bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diklat Keterampilan Pembelajaran Berbasis Multimedia untuk Meningkatkan Kompetensi Guru Taman Pendidikan Qur’an
Authors: Hariani Lilik Sri , Andayani Endah
Published: June 2021

Pesantren "Asy-Syadzili" Pakis Malang currently has both formal and non-formal education which is experiencing rapid growth, marked by the increasing number of students coming from various regions of Java and outside with the number of santri more than 350 people. To organizing the Islamic Boarding School for the Qur'an, Madrasah Diniyah and the Qur'an Education Park, it also organizes junior and senior high school education, but the management is still simple and the majority of Ustadzahs have never attended education or training that supports their duties. The development of increasingly rapid technology, teaching staff must be able to compensate by increasing competence for themselves, so that learning is more fun and meaningful. The strategy developed is the introduction of multimedia-based learning to improve quality, become urgent demands and needs to be done. This training will be attended by all TPQ teachers and TPQ teachers, amounting to 30 people. The impact is that 83.33% of students have begun to understand the concept of multimedia-based learning, 33.33% of clerics have the ability or learning skills using simple mindmapping, 50% of clerics are able to practice the concepts of learning correctly, and 26.67% of clerics are able make a Learning Implementation Plan.
Workshop untuk Pembuatan Bahan Ajar Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam Berbasis Kearifan Lokal Sidoarjo
Authors: Shofiyah Noly , Hasanah Fitria Nur , Miluningtias Siti
Published: June 2021

The main problem that occurred in SMP Negeri 2 Jabon, which inspired this activity was the pedagogical competence of science teachers on aspects of making teaching materials and the implementation of science learning in the classroom that had not yet integrated local wisdom into science learning. In other words when making teaching materials teachers rarely associate the concept of science with local culture in Sidoarjo. Therefore, in order for teachers to be able to make teaching materials based on local wisdom or ethnoscience, a workshop was held with the aim of: 1) Improving teacher’s concepts understanding of ethnoscience, local wisdom or local culture, 2) Enhancing teacher skills in making teaching materials based on local wisdom. In delivering innovations to partners, it is carried out by the method of explanation, discussion, practice and mentoring and evaluation stages. The result of this activity is the knowledge of teachers about learning science based on local wisdom or ethnoscience increased. This is indicated by an average pre-test 58.3 and post-test 76.7. In addition, the teachers are able to make science teaching materials based on local wisdom or ethnoscience. Some of the teaching materials that have been made by the teachers are learning materials integrated with traditional games; Science worksheets with the theme of smoking fish; and worksheets for making “klompen”.
Pelatihan Pelatihan Pembuatan Handsanitizer dan Pembagian ‘Siaga Kit’ Sebagai Upaya Pencegahan Covid-19 Di Lamongan
Authors: Utami Primanitha Ria , Devi Ristian Octavia
Published: June 2021

COVID-19 can occur at any ages, so it requires awareness to break the chain of this infection,including:Social Distancing, hand hygiene, wearing masks, and consuming multivitamins as needed. This activity on March 2020.There are still many people who have low awareness like do not wear masks when they leave the house.Therefore, our team made a hand sanitizer based on the WHO formula and distributed a 'siaga kit' to residents of the Lamongan community as a form of concern for COVID-19. Our team consists of Pharmacy lecturers, Laboratory Assistants and Pharmacy students at the Muhammadiyah University of Lamongan. Students are given education about the objectives and procedures for making handsanitizers. Furthermore, students' knowledge and understanding about making Handsanitizer was measured by giving a questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge of Handsanitizer making. The result of the handsanitizer making training was that students had a good understanding of the procedures for making handsanitizers. The activity of distributing 'siaga kit' to the Lamongan community also received a very good response.
Džihád v pojetí představitelů českých muslimů. Interpretační rozmanitost a její příčiny
Authors: Černý Karel , Stehlíková Jiřina
Published: June 2021

The paper is based on interviews with Czech Muslim community leaders and focuses on the way they interpret the concept of jihad, how they think the concept should be implemented in action, and what factors shape their interpretations. It reveals two parallel understandings of the concept: a wider interpretation (i.e., the struggle to promote something good) and a narrow one (armed struggle). Three different typologies of jihad have been identified. With regard to the narrow definition of the concept, there is a consensus that jihad is legitimate in self-defence. Conversely, there is a tendency to reject the offensive jihad, but there is little consensus re- garding the many conditions under which jihad can be declared and waged, especially as to the authority that can declare jihad or if it exists. The interpretative plurality is shaped by five factors, which relate to different authorities, ethical principles and audiences, different interpretations of Islamic history and contemporary political realities.
Age- and weight group-specific weight gain patterns in children and adolescents during the 15 years before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Authors: Vogel Mandy , Geserick Mandy , Gausche Ruth , Beger Christoph , Poulain Tanja , Meigen Christof , Körner Antje , Jurkutat Anne , Keller Eberhard , Pfäffle Roland
Published: June 2021

Background/Objectives: There is concern that measures aiming to limit a further spread of COVID-19, e.g., school closures and social distancing, cause an aggravation of the childhood obesity epidemic. Therefore, we aimed to compare BMI trends during the 15 years before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Subjects/Methods: To assess the change in weight dynamics during the first months of COVID-19, we compared the trends of BMI change (ΔBMI-SDS) and of the proportions of children gaining or losing weight between 2005 and 2019 and the respective changes from 2019 (pre-pandemic) to 2020 (after the onset of anti-pandemic measures) in more than 150 000 children.Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we found a substantial weight gain across all weight and age groups, reflected by an increase in mean BMI-SDS (β = 0.05, 95% CI 0.036 to 0.055; p < 0.001), an increase in the proportion of children gaining weight (OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.46; p < 0.001), and a decrease in the proportion of children losing weight (OR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.77; p < 0.001). Besides, we found the same trends since 2005 on a low but stable level with a mean ΔBMI-SDS increase of β = 0.007 (95% CI 0.006 to 0.009; p < 0.001) every five years, the odds of gaining weight increased by OR = 1.05 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.06; p < 0.001) per five years, and the odds of losing weight decreased by OR = 0.95 (95% CI 0.94 to 0.96; p < 0.001) per five years. Alarmingly, both the long-term and the short-term effects were most pronounced in the obese subgroup.Conclusions: There are positive dynamics in different measures of weight change, indicating a positive trend in weight gain patterns, especially within the group of obese children. These dynamics are likely to be escalated by the COVID-19-related measures and may lead to a significant further aggravation of the childhood obesity pandemic.
Analysis of Oxidative Stress Indicators in Polish Patients With Prostate Cancer
Authors: Drozdz-Afelt Joanna Maria , Koim-Puchowska Beata Barbara , Kaminski Piotr
Published: June 2021

Aims: The aim of the study was to analyze the activity of antioxidant enzymes (glutathione S-transferase, catalase, superoxide dismutase) in order to determine the role of detoxification mechanisms in prostate cancer. The concentration of malondialdehyde, which is an indicator of lipid peroxidation in cancer patients, was also tested.Methods: The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase CAT and glutathione S-transferase (GST ) were measured using ready-made kits; lipid peroxidation intensity was determined by the thiobarbituric acid method.Results: Superoxide dismutase was the only enzyme among antioxidant and detoxification enzymes for which a statistically significant difference in activity was found between the studied groups [1.4 U * ml-1 in patients vs. 1.6 U * ml-1 in control]. No statistically significant differences were found for two other biomarkers of antioxidant activity (GST, CAT). There were also no statistically significant differences in the concentration of MDA between the group of men with prostate cancer and the control group.Conclusion: The lower SOD activity in men with prostate cancer may be due to a deficiency in their antioxidant defense system.
The Effect of the PARK16 rs11240572 Variant on Brain Structure in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Gu Lu-yan , Dai Shao-bing , Zhou Cheng , Gao Ting , Wu Jing-jing , Fang Yi , Guan Xiao-jun , Guo Tao , Zheng Ran , Jin Chongyao , Xu Xiao-jun , Song Zhe , Tian Jun , Yin Xinzhen , Zhang Min-min , Zhang Bao-rong , Yan Yaping , Pu Jiali
Published: June 2021

Background
Increasing evidence suggests that genetic factors play a key role in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). The variant rs11240572 in the PARK16 gene locus is strongly associated with PD. However, its effect on the pathogenesis of PD is yet to be clarified.
Objective
To explore the effect of the PARK16 rs11240572 variant on brain structure in PD patients.
Methods
A total of 51 PD patients were enrolled in the study and genotyped for the rs11240572 variant. Clinical assessments and MRI scans were conducted across all participants. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to investigate gray matter volume (GMV) of the whole brain between these two groups. Correlation analysis was performed to identify the relationships between GMV and clinical features.
Results
There were 17 rs11240572-A variant carriers and 34 non-carriers, with no significant demographic differences between these two groups. Compared with non-carriers, rs11240572-A carriers showed increased GMV in left caudate nucleus and putamen, but decreased GMV in left superior temporal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus. In non-carriers, left basal ganglia GMV was positively correlated with UPDRS III (r = 0.365, p = 0.040) and bradykinesia (r = 0.409, p = 0.020), but negatively correlated with MMSE (r = -0.391, p = 0.027). When reduced the sample size to the level of the carrier sample, we still found the same correlations in the non-carrier group. However, no correlation was found between the altered GMV and clinical features in the carriers.
Conclusions
Our study showed that the PARK16 rs11240572 variant affects the brain structure of patients with PD, especially in the basal ganglia and temporoparietal cortex. This indicated that this variant might play an important role in the pathogenesis of PD.
Microvirga Amygdalina sp. nov., and Microvirga Alba sp. nov., Two New Species Isolated from Soil in South Korea
Authors: Oh Hyejin , Kim Myungkyum , Sriniva Sathiyaraj
Published: June 2021

Two novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, circular, convex, light-pink and white-coloured bacterial strains BT291T and BT350T were isolated from soil collected in Uijeongbu city (37° 44′ 55″ N, 127° 2′ 20″ E) and Jeju island (33° 22′ 48″ N, 126° 31′ 48″ E), respectively, South Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strains BT291T and BT350T belong to a distinct lineage within the genus Microvirga (family Methylobacteriaceae, order Rhizobiales, class Alpha Proteobacteria, phylum Proteobacteria, kingdom Bacteria). The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between the two strains BT291T and BT350T was 97.4 %. The two strains were found to have the same quinone system, with Q-10 as the major respiratory quinone. The major polar lipids of strains BT291T and BT350T were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), diphosphatydilglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). The major cellular fatty acids of strain BT291T were C18:1 ω7c (58.2 %) and cyclo-C19:0 ω8c (25.7 %). The major cellular fatty acids of strain BT350T were C18:1 ω7c (38.5 %) and cyclo-C19:0 ω8c (27.7 %). Based on the polyphasic analysis (phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and biochemical), strains BT291T and BT350T can be suggested as two novel bacterial species within the genus Microvirga and the proposed names are Microvirga amygdalina and Microvirga alba, respectively. The type strain of Microvirga amygdalina is BT291T (= KCTC 72368T = NBRC 114845T) and the type strain of Microvirga alba is BT350T (= KCTC 72385T = NBRC 114848T).
Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Transformation Behavior of Bisphenol S by Radicals Driven Persulfate Oxidation
Authors: Wei Junyan , Yin Linning , Qu Ruijuan , Al-Basher Gadah , Pan Xiaoxue , Wang Zunyao
Published: June 2021

An in-depth study on the degradation of bisphenol S (BPS) by both single-walled carbon nanotubes and heat activated persulfate (PS) was investigated in detail. The factors like materials dosage, initial substrate concentration, initial pH and water matrix on removal of BPS were evaluated and 10 µM BPS could be completely removed in 90 min under the optimal conditions of [BPS]0: [PS]0 = 1: 100, T = 25 ℃, pH0 = 7.0, [N-SWCNTs] = 20 mg·L− 1. Fast removal of BPS was also obtained when reaction temperature reached 65 ℃ without catalyst. There were 15 intermediates identified in total; and hydroxylation, sulfate addition, carboxylation, the cleavage of S − C bond and polymerization were considered as the main transformation pathways of BPS in both two systems based on LC-MS analysis. The proportion discrepancy of •OH and SO4•− involved in two systems led to different distribution and abundance of observed products. The results of transition state calculation further confirmed the reaction potential of hydroxylation, hydrogen atom abstraction and sulfate addition, and the minimum reaction barriers were 22.20, 25.06 and 13.85 kJ/mol, respectively. The present work firstly reveals the overall transformation behavior of BPS in radicals-triggered PS system by combining experimental and theoretical study.
SARS-CoV-2 and Exposure to Pollution of the Population Near an Industrial Area in the Metropolitan Region in São Paulo State, Brazil
Authors: Zaccarelli-Marino Maria Angela , Balderi Thalles , Crepaldi Felipe , Alessi Rudá , Martins Marco
Published: June 2021

Industrial installations close to residential areas could cause health risks. Our objectives are to evaluate the interaction between pre-existing conditions (i.e., rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, obstructive pulmonary diseases (OPDs), conjunctivitis, dermatitis and primary hypothyroidism (PH)) and a higher risk of complications when infected with SARS-CoV-2 in residents exposed to long-term air pollutants. With a focus on the area affected by the Capuava Petrochemical Complex (CPC) (Region 1) and combining the AERMOD dispersion model with the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) (2016), we evaluated the Greater ABC region, Brazil. The concentrations of the nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed in 2017 and these data were correlated with data obtained in a survey of 2004 residents 8–72 years of age of both sexes; 1002 (Region 1), and 1002 of them reside within the areas surrounding various industrial areas (Region 2). SARS-CoV-2 cases were collected from the Greater ABC region. Region 1 showed higher average concentrations of all pollutants analyzed. Among the 2004 total residents, there were significant differences between Region 1 and Region 2 in the incidence of cases of rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, OPDs, conjunctivitis, dermatitis and PH demonstrating that there is a higher incidence of the evaluated diseases in residents who live closer to the CPC. Compared with residents with these diseases, the residents of Region 1 had a higher relative risk of complications when infected with SARS-CoV-2 than did the residents of Region 2.
Highly Active Fenton-Like Catalyst Derived from Solid Waste-Iron Ore Tailings Using Wheat Straw Pyrolysis
Authors: Gao Lihui , Wang Lizhang , Li Shulei , Cao Yijun
Published: June 2021

The pollutants degradation rate of iron ore tailings-based heterogeneous catalysts is the main factor limiting its application. Herein, an iron ore tailings-based Fenton-like catalyst(I/W(3:1)-900-60) with relative fast catalysis rate was constructed by co-pyrolysis(900 ℃, 60min holding time) of iron ore tailings and wheat straw with mass ratio of 3:1. With wheat straw blending, the generated I/W(3:1)-900-60 presented a larger surface area(24.3 m2/g), smaller pore size(3.707 nm), reduced iron species (Fe2+ from magnetic) and a higher catalytic activity(0.0229 min-1) than I-900-60 (1.196 m2/g, 12.935 nm, 0.012 min-1) pyrolyzed using a single iron ore tailings under the same pyrolysis conditions. In addition, biochar and iron ore tailings in I/W(3:1)-900-60 were tightly combined through chemical bonding. The optimal catalyst remains active after three cycles, indicating its catalytic stability and recyclability. The good Fenton-like MB degradation efficiency of I/W(3:1)-900-60 was ascribed to the sacrificial role of biochar, as well as the electron transfer between biochar and iron active sites or the redox cycles of ≡Fe3+/Fe2+. This finding provides a facile construction strategy for a highly active iron ore tailings-based Fenton-like catalyst, and thereby had a great potential application in wastewater treatment.
E-Learning and the Virtual Transformation of Histopathology Teaching During COVID-19: Its Impact on Student Learning Experience and Outcome.
Authors: Waugh Samantha , Devin James , Lam Alfred , Gopalan Vinod
Published: June 2021

Background
This study evaluated the effectiveness of online histopathology teaching in medical education during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
Second-year medical students (n = 150) who had previously completed one year of face-to-face histopathology teaching, completed an online questionnaire rating their learning experiences before and during the COVID-19 pandemic after the completion of their histology and pathology practical sessions. The students' histopathology assessment results were then compared to the histopathology results of a prior second-year cohort to determine if the switch to online histopathology teaching had an impact on students' learning outcome.
Results
A thematic analysis of the qualitative comments strongly indicated that online histopathology teaching was instrumental, more comfortable to engage in and better structured compared to face-to-face teaching. Compared to the previous year's practical assessment, the mean overall mark was significantly improved from 65.36% ± 13.12–75.83% ± 14.84% (p < 0.05) during the COVID-19 impacted online teaching period.
Conclusions
The transformation of teaching methods during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic improved student engagement and positive learning outcomes in histology and pathology education.
First-Principles DFT Insights into the Mechanisms of CO2 Reduction to CO on Fe (100)-Ni Bimetals
Authors: Kwawu Caroline , Aniagyei Albert , Konadu Destiny , Menkah Elliot , Tia Richard
Published: June 2021

Iron and nickel are known active sites in the enzyme carbon monoxide dehydrogenases (CODH) which catalyzes CO2 to CO reversibly. The presence of nickel impurities in the earth abundant iron surface could provide a more efficient catalyst for CO2 degradation into CO, which is a feedstock for hydrocarbon fuel production. In the present study, we have employed spin-polarized dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations within the generalized gradient approximation to elucidate the active sites on Fe (100)-Ni bimetals. We sort to ascertain the mechanism of CO2 dissociation to carbon monoxide on Ni deposited and alloyed surfaces at 0.25, 0.50 and 1 monolayer (ML) impurity concentrations. CO2 and (CO + O) bind exothermically i.e., -0.87 eV and − 1.51 eV respectively to the bare Fe (100) surface with a decomposition barrier of 0.53 eV. The presence of nickel generally lowers the amount of charge transferred to CO2 moiety. Generally, the binding strengths of CO2 were reduced on the modified surfaces and the extent of its activation was lowered. The barriers for CO2 dissociation increased mainly upon introduction of Ni impurities which is undesired. However, the 0.5 ML deposited (FeNi0.5(A)) surface is promising for CO2 decomposition, providing a lower energy barrier (of 0.32 eV) than the pristine Fe (100) surface. This active 1-dimensional defective FeNi0.5(A) surface provides a stepped surface and Ni-Ni bridge binding site for CO2 on Fe (100). Ni-Ni bridge site on Fe (100) is more effective for both CO2 binding or sequestration and dissociation compared to the stepped surface providing the Fe-Ni bridge binding site.
Determining the Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Remoulded Loess with Filter Paper Method and Soil Column Seepage Test
Authors: Chen Wenwu , Jia Quanquan , Liu Peng , Tong Yanmei
Published: June 2021

Loess is very widely distributed, and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of loess is related to many engineering issues. In order to determine the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of remolded loess more conveniently and at a lower cost, filter paper test and soil column seepage test were carried out. The results indicate that in the one-dimensional soil column seepage process, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of loess increases with the increase of the volumetric water content, and as the seepage time continues, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of loess at different depths gradually becomes uniform. The changes in the microstructure indicate that the collapsible settlement will occur during the seepage process, which will reduce the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the underlying loess to a certain extent. Compared with the experimental results, the soil hydraulic conductivity curve (SHCC) obtained by the van Genuchten-Mualem model (VG-M model) underestimates the magnitude of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity in the part with a low volumetric water content (< 20%). and the Childs ༆ Collis-George model (CCG model) has more consistent results with the experimental results because it is based on more segments of the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC).
Evaluation of Carcass Characteristics and Egg Quality Traits of Kuroiler and Sasso Chickens Reared Under On-Station and On-Farm Management Conditions in Tanzania
Authors: Guni Fadhili Said , Mbaga S. H. , Katule A. M. , Goromela E. H.
Published: June 2021

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the carcass characteristics and egg quality traits of Sasso and Kuroiler chickens under on-farm and on-station management conditions. Carcass characteristics were evaluated under on-station only while egg quality was evaluated under both management conditions. A total of 240 hens and 240 cocks were raised under on-station condition and evaluated for egg and carcass quality respectively. Meanwhile, 320 hens were raised under on-farm condition and evaluated for egg quality only. At the end of each of the 16th and 20th weeks of age, a sample of 10 cocks per breed was randomly selected and sacrificed for carcass traits evaluation. To study egg quality, a total of 666 fresh eggs (246 eggs from on-farm and 420 eggs from on-station) were used to evaluate the external and internal egg quality traits. The recorded data were analyzed using the General Linear Models (GLM) procedure of SAS software ( SAS 2009). The results show that except for shell, yolk and albumen ratios, the mean values of other egg quality traits studied were higher for on-station than on-farm. Kuroiler chickens had higher values for egg weight, egg length, yolk weight, albumen height and Haugh unit than Sasso chickens. Live weight, carcass weight and carcass parts weight were found to be higher for Sasso than for Kuroiler at both ages of slaughter. It is concluded that there are variations between managements and breeds on egg quality traits. Carcass characteristics are affected by both breed and slaughter age.
Color Removal from Wastewater using a Synthetic High Performance Antifouling GO-CPTMS@Pd-TKHPP/Polyether Sulfone Nanofiltration Membrane
Authors: gholami foad , zinadini sirus , Kamrani Soheila Nakhjiri , zinatizadeh ali akbar , Bahrami Kiumars
Published: June 2021

Modified graphene oxide with 5,10,15,20-tetrakis‐(4‐hexyloxyphenyl) ‐porphyrin and palladium (II) (signified by GO-CPTMS@Pd-TKHPP) prepared as a novel antifouling polyether sulfone (PES) blended nanofiller membrane. The membrane efficiency has been analyzed such as pure water flux (PWF), hydrophilicity and antifouling features. By increasing of modified graphene oxide percentage from 0 to 0.1 wt.% in polymer matrix the PWF was incremented from 14.35 to 37.33 kg/m2.h at 4bar. The membrane flux recovery ratio (FRR) has been investigated by applying powdered milk solution, the FRR results indicated that the 0.1 wt.% modified graphene oxide membrane showed the positive effect on fouling behavior with Rir and FRR value 8.24 and 91.73% respectively. The nanofiltration membrane performance was assessed applying the Direct Red 16 dye rejection. It was demonstrated that the optimal membranes (0.1 wt.% modified graphene oxide) had notable dye removal (99.58 % rejection). The results are also verified by measuring the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle (WCA) and atomic microscopy analysis (AFM).
Evolutionary Discovery of Natural-Language Coreference Chains for Social Media Analysis
Authors: Atkinson John , Escudero Alex
Published: June 2021

Communicating messages on social media usually conveys much implicit linguistic knowledge, which makes it difficult to process texts for further analysis. One of the major problems, the linguistic co-referencing task, has mostly been addressed for formal and full-sized text in which a relatively clear discourse structure can be discovered, using Natural-Language Processing techniques. However, texts in social media are short, informal and lack a lot of underlying linguistic information to make decisions so traditional methods can not be applied. Furthermore, this may significantly impact the performance of several tasks on social media applications such as opinion mining, network analysis, sentiment analysis, text categorization.In order to deal with these issues, this research address the task of linguistic co-referencing using an evolutionary computation approach. It combines discourse coreference analysis techniques, domain-based heuristics (i.e., syntactic, semantic and world knowledge), graph representation methods, and evolutionary computation algorithms to resolving implicit co-referencing within informal opinion texts.Experiments were conducted to assess the ability of the model to find implicit referents on informal messages, showing the promise of our approach when compared to related methods.
The Long-term Effectiveness of a Community-based Lifestyle Intervention on Tobacco-related Habits in Adolescent Boys and Girls: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study
Authors: Masihay-Akbar Hasti , Amiri Parisa , Rezaei Marjan , Jalali-Farahani Sara , Cheraghi Leila , Momenan Amir Abbas , Azizi Fereidoun
Published: June 2021

Background: To assess the long-term effectiveness of a community-based intervention on cigarette, passive, and hookah smoking in adolescent boys and girls. Methods: 1159 adolescents who participated in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) between 2001 and 2004 were followed for 12 years (every-three-year follow-ups). Participants in the intervention area received lifestyle interventions in the settings of family, schools, and community. After excluding those with missing baseline parental data (n=66), complete parental data of 1093 adolescents was used for cluster analysis, and families were classified as low- and high-risk. Afterward, 296 individuals who did not complete intervention/follow-ups were excluded. The GEE analysis was performed on 797 adolescents (369 boys) to assess the intervention effect on tobacco-related habits; 605 and 192 resided in the control and intervention area, respectively.Results: Mean age of adolescents was 15.21±1.95 years at baseline. Adolescents living in high-risk families were more at risk of cigarette, passive, and hookah smoking. The intervention decreased the odds of cigarette and passive smoking by 38% and 57%, respectively. The intervention was not successful in reducing the risk of hookah smoking in adolescents. After sex-specific analysis, the intervention reduced the risk of current cigarette smoking by 40% only in boys and passive smoking in both sexes.Conclusions: Targeting lifestyle behaviors in adolescents and their families in a community setting reduces cigarette smoking in school-aged boys and protects both sexes from secondhand smoke; findings that could be valuable for designing future health promotion interventions focusing on adolescents smoking.Trial registration: This study is registered at Iran Registry for Clinical Trials (IRCT), a WHO primary registry (http://irct.ir). The registry date is 29/10/2008; (IRCTID: IRCT138705301058N1).
Failure Prediction of Open-pit Mine Landslide Containing Complex Geological Structure using Inverse Velocity Method: A Case Study in West Open-Pit mine, Pingzhuang, China
Authors: Du Han , Song Danqing
Published: June 2021

In the field of open-pit geological risk management, landslide failure time prediction is one of the important topics. Based on the analysis of displacement monitoring data, the inverse velocity method (IVM) has become an effective method to solve this issue. In order to improve the reliability of landslide prediction, four filters were used to test the velocity time series, and the effect of landslide failure time prediction was compared and analyzed. The IVM is used to predict the failure time of open-pit coal mine landslide. The results show that the sliding process of landslide can be divided into three stages based on the IVM: the initial attenuation stage (regressive stage), the second attenuation stage (progressive stage), the linear reduction stage (autoregressive stage). The accuracy of the IVM is closely related to the measured noise of the monitoring equipment and the natural noise of the environment, which will affect the identification of different deformation stages. Compared with the raw data and the exponential smoothing filter (ESF) models, the fitting effect of short-term smoothing filter (SSF) and long-term smoothing filter (LSF) in the linear autoregressive stage is better. A slope displacement pixel difference method based on fitting accuracy and field monitoring signals is proposed to determine the point onset-of-acceleration (OOA) that is very important role for landslide prediction. A stratified prediction method combining SSF and LSF is proposed. The prediction method is divided into two levels, and the application of this method is given.
The Steroid-Inducible pOp6/LhGR Gene Expression System is Fast, Sensitive and Does NOT Cause Plant Growth Defects in Rice (Oryza Sativa)
Authors: Samalova Marketa , Moore Ian
Published: June 2021

Inducible systems for transgene expression activated by a chemical inducer or an inducer of non-plant origin are desirable tools for both basic plant research and biotechnology. Although, the technology has been widely exploited in model plants, it has not been optimised for use with the major monocotyledonous crop species, namely rice. We have adapted the dexamethasone-inducible pOp6/LhGR system for rice and shown that it is fast, sensitive and tightly regulated, with high levels of induction that remain stable over several generations. Most importantly, we have shown that the system does not cause negative growth defects in vitro or in soil grown plants. Interestingly in the process of testing, we found that another steroid, triamcinolone acetonide, is a more potent inducer in rice than dexamethasone. We present serious considerations for the construct design to avoid undesirable effects caused by the system in plants, leakiness and possible silencing, as well as simple steps how to maximize translation efficiency of a gene of interest. Finally, we compare the performance of the pOp6/LhGR system with other chemically inducible systems tested in rice in terms of the properties of an ideal inducible system.
Impacts of Wildfire Frequency On Plant Recovery, Soil Properties And Water Storage In Pine Woodlands of North-Central Portugal
Authors: González-Pelayo Oscar , Prats Sergio , Elsen Erik van den , Malvar Maruxa , Ritsema Coen , Bautista Susana , Keizer Jan Jacob
Published: June 2021

PurposeIncreasing wildfire frequency in Mediterranean-basin together with drought periods expansion could affect plant-soil-water dynamics processes. The goal is to assess the effects of wildfire frequency on plant recovery, soil properties, soil moisture content (SMC; %) and effective soil water content (ESWC; %) during the first hydrological year after a 2012 moderate-severity-wildfire.MethodsThis study was conducted in pine woodlands of North-central Portugal affected by 1-, 4-wildfires and unburnt (1975-2012). Soil samples were gathered from plant/bare microsites at top-mid-bottom hillslope positions to determine bulk density, soil texture, soil moisture, soil organic matter content-SOM, pF-curves (available water content-AWC, field capacity-FC, permanent wilting point-PWP) (n=54) during four dry/wet periods. Soil cover, plant recovery and soil water repellency were measured. On the burnt areas 72 sensors daily/seasonal monitored SMC and ESWC at two depths (2.5/7.5 cm) and two microsites (plant/bare). ResultsThe 1 fire hillslopes showed higher plant recovery than the 4 fires hillslopes. SOM was higher in the burnt soils (17-20%) than in the unburnt ones (12-14%). Wildfire frequency: i) increased the water stress for plants and led to both maximum and minimum values of SMC/ESWC, respectively, for the wet-/dry-seasons; ii) reduced the capacity of the soils to retain water (decreased FC/AWC, increased PWP), being more accentuated in bare microsites. ConclusionThe increasing wildfire frequency and the predicted expansion of drought periods promotes lower water availability for plants in the more frequent bare soil patches. The water-stress window of the dry season happened sooner and extended for longer as increasing wildfire frequency.
New dispersion formula and results of its application
Authors: Chernov Andrey
Published: June 2021

The aim of the study was to obtain a new physical formula for determining the refractive indices of light as a function of wavelength, which can be applied to a wide range of transparent substances. In the process of research on the basis of Einstein's relativistic formula, such a dispersion formula was obtained. Comparison of the obtained indicators with laboratory indicators showed the high accuracy of the new dispersion formula, which was ±10 -7 − 10 -5 in the calculated wavelength ranges of more than 100 nm.The new dispersion formula is obtained on the basis of the mathematical dependence of the speed of propagation of photons in a transparent substance on the energy density of electron clouds of atoms of the substance. Energy is a universal category, therefore, it is possible to apply the basic version of the new formula (where instead of the wavelength there is the energy density of electron clouds) when conducting research in all areas of light generation, manipulation and detection.And, finally, the very fact of applying the adapted relativistic Einstein's formula to physical processes occurring at the atomic level allows us to look at the nature of the interaction of light and matter from a new angle.
The Glasgow Prognostic Score Before Curative Resection May Predict Postoperative Complications In Patients With Gastric Cancer
Authors: Shimoda Yota , Fujikawa Hirohito , Komori Keisuke , Watanabe Hayato , Takahashi Kosuke , Kano Kazuki , Yamada Takanobu , Shiozawa Manabu , Morinaga Soichiro , Katsumata Kenji , Tsuchida Akihiko , Ogata Takashi , Oshima Takashi
Published: June 2021

Purpose: Despite improvements in surgical techniques and devices and perioperative care of gastric cancer (GC), the rate of postoperative complications still has not decreased. If patients at high risk for postoperative complications could be identified early using biomarkers, these complications might be reduced. In this study, we investigated usefulness of the preoperative Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) as a predictive factor for complications after surgery in patients with stage II/III GC.Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 424 patients who underwent curative surgery for pathological Stage II/III GC from February 2007 to July 2019 at a single center. The GPS was assessed within 4 days before surgery. To identify independent risk factors for postoperative complications, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using a Cox proportional hazards model.Results: The numbers of patients with a GPS of 0, 1, and 2 were 357, 55, and 12, respectively. The rate of complications after surgery was significantly higher among patients with a GPS of 1 or 2 than among patients with a GPS of 0 (p = 0.008). Multivariate analysis identified a GPS of 1 or 2 as an independent predictive factor for postoperative complications (p = 0.037). Conclusion: The preoperative GPS may be a useful predictive factor for postoperative complications in patients with stage II/III GC. Being aware of the risk of complications after surgery as indicated by the GPS before surgery may promotes safe and minimally invasive surgery that we expect will improve outcomes in these patients.
Effect of biosurfactant sophorolipids on Rhizomucor miehei lipase fermentation by Aspergillus oryzae
Authors: Zhang Qianqian , Xiong Zhiyue , Sun Lei , Tian Xiwei , Tian Guiwei , Yang Yiming , Li Xu , Chu Ju
Published: June 2021

In this study, the effect of biosurfactant sophorolipids on Rhizomucor miehei lipase (RML) fermentation by Aspergillus oryzae was investigated. With the exogenous addition of 0.3% (w/v) sophorolipids in the initial medium, the RML activity reached 430.0 U/mL, an increase of 25.0% compared to the control group. Subsequently, the physiological metabolic responses of A. oryzae to the addition of sophorolipids were further explored. The results showed that although sophorolipids had almost no effect on the RML secretion, it would affect the morphology of the cells. During the late phase of the fermentation, the proportion of middle pellets, which were generally considered as an energetic and stable state for enzyme production was increased with the addition of sophorolipids. Simultaneously, the viscosity of fermentation broth was reduced, thereby contributing to the oxygen transfer and RML production. Finally, it could be found that the addition of sophorolipids significantly increased the content of precursor amino acids, especially for those rank first and second of the RML composition, and it could promote the synthesis of RML.
On Clustering for Cell Phenotyping in Multiplex Immunohistochemistry (mIHC) and Multiplexed Ion Beam Imaging (MIBI) Data
Authors: Seal Souvik , Wrobel Julia , Johnson Amber M. , Nemenoff Raphael A. , Schenk Erin L. , Bitler Benjamin G. , Jordan Kimberly R. , Ghosh Debashis
Published: June 2021

Problem: Multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) and multiplexed ion beam imaging (MIBI) images are usually phenotyped using a manual thresholding process. The thresholding is prone to biases, especially when examining multiple images with high cellularity. Results: Unsupervised cell phenotyping methods including PhenoGraph, flowMeans, and SamSPECTRAL, primarily used in flow cytometry data, often perform poorly or need elaborate tuning to perform well in the context of mIHC and MIBI data. We show that, instead, semi-supervised cell clustering using Random Forests, linear and quadratic discriminant analysis are superior. We test the performance of the methods on two mIHC datasets from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a publicly available MIBI dataset. Each dataset contains numerous highly complex images.
Injectable Small Intestinal Submucosa and Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Composite Gel Promoting The Deep Partial-Thickness Burns Repair
Authors: Guo Xing , Guo Jiang , Zhou Hong , Huang Denghua , Zou Longfei , Tan Meiyun
Published: June 2021

Backgroud:

Burns wound treatment remains a significant clinical challenge around the world. Although stem cell-based scaffold therapies are promising strategy for burn wounds, its clinical therapeutic effect is still not satisfactory nowadays. Herein the aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of injectable small intestinal submucosa (SIS) and rat adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) composite gel to repair the deep partial thickness burns in rats.
Methods

The deep partial-thickness burns model in rats were made by contacting the dorsal surface SIS memberance directly with boiled water for 10 seconds. After scalding, the wound edge and the central area were injected for phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution, ADSCs, injectable SIS and injectable SIS/ ADSCs composite gel, respectively. At 3, 7, 14 and 21 days post injection treatment, the burn wound closure percentages were evaluated. Moreover, micro-vascular density and epidermal thickness assessment in burn wound were performed by histopathology examination or immunofluorescence. Besides, the expression of genes related to wound angiogenesis and re-epithelialization were determined in vitro.
Results

Our data revealed that that injectable SIS gel could provide a well-grown microenvironment for ADSCs in vitro, and the ADSCs-SIS composite gel could synergistically promote the deep partial-thickness burn repair via paracrine and differentiation mechanisms.
Conclusions

Taken together, this study shows the ADSCs-SIS composite gel is a promising candidate for burn wound regeneration.
Spartina Alterniflora Raised Soil Sulfide Content by Regulating Sulfur Cycle-Associated Bacteria in the Jiuduansha Wetland of China
Authors: He Chiquan , Cheng Liyu , Wang Daoyuan , Zhao Zhenzhen , Wang Zhengyu , Wang Feifei , Wang Xiaoxi , Zhang Pu , Chen Xueping , Liu Xiaoyan
Published: June 2021

Purpose The Spartina alterniflora invasion across the southeast coast in China significantly reduced vegetation diversity and generated associated ecological problems. Sulfur (S) is a vital nutrient, while sulfide is phytotoxic and the impact of S. alterniflora invasion on soil S cycle remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impacts of S. alterniflora invasion on the S cycle and associated soil microbial communities.Methods Both field investigation and lab-scale experiments were conducted, analyzing soil sulfide and sulfate contents, soil properties over four seasons in the Jiuduansha Wetland of Shanghai, China, the high-throughput sequencing of soil microbial communities, S cycle-related functional genes and seed germination experiments. Results The contents of sulfide, soil organic carbon (SOC), and total nitrogen (TN) in the bulk soil of S. alterniflora invaded area were higher than those in the native species S. mariqueter habitat and bare mudflat soils. Spartina alterniflora invasion increased the abundance of the Nitrospiraceae and Desulfarculaceae families and reduced that of Hydrogenophilaceae. The relative abundance of the S reduction functional genes (dsrA + dsrB) in the soil was increased after S. alterniflora invasion, while that of the S oxidation functional genes (yedZ + soxY) in the soil was reduced. Seed germination experiments with different sodium sulfide concentrations (Na2S) revealed that the phytotoxicity of sulfide caused more lethal damage to S. mariqueter than to S. alterniflora.Conclusion The S. alterniflora invasion significantly increased SOC and TN contents and reduced the abundance of sulfur-oxidizing functional genes, which led to the accumulation of soil sulfide.
Factors Predicting Six Months Breastfeeding among Thai Adolescent Mothers*
Authors: Thaithae Suparp , Yimyam Susanha , Polprasarn Pridsadaporn -
Published: June 2021

Background: This predictive correlation research aimed to study variables that predict six months of breastfeeding among Thai adolescent mothers. Methods: The participants were 253 Thai adolescent mothers and attending the Department of Well-baby Clinic at hospitals of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Data were collected by using questionnaires comprising the following areas: personal characteristics and intention to be pregnant, perceived benefits of breastfeeding, perceived barriers to breastfeeding and breastfeeding self–efficacy, family support, perception of performance from nurses, digital literacy, and the infant feeding form passing checking of the validity of contents and computing Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient. Data were analyzed by using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and logistic regression.Results: The findings revealed that digital literacy [Exp (B) = 1.248, 95%CI = 1.120-1.392], self– efficacy [Exp (B) = 1.066, 95%CI = 1.018-1.116] and intention to pregnancy [Exp (B) = 1.139, 95%CI = 1.009-1.284] could explain 37.5% (R2 = 0.375, p<0.05) of the variance in the six months exclusive breastfeeding among Thai adolescent mothers. Conclusions: The result of this study may help health care providers in developing some activities and strategies to improve digital literacy skills. They should enhance self-efficacy for breastfeeding practice among adolescent mothers by providing knowledge and practice of breastfeeding at the antenatal clinic. Moreover, a predictive study on factors related to six months of breastfeeding among Thai adolescent mothers may be done in the future. This can be achieved by realigning breastfeeding policy directives as well as traditional family practices, community collaboration in conjunction with the hospital to promote breastfeeding beyond six months of infants’ age, school, and establishment.