bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of Life in Mexican Older Adults: Factor Structure of the SF-36 Questionnaire
Authors: Aguirre Susana Ivonne , Ornelas Martha , Blanco Humberto , Jurado-García Perla Jannet , Benavides Elia Verónica , Rodríguez-Villalobos Judith Margarita , Jiménez-Lira Carolina , Blanco José René
Published: January 2022

The evaluation of quality of life may enable researchers to produce information that may improve health care and the quality of older people’s lives. This research has two main goals: the first is to assess the psychometric properties of the SF-36 Health Questionnaire (construct validity and internal consistency), and the second, to calculate the factorial invariance of the questionnaire in two random, independent samples (i.e., cross-validation). The total sample consisted of 970 elderly subjects from the cities of Chihuahua and Monterrey, Mexico, with an average age of 71.18 (SD = 7.69). The factor structure of the SF-36 was analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The analyses show an adequate four-factor structure. The four-factor structure (Physical Function, Body Pain, Physical Role and Psychological Health) shows adequate reliability and validity indices. In addition, the results from the CFA analyses for the subsamples provide strong evidence of the stability of the four-factor structure. Future research should consider replicating the present findings in larger samples.
Effects of Resistance Training on Skin Temperature and Its Relationship with Central Nervous System (CNS) Activation
Authors: Sillero-Quintana Manuel , Jones-Rando Jacob , Refoyo Ignacio , Marins João Carlos Bouzas , Seixas Adérito
Published: January 2022

The aim of this work was to relate the activation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems with the skin temperature (Tsk) of the lower limbs after a resistance training exercise. Under controlled conditions, the average Tsk in the areas of the anterior and posterior thighs, knees and legs was obtained with a thermal imager and the parasympathetic and sympathetic activation was registered with an Omegawave® device on 20 healthy and trained male volunteers (25.39 ± 8.21 years) before exercise, immediately after standard resistance training (3 exercises (2 quadriceps + 1 hamstrings) × 4 sets × 10 repetitions (70% 1RM), 90-sec recovery) and after 20 min of recovery. The results showed a significant effect of exercise and recovery on Tsk in all regions of interest (ROIs) considered (p < 0.05) and strong inverse relationships between sympathetic and parasympathetic activation values. Significant results were found for the total variation of Tsk (p < 0.05) with highly positive values for subjects with lower sympathetic activation and almost null or even negative values for those with higher sympathetic activation. Sympathetic activity was a significant predictor of total Tsk variation in the anterior thigh, posterior thigh and anterior knee but not in the posterior knee, anterior leg, and posterior leg. Baseline Tsk was a significant predictor of total Tsk variation the all ROIs except in the posterior knee. Tsk measured by thermography could be used to estimate the level of participation of muscle areas in exercise and registering the level of sympathetic activation before exercise could be interesting in predicting the athlete’s physiological response to strength training.
In Vitro Investigation of the Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Potential of Tabernaemontana ventricosa Hochst. ex A. DC. Leaf, Stem, and Latex Extracts
Authors: Naidoo Clarissa Marcelle , Naidoo Yougasphree , Dewir Yaser Hassan , Singh Moganavelli , Daniels Aliscia Nicole , El-Ramady Hassan
Published: January 2022

Tabernaemontana ventricosa (Apocynaceae) a latex-bearing plant is used in traditional medicine for its therapeutic benefits in reducing fever and hypertension and wound healing. Due to limited information on the plant’s pharmacological activities, this study aimed to investigate the antioxidant potential of the leaf, stem, and latex extracts of T. ventricosa, using the Folin-Ciocalteu (total phenolics), aluminum chloride colorimetric (total flavonoids), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The cytotoxic activity was evaluated in the human HEK293 (embryonic kidney), HeLa (cervical carcinoma), and MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma) cell lines using the MTT assay. The latex extracts possessed the highest total phenolic content (115.36 ± 2.89 mg GAE/g), followed by the stem hexane extracts (21.33 ± 0.42 mg GAE/g), the chloroform leaf (7.89 ± 0.87 mg GAE/g), and the chloroform stem (4.69 ± 0.21 mg GAE/g) extracts. The flavonoid content was substantially high ranging from 946.92 ± 6.29 mg QE/g in the stem hexane, 768.96 ± 5.43 mg QE/g in the latex, 693.24 ± 4.12 mg QE/g in the stem chloroform, and 662.20 ± 1.00 mg QE/g in the leaf hexane extracts. The DPPH assays showed the highest percentage of inhibition at 240 µg/mL, for the stem hexane (70.10%), stem methanol (65.24%), and stem chloroform (60.26%) extracts, with their respective IC50 values of 19.26 µg/mL (stem hexane), 6.19 µg/mL (stem methanol), and 22.56 µg/mL (stem chloroform). The FRAP assays displayed minimal inhibition ranging from 4.73% to 14.40%, except for the latex extracts which displayed moderate inhibition at 15 µg/mL (21.82%) and substantial inhibition at 240 µg/mL (98.48%). The HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines were the most sensitive to the extracts, with the hexane, chloroform, and methanol leaf and stem, and latex extracts significantly affecting the percentage cell survival. Overall, the various parts of T. ventricosa exhibited strong antioxidant activity correlating to its cytotoxicity. Further studies should focus on the isolation of specific antioxidant compounds that could be investigated for their anticancer potential.
Effects of Different Treatments on Physicochemical Characteristics of ‘Kyoho’ Grapes during Storage at Low Temperature
Authors: Leng Feng , Wang Chengyang , Sun Liping , Li Pei , Cao Jinping , Wang Yue , Zhang Changfeng , Sun Chongde
Published: January 2022

Low temperature storage is widely used to maintain the postharvest quality of table grape. However, grape clusters easily undergo deterioration without treatment during the storage time. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of postharvest 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), calcium chloride (1%) and ethanol (16%), and the combination of 1-MCP with calcium chloride and ethanol treatments on maintenance of quality of table grapes ‘Kyoho’ (Vitis vinifera × Vitis labrusca) under 5 °C and 0 °C storage. Changes in decay incidence, weight loss, rachis browning and quality indexes of grape clusters were investigated. The results were as follows: all treatments significantly reduced the decay incidence, weight loss, rachis browning at both low temperatures storage; 1-MCP had positive effect for reducing the decay incidence in early stage, but no effect in late stage; there are no significant variations of taste and color quality indexes under two low temperatures storage, regardless of the treatments. Overall findings suggested that the combination of 1-MCP with calcium chloride and ethanol treatment is suitable for short-term 0 °C storage, while for long-term 0 °C storage, calcium chloride (1%) and ethanol (16%) treatment should be selected.
Portfolio Constraints: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Abate Guido , Bonafini Tommaso , Ferrari Pierpaolo
Published: January 2022

Mean-variance optimization often leads to unreasonable asset allocations. This problem has forced scholars and practitioners alike to introduce portfolio constraints. The scope of our study is to verify which type of constraint is more suitable for achieving efficient performance. We have applied the main techniques developed by the financial community, including classical weight, flexible, norm-based, variance-based, tracking error volatility, and beta constraints. We employed panel data on the monthly returns of the sector indices forming the MSCI All Country World Index from January 1995 to December 2020. The assessment of each strategy was based on out-of-sample performance, measured using a rolling window method with annual rebalancing. We observed that the best strategies are those subject to constraints derived from the equal-weighted model. If the goal is the best compromise between absolute return, efficiency, total risk, economic sustainability, diversification, and ease of implementation, the best solution is a portfolio subject to no short selling and bound either to the equal weighting or to TEV limits. Overall, we found that constrained optimization models represent an efficient alternative to classic investment strategies that provide substantial advantages to investors.
Solvent-Free Method for Nanoparticles Synthesis by Solid-State Combustion Using Tetra(Imidazole)Copper(II) Nitrate
Authors: Netskina Olga V. , Mukha Svetlana A. , Dmitruk Kirill A. , Ishchenko Arkady V. , Bulavchenko Olga A. , Pochtar Alena A. , Suknev Alexey P. , Komova Oxana V.
Published: January 2022

The development of solvent-free techniques for nanoparticles synthesis is one of the challenges of Green chemistry. In this work, the principled opportunity to obtain copper-containing nanosized particles without use of any solvents was shown. The copper complexes were prepared as precursors by the melting-assisted solvent-free synthesis. The formation of tetra(imidazole)copper(II) nitrate complex was confirmed by XRD, elemental analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. It was noted that their thermal decomposition occurs in two stages: (I) the low-temperature step may be related to redox interaction between organic ligands and nitrate-anions; (II) the high-temperature step may be related to the oxidation of the products of incomplete imidazole decomposition. TEM and XRD studies of solid products of complex combustion have shown that they are oxides with particle size less than 40 nm. Thus, the combustion of [Cu(Im)4](NO3)2 complex under air can be considered as a new approach to prepare nanosized particles of copper oxides without the use of solvents.
Modalities of Exercise Training in Patients with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support
Authors: Kourek Christos , Nanas Serafim , Kotanidou Anastasia , Raidou Vasiliki , Dimopoulou Maria , Adamopoulos Stamatis , Karabinis Andreas , Dimopoulos Stavros
Published: January 2022

The aim of this qualitative systematic review is to summarize and analyze the different modalities of exercise training and its potential effects in patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support. ECMO is an outbreaking, life-saving technology of the last decades which is being used as a gold standard treatment in patients with severe cardiac, respiratory or combined cardiorespiratory failure. Critically ill patients on ECMO very often present intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW); thus, leading to decreased exercise capacity and increased mortality rates. Early mobilization and physical therapy have been proven to be safe and feasible in critically ill patients on ECMO, either as a bridge to lung/heart transplantation or as a bridge to recovery. Rehabilitation has beneficial effects from the early stages in the ICU, resulting in the prevention of ICU-AW, and a decrease in episodes of delirium, the duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU and hospital length of stay, and mortality rates. It also improves functional ability, exercise capacity, and quality of life. Rehabilitation requires a very careful, multi-disciplinary approach from a highly specialized team from different specialties. Initial risk assessment and screening, with appropriate physical therapy planning and exercise monitoring in patients receiving ECMO therapy are crucial factors for achieving treatment goals. However, more randomized controlled trials are required in order to establish more appropriate individualized exercise training protocols.
The Effect of TAVR on Left Ventricular and Left Atrial Mechanics in Patients with Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Anastasius Malcolm , Ro Richard , Gavalas Michael , Patel Neil , Prandi Francesca Romana , Tang Gilbert H. L. , Krishnamoorthy Parasuram , Sharma Samin K. , Kini Annapoorna , Lerakis Stamatios
Published: January 2022

Background. Measures of adverse cardiac remodeling, left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) and left atrial (LA) phasic function, are predictive of cardiac events in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). How these parameters of cardiac function change following TAVR requires further investigation. Methods. A number of 109 consecutive patients with symptomatic severe AS who were seen in the heart valve clinic between 2014 and 2019 for TAVR were included. All patients underwent echocardiographic assessment prior to and 30 days following TAVR, with LVGLS and LA phasic function evaluation using 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography. Heart failure hospitalization, and death were assessed at 12 months. Results. The mean age of the study cohort was 81 ± 7.3 years. Following TAVR, there was a significant reduction in NYHA class III/IV symptoms [89 (82%) vs. 12 (11%), p < 0.01], and median mean aortic valve gradient [44 mmHg (16) vs. 9 mmHg (7), p < 0.01]. There was no significant change in the median LVEF [62% (13) vs. 62% (6.0), p = 0.2]; however, the LVGLS significantly increased following TAVR [15 ± 3.5% vs. 18 ± 3.3%, p < 0.01]. The median LA reservoir, conduit and contractile function significantly improved following TAVR [22.0% (14.0) vs. 18.0% (14.0) p < 0.01, 8.9% (5.4) vs. 7.8% (4.8) p < 0.01, 12% (11.0) vs. 9.6% (11.0) p < 0.01, respectively]. The incidence of death or heart failure hospitalization at 12 months was low, and occurred in eight patients (7.3%). Conclusions. TAVR results in significant short-term reverse LV and LA remodeling, as shown by improvement in LV GLS and all three components of LA phasic function, despite no change in the LVEF. The findings indicate the possible utility of strain imaging for the assessment of global LV and LA function following TAVR.
Assessment of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Sleep Bruxism
Authors: Macek Piotr , Wieckiewicz Mieszko , Poreba Rafal , Gac Pawel , Bogunia-Kubik Katarzyna , Dratwa Marta , Wojakowska Anna , Mazur Grzegorz , Martynowicz Helena
Published: January 2022

Introduction: Sleep bruxism (SB) is a widespread masticatory muscle activity during sleep and affects approximately 13.2% of the general population. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) plays a role in preventing the shortening of the telomere. This prospective, observational study aimed to investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of TERT and the severity of SB and to identify the independent risk factors for SB. Methods: A total of 112 patients were diagnosed by performing one-night polysomnography based on the guidelines of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. TERT SNP was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results: Statistical analysis showed the lack of relationship between the rs2853669 polymorphism of TERT and severity of SB (p > 0.05). However, the study showed that patients with allele T in the 2736100 polymorphism of TERT had a lower score on the phasic bruxism episode index (BEI). Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the value of phasic BEI was 0.8 for the differential prediction for the presence of allele T in the locus. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.328 and 0.893, respectively. The regression analysis showed that lack of TERT rs2736100 T allele, male gender, and arterial hypertension are the risk factors for the higher value of phasic BEI. Conclusion: The SNP of the TERT gene affects phasic SB intensity. The absence of TERT rs2736100 T allele, male sex, and arterial hypertension are independent risk factors for phasic SB.
Hydration and Mechanical Properties of Calcium Sulphoaluminate Cement Containing Calcium Carbonate and Gypsum under NaCl Solutions
Authors: Wang Jianzheng , Song Shilin , Zhang Yu , Xing Tao , Ma Ying , Qian Haiyan
Published: January 2022

Hydration characteristics and mechanical properties of calcium sulphoaluminate (CSA) cement with different contents of CaCO3 and gypsum under NaCl solutions were studied, using the testing methods of isothermal calorimetry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), linear shrinkage, and compressive strength. Results show that CaCO3 can promote hydration and reduce the hydration heat of CSA cement. The reaction between gypsum and C4A3S- releases a large quantity of heat in the initial hydration period; however, over 3 days of accumulation, the level of hydration heat is reduced. Under NaCl solutions, the aluminate phase has difficulty reacting with CaCO3 to form carbonate phase but combines with chloride ions to form Friedel’s salt. On the contrary, gypsum reduces aluminate phase, and the content of Friedel’s salt is also reduced. Furthermore, CaCO3 and gypsum both increase the total porosity of the CSA cement paste under NaCl solutions during the early curing phase, and over the long-term, pore structure is also optimized. CaCO3 and gypsum reduce the linear shrinkage of CSA cement paste under NaCl solutions. Overall, the compressive strength of CSA cement is reduced with the addition of CaCO3, and the trend will be sharper with the increase in CaCO3. However, when it comes to gypsum, the compressive strength is almost the same during early curing, but in the long-term, compressive strength improves. Essentially, the compressive strength of CSA cement mortar with CaCO3 and gypsum will improve under NaCl solutions.
Stability Analysis of Equilibria for a Model of Maintenance Therapy in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Badralexi Irina , Halanay Andrei-Dan , Mghames Ragheb
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we study two mathematical models, involving delay differential equations, which describe the processes of erythropoiesis and leukopoiesis in the case of maintenance therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. All types of possible equilibrium points were determined, and their stability was analyzed. For some of the equilibrium points, conditions for parameters that imply stability were obtained. When this was not feasible, due to the complexity of the characteristic equation, we discuss the stability through numerical simulations. An important part of the stability study for each model is the examination of the critical case of a zero root of the characteristic equation. The mathematical results are accompanied by biological interpretations.
Evolution Problems with m-Accretive Operators and Perturbations
Authors: Castaing Charles , Godet-Thobie Christiane , Monteiro Marques Manuel D. P. , Salvadori Anna
Published: January 2022

This paper is devoted to the study of perturbation evolution problems involving time-dependent m-accretive operators. We present for a specific class of m-accretive operators with convex weakly compact-valued perturbation, some results about the existence of absolutely continuous solutions and BRVC solutions. We finish by giving several applications to various domains such as relaxation results, second-order evolution inclusions, fractional-order equations coupled with m-accretive operators and Skorohod differential inclusions.
Hybrid Statistical and Numerical Analysis in Structural Optimization of Silicon-Based RF Detector in 5G Network
Authors: Yi Liang Tan , Zakaria Nor Farhani , Kasjoo Shahrir Rizal , Shaari Safizan , Isa Muammar Mohamad , Arshad Mohd Khairuddin Md , Singh Arun Kumar , Sobri Sharizal Ahmad
Published: January 2022

In this study, a hybrid statistical analysis (Taguchi method supported by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression analysis) and numerical analysis (utilizing a Silvaco device simulator) was implemented to optimize the structural parameters of silicon-on-insulator (SOI)-based self-switching diodes (SSDs) to achieve a high responsivity value as a radio frequency (RF) detector. Statistical calculation was applied to study the relationship between the control factors and the output performance of an RF detector in terms of the peak curvature coefficient value and its corresponding bias voltage. Subsequently, a series of numerical simulations were performed based on Taguchi’s experimental design. The optimization results indicated an optimized curvature coefficient and voltage peak of 26.4260 V−1 and 0.05 V, respectively. The alternating current transient analysis from 3 to 10 GHz showed the highest mean current at 5 GHz and a cut-off frequency of approximately 6.50 GHz, indicating a prominent ability to function as an RF detector at 5G related frequencies.
Unravelling Formaldehyde Metabolism in Bacteria: Road towards Synthetic Methylotrophy
Authors: Klein Vivien Jessica , Irla Marta , Gil López Marina , Brautaset Trygve , Fernandes Brito Luciana
Published: January 2022

Formaldehyde metabolism is prevalent in all organisms, where the accumulation of formaldehyde can be prevented through the activity of dissimilation pathways. Furthermore, formaldehyde assimilatory pathways play a fundamental role in many methylotrophs, which are microorganisms able to build biomass and obtain energy from single- and multicarbon compounds with no carbon–carbon bonds. Here, we describe how formaldehyde is formed in the environment, the mechanisms of its toxicity to the cells, and the cell’s strategies to circumvent it. While their importance is unquestionable for cell survival in formaldehyde rich environments, we present examples of how the modification of native formaldehyde dissimilation pathways in nonmethylotrophic bacteria can be applied to redirect carbon flux toward heterologous, synthetic formaldehyde assimilation pathways introduced into their metabolism. Attempts to engineer methylotrophy into nonmethylotrophic hosts have gained interest in the past decade, with only limited successes leading to the creation of autonomous synthetic methylotrophy. Here, we discuss how native formaldehyde assimilation pathways can additionally be employed as a premise to achieving synthetic methylotrophy. Lastly, we discuss how emerging knowledge on regulation of formaldehyde metabolism can contribute to creating synthetic regulatory circuits applied in metabolic engineering strategies.
Pathogen Control in the Built Environment: A Probiotic-Based System as a Remedy for the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: D’Accolti Maria , Soffritti Irene , Bini Francesca , Mazziga Eleonora , Mazzacane Sante , Caselli Elisabetta
Published: January 2022

The high and sometimes inappropriate use of disinfectants and antibiotics has led to alarming levels of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and to high water and hearth pollution, which today represent major threats for public health. Furthermore, the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has deeply influenced our sanitization habits, imposing the massive use of chemical disinfectants potentially exacerbating both concerns. Moreover, super-sanitation can profoundly influence the environmental microbiome, potentially resulting counterproductive when trying to stably eliminate pathogens. Instead, environmentally friendly procedures based on microbiome balance principles, similar to what applied to living organisms, may be more effective, and probiotic-based eco-friendly sanitation has been consistently reported to provide stable reduction of both pathogens and AMR in treated-environments, compared to chemical disinfectants. Here, we summarize the results of the studies performed in healthcare settings, suggesting that such an approach may be applied successfully also to non-healthcare environments, including the domestic ones, based on its effectiveness, safety, and negligible environmental impact.
In Situ Ruthenium Catalyst Modification for the Conversion of Furfural to 1,2-Pentanediol
Authors: Bruna Lauriane , Cardona-Farreny Miquel , Colliere Vincent , Philippot Karine , Axet M. Rosa
Published: January 2022

Exploiting biomass to synthesise compounds that may replace fossil-based ones is of high interest in order to reduce dependence on non-renewable resources. 1,2-pentanediol and 1,5-pentanediol can be produced from furfural, furfuryl alcohol or tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol following a metal catalysed hydrogenation/C-O cleavage procedure. Colloidal ruthenium nanoparticles stabilized with polyvinylpyrrolidone in situ modified with different organic compounds are able to produce 1,2-pentanediol directly from furfural in a 36% of selectivity at 125 °C under 20 bar of H2 pressure.
Preparation and Properties of Impact Resistant Polyurea Coating for Fluorochemical Pipeline
Authors: Wu Gang , Fang Zhou , Qin Xuan , Fu Junjie
Published: January 2022

A new type of high elastic polyurea protective coating reinforced by nano silica is prepared by filler composite in order to avoid both the leakage of fluorine chemical pipelines containing highly toxic and dangerous media as well as the damage to fluorine chemical pipelines under impact loads. The aim is to improve the intrinsic safety of fluorine chemical pipelines and ensure the safety of the ecological environment, life and property. The effects of different processes and process parameters on the properties of polyurea coating were studied. The polyurea coating was blended and strengthened with nano silica modified by silane coupling agent KH-550. The suitable stirring speed, material addition sequence and nano silica concentration of the new polyurea material were put forward to prepare a new polyurea coating with excellent properties. The properties of the polyurea coating were characterized, including curing time, tensile strength, elongation at break and impact resistance. Then, by using the numerical simulation method, the protection law of polyurea coating on fluorochemical pipelines with or without polyurea coating under the impact of small balls with different speeds was studied, and the equivalent stress mitigation and energy absorption mechanism of polyurea coating were analyzed from the perspective of macro and micro mechanisms. The results show that silane coupling agent KH-550 has successfully modified nano silica, and the optimal filling concentration of modified nano silica is 4 wt%. At this time, the tensile strength of filled reinforced polyurea coating is increased to 15.7 MPa, the elongation at break is 472%, the hardness is 61 HA, and the impact resistance of the matrix material is increased by 9.7 kJ/m2. This shows that the polyurea reinforced by nano silica has excellent mechanical properties and impact resistance. The simulation results show that the polyurea coating can slow down the impact caused by the equivalent stress of small balls at different speeds. When the ball speed is 5 m/s, the equivalent stress of polyurea coating slows down to 49.3%, and the percentage of reduction of the impact caused by the equivalent stress of the polyurea coating decreases gradually with the increase of ball impact speed.
Revolution or Evolution? Technical Requirements and Considerations towards 6G Mobile Communications
Authors: Alraih Saddam , Shayea Ibraheem , Behjati Mehran , Nordin Rosdiadee , Abdullah Nor Fadzilah , Abu-Samah Asma’ , Nandi Dalia
Published: January 2022

Ever since the introduction of fifth generation (5G) mobile communications, the mobile telecommunications industry has been debating whether 5G is an “evolution” or “revolution” from the previous legacy mobile networks, but now that 5G has been commercially available for the past few years, the research direction has recently shifted towards the upcoming generation of mobile communication system, known as the sixth generation (6G), which is expected to drastically provide significant and evolutionary, if not revolutionary, improvements in mobile networks. The promise of extremely high data rates (in terabits), artificial intelligence (AI), ultra-low latency, near-zero/low energy, and immense connected devices is expected to enhance the connectivity, sustainability, and trustworthiness and provide some new services, such as truly immersive “extended reality” (XR), high-fidelity mobile hologram, and a new generation of entertainment. Sixth generation and its vision are still under research and open for developers and researchers to establish and develop their directions to realize future 6G technology, which is expected to be ready as early as 2028. This paper reviews 6G mobile technology, including its vision, requirements, enabling technologies, and challenges. Meanwhile, a total of 11 communication technologies, including terahertz (THz) communication, visible light communication (VLC), multiple access, coding, cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (CF-mMIMO) zero-energy interface, intelligent reflecting surface (IRS), and infusion of AI/machine learning (ML) in wireless transmission techniques, are presented. Moreover, this paper compares 5G and 6G in terms of services, key technologies, and enabling communications techniques. Finally, it discusses the crucial future directions and technology developments in 6G.
New App-Based Dietary and Lifestyle Intervention on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Health
Authors: Martínez-Rodríguez Alejandro , Martínez-Olcina María , Mora Juan , Navarro Pau , Caturla Nuria , Jones Jonathan
Published: January 2022

Consumer digital technology is rapidly evolving, allowing users to manage their health in a simple, non-invasive manner. However, there are few studies revealing if using digital technology as part of an intervention really has an impact in consumer health compared with traditional strategies. The objective of the current study is to compare two groups (MTB; n = 18, 46.1 ± 10.4 years and MTBAPP; n = 19, 45.3 ± 6.40 years) of overweight, prehypertensive individuals in losing weight and lowering their blood pressure. Both were provided with nutritionist-guided recommendations, a wearable tracking device and a dietary supplement that has previously been proven to help lose body weight and lower blood pressure. In addition, one of the groups (MTBAPP) used a mobile app specifically designed for the intervention. Blood pressure, body composition, triglyceride level, peak expiratory flow, forced expiratory volume in the first second and maximum oxygen volume were measured at different time points. In addition, participants were monitored with an activity bracelet throughout the intervention. As a result, both groups significantly lost body weight, while the group using the app additionally improved blood pressure levels and lowered fat mass. Furthermore, the app users significantly increased the number of daily steps and decreased sedentary time. In conclusion, the addition of a mobile app with daily reminders to follow healthy lifestyle recommendations increased physical activity and overall improved blood pressure and fat mass levels when compared with a group performing the same intervention but in absence of the mobile application.
Fast Panoptic Segmentation with Soft Attention Embeddings
Authors: Petrovai Andra , Nedevschi Sergiu
Published: January 2022

Panoptic segmentation provides a rich 2D environment representation by unifying semantic and instance segmentation. Most current state-of-the-art panoptic segmentation methods are built upon two-stage detectors and are not suitable for real-time applications, such as automated driving, due to their high computational complexity. In this work, we introduce a novel, fast and accurate single-stage panoptic segmentation network that employs a shared feature extraction backbone and three network heads for object detection, semantic segmentation, instance-level attention masks. Guided by object detections, our new panoptic segmentation head learns instance specific soft attention masks based on spatial embeddings. The semantic masks for stuff classes and soft instance masks for things classes are pixel-wise coherent and can be easily integrated in a panoptic output. The training and inference pipelines are simplified and no post-processing of the panoptic output is necessary. Benefiting from fast inference speed, the network can be deployed in automated vehicles or robotic applications. We perform extensive experiments on COCO and Cityscapes datasets and obtain competitive results in both accuracy and time. On the Cityscapes dataset we achieve 59.7 panoptic quality with an inference speed of more than 10 FPS on high resolution 1024 × 2048 images.
Mobile Contactless Fingerprint Recognition: Implementation, Performance and Usability Aspects
Authors: Priesnitz Jannis , Huesmann Rolf , Rathgeb Christian , Buchmann Nicolas , Busch Christoph
Published: January 2022

This work presents an automated contactless fingerprint recognition system for smartphones. We provide a comprehensive description of the entire recognition pipeline and discuss important requirements for a fully automated capturing system. In addition, our implementation is made publicly available for research purposes. During a database acquisition, a total number of 1360 contactless and contact-based samples of 29 subjects are captured in two different environmental situations. Experiments on the acquired database show a comparable performance of our contactless scheme and the contact-based baseline scheme under constrained environmental influences. A comparative usability study on both capturing device types indicates that the majority of subjects prefer the contactless capturing method. Based on our experimental results, we analyze the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on fingerprint recognition systems. Finally, implementation aspects of contactless fingerprint recognition are summarized.
Decline of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibody Levels 6 Months after Complete BNT162b2 Vaccination in Healthcare Workers to Levels Observed Following the First Vaccine Dose
Authors: Đaković Rode Oktavija , Bodulić Kristian , Zember Sanja , Cetinić Balent Nataša , Novokmet Anđa , Čulo Marija , Rašić Željka , Mikulić Radojka , Markotić Alemka
Published: January 2022

Research on post-vaccination antibody dynamics has become pivotal in estimating COVID-19 vaccine efficacy. We studied anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD IgG levels in 587 healthcare workers (2038 sera) who completed BNT162b2 vaccination. Average antibody titer 3 weeks after the first dose in COVID-19-naïve participants (median 873.5 AU/mL) was 18-fold higher than the test threshold, with a significant increase 1 month (median 9927.2 AU/mL) and an exponential decrease 3 (median 2976.7 AU/mL) and 6 (median 966.0 AU/mL) months after complete vaccination. Participants with a history of COVID-19 prior to vaccination showed significantly higher antibody levels, particularly after the first dose (median 14,280.2 AU/mL), with a slight decline 1 month (median 12,700.0 AU/mL) and an exponential decline in antibody titers 3 (median 4831.0 AU/mL) and 6 (median 1465.2 AU/mL) months after vaccination. Antibody levels of COVID-19-naïve subjects after the first dose were moderately correlated with age (r = −0.4). Multivariate analysis showed a strong independent correlation between IgG levels 6 months after vaccination and both IgG titers after the first dose and 1 month after vaccination (R2 = 0.709). Regardless of pre-vaccination COVID-19 history, IgG levels 6 months after vaccination were comparable to antibody levels reached by COVID-19-naïve participants after the first vaccine dose.
RANCANG BANGUN APLIKASI (KOREMI) UNTUK MEDIA PERTOLONGAN PERTAMA BERBASIS ANDROID
Authors: Simanullang Mazerianto , Suryana Taryana
Published: January 2022

Pertolongan pertama adalah tindakan pertolongan pada kecelakaan atau kejadian yang tidak diinginkan dapat terjadi dimana saja dan kapan saja. Kejadian ini dapat berupa suatu insiden kecil atau suatu bencana yang melibatkan penderita dalam jumlah besar. KSR PMI merupakan organisasi yang bergerak dibidang kesehatan khususnya pertolongan pertama yang terdiri dari anggota yang terlatih dalam bidang pertolongan pertama trauma maupun medis. Masyarakat dalam kehidupan kesehariannya kadang mengalami kejadian yang tidak diharapkan, permasalahan yang sering ditemui masyarakat seperti sulitnya melaporkan kejadian, sulit mendapatkan pertolongan pertama serta sulitnya menemukan lokasi pelaku pertolongan pertama.Terdapat beberapa teknologi yang dapat membantu permasalahan yaitu Firebase Cloud Messaging untuk memberikan notifikasi pada pelaku pertolongan pertama, Geolocation untuk mendapatkan lokasi pelapor dan lokasi anggota terdekat, Geofencing untuk membatasi wilayah pelaporan kejadian, dan Infermedica difungsikan untuk melakukan diagnosis kondisi korban.Hasil pengujian menunjukkan bahwa dengan aplikasi (KOREMI) didapatkan presentase sebesar 81,25% masyarakat merasa terbantu dalam melaporkan kejadian, 81,25% membantu masyarakat mendapatkan pertolongan pertama, 77,5% memungkinkan masyarakat menemukan pelaku pertolongan pertama disekitarnya dan 80,62% membantu masyarakat dalam mendapatkan informasi kegiatan kepalangmerahan yang berhubungan dengan kemanusiaan.
PENERAPAN METODE FUZZY MAMDANI PADA SISTEM INFORMASI MANAJEMEN PRODUKSI MAKANAN OLAHAN
Authors: Rozaq Rizka Abdul , Lubis Riani
Published: January 2022

Suatu produksi makanan beku yang melakukan produksi setiap hari sesuai pesanan dan kebutuhan pasar, membutuhkan pengelolaan terhadap produksi yang dilakukannya. Salah satu hal penting dalam pengelolaan produksi adalah penenutuan jumlah produksi yang harus dihasilkan setiap hari agar dapat mencapai target produksi yang diharapkan. Oleh karena itu dibutuhkan sebuah sistem informasi manajemen produksi, yang salah satu fungsionalnya dapat memberikan estimasi jumlah produksi pada periode mendatang. Metode yang digunakan untuk menentukan jumlah produksi pada perode mendatang adalah metode Fuzzy Mamdani. Dari hasil penelitian dan pengujian dapat disimpulkan bahwa penerapan metode fuzzy mamdani untuk penentuan jumlah produksi pada sistem informasi manajemen produksi ini dapat membantu manajer produksi dalam menentukan jumlah produksi sesuai dengan jumlah permintaan.
Development of municipal areas in Republic Mordovia
Authors: Kovalenko E.G. , Akimova Y.A. , Lebedev A.V. , Pinkovetskaia I.S.
Published: January 2022

The purpose of the study is to assess the indicators for 2018 that characterize the levels of economic development of municipal districts of the Republic of Mordovia. The study was based on the modeling of socio-economic indicators using normal distribution functions. An assessment of relative indicators for 22 municipal districts was carried out. Three groups of municipal districts were formed using cluster analysis. It is proposed to use inclusive models for the effective development of municipal districts. Our research has shown that there is differentiation according to the most important indicators, therefore, further development of the considered areas will significantly improve the quality and standard of living in rural areas, as well as increase the investment potential of such territories and attractiveness for living and agricultural development.
Research of the dominant psycho-emotional states of university lecturers during the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Popovych Ihor , Semenov Oleksandr , Skliaruk Anastasia , Sotnikova Kateryna , Semenova Nataliia
Published: January 2022

The aim of the article was empirical research of the dominant psycho-emotional states of university lecturers during the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article is devoted to an empirical study of the factor structure and the prevailing correlations between the psycho-emotional states of the respondents. Valid empirical methods with standardized questionnaires were used: the dominant coping strategy research method, the test of differentiation of emotional states, and the anxiety research method. The study’s empirical picture constructed. Psycho-emotional states were qualitatively interpreted, states were distinguished, and semantic psychological parameters were defined. The factor structure of the dominant psycho-emotional states of university lecturers was determined. The psycho-emotional state of F1 “Isolated activity”, which had the most intercorrelations and had the most significant (p≤.01) correlation with F4 “Pragmatic avoidance” (.344), was found to have the greatest factor load. It was empirically established and theoretically substantiated that the structure, variables, and interdependence of the factors of dominant psycho-emotional states were important components in solving issues of lecturers’ professional activity. It was noted that the findings may be useful for university administrations and pedagogical psychology researchers.
Innovation in the system of social relations
Authors: Lukin Andrey , Dubrovina Natalya , Bugakova Maria
Published: January 2022

At present, considerable attention is paid to the issues of innovative development of the economy in the Russian Federation. With the development of market relations, increasingly greater attention is paid to those market mechanisms that contribute to the development of the level of production and consumption of economic benefits, as well as an increase in the level of well-being of the country's citizens. Undoubtedly, the innovative mechanism also belongs to such mechanisms. The purpose of the study is to determine the essence of innovation as a market mechanism within the system of social relations, as well as to determine its role and place as an element of the system of economic relations. To achieve the goal of the study, the structure of social relations was built on the basis of their classification “by the subject of regulation”, the functions of innovations as a market mechanism, as well as their interaction with other elements of economic and social relations, were examined, the issues of the formation of an innovative climate were investigated, the factors influencing the demand for innovations in the economy of the Russian Federation were identified.
Philosophical reflections in the challenges of the post-modern society
Authors: Pylypenko Svitlana Grygorivna
Published: January 2022

The article is devoted to the theoretical understanding of the specifics of philosophical knowledge in the situation of crisis processes at the XXI century beginning. The introduction to the philosophical thesaurus of the concept of "non-human" articulated the problem of the humanistic measurement of the relationship between man and nature / Earth. The processes taking place in the conditions of informatization and globalization of postmodern society give rise to paradoxes of this relationship. One of the factors of this process is the technologization of all spheres of life. The methodological basis of the research is a significant range of Ukrainian and foreign studies. The latter can be divided into several directions: first, it is the study of the philosophical knowledge specifics in the context of the transformational processes of our time; second, studies, the authors of which combine both the theme of the identity of philosophy and the problem of human life creation in a postmodern society. The use of hermeneutic and phenomenological methods made it possible to outline the interaction "man – nature / Earth". The use of the comparative method contributed to the disclosure of the specifics of philosophical reflections, their contradictory characteristics.
CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENT SATISFACTION WITH ONLINE LECTURE
Authors: Ruhyana Nanang , Mardiana Tati , Amsury Fachri , Sulistyowati Daning Nur
Published: January 2022

Abstra Covid-19 has had a significant impact on people's lives, resulting in the paralysis of almost the entire economy and education, especially in the education sector, resulting in many students being unable to carry out teaching and learning activities at schools or universities. Based on this, the Ministry of Education and Culture has issued an appeal to stop face-to-face teaching and learning activities at schools and universities and replace them with distance or online learning. Resulting in teaching and learning activities to be less than optimal for students or students, there is dissatisfaction with the distance or online learning system, the purpose of this study is to measure the level of student satisfaction with online lectures by applying data mining techniques, classifying the level of online learning satisfaction using an online learning approach. k-NN algorithm and Decision Tree with 100 questionnaire data that has been collected from active students who carry out online lectures with an accuracy rate of 96.00% from the k-NN algorithm and a satisfied precision value of 95.51%, a satisfied recall value of 98.84% on a precision value the dissatisfied class is 90.91%, the recall value of the dissatisfied class is 71.43%. While the accuracy results using the Decision Tree algorithm approach is lower with an accuracy of 95.00%. based on research results that the level of student satisfaction with distance learning or online is quite high.

Keywords: covid 19, data mining, online, k-NN, decision tree
PROSPECTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF 5G TECHNOLOGY AND INTERACTION WITH THE “SMART HOUSE” SYSTEM
Authors: Хаджиева Л. К. , Хаджиев М. Р. , Хашумов И. У.
Published: January 2022

В статье рассматриваются вопросы, связанные с внедрением и реализацией технологии 5G, а также взаимодействие 5G с системой «Умный дом». Пятое поколение сетей, является следующим за 4G и 3G, и, как и при переходе от 3G к 4G, мы получаем гораздо более высокие скорости, чем на любом из технологий, которые были раньше. Теоретически максимальная скорость загрузки, которую ожидают от 5G, равна 10-50 Гбит/с, но мы еще не достигли этого уровня, по имеющимся данным, пиковая скорость загрузки уже достигла 753 Мбит / с, а в некоторых сетях утверждается, что скорости более 1 Гбит/с уже наблюдаются.Следующее поколение телекоммуникационных сетей (пятое поколение или 5G) начало выходить на рынок в конце 2018 года и будет продолжать расширяться по всему миру.Ожидается, что помимо повышения скорости эта технология откроет огромную экосистему 5G IoT (Интернет вещей), в которой сети могут обслуживать коммуникационные потребности миллиардов подключенных устройств с правильным компромиссом между скоростью, задержкой и стоимостью.

The article discusses issues related to the introduction and implementation of 5G technology, as well as the interaction of 5G with the “Smart Home” system. The fifth generation of networks is next to 4G and 3G, and as with the transition from 3G to 4G, we are getting much faster speeds than any of the technologies that came before. Theoretically, the maximum download speed expected from 5G is 10-50 Gbps, but we have not yet reached this level, according to the available data, the peak download speed has already reached 753 Mbps, and in some networks it is claimed to be over 1 Gbps.The next generation of telecommunications networks (fifth generation or 5G) began to hit the market at the end of 2018 and will continue to expand around the world.In addition to increasing speed, this technology is expected to open up a huge 5G IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem in which networks can serve the communication needs of billions of connected devices with the right trade-off between speed, latency and cost.