elderly subjects are involved in the evaluation process for this pilot study. The accuracy and repeatability of the proposed device are tested using Bland–Altman plots and linear correlation analysis. Measurements that were made by the proposed device and a commercial electrogoniometer are shown to be comparable and repeatable, as confirmed by Bland–Atman plots. There is also a very high degree of linear correlation (R2 > 0.99 for all joint angle measurements) between the lower limb joint angles that are measured using both devices. In conclusion, a portable, highly accurate and repeatable device was designed to be used for clinical assessment and for rehabilitation application that gives increased motivation to the user.
Efficient GSW-Style Fully Homomorphic Encryption over the Integers
Authors: Zhao Jianan , Huang Ruwei , Yang Bo
Published: March 2021

We propose a GSW-style fully homomorphic encryption scheme over the integers (FHE-OI) that is more efficient than the prior work by Benarroch et al. (PKC 2017). To reduce the expansion of ciphertexts, our scheme consists of two types of ciphertexts: integers and vectors. Moreover, the computational efficiency in the homomorphic evaluation can be improved by hybrid homomorphic operations between integers and vectors. In particular, when performing vector-integer multiplications, the evaluation has the computational complexity of

Ο

γ
 
log
 
γ

and thus outperforms all prior FHE-OI schemes. To slow down the noise growth in homomorphic multiplications, we introduce a new noise management method called sequentialization; therefore, the noise in the resulting ciphertext increases by a factor of

l
⋅
poly

λ

rather than

poly

λ

l

in general multiplications, where

l

is the number of multiplications. As a result, the circuit with larger multiplicative depth can be evaluated under the same parameter settings. Finally, to further reduce the size of ciphertexts, we apply ciphertext truncation and obtain the integer ciphertext of size

Ο

λ
 
log
 
λ

, thus additionally reducing the size of the vector ciphertext in Benarroch’s scheme from

Ο
˜

λ

4

to

Ο

λ

2

log

2

 
λ

.
Ultra high speed full adder for biomedical applications
Authors: Harish Basavoju , Rukmini M. S. S.
Published: March 2021

In the field of bio medical engineering high performance CPU for digital signal processing plays a significant role. Frequency efficient circuit is a paramount requirement for the portable digital devices employing various digital processors. In this work a novel high speed one-bit 10T full adder with complemented output was described. The circuit was constructed with XOR gates which were built using two CMOS transistors. The XOR gate was constructed using 2T multiplexer circuit style. It was observed that power consumption of the designed circuit at 180nm with supply voltage 1.8V is 183.6 uW and delay was 1.809 ps whereas power consumption at 90nm with supply voltage 1.2V is 25.74 uW and delay was 8.245 ps. The observed Power Delay Product (PDP) in 180nm (at supply voltage 1.8V) is 0.33 and in 90nm (at supply voltage 1.2V) is 0.212. The work was extended by implementing a 32-bit Ripple Carry Adder (RCA) and was found that the delay at 180nm is 93.7ps and at 90nm is 198ps. The results were drawn at 180nm and also 90nm technology using CAD tool. The results say that the present work offered significant enhancement in speed and PDP compared with existing designs.
Towards a Sustainable Global World
Authors: Ilyin Ilya V. , Ursul Arcady D.
Published: March 2021

Despite the popularity of the term “global,” the making of a global world has been little studied to date and only a few works have been published. It is assumed that this kind of world has already partly crystallized thanks to globalization, but it is not expected to take a more coherent shape until later in the future. The purpose of the paper is to justify the opinion that a global world should be construed as a state (and process) of civilization and its interaction with nature fulfilled by securing global sustainability.
A systematic review of the antidepressant effects of curcumin: Beyond monoamines theory
Authors: Matias Julia Novaes , Achete Gabriela , Campanari Gyovanna Sorrentino dos Santos , Guiguer Élen Landgraf , Araújo Adriano Cressoni , Buglio Daiene Santos , Barbalho Sandra Maria
Published: March 2021

Background:

Depression is a severe, chronic, and recurring mental health disorder, which prevalence and morbimortality have increased in recent years. Several theories are proposed to elucidate the mechanisms of depression, such as the involvement of inflammation and the release of cytokines. Alternative treatments have been developed to improve outcomes of the commonly used drugs, and the use of Curcuma longa stands out. Its primary compound is named curcumin that exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Aims:

Several studies have shown that curcumin may play antidepressant actions and, therefore, this study aimed to perform a systematic review of the antidepressant effects of curcumin to evaluate the impact of this compound in the treatment of this condition.

Methods:

This systematic review has included studies available in MEDLINE–PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases, and the final selection included 10 randomized clinical trials.

Conclusion:

Curcumin improves depressant and anxiety behavior in humans. It can increase monoamines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and may inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and neuronal apoptosis in the brain. Systemically, curcumin enhanced insulin sensitivity, reduced cortisol levels, and reversed metabolic abnormalities. Studies with larger samples and standardized dose and formulation are required to demonstrate the benefits of curcumin in depression treatment since there are many variations in this compound’s use.
Culture, Thinking Styles and Investment Decision
Authors: Li Hao , Wang Ting , Cao Yi , Song Lili , Hou Yubo , Wang Yizhi
Published: March 2021

Past research suggests that people with different thinking styles show different cognitive processes. Accordingly, we test how thinking style and advice jointly affect investment decision. We conduct three experiments with 530 participants. In Study 1, coin, card and stamp investors who had high levels of holistic thinking and made decisions on their own obtained the lowest returns. In Study 2, participants who used analytic thinking to make decisions on their own in the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) earned the most. In Study 3, Westerners who made decisions on their own using analytic thinking had the highest incomes, while Easterners using holistic thinking and listening to others also had positive returns. The results support the framing effect in investment decisions, and the two simulation paradigms are presented for future studies and to confirm the impacts of thinking styles.
The priest in the novels of Graham Greene
Authors: Jasper David
Published: March 2021

The priestly figure in Graham Greene’s fiction may or may not wear a clerical collar. But through such characters salvation may be glimpsed not only through faith but through doubt and human weakness. Saints and sinners are not far apart. Pascal’s ‘wager’ is also ever present in these novels that reflect the ambiguities of Greene’s conversion to Roman Catholicism.
The social power of the Bible in culture and politics
Authors: Gent Peter
Published: March 2021

Biblical texts hold social power, acting in and through the religious traditions that hold the Bible authoritative, with far-reaching impact on culture and politics. Work by Bruno Latour and others on the agency and action of artefacts provides a set of concepts that make possible analysis of how social power is delegated to the Bible and how the Bible in turn holds power over its readers and broader society. Tracing the action of the Bible in this way enables reflection on the performative impact of how the Bible is read and interpreted.
Poly-(lactic acid) and fibrin bioactive cellularized scaffold for use in bone regenerative medicine: Proof of concept
Authors: Carvalho Renata Aquino de , Rocha Júnior Valmir Vieira , Carvalho Antonio José Felix , Araújo Heloisa Sobreiro Selistre de , Iemma Mônica Rosas Costa , Trovatti Eliane , Amaral André Capaldo
Published: March 2021

Bone regenerative medicine (BRM) aims to overcome the limitations of conventional treatments for critical bone defects by developing therapeutic strategies, based on temporary bioactive substitutes, capable of stimulating, sustaining, and guiding tissue regeneration. The aim of this study was to validate the “proof of concept” of a cellularized bioactive scaffold and establish its potential for use in BRM. For this purpose, three-dimensional scaffolds of poly-(lactic acid) (PLA), produced by the additive manufacturing technique, were incorporated into a human platelet-rich plasma (PRP-h) fibrin matrix containing human infrapatellar fat pad mesenchymal stem cells (hIFPMSC). The scaffolds (PLA/finbrin-bioactive) were kept under ideal culture conditions in a medium free from fetal bovine serum and analyzed at 5 and 10 days by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourrier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Circular Dichroism and fluorescence microscopy. The results demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining a rigid, cytocompatible, and cellularized three-dimensional structure. In addition, PRP platelets and leukocytes were able to provide a bioactive environment capable of maintaining the viability of hIFPMSC into scaffolds. The results validate the concept of a customizable, bioactive, cellularized, and non-immunogenic strategy for application in BRM.
How Artefacts Do Leadership: A Ventriloquial Analysis
Authors: Clifton Jonathan , Fachin Fernando , Cooren François
Published: March 2021

To date there has been little work that uses fine-grained interactional analyses of the in situ doing of leadership to make visible the role of non-human as well as human actants in this process. Using transcripts of naturally-occurring interaction as data, this study seeks to show how leadership is co-achieved by artefacts as an in-situ accomplishment. To do this we situate this study within recent work on distributed leadership and argue that it is not only distributed across human actors, but also across networks that include both human and non-human actors. Taking a discursive approach to leadership, we draw on Actor Network Theory and adopt a ventriloquial approach to sociomateriality as inspired by the Montreal School of organizational communication. Findings indicate that artefacts “do” leadership when a hybrid presence is made relevant to the interaction and when this presence provides authoritative grounds for influencing others to achieve the group’s goals.
The Interplay of Locus of Control and Role Stress-evidences from Healthcare Sector
Authors: Rashid Irfana
Published: March 2021

The ability to handle the stress is largely dependent on the various personality factors. One such factor is locus of control (LOC). Over the past years, it has been indicated that persons who have internal LOC are able to manage the stress more effectively than the one’s having external LOC. The findings of the present study proved otherwise. The results of this study showed that moderate levels of both internal and external control decrease the levels of role stress. The study was conducted in the healthcare sector. Doctors from government hospitals were approached and data collected from them was subjected to ‘hierarchical moderated regression analysis’. The findings of this study can assist administrators and policymakers in the healthcare sector to provide a stress-free working climate. This may help to decrease side effects and consequences of role stress and increase productivity of doctors. In light of the findings of the study, a few Stress management interventions have also been proposed, which may help doctors develop healthy ‘stress coping styles’.
Priority Areas for Developing Green Infrastructure in Semi-arid Cities: A Case Study of Tehran
Authors: Jamali Farimah Sadat , Khaledi Shahriar , Razavian Mohammad Taghi
Published: March 2021

Urban green infrastructure (GI) approach supports building resilience, mitigating greenhouse gases emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change. However, the development and maintenance of GI in semi-arid cities can be hindered by limitations such as available water resources. In this article, we study priority areas for GI development schemes at the neighbourhood scale through a seasonal vulnerability framework with the case study of two urban districts in the semi-arid city of Tehran, Iran. Heat mitigation and stormwater runoff control are considered as the main objectives of GI development. The results show that priority areas have high levels of land surface temperature, impervious surfaces and population density, with a low proportion of vegetation land cover. The necessary GI services vary in different local climate zones (LCZ) during the year. Although heat mitigation is required in both compact and open LCZs, the runoff control service of GI is also needed for neighbourhoods with compact midrise settings. To promote sustainability at the neighbourhood scale, the findings of the study can be used for initiating nature-based solutions and GI development projects.
Assembly of lightweight sandwich panels through joining by forming
Authors: Sampaio RFV , Pragana JPM , Bragança IMF , Silva CMA , Martins PAF
Published: March 2021

This paper is focused on the assembly of lightweight sandwich panels built upon the patented ‘Opencell’ structure concept. The objective is to investigate the possibility of joining the connection members of the core to the adjoining skin sheet by plastic deformation at ambient temperature, instead of welding or adhesive bonding. The methodology draws from earlier developments of the authors in joining by forming using the mortise-and-tenon concept to experimentation and finite element modelling of the assembly process in unit cells that are representative of the sandwich panels. It is shown that replacing welding by joining by forming allows fabricating sandwich panels from sheet materials that are difficult or impossible to weld while preventing thermal cycles that are responsible for causing metallurgical changes, distortions, and residual stresses. Replacing adhesive bonding by joining by forming circumvents the need of surface preparation, time for the adhesive to cure and environmental compliance, among other requirements.
Co-electrospun-electrosprayed PVA/folic acid nanofibers for transdermal drug delivery: Preparation, characterization, and in vitro cytocompatibility
Authors: Parın Fatma Nur , Aydemir Çiğdem İnci , Taner Gökçe , Yıldırım Kenan
Published: March 2021

In this study, hydrophilic based bioactive nanofibers were produced via an electrospinning and electrospraying simultaneous process. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(vinyl alcohol)-gelatin (PVA-Gel), and poly(vinyl alcohol)-alginate (PVA-Alg) polymers were used as the matrix material and folic acid (FA) particles were dispersed simultaneously on the surface of the nanofibers. The morphology of the nanofibers (NFs) was uniform and confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Thermal behavior, chemical structure of the composite nanofibers were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, and Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy which showed that no chemical bonding between vitamin and polymers. A fast release of FA-loaded electrospun fibers was carried out by UV-Vis in vitro study within the 8 hour-period in artificial sweat solutions (pH 5.44). The obtained PVA/FA, PVA-Gel/FA, and PVA-Alg/FA fibers released 49.6%, 69.55%, and 50.88% of the sprayed FA in 8 h, indicating the influence of polymer matrix and polymer-drug interactions, on its release from the polymer matrix. Moreover, biocompatibility of all developed novel NFs was assessed by two different cytotoxicity tests, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and neutral red uptake (NRU) assay in L929 (mouse fibroblasts) cell lines. In all cases, it is concluded that these new electrospun fibers had fast-release of the vitamin and the hybrid process is suitable for transdermal patch applications, especially for skin-care products. The results of cytocompatibility assays on L929 reveal that all prepared NFs have no or slight cell toxicity. PVA and PVA-Gel with/without FA nanofibers seems more biocompatible than PVA-Alg nanofibers.