bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peripheral Blood Biomarkers in ART-Suppressed, SIV-Infected Rhesus Macaques Predict Viral Rebound Following ART Discontinuation
Authors: Barouch Dan , Aid Malika , Colarusso Alessandro , Walker-Sperling Victoria
Published: June 2022

The development of biomarkers that can predict viral rebound following discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV-1-infected humans would be an important advance in HIV-1 cure research. In a prior study, we initiated ART in 20 rhesus macaques on days 0, 1, 2, and 3 following SIVmac251 infection prior to plasma viremia. Following 6 months of suppressive ART, we discontinued ART and observed viral rebound in 9 of 20 animals. Here we show that transcriptomic and proteomic signatures of inflammation and immune activation in peripheral blood during ART suppression predicted viral rebound following ART discontinuation. Higher levels of proinflammatory and cellular immune activation pathways, including TNF, IL-1, IL-6, monocyte, and T cell activation signaling pathways, correlated with viral rebound following ART discontinuation. Immune modulatory IL-10 and TGF-beta signaling also correlated with viral rebound. These data suggest that persistent upregulation of inflammatory and immune activation pathways despite suppressive ART represents a peripheral blood biomarker signature of the rebound-competent viral reservoir. The development of interventions that target the viral reservoir and modulate this signature may open new avenues in HIV-1 cure research.
Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Anticoagulants versus Warfarin in newly diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation and CKD: the Korean National Health Insurance Data
Authors: Kee Youn Kyung , Jeon Hee Jung , Oh Jieun , Yoo Tae-Hyn , Kang Dongwoo , lee Jungkuk , Shin Dong Ho
Published: June 2022

Background: Despite the benefits of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), whether NOAC therapy has a better risk-benefit profile than warfarin therapy in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), including end-stage renal disease (ESRD), remains uncertain. We investigated the efficacy and safety of NOACs compared to warfarin in these patients using a nationwide database.Methods: We evaluated patients with incident non-valvular AF and CKD in the Korea National Health Insurance Database from 2013 to 2018. The primary and secondary efficacy outcomes were ischemic stroke and all-cause mortality, respectively. The primary safety outcomes included intracranial hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding, and extracranial or unclassified major bleeding.Results: Among the 1,885 patients, 970 (51.5%) initiated warfarin therapy, whereas 915 (48.5%) initiated NOAC therapy. Although NOAC users had a lower proportion of patients with ESRD than warfarin users (6.6% vs. 32.5%, p <0.001), NOAC users had a higher Charlson comorbidity index, CHA2DS2-VASC score, and modified HAS-BLED score compared with warfarin users. During a mean follow-up period of 23.8 months, there were 293 and 214 cases of ischemic stroke and all-cause death, respectively. There was no difference in ischemic stroke between the two groups. However, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that all-cause mortality was significantly lower in NOAC users than in warfarin users. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality compared to warfarin therapy was 0.41 (95% CI, 0.30-0.56; p < 0.001) in NOAC therapy. Additionally, NOAC therapy significantly reduced intracranial hemorrhage and gastrointestinal bleeding in multivariate Cox regression analyses.Conclusions: This study showed that NOAC therapy had a better risk-benefit profile than warfarin therapy in patients with AF and CKD. To clarify the benefits of NOACs in patients with AF and CKD, further well-designed clinical trials are needed.
Kairomonal effect of aphid alarm pheromones and analogues on the parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae
Authors: Qin Yaoguo , Zhang Shangyang , Li Zhengxi
Published: June 2022

Aphid alarm pheromones as important semiochemicals not only mediate behavioral response of aphids, but can act as kairomones to attract their natural enemies. The sesquiterpene (E)-β-farnesene (EβF), the major alarm pheromone component of most aphid species, has been shown to have a kairomonal effect on the predators of aphids, but other alarm pheromone components, especially the monoterpenes and analogues, are rarely investigated. Here, two EβF analogues were successfully synthesized via nucleophilic substitution reaction, and then we examined the kairomonal effects of four alarm pheromone components and two EβF analogues on the aphid parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae. In olfactory bioassays, D. rapae females generally showed no significant behavioral response to these alarm pheromone components and analogues under low concentration (0.1 µg/µL). Nevertheless, their olfactory response to these compounds gradually enhanced with increasing concentrations. Among the four pheromone components, EβF showed the highest attractive activity, but the parasitoid preferred the mixtures over single compounds. Moreover, the olfactory response time was shortened with increasing concentrations. We confirmed the kairomonal effect of monoterpene alarm pheromone components and their mixtures in addition to EβF on the natural enemy of aphid. This is the first report that the mixture of alarm pheromone components and their analogues has a stronger kairomonal effect than single components on the natural enemy of aphid. This study contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms involved in regulation of parasitoid behaviors by kairomones, and provides a promising opportunity for designing kairomones for the aphid parasitoid to mediate aphid populations in the field.
Development of doubled haploid population and QTL mapping for Fusarium stalk rot (FSR) resistance in tropical maize
Authors: CHANDAPPA LOHITHASWA HIRENALLUR , Babu B. M. Showkath , Mallikarjuna M G , Mallikarjuna N.
Published: June 2022

Fusarium stalk rot disease (FSR) caused by Fusarium verticilloides is emerging as the major production constraint in maize across the world. As a prelude to develop maize hybrids resistant to FSR, an attempt was made to identify QTL as the genetics of resistance was found to be quantitative in nature. Two doubled haploid (DH) mapping populations induced from F2 of crosses VL1043 × CM212 and VL121096 × CM202 were challenged with FSR during two seasons. The FSR response was influenced by significant DHs × season interaction. The DH populations were genotyped employing 164 and 132 polymorphic SNP markers in the DHs induced from the crosses VL1043 × CM212 and VL121096 × CM202, respectively. Inclusive composite interval mapping was performed to detect significant QTL, QTL × QTL, QTL × season interaction effects. Two and one QTL were identified in rabi 2019 and summer 2020, respectively. The QTL identified on the linkage group 10 (qFSR_10_1) was common across two seasons in DHs derived from the cross VL1043 × CM212. Similarly, two QTL each in rabi 2019, summer 2020 and one common QTL (qFSR_6_2) were identified for FSR resistance in DHs derived from F2 of the cross VL121096 × CM202. The QTL qFSR_10_1 was common in both the crosses. The position and effect of the QTL were varied with the seasons. Seven di-QTL interactions were detected for FSR resistance in both DH populations.
General Practice Pharmacists’ experience of Advanced Clinical Assessment courses: a theoretically underpinned qualitative exploration
Authors: Rushworth Gordon F , Jebara Tesnime , Tonna Antonella Pia , Rudd Ian , Stewart Fiona , MacVicar Ronald , Cunningham Scott
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND: The role of General Practice Clinical Pharmacists is becoming more clinically complex. Some are undertaking Advanced Clinical Examination & Assessment courses to further develop their skillsets.AIM To explore General Practice Clinical Pharmacists’ experience of Advanced Clinical Examination and Assessment courses, skills development and implementation. METHOD: This research used qualitative methods with theoretical underpinning at each stage. General Practice Clinical Pharmacists working in the Scottish National Health Service who had completed the relevant course were invited for qualitative online mini-focus groups. Informed written consent was obtained. A topic guide was developed using the Theoretical Domains Framework and piloted. Mini-focus groups were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a framework analysis informed by Theoretical Domains Framework and the “Capability, Opportunity, Motivation Behaviour System”. Ethics approval was granted. RESULTS: Fourteen pharmacists participated from eight Health Boards across Scotland. Themes were identified and mapped to frameworks underpinning this research. Participants reported that the course allowed them to gain skills needed to become clinically autonomous and supported them in taking a more holistic approach when reviewing patients. However, the pharmacist-product from the course in terms of skillset acquisition, and its potential application in general practice, was perceived by participants as poorly understood at the micro, meso and macro level. There was frustration among participants at the perceived lack of advanced practice opportunities within the current contractual healthcare system in general practice. CONCLUSION: Policy drivers should be urgently devised to reform general practice pharmacy services to best utilise pharmacists with these skills.
MHY4571, a novel diarylcyclohexanone derivative, exerts anti-cancer activity by regulating the PKA-cAMP-response element-binding protein pathway in squamous cell lung cancer
Authors: Chung Jae Heun , Choi Ho Jung , Kang Yong Jung , Kim Yun Seong , Lee Sang-Yull , Kwon Ryuk Jun , Jeong Han-Sol , Park Su-Jung , Jeong Yeongmu , Kang Dongwan , Ko Jeongin , Noh SangGyun , Chung Hae Young , Moon Hyung Ryong , Yoon Seong Hoon
Published: June 2022

Background: The protein kinase A (PKA)/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) has been suggested to be related to inhibition of the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a novel diarylcyclohexanone derivative, MHY4571, in regulating the PKA-CREB pathway and to study its anti-tumor role in squamous NSCLC.Methods: We designed MHY4571 as a novel PKA inhibitor with acceptable in silico ADME properties and tested it in vitro in lung cancer cell lines and in vivo in xenograft and orthotopic mouse models of squamous cell lung carcinoma.Results: MHY4571 inhibited PKA activity (>70% inhibition) and suppressed the expression of p-PKA and p-CREB dose-dependently. MHY4571 treatment reduced lung cancer cell viability and promoted caspase 3-dependent apoptotic cell death. Orally administered MHY4571 significantly suppressed lung tumor growth in xenograft and orthotopic mouse models. PKA catalytic subunit alpha-silencing by siRNA (siPKA) strongly attenuated CREB phosphorylation; siCREB did not alter PKA protein levels or its phosphorylation, suggesting that PKA is an upstream regulator of CREB activity. MHY4571 acted synergistically with cisplatin (on co-treatment) to induce apoptotic cell death in lung cancer cells. Conclusions: Our results imply that MHY4571 may be a potential drug candidate for squamous cell lung cancer treatment.
High expression of SHP2 predicts a promising prognosis in colorectal cancer
Authors: Liu Xibo , Li Mengyao , Chen Lirong , Wen Fei , Zheng Shu , Ge Weiting
Published: June 2022

Background
Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) is hyper-activated in some solid tumors. Previous findings suggest that the expression of SHP2 in colorectal cancer (CRC) may be associated with prognosis. However, validation with large sample data is lacking.
Methods
Tissue microarrays containing 860 CRCs and 197 mucosal tissues adjacent to the tumors were constructed. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of SHP2. Differences between SHP2 expression and clinicopathological parameters were evaluated. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests were used to analyze the relationships between SHP2 expression and overall survival of patients. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors.
Results
SHP2 expression levels in CRCs tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent mucosal tissues (P < 0.001). SHP2 expression was related to tumor differentiation, depth of invasion, distant metastasis, vascular tumor thrombus, lymph node metastasis, and TNM classification (P < 0.05). The prognosis of the high expression group of SHP2 was significantly better than that of the low expression group (P = 0.008). Univariate analysis showed that the expression level of SHP2 was a prognostic factor for CRC (P = 0.008). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that SHP2 remained an independent prognostic factor for CRC (P = 0.033).
Conclusion
The expression levels of SHP2 were significantly higher in CRC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. High expression levels of SHP2 were associated with a promising outcome, suggesting that SHP2 may be a favorable prognostic indicator of CRC.
Ground water - surface water interaction and impact assessment, in the case of western Ziway catchment, in Ethiopia
Authors: Hayi Solomon Kassa , Tegegne Moges Animut , Jibril Assie Kemal
Published: June 2022

The goal of this research was to enhance the current understanding of the interaction of surface water-ground water and impact assessment using a numerical model. Initially, to measure the natural recharge of the aquifer and to model streamflow, the surface water hydrology of the sub basin was researched using the HEC-HMS (SMA)model. The ground flow mechanism was analyzed by using 3D numerical groundwater flow model (Processing Modflow Pro (Version 5.3.0.1)). The HEC-HMS(SMA) model was used to measure the recharge rate for the sub-basin in order to achieve a recharge. Model calibration was subsequently carried out using the process of trial-and-error calibration using groundwater contours formed from heads collected at 56 observation points. Therefore, the average RMSE for simulated hydraulic heads was approximately 20. 65m.Simulated water levels in the model were more sensitive to decreases in recharge values and sensitive to decreases in hydraulic conductivity values. However, relative to recharge and hydraulic conductivity, the model is not as sensitive to decreases or increases in pump age. According to the simulation Lakes and rivers are significant sources of aquifer recharge. Finally, the model's water budget results showed that groundwater recharge comprised 81.48%, through river leakage 3.28% and constant head was 15.24% of the total water input for the entire study region. Because of this, it can be noted that the surface water impacts to the water budget of the sub-basin.
Thermal Error Modeling of Electric Spindle Based on Particle Swarm Optimization SVM Neural Network
Authors: Li ZhaoLong , zhu wenming , Zhu Bo , Wang Baodong , Wang Qinghai
Published: June 2022

High-speed electric spindle is an important part of CNC machining equipment. The thermal displacement generated by the electric spindle during operation is the main reason that affects the machining stability and machining accuracy of the electric spindle. Compensating the thermal error of the high-speed electric spindle can effectively improve the CNC machining. The processing performance of the equipment. Therefore, it is particularly important to establish the accuracy of the thermal error prediction model. Taking the A02 high-speed electric spindle as the research object, ANSYS is used to analyze the thermal characteristics of the electric spindle, and the temperature and thermal displacement monitoring points of the electric spindle are arranged according to the simulation results, and the temperature and thermal displacement data of the monitoring points under different rotational speeds are collected; Using K-means to classify temperature measurement points, uses the grey relation analysis degree to determine the correlation between the temperature measurement point and the thermal displacement data, and selects 4 temperature sensitive points from 10 temperature measurement points. Finally, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used to optimize the penalty factor and kernel function of support vector machine (SVM), and the PSO-SVM prediction model is established to compare with the neural network prediction model of SVM and genetic algorithm (GA) optimized SVM respectively. The results show that PSO-SVM has better robustness, stability and generalization ability.
Exergetic sustainability analysis of a naphtha-based combined cycle power plant (CCPP)
Authors: Arpit Sankalp , Das Prasanta Kumar , Dash Sukanta Kumar
Published: June 2022

In today’s scenario ensuring sustainability of energy system particularly in the field of power generation is a major concern, and in this regard exergy analysis is widely accepted tool. For this purpose, first a comprehensive performance is carried out between two gas turbine plants i.e. GT2 (case I) and GT1 (case II) using various exergy performance parameters. Further a comprehensive performance evaluation is carried out between three cases; GT2 (case I), GT1 (case II) and CCPP (case III) using different sustainability indicators such as exergy efficiency, waste exergy ratio, exergy destruction factor and recoverable exergy ratio. Results demonstrate that exergetic sustainability index of combined cycle power plant (CCPP) is 0.45 when compared with GT2 (0.29) and GT1 (0.28). The increased sustainability index is because of the incorporation of a bottoming cycle, which ultimately decreases waste exergy ratio and leads to an increase in exergy efficiency and sustainability index of CCPP.
Research on preparation method and device of functionally gradient materials based on PDMS
Authors: Zhang Guangyao , Gao Fan , Sun Jinmei , Yu Wenbo
Published: June 2022

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Computational advantages in robotics by evaluating Newton-Euler equations with respect to a moving reference point in a non-inertial frame
Authors: Giessler Maximilian , Waltersberger Bernd
Published: June 2022

Maintaining stability while walking on arbitrary surfaces or dealing with external perturbations is of great interest in humanoid robotics research. Increasing the system's autonomous robustness to variety of postural threats during locomotion is the key despite the need to evaluate noisy sensor signals. The equations of motion are the foundation of all published approaches. In contrast, we propose a more adequate evaluation of the equations of motion with respect to an arbitrary moving reference point in a non-inertial reference frame. We use simulation results to compare our algorithm with established approaches and test it with physical robot data. Conceptual advantages are, e.g., getting independent of global positions and velocity vectors estimated by sensor fusions or calculating the imaginary zero-moment point walking on different inclined ground surfaces. Further, we improve the calculation results by using specific characteristics of physical robots and reducing noise amplifying methods in our algorithm.
Visual Concept of Game Heroic Education Based on Player-Centered Design
Authors: Mu'minin Amirul , Mutiaz Intan Rizky Mutiaz
Published: June 2022

A national hero represents a nation as a role model with heroic values that need to be introduced to Z-generation as students. The case study of this research is Himayatuddin Muhammad Saidi as, the 185th national hero from Indonesia, November 2019. The design process is carried out using the Player-Centered Design method, which is explained in terms of Mission Understanding Human Motivation, Implementing Game Mechanics, Manage, and Measure in usability testing. The visual concept of the game is sourced from Gen-Z responses by 73 respondents by assessing four-game designs, which ANOVA analyzed. The dominant preference is the strategy game genre with an average score (71.25), Action (69.94), RPG (67.09), and Adventure (63.87). Through research and experimentation, it was found that ten components make up a heroic game. Then usability testing was carried out with measurement results using a Likert scale and Nielsen's model by 25 students. The heroic game design has an average response of 4.45, i.e., 89% success, ready to be used by Gen-Z in Indonesia and on the International scale.
Prevalence of Liver Fibrosis in Hepatitis B Virus Infection Using Aspartate Aminotransferase to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI) Score at Rukunyu Hospital, Kamwenge District, South Western Uganda.
Authors: Nzaramba Daniel , Musinguzi Benson , Gyagenda Ivans , Ntemi John Lusoma , Kighoma Josephat , Sobere Patrick , Ssedyabane Frank
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Liver fibrosis (LF) is a crucial factor in predicting adverse liver outcomes including cirrhosis and hepatic decompensation in chronic hepatitis. In addition, liver fibrosis is important in determining whether, when, and how to initiate antiviral therapy. The degree of LF or cirrhosis is an independent factor to predict mortality in chronic hepatitis B patients. Due to the limitations associated with the current diagnostic test for LF histology, the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), has been suggested to identify patients with HBV-related liver fibrosis.Objective: This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of liver fibrosis in hepatitis B using Aspartate Aminotransferase to Platelet Ratio index (APRI) score and its associated factors among patients attending Rukunyu Hospital, Kamwenge District, South Western Uganda.Materials and methods: We recruited a total of 163 respondents, after informed consent. Blood was collected from them and was used for AST and complete blood count from which a platelet count was obtained. APRI score was calculated using the formula: APRI = AST (U/L)/(upper limit of the normal range) ×100/platelet count (109 /L). An APRI score of 0.5 and above was considered as an indicator of liver fibrosis.Results: Out of 163 study respondents, 15(9.2%) had APRI score of > 0.5, which was indicative of liver fibrosis, with those in age bracket 40–59 years 8(53.3%), male 9(60.0%), not employed 10(66.7%), Christians 10(66.7%), having household monthly income of 50,000-200,000/= 10(66.7%), living with their spouse and children 14(93.3%), drinking alcohol 9(60.0%) and smoking 9(60.0%) being more affected. On bivariate analysis, age group 60–75 years (P = 0.008, OR: 0.109, 95%CI 0.06–0.742), drinking alcohol (P ≤ 0.001, OR: 6.155, 95%CI 2.029–18.67) and smoking (P ≤ 0.001, OR: 72.5, 95%CI 15.53-338.45) had statistically significant association with liver fibrosis. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, only smoking (P ≤ 0.001, OR: 55.563, 95CI 6.78-454.887) had statistically significant association with liver fibrosis.Conclusion: The prevalence of liver fibrosis was high (9.2%) and there is a need for early screening of liver fibrosis in Hepatitis B patients to prevent further damage.
Homocysteine and Nutritional Biomarkers In Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Bhargava Seema , Sethi Prahlad , Batra Anuradha , Choudhury Sangeeta , Takkar Parul , Manocha Anjali , Kankra Mamta , Singla Parul
Published: June 2022

Background: Cognitive impairment is a progressive disorder that affects the aging population. With the increase in the mean age of our population, it is becoming a public health problem. Homocysteinemia has been implicated in cognitive impairment. While it is modulated by vitamins B12 and folate, it acts through MMPs 2 and 9.Objectives: To assesses the relationship of cognitive impairment with homocysteine, B12, folate, and MMPs 2 and 9, with the intention of detecting cases of mild cognitive impairment which are potentially reversible.Materials and Methods: Blood samples were drawn from 73 enrolled subjects, with and without cognitive impairment on basis of Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) score <25 or >25, respectively. Homocysteine, B12, folate, and MMPs2 and 9 were estimated. Correlation between MoCA score and these parameters was elucidated.Results: After adjusting for age and sex, homocysteine was the only significant independent predictor of MoCA score. Cut off of homocysteine for prediction of MoCA <25 was derived at 13.5 µmol/L (PPV=59.6%; NPV=79.2%; Sensitivity=84.8%; Specificity=50%). The equation derived for calculation of MoCA score from homocysteine is: MoCA score = 32.893 + [(-0.223)(homocysteine in mmol/L)] Conclusions: Homocysteine >13.5mmol/L predicts low MoCA (<25) with 84.8% sensitivity and 50% specificity. So patients with a Hcy >13.5mmol/L should be carefully evaluated for the presence/progression of dementia and administered vitamins of the B group as a measure towards amelioration of the modifiable risk factor of cognitive decline, i.e. homocysteinemia.
Poorly Differentiated Cluster Grade-A Vital Predictor for Lymph Node Metastasis and Oncological Outcomes in Patients with T1 Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Ji Xiaolin , Kang Mei , Zhao Xianzhi , Li Xiaoyu , Guo Yingjie , Xie Ping , Yu Yanan , Tian Zibin
Published: June 2022

Purpose T1 colorectal cancers have a low lymph node metastasis rate and good prognosis. Thus, endoscopic resection is an attractive choice. This study aimed to describe the value of poorly differentiated cluster grade in identifying endoscopically curable T1 colorectal cancers.Methods We included 184 T1 colorectal cancer patients who underwent curative resection. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify lymph node metastasis predictors. The Akaike information criterion was used to determine whether poorly differentiated cluster grade was the best predictor. Backward regression was used to screen the variables. Survival analyses were conducted to determine the prognostic predictive power of poorly differentiated cluster grade. Correlations among predictors were also investigated.Results Poorly differentiated cluster grade was an independent predictor for lymph node metastasis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] G 3 = 0.001; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] G 3 = <0.001, 0.139) in T1 colorectal cancer patients; moreover, it had the best predictive value (AIC = 61.626) among all indicators. It was also screened for inclusion in the predictive model. Accordingly, a high poorly differentiated cluster grade independently indicated shorter overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] G 2 = 4.315; 95% CI G 2 = 1.506, 12.568; HR G 3 = 5.049; 95% CI G 3 = 1.326, 19.222) and disease-free survival (HR G 3 = 6.621; 95% CI G 3 = 1.472, 29.786). Conclusions Poorly differentiated cluster grade is a vital reference to manage T1 colorectal cancer. It could serve as an indicator to screen endoscopically curable T1 colorectal cancers.
Evaluation of pollution caused by microplastics particles in municipal wastewater and sewage sludge (Case study: Al-Ghadir town, Kerman)
Authors: Mahani Afsaneh Mortezazadeh , Nasrabadi Touraj , Daryabeigi Ali
Published: June 2022

With the increase in the production of plastics and their destructive effects on water quality, soil and the health of living organisms, It is necessary to know these materials and their production sources. Meanwhile, wastewater treatment plants are one of the main sources of discharge of microplastics into the environment. In the present study, the frequency of microplastics in wastewater and sediments of Kerman were evaluated. For this purpose, 36 samples of wastewater and sediments are taken simultaneously per month that in each sample, about 30 liters of wastewater was collected from the exhausting of initial deposition in 2021–2022. The percentage of organic materials in these samples was measured by using the hydrogen peroxide digestion method and the amount of microplastics was extracted and analyzed by a density-based separation method with sodium iodide salt. Investigation of microplastic contamination in wastewater sediments was done by the Van Veen Grab method. Separation of samples was performed by using hydrogen peroxide and the number of separated samples were determined by the amount of particles per 100 gram of dry sediment. Then the microplastics were examined in terms of color, shape and size. The results demonstrate that in samples of Kerman wastewater, 3576 microplastics were found, which about 98% were fiber types and about 2% were particle type, the dimensions of most of these particles were between 37–300 µm. In addition, 90% of microplastics found in wastewater were blue. There were about 4864 microplastics in all sediment samples. Of these, about 98% were related to fibers, 18% particles and 0.001% membranous particles. Sediment grading also demonstrate that the particle size of 100–250 µm had the highest frequency with 39%. In this investigation, the frequency of separated microplastics in red, black and blue were 30%, 26% and 22%, respectively. Based on the results of the analysis of the questionnaires, it was concluded that it’s not much needed to study microplastics and their sources of production and dissemination. The present study can provide useful information to get more acquainted with the types of microplastics sources and their classification, to control and monitor these pollutants in municipal wastewater.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (the DJIA) is predictable.
Authors: Jiang Yusen
Published: June 2022

Trading days from January 29, 2021 to October 8, 2021, for a total of 220 days of data, divided into 22 cycles each with ten days. The daily closing movements is M4 [(current day's closing - previous day's closing)/ previous day's closing] ×100. The M4 of each cycle and it’s predicted value (MK) obtained four days ago are tested by the Pearson correlation test and two-tailed significance test to prove that the MK is highly correlated with the M4, thus the experimentally derived prediction is informative. The experimental result: The 19th cycle (15th Oct - 28th Oct), M4 and MK, the Pearson correlation in the range 0.6-0.7, Two-tailed Significance P<0.05; The 7th cycle (27th April - 10th May), the 14thcycle (5th August - 18th August), the 17th cycle (17th Sept - 30th Sept), M4 and MK of these three cycles, the Pearson correlation in the range 0.7-0.8, P<0.01. Other eighteen cycles of M4 and MK, the Pearson correlation in the range 0.8-1.0, P<0.01. The raw data for this article are the daily open, high, low, and close of the DJIA, the MK can be obtained form the raw data with special arithmetic.
Collagen I is expressed by hepatocytes through activation AIM2/ASC/caspase-1 pathway
Authors: Sheng Qiongyu , He Qin , Situ Bing , Pan Xingfei
Published: June 2022

Background: Liver fibrosis is a diffuse excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (especially collagen) in the liver. It is a repair response of the body to chronic liver injury. AIM2 regulates the activation of caspase-1 and thus promotes the maturation and secretion of the cytokine precursors of pro-IL-1β and pro-IL-18. It also regulates caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis. However, it is unclear whether AIM2 is involved in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. Methods: In the present study, CCK-8 was used to measure cell viability. Evaluation of functional AIM2-induced ECM and fibrosis using protein blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Validation of the effect of the AIM2/ASC/caspase-1 signalling axis on liver fibrosis using ASC siRNA and caspase-1 inhibitors. Overexpression of AIM2 in cells using transient techniques to evaluate the extent of collagen and focal death. Cells with COL1A1 (pGL3-COL1A1) were constructed and characterised. Activation of its activity by AIM2 was measured in vitro. 2 Results: Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a key role in inflammation. However, the role of hepatocytes in AIM2 expression remains unclear. In the present study, we demonstrate that AIM2 increases COL1A1 expression via the COL1A1 promoter. AIM2 increases COL1A1 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrated that AIM2 failed to cause an increase in COL1A1 expression after inhibition of ASC and caspase-1 expression in HepG2 cells. These results suggest that the AIM2/ASC/caspase-1 signalling axis can induce liver fibrosis in HepG2 cells. Conclusion: Collagen I is expressed by hepatocytes through activation AIM2/ASC/caspase-1 pathway.
Clinical exploration of safety and efficacy of Polyherbal oil as a topical application in Diabetic non healing wounds and ulcers compared with Betadine10% ointment
Authors: Gharpure Milind , Varma Nikhil , Rao Gopal , Vekariya Sanjay , Mote Ravindra
Published: June 2022

Background ;
This study relates to composition for wound healing. More particularly, the invention pertains to wound healing properties of polyherbal composition on Non healing wounds and ulcers. Composition influenced by ancient texts from traditional Ayurved treatment.
Hypothesis:
This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of polyherbal oil in comparison with betadine 10% ointment in subjects suffering from diabetic non-healing wound. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of polyherbal oil in reduction of wound size and granulation in diabetic wound. Secondary Objective was to evaluate the effect of polyherbal oil in reduction of exude type, exudate amount, pain, edema and proliferation of epithelialization and monitor the safety profile of polyherbal oil.
Study Design:
It was a Multicenter, randomized, open label, parallel-group, comparative, prospective clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of polyherbal oil compared with betadine 10% ointment in subjects with diabetic non-healing wound.
Method
In the study, patients were randomized in the ratio of 1:1. All the subjects were given treatment for dressing with the topical application of Polyherbal oil ≤ 5ml per application or Betadine 10% ointment depending on wound size once on alternate day as per randomization. The treatment continued for 45 days with periodic follow-up on 9th, 18th, 27th, 36th and 45th day from start of treatment.
Results
The current study showed the Percentage reduction in wound size from baseline to end of study treatment for Polyherbal oil (n = 33) and Betadine 10% ointment (n = 34) as (-49.65% and − 35.65) respectively and Percentage reduction in granulation from baseline to end of study treatment for Polyherbal oil (n = 33) and Betadine 10% ointment (n = 34) as (-45.61 and − 32.99) respectively. There were 15 clinical adverse events reported (Polyherbal oil: 08, Betadine ointment 10%: 07) which were mild in nature.
Conclusion
Polyherbal oil proved to have marked superiority in all primary and secondary efficacy endpoints and it is safe and efficacious when compared with Betadine ointment 10%.
Revisiting the Austral Spring Extratropical Southern Hemisphere zonally asymmetric circulation using complex Empirical Orthogonal Functions
Authors: Campitelli Elio , Díaz Leandro B. , Vera Carolina
Published: June 2022

The large-scale extratropical circulation in the Southern Hemisphere is strongly zonally symmetric, but its zonal departures, albeit highly relevant for regional impacts, have been less studied.In this study we analyse the joint variability of the zonally asymmetric springtime stratospheric and tropospheric circulation using Complex Empirical Orthogonal Functions (cEOF) to characterise planetary waves of varying amplitude and phase.The leading cEOF represents variability of a zonal wave 1 in the stratosphere that correlates slightly with the Symmetric Southern Annular Mode (S-SAM).The second cEOF (cEOF2) is an alternative representation of the Pacific-South American modes. One phase of this cEOF is also extremely correlated with the Asymmetric SAM (A-SAM) in the troposphere. Springs with an active ENSO tend to phase-lock the cEOF2, but have no consistent impact on its magnitude.Furthermore, we find indications that the location of Pacific Sea Surface Temperature anomalies affect the phase of the cEOF2. As a result, the methodology proposed in this study provides a deeper understanding of the zonally asymmetric springtime extratropical SH circulation.
An Overview of The Fourth Industrial Revolution through the Business Lens
Authors: Andrișan Gabriela , Modreanu Andra
Published: June 2022

This article highlights the opportunities and consequences of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for business management daily. The primary objective of the research is to comprehend how the economy has evolved over the last two centuries and the implications for business and market competition. Contemporary events have contributed to the continued evolution of the opportunities and adaptability that the Industrial Revolution offered the business community. These two concepts have enabled a much more appropriate risk management approach. Many businesses have begun to utilize their resources in novel and innovative ways, allowing them to remain afloat even during the current global pandemic. The authors have found that with the help of the tools provided by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, businesses and business owners can better navigate these trying times and have been permitted to reinvent themselves easier. Thus, this article presents a theoretical framework for analyzing how the Industrial Revolutions have been perceived throughout history, emphasizing the most recent one. A formulation of the most pervasive features and the aspects associated with them would be derived as an outcome of the existing literature review, allowing space for further analysis in future studies in which one can elaborate on each aspect presented in this current paper. The findings indicate that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is a vast subject that can be approached in various ways. The business perspective allows the reader to dive into the current economic situation and helps provide a broad picture of all the sectors affected by this global crisis, be it political, geographical, or cultural. The results of the research can be used to gain a better understanding of the position where the business world finds itself, and the importance of adaptability and innovation in this scenario.
Under COVID-19 Pandemic Impact: Do Internal Mechanisms Play Fundamental Role in Corporations’ Outcomes
Authors: Alabdullah Tariq Tawfeeq Yousif , Muath Asmar Muath Asmar
Published: June 2022

The new coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic has had a significant impact on health care, the economy, transportation, and other areas in several businesses and locations worldwide. As a result of the quarantine policy, population mobility fell drastically, resulting in diminished people’s spending power and ultimately a stagnating economy. The same is true in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, where the government has imposed a severe countrywide lockdown and a nocturnal curfew since the commencement of the COVID-19 epidemic. All travel to and from the country was halted as the borders were closed. In addition, many local and national preventative and control efforts have been undertaken to contain the spread of COVID-19 throughout the country. The present work aims at estimating the impact of internal mechanisms on corporations’ outcomes under the COVID-19 pandemic. The current work uses statistical analysis via SPSS, a Statistical Software, to test the hypotheses based on data collection of 100 corporations belonging to industrial and service corporations from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s financial market for 2020. Regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses of the current work that are represented by board size, independent non-executive managers, and financial leverage of corporations, considering testing the control variable as well, representing the industrial type. Financial leverage is the dependent variable of the present study. The findings revealed that the greater number of independent non-executive managers, the big board size leads to a negative impact of financial leverage. The results showed that independent non-executive managers do not affect financial leverage. Furthermore, the findings admit that the industry type has no impact on financial leverage. The practical implication of the current work is helpful for different parties like academics and scholars in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan context. The present work adds contribution to the poor literature via introducing empirical evidence regarding the financial leverage as an indicator to the corporation’s outcomes – corporation performance and internal mechanisms relationship under the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
New public management and corruption: Empirical evidence of local governments in Indonesia
Authors: Ratmono Dwi , Darsono Darsono
Published: June 2022

This study is relevant because it examines the determinants of corruption in local governments that have a negative impact on the success of sustainable development. This study aims to examine the effect of New Public Management (NPM), as measured by fiscal decentralization, financial reporting quality and independent audits, on the level of corruption. The sample consisted of 433 local governments in Indonesia based on data from 2011–2017. PLS-SEM was used as a data analysis technique. The results test shows that fiscal decentralization positively affects corruption with a path coefficient of 0.19 and a p-value of 0.004. The quality of financial reporting has a negative effect on the level of corruption with a coefficient of –0.26 and a p-value < 0.001. Hypotheses testing results also show that audit finding positively affects corruption with a coefficient of 0.10 and a p-value < 0.10. On the other hand, follow-up audit results have no significant effect on corruption with a p-value > 0.10. This study concludes that the NPM mechanism in the form of fiscal decentralization positively affects corruption. These results imply that fiscal decentralization needs to be balanced with good governance, among others, by increasing the quality of financial reports and independent audits.
Influence of the board of directors on discretionary accruals: Evidence from Vietnamese listed companies
Authors: Quoc Thinh Tran , Thi Thanh Thuy Vo , Chi Danh Luu , Anh Tuan Dang
Published: June 2022

In the trend of globalization, profit is always a concern for companies because the competition is increasingly fierce. With accounting tools and policies, managers of companies can perform profit management. The purpose of this paper is to test the influence of the board of directors on the discretionary accruals in Vietnamese listed companies. The paper uses time series of table data. The sample includes 915 observations of 183 Vietnamese non-financial companies in the period from 2016 to 2020. The feasible generalized least squares method is used to test the hypotheses of the research model. The paper uses two foundational theories, including the agency theory and the signaling theory, to explain the discretionary accruals of Vietnamese listed companies. The results show that the independence of the board of directors, the meetings of the board of directors, and the foreigners in the board of directors influence the discretionary accruals in Vietnamese listed companies. Then, the paper proposes some appropriate policies on regulations to control the discretionary accruals in Vietnamese listed companies to improve the quality of accounting information in the context of regional and international economic integration.
Forecasting of groundwater level fluctuations using a hybrid of multi-discrete wavelet transforms with artificial intelligence models
Authors: Momeneh Sadegh , Nourani Vahid
Published: June 2022

Groundwater is often one of the significant natural sources of freshwater supply, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, and is of paramount importance. This study provides a new and high accurate technique for forecasting groundwater level (GWL). The artificial intelligence (AI) models include the artificial neural network (ANN) of multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function network (RBF), and adaptive neural-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) models. Input data to the models is the monthly average GWL of 17 piezometers. In this study, a preprocessing of data including the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and multi-discrete wavelet transform (M-DWT) simultaneously was utilized. The results showed that the hybrid M-DWT-ANN, M-DWT-RBF, and M-DWT-ANFIS models compared to the DWT-ANN, DWT-RBF, and DWT-ANFIS models as well as than regular ANN, RBF, and ANFIS models, had the highest accuracy in forecasting GWL for the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 6-months ahead. Also, the M-DWT-ANN model had the best performance. Overall, the results illustrated that using the M-DWT method as preprocessing of input data can be a valuable tool to increase the predictive model's accuracy and efficiency. The results of this study indicate the potential of M-DWT-AI hybrid models to improve GWL forecasting.
Groundwater quality status based on a modification of water quality index in an arid area, Iran
Authors: Goodarzi Mohammad Reza , Abedi Mohammad Javad , Niknam Amir Reza R. , Heydaripour Mahnaz
Published: June 2022

Increasing population, high demand for food, and uncontrolled abstraction of aquifers have severely affected the water quality. This study aimed to evaluate the water quality of 17 deep agricultural wells in Bahabad plain from the perspective of irrigation and drinking. In order to determine the water quality of wells and analyze the water quality index (WQI), a set of statistical methods such as a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and TOPSIS were used. WQI is considered one of the primary methods for assessing drinking water quality. Still, due to the discrepancy between the results and the WQI (WHO), it was decided to modify the WQI method. The integrated use of FAHP-WQI and the TOPSIS method led to significant changes in the grading and the classification of water wells. The results showed that these two methods combined could be used as a good and complementary technique to eliminate ranking inconsistencies by WQI. Combining WQI results with GIS also allows for a deeper analysis of drinking water quality. The results showed that most of the water quality problems are due to wells in the northern region of the plain, and more than 41% of wells in this region are not in good condition.
A machine learning framework for predicting downstream water end-use events with upstream sensors
Authors: Kropp Ian , Pouyan Nejadhashemi A. , Julien Ryan , Mitchell Jade , Whelton Andrew J.
Published: June 2022

Understanding the end-use of water is essential to a plethora of critical research in premise plumbing. However, direct access to end-use data through physical sensors is prohibitively expensive for most researchers, building owners, operators, and practitioners. Therefore, machine learning models can alleviate these costs by predicting downstream end-use events (e.g., sink, shower, dishwasher, and washing machine) via an affordable subset of upstream sensors. Choosing which upstream sensors, as well as data preprocessing methods, are best for machine learning has historically been a manual process. This paper proposes a novel approach to systematically configure the machine platform automatically. The optima were determined through a Pareto analysis of the exhaustive combinations of upstream predictors and preprocessing methods. The model was trained and validated with real-world data obtained from a house that has been extensively monitored for over a year. Results from the analysis suggested that downstream events can be effectively predicted with minimum overfitting error for most categories, using as few as two to four upstream sensors. This study automatically implemented highly accurate machine learning models to predict downstream features within premise plumbing systems, significantly lowering the costs of researching residential plumbing best practices such as water conservation.