bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Small animal Review
Authors: Tennant Bryn
Published: August 2020

Cystic and solid myxomatous lesions may develop unilaterally in the elbow of older cats with pre-existing, usually bilateral degenerative joint disease. The cysts and solid myxomas may reflect a spectrum of disease, ranging from degenerative joint disease at one end, through synovial herniation and development of periarticular cysts to neoplastic transformation and the development of a myxoma at the other. The lesions are slowly progressive and locally infiltrative, but do not appear to metastasise and show a good prognosis.
Relationship between Parental Burnout Level and Perceived Social Support Levels of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Ardic Avsar
Published: August 2020

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a neurodevelopmental disorder that manifests itself and continues during the disorder’s course with symptoms of inadequacies in social interaction and communication, limited and repetitive behaviors and limited interests. It was stated that the burden and fatigue stemming from the long-term care of the child, changing family roles and routines, difficulties encountered during diagnosis and access to services, getting insufficient information about the diagnosis, the need for information to access appropriate education and rehabilitation services and the economic burden caused by satisfying this need, and the difficulties in participating in social life account for burnout in parents of children with ASD. The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parental burnout, and the perceived social support level of parents of children with ASD and their satisfaction level from this support. In addition to this main purpose, (a) the relationship between parental burnout level, and the ages of the children with ASD, the time since diagnosis and parental age, and (b) whether there is a difference in the parental burnout level according to parental education level and gender were examined in the study. Data was collected from the parents of 296 children who met the criteria for participation in the study using the Participant Information Form, Parental Burnout Scale and Revised Parental Social Support Scale. The study results revealed that there was a weak and moderate negative relationship between perceived social support and parental burnout.
Passive silicon ring-assisted Mach–Zehnder interleavers operating in the broadband spectral range
Authors: Guan Huan , Liu Yang , Li Zezheng , Kuang Yingxin , Huang Xingrui , Li Zhiyong
Published: August 2020

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a passive and compact interleaver on a silicon on insulator (SOI) platform using a ring-assisted asymmetrical Mach–Zehnder interferometer configuration. The wavelength-insensitive couplers, i.e., multimode interference couplers and adiabatic 3-dB couplers, are introduced to eliminate the effect of an unequal splitting ratio and wavelength on crosstalk and the operating spectral range. In addition, there exists an inherent phase shift between the two couplers; the device can be fully passive and works well without additional thermal tuning. In the calculation, the influence of wavelength sensitivity of self-coupling coefficients and couplers on the performance of the interleaver is considered. The experiment shows that, by employing wavelength-insensitive couplers, the operating spectral range of the proposed interleavers was extended to be

>

140

n
m

for all sorts of channel spacing and channel count. The measured free spectral range is 4.6 nm, and the crosstalk is as low as

−

46.6

d
B

for the best case.
Diffraction on periodic surface microrelief grating with positive or negative optical anisotropy
Authors: Belyaev Victor V. , Solomatin Alexey S. , Margaryan Hakob , Hakobyan Nune , Kumar Sandeep , Chausov Denis N. , Belyaev Andrey A. , Smirnov Alexander G. , Gorbunov Artem A.
Published: August 2020

Diffraction optical elements (DOE) are important elements of systems for images displaying and processing. The DOE materials with both positive and negative birefringence enhance performances and functionality of such systems. We have calculated the diffraction of rays passing through optically anisotropic grating with surface microrelief by using our original Exedeep software. At the first time the diffraction parameters for both transmitted and reflected TE- and TM-waves are calculated for materials with both positive and negative optical anisotropy. The simulation results are to be used to create DOE for the visible, UV, IR and THz ranges.
Three-dimensional analysis of structural coloration by a slanted dielectric grating
Authors: Wakabayashi Hideaki , Asai Masamitsu , Yamakita Jiro
Published: August 2020

The stripe of the tropical freshwater fish “neon tetra” consists of many iridophores, in which tilted reflecting platelets are periodically arranged. The neon tetra has structural coloration and changes the color of a stripe in response to the surrounding conditions. The mechanism of the color change is thought to be controlling a slant angle of the platelets and changing the spacing between the platelets. This paper considers a slanted dielectric grating modeled on an iridophore of neon tetra, and formulates the matrix eigenvalues method as an analytical method for the three-dimensional scattering problem of a slanted grating having a grating vector. Calculating the reflection spectrum using the matrix eigenvalues method, the chromatic coordinates in standard red-green-blue color space, and the

x
y

chromaticity coordinates for a slanted grating, it is shown that the color changes depending on the slant angles numerically.
Defect edge steepness dependence of multiple nonlinear hot-image formation from a single phase defect
Authors: Wang Hongchang , Jiao Zhaoyang , Zhang Yanli , Sun Mingying , Zhu Jianqiang
Published: August 2020

Nonlinear hot image is one of the key elements that limit the output performance of high-power laser systems. In most hot-image researches, only one hot image peak is observed in the conjugate position for a single defect. Generally, multiple hot image peaks occur for multiple defects or cascaded nonlinear media. However, a new phenomenon is found by numerical simulation in our work: one defect can also afford two hot-image peaks near the conjugate position when considering the defect edge steepness. The super-Gaussian defect model is employed to mimic the defect edge steepness. When the super-Gaussian order is higher than one, there could be two hot image peaks under certain conditions. The formation of the double hot image peaks is primarily due to the co-effect of the hard-edge diffraction and the self-focusing effect. The influence of different factors, including the super-Gaussian order, defect size, modulation depth, and Kerr medium thickness, on the double hot image peaks intensity and location is systematically investigated. The results show that with the increase in the super-Gaussian order, the intensity of the double hot image peaks increases gradually. The defect size has a great influence on the position of the two hot image peaks. The modulation depth and thickness of the Kerr medium influence the intensity of the two hot image peaks; however, they have less impact on the peak location. Importantly, the defect edge steepness and size dependences of multiple nonlinear hot-image formation from a single-phase defect are further discussed in this paper. The two hot image peaks are fatal to optical components in high-power laser systems; in particular, the hot image peak behind the conjugate position is totally unexpected for a single defect. This research provides insights into basic physical images and hot-image formation laws. It also provides important guidance for optical defect specification evaluation and optical component layout design, as well as for beam quality control, in high-power laser systems.
Optically injected nanolasers for time-delay signature suppression and communications
Authors: Jiang Pei , Zhou Pei , Li Nianqiang , Mu Penghua , Li Xiaofeng
Published: August 2020

A large number of studies have been carried out to understand the nonlinear dynamics of nanolasers, yet there is a lack of comprehensive consideration on the optimization of chaotic output and its application to chaos secure communications. In this paper, we used an optically injected nanolaser structure to generate broadband chaos without a time-delay signature (TDS), which acts as the chaotic carrier in the proposed communication scheme. Due to the combination of desired TDS suppression enabled by the nanolasers and a two-channel transmission technique, the proposed scheme offers enhanced security for message encryption and decryption. We also considered the influence of some key parameters on the TDS suppression and that of parameter mismatch on chaos synchronization and message recovery. The detailed studies indicate that the proposed nanolaser-based scheme offers satisfactory TDS suppression performance over a wide range of parameters considered and is robust to resist fabrication imperfections-induced mismatch under proper injection conditions.
Se il corpo fosse una cetra, l’armonia sarebbe la sua anima
Authors: Botter Barbara
Published: August 2020

L’obiettivo del testo è di indagare se sia possibile attribuire a Platone una concezione dualista della natura umana, quindi se il filosofo possa essere inscritto nella linea dei pensatori che si sono posti il cosiddetto “Mind-Body Problem”. In molteplici passi dei dialoghi platonici si rinviene l’affermazione che il corpo e l’anima costituiscono due nature differenti e, in certa misura, incompatibili. D’altro canto, la relazione fra corpo e anima è costitutiva dell’uomo e si rende manifesta nell’atto della percezione. La presente riflessione si svilupperà in tre momenti. Dapprima esporremo le ragioni per cui è giustificato affermare che esiste in Platone una differenza fra anima e corpo; quindi analizzeremo l’unione di anima e corpo come attributo essenziale della natura umana; termineremo l’indagine attraverso la ricerca della “ghiandola pineale platonica”, ossia l’elemento che permette di parlare di anima e corpo come di una relazione duale che si costituisce non come una unità indifferenziata, né come una giustapposizione di fattori estranei l’uno all’altro. La nostra proposta consiste nel mostrare che lo scambio di informazioni fra anima e corpo avviene attraverso una modifica nelle proporzioni matematico armoniche che articolano entrambe le potenze.
Tool-Work Contact Ratio and Parametric Influence in Ultrasonic Vibration–Assisted Turning of Ti6Al4V Alloy
Authors: Venkata Sivareddy D. , Vamsi Krishna P. , Venu Gopal A.
Published: August 2020

The performance of the machining process depends on the time of contact of the cutting tool with the workpiece. In this work, the effect of vibrating and cutting parameters on tool-work contact ratio (TWCR) in ultrasonic vibration–assisted turning (UVAT) is evaluated. Machining performance is measured in terms of average cutting force, cutting temperature, and average surface roughness. Full factorial experiments are conducted on a Ti6Al4V alloy to evaluate the performance of the UVAT process in terms of TWCR. The performance of the UVAT process is analyzed and compared with the conventional turning process at various conditions, such as intensity of ultrasonic power (80, 90, and 100 %), cutting speed (10, 30, and 50 m/min), feed rate (0.055, 0.103, and 0.161 mm/rev), and depth of cut (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 mm). The cutting force, cutting temperature, and surface roughness are decreased with the increase in percentage intensity of ultrasonic power. The effectiveness of UVAT process is greater at higher levels of vibrating parameters and lower levels of cutting parameters in the selected range. Finally, it is concluded that the maximum benefit from the UVAT process is obtained at TWCR of 0.136 and its effect is dominant at lower levels of cutting conditions. However, the effect of thermal loading is dominant at higher levels of cutting conditions in the selected range.
Increasing Early Childhood Screening in Primary Care Through a Quality Improvement Collaborative
Authors: Flower Kori B. , Massie Sara , Janies Kathryn , Bassewitz Jane B. , Coker Tumaini R. , Gillespie Robert J. , Macias Michelle M. , Whitaker Toni M. , Zubler Jennifer , Steinberg Darcy , DeStigter Laura , Earls Marian F.
Published: August 2020

OBJECTIVES:

Multiple early childhood screenings are recommended, but gaps persist in implementation. Our aim for this project was to improve screening, discussion, referral, and follow-up of development, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), maternal depression, and social determinants of health (SDoH) to 90% by July 2018.

METHODS:

This 1-year national quality improvement collaborative involved 19 pediatric primary care practices. Supported by virtual and in-person learning opportunities, practice teams implemented changes to early childhood screening. Monthly chart reviews were used to assess screening, discussion, referral, and follow-up for development, ASD, maternal depression, and SDoH. Parent surveys were used to assess parent-reported screening and referral and/or resource provision. Practice self-ratings and team surveys were used to assess practice-level changes.

RESULTS:

Participating practices included independent, academic, hospital-affiliated, and multispecialty group practices and community health centers in 12 states. The collaborative met development and ASD screening goals of >90%. Largest increases in screening occurred for maternal depression (27% to 87%; +222%; P < .001) and SDoH (26% to 76%; +231%; P < .001). Statistically significant increases in discussion of results occurred for all screening areas. For referral, significant increases were seen for development (53% to 86%; P < .001) and maternal depression (23% to 100%; P = .008). Parents also reported increased screening and referral and/or resource provision. Practice-level changes included improved systems to support screening.

CONCLUSIONS:

Practices successfully implemented multiple screenings and demonstrated improvement in subsequent discussion, referral, and follow-up steps. Continued advocacy for adequate resources to support referral and follow-up is needed to translate increased screening into improved health outcomes.
Primary Substance Use Prevention Programs for Children and Youth: A Systematic Review
Authors: Tremblay Melissa , Baydala Lola , Khan Maria , Currie Cheryl , Morley Kirstyn , Burkholder Caitlin , Davidson Riley , Stillar Amanda
Published: August 2020

CONTEXT:

An updated synthesis of research on substance abuse prevention programs can promote enhanced uptake of programs with proven effectiveness, particularly when paired with information relevant to practitioners and policy makers.

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the strength of the scientific evidence for psychoactive substance abuse prevention programs for school-aged children and youth.

DATA SOURCES:

A systematic review was conducted of studies published up until March 31, 2020.

STUDY SELECTION:

Articles on substance abuse prevention programs for school-aged children and youth were independently screened and included if they met eligibility criteria: (1) the program was designed for a general population of children and youth (ie, not designed for particular target groups), (2) the program was delivered to a general population, (3) the program only targeted children and youth, and (4) the study included a control group.

DATA EXTRACTION:

Two reviewers independently evaluated study quality and extracted outcome data.

RESULTS:

Ninety studies met eligibility criteria, representing 16 programs. Programs evaluated with the largest combined sample sizes were Drug Abuse Resistance Education, Project Adolescent Learning Experiences Resistance Training, Life Skills Training (LST), the Adolescent Alcohol Prevention Trial, and Project Choice.

LIMITATIONS:

Given the heterogeneity of outcomes measured in the included studies, it was not possible to conduct a statistical meta-analysis of program effectiveness.

CONCLUSIONS:

The most research has been conducted on the LST program. However, as with other programs included in this review, studies of LST effectiveness varied in quality. With this review, we provide an updated summary of evidence for primary prevention program effectiveness.
Application of clothing friction nanopower generators in human motion energy acquisition
Authors: Lin Jing , Huang Xingyu
Published: August 2020

In order to monitor the movement state of the human body and fully collect the energy generated by human body motion, taking a fully flexible integrated friction nanogenerator as an example, the application of clothing friction nanopower generators in human motion energy acquisition is researched. The fully flexible integrated friction nanogenerator is prepared by vulcanizing silica gel, high-temperature-vulcanized silica gel and silver-plated glass powder, and the friction nanogenerator is used to collect the energy generated by human motion. The experimental results show that when the fully flexible integrated friction nanogenerator is placed on the elbows, underarms, knees and soles of the feet, it can collect the energy generated by the movements of the human body, such as walking, tapping and swinging of arms. The corresponding short-circuit current is output, and the mechanical energy generated by human motion is converted into electrical energy. The current performance of the friction nanogenerator is stable in the optimal frequency range, and human motion energy in the low-frequency band can be efficiently collected, and the human motion posture is monitored by the current output values in different states.
Optimal Dynamic Capital Requirements and Implementable Capital Buffer Rules
Authors: Canzoneri Matthew , Diba Behzad , Guerrieri Luca , Mishin Arsenii
Published: August 2020

We build a quantitatively relevant macroeconomic model with endogenous risk-taking. In our model, deposit insurance and limited liability can lead banks to make risky loans that are socially inefficient. This excessive risk-taking can be triggered by aggregate or sectoral shocks that reduce the return on safer loans. Excessive risk-taking can be avoided by raising bank capital requirements, but unnecessarily tight requirements lower welfare by limiting liquidity producing bank deposits. Consequently, optimal capital requirements are dynamic (or state contingent). We provide examples in which a Ramsey planner would raise capital requirements: (1) during a downturn caused by a TFP shock; (2) during an expansion caused by an investment-specific shock; and (3) during an increase in market volatility that has little effect on the business cycle. In practice, the economy is driven by a constellation of shocks, and the Ramsey policy is probably beyond the policymaker's ken; so, we also consider implementable policy rules. Some rules can mimic the optimal policy rather well but are not robust to all the calibrations we consider. Basel III guidance calls for increasing capital requirements when the credit to GDP ratio rises, and relaxing them when it falls; this rule does not perform well. In fact, slightly elevated static capital requirements generally do about as well as any implementable rule.
Modern Pandemics: Recession and Recovery
Authors: Ma Chang , Zhou Sili , Rogers John
Published: August 2020

We examine the immediate effects and bounce-back from six modern health crises: 1968 Flu, SARS (2003), H1N1 (2009), MERS (2012), Ebola (2014), and Zika (2016). Time-series models for a large cross-section of countries indicate that real GDP growth falls by around three percentage points in affected countries relative to unaffected countries in the year of the outbreak. Bounce-back in GDP growth is rapid, but output is still below pre-shock level five years later. Unemployment for less educated workers is higher and exhibits more persistence, and there is significantly greater persistence in female unemployment than male. The negative effects on GDP and unemployment are felt less in countries with larger first-year responses in government spending, especially on health care. Affected countries' consumption declines, investment drops sharply, and international trade plummets. Bounce-back in these expenditure categories is also rapid but not by enough to restore pre-shock trends. Furthermore, indirect effects on own-country GDP from affected trading partners are significant for both the initial GDP decline and the positive bounce back. We discuss why our estimates are a lower bound for the global economic effects of COVID-19 and compare contours of the current pandemic to the historical episodes.
“This Brings you to Life” The Impact of Friendship on Health and Well-being in Old Age: the Case of La Verneda Learning Community
Authors: León-Jiménez Susana
Published: August 2020

Friendship has been studied along centuries, since ancient times to present-day, as the basis of the social cornerstone, present at all stages of the lifespan and belonging to the world of truthful sentiments. Benefits of friendship on health have been demonstrated. Less is known about the role of friendship on seniors. The aim of this case study has been to show how the end friendship developed in an adults’ school operating for more than 40 years in Barcelona is having a positive impact on the well-being and health of their participants. Through the communicative discussion group, we have deepened in the trajectories of some of the school participants. The results show how participation in the school and the dialogic gatherings have contributed to the emergence of a non-instrumental friendship feeling and to consider an impact on the perceived general wellness and health and an improvement of their life quality. It is discussed how this research provides more elements to the existing literature. More research on how other communitarian environments have similar effects on this population, or on the impact of these dialogical spaces in the development of end friendships in other stages of the life cycle would be of interest.
Flatfoot or not: subjective perception of the height of the feet arch among orthopedists
Authors: Dimitrieva Alyona Ju. , Kenis Vladimir M. , Sapogovskiy Andrei V.
Published: August 2020

Background. The visual assessment of flatfoot is the most commonly used method by pediatric orthopedists. It is necessary to confirm good consistency among specialists to justify its use as a standard.
Aim. The aim of this study was to determine the consistency of visual assessment of flatfoot among orthopedists.
Materials and methods. The first stage of this study included 187 primary school-aged children. The main methods used were clinical examination and computer plantography. Then, 130 images of the right foot were randomly selected in standard projections medial and posterior, which were provided to 32 orthopedists (ten of whom were experts). Specialists needed to note whether the foot presented for analysis was flat. We used the w-Kendall concordance coefficient and -Kendall correlation coefficient to determine the inter-rater reliability. After five months, the intra-rater reliability was determined, and the Cohen coefficient was calculated.
Results. Our study demonstrated that the inter-rater reliability varied significantly depending on whether the orthopedist specialized in foot pathology. When calculating the concordance coefficient, an increase in the consistency among experts was noted after five months (0.58 and 0.76, respectively), compared with orthopedists who do not specialize in foot pathology. Although some heterogeneity was noted according to experts on the same foot, the overall correlation coefficient corresponded to a good and excellent level of consistency (0.650.84). Cohens coefficient among specialists corresponded to a good level of confidence (0.72), whereas among orthopedists who do not specialize in foot pathology, there was a low level of confidence (0.31). According to experts, the frequency of flatfoot was 24.6%, whereas according to orthopedists who do not specialize in foot pathology, it was 40.9% when they evaluated images of the same feet.
Conclusion. Experts answers regarding which foot should be considered flat demonstrated a good and excellent level of consistency. Therefore, they can be used to determine reference values of anthropometric parameters of the medial foot arch.
Role of Capital Productivity in Economic Growth
Authors: Alvan Arzu
Published: August 2020

The main aim of this study is to measure the value of the capital in labour productivity growth at Turkish manufacturing industry within the years of 1980-2011 by applying an econometric model that account for cross-section dependence and heterogeneity of production technology in a panel setting, which is not done before. That is the common correlated effects (CCE) type estimator of Pesaran is applied. The cross-sectional averages of the dependent and explanatory variables are used at the CCE estimator. The main findings of the study are; first, individual industry regression results convey apparent technology heterogeneity across the industries. Second, imposing slope homogeneity restriction in the pooled models lends a lot of precision to the capital productivity estimate. When tested, the industries are not poolable. But, interestingly, the mean-group and pooled estimates of technology coefficients are close. The technology estimates are sensitive to the presence of observed and unobserved common factors, justifying the use of CCE estimators.
Exploring Other-Than-Human Identity: A Narrative Approach to Otherkin, Therianthropes, and Vampires
Authors: Baldwin Clive , Ripley Lauren
Published: August 2020

Drawing on in-depth, narrative interviews with 24 self-identified Otherkin, Therianthropes, and Vampires, we explore how members of these communities navigate Bamberg’s three “dilemmatic spaces” or tensions of continuity/change, similarity/difference, and person-to-world/world-to-person fit. With regard to the first, we identify four aetiological narratives (walk-ins, reincarnation, trapped soul, and evolutionary soul), and discuss stories of shifts and awakening. For the second, we discuss how participants manage the similarity/difference tension with regard to themselves and humans, and explore categorical and renunciatory othering within the communities. Finally, we explore the ways in which members of the communities experience a barren narrative environment, and ways they seek to construct storyworlds and narrative resources as frames for establishing their identities.
Exploring Interactive Simulations as a Powerful Tool in STEM-PBL Approach in Physics
Authors: Stanescu Mariana Mirela
Published: August 2020

Recent educational studies have shown that interactive simulations inteaching science can improve motivation, understanding and active learning.This article aim wasto investigate potential of interactive simulation in STEMapproach in the case of complex phenomena related to light. PhET is a learningenvironment that integrates virtual labs for various disciplines, widely used ineducation. The descriptive research method achieved its goal and confirmedthat simulations in physics represent a valuable tool for the acquisition andconsolidation of STEM skills.
The Susceptible Size of Coronavirus Spread, Epidemic Age, and Optimal Decisions
Authors: Jughaiman Abdulaziz Omar A.
Published: August 2020

This paper aims to determine the susceptible size used in the mathematical model that predicts the epidemic curve. It also aims to ascertain the age of the epidemic and its reliability system, further suggesting optimal decisions. This paper employs the mathematical induction and deduction methods to extract the parameter Î» and the age of the epidemic. Functions techniques were also used to evaluate the susceptible size. It used the epidemiological forecasting models with r at 0.15 and â‰¤ 150 for Hubei, and â‰¤ 83 for Germany. It also used the shortest path and available data to calculate the recovery rate used in mixed strategies game with the decisions trees. This paper found that the susceptible size that added to infection size, to give the N size, should be determined by a function. This paper found that the longer the epidemic age, the greater the size that affects the virus reliability system. The virus spread active center is a community of unlimited and variable random. This means that is small and almost constant. The optimal decisions are to use the second strategy until the first strategy is available. The second strategy has two parts: searching for vaccine and accurate medicine and applying supportive therapy and protection. This paper therefore suggests explanations to many concepts that will contribute to a better understanding of many phenomena in modeling, epidemic, decisions, economic, and politics.
An Ethical Dilemma in SARS-Cov-2 Pandemic : Who Gets the Ventilator?
Authors: Raluca Dumache , Veronica Ciocan , Oana Muresan Camelia , Alexandra Enache
Published: August 2020

Since the current pandemic is an emergency situation worldwide, thereâ€™s a shortage of mechanical ventilators, intensive care unit (ICU) beds, and other medical equipment. Due to new disease and insufficient medical data, it is difficult to ensure access to life-saving treatments for people with various vulnerabilities. From an ethical point of view, the current guidelines and recommendations, as incomplete as they are, suggest the utilitarian principle that the allocation of life-saving treatments is based on assessing patients' chances of survival.
Menaces Dâ€™origine Anthropique Et Habitat De Pan Paniscus Dans La Reserve Naturelle De Sankuru, En Republique Democratique Du Congo
Authors: Faustin Nyembo , Benoit Mertens , Mamadou Cherif , KonÃ© Inza
Published: August 2020

Le bonobo (Pan paniscus), est une espÃ¨ce endÃ©mique Ã  la RÃ©publique DÃ©mocratique du Congo (RDC). La prÃ©sente Ã©tude identifie les menaces qui pÃ¨sent sur ce primate au niveau de la RÃ©serve Naturelle de Sankuru (RNSA), les priorise Ã  partir des analyses spatiales en Ã©valuant, de maniÃ¨re comparative, lâ€™Ã©volution de lâ€™occupation du sol Ã  lâ€™intÃ©rieur et extÃ©rieur de la zone protÃ©gÃ©e. Par rapport au reste de lâ€™aire de rÃ©partition historique du bonobo en RDC oÃ¹ la chasse est une prÃ©occupation majeure, les enquÃªtes dans la zone dâ€™Ã©tude rÃ©vÃ¨lent que lâ€™agriculture sur brÃ»lis est la premiÃ¨re menace dâ€™origine anthropique qui influe plus sur la survie de ce primate. Lâ€™Ã©tude rÃ©vÃ¨le des signes dâ€™existence dâ€™une ignorance persistante aux lois du pays en matiÃ¨re de gestion et de conservation de la nature de la part de la population locale. La croissance dÃ©mographique, le manque dâ€™alternatives de subsistance ainsi que lâ€™expansion de lâ€™occupation du sol Ã  lâ€™intÃ©rieur et aux alentours de la RNSA prÃ©sentent des grandes envergures spatiales et un impact trÃ¨s remarquable sur le couvert vÃ©gÃ©tal. La vitesse de lâ€™expansion du complexe rural est de 1,5% dans la RNSA soit 3600 ha/an. Cette extension se fait de faÃ§ons identiques Ã  lâ€™intÃ©rieur et Ã  lâ€™extÃ©rieur de la limite de la RNSA.
The bonobo (Pan paniscus), is an endemic species to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study identifies the threats to this primate in the Sankuru Natural Reserve (RNSA), prioritizes them based on spatial analyzes by evaluating, in a comparative manner, the land use evolution inside and outside the protected area. Compared to the rest of the bonobo distribution area where hunting is a major concern, surveys reveal that slash-and-burn agriculture is the first anthropogenic threat that has the greatest impact on bonobo's survival in the RNSA. The reveals signs of persistent ignorance to the country's laws on the management and conservation of nature by the local population. Population growth, the lack of subsistence alternatives as well as the expansion of the rural complex within and around the RNSA present large spatial dimensions and a very remarkable impact on the vegetation cover. The rate of expansion of the rural complex is 1.5% in the RNSA or 3600 ha / year. This extension of the rural complex is done in identical ways inside and outside the RNSA boundary.
A Comparative Study on Effective Clinical Instruction: The Millennial Generationâ€™s Perspective
Authors: Villano Dominga , Indonto Maria Charito Laarni , Briones Marifa , Molina Roger
Published: August 2020

Introduction: This study aimed to determine learnersâ€™ perceptions of the characteristics of an effective clinical instructor and the determining factors for that perception. Materials and Methods: This study used a quantitative-cross sectional design. The participants of this study were 100 nursing students obtained from convenience sampling. These students were enrolled in the College of Nursing of the University of Hail in the first semester of 2019-2020. Data was collected from January to April 2020. Results: The majority of students identified â€œskillfulâ€ as the most important characteristic (x=4.26; SD= 3.86), followed by â€œgood communicatorâ€ (x=4.15; SD=3.77), and â€œapproachableâ€ and â€œskillful,â€ both with means of 4.05(SD= 4.30). A significant difference was found in gender (t value-2.497; p<.0.014) but not year level (t value= 1.010; p> 0.315). Conversely, ANOVA results found no significant differences in age (f-value= 2.095; p>.05), marital status (f-value=0.393; p> 0.676), and the amount of exposure per week (fvalue= 2.894; p>0.060). Conclusion: Skillful emerged as the most important characteristic of an effective clinical instructor. Moreover, the female learners seemed to have a different requirement of an effective teacher (e.g. positive behavior). This information is imperative for school authorities to find ways to meet learnersâ€™ expectations. Meeting the needs and expectations of the learners can serve as a valuable indicator for the facilitatorâ€™s effectiveness.
Sample Paths Properties of Stochastic Processes from Orlicz Spaces, with Applications to Partial Differential Equations
Authors: Sakhno Lyudmyla , Kozachenko Yuriy , Orsingher Enzo , Hopkalo Olha
Published: August 2020

In the present paper we obtain conditions for stochastic processes from Orlicz spaces to have almost sure bounded and continuous sample paths, the study is concerned with the processes defined on unbounded domains. Estimates for the distributions of suprema of the processes are also presented. Conditions are given in terms of entropy integrals and majorant characteristics of Orlicz spaces. Possible applications to solutions of partial differential equations are discussed. Examples of processes are given for which conditions of the main results are satisfied.
Convergence Analysis of a Stochastic Progressive Hedging Algorithm for Stochastic Programming
Authors: Mu Zhenguo , Yang Junfeng
Published: August 2020

Stochastic programming is an approach for solving optimization problems with uncertainty data whose probability distribution is assumed to be known, and progressive hedging algorithm (PHA) is a well-known decomposition method for solving the underlying model. However, the per iteration computation of PHA could be very costly since it solves a large number of subproblems corresponding to all the scenarios. In this paper,  a stochastic variant of PHA is studied. At each iteration, only a small fraction of the scenarios are selected uniformly at random and the corresponding variable components are updated accordingly, while the variable components corresponding to those not selected scenarios are kept untouch. Therefore, the per iteration cost can be controlled freely to achieve very fast iterations. We show that, though the per iteration cost is reduced significantly, the proposed stochastic PHA converges in an ergodic sense at the same sublinear rate as the original PHA.
The ATP Hypothesis: A New Conceptual Framework for the Origin of the Genetic Code
Authors: Xie Ping
Published: August 2020

A plenty of theories on the origin of genetic codes have been proposed so far, yet all ignored its energetic relation to the biochemical system. Here, a new hypothesis is proposed, according to which ATP is at the origin of the primordial genetic code by its coevolution with the pristine biochemical system. This hypothesis aims to show how the genetic code was produced by photochemical reactions in a protocell that derived from a lipid vescile enclosing various life’s building blocks (e.g. nucleotides and peptides) . At extant cell, ATP is the only energetic product of photosynthesis, and is at the energetic heart of the biochemical systems. In the prelife vescile, ATP energetically elongated chains of both polynucleotides and polypeptides, thus providing a bridge between these molecules and eventually mediating biochemical innovation in the protocell from energy transformation to informatization. ATP was not the only one that could drive the formation of polynucleotides and polypeptides, but favored by precellular selection. The protocell innovated the photosynthesis system to produce ATP, which later has been processed efficiently and regularly with the aids of proteins and RNA/DNA. The completion of the genetic code from RNA to DNA marked the dawn of cellular life operated by Darwinian evolution. The ATP hypothesis supports the photochemical origin of life, shedding light on the formation of both photosynthetic and biochemical systems, which remains largely unknown thus far.
Model-based Estimation of Amazonian Forests Recovery Time After Drought and Fire Events
Authors: De Faria Bruno , Marano Gina , Piponiot Camille , Rattis Ludmila , Rech Andre , Collalti Alessio
Published: August 2020

In the last decades droughts, deforestation and wildfires have become recurring phenomena that have affected both human activities and natural ecosystems in Amazonia. The time an ecosystem requires to recover from carbon losses is a crucial metric to evaluate disturbance impacts on forests. However, the factors influencing and controlling the recovery time and its spatiotemporal patterns at the regional scale are still poorly understood. In this study, we combined forest growth model, remote sensing and field plots, to map Amazonia-wide (300-ha resolution) impact and recovery time of aboveground biomass (AGB) after drought, fire and a combination of logging and fire. Our simulated results indicate that AGB decreases by 4%, 19% and 46% in forests disturbed by drought, fire and logging + fire, respectively, with an average AGB recovery time of 27 years for drought, 44 years for burned and 63 years for logged + burned areas and with maximum values reaching 184 years in areas of high fire intensity. Our findings provide two major insights in the spatial and temporal patterns of drought and wildfire in the Amazon: 1) the recovery time of the forests takes longer in the southeastern part of the basin, and, 2) as droughts and wildfires become more frequent – since the intervals between the disturbances is getting shorter than forest regeneration – potentially causing a long-lasting damage in these fragile ecosystems and a permanent degradation.
Probiotics in Cancer
Authors: Lu Ke , Wu Xiaoyan , Jin Runming , Chen Hongbo
Published: August 2020

In recent years, the consumption of over-the-counter probiotics used to promote health has grown rapidly worldwide and become an industry. In medicine, various studies have proven that probiotics can help improve the immune system and intestinal health. They are usually safe, but in some rare cases, they may cause concerning adverse reactions. Although the use of probiotics has been widely popularized in the public, the results of many probiotics clinical trials are contradictory. Especially for the cancer patients, the feasibility of probiotics management to provide benefits by targeting cancer and lessening anti-cancer side effects requires further investigations. And this review summarizes the interactions between probiotics and the host and current pros and cons of applying probiotics in the cancer patients.
Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms of Astaxanthin in Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Parga Martins Pereira Carolina , Remondi Souza Ana Carolina , Rodrigues Vasconcelos Andrea , Sacramento Prado Pietra , Name José João
Published: August 2020

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death. Oxidative stress and inflammation are pathophysiological processes involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases, so anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents that modulate redox balance have become the targets of research to evaluate their molecular mechanisms and therapeutic properties. Astaxanthin, a carotenoid of the xanthophyll group, has potent antioxidant effects due to its molecular structure and its arrangement in the plasma membrane, factors that favor the neutralization of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This carotenoid also stands out for its anti-inflammatory activity, possibly interrelated with its antioxidant effect, as well as for its modulation of lipid and glucose metabolism. Considering the potential positive effects of astaxanthin on cardiovascular health evidenced by preclinical and clinical studies, this paper describes the molecular and cellular mechanisms related to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of this carotenoid in cardiovascular diseases, especially atherosclerosis.
Design of Streaming Data Transmission Using Rolling Shutter Camera-based Optical Camera Communications
Authors: Kim Byung Wook , Yoo Jong Ho , Jung Sung-Yoon
Published: August 2020

This paper addresses a method to transmit streaming data via rolling shutter camera-based optical camera communications (OCC). Since the amount of data that can be contained within one frame is limited, and the continuity of received data cannot be guaranteed due to OCC environmental variations, we introduce the concept of dividing the streaming data into several fragmented sets that are transmitted sequentially. We propose a superframe to contain sequential packets of fragmented data and corresponding indexes, so that sequential packets for streaming data can be continuously collected. When redundant frame transmission is considered, any packet lost due to OCC environmental conditions can be recovered. Experimental results show that the proposed method can be successfully used to transmit streaming data, with the number of redundant frames required to acquire all data packets based on image resolution. In addition, we describe how to identify missing packets from a network point of view to reduce the number of redundant frames needed to acquire all the data. This paper presents baseline results of communication performance when sending streaming data via a rolling shutter-based OCC.
Epidemiology of Livestock and Poultry Diseases in Jhenaidah district of Bangladesh
Authors: Sayeed Abu , Islam Brishty , Nahar Nurun , Bari Md Saiful , Sultana Shaharin , Arfin Shamsul , Haldar Prodip Kumar , Islam Ariful
Published: August 2020

A descriptive epidemiological study has been conducted using hospital database of Teaching Veterinary Hospital (TVH) at Jhenaidah Government Veterinary College (JGVC) from July 2018 to June 2019. The study aimed to estimate the proportionate prevalence of different livestock and poultry diseases along with their spatiotemporal distribution and drug prescribing pattern. A total of 960 clinical cases were recorded during the study period. Ectoparasitic cases were proportionately higher in cattle (25.2%), whereas Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) cases were more frequent in goat (53.4%). The proportionate prevalence of other cases in cattle was Fascioliasis (14.3%), Myiasis (11.2%) and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) (7.2%). The proportionate prevalence of other cases in goats were vitamin and mineral deficiency (12.3%), bloat (5.2%), abscess (4.7%), and dog bite (1.2%). Again, the proportionate prevalence of poultry diseases was Infectious Bursal Disease (41.2%), salmonellosis (33.4%), fowl cholera (13.7%) and pox (7.8%). Most of the cattle cases were highly prevalent during the summer season except fascioliasis. In goat, PPR was predominated in the rainy season whereas myiasis was in the winter. Around 92% of disease cases were spatially located within the 2.5 km radius of the TVH of JGVC where only 0.9% of disease cases came from >10km away from TVH of JGVC. Simple linear regression identified a significant relation (p=0.01) with the distance and number of diseased animals came to the hospital. Antimicrobials belonging to b-Lactam group were most frequently prescribed for both poultry (48.6%), cattle (32.5%) followed by goat (9.2%), however sulfar drugs (34.8%) were commonly prescribed for goat cases. This type of study is very novel in Jhenaidah region of Bangladesh that might contribute to the researchers for further investigation.
Income Levels and Mortality Rates in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in South Korea: a Population-Based Cohort Study Using National Health Insurance Data
Authors: Choi Young
Published: August 2020

Background: To examine the association between income levels and mortality rates in patients with chronic kidney disease. Methods: We analyzed data obtained from 3,172 patients with chronic kidney disease obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance claims database (2003–2009). Each patient was monitored until December 2010 or until death, whichever came first. Individual income was estimated from the national health insurance premium. Information on mortality was obtained from the Korean National Statistical Office. Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare mortality rates between different income groups after adjusting for possible confounding risk factors. Results: A low income was significantly associated with a high mortality rate after adjusting for covariates (adjusted HR 1.298 [1.082–1.556]). In addition, dialysis patients who had low incomes were more likely to have higher mortality rates compared to those in dialysis patients who had high incomes (adjusted HR 1.528 [1.122–2.082]). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that chronic kidney disease patients with low incomes have the highest mortality risk. Promotion of targeted policies and priority health services for patients with low incomes may help reduce the mortality rate in this vulnerable group.
Timing of Arthrocentesis in the Management of Temporomandibular Disorders:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Li Dion Tik Shun , Wong Natalie Sui Miu , Li Samantha Ka Yan , McGrath Colman Patrick , Leung Yiu Yan
Published: August 2020

The aim of this study was to assess the best timing to perform arthrocentesis in the management of temporomandibular disorders with regards to conservative treatment. A systematic search based on PRISMA guidelines, including a computer search with specific keywords, reference list search, and manual search was done. Relevant articles were selected after 3 search rounds for final review based on 6 predefined inclusion criteria, followed by a round of critical appraisal. Eleven publications, including 5 randomized controlled trials and 6 prospective clinical studies informed this review. The studies were divided into 3 groups based on the timing of arthrocentesis: 1). Arthrocentesis as the initial treatment, 2). Early arthrocentesis, and 3). Late arthrocentesis. Meta-analyses compared the efficacy of improvement in mouth opening and pain reduction in the 3 groups. The results were statistically significant and favoured early arthrocentesis, followed by late arthrocentesis in terms of both improvements in mouth opening and pain reduction. All 3 groups showed improvement in mouth opening and pain reduction. We conclude that early arthrocentesis may be able to produce the best clinical results, while arthrocentesis before attempting conservative treatment may produce less favourable outcomes.