bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antibacterial Components of Levisticum officinale Koch against Multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Monsef Esfahani Hamidreza , Moridi Farimani Mahdi , Nejad Ebrahimi Samad , Jung Jee Hyung , Aliahmadi Atousa , Abbas-Mohammadi Mahdi , Skropeta Danielle , Kazemian Hossein , Feizabadi Mohammadmehdi , Miran Mansour
Published: February 2021

Background: A bioassay-guided fractionation technique was used to evaluate the active constituents of the perennial plant L. officinale W.D.J. Koch (Apiaceae) against multidrug resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Methods: Column chromatography was used to isolation of compounds from L. officinale and spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR (Nuclear magnetic resonance) and HRMS (high resolution mass spectrometry) were used to identification of the isolated compounds. Also, to evaluate antibacterial activity, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was carried out by broth micro-dilution method. Finally, molecular docking (MD) was performed using the Schrödinger package to evaluate interactions between the active compounds and InhA protein. Results: Phytochemical analysis of the ethyl acetate extract of the plant roots led to isolation of bergapten (1), isogosferol (2), oxypeucedanin (3), oxypeucedanin hydrate (4), imperatorin (5), ferulic acid (6) and falcarindiol (7). Falcarindiol and oxypeucedanin indicated a moderate activity on MDR M. tuberculosis with MIC values of = 32 and 64 μg/mL, respectively. Antibacterial activity of falcarindiol was also observed against S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains with the MIC values of 7.8 and 15.6 μg/mL, respectively. The results of docking analysis showed a good affinity of oxypeucedanin (3) and falcarindiol (7) to InhA enzyme with docking score values of -7.764 and -7.703 kcal/mol, respectively. Conclusion: Finally, 7 compounds were isolated from L. officinale that compounds 2-6 report for the first time from this plant. On the basis of the molecular docking (MD) study, oxypeucedanin (3) and falcarindiol (7) as active compounds against M. tuberculosis may be proposed as potential inhibitors of 2-trans-enoyl-ACP reductase (InhA), a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the mycobacterial cell wall. Moreover, antibacterial activity of falcarindiol against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) was remarkable.
The Combination Effect of Voluntary Exercise and Crocin on Angiogenic miRNAs in High-Fat Diet/Low-Dose STZ-Induced Type2 Diabetes in Rats: miR-126 and miR-210
Authors: Dariushnejad Hassan , Chodari Leila , Ghorbanzadeh Vajihe
Published: February 2021

Background: As one of the major complications of diabetes, cardiovascular disease might result in early death in people with diabetes. miR-126 and 210 expressions undergo alterations in cardiac disease and cause heart failure. Methods: Animals were divided into the 5 groups of control (Con), diabetes (Dia), diabeticcrocin (Dia-Cro), diabetic-voluntary exercise (Dia-Exe), and diabetic-crocin-voluntary exercise (Dia-Cro-Exe). Type 2 diabetes was induced by the use of a high-fat diet (4 weeks) and injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (i.p, 35 mg/kg). Animals received crocin orally (50 mg/kg), and voluntary exercise was performed alone or together for 8 weeks. QRT–PCR method was used to determine the levels of miR-210 and miR-126 in cardiac tissue. Results: The levels of miR-210 and miR-126 in the cardiac tissue augmented in both the crocin and voluntary exercise groups in comparison with the non-treated group (p<0.001). The use of combination therapy with exercise and crocin magnified their effects on miR-210 and miR-126 levels (p<0.001). Moreover, MiR-210 levels were lower in the crocin group compared to the exercise group (p<0.001). Conclusion: The results indicated that voluntary exercise combined with crocin might provide a novel therapeutic plan for cardiovascular disease through increasing miR-210 and miR-126 expression.
Euphorbia prostata Exerts Potent Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Arthritic Activity in Downregulating the Increased Expression of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines
Authors: Hariyadi Dewi Melani , Sahu Vikram Kumar
Published: February 2021

Background: Euphorbia prostrata constitutes a herbal medication widely used to cure numerous inflammatory diseases occurring either alone or in conjunction with other herbal formulations. The research conducted was devised with the aim of determining the effect of Euphorbia prostrata hydroalcoholic leaf extract on paw swelling, joint destruction, and the formation of inflammation-producing cytokines in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Hydroalcoholic Euphorbia prostrata extract and a reference drug (indomethacin 3mg/kg), were both administered orally on a daily basis at varying doses; low (50 mg/kg), medium (100 mg/kg), and high (200 mg/kg) for a period of 21 days. Other parameters affecting the functional components of bone include joint diameter measurements and histopathological investigations. Immunohistochemical analysis of Interleukin (IL-1, IL-6) and Nuclear Factor(NF-κB)in ankle joint tissue was performed. Results: The research findings indicated that a significant (p<0.05) dose-dependent reduction in inflammation results from the administering of Euphorbia prostrata at varying doses. A 200mg/kg dose of Euphorbia prostrata with a significance of p<0.001 produced a marked reduction in both inflammation and joint dysfunction. It was concluded, therefore, that such a dose attenuates paw oedema and inflammation, while also reversing bone damage through the inhibition of activated pro-inflammatory mediators and, specifically, NF-κB-mediated production of cytokines. Conclusion: The research presented here concludes that Euphorbia prostrata hydroalcoholic extract can be potentially employed in the treatment and management of rheumatoid arthritis since it reduces symptoms of inflammation, inhibits macrophage activity and modulates IL-1, IL-6 and NF-κB.
Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.: Chemical Contents, Pharmacological Activities
Authors: Shamilov Arnold Alexeevich , Bubenchikova Valentina Nikolaevna , Chernikov Maxim Valentinovich , Pozdnyakov Dmitryi Igorevich , Garsiya Ekaterina Robertovna
Published: February 2021

One of the most known species of the genus Vaccinium (Ericaceae) is Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. or lingonberry. Leaves are included in the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation (XIV-th edition) and the State Pharmacopoeia of the Republic of Belarus (II-nd edition). The aim of this review is an analysis of data about a chemical content and types of pharmacological activities of Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. to discuss the tendency of future investigations on this plant. The main parts of works describe researches of chemical contents of fruits as medicinal and edible plant material. The majority of researches describe results of in vitro experiments. A significant interest is the study of the neuroprotective activity of the Vaccinium vitis-idaea extracts as well as their anti-cytokine and antiapoptotic properties and metabolic effects. The main biologically active compounds are phenologlycosides, tannins, proanthocyanes, saponins etc. These results will be of great significance for the development of new drugs from this plant and use along with the fruits of other parts of the plant.
Pharmacokinetic Investigation to Study the In Vivo Bioavailability of Thiolated Chitosan Based Repaglinide Buccal Tablets
Authors: Navamanisubramanian Raja , Nerella Raghunandan , Seetharaman Shanmuganathan
Published: February 2021

Background: Repaglinide (REP) is an antihyperglycemic drug having low bioavailability due to its extensive first-pass metabolism. The present study aimed to develop and pharmacokinetic investigte the thiolated chitosan (TC) based buccal tablets of REP for improved bioavailability. Methods: TC was prepared by conjugation of L-cysteine with chitosan. The amount of free thiol groups present in TC was determined by UV-spectrophotometry using Ellman’s reagent. TC based REP buccal tablets were prepared by two layers co-compression method and characterized for in vitro and ex vivo parameters. The in vivo performance of prepared REP buccal tablets was assessed by the pharmacokinetic study in New Zealand white rabbits. Results: The prepared TC resulted in 87%w/w yield with 52.3±3.2 μM free thiol functional groups per 10 mg of TC. The prepared formulations have good flow nature and compressibility, acceptable thickness (2.02 to 2.1 mm), weight (60.11 to 61.06 mg), surface pH (6.59 to 6.81) and drug content (98.92 to 101.08 %w/w). The presence of TC significantly improved the mucoadhesion strength, sustained the in vitro release and enhanced the ex vivo permeation of REP buccal tablets. The shelf life of REP buccal tablets was found to be 15.07 months in accelerated storage conditions. The prepared REP buccal tablets (V5) have area under the curve (712.22±15.91 ng/mL/h) and mean residence time (4.66±0.25 h) was 1.89 and 1.83 folds higher than oral bolus respectively. Conclusion: TC based REP buccal tablets are capable of controlled transbuccal release of REP for a prolonged time and have better bioavailability than oral bolus.
Stylistic Study of Gowijeh Qaleh’s Rock-Cut Tomb from Maragheh
Authors: Sattarnejad Saeid , Parvin Samad , Mastalizadeh Maryam
Published: February 2021

Rock architecture has a long history in Iran and all over the world,
and many climatic, defensive, cultural factors have led to the emergence of
architectural examples of this type. The chronology and usage of these works
have always been discussed after the discovery of the rock works from Western
Iran from the 19th century onwards. On the one hand, it can be said that the
creators of these works have left a rather vague footprint of their time, making
difficult the possibility of offering accurate and precise chronology and
explaining usage for researchers and interested readers. On the other hand,
due to the lack of knowledge and awareness of the beliefs of ancient people,
some scholars have been mistaken in explaining the use and even the
chronology of these works and sometimes, they presented different uses and
chronologies for these works. Accordingly, such a mistake was made by a
number of researchers in the city of Maragheh while explaining the use of
Gowijeh Qaleh’s rock tomb by the use of water storage. For this purpose, this
article examined Gowijeh Qaleh’s rock-cut tomb from an analytical
perspective. Therefore, this work can be more confidently considered as a part
of the first millennium BC, and it is referred to the culture of Urartu.
A Contemporary Approach of Las Meninas
Authors: Stoleriu Irina-Andreea
Published: February 2021

The present study is meant to underline the importance of a
famous work from the baroque period, Las Meninas, made by the painter
Diego de Silva y Velásquez who has become a source of inspiration for
future generations of artists. Numerous modern and contemporary artists
have integrally or partially ”paraphrased” Velásquez’s composition by
intercepting the portrait of revolutionary group for the time when it was
created, extremely innovative regarding its compositional qualities and its
hidden meanings which underlined the role and status of the artist in the
context of a conservative society. Thus, the painting becomes the living
proof of the way in which the artist manages to overcome the limitations
of the social status of ordinary human beings, by portraying himself as a
close friend of the royal family and by opening, through this type of
representation, an important chapter in the history of portraiture.
Characteristics of Trace Element Balance in Children with Pollution-Related Dental Diseases
Authors: Setko NP , Mustafin IT
Published: February 2021

Summary. Introduction: The necessity to assess, prevent and correct element-dependent diseases, increase the level of safety, predict and reduce the risk of exposures to industrial contaminants in the development of dental diseases in the child population is an important and promising area of modern hygiene. The objective of our study was to establish concentrations of trace elements in dental tissues of children exposed to various levels of industrial pollution. Materials and methods: We used atomic absorption spectrophotometry to measure 13 trace elements in extracted healthy and carious primary teeth in two groups of children aged 7–11. The first group consisted of 56 children living in the area with a significantly high level of anthropogenic burden (Caveraged total = 1.17 units) and a high prevalence of caries (86.9 %) while the second group consisted of 68 children living in the area with a relatively high level of anthropogenic burden (Caveraged total = 0.68 units) and a mean prevalence of caries (77.1 %) according to WHO criteria. Results: Our findings indicate that accumulation of toxic microelements in hard dental tissues of children in the first group was higher than in children of the second group: concentrations of lead, bismuth, cadmium and strontium were 2.6, 1.8, 2.5, and 1.2 times higher, respectively. We also observed higher accumulation of environmental toxicants in carious teeth compared to healthy ones. Thus, lead, cadmium and bismuth levels in carious teeth were 3.04, 1.2 and 3.13 times higher than in healthy teeth, respectively, while the level of strontium was, on the opposite, 2.5 times lower. Conclusions: The study revealed specific features of the interaction of essential trace elements in children in the form of antagonistic effects between cadmium and zinc, copper and manganese, and synergism in the content of copper, iron, nickel, zinc, and cobalt in healthy teeth, the mechanism of which is based on competition for a bond with a carrier substance and replacement of one element with another. In addition, we established that changes in the microelement balance in the hard tissues of healthy and carious teeth are not unidirectional in nature, thus reflecting complex interactions between the child’s organism and anthropogenic factors. The results proved that accumulation of toxic trace elements in hard dental tissues promotes caries development and causes a sharp decrease in the content of essential trace elements, especially chromium, manganese, iron, and copper. The study showed that hard dental tissues are a depot for lead, cadmium, bismuth, and strontium in children environmentally exposed to high levels of industrial chemicals. Features of developing an imbalance of biotic concentrations of essential elements and accumulating toxic microelements in children with pollution-related tooth pathology were also established.
Valores maristas que los alumnos de educación superior perciben en el docente
Authors: Lopez Herrera Vicente Gerardo
Published: February 2021

Hoy en día, las escuelas hablan cada vez más de formación integral del ser humano y sus filosofías están fundamentadas en conceptos humanistas, pero paradójicamente se alejan de sus valores en sus prácticas docentes y gestión institucional.

El presente artículo da cuenta signos de que un contexto humanizado y humanizador al interior de la universidad es posible; a partir de sistematizar la experiencia de los seguidores de Marcelino, quienes continúan recorriendo nuevos senderos para la realización de la Misión Marista; teniendo como fuente de inspiración el sueño del santo fundador: “vivir el Evangelio católico en las circunstancias concretas de su contexto histórico”.
Las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación en la praxis universitaria
Authors: López Meneses Eloy
Published: February 2021

En la actual sociedad de la información y la comunicación, es vital para el desarrollo sostenible de la calidad educativa dinamizar y gestionar las ecologías ubicuas de los aprendizajes en simbiosis con los diseños curriculares flexibles adaptados a las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación y a la empleabilidad de los educandos. La presente obra científica, fruto de la reflexión introspectiva y de la experticia didáctica de un profesor universitario con más de dos décadas de docencia (http://eloy3000.blogspot.com), ofrece, desde una óptica tecnopedagógica, diversas reflexiones didácticas, modelos de enseñanza, tendencias digitales emergentes proactivas, como la realidad aumentada y los MOOC, para el desarrollo sostenible de la acción pedagógica en las ecologías ubicuas de aprendizaje. Por último, se plantean recursos tecnológicos orientados a personas con diversidad funcional, con la intención didáctica de describir y esbozar aplicaciones tecnológicas de apoyo al estudiantado y a los profesionales de este ámbito sociocientífico de cara al fomento de una accesibilidad universal, así como a invitar a la reflexión colectiva sobre el uso responsable y crítico de las tecnologías para la aldea global.
Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) in Wireless Communications Systems and Standards: A Contemporary Survey
Authors: ahmed ashfaq , Al-Dweik Arafat , Iraqi Youssef , Mukhtar Hussam , Naeem Muhammad , Hossain Ekram
Published: February 2021

Automatic repeat request (ARQ) schemes, and in particular hybrid-ARQ (HARQ) schemes, which jointly adopt forward error correction (FEC) and ARQ, are essential to provide reliable data transmission in wireless communications systems. However, the feedback from the receiver to the transmitter and the retransmission process used in ARQ incurs significant cost in terms of power efficiency, throughput, computational power and delay. Unfortunately, such drawbacks can limit their applications to several current and emerging technologies. More specifically, the increasing number of wireless users has create spectrum scarcity, relying on small-size batteries create power constraints, deployment of real-time applications boost the demand for ultralow delay networks, and the ultra-small low-cost internet of things (IoT) devices has limited signal processing and computation capabilities. Consequently, extensive research efforts have been dedicated to overcome the limitations inherent in HARQ. This survey paper provides an extensive literature review of the state-of-the-art HARQ techniques and discusses their integration in various wireless technologies. Moreover, it provides insights on advantages and disadvantages of particular ARQ types and discusses open problems and future directions.
A study of the resource discovery approaches in Mobile Peer-to-Peer Networks
Authors: Arunachalam Ajay , R vinayakumar
Published: February 2021

Resource discovery is an important fundamental aspect and a crucial task in Mobile Peer-to-Peer Networks (MP2P). To compliment network dynamics and churn, the unstructured search architecture is widely used. The key goal of an efficient search scheme is to find the required resource with minimal search latency, low overhead, and low power consumption to better suit the nature of mobile nodes where resource constraints are the major bottleneck. Resource discovery thus becomes an integral part of the distributed architecture and resource sharing systems. In the past, many resource discovery strategies are proposed for Mobile P2P networks. A schematic and tabular classification of these systems enables one to review the existing works under one umbrella. This article presents an overview of such several different schemes for performing resource discovery in the MP2P network broadly classified under six different categories, i.e., centralized, unstructured, structured, super node based, hybrid, and other general lookup schemes. We also give a brief comparison of P2P, MANET, and P2P MANETs. Further, we discuss various routing schemes in such an evolving network. In this survey, we study and review the existing resource discovery techniques in MP2P systems. The classification of each scheme with their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. We highlight a few open research issues, and brief the role of network topology and its structure on the performance of the resource search protocols. Further, we also glimpse on the security threats in MP2P networks and suggest their countermeasures. And, finally, a summary of each method is given, along with their lookup complexities.
A Resilient and Hierarchical IoT-based Solution for Stress Monitoring in Everyday Settings
Authors: Jiang Shiyi , Firouzi Farshad , Chakrabarty Krishnendu , Elbogen Eric
Published: February 2021

The conventional mental healthcare regime follows a reactive, symptom-focused, and episodic approach in a non-continuous manner, wherein the individual discretely records their biomarker levels or vital signs for a short period prior to a subsequent doctor’s visit. Recognizing that each individual is unique and requires continuous stress monitoring and personally tailored treatment, we propose a holistic hybrid edge-cloud Wearable Internet of Things (WIoT)-based online stress monitoring solution to address the above needs. To eliminate the latency associated with cloud access, appropriate edge models—Spiking Neural Network (SNN), Conditionally Parameterized Convolutions (CondConv), and Support Vector Machine (SVM)—are trained, enabling low-energy real-time stress assessment near the subjects on the spot. This work leverages design-space exploration for the purpose of optimizing the performance and energy efficiency of machine learning inference at the edge. The cloud exploits a novel multimodal matching network model that outperforms six state-of-the-art stress recognition algorithms by 2-7% in terms of accuracy. An offloading decision process is formulated to strike the right balance between accuracy, latency, and energy. By addressing the interplay of edge-cloud, the proposed hierarchical solution leads to a reduction of 77.89% in response time and 78.56% in energy consumption with only a 7.6% drop in accuracy compared to the IoT-Cloud scheme, and it achieves a 5.8% increase in accuracy on average compared to the IoT-Edge scheme.
Analysis of Voltage Stability Index under Stressed Operating Conditions in Bus Power Systems
Authors: B Vivekanadam
Published: February 2021

In stressed operating conditions, several types of voltage stability indices (VSI) are used for the assessment of voltage stability at specific operating points. The performance of various available VSIs are compared in this paper. The one generation unit tripped effects, single line to ground (SLG) fault and inductive loading variations occur in combinational format with such operating conditions. Voltage collapse occurs in the lines or nodes due to the stressed operating conditions (SOC). SLG fault, loading effects, power margin, line continency ranking, and line number are some of the performance parameters of VSI analysed in this paper. For utilization of reactive power compensation, the proper location can be chosen with the help of critical line and node analysis (CLNA) that makes use of VSIs. For any SOC, accurate voltage instability prediction is performed using VSI as per the simulation results. Under voltage collapse due to multiple causes, the voltage stability assessment of any specific line can be performed using this information.
Prospects for production of boron microalloyed steels using casting and rolling complex
Authors: Skachkov S.D. , Muntin A.V.
Published: February 2021

Modern approaches to the production of microalloyed boron steels are analyzed, types and methods
of production, current directions for their development are described. It is shown that the production of such
steels on casting and rolling complexes is promising, but associated with number of technological diffi culties.
Critical elements of the technology are identifi ed and plan of necessary research is proposed.
PERCEIVED MENTAL HEALTH AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT OF STUDENTS IN NEPAL DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK
Authors: Noora Shrestha
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into attention the mental health of various affected populations including children and youth. The objective of the study was to assess the perceived mental health and learning environment of college students in Nepal during COVID-19 outbreak.

The college students enrolled in bachelor’s degree completed a self-administered questionnaire survey. The students were approached through text messaging and email and selected with non-probability sampling during the pandemic. The study assessed information on demographic characteristics, academic difficulties, financial and family difficulties, and mental health issues with coping mechanism during the outbreak.

Descriptive findings revealed that the academic difficulties were more likely to be reported by high percentage of students. The students also described they were facing family and financial problems. High percentage of students was associated with depressive thought. To cope with anxiety and depressive thoughts, more than half students have pursued support from family and friends, helped themselves with self-management activities during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic situation is making a significant negative impact on mental health and learning environment of college students. The study suggests that health service providers and educators need to consider proactive measures to support the mental health and learning environment of students.

KEYWORDS: COVID-19, Mental Health, Learning Environment, Academic Difficulties, Financial Problems, Depressive Thought, Coping Mechanism, Self-management.
Rekonstruksi Tafsir Kebebasan Perempuan dalam Al-Qur'an: Studi Kritis Pemikiran Zaitunah Subhan dan Fatimah Mernissi
Authors: Choiri Moch , Fathony Alvan
Published: February 2021

Artikel ini membahas tentang posisi kaum wanita yang sejak dahulu dianggap sebagai sosok sumber dari berbagai kesalahan. Mulai dari masa peradaban  Yunani, India, Romawi, China hingga peradaban Arab pra Islam. kedudukan dan citra seorang wanita tidak pernah dianggap setara dengan laki-laki. Wanita disamakan dengan budak dan anak-anak, dianggap lemah fisik dan akalnya. Wanita dituding sebagai sumber malapetaka dan pembawa sial. Ketidakadilan gender ini melahirkan gerakan feminisme intelektual yang menyugukan pemikiran-pemikiran baru tentang kesetaraan gender. Kehadiran tokoh-tokoh intelektual seperti Zaitunah Subhan dan Fatimah Mernissi, merupakan salah satu bukti bahwa perempuan juga berhak untuk membebaskan diri dari belenggu kultur sosial yang selama ini mengikat kaum perempuan. Namun, gerakan feminisme ini sedikit banyak telah  memaksa para wanita untuk memberontak sebuah sistem kultural maupun struktural yang dianggap mendiskreditkan eksistensi mereka. Maka rekonstruksi dan reinterpretasi tafsir kebebasan perempuan dirasa perlu untuk dilakukan sebagai manifestasi kesadaran kaum feminis intelektual terkait tentang relasi masyarakat dan agama. Artikel ini  mencoba menelusuri bagaimana tafsir kebebasan perempuan dalam al-Qur’an perspektif  Fatimah Mernissi dan Zaitunah Subhan dan bagaimana rekonstruksi dari penafsiran kedua intelektual tersebut.  Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah analisis metode deskriptif, taksonomi dan interpretatif. Hasil dalam penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa munculnya model penafsiran baru berdasarkan sudut pandang wanita ini tidak dapat dilepaskan dari tradisi dan kepentingan Barat yang tercermin dari gerakan Teologi Feminis sendiri. Maka perlu dilakukan kajian ulang tentang tafsir kebebasan perempuan versi feminisme.
COMMENT FORMER DES MANAGERS ? ITW AVEC HENRY MINTZBERG
Authors: ZERBIB Romain , Mamavi Olivier , Mintzberg Henry
Published: February 2021

Le secteur de l’apprentissage, déjà soumis à de nombreuses transformations, subit une accélération sans précédent depuis la crise de la COVID-19. Universités et écoles de commerce sont soumises à un marché de plus en plus complexe qui impose une reconfiguration en profondeur de leur modèle et de leur contenu. Management & Data Science a souhaité rencontrer les meilleurs experts - toutes disciplines confondues - afin qu'ils nous livrent leur regard sur la formation des managers. Voilà l’avis du professeur Henry MINTZBERG, universitaire canadien en sciences de gestion et auteur internationalement reconnu d'ouvrages de management.
Cattle Feed Resource, Water Sources and Housing System in the Central Rift Valley of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia
Authors: Gudeto Aman , Banerjee Sandip , Mirkena Tadele , Tucho Tesfaye Alemu
Published: February 2021

The study was conducted in Adami Tulu Jidokombolcha (ATJK), Bora, Dodola, Shala and Negele-Arsi districts with objective to assess main cattle feed resources, water sources and housing systems. A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to conduct survey.  About 240 respondents were identified using random sampling techniques. Collected data was analyzed by SPSS statistical software (Ver. 24). Study result indicates that household in average had three hectares of land and allocated about two hectares of land for crop cultivation. Most respondents reported that cattle herding is not common during dry season while it is common during wet season.  Survey result indicate that natural pasture, weed and maize tiller and stored crop residues are main feed resources in wet  season while crop after math, crop residue and fodder trees are main resources during dry season. Brackish, local mineral and common salt are mineral sources for cattle in study areas. Lake, river and boreholes are important water sources in dry season where as ponds and rivers are main water sources during wet season for their cattle. The observed cattle watering frequency is mainly once a day. Housing system practiced in the study areas is mainly Kraal. The information generated from this study on land size per household, cattle herding system, feed resources, mineral sources, water sources, water utilization and housing type can be used as a baseline for any livestock development programs in those and similar areas.
Synthesis, X-ray Structure and Evaluation of Bactericidal Activity of an o-vanillin Functionalized Schiff Base
Authors: Prafullya Kumar Mudi  , Smriti Pradhan  , Amrita Sahu  , Dipanwita Saha  , Bhaskar Biswas
Published: February 2021

The present study reports the synthesis, crystal structure and evaluation of biological activities of a Schiff base, [L = (Z)-2-methoxy-6-(((2-methoxyphenyl) imino) methyl) phenol]. X-ray structure of Schiff base reveals that the compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic system with Pca space group. The Schiff base adopts two methoxy groups, one phenolic-OH and one azomethine group and exists in a Z-stereomer. Investigation on the self-assembled structure of the Schiff base exhibits the formation of a 3D supramolecular architecture through intermolecular O...H hydrogen bonding interactions. The bactericidal activity of the Schiff base has been examined against some pathogenic bacteria.
The Fight for Footprint: Energy Development and Competing Surface Use Issues
Authors: Bradbury James D.
Published: February 2021

The laws surrounding energy development in Texas have evolved over the past century, as Texas has been at the epicenter of the energy industry—and thereby, the center of energy law—since oil was discovered in Corsicana in 1894. Domestic, and even some international choice-of-law clauses, choose Texas law due to the Lone Star State’s dominance in the energy sector. While Texas is often closely tied to oil and gas, its strong position in the energy market is not limited just to this industry. Texas is now the largest producer of wind energy and the seventh largest producer of solar energy in the United States. The plans to exponentially increase production of these alternative types of energy in the next five to ten years is reflected by the $2.5 billion dollars that has been invested in wind and solar development in Texas. However, developing alternative energy sources creates an environment ripe for conflicts over land space as multiple parties seek to develop their respective forms of energy. While everything is bigger in Texas, things could start to feel significantly smaller if companies seek to produce several types of energy on the same, or close, area of land. This Article discusses the advantages of Texas’s continued growth in energy development—both traditional and alternative forms—and how to address the inevitable competition for land space that will occur when development of different natural resources is pursued in the same area. The author will also suggest ways that landowners can seek to protect their surface estate and preserve the current uses, such as agricultural operations, on their land.
Property and Intellectual Property in Vaccine Markets
Authors: Rutschman Ana Santos
Published: February 2021

As biopharmaceutical forms of technology, vaccines constitute one of the most important tools for the promotion and maintenance of public health. Tolstoy famously wrote that “[h]appy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Vaccine markets offer perhaps one of the most extreme embodiments of Tolstoy’s principle in the field of biopharmaceutical innovation.

Vaccines are often described as one of the most unprofitable types of biopharmaceutical goods, under-incentivized from a research and development (“R&D”) perspective, and routinely failing to attract sufficient investment from traditional funders in biopharma. In this sense, and despite the scientifically well-established value of vaccines from a public health perspective, vaccine markets are often portrayed as a collection of unhappy families. Yet, at least throughout the developed world, there are plenty of examples of steadily profitable vaccine markets, as is the case of recently developed vaccines targeting the human papilloma virus (“HPV”).

This Essay begins by mapping the dualism in vaccine R&D and commercialization, describing both “happy” and “unhappy” markets. It then connects the development of new vaccines with the default legal regime to promote innovation in the biopharmaceutical arena: the patent system. In exploring possible solutions for transactional problems arising in connection with the development of vaccine technology, this Essay asks whether the rights covering vaccine technologies are best understood as property rights or as something else. This inquiry is of course but a fragment of a much larger interrogation of the nature and mechanics of intellectual property systems: are intellectual property rights—and rights arising out of the grant of patents in particular—more like property or akin to something else? Arguing that under the current noncommittal position of the Supreme Court there is room for understandings of patent rights that are not property-centric,6 this Essay concludes by exploring how less property-like protection—in the form of a liability regime for critical components of vaccine technology—can remove some of the most salient transactional obstacles to the development and commercialization of new and better vaccines.
Primary Robotic-Arm Assisted Total Hip Arthroplasty: An Analysis of 501 Hips With 44-Month Follow-up
Authors: Domb Benjamin G. , Chen Jeffrey W. , Kyin Cynthia , Bheem Rishika , Karom Jarod , Shapira Jacob , Rosinsky Philip J. , Lall Ajay C. , Maldonado David R.
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study was to report patient-reported outcome measurements in a large group of patients who underwent robotic-arm assisted primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). Prospectively collected data were retrospectively reviewed between April 2012 and May 2017. Primary THAs using the Mako robotic-arm assisted (Mako Surgical Corp [Stryker]) with minimum 2-year follow-up for Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12) were included. Exclusion criteria were body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m2or greater, age younger than 21 years, workers' compensation, or unwillingness to participate. Visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain and patient satisfaction score were obtained. Intraoperative measurements for leg length, global offset, acetabular inclination, and version were documented. A total of 501 hips were included, with 57.29% of the patients being female. Mean follow-up was 43.99±15.59 months. Mean age was 58.70±9.41 years. Mean BMI was 28.41±4.55 kg/m2. Mean HHS was 90.87±13.45, mean FJS-12 was 79.97±25.87, mean VAS score was 1.20±2.06, and mean patient satisfaction score was 8.85±2.08. Intraoperative values for acetabular inclination and version were 40.0°±2.2° and 20.5°±2.4°, respectively. The rate of revision due to instability was 0.2%. Patients who received primary robotic-arm assisted THA reported excellent results at 44-month follow-up for multiple patient-reported outcome measurements. Consistency in acetabular cup placement accuracy was achieved regarding the Lewinnek and Callanan safe zones. [Orthopedics. 2021;44(2):70–76.]
Parenthood Among Orthopedic Surgery Residents: Assessment of Resident and Program Director Perceptions on Training
Authors: Reid Daniel B. C. , Shah Kalpit N. , Lama Christopher J. , Kosinski Lindsay R. , Daniels Alan H. , Eberson Craig P.
Published: February 2021

Orthopedic residency training overlaps with common childbearing ages. The purpose of this study was to describe factors affecting male and female residents' family-planning decisions and attitudes of program directors (PDs) toward parenthood during residency. In 2018, using an anonymous survey model, residents and PDs in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited orthopedic surgery programs were asked about their perceptions of parenthood on training, the availability of family-oriented services at their programs, and the effect of residency culture and policies on their decision to have children. This survey occurred in 2018. Three hundred forty-nine (76.2%) of 458 resident respondents were male and 109 (23.8%) were female. Two hundred four (49.9%) of 409 residents were unsure of their program's parental leave policy. Male residents reported taking an average of 0.8 weeks (95% CI, 0.0–4.0 weeks) of parental leave and females an average of 4.6 weeks (95% CI, 2.0–6.5 weeks) (
P
<.001). Female residents were more likely to report delaying having children during residency (56.73% vs 38.71%,
P
=.001) and were more likely to cite reputational concerns (57.63% vs 0.76%,
P
<.001) and effects on career opportunities (42.37% vs 7.57%,
P
<.001) as reasons for delaying parenthood. The most commonly cited negative effect of parenthood on residency training by PDs was reduction in off-duty educational time (15 of 29, 51.72%). Twenty-four (80%) of 30 PDs believe that training may need to be extended based on amount of maternity/paternity leave time taken off. Although parenthood during orthopedic training is common, both male and female residents reported delaying parenthood because of residency-related factors. Improved clarification of leave policies and establishment of clear guidelines for parenthood in residency may improve resident wellness. [
Orthopedics
. 2021;44(2):98–104.]
Digital Transformation and Industry 4.0
Authors: Yamani Hanaa Abdulraheem , Elsigini Waleed Tageldin
Published: February 2021

The current era is witnessing many changes on various levels. The information and communication revolutions are considered one of the important changes which has cast a shadow over how different institutions in society work via the phenomenon of digitization. As some of the most important institutions of society, industrial companies have been responding to this phenomenon of digital transformation to improve products and customer service while achieving a significant profitable return. This response by these institutions to the digital transformation has resulted in the emergence of the so-called fourth industrial revolution. In this context, this chapter reviews the definition of digital transformation as well as its dimensions, benefits, and obstacles. It also comments on the future of digital transformation and its relationship with industry. Ultimately it presents the fourth industrial revolution in terms of its definition, history, criteria, benefits, and the challenges it faces moving into the future.
Contracts and Contracting Styles
Authors: Bassyouni Mohamed
Published: February 2021

From service management to vendor agreements, contracts take many forms. They establish partnership and accountability between parties and often require considerable negotiation before being finalized. Traditionally, a wide variety of contract types was created to fit the needs of contractors, supplies, and clients. These types vary according to the degree of risk sharing, timing, and responsibilities assumed by the contractor for the costs of performance; and the amount and nature of the profit incentive offered to the contractor for achieving or exceeding specified standards or goals. As we delve into the digital transformation era, various business aspects have been revisited. Innovation, transformation, and change management become major players in all business relations, and they need to be considered in the contracting arena as well. This chapter is discussing various types of traditional contracts specifying the differences of each type and how and when to utilize it. It also describes the pros and cons of each one.
Regulating Digital Transformation
Authors: Hafnawi Belal
Published: February 2021

Digital transformation is the core value of the 4th industrial revolution or Industry 4.0. Although the efforts are focused on utilization and usage of technologies like artificial intelligence, internet of things, cloud computing, and many other technologies. We should focus in parallel on regulating the technologies to provide the proper road map and put the proper regulatory frameworks to remove uncertainties in development, investment, or implementation of technologies. Regulatory effectiveness is very important in saving time and rolling out technologies. In one initiative, regulatory technology (RegTech) will utilize the technology to enhance the regulatory process in financial sector; Regulation 4.0 is another; however, plenty of work is still ahead. Some regulators are keen to facilitate the emerging technologies and to see the consequences immediately, thus they use sandbox thinking in evaluating the impact at a small scale. In summary, this chapter will highlight the different practices and methodologies to regulate the digital transformation in the best way.
The Inspiring Contracts
Authors: Nashar Momen
Published: February 2021

Contracts are a powerful and often underutilized way to shape the business while involving all stakeholders. There exist stunning stories where an inspiring contract turns a lose-lose scenario into a successful relationship that fosters significant win-win behaviors. The latter will depend on contracting practices adapted to the level of coordination and the outcomes being sought. Inspiring contractual arrangements can drive a better outcome-based approach that is benefiting everyone. Every business is currently oriented toward value-centered outcomes; contracts can help sustain this approach by incentivizing the desired behavior to reward activities that create value, rather than simply reimbursing costs. Contract discussions should not be adversarial, but they should present an opportunity to align consumers' and providers' values while keeping expenditure under control. This chapter discusses real stories where innovative and inspiring contracting styles generate a vast value and realign the business approaches. This chapter is putting the concept and the story together.
Quantum Algorithms
Authors: Wong Renata , Bhatia Amandeep Singh
Published: February 2021

In the last two decades, the interest in quantum computation has increased significantly among research communities. Quantum computing is the field that investigates the computational power and other properties of computers on the basis of the underlying quantum-mechanical principles. The main purpose is to find quantum algorithms that are significantly faster than any existing classical algorithms solving the same problem. While the quantum computers currently freely available to wider public count no more than two dozens of qubits, and most recently developed quantum devices offer some 50-60 qubits, quantum computer hardware is expected to grow in terms of qubit counts, fault tolerance, and resistance to decoherence. The main objective of this chapter is to present an introduction to the core quantum computing algorithms developed thus far for the field of cryptography.
The Role of Quantum Computing in Software Forensics and Digital Evidence
Authors: Sharma Sandeep Kumar , Khaliq Mazhar
Published: February 2021

Quantum computing has immense computational advantages. It escorts today's world of computing towards qubits universe of computing by the logical superposition technique. Various new technologies will come to reality with replacement of existing problem-solving methodology. The development of quantum computing imposes significant impact on cyber security and digital forensics technologies. Cybercrimes may be dramatically increased and malicious code will get ability to harm speedily. The quantum computing in software forensics methodology needs to develop in order to counter the challenges such as traceability of malicious code automation, sources of malicious code generation, intellectual property right theft issues, source code validation, plagiarism, breach of copyright issues, and an acquisition of digital evidence with quality and quantity with the wings of quantum forensics. This chapter aims to concentrate on the key issues of quantum computing approach in the field of software forensics with ontological aspects.
Composite Identity of Things (CIDoT) on Permissioned Blockchain Network for Identity Management of IoT Devices
Authors: Amin Anang Hudaya Muhamad , Kiwanuka Fred N. , Abdelmajid Nabih T. J. , AlKaabi Saif Hamad , Khalid Abdulqader Rashed Ahli Sultan
Published: February 2021

Internet of things (IoT) is in the forefront of many existing smart applications, including autonomous systems and green technology. IoT devices have been commonly used in the monitoring of energy efficiency and process automation. As the application spreads across different kinds of applications and technology, a large number of IoT devices need to be managed and configured, as they are capable of generating massive amount of sensory data. Looking from this perspective, there is a need for a proper mechanism to identify each IoT devices within the system and their respective applications. Participation of these IoT devices in complex systems requires a tamper-proof identity to be generated and stored for the purpose of device identification and verification. This chapter presents a comprehensive approach on identity management of IoT devices using a composite identity of things (CIDoT) with permissioned blockchain implementation. The proposed approach described in this chapter takes into account both physical and logical domains in generating the composite identity.
Internet of Things for Green Building Management
Authors: Nadeem Muhammad Waqas , Goh Hock Guan , Hussain Mudassar , Ponnusamy Vasaki a/p , Hussain Muzammil , Khan Muhammad Adnan
Published: February 2021

The expansion and development of advanced technology by mankind have a great substantial impact on the natural environment. The buildings consume a large number of natural resources during their construction, design, and operation process. Due to the manipulation of natural resources by the buildings on a large scale, there is a need of better-designed buildings for effective and efficient use of resources. The concept of “green buildings” is an innovative solution for the aforementioned issues and promotes eco-friendly activities. Internet of things (IoT) transforms the idea of green building into real. Considering a large number of IoT applications, the objective of this chapter is to survey the major IoT concepts for green building management. The survey is conducted by summarizing a large number of scientific contributions to the field (i.e., internet of things for green buildings) and presented in this study. This chapter also describes the open research challenges for future work in this emergent area.