bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seri kapasitör içeren şebekelerde k-en yakın komşuluk (k-EYK) sınıflandırma yöntemi kullanılarak geniş bölge izleme tabanlı yeni bir arızalı hat belirleme algoritması
Authors: SAMUK Doğan Can , NUROĞLU Fatih Mehmet
Published: March 2021

Günümüzde seri
kapasitörler uzun iletim hatlarında, kayıpların azaltılması ve transfer
kapasitesinin artırılmasında sıklıkla kullanılmaktadır. Kapasitörler aynı
zamanda şebekenin gerilim kararlılığının iyileştirilmesinde de önemli rol
oynamaktadır. Sağladığı bu olumlu katkıların yanında seri kapasitörlerin
bulundukları hattaki mesafe koruma rölelerinin çalışmasını olumsuz yönde
etkilediği bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmada seri kapasitör bulunan şebekelerde arıza
yerinin tespiti için k-EYK sınıflandırma yöntemi kullanılarak geniş bölge
izleme tabanlı bir koruma algoritması önerilmiştir. Algoritmanın testi
Digsilent Power Factory programında oluşturulan radyal şebekede yapılmıştır. Test
için oluşturulan kısa devre senaryolarında farklı arıza empedansları altında 3-faz
dengeli ve tek-faz toprak arızaları analiz edilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlara
göre önerilen algoritmanın hatların belirli noktalarında oluşturulan kısa
devrelerde arızalı hattı doğru bir şekilde tespit edebildiği görülmüştür.
Çalışmada ayrıca şebeke için arıza yerinin tespiti yapıldıktan sonra alınacak
önlemleri kapsayan bir koruma şeması önerilmiştir.
Betonarme perdelerin yığılı plastik davranış ile doğrusal olmayan modellenmesi ve hasar sınırları
Authors: DEĞER Zeynep , BAŞDOĞAN Çağrı
Published: March 2021

Betonarme perde duvarlar yüksek depremselliğe sahip bölgelerde yatay yük taşıyıcı sistem olarak yaygın olarak kullanılmaktadır. Perdelerin baskın davranışı ve göçme şekli tipik olarak alçak perdelerde kesme kontrollü, yükseklik-genişlik oranı yüksek olan perdelerde ise eğilme kontrollü olarak görülmektedir. Mevcut binaların deprem performansı değerlendirmesinin doğru bir şekilde yapılabilmesi için perdelerin doğrusal olmayan davranışının analitik olarak en gerçeğe yakın şekilde modellenmesi çok önemlidir. Bu çalışmada, doğrusal olmayan davranışın modelleme teknikleri (örn: yığılı plastisite, yayılı plastisite) incelenmiş, farklı göçme tiplerine sahip konvansiyonel betonarme perdeleri içeren bir veri tabanı oluşturulmuş ve analitik modelleme parametreleri deneysel verilere dayanarak geliştirilmiştir. Bununla birlikte, deprem yönetmeliklerindeki hasar sınırları incelenmiş ve raporlanan deney sonuçlarına ile Türkiye Bina Deprem Yönetmeliği (2018)’e uygun olarak farklı hasar sınırlarına ait ötelenme oranı değerleri sunulmuştur. Bu çalışmada elde edilen bulguların betonarme perde duvar davranışının daha gerçekçi modellenmesine ve göçme/hasar değerlendirmelerinin daha doğru tespit edilmesine olanak sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.
Belirsizlik altında iletim genişleme planlama problemi için yeni iki seviyeli sağlam modeller
Authors: ŞENYİĞİT Ercan , MUTLU Selçuk
Published: March 2021

Elektrik üretimi ve tüketimi arasındaki iletimi sağlayan mevcut bir elektrik ağına eklenmesi gereken yeni iletim hatlarını belirleme sorunu olan İletim Genişleme Planlaması (İGP), elektrik sistemindeki ana stratejik kararlardan biridir. Belirsizlikler dikkate alındığında İGP probleminin çözümü, problemin doğrusal olmayan karışık tamsayı niteliği nedeniyle oldukça zordur. Bu çalışmada, İGP problemi elektrik enerjisi sistemlerindeki belirsizlikler dikkate alınarak ele alınmıştır. Problemin doğrusal olmayan yapısı dönüşüm işlemleri kullanılarak bu çalışmada doğrusal hale getirilmiştir ve talebin sabit olduğu durumlarda literatürde en iyi çözümü bilinen IEEE-24 verileri kullanılarak test edilmiştir. Talepteki belirsizliğin sisteme etkileri Monte Carlo benzetim tekniği ile bu alanda nadir olarak kullanılan PYTHON 3,7 programı ile analiz edilmiştir. Talep dışındaki diğer belirsizlik konuları için gerçek hayat durumlarına uygun senaryolar hazırlanmıştır. Senaryolar petrol fiyatları, doğalgaz fiyatları, değişen hat yatırım maliyetleri, karbondioksit salınım maliyeti ve üretim arızaları gibi diğer belirsizlik konuları için tanımlanmıştır. Belirsizlik altında çözüm üretmek için bu çalışmaya özgün 2 seviyeli min-maks değer ve min-maks pişmanlık dayanıklı modelleri ilk kez oluşturulmuştur. Özgün olarak geliştirilen min-maks modelleri ile problem LINGO 18,0 programı kullanılarak çözülmüştür. Sayısal sonuçlar, geliştirilen dayanıklı yöntemin belirsizlik altında hızlı şekilde en iyi çözümü ürettiğini göstermektedir.
Effects of vacuum exposure on mechanical properties of thermoplastic materials
Authors: Santos Tiago Rodrigues Dos , Brandão Isla Kalleny Marques , Sant'Ana Mateus Silva , Alves Pedro Henrique dos Santos , Taborda Rana Mayeli Piêgas , Gessini Paolo , Junior Manuel Dias Nascimento Barcelos
Published: March 2021

The present paper proposes the study of the behavior of three thermoplastic materials: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PETG), processed by additive manufacturing type fused deposition modelling (FDM) when exposed to low vacuum. The experiment was composed of three moments consisting of tridimensional modeling and manufacturing of the specimens, drying process and vacuum exposure for 24 hours, according to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6653/D6653M standards, and bending test for the determination of mechanical properties, based on ASTM D790 standards. The vacuum chamber tests exposed oscillations in the pressure indicating gases releasing from the specimen, but none of the samples showed visible deformations. Subjecting the materials exposed to low vacuum to bending tests and comparing them to the unexposed material, we observed a significant increase in the calculated modulus of elasticity and a change in the slope of graphic force versus deflection in all materials. This behavior demonstrates that it is possible to submit polymeric materials to vacuum, and low vacuum exposure can be a treatment for thermoplastic materials. In the future, a study using a spectrometer will be necessary to verify which gases are present during pressure oscillation in the chamber, thus making it possible to understand which factor has increased the mechanical properties of the materials. In sequence, experiments will be necessary to validate the vacuum exposure as a form of treatment of materials and to verify the possibility of applying thermoplastics commonly used in additive manufacturing for low-impact space applications.
A New Lifetime Model: Copulas, Properties and Real Lifetime Data Applications
Authors: Shehata Wahid
Published: March 2021

A new four parameter lifetime model called the Weibullgeneralized Lomax is proposed and studied.  The new density function can be "right skewed", "symmetric" and "left skewed" and its corresponding failure rate function can be "monotonically decreasing", " monotonically increasing" and "constant". The skewness of the new distribution can negative and positive. The maximum likelihood method is employed and used for estimating the model parameters. Using the "biases" and "mean squared errors", we performed simulation experiments for assessing the finite sample behavior of the maximum likelihood estimators. The new model deserved to be chosen as the best model among many well-known Lomax extension such as exponentiated Lomax, gamma Lomax, Kumaraswamy Lomax, odd log-logistic Lomax, Macdonald Lomax, beta Lomax, reduced odd log-logistic Lomax, reduced Burr-Hatke Lomax, reduced WG-Lx, special generalized mixture Lomax and the standard Lomax distributions in modeling the "failure times" and the "service times" data sets.
Caring In-Between: Events of Engagement of Preschool Children and Forests
Authors: Vladimirova Anna
Published: March 2021

This paper draws on process philosophy to imagine “care” as a collective practice of children and the forest in the context of Finnish early childhood education. By locating care in movement rather than an individual, the author challenges the notion of caring subjectivity and employs postqualitative inquiry to conceptually focus on an impersonal production of care. The author shows how care emerges in the between of children and forest in an outdoor learning environment and highlights what it continually produces. She concludes by discussing the need for a conceptual evolution of “care” in the philosophies of environmental and outdoor education.
Improved Pohlig - Hellman using Sieve of Eratosthenes for Three-Pass Protocol Security Enhancement
Authors: Rahim Robbi , Hanin Zahri Nik Adilah , Bin Mohd Warip Mohd Nazri
Published: March 2021

Password-based is widely used as an exchange model in many areas such as smartphones, computers and other devices in which the keys are directly distributed to the recipients. Therefore, the implementation of cryptographic protocols without key exchange remains an undesirable area. The three-pass protocol is an instrument that enables sender and receiver to send encrypted data without any of the keys being transmitted to recipients. Furthermore, this process eliminates key exchange between senders and recipients when there is three ways direct communication using their own key.
Effects on Using Tutoring Application in Integration with Self-Directed Learning to Improve Statistical Analysis Skills
Authors: Dangprasert Sawanan
Published: March 2021

The purposes of this study were (1) to develop the tutoring application integrated with selfdirected learning to improve statistical analysis skills; (2) to compare the learners’ pretest and posttest taken from their learning achievements; (3) to compare the learners’ pretest and posttest taken from their statistical analysis skills; (4) to investigate the correlations of statistical analysis skills and learning achievements, and (5) to investigate the correlations of statistical analysis skills and the frequency of using this application. The research methodology divided into 2 major phases included Phase 1: The development of tutoring application integrated with self-directed learning to improve learners’ statistical analysis skills, and Phase 2; The investigation of using the tutoring application. The data were statistically analyzed through using mean, t-test, and Pearson‘s correlation coefficient. The findings of the study revealed that the learners’ scores of their posttest with its significant difference of .01, according to the comparison of learners’ statistical analysis skills, were higher than that of their pretest.
Rekürren over kanseri hastalarında uygulanan tersiyer ve kuaterner sitoredüksiyon cerrahilerinin sağ kalıma etkisi ve morbiditesi
Authors: YÜKSEL ŞİMŞEK Seda , AKILLI Hüseyin , ALYAZICI KÜÇÜKYILDIZ İrem , AYHAN Ali
Published: March 2021

Amaç: Rekürren over kanseri hastalarında uygulanan tersiyer ve kuaterner sitoredüktif cerrahilerin sağ kalım ve morbidite sonuçlarının incelenmesidir.

Gereç ve Yöntem: Hasta kayıtları retrospektif olarak incelenmiştir. Sağ kalım oranlarının tespitinde Kaplan-Meier sağ kalım analizi ve karşılaştırmalar için log-rank testleri kullanılmıştır. Tüm analizlerde anlamlı istatistiki değer p:
To what extent does UK law protect victims from taking, making and sharing intimate images without consent in an age of emerging technology?
Authors: Howarth Ellie , Kola Zeynepyade , Ishfaq Haleem , Hughes Jade , Ibeh Ebony
Published: March 2021

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Why Euthanasia Should be Legalised in the UK
Authors: Mushore Delight , Saull Emily , Rhodes Georgie , Alfarhan Maria , Robinson Molly , Taylor Rachal
Published: March 2021

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Pregnancy Discrimination
Authors: Todd Lewis , Towers Carla , Briers Lili , Mansour Judi
Published: March 2021

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English Language Teacher Education in India
Authors: Devupalli Vishwa Prasad
Published: March 2021

This book deals with five essential parts. The first part deals with teacher education from ancient India to nineteenth century. It briefly describes the evolution of teacher education till the end of nineteenth century. The second part reflects upon teacher education during colonial period and post-independence India in the twentieth century. The third part gives the details of the education movements, Knowledge Commission’s call for knowledge society and the importance of the English Language in India, school curricula, teacher education and pedagogy of English. The fourth part puts forth the importance of the English language teaching, English teachers’ knowledge base and teacher education as given in the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (2005), National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (2009) Right of the Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2010. The fifth part draws attention to the problems in present-day English language teacher education in India and how could those problems be solved.
POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS DE CULTURA: ANÁLISE DO PLANO ESTADUAL DE CULTURA DO TOCANTINS À LUZ DO MODELO NEOINSTITUCIONALISTA
Authors: Sousa Poliana Macedo de , Lopes José Rogério
Published: March 2021

Este artigo pretende analisar o Plano Estadual de Cultura do Tocantins (PEC/TO) - instrumento de planejamento estratégico que organiza, regula e norteia a execução da política estadual de cultura -, após aprovação do Sistema de Cultura do Tocantins (SC/TO), instituído pela Lei nº 3.252, de 31 de julho de 2017, bem como analisar as ações desenvolvidas após a implantação dessa política pública. Apresenta um breve histórico das políticas públicas para cultura no Brasil e no Tocantins. E, sob a perspectiva da teoria neoinstitucionalista, mostra a criação, a permanência ou a mudança de instituições não é o resultado de um processo funcional de busca de maior eficiência, mas sim de uma busca por maior legitimidade.
ANÁLISE DA SITUAÇÃO FINANCEIRA DO ESTADO DO TOCANTINS POR CATEGORIA ECONÔMICA
Authors: Pereira de Brito Costa Reinaldo , Marques de Oliveira Nilton , Silva Lima Fernando
Published: March 2021

Esta pesquisa analisou a situação financeira do estado do Tocantins sob a ótica das receitas e despesas por categoria econômica de 2010 a 2015. Para esse fim amparou-se metodologicamente na análise qualitativa e quantitativa, fundada na pesquisa tipo exploratória e descritiva, por meio dos dados obtidos nos demonstrativos do Balanço Geral do governo do estado. A análise da execução orçamentária iniciou-se com um confronto entre as receitas orçadas e arrecadadas, e as despesas fixadas e executadas. Após, apresenta-se a evolução e composição das receitas e despesas de modo geral e nas subcategorias econômicas. Dentre os resultados alcançados, constatou-se que o aumento do gasto público está concentrado nas despesas correntes (92%), principalmente com Pessoal e Encargo Social, cerca de 60% do total dos gastos, mas dentro dos limites estabelecidos pela LRF. Conclui-se que em todos os períodos analisados o estado do Tocantins obteve superávit orçamentário, evidenciando que as receitas arrecadadas são superiores ao valor das despesas empenhadas nos exercícios e demonstrando equilíbrio entre os referidos valores.
“Clinician’s Probability Calculator” to Convert Pre-Test to Post-Test Probability of COVID-19, Based on Method Validation from Each Laboratory
Authors: Brooks Zoe , Das Saswati , Pliura Tom
Published: March 2021

Identifying the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been a unique challenge for the scientific community. In this paper, we discuss a practical solution to help guide clinicians with interpretation of the probability that a positive, or negative, COVID-19 test result indicates an infected person, based on their clinical estimate of pre-test probability of infection.The authors conducted a small survey on LinkedIn to confirm that hypothesis that that the clinical pre-test probability of COVID-19 increases relative to local prevalence of disease plus patient age, known contact, and severity of symptoms. We examined results of PPA (Positive Percent Agreement, sensitivity) and NPA (Negative Percent Agreement, specificity) from 73 individual laboratory experiments for molecular tests for SARS-CoV-2 as reported to the FIND database 1, and for selected methods in FDA EUA submissions2,3. Authors calculated likelihood ratios to convert pre-test to post-test probability of disease and designed an online calculator to create graphics and text to report results. Despite best efforts, false positive and false negative Covid-19 test results are unavoidable4,5. A positive or negative test result from one laboratory has a different probability for the presence of disease than the same result from another laboratory. Likelihood ratios and confidence intervals can convert the physician or other healthcare professional’s clinical estimate of pre-test probability to post-test probability of disease. Ranges of probabilities differ depending on proven method PPA and NPA in each laboratory. We recommend that laboratories verify PPA and NPA and utilize a the “Clinician’s Probability Calculator” to verify acceptable test performance and create reports to help guide clinicians with estimation of post-test probability of COVID-19.
Cognitive and Neuroimaging Correlates of Insomnia Symptoms in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Pilot-Study
Authors: Ramos Alberto , Alperin Noam , Lee Sang , Tarraf Wassim , Gonzalez Kevin , Hernadez Cardenache Rene
Published: March 2021

We aim to determine the sleep correlates of age-related brain loss in a sample of middle-aged to older males with obstructive sleep apnea. We evaluated consecutive treatment naïve male patients with OSA (AHI≥15 events/hr) without dementia, stroke or heart disease, from January to November of 2019. We collected demographic variables, vascular risk factors, and sleep questionnaires. We also obtained computerized neurocognitive testing with the Go-No-Go Response Inhibition Test, Stroop Interference Test, Catch Game Test, Staged Information Processing Speed Test, Verbal Memory Test and Non-Verbal Memory Test. We derived age and education adjusted domain-specific Z-scores for global cognition, memory, attention, processing speed and executive function. We used brain MRI T1-weighted images to derive total hippocampal and gray matter volumes. Partial correlations evaluated associations between the ISI, AHI, and oxygen level during sleep, with cognitive domains and brain volumes. Sixteen participants, age 40-76 years, 73% Hispanic/Latino, with mean AHI=48.9±25.5 and mean oxygen saturation of 91.4±6.9% during sleep. Hypertension was seen in 66% and diabetes in 27%. We observed that ISI and oxygen level during sleep had strong correlations with brain volumes and cognition. These preliminary findings may aid in developing future strategies to improve age-related brain loss in OSA.
Planning to Flip Heavy Objects Considering Soft-Finger Contacts
Authors: Raessa Mohamed ,   Osaka University 1-3 Machikaneyama-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan, Wan Weiwei , Koyama Keisuke , Harada Kensuke
Published: March 2021

In this study, we implemented a constrained motion planner that enables robot manipulators to flip large and heavy objects without slippage while continuously holding them. Based on the soft-finger maximum friction torque, we developed a constraint relaxation method to estimate the critical rotation angle that a robot end effector can rotate while avoiding in-hand slippage. The critical rotation angle was used in a motion planner to sample safe configurations and generate slippage-free motion. The proposed planner was implemented using a 6-degree-of-freedom robot arm and a 2-finger robotic gripper with rubber pads attached to the fingertips. Experiments were performed with several objects to examine and demonstrate the performance of the planner. The results indicated satisfying planning time and the elimination of object slippage.
The Effect of PGF2α Injection on Post-Thaw Motility in Sperm of Nubian Goats
Authors: Aswadi Aswadi , Husnurrizal Husnurrizal , Adam Mulyadi , Siregar Tongku Nizwan
Published: March 2021

This study aims to determine the effect of PGF2α injection on the post-thaw motility (PTM) in sperm of Nubian goats. Three male Nubian goats (3-4 years) with good reproductive ability were used. This study used a 3 x 3 Latin square design. The experimental animals received a physiological NaCl injection as a control (P1); 37.5 mg of PGF2α (P2), and 75 mg of PGF2α (P3). Semen was collected using an artificial vagina with one-week storage intervals between treatments. The collected semen was then diluted and frozen using a simple freezing method. Observation of semen quality before freezing included macroscopic and microscopic examinations. Macroscopic examination consisted of volume, pH, color, odor, and consistency, while microscopic examination consisted of motility, concentration, viability, and abnormality. PTM examination was done by mixing a drop of sperm suspension and one drop of physiological NaCl on an object glass and covered prior to observation under microscope.. The results were analyzed using a Latin square pattern variant analysis, followed by Duncan's test. The PTM values of sperm (%) of Nubian goats in P1, P2, and P3 respectively are 28.71±10.24, 50.03±13.70, and 54.84±12.04 (P<0.05). Injection of PGF2α to Nubian goats by injection increased the PTM.
Nationwide context and evaluation methodology for farmstead and ranch historic sites and historic archaeological sites on DoD property
Authors: Baxter Carey , Enscore Susan , Hartman Ellen , Mertens Benjamin , Morrison Dawn
Published: March 2021

The Army is tasked with managing the cultural resources on its lands. For installations that contain large numbers of historic farmsteads, meeting these requirements through traditional archaeological approaches entails large investments of personnel, time and organization capital. Through two previous projects, Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC-CERL) cultural resource management personnel developed a methodology for efficiently identifying the best examples of historic farmstead sites, and also those sites that are least likely to be deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. This report details testing the applicability of the methodology to regions across the country. Regional historic contexts were created to assist in the determination of “typical” farmsteads. The Farmstead/Ranch Eligibility Evaluation Form created by ERDC-CERL researchers was revised to reflect the broader geographic scope and the inclusion of ranches as a property type. The form was then used to test 29 sites at five military installations. The results of the fieldwork show this approach is applicable nationwide, and it can be used to quickly identify basic information about historic farmstead sites that can expedite determinations of eligibility to the National Register.
Improved Typelog Alignment for Automated Geosteering Using Multi-Stage Penalized Optimization
Authors: Sun Jin , Maus Stefan
Published: March 2021

Automated geosteering relies on logging-while-drilling data from offset wells to make inferences about the geological formation and help guide directional drilling of the subject well. When data from multiple offset wells are available, it is desirable to consistently combine data typelogs from these wells to better estimate the 3D geological formation around the drilling path. We develop a quantitative typelog alignment method based on a Bayesian approach, where the alignment map between pairs of typelogs are modeled as a random function with a prior distribution. A multi-stage penalized procedure is developed that optimizes this alignment map to minimize a misfit function, while taking the prior knowledge into consideration.
Drill Bit Design Features that Initiate and Reduce High Frequency Torsional Oscillations
Authors: Spencer Reed W. , Bomidi John A. , Huang Xu
Published: March 2021

This paper reports the development of and the results of high frequency torsional oscillation (HFTO) tests performed on full-sized PDC drill bits and single cutters in a drilling laboratory. The research team used a pressurized laboratory drilling rig to test different drill bit designs in new and worn conditions. These tests were performed in different rock types, at different revolution per minute (RPM), weight on bit (WOB) and depth of cut (DOC) values. High frequency drill stem torque (5120 Hz) and in-bit tangential acceleration (1400 Hz) data were recorded, along with all other drilling parameters. Spectrograms of torque data were plotted to identify frequency changes in time. The torque data was filtered to remove the low frequency behavior and focus on the HFTO behavior. The high frequency torque signal correlates well with in-bit tangential accelerations. Root mean square (RMS) values of this filtered torque signal were calculated and plotted vs average WOB, depth of cut, and torque values. Sharp and worn bit geometry, were dull graded on a per cutter basis and were input to a 3D drilling modeling software and correlated with test data in order to determine the DOC at which wear flats or cutting faces engage the rock and cause changes in HFTO behavior. The main results from this research are 1) a lab test and data analysis were developed that can measure a drill bit's propensity to initiate HFTO vibrations in the BHA, 2) HFTO RMS high-pass filtered torque values generally increase with DOC, 3) bits in the new state show more HFTO behavior if cutter design is more aggressive, and 4) wear flat engagement causes high HFTO behavior.
Menopausal Symptoms Are Associated With Oral Sensory Complaints in Perimenopausal Women: An Observational Study
Authors: Taga Tomoharu , Ito Kayoko , Takamatsu Kiyoshi , Ogawa Mariko , Funayama Saori , Inoue Makoto
Published: March 2021

Background: Perimenopausal women experience a wide variety of systemic symptoms: hot flashes, sweating, psychiatric symptoms and various oral sensory complaints (OSC). OSC in perimenopausal women include xerostomia, taste disturbance and burning mouth. However, the factors associated with these OSC have not been identified. The purpose of this investigation was to elucidate the factors associated with OSC in perimenopausal women．Methods: The study cohort comprised 43 perimenopausal women aged 45–55 years. Data on medical history, medications, menstrual status, menopausal symptoms, xerostomia, taste disturbance and burning mouth were collected. Volumes of unstimulated and stimulated saliva were measured. Tongue coating was evaluated according to a tongue coating index. Univariate analysis was performed to identify factors significantly associated with having xerostomia, taste disturbance, burning mouth and more than two OSC (2OSC). Next, the factors strongly associated with these symptoms were examined by logistic regression analysis.Results: The number of menopausal symptoms was significantly higher, and volume of unstimulated saliva significantly lower in participants with xerostomia, taste disturbance, burning mouth or 2OSC than in those without these characteristics. Agents targeting the central nervous system were more frequently taken by participants with burning mouth and 2OSC than by those without these characteristics. According to logistic regression analysis, the number of menopausal symptoms was an explanatory variable for xerostomia, taste disturbance, burning mouth and 2OSC. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that OSC associated with the number of menopausal symptoms. Management of menopausal symptoms may decrease OSC, leading to improved quality of life of perimenopausal women.
LED Light Sources Improved the Essential Oil Components and Antioxidant Activity of Two Genotypes of Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis L.)
Authors: Ahmadi Tayebeh , Shabani Leila , Sabzalian Mohammad R.
Published: March 2021

Here we investigated the effect of different LED light sources on the essential oil components and antioxidant activity of Melissa officinalis. Two genotypes of lemon balm (Ilam and Isfahan) were subjected to four artificial light treatments including white, red, blue, red + blue LEDs and greenhouse light as natural lighting. The LED lights significantly increased shoot fresh and dry weights and Leaf number in the two genotypes as compared to greenhouse condition. The results showed that the content and composition of essential oil in two genotypes was variable under different light treatments and the total amount of compounds in Ilam genotype was higher than the other genotype. The results of analysis of the essential oil by GC/MS indicated that the highest amount of monoterpenes in the genotypes was related to citronellal under red + blue LED lamps (15.3 and 17.2% in Ilam and Isfahan genotypes, respectively) but blue, white, and greenhouse condition had the most effect on sesquiterpenes content in both genotypes. Furthermore, the observed variation between the two genotypes in the essentials oil composition was related to the relative percentage of the constituents and not to the appearance or lack of a specific component. Red + blue lighting also caused the highest radical scavenging activity % in both genotypes (80.77 and 82.09% for Ilam and Isfahan genotypes, respectively). Based on principal component analyses (PCA), three main groups were identified regarding genotypes and all light treatments. Overall, results indicated that the essentials oil composition of two genotypes of lemon balm was affected both qualitatively and quantitatively by different LED light sources; hence, LED lights might be used to improve monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and antioxidant activity in the selected genotypes.
Transmitted drug resistance in ART-naive persons with acute/ early/ primary HIV infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: GUO Chun-Xiang , WU Ya-Xin , ZHANG Yang , LIU Xin-Chao , LI Ai-Xin , GAO Mei-Xia , ZHANG Tong , WU Hao , HUANG Xiao-Jie , CHEN Guan-Zhi
Published: March 2021

Background: In the absence of AIDS vaccine，antiretroviral therapy (ART) was the most effective tool to prevent and control the HIV pandemic. But the widespread use of ART has raised concerns about the emergence of HIV transmitted drug resistance (TDR). Acute HIV infection (AHI) was the most appropriate time to detect the spread of TDR. In this meta-analysis, our purpose was to evaluate the level of TDR in ART-naive patients with acute/ primary/ early HIV infection, and describe the critical drug-resistant mutations. Methods: We systematically reviewed 1192 studies published between January 1, 2008 and December 30, 2019 in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, and selected 12 studies that meet our inclusion criteria. To evaluate the overall prevalence of TDR, we extracted raw data and analyzed prevalence estimates using Stata SE. Estimates of mixed-effects were calculated by random-effects meta-analysis, and the I²statistics were used to estimate the heterogeneity of all included studies.Results: The Data of this meta-analysis come from 12 observational studies, covering 3558 ART-naive individuals with PHI, AHI or EHI. The overall prevalence of HIV-TDR is 9.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 7.2%–12.3%, p<0.001). Prevalence of resistance by drug class is highest for the NNRTIs at 5.9% (95% CI: 3.1%–8.6%, p<0.001), followed by NRTIs 3.4% (95% CI: 1.8%–5.0%, p<0.001) and PIs 3.4% (95% CI: 2.7%–4.0%, p<0.001). The prevalence of TDR to INIs is 0.3% (95% CI: -0.1%-0.7%, p<0.001), which is the lowest among all antiretroviral drugs.Conclusion: The overall prevalence of TDR is high among AHI patients who have never received ART. This emphasizes the importance of baseline drug resistance testing for public health surveillance and guiding the choice of ART. In addition, the prevalence of TDR to NNRTIs is the highest, while the TDR to INIs is the lowest. This may guide the selection of clinical antiretroviral drugs.
FACER: An API Usage-based Code-example Recommender for Opportunistic Reuse
Authors: Abid Shamsa , Shamail Shafay , Basit Hamid Abdul , Nadi Sarah
Published: March 2021

To save time, developers often search for code examples that implement their desired software features. Existing code search techniques typically focus on ﬁnding code snippets for a single given query, which means that developers need to perform a separate search for each desired functionality. In this paper, we pro-pose FACER (Feature-driven API usage-based Code Examples Recommender), a technique that avoids repeated searches through opportunistic reuse. Speciﬁcally, given the selected code snippet that matches the initial search query, FACER ﬁnds and suggests related code snippets that represent features that the developer may want to implement next. FACER ﬁrst constructs a code fact repository by parsing the source code of open-source Java projects to obtain methods’ textual information, call graphs, and Application Programming Interface (API) usages. It then detects unique features by clustering methods based on similar API us-ages, where each cluster represents a feature or functionality. Finally, it detects frequently co-occurring features across projects using frequent pattern mining and recommends related methods from the mined patterns. To evaluate FACER, we run it on 120 Java Android apps from GitHub. We ﬁrst manually validate that the detected method clusters represent methods with similar functionality. We then perform an automated evaluation to determine the best parameters (e.g., similarity threshold) for FACER. We recruit 10 professional developers along with 39 experienced students to judge FACER’s recommendation of related methods. Our results show that, on average, FACER’s recommendations are 80% precise. We also survey a total of 20 professional Android and Java developers to understand their code search and reuse experiences, and also to obtain their feedback on the usability and usefulness of FACER. The survey results show that 95% of our surveyed professional developers ﬁnd the idea of related method recommendations useful during code reuse.
Planning considerations of green corridors for the improvement of biodiversity resilience in suburban areas
Authors: Wang Yuhong , Jia Siqi , Wang Zhe , Chen Yang , Mo Shicong , Sze N.N.
Published: March 2021

The world is experiencing a rapid loss in the biodiversity of pollinator insects. Habitat segmentation caused by infrastructures is one of the contributing factors. To improve the habitat connectivity of pollinator insects, it is proposed in this study to build green corridors for pollinators over linear infrastructures such as highways. In the context of suburban areas of a large city, this study examines differences in air parameters between natural environments and a roadside environment based on monitored and estimated data. Influences of different green corridor designs on floral scent dispersion are also investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and simulation. It is found that, if flower plants are installed on highway overpasses, the floral scents would be better preserved as compared with those in a natural environment due to the lower concentration of oxidative radicals in the air over highways. The stronger floral scents and their wider dispersion may help attract pollinators. Conversely, highway air contains a variety of volatine organic components (VOCs) that are likely traced to highway operations and pavements. Hence, the overall profile of VOCs in a highway environment differs from that in a natural environment. Results from CFD modeling and simulation suggest that the use of green corridors planted with flowers on the highway overpass can greatly improve the connectivity of floral scents. Hence, with proper engineering design and right combination of plant species, green corridors built on highway overpasses have the potential to facilitate pollinators to cross the road, thereby improving their habitat connectivity and resilience against declining biodiversity.
Take one for the team: On the time efficiency of application-level buffer-aided data relaying in edge cloud communication
Authors: Li Zheng , Millar-Bilbao Francisco , Rojas-Durán Gonzalo , Ladra Susana
Published: March 2021

Background: Adding buffers to networks is part of the fundamental advance in data communication. Since edge cloud computing is based on the heterogeneous collaboration network model in a federated environment, it is natural to consider buffer-aided data communication for edge cloud applications. However, the existing studies generally pursue the beneficial features of buffering at a cost of time, not to mention that many investigations are focused on lower-layer data packets rather than application-level communication transactions.Aims: Driven by a counterintuitive argument against the claim that buffers "can introduce additional delay to the communication between the source and destination", this research aims to investigate whether or not (and if yes, to what extent) the application-level buffering mechanism can improve the time efficiency in edge-cloud data transmissions.Method: To collect empirical evidence for the theoretical discussion, we built up a testbed to simulate a remote health monitoring system, and conducted both experimental and modeling investigations into the first-in-first-served (FIFS) and buffer-aided data transmissions at a relay node in the system.Results: An empirical inequality system is established for revealing the time efficiency of buffer-aided edge cloud communication. For example, given the reference of transmitting the 11th data entity in the FIFS manner, the inequality system suggests buffering up to 50 data entities into one transmission transaction on our testbed.Conclusions: Despite the trade-off benefits (e.g., energy efficiency and fault tolerance) of buffering data, our investigation argues that the buffering mechanism can also speed up data transmission under certain circumstances, and thus it would be worth taking data buffering into account when designing and developing edge cloud applications even in the time-critical context.
Comparison of Obesity Indices and Triglyceride Glucose Related Parameters to Predict Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among Normal-Weight Elderly in China
Authors: Ke Pan , Wu Xia , Xu Minzhi , Feng Jie , Xu Hongbin , Gan Yong , Wang Chao , Deng Zhenyu , Liu Xiang , Fu Wenning , Tian Qingfeng , He Yan , Zhong Lirong , Jiang Heng , Lu Zuxun
Published: March 2021

Background : Although a significant proportion of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) cases arose from normal-weight individuals, studies on indicators that can predict T2DM in normal-weight people are limited. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the predictive value of obesity indices and triglyceride glucose related parameters (TyG-related parameters) in T2DM among normal-weight Chinese elderly. Methods : A total of 24,215 normal-weight Chinese elderly (age ≥ 60 years) [body mass index--BMI (18.5-23.9 kg/m 2 )] were included. Obesity indices and triglyceride glucose related parameters (TyG-related parameters) included waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), and TyG-related parameters (TyG, TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, and TyG-WHtR). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the associations between obesity-and TyG-related indices and T2DM. The areas under the curve (AUC) of the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to evaluate and compare the predictive value of the different indices. Results : The prevalence of T2DM was 14.2% in normal-weight individuals. Among the indices, TyG was significantly associated with T2DM among men and women, respectively (adjusted odds ratio--aOR 19.005; 95% CI 13.235–27.291) and (aOR 25.262; 95% CI 16.957–37.634). Compared with other indices, TyG had the highest AUC value for T2DM in men (AUC: 0.818, 95% CI 0.810–0.825) and women (AUC: 0.824, 95% CI 0.814–0.833). Conclusions : TyG is an effective marker and outperforms than other indices when predicting T2DM in the normal-weight Chinese elderly population.
WITHDRAWN: Integrating Data Mining, Network Pharmacology, and Molecular Docking Verification to Investigate the Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine Prescriptions for Treating Male Infertility
Authors: Bai Xue , Tang Yibo , Li Qiang , Liu Guimin , Liu Dan , Fan Xiaolei , Liu Zhejun , Yu Shujun , Tang Tian , Wang Shuyan , Li Lingru , Zhou Kailin , Zheng Yanfei , Liu Zhenquan
Published: March 2021

Background: Male infertility (MI) affects almost 5% adult men worldwide, and 75% of these cases are unexplained idiopathic. There are limitations in the current treatment due to the unclear mechanism of MI, which highlight the urgent need for a more effective strategy or drug. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescriptions have been used to treat MI for thousands of years, but their molecular mechanism is not well defined. Methods: Aiming at revealing the molecular mechanism of TCM prescriptions on MI, a comprehensive strategy integrating data mining, network pharmacology, and molecular docking verification was performed. Firstly, we collected 289 TCM prescriptions for treating MI from National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine for 6 years. Then, Core Chinese Materia Medica (CCMM), the crucial combination of TCM prescriptions, was obtained by the TCM Inheritance Support System from China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Next, the components and targets of CCMM in TCM prescriptions and MI-related targets were collected and analyzed through network pharmacology approach.Results: The results showed that the molecular mechanism of TCM prescriptions for treating MI are regulating hormone, inhibiting apoptosis, oxidant stress and inflammatory. Estrogen signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway are the most important signaling pathways. Molecular docking experiments were used to further validate network pharmacology results. Conclusions: This study not only discovers CCMM and the molecular mechanism of TCM prescriptions for treating MI, but may be helpful for the popularization and application of TCM treatment.
Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation with the Tube Placement in the Ciliary Sulcus: Short Term Results
Authors: Arikan Gul , Akbulut Betul , Utine Canan Asli , Ayhan Ziya , Kaya Mahmut , Ozturk Taylan , Gunenc Uzeyir
Published: March 2021

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of pseudophakic/aphakic eyes with uncontrolled glaucoma that underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation with the tube placement in the ciliary sulcus.Methods: Medical records of the patients who underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation through the ciliary sulcus, between December 2017 and June 2019, were reviewed retrospectively. Patients’ age, gender, glaucoma diagnosis, visual acuity, intraocular pressure levels and complications were recorded. Results: Forty-seven eyes of 43 patients with glaucoma were enrolled. The mean age was 54.5 ± 19.9 years (range, 7 - 88 years) at the time of surgery and the mean postoperative follow-up period was 7.9 ± 3.4 months (range, 3 -16 months). The mean preoperative intraocular pressure level was 35.2 ±6.8 mmHg (range, 25-55 mmHg) and it was found as 15.6 ± 5.4 mmHg (range, 9-33 mmHg) at last follow-up visit. Decrease in intraocular pressure level was statistically significant (P < 0.001). At last follow-up visit success was achieved in 41 eyes (87.2 %). Hyphema was the most common postoperative complication and developed in 11 eyes (23.4%) and resolved spontaneously in all of them within one month.Conclusion: In pseudophakic or aphakic eyes with uncontrolled glaucoma, placement of Ahmed glaucoma valve tube in the ciliary sulcus is a safe and effective procedure. Ciliary sulcus can be considered as a potential space during tube shunt surgery in eyes with high risk of tube-corneal touch or corneal decompensation.
Impact of an Integrated Community-based Model of Care for Older People with Complex Conditions on Hospital Emergency Presentations and Separations: A Step-wedged Randomized Trial
Authors: Jennifer Mann , Thompson Fintan , McDermott Robyn , Esterman Adrian , Strivens Edward
Published: March 2021

BackgroundAn ageing population and rise in multi-morbidity increase hospital utilisation and acuity of presentation, particularly amongst the older person with complex needs. Health systems must reorient towards preventative and co-ordinated care to reduce hospital demand and achieve positive and fiscally responsible client outcomes. Integrated care models can improve outcomes for the older person by aligning primary practice with the specialist health care and social services required to manage complex needs. This paper describes the impact of a community facing program that integrates care at the primary-secondary interface on the rate of Emergency Department (ED) presentation and hospital separations amongst older people with complex needs.MethodsThe OPEN ARCH study is a multicentre randomised controlled trial with a stepped wedge cluster design. General practitioners (GPs; n=14) are considered ‘clusters’ each comprising a mixed number of participants. 80 community dwelling persons over 70 years of age if non-Indigenous and over 50 years of age if Indigenous were included in the study. Clusters were randomly assigned to the time at which they would commence the OPEN ARCH intervention, with intervention periods of 3, 6 and 9 months duration. Each participant was its own control. ED presentations and hospital separations were collected from Queensland Health Casemix data and analysed with multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression modelling to determine the effectiveness of the OPEN ARCH intervention. Data were analysed at the cluster and participant levels.ResultsThe OPEN ARCH intervention was found to not make a statistically significant difference to ED presentations or hospitalisations. However, a stabilising of ED presentations and trend toward lower hospitalisation rates over time was observed. ConclusionsWhile this study detected no statistically significant different change in ED presentations or hospital separations, a plateauing of ED presentation and hospitalisation ratesis a clinically significant finding for older persons with complex needs. Multi-sectoral integrated programs of care require an adequate preparation period and sufficient duration of intervention for effectiveness to be measured. Trial registrationThe OPEN ARCH study received ethical approval from the Far North Queensland Human Research Ethic Committee, HREC/17/QCH/104 – 1174 and is registered on the Australian and New Zealand Trials Registry, ACTRN12617000198325p.
Enteric Methane Emission Estimates for Kenyan Cattle in a Nighttime Enclosure Using a Backward Lagrangian Stochastic Dispersion Technique
Authors: Wolz Kevin , Leitner Sonja , Merbold Lutz , Wolf Benjamin , Mauder Matthias
Published: March 2021

This study provides methane (CH4) emission estimates for mature female African beef cattle in a semi-arid region in Southern Kenya using open-path laser spectroscopy together with a backward Lagrangian Stochastic (bLS) dispersion modeling technique. We deployed two open-path lasers to determine 10-minute averages of line-integrated CH4 measurements upwind and downwind of fenced enclosures (so-called bomas: a location where the cattle are gathered at nighttime) during 14 nights in September/October 2019. The measurements were filtered for wind direction deviations and friction velocity before the model was applied. We compared the obtained emission factors (EFs) with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 1 estimates for the Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, which were mostly derived from studies carried out in developed countries and adapted to the conditions in Africa. The resulting mean EF of 75.4 ± 5.69 kg yr-1 and the EFs calculated from other studies carried out in Africa differ considerably from each other, which indicates the need for the further development of region-specific EFs to improve the IPCC Tier 1 estimates.