bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Selective rationality? Argumentation of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation on the terms of office of the President in the mirror of cognitive science
Authors: Troitskaya Alexandra
Published: October 2021

The Decision (Zaklyuchenie) of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation on the constitutionality of the constitutional amendments played a significant role for the entry into force of the amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation adopted in 2020. For this reason, and in connection with the fact that many of the novels raise questions precisely from the point of view of their compliance with Chapters 1, 2 and 9 of the Russian Constitution, the positions formulated in the Decision attract serious attention. The article analyzes the arguments of the Court on one of the significant innovations – the possibility of being elected to the post of President of Russia by a person who held or holds this position at the time the amendment entered into force, without taking into account the previous terms. This reasoning is placed in the context of the demands of rationality in constitutional law. The article is aimed at implementing bona fide intentions related to confirming the subjectivity of the body of constitutional review and identifying ways to improve its argumentation. The activities of the constitutional court are presented in the article as part of reasonable foresight, which implies the creation of guarantees for the case of deviation from constitutional values. The rationality of its argumentation is understood as the sum of requirements connecting in a certain way 1) formal logic and 2) substantive reasonableness, determined by the value choice made in the constitution. It is demonstrated that the rationality of the argumentation formulated in the Decision of the Constitutional Court on the problem of the term of office of the head of state can be questioned from these points of view and, for this reason, cause associations with cognitive distortions (such as bias in the selection of initial premises for argumentation; incomplete study of scenarios reflecting the consequences of a reviewed amendment; framing; logical circle, etc.). At the same time, the article reveals the limitations of the “naive” cognitive approach, which is insufficient for working with the argumentation of the body of constitutional review and which actualizes additional consideration of the political and legal context of decision-making by this body.
Constitutionalization of the principle of respect for elders: the experience of the 2020 constitutional amendments, their content and implementation problems
Authors: Astafichev Pavel
Published: October 2021

The article is devoted to the study of a number of problems related to the regulation and implementation of the principle of respect for elders, which is new for the constitutional law of Russia. The author substantiates the position that the problem of constitutionalization of the principle of respect for elders should be posed wider, at least outside the boundaries of strictly educational activities and in the broader context of the paradigm of the hierarchy of seniority in the system of fundamental principles of constitutionalism. The principle of “respect for elders” is opposed by the stable constitutional practice of Russia and foreign countries guaranteeing at the constitutional level, on the one hand, the rights of parents (mothers, fathers) and the elderly, and on the other, children and youth. Parents and the elderly do indeed enjoy the constitutional right to special respect as a kind of “elder”, but this does not give grounds for a broad interpretation of the constitutional status of all other members of society. The author proves that, in fact, the constitutional imperative of “respect for elders” is an attempt, albeit relatively “soft” in the legal sense (without legal consequences and in the absence of a clear definition of the rights and obligations of subjects of legal relations), to introduce into the life of a free civil society a kind of disciplinary-subordination beginning in relationships between older and younger people. Moving up the age ladder supposedly should give a certain increase in subjective rights. However, to what extent is this permissible in a constitutional state and a democratic society? And does this really correspond to the prevailing socio-cultural stereotypes of social behavior of the modern generation of Russians? According to the author, in the construction of “respect for elders”, an indication of the sign of seniority is of key importance. The term “respect” is not entirely accurate, since without significant distortion of the meaning it could be replaced with the words “special recognition”, “subordination”, “emphasized correct behavior”, etc. By virtue of Article 21 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, all people are obliged to respect each other as people, they are legally stimulated in equal measure to recognize the value of their human dignity.
Constitutional rights and freedoms in the third Russian post-soviet republic
Authors: Alebastrova Irina
Published: October 2021

The main idea of the article is that most provisions of the amendment to the Russian Constitution, which was adopted in 2020, affect constitutional human rights in one way or another and limit them. The changes made by the amendment to the configuration of the state powers and the legal status of a man and the citizen, are so significant that the model of the Russian state organization installed after its introduction can be considered the third post-Soviet republic. We believe that the first post-Soviet republic was existing during the 90-s years of the XX century in our country. It was characterized by a significant commitment to the European standards. The second one covered the first two decades of the XXI century. It was characterized by the struggle of two inertial mechanisms: the new democratic one, which was launched in the period of the first republic, and the old dictatorial one, which did not cease to operate, and it has grown stronger while the new Russian political leadership was relying on it. The period of the third post-Soviet Russian Republic, which began together with the amendment-2020 to the Constitution, is characterized by the prevalence of elements of the dictatorial model of governing in our country. Within the context of the role of the amendment provisions in insuring of human rights, they can be divided into three categories: direct and indirect restrictions of human rights and neutral ones for their quantity and quality but intended for diverting attention from the rights restrictions imposed by the two first groups of the amendment provisions. Restrictions imposed by the amendment affect personal and political rights while false guaranties cover social rights. The direct restrictions on human rights mean impositions of prohibitions or duties on a person by the amendment. Indirect ones include the weakening the mechanism of checks and balances by means of strengthening the President power. The author concludes that the direct and indirect restrictions on personal and political rights do not pass the proportionality test, established by Russian Constitution (Part 3 of Article 55), being illegal for this reason.
The impact of sanctions on the resolution of international business disputes: maintaining the status quo or looking for alternative jurisdictions?
Authors: Ochirova Saglar , Starzhenetskiy Vladislav
Published: October 2021

The negative impact of the economic sanctions is not limited to the sphere of substantive law; it also extends to issues related to dispute resolution. Trying to achieve a fair resolution of disputes sanctioned persons may face many obstacles literally at every stage of the proceedings, starting with problems related to payment of arbitration fees, searching for counsels and arbitrators who are often reluctant to taking corresponding sanctions risks, and ending with the stage of enforcement of a judgment or an arbitral award. Under these conditions, the conduct of court or arbitration proceedings, if theoretically possible, in practice will be associated with substantial organizational difficulties, delays in consideration of a case and significant additional costs. In this regard the authors, based on the foreign and Russian experience, analyze advantages and disadvantages of various options for resolving the disputes involving sanctioned persons, including maintaining the former procedure for resolving disputes, transferring disputes to a neutral or domestic jurisdictions, as well as the latest legislative amendments, namely provisions of the Russian Arbitrazh Procedure Code expanding the exclusive jurisdiction of Russian arbitrazh (commercial) courts which have entered into force in June 2020. Maintaining the status quo between parties to a dispute provides a high degree of legal certainty but does not take into account the potentially serious breach of sanctioned persons’ rights. While the transfer of dispute resolution to the domestic jurisdiction allows the latter to ensure the protection of their rights, but, in turn, carries the risks of violating the existing balance in relations between the parties, refusal to recognize and enforce a future judgement in foreign jurisdictions and etc. Given the impossibility to foresee in advance the extension of restrictive measures to parties of a contract and character of such measures, perhaps the optimal solution could be the so-called cascade arbitration clauses, providing for variability of actions in certain cases, in particular: 1) choice of alternative forum; 2) establishing additional requirements for the neutrality of arbitrators; 3) waiver of the parties to submit disputes to jurisdictions that cannot provide equal and impartial resolution of the dispute in new circumstances. In addition, the parties are strongly encouraged to carefully consider the choice of law provisions, including choice of law applicable to the arbitration agreement.
Decisions of International Courts: Following Precedents or Consistent Jurisprudence?
Authors: Manzhosov Sergei , Belov Sergey
Published: October 2021

The contemporary international law doctrine is critical to the notion of binding force of general positions of international courts. The grounds for this critics is more weighty in international law than in domestic law. If in the latter general binding force of judicial decisions erga omnes questions the separation of powers, in the former the states as the main actors of the international relations try to participate and control any norm-making. At the same time international courts realize the necessity of consistency of interpretation and applying of legal norms and principles, as unpredictable decisions breach the certainty of law. These courts demonstrate surprising uniformity of approaches to this issue, disregarding their status, legal grounds for their jurisdiction, the nature of the cases they consider. The courts recognize their duty to follow the sustainable interpretation of international law, as it appears in the own practice of these courts and other international authorities, because this is crucial for the definiteness of legal regulation, predictability of judicial decisions and consistency of legal solutions. The international courts reject following precedents according to the stare decisis rule and are very caution to declare following the concept of jurisprudence constant, trying to be equidistant to particular legal traditions. The legal acts regulating the international justice favour this caution, as they establish the binding force of judicial decisions only inter partes and within concrete case. In a case of need to deviate from the established practice both the International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court, European Court of Human Rights and international investment arbitration tribunals tend to (1) appeal to formal arguments of non-binding force of previous decisions, or (2) argue the differences of considering case with preceding cases, or (3) base on notions developed in their practice – e.g., the idea of “European consensus” in the practice of the European Court of Human Rights.
Handling Facebook: social media in the light of human rights violations
Authors: Bogush Gleb , Kudinova Olga
Published: October 2021

International justice does not remain on the sidelines from the intensive development of social media: the data stored on the social media possesses great evidentiary value in international courts. The dispute over the disclosure of information by Facebook for use in the Gambia v. Myanmar dispute before the International Court of Justice raises a broader issue of the international legal status of telecommunications companies, obligations of companies and states in relation to the use of social media for human rights violations and commission of international crimes. The article assesses the existing international legal regime of human rights obligations of global social media corporations, as well as their role in administration of international justice, by examining the case of the use of Facebook disseminating hate speech and inciting violence against the discriminated group of Rohingya in Myanmar. The authors analyze the report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, Facebook’s reaction to the information of its influence on the situation with Rohingya, and measures taken by the company to reduce the negative impact of its business activity on human rights. The article draws attention to the inconsistent position of Facebook with regard to facilitating the investigation of violations of international law committed through the social media. In particular, the authors comment on the dispute between the Gambia and Facebook before the U.S. Courts arising from the request on disclosure of materials forming evidence in the case of the Gambia v. Myanmar, and lack of action from the US with respect to human rights violations and genocide committed with resources of the US-based social media company. The authors underscore the uncertainty of international legal regulation that impedes effective international investigations of serious human rights violations. Non-state actors remain outside the reach of international justice and international accountability mechanisms, especially when they operate in jurisdictions of states that ignore their positive human rights obligations. The authors conclude that it is necessary to develop effective mechanisms for cooperation and accountability of social media corporations in the field of international justice, as they play an increasing role in the investigation of serious violations of human rights.
International arbitration as a means to protect human rights: analysis of the Hague Rules on Business and Human Rights Arbitration
Authors: Artamonova Irina
Published: October 2021

This article analyses the Hague Rules on Business and Human Rights Arbitration that were published in December 2019. The Hague Rules state how arbitration proceedings should resolve disputes arising from the influence of commercial activity in general on human rights. The purpose of the article is to assess the efficiency of the Hague Rules in settling such disputes by examining their features. The first part of the article studies the possibility of referring human rights disputes to international arbitration. In particular, the author examines the current practice of international investment tribunals and specifies the following situations where arbitrators deal with issues of human rights violations: to accept jurisdiction over counterclaims by host states against foreign investors; to interpret and provide guidance for establishing international investment law standards; to reasonably reduce the amount of compensation awarded to foreign investors in the event of violation by the host state. The author also emphasises that the application of the Hague Rules will enable tribunals to fully exercise their jurisdiction over human rights disputes and to examine such disputes on their merits. Having established the general possibility of referring human rights disputes to international arbitration, the author proceeds by analysing certain features of the Hague Rules, and then considering provisions on the importance of collaborative settlement mechanisms, special requirements to arbitrators, culturally appropriate arbitration proceedings, the possibility of bringing multiparty claims, enhanced requirements to the transparency of the arbitration proceedings and other issues. Finally, the author delves into certain challenges that may impede the practical application of the Hague Rules. In particular, such challenges may include: the fact that the Hague Rules do not solve the problem of the companies’ lack of obligations to protect human rights; the problem of enforcing awards taken in accordance with the Hague Rules; the hindered access of individuals to arbitration proceedings. Despite the above challenges, the author concludes that the Hague Rules may become a rather powerful instrument as an additional mechanism to resolve human rights disputes.
The continuity of prime numbers can lead to even continuity
Authors: Ling Xie
Published: October 2021

n continuous prime numbers can combine a group of continuous even numbers. If an adjacent prime number is followed, the even number will continue. For example, if we take prime number 3, we can get even number 6. If we follow an adjacent prime number 5, we can get even numbers by using 3 and 5: 6, 8 and 10. If a group of continuous prime numbers 3,5,7,11,... P, we can get a group of continuous even numbers 6,8,10,12,..., 2n. Then if an adjacent prime number q is followed, the original group of even numbers 6,8,10,12,..., 2n will be finitely extended to 2 (n + 1) or more adjacent even numbers. My purpose is to prove that the continuity of prime numbers will lead to even continuity as long as 2 (n + 1) can be extended. If the continuity of even numbers is discontinuous, it violates the Bertrand Chebyshev theorem of prime numbers. Because there are infinitely many prime numbers: 3, 5, 7, 11,... We can get infinitely many continuous even numbers: 6,8,10,12,...
Expanding the Use of the Ventrogluteal Region, an Evidence-Based Practice Example, in Senior Nursing Students: A Methadological Study
Authors: Kılıç  , Meteris Çisem , Biçer Büşra Nur Kartal
Published: October 2021

Intramuscular injections are administered into deep muscle tissue and can threaten human life if it is applied to the wrong area. Therefore, safe areas should be preferred for injection administration. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the training on intramuscular injection to ventrogluteal region given to the senior nursing students on their knowledge, opinions and status of preferring this region . Method: The study is a methodological study with single group and pretest- posttest design. The population of the study was composed of the senior nursing students (N=70) studying in SANKO University. 42 students completed the study. The data were collected with survey method. Results :It was determined that the prejudices of the students about injection to ventrogluteal region changed significantly and positively after the training (90.5%) and their information level increased (p<0.05), but the students had negative thoughts about their self-confidence and about the possible objection of the patients (p>0.05). Students scored the demonstration training as 8 out of 10 (SD=2.03). Conclusion: The study results indicated that the information level of the students about injection into the ventrogluteal region increased and their prejudices changed positively.
Study on the Application of Clustering Method in the Determination of Uncertainty Parameters of SWMM Model
Authors: Liu Chengshuai , Ma Bingyan , Hu Caihong , Wu Qiang , Sun Yue , Li Xiang
Published: October 2021

Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is one of the most commonly used models in urban flood simulation. However, because the calibration and verification of the model's uncertainty parameters are extremely dependent on the measured flood data, it is difficult to apply the model in areas lacking data. This study proposes a parameter sample clustering method based on peer research results to determine the uncertainty parameters of SWMM, and compares the simulation results with the simulation results of the manual adjustment method based on measured data. The research shows that the Absolute error (AE), Relative error (RE), Nash efficiency coefficient (NSE), and Coefficient of determination (R2) of the water depth simulated by the parameter sample clustering method are 0.040m, 9.08%, 0.949, 0.967 compared with the measured value, respectively. The value of AE, RE, NSE, and R2 of the manual tuning method during the calibration simulation period are 0.066m, 15.95%, 0.881 and 0.924, respectively. Therefore, the parameter sample clustering method has a better simulation effect than manual tuning method, and it can be further promoted in areas without flood data.
Efficiency in Utilization of the Resources Allocated to Lower Level Health Facilities in Uganda: a Case Study of Health Centre IVs
Authors: Ahimbisibwe Expeditus , Rwakinanga Ezrah Trevor , Kirunga Christine Tashobya
Published: October 2021

Background: Everyone has a right to quality life with good health of the household and, thus, health sector financing should be a top priority because when the population is healthy, it is very productive and wealthy. In Uganda, Health Centre IVs (HCIVs) created under Uganda National Minimum Health Care Package provide curative, prevention and promotion services. The efficiency of these HCIVs is as critical as people’s health and this paper measures efficiency in utilization of resources allocated to them.Methods: The study used Hospital and HCIV Census data for 2014 and health sector data for FY2015/16 reported by MOH in the Annual Health Sector Performance Report. STATA software was used to perform Data Envelopment Analysis for a preferred model was out-put oriented that optimizes variable returns to scale. In this way, efficiency scores for every HCIV were calculated. Also, a Tobit regression model was run to estimate the factors contributing to the adjusted inefficiency scores for HCIVs.Results: Overall, 7 HCIVs (23.3%) were operating under constant returns to scale, implying that they were efficient (both pure technical and scale efficiency) while the 19 (63.3%) were operating under increasing returns to scale, implying that their health service outputs would increase by a greater proportion compared to any proportionate increase in health services if more inputs were added in the facility. Four HCIVs (13.3%) were operating at decreasing returns to scale meaning an additional input to the HCIVs would produce a less proportional change of outputs. The study identified catchment population, average length of stay, bed occupancy rate, and outpatient department visits as a proportion of inpatient days as the main factors of efficiency among HCIVs.Conclusions: This study has shown how Data Envelope Analysis methods can be applied at the HCIV level of the health system to gain an insight into variation in efficiency across health centers using routinely available data. And, with the majority of HCIVs operating at increasing returns to scale, it showed that there is a need to increase inputs like staff, medicines and beds to achieve the desired optimal scale in case of constant returns to scale.
Diversification Declines in Major Dinosaurian Clades are not Because of Edge Effects or Incomplete Fossil Sampling
Authors: Sakamoto Manabu , Benton Michael , Venditti Chris
Published: October 2021

Signatures of catastrophic mass extinctions have long been reported to be obscured by the edge effect where taxonomic diversity appears to decline gradually. Similarly, models of diversification based on splitting of branches on a phylogenetic tree might also be affected by undersampling of divergences towards the edge. The implication is that long-term declines in diversification recovered from such models – e.g., in dinosaurs – may be artefacts of unsampled divergences. However, this effect has never been explicitly tested in a phylogenetic model framework – i.e., whether phylogenetic nodes (speciation events) close to the edge are under-sampled and if diversification declines are artefacts of such under-sampling. Here, we test whether dinosaur species in temporal proximity to the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction event are associated with fewer nodes than expected, and whether this under-sampling can account for the diversification decline. We find on the contrary that edge taxa have higher numbers of nodes than expected and that accounting for this offset does not affect the diversification decline. We demonstrate that the observed diversification declines in the three major dinosaurian clades in the Late Cretaceous are not artefacts of the edge effect.
Facilitators and Barriers to the Implementation of the Primary Care Asthma Paediatric Pathway: A Qualitative Analysis
Authors: Sharpe Heather , Potestio Melissa , Cave Andrew , Johnson David , Scott Shannon D.
Published: October 2021

ObjectiveThe Primary Care Asthma Paediatric Pathway (PCAPP) included an EMR embedded pathway that provided an evidence-based approach to paediatric asthma management. The aim of this qualitative study was to use a theory-based approach to understand the facilitators and barriers that impacted the implementation of the PCAPP in primary care.Methodsa randomized cluster-controlled design was implemented in 22 primary care practices in Alberta, Canada with half receiving the PCAPP intervention and the other half receiving usual care. Following the implementation of the complex intervention, a purposeful sample of intervention sites were selected to participate in qualitative focus groups to assess the barriers and facilitators to the implementation.ResultsOur qualitative findings are organized into three themes using the core constructs of the normalization process theory (NPT): (1) facilitators of implementation, (2) barriers to implementation, and (3) proposed mitigation strategies. Participants were positive about the pathway, and felt it served as a reminder of optimal paediatric guideline-based asthma management, a streamlined pathway multi-faceted approach to suggest evidence-based care, and an EMR-based targeted collection of tools and resources. Barriers included a generally low priority for the primary care teams, and, in accordance, clinicians suggested they had few children with asthma in their practices. The pathway was not integrated into clinic flow and there was not a specific process to ensure the pathway was used. Sites without project champions also struggled more with implementation. Despite these barriers, clinicians identified clear mitigation strategies to improve uptake including developing a reminder system within the EMR and creating a work-flow that incorporated the pathway.ConclusionOur study demonstrated the applicability of the NPT in the implementation of an evidence-based pathway for primary care. This study demonstrated it is important to ensure teams participate in enrolment (establishing buy-in), legitimization (ensuring teams see their role in the pathway) and activation (an ongoing plan for sustainability). Had these components of cognitive participation been addressed more carefully prior to implementation there may have been greater uptake, and ongoing use of the pathway. Trial Registration: This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov on June 25, 2015; the registration number is: NCT02481037, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02481037?term=andrew+cave&cond=Asthma+in+Children&cntry=CA&city=Edmonton&draw=2&rank=1
Feature Extraction of Real-World Traces Using K Means Clustering In OppNet
Authors: Johari Rahul , Gautam Tanvi
Published: October 2021

Natural calamities leave people helpless by arising several situations such as network breakdown, zero communication, intermittent connectivity, dynamic network topology. In such situation an application of dynamic and intermittent routing scheme is essential to make further communication possible during likewise scenarios. An application of TCP/IP becomes futile in mentioned circumstances as it best works for static nodes and pre-defined network topology wherein source and destination nodes are first establishing the communication link with each other. An alternative measure of such hitches is to encounter an application of DTN protocol which possess all characteristics to withstand in such scenarios such as; dynamic network topology, intermittent connectivity, frequent path breaks, store – carry – forward fashion. In this paper we did thorough investigation of forest fire dataset (Uttarakhand) after exploring its implementation in ONE with Epidemic, Prophet, Spray and Wait, HBPR, GAER respectively. An extensive and thorough investigation for real world traces implementation has been done with OppNet routing protocols against mobility models namely; Shortest path map – based, Random Direction, Random Walk, Random Waypoint, Cluster Movement respectively for network performance metrics namely packet delivery ratio, packet overhead ratio and average latency ratio respectively with the application of K means clustering machine learning algorithm. With the help of this analysis, we explore the real-world traces characteristics and study the areas on which network performance can be improved.
Vertical Nitrate Migration And Denitrification Zones In The Regional Recharge Area (Lwowek Region, Poland)
Authors: Dragon Krzysztof , Gorski Jozef , Burghardt Diana
Published: October 2021

This article presents an examination of the influence of groundwater flow pattern and denitrification on nitrate migration in the regional recharge zone. For the investigation, both multicomponent chemical tracers and isotopic methods were used. The study revealed different denitrification intensities in regions with groundwater extraction and regions with natural gradients manifested by different levels of potable water contamination by nitrate. A contaminant plume was discovered in shallow parts of the aquifer which percolated into deeper parts of the flow system in the regions with a downward gradient induced by groundwater withdrawal, where the influence of denitrification was limited. The local conditions leading to intense of denitrification, i.e., local changes in geological conditions (low-permeability silt inserts), were also documented. The presented research proves that vertical changes in groundwater chemistry should be examined for effective groundwater resource management and protection, as they are extremely important in regional recharge zones with a downward gradient.
Fibronectin Extra Domain A (FN-EDA) Causes Glaucomatous Trabecular Meshwork, Retina, and Optic Nerve Damage in Mice
Authors: Mavlyutov Timur A , Myrah Justin J , Chauhan Anil K , Liu Yang , McDowell Colleen M
Published: October 2021

Background: Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor for the development and progression of primary open angle glaucoma and is due to trabecular meshwork (TM) damage. Here, we investigate the role of an endogenous Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligand, FN-EDA, in the development of glaucoma utilizing a transgenic mouse strain (B6.EDA +/+ ) that constitutively expresses only FN containing the EDA isoform. Methods: Eyes from C57BL6/J (wild-type), B6.EDA +/+ (constitutively active EDA), B6.EDA -/- (EDA null) mice were processed for electron microscopy and consecutive images of the entire length of the TM and Schlemm’s canal (SC) from anterior to posterior were collected and montaged into a single image. ECM accumulation, basement membrane length, and size and number of giant vacuoles were quantified by ImageJ analysis. Tlr4 and Iba1 expression in the TM and ONH cells was conducted using RNAscope in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry protocols. IOP was measured using a rebound tonometer, ON damage assessed by PPD stain, and RGC loss quantified in RBPMS labeled retina flat mounts. Results: Ultrastructure analyses show the TM of B6.EDA +/+ mice have significantly increased accumulation of ECM between TM beams with few empty spaces compared to C57BL/6J mice (P<0.05). SC basement membrane is thicker and more continuous in B6.EDA +/+ mice compared to C57BL/6J. No significant structural differences are detected in the TM of EDA null mice. Tlr4 and Iba1 expression is increased in the TM of B6.EDA +/+ mice compared to C57BL/6J eyes (p<0.05). IOP is significantly higher in B6.EDA +/+ mice compared to C57BL/6J eyes (p<0.001), and significant ON damage (p<0.001) and RGC loss (p<0.05) detected at one year of age. Tlr4 mRNA is expressed in mouse ONH cells, and is present in ganglion cell axons, microglia, and astrocytes. There is a significant increase in the area occupied by Iba-1 positive microglia cells in the ONH of B6.EDA +/+ mice compared to C57BL/6J control eyes (p<0.01). Conclusions: B6.EDA +/+ mice have increased ECM accumulation in the TM, elevated IOP, enhanced proinflammatory changes in the ONH, loss of RGCs, and ONH damage. These data suggest B6.EDA +/+ mice recapitulate many aspects of glaucomatous damage.
Short-term Aerobic Exercise did Not Change Telomere Length while it Reduces Testosterone Levels and Obesity Indexes in PCOS: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Study.
Authors: Ribeiro Victor Barbosa , Pedroso Daiana Cristina Chielli , Kogure Gislaine Satyko , Lopes Iris Palma , Melo Anderson Sanches , Santana Barbara Aparecida , de Souza Hugo Celso Dutra , Ferriani Rui Alberto , Calado Rodrigo Tocantins , Furtado Cristiana Libardi Miranda , Reis Rosana Maria dos
Published: October 2021

Background: Physical activity is an effective non-pharmacological treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the reproductive outcomes which may have implications on telomere biology. Objective: To observe the effects of continuous (CAT) and intermittent (IAT) aerobic training on telomere length, inflammatory biomarkers, and its correlation with metabolic, hormonal, and anthropometric parameters of PCOS.Design and Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial study included 87 PCOS women randomly stratified according to body mass index (BMI) in the continuous (CAT, n = 28) and intermittent aerobic training (IAT, n = 29) and non-training control group (CG, n = 30). The exercises were carried out on a treadmill, three times per week for 16 weeks. The participants’ anthropometric characteristics and biochemical and hormonal concentrations were measured before and after aerobic training or observation period, as the telomere length that was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Four months of aerobic exercises (CAT or IAT) did not alter telomere length and inflammatory biomarkers in PCOS women. Obesity index as BMI and waist circumference (WC), and inflammatory biomarkers negatively affect telomeres. The hyperandrogenism measured by testosterone levels was reduced after both exercises (CAT, p≤0.001; IAT, p=0.019). In particular, the CAT reduced WC (p=0.045), hip circumference (p= .032), serum cholesterol (p≤0.001), low-density lipoprotein (p=0.030). Whereas, the IAT decreased WC (p=0.014), waist-to-hip ratio (p=0.012), free androgen index (FAI) (p=0.037). WC (p=0.049) and body fat (p=0.015) increased in the non-training group while total cholesterol was reduced (p=0.010). Conclusions: Booth exercises reduced obesity indices and hyperandrogenism on PCOS women without changes in telomere length or inflammatory biomarkers. Clinical trial registration: Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBec; RBR-78qtwy, August 20, 2015), and the International Controlled Randomized Trial Registry (ISRCTN10416750, July 24, 2018), retrospectively registered.
Development and Analysis of a New Cylindrical Lithium-Ion Battery Thermal Management System
Authors: Sun Ya-Song , Bai Rui-Huai
Published: October 2021

With the development of modern technology and economy, environmental protection and sustainable development have become the focus of global attention. In this paper, the promotion and development of electric vehicles have bright prospects, and they are also facing many challenges. Under different operating conditions, various safety problems of electric vehicles are emerging one after another, especially the potential safety hazards caused by battery overheating are threatening the development process of electric vehicles. In this paper, a new type of indirect liquid cooling system is designed and optimized for cylindrical lithium-ion batteries, and a variety of design schemes for different cooling channel structures and cooling liquid inlet direction are proposed, and the corresponding solid-fluid coupling model is established. COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software models, simulates and analyses cooling systems. In order to optimize the system and improve the optimization efficiency, the Kriging method is used to construct an approximation model of the thermal management system, and the influencing factors sensitivity analysis and optimization design of the thermal management system are also conducted. The results show that there has a significant influence on the maximum temperature and temperature difference of the battery system. According to the optimization design of these factors based on the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II), it is found that the optimized thermal management system has the best ability to dissipate heat and maintain temperature uniformity as compared to the original design. In addition, this optimization system has the ability to prevent thermal runaway propagation under the condition of thermal abuse conditions. With these prominent performances, the proposed method is expected to provide insights into the engineering design and optimization of the battery thermal management system for electric vehicle.
Relationship Between Quality of Life and Fear of COVID-19 in Patients With Myocardial Infarction (Case Study: Shahid Madani Cardiac Hospital, Tabriz, Iran)
Authors: Golabi Fatemeh , Aghdam Mohammad Bagher Alizadeh , Mazraehshadi Mir Mojtaba Hosseini , Akbarian Hamed
Published: October 2021

Background: Quality of life is one of the most important concepts in the fields of health and development, and the study of its related factors can play an effective role in strengthening the quality of life. COVID-19 is one of the emerging crises in the world, and fear of it can affect the quality of life of people.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between quality of life and fear of COVID-19 in patients with myocardial infarction.Methods: In this study, we administered WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) to 200 patients with myocardial infarction admitted to the hospital from February to April 2021. Then, we calculated the correlation between the quality of life and fear of COVID-19.Results: The results of this study showed a moderate to high score in all domains of QoL and overall QoL among patients. The mean score of fear of COVID-19 was lower than average level. The research revealed that there was a negative correlation between fear of COVID-19 and physical health, environmental health, and overall quality of life (p < 0.05), but there was not a significant relationship between fear of coronavirus and psychological health and social relationships (p > 0.05). Furthermore, there were significant correlations between quality of life and sociodemographic variables including gender, age, marital status, and level of education. So that, female, widow(er), uneducated, and older patients had a lower quality of life.Conclusions: Since the quality of life is one of the main indicators of health, managers must take strategies to improve the quality of life of people, especially patients. One of the measures that they can take is to reduce the fear of COVID-19 among patients by taking wise strategies.
Modelling and Mapping Above Ground Biomass Using Sentinel 2 and Planet Scope Remotely Sensed Data in West Usambara Tropical Rainforests, Tanzania
Authors: Mauya Ernest William , Madundo Sami
Published: October 2021

Forest biomass estimation using field -based inventories at a large scale is challenging and generally entails large uncertainty in tropical regions. With their wall-to-wall coverage ability, optical remote sensing signals had gained a wide acceptance for larger scale estimation of AGB at different spatial scales, ranging from local to global. However, their applicability in tropical forests is still limited. In this study, we investigated the performance of Sentinel 2 and Planet Scope remotely sensed data for AGB modelling, predicting and mapping in the tropical rainforest of Tanzania. A total of 296 field inventory plots were measured across the west Usambara mountain forests. AGB values were computed for each of the field plot in Mg/ha, and related with remotely sensed predictor variables using parametric and non- parametric statistical methods. Band values, vegetation indices and texture based variables were derived from each of the remotely sensed data. The AGB models were developed and validated using k-fold cross validation and their relative root mean square error (cvRMSEr%) were used to judge their accuracies. Relative efficiency (RE) of each dataset as compared to pure field inventory was also computed. The results showed that, Sentinel 2 based model fitted using generalized linear models (RMSEr = 67.00 % and pseudo-R2= 20%) had better performance as compared to Planet Scope based models (cvRMSEr = 72.1 % and pseudo-R2= 5.2%). Overall GLMs resulted into a models with less prediction error as compared to random forest when using Sentinel 2 data. However, for the Planet Scope, there was marginal improvement of using random forest (cvRMSEr = 72.0%) as compared to GLMs. Models, that in cooperated texture variables resulted into better prediction accuracy as compared to those with band values and indices only. The R.E values for Sentinel2 and Planet Scope were 1.2 and 1.1 respectively. Our study had demonstrated that Sentinel 2 and Planet Scope remotely sensed data can be used to develop cost-effective method for AGB estimation within the context of tropical rainforests of Tanzania. Further studies are however encouraged to look more on the best way of optimizing the efficiency of the two data sources in AGB estimations.
The True Costs of Cesarean Sections for Patients in Rural Rwanda: Accounting for Post-Discharge Expenses in Estimated Health Expenditures
Authors: Niyigena Anne , Alayande Barnabas , Bikorimana Laban , Miranda Elizabeth , Rudolfson Niclas , Ndagijimana Deogratias , Kateera Fredrick , Riviello Robert , Hedt-Gauthier Bethany
Published: October 2021

Introduction: While it is recognized that there are costs associated with postoperative patient follow-up, risk assessments of catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs) due to surgery in sub-Saharan Africa rarely include expenses after discharge. We describe patient-level costs for cesarean section (c-section) and follow-up care up to postoperative day (POD) 30 and evaluate the contribution of follow-up to CHEs in rural Rwanda.Methods: We interviewed women who delivered via c-section at Kirehe District Hospital between September 2019 and February 2020. Expenditure details were captured on an adapted surgical indicator financial survey tool and extracted from the hospital billing system. CHE was defined as health expenditure of ≥ 10% of annual household expenditure. We report the cost of c-section up to 30 days after discharge, the rate of CHE among c-section patients stratified by in-hospital costs and post-discharge follow-up costs, and the main contributors to c-section follow-up costs. Results: Of the 479 participants in this study, 90% were classified as impoverished before surgery and an additional 6.4% were impoverished by the c-section. The median out-of-pocket costs up to POD30 was US$122.16 (IQR: $102.94, $148.11); 63% of these expenditures were attributed to post-discharge expenses or lost opportunity costs (US$77.50; IQR: $67.70, $95.60). To afford c-section care, 64.4% borrowed money and 18.4% sold possessions. The CHE rate was 27% when only considering direct and indirect costs up to the time of discharge and 77% when including the reported expenses up to POD30. Transportation and lost household wages were the largest contributors to post-discharge costs. Conclusion: Costs associated with surgical follow-up are often neglected in financial risk calculations but contribute significantly to the risk of CHE in rural Rwanda. Insurance coverage for direct medical costs is insufficient to protect against CHE. Innovative follow-up solutions to reduce costs of patient transport and compensate for household lost wages need to be considered.
The Prognosis and Clinicopathological Characteristics of Metaplastic Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.
Authors: Yang Xiaolu , Zhou Tao
Published: October 2021

Background: Due to the rarity of metaplastic breast cancer (MBC), the prognosis and clinicopathologic-al characteristics of MBC patients are still inconclusive. Large-sample retrospective analysis is still lacking at present.This study aims to conduct a meta-analysis of relevant literature on MBC at home and abroad to obtain the prognostic and clinicopathological characteristics of MBC.Methods: Cohort studies or case-control studies comparing MBC and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) were searched through the internet, and the quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). A total of 9 studies with NOS scores of > 6 were included. Meta-analysis was performed using the Review Manager 5.3 provided by the Cochrane Collaboration Network. The hazard ratio (HR) evaluate the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), and the odds ratio (OR) was used to evaluate clinicopathological characteristics, including age, tumor diameter, lymph node metastasis status, distant metastasis status, TNM staging, and histological grade. According to the heterogeneity of the included studies, random effects model or fixed effects model was used.Results: Compared with TNBC patients, the HR value for 5-year DFS and 5-year OS of MBC patients was 1.64 (95%CI: 1.36-1.98) and 1.52 (95%CI: 1.27-1.81), respectively. The total OR value for age> 50 years old, tumor diameter ≤ 2cm, lymph node positive, distant metastasis, TNM stage III and above, and histological grade 3 was 1.63 (95%CI: 1.45-1.84), 0.29 (95% CI: 0.14-0.58), 0.68 (95%CI: 0.53-0.88), 1.59 (95%CI: 0.89-2.81), 1.49 (95 %CI: 0.80-2.77), and 2.25 (95%CI: 0.85-5.97), respectively.Conclusion: MBC patients are less likely to have lymph node metastasis and had worse DFS and OS than TNBC patients, which may be related to the pathological characteristics of MBC patients being related to sarcoma. But this also requires verification and further research with large sample sizes. In addition, there were no statistical differences in distant metastasis, TNM staging, and histological grade between MBC and TNBC patients.