bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Precio percibido, lealtad e intención de compra de marcas blancas: estudio empírico en un supermercado ecuatoriano
Authors: Márquez-Peñaloza Evelyn , Leiva-Riofrio Gissella , Villavicencio-Rodas María
Published: May 2022

Los productos de marca blanca han adquirido con los años una creciente relevancia en las preferencias de los consumidores y en las políticas de gestión de los minoristas. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo investigar los factores que influyen en la intención de compra de productos de marca blanca, analizando cuatro variables que son la imagen de marca, el precio percibido, la calidad percibida y la lealtad. Los datos se recogieron mediante un cuestionario a una muestra de 384 clientes de la cadena de supermercados “Mi Comisariato” en la ciudad de Machala. Los resultados muestran que la intención de compra de los consumidores relacionada con los productos de marca blanca se ve influida con mayor fuerza por la lealtad hacia la marca y el precio percibido. El estudio proporciona indicaciones útiles sobre el rol de las marcas blancas en las estrategias de marketing de los minoristas para gestionar los surtidos y lograr diferenciación ante las marcas líderes.
The Significance of Ixodid Ticks Research in the Epizootology of Blood Parasitic Diseases
Authors: Mehraliyeva U.
Published: May 2022

The article clarifies the species composition of pathogens of blood parasitic diseases in cattle in various regions of Azerbaijan. As a result of studies of peripheral blood smears of cattle, organs and eggs of ixodid ticks, we have established the spread of four types of pathogens of blood parasitic diseases: Piroplasma bigeminum, Babesia (Francaiella) colchica, Theileria annulata and Anaplasma marginale. Microscopic examination of the salivary glands, ovaries, intestines and malpighian vessels, as well as the eggs of the Hyalomma anatolicum, H. plumbeum, Boophilus calcaratus, Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks collected from sick and clinically healthy animals, in addition to the parasites detected in the blood, additionally revealed other types of parasites. Thus, Babesia caucasica was found in Ixodes ricinus ticks, Theileria mutans in Hyalomma anatolicum; in ticks Rhipicephalus sanguineus — the causative agent of piroplasmosis in dogs Piroplasma canis. Of great practical and scientific interest is the identification of the parasite in the eggs and organs of the tick Boophilus calcaratus. This species of parasite is not described in the world catalog of piroplasmids and differs sharply from piroplasmas and babesias, which are carried by Boophilus calcaratus, in terms of morphological features and intensity of invasion. We designated this parasite in the article as Babesia sp.
Veterinary and Sanitary Assessment of Dairy Products From Buffalo and Cow’s (Holstein Breed) Milk and Ways to Improve Their Quality
Authors: Aliyev M. , Bairamova H. , Mammadova G. , Ibragimova L. , Tagiyev J.
Published: May 2022

The quality of food products of animal origin in their markets is controlled by veterinary specialists of veterinary and sanitary examination laboratories. Veterinary and sanitary examination laboratories are organized on the market in ¬ with the established procedure. They are part of a city or district animal disease control station, a district (interdistrict) veterinary laboratory. The main task of the laboratory is veterinary and sanitary examination of food products of animal and plant origin sold on the market, as well as the implementation of measures to prevent human diseases and the spread of infectious animal diseases through products. The quality of the products is monitored in accordance with current standards, rules and procedures. Veterinary specialists of laboratories are responsible for the correctness of the examination, the sanitary well-being and quality of food products allowed for sale, the implementation of measures to comply with sanitary conditions on the market. The article presents the results of scientific and economic experience on the use of vitamin-mineral mixture in the diets of dairy cows. As a result of feeding 100 g of vitamin and mineral supplements to dairy cows, the quality of milk improved. Install. It was found that feeding a complex mineral supplement to dairy cows contributed to an increase in daily milk yield. Milk obtained from Holstein cows and buffaloes was carried out in sanitary and hygienic conditions, which affects the acidity of milk and is of great importance in obtaining a fermented milk product — yogurt. The acidity of milk is one of the important qualitative indicators.
Gain of Muscle and Internal Organs of Sheep Feeding Them With Cobalt Sulphate in the Biogeochemical Province of Azerbaijan
Authors: Tagiyev I.
Published: May 2022

The Kura-Aras lowland is known for the deficiency in soils and plants of certain microelements, which cause plant and animal diseases in the environment within this biogeochemical province.
DOĞUMDAN SONRA GEÇEN SÜRENİN ÜRİNER İNKONTİNANS GÖRÜLME SIKLIĞI VE YAŞAM KALİTESİNE ETKİSİ
Authors: ESEN Ceyda , OSKAY Ümran
Published: May 2022

Bu çalışmanın amacı son 5 yıl içinde doğum yapmış kadınlarda doğumdan sonra geçen sürenin üriner inkontinans görülme sıklığı ve yaşam kalitesine etkisini belirlemektir. Bu kesitsel çalışma son 5 yıl içinde doğum yapmış, gebe olmayan 358 kadın ile yürütülmüştür. Veriler “Tanılama Formu” ve “Üriner İnkontinanslı Hasta Yaşam Kalitesi Anketi (IQOL)” ile toplanmıştır. Popülasyonumuzda üriner inkontinans prevalansı %67.3’tür. Doğumdan sonra 1 yıldan az geçen kadınlarda %31.1, 1-3 yıl geçenlerde %47.8, 3 yıldan fazla süre geçenlerde %21.1 oranında Üİ görülmektedir. Gebelik sayısı, doğum sayısı, gebelikte idrar kaçırma ile üriner inkontinans arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunurken, doğum şekli ile üriner inkontinans arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı ilişki saptanmamıştır. Doğumdan sonra geçen süre ile Üİ arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı ilişki saptanmıştır. Üriner inkontinansı olan kadınların yaşam kaliteleri daha düşük bulunmuştur. Sonuç olarak çalışmamızda kadınların doğum sonrası dönemde ciddi oranda üriner inkontinans sorunu yaşadığı ve üriner inkontinans tipi farketmeksizin inkontinans şikâyeti olan kadınların yaşam kalitelerinin daha düşük olduğu saptanmıştır. Üriner inkontinans semptomlarının doğumun kaçınılmaz bir sonucu olmadığı kabul edilerek kadınların doğum sonrası üriner inkontinans varlığında sağlık hizmeti almaları sağlanmalıdır.
The mechanism of axial arrangement affecting the performance for tandem rotor with partial-height booster rotor in high-throughflow fan
Authors:   Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Innovation Academy for Light-duty Gas Turbine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhou Chuangxin , Zhao Shengfeng ,   Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yang Chengwu ,   Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Han Ge ,   Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lu Xingen ,   Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Published: May 2022

The high-throughflow fan is a novel fan stage configuration, in which the tandem rotor is composed of a partial-height booster rotor (BR) and a fan rotor (FR). Compared with the conventional fan stage, it can effectively improve the throughflow capacity and core pressurization ability. However, its axial matching characteristic has not been clarified and lacks engineering design principles. Therefore, this paper conducted a detailed numerical simulation study to investigate the effects of the axial arrangement on the aerodynamic performance and inner flow mechanisms of the tandem rotor in high-throughflow fan. The results demonstrate that the design parameter, namely axial overlap (AO), determines the overall performance of the fan stage, and has a significant impact on the flow structures of the tandem rotor at the peak efficiency condition (PE), such as the passage shock wave of the FR, which leads to being different in the isentropic efficiency (η).
Blade Tip Signal Analysis Of An Axial Compressor
Authors:   School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Xu Ruize , Li Jia ,   School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Dong Xu ,   School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Sun Dakun ,   School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Sun Xiaofeng ,   School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Chen Congcong ,   School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University
Published: May 2022

Experiments were conducted on a low-speed compressor, and a set of high response transducers were mounted in the casing to collect the over-tip signal. The auto-correlation measure results show that Rc at the first half of the blade will degrade before stall. According to the phase-locked pressure contour and RMS contour at design point and near stall, the disturbance in the blade passage is caused by separation vortices, and it convects upstream from mid chord to the leading edge (LE) of the rotor and finally leads to stall. The Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) can divide the pressure signal into different POD modes. The first two POD modes correspond to the blade loading, and the energy proportion of these two modes is reduced from 97% at the design point to 94% near the stall. If the proportion threshold is set at 95%, POD can generate a warning signal 350 revolutions before stall.
Fermat’s last theorem proved in Hilbert arithmetic. II. Its proof in Hilbert arithmetic by the Kochen-Specker theorem with or without induction
Authors: Penchev Vasil
Published: May 2022

The paper is a continuation of Part I. The case of “n=3” is inferred as a corollary from the Kochen and Specker theorem (1967): the eventual solutions of Fermat’s equation for “n=3” would correspond to an admissible disjunctive division of qubit into two absolutely independent parts therefore versus the contextuality of any qubit, implied by the Kochen – Specker theorem. Incommensurability (implied by the absence of hidden variables) is considered as dual to quantum contextuality. The relevant mathematical structure is Hilbert arithmetic in a wide sense, in which Hilbert arithmetic in a narrow sense and the qubit Hilbert space are dual . A few cases involving set theory are possible: (1) only within the case “n=3” and implicitly, within any next level of “n” in Fermat’s equation; (2) the identification of the case “n=3” and the general case utilizing the axiom of choice rather than the axiom of induction.
Correction of Fluorescent Probe Degradation in Biodistribution Studies
Authors: Henriksen Christian , Boklund Tobias Idor , Fromberg Laurits , Jüttner Benjamin , Olesen Peder Jørgensgaard , Plesner Andreas , Scheel Kenneth
Published: May 2022

Fluorescence microscopy can be used for evaluating distribution of medical compounds in animal tissue. Fluorescence intensity decays in time and due to scanning, but correcting for this can improve accuracy. We present a mixed-effects model for fluorescence microscopy intensity reconstruction. Model parameters are estimated via maximum likelihood estimation, taking into account biological variability between animals and measurement uncertainty. The initial fluorescence intensity is reconstructed by decay correction. The model is tested using different data sets. When estimating initial intensities from intensities measured on samples subjected to chemical degradation, decay rate estimates are found to be robust against variation in the ratio of measurement-induced variance to biological variance. Photobleaching rates are found to have only modest significance. A synthetic data set consistent with previously determined parameters is generated, and a forward model is applied; the maximum likelihood estimates accurately recover the parameters, demonstrating the consistency of the model.
Iron-Deficiency in Atopic Diseases: Innate Immune Priming by Allergens and Siderophores
Authors: Roth-Walter Franziska
Published: May 2022

Although iron is one of the most abundant elements on earth, about a third of the world's population are affected by iron deficiency. Main drivers of iron deficiency are beside the chronic lack of dietary iron, a hampered uptake machinery as a result of immune activation. Macrophages are the principal cells distributing iron in the human body with their iron restriction skewing these cells to a more pro-inflammatory state. Consequently, iron deficiency has a pronounced impact on immune cells, favoring Th2-cell survival, immunoglobulin class switching and primes mast cells for degranulation. Iron deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of atopic diseases in children, while both children and adults with allergy are more likely to have anemia. In contrast, an improved iron status seems to protect against allergy development. Here, the most important interconnections between iron metabolism and allergies, the effect of iron deprivation on distinct immune cell types, as well as the pathophysiology in atopic diseases are summarized. Although the main focus will be humans, we also compare them with innate defense and iron sequestration strategies of microbes, given, particularly, attention to catechol-siderophores. Similarly, the defense and nutritional strategies in plants with their inducible systemic acquired resistance by salicylic acid, which further leads to synthesis of flavonoids as well as pathogenesis-related proteins, will be elaborated as both are very important for understanding the etiology of allergic diseases. Many allergens, such as lipocalins and the pathogenesis-related proteins, are able to bind iron and either deprive or supply iron to immune cells. Thus, a locally induced iron deficiency will result in immune activation and allergic sensitization. However, the same proteins such as the whey protein beta-lactoglobulin can also transport this precious micronutrient to the host immune cells (holoBLG) and hinder their activation, promoting tolerance and protecting against allergy. Since 2019, several clinical trials have also been conducted in allergic subjects using holoBLG as a food for special medical purposes, leading to a reduction in the allergic symptom burden. Supplementation with nutrient-carrying lipocalin proteins can circumvent the mucosal block and nourish selectively immune cells, therefore representing a new dietary and causative approach to compensate for functional iron deficiency in allergy sufferers.
Personalized 3D-Printed Bioresorbable Airway External Splint for Tracheomalacia Combined With Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Yu Di , Peng Wei , Mo Xuming , Zhang Yuxi , Zhang Xing , He Jiankang
Published: May 2022

Severe tracheomalacia (TM) patients with respiratory symptoms need surgical intervention, including aortopexy, internal stents or external splint. While some patients continue to have respiratory symptoms after tracheal relief, and there is no evidence to support any one surgery therapy over another. Here we introduce a clinical safety and efficacy of the three-dimensional (3D)-printed bioresorbable airway external splints in treating congenital heart disease (CHD) patients with severe TM. From May 2019 to September 2020, nine patients with severe TM were enrolled. The median age was 5 months (range, 3–25 months), and the median weight was 7.5 kg (range, 3–15 kg). All patients had wheezing, and two patients were assisted by machine ventilation (MV) preoperatively. The median length of TM was 1.5 cm (range, 1.0–3.0 cm). All patients underwent suspension of a “C”-shaped lumen airway external splint, which were designed in SOLIDWORKS and made of polycaprolactone (PCL). The airway external splint could provided effective support for at least 6 months and was completely degraded into carbon dioxide and water within 2–3 years. The median time of postoperative machine assisted ventilation was 23.7 h (range, 3.3–223.4 h), and the median time of ICU stay was 9 days (range, 4–25 days). The median follow-up time was 18 months (range, 12–24 months). Respiratory symptoms were all relieved, and no external splint-associated complications occurred. The 3D computed tomography reconstruction showed no airway stenosis. Personalized 3D-printed bioresorbable airway external splint can not only limit external compression and prevent airway collapse but also ensure the growth potential of the airway, which is a safe, reliable and effective treatment for CHD with TM.
A New Nano Adjuvant of PF3 Used for an Enhanced Hepatitis B Vaccine
Authors: Shan Pu , Wang Zhibiao , Li Jilai , Wei Duoqian , Zhang Zhuan , Hao Shaojie , Hou Yibo , Wang Yunyang , Li Shuxiang , Wang Xudong , Xu Jing
Published: May 2022

Recombinant protein vaccines, with highly pure ingredients and good safety, are gradually replacing some attenuated and inactivated vaccines in clinical practice. However, since their low immunogenicity of the recombinant proteins, adjuvants are often needed to enhance immune response after vaccination. Aluminum adjuvant has been widely used in some vaccines for decades, it can induce strong humoral immunity, but the deficiency of cellular immunity limits its application for some vaccines. Therefore, it is urgently needed to develop novel adjuvant to increase not only humoral but also cellular immune response. To address this, we designed and prepared a new nano adjuvant (PF3) through microfluidization by the combination of saponin (Ginsenoside Rg1) and oil-in-water nano emulsion (NE) in the present study. As compared to aluminum adjuvant, PF3 had stronger humoral and cellular immune induction effect because of high cellular uptake and activization of immune response pathways. Furthermore, PF3 showed better immune enhancement and acceptable biosafety equivalent to that of aluminum adjuvant. In addition, no obvious changes of PF3 were observed in size and zeta potential after 12 weeks storage at 4 and 37°C, demonstrating its high stability in vitro. This study provided an adjuvant platform to replace traditional aluminum adjuvant in design of recombinant vaccines.
Customized Woven Carbon Fiber Electrodes for Bioelectrochemical Systems—A Study of Structural Parameters
Authors: Pötschke Liesa , Huber Philipp , Stegschuster Georg , Schriever Sascha , Kroppen Norman , Schmatz Joyce , Gries Thomas , Blank Lars M. , Farber Peter , Rosenbaum Miriam A.
Published: May 2022

Commercial carbon fiber (CF) fabrics are popular electrode materials for bioelectrochemical systems (BES), but are usually not optimized for the specific application. This study investigates BES-relevant material characteristics on fabric level, such as weave types and weave parameters. The two contrasting weave types plain and leno weave were characterized with respect to their envisaged application types: 1) BES with mainly advective flow regimes and 2) stirred systems, which could benefit from fluid flow through a fabric electrode. Experiments with batch and continuously fed pure cultures of Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA and Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 reveal that µm-scale electrode topologies are of limited use for the thick biofilms of G. sulfurreducens, but can boost S. oneidensis’ current generation especially in batch and fed-batch reactors. For advective flow regimes, deeper layers of biofilm inside microporous electrodes are often mass transport limited, even with thin biofilms of S. oneidensis. Therefore, low porosity plain weave electrodes for advective flow operation as in wastewater treating BES should be thin and flat. A trade-off between maximized current density and electrode material utilization exists, which is optimized exemplarily for an advective flow operation. For stirred BES of biotechnological applications, a flow-through of electrolyte is desired. For this, leno weave fabrics with pores at cm-scale are produced from 100% CF for the first time. In a preliminary evaluation, they outperform plain weave fabrics. Mass transfer investigations in stirred BES demonstrate that the large pores enable efficient electrode utilization at lower power input in terms of stirring speed.
Sustainable Approaches to Selective Conversion of Cellulose Into 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Promoted by Heterogeneous Acid Catalysts: A Review
Authors: Yao Yuanyong , Chen Shixue , Zhang Meng
Published: May 2022

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) as a triply catalytic product is a value-added refining chemical in industry production. 5-HMF as biomass feedstock enables to be transformed into other high-value industrial compounds, such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HMFCA), 5-formyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (FFCA), 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF), 2,5-bis(aminomethyl)furan (BAMF), and 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF). Hence, catalytic conversion of biomass into 5-HMF has been given much more attention by chemists. In this review, some latest studies about the conversion of cellulose to 5-HMF have been introduced systematically. Solid acids such as heterogeneous catalysts have been widely applied in the conversion of cellulose into 5-HMF. Therefore, some novel solid acids with Brønsted and/or Lewis acidic sites, such as sulfonated solid acids, carbon-based acids, and zeolite particles employed for biomass conversions are listed.
Comparison of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) Goal Achievement and Lipid-Lowering Therapy in the Patients With Coronary Artery Disease With Different Renal Functions
Authors: Zhang Shuang , Li Zhi-Fan , Shi Hui-Wei , Zhang Wen-Jia , Sui Yong-Gang , Li Jian-Jun , Dou Ke-Fei , Qian Jie , Wu Na-Qiong
Published: May 2022

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between renal function and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal achievement and compare the strategy of lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) among the patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with different renal functions.

Methods

In this study, we enrolled 933 Chinese patients with CAD from September 2020 to June 2021 admitted to the Cardiometabolic Center of Fuwai Hospital in Beijing consecutively. All individuals were divided into two groups based on their estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The multiple logistical regression analysis was performed to identify and compare the independent factors which impacted LDL-C goal achievement in the two groups after at least 3 months of treatment.

Results

There were 808 subjects with eGFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 who were divided into Group 1 (G1). A total of 125 patients with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 were divided into Group 2 (G2). The rate of LDL-C goal attainment (LDL-C <1.4 mmol/L) was significantly lower in G2 when compared with that in G1 (24.00% vs. 35.52%, P = 0.02), even though there was no significant difference in the aspect of LLT between the two groups (high-intensity LLT: 82.50% vs. 85.60% P = 0.40). Notably, in G1, the proportion of LDL-C goal achievement increased with the intensity of LLT (23.36% vs. 39.60% vs. 64.52% in the subgroup under low-/moderate-intensity LLT, or high-intensity LLT without proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor (PCSK9i), or high-intensity LLT with PCSK9i, respectively, P < 0.005). In addition, in G2, there was a trend that the rate of LDL-C goal achievement was higher in the subgroup under high-intensity LLT (26.60% in the subgroup under high-intensity LLT without PCSK9i and 25.00% in the subgroup under high-intensity LLT with PCSK9i) than that under low-/moderate-intensity LLT (15.38%, P = 0.49). Importantly, after multiple regression analysis, we found that eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 [odds ratio (OR) 1.81; 95%CI, 1.15–2.87; P = 0.01] was an independent risk factor to impact LDL-C goal achievement. However, the combination strategy of LLT was a protective factor for LDL-C goal achievement independently (statin combined with ezetimibe: OR 0.42; 95%CI 0.30–0.60; P < 0.001; statin combined with PCSK9i: OR 0.15; 95%CI 0.07–0.32; P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Impaired renal function (eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2) was an independent risk factor for LDL-C goal achievement in the patients with CAD. High-intensity LLT with PCSK9i could improve the rate of LDL-C goal achievement significantly. It should be suggested to increase the proportion of high-intensity LLT with PCSK9i for patients with CAD, especially those with impaired renal function.
Peptide-Based Strategies Against SARS-CoV-2 Attack: An Updated In Silico Perspective
Authors: Moroy G. , Tuffery P.
Published: May 2022

Because of its scale and suddenness, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created an unprecedented challenge in terms of drug development. Apart from being natural candidates for vaccine design, peptides are a class of compounds well suited to target protein-protein interactions, and peptide drug development benefits from the progress of in silico protocols that have emerged within the last decade. Here, we review the different strategies that have been considered for the development of peptide drugs against SARS-CoV-2. Thanks to progress in experimental structure determination, structural information has rapidly become available for most of the proteins encoded by the virus, easing in silico analyses to develop drugs or vaccines. The repurposing of antiviral/antibacterial peptide drugs has not been successful so far. The most promising results, but not the only ones, have been obtained targeting the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2, which triggers cellular infection by the virus and its replication. Within months, structure-based peptide design has identified competing for picomolar candidates for the interaction, proving that the development of peptide drugs targeting protein-protein interactions is maturing. Although no drug specifically designed against SARS-CoV-2 has yet reached the market, lessons from peptide drug development against SARS-CoV-2 suggest that peptide development is now a plausible alternative to small compounds.
Virtual Professional Learning for School Teachers to Support Them in Online Environment
Authors: Singh Balwant , Zamaletdinov Radif , Kaur Balwinder , Singh Jaspal
Published: May 2022

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) epidemic a pandemic and whole education system came to a standstill. An immediate transformation from an offline mode to online mode of teaching learning was needed. Majority of teachers in India were not prepared for digital pedagogy. Regardless of serious difficulties and deep-rooted traditional teaching and learning methods, they quickly involved themselves in their professional learning virtually and adopted the online teaching methods to keep the system going on. Thus, the present study is focused to find the answers of the questions emerged out of this situation such as: (i) how teachers prepared themselves to come forward for gigantic initiative? (ii) How did they learn the digital online techniques? (iii) How the deficiencies of electronic gadgets, such as mobile phones and tablets were arranged in short span of time and made available to all the stakeholders? This is a qualitative study using phenomenological enquiry as an approach, participants were selected with purposive sampling technique and data were collected through the in-depth (semi-structured) interviews of 15 school teachers, 5 school heads, and 5 block education mentors from Punjab state of India. The findings of the study indicated that with continuous motivation, school teachers took the initiative to come forward for digital teaching and learning. Some teachers out of firm professional commitment managed to pursue their professional learning mainly through their own efforts. In addition, the Education Department provided online crash courses to teachers. The clusters of teachers having sound knowledge of technology collaboratively trained the teachers at block levels. Majority of teachers have their own gadgets but underprivileged sections were provided mobiles and tablets by the government and non-government agencies. A quick shift to virtual professional learning resulted in significant improvements in the learning outcomes of students. Hence, the study will motivate the teachers of other states to pursue virtual professional learning to update themselves. Additionally, it suggests that teachers ought to be part of forums, interest groups, and online professional communities to interact with peers and know how the rest of the world is doing with digital education.
Adaptive Under-Frequency Load Shedding Control Strategy of Power Systems With Wind Turbines and UHVDC Participating in Frequency Regulation
Authors: Wu Xingyang , Xue Feng , Dai Jianfeng , Tang Yi
Published: May 2022

Represented by wind turbines and ultra high-voltage DC (UHVDC), the power-electronic interfaced power sources participate in fast frequency control, which has a significant impact on the power system frequency. However, the conventional under-frequency load shedding (UFLS) scheme doesn’t take into account the impact above, resulting in unreasonable load shedding after a large loss of generation. To this end, this article proposes an adaptive UFLS control strategy of power systems with wind turbines and UHVDC participating in frequency regulation. Firstly, based on the virtual inertia control model and the primary frequency control model of wind turbines and UHVDC, the study establishes the simplified frequency response model of the power system considering the participation of wind turbines and UHVDC in frequency regulation. Furthermore, the impact of the active power response characteristics of wind turbines and UHVDC participating in frequency regulation on the magnitude of the active power deficiency is comprehensively analyzed. Thus the precise estimation of the magnitude of the power deficiency can be achieved, which provides technical guidance for multi-stage UFLS. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that the proposed UFLS strategy is capable of reflecting the power system frequency more objectively after a large loss of generation event. In addition, the proposed UFLS strategy outperforms the conventional UFLS strategy in terms of shedding less amount of load when the same desired effect of frequency recovery is achieved.
Research of Mining Area Ecological Compensation From the Perspective of Knowledge Innovation
Authors: Xing Qinfeng , Gang He , Yao Wanyan
Published: May 2022

Ecological compensation has been the favorite subject of ecological depletion caused in mining areas with the aim of sustainable development. So, an analytical model is presented to assess the knowledge innovation of ecological compensation. Later, the methods of factor analysis, resistance diagnosis, and multiple regressions are integrated to evaluate its satisfaction in the Huainan mining area. The study found that (1) the influence of factors related to work mechanism is identical, while the influence of factors related to strategic planning and action skills is heterogenous; and (2) in terms of the relative importance of the three dimensions of work mechanism (0.479), strategic planning (0.467), and action skills (0.351), their influence decreases in order. The results can provide reference materials for the effective governance of ecological compensation and its scientific management of ecological safety in the mining area. So, the findings can help for better improvement of ecological compensation, and then the following strategies are proposed to improve its knowledge innovation: First, the harmonious development of individual behavior and overall interests needs to be realized; Second, the coordinated development of top-level design and adherence to faith needs to be optimized; Third, the interactive development guided by competence and mass entrepreneurship and innovation needs to be achieved.
The Disappearance Behavior, Residue Distribution, and Risk Assessment of Kresoxim-Methyl in Banana (Musa nana Lour.) Based on a Modified QuEChERS Procedure Using HPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Wang Siwei , Sun Haibin , Liu Yanping , Wang Xiaonan , Chang Hong
Published: May 2022

A modified-QuEChERS method to determine kresoxim-methyl in banana and soil was developed and validated via high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The dissipation behavior, residue distribution, and risk assessment of kresoxim-methyl in banana were further investigated based on this method. The dissipation behavior of kresoxim-methyl in banana and soil was described by using first-order kinetics and its half-life, 4.8–5.7 days and 5.5–6.5 days, respectively. The concentrations of kresoxim-methyl were 0.03–0.08 mg kg−1, 0.06–0.17 mg kg−1, and <0.01 mg kg−1 for a whole banana, peel, and pulp, respectively, on the basis of spraying three times the recommended dosage and pre-harvest interval (PHI, 42 days). The results showed that the risk quotient of kresoxim-methyl in banana to people exhibited an acceptable low dietary risk. This current study could help in guiding the scientific and proper usage of this formulation.
Understanding the Role of Sustainable-Oriented and Process Innovation With Lean Practices in Achieving Sustainability Paradigm: A Chinese Perspective
Authors: Liu Guodong , Ding Yuan , Wen Chen , Gao Ke , Wang Tao , Sun Ruiqi
Published: May 2022

The organizational development following the philosophy of sustainability is becoming the prerequisite for companies, which urges and emphasizes them to incorporate social, economic, and environmental aspects into their manufacturing and operations. Despite plethora of researches exploring lean practices as the solution for improving productivity, it is limited to the operational aspects only, thus ignoring the other aspects of sustainability. Moreover, there is a dearth of studies that explored the combined effect of sustainable innovation, process innovation, and lean practices on the three aspects of sustainability. The current study is an attempt and contribution in the existing literature through the sample of 431 respondents from ISO 14001 certified Chinese organizations during COVID-19 pandemic conditions. The estimations were performed through the Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling. The results revealed a positive association among the proposed hypothesis of aforementioned studied phenomena. In addition, the current study explores the role of sustainable innovation as a mediator between lean and three dimensions of the sustainability, which is reportedly found to be a partial mediator as both direct and indirect effects are found to be statistically significant. Through the findings of the current study, the managers and decision makers can comprehend the potential of the possible benefits which can be reaped by incorporating both lean and sustainability within their operations.
Target-Sequencing of Female Infertility Pathogenic Gene Panel and a Novel TUBB8 Loss-of-Function Mutation
Authors: Yuan Hongxia , Chen Jianhua , Li Na , Miao Hui , Chen Yao , Lyu Shuyan , Qiao Yu , Yang Guangping , Luo Hui , Chen Liangliang , Mao Fei , Huang Lingli , He Yanni , Hu Saifei , Miao Congxiu , Qian Yun , Feng Ruizhi
Published: May 2022

Genetic screening is an important approach for etiology determination and helps to optimize administration protocols in reproductive centers. After the first pathogenic gene of female infertility was reported in 2016, more and more new pathogenic genes were discovered, and we sought to develop an efficient and cost-effective method for genetic screening in patients. In this study, we designed a target-sequencing panel with 22 female infertility-related genes, namely, TUBB8, PATL2, WEE2, and PANX1 and sequenced 68 primary infertility (PI) and recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) patients. We sequenced 68 samples reaching an average depth of 1559× and detected 3,134 variants. Among them, 62.2% were synonymous single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and 36.3% were non-synonymous SNVs. The remaining 1.5% are indels (insertions and deletions) and stop-gains. DNAH11 and TUBB8 are the two genes that mutated most frequently. We also found a novel TUBB8 variant (c.898_900del; p.300_300del), proved its loss-of-function mechanism, and profiled the interactome of the wild-type (WT) and mutant TUBB8 proteins. Overall, this target-sequencing method provides an efficient and cost-effective approach for screening in IVF clinics and will support researchers for the discovery of new pathogenic variants.
Osteoarthritis Is Associated With an Increased Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Population-Based Longitudinal Follow-Up Study
Authors: Chiu Yi-Hsiang , Huang Jehn-Yu , Huang Ya-Ping , Pan Shin-Liang
Published: May 2022

Aims

To investigate the long-term risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in persons with osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods

This retrospective cohort study first enrolled 71,609 subjects diagnosed with OA, and 236,169 without such a diagnosis between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2005, from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005. All were aged 40–69. After excluding subjects who had pre-existing AMD and/or who had missing socioeconomic data, frequency matching by sex and age was performed. This resulted in there being 60,274 subjects in each of the final matched OA and non-OA groups. The study participants were followed up to the occurrence of AMD, death, or the end of 2011. We used Cox proportional-hazards regression to estimate the impact of OA on the risk of developing AMD, and performed subgroup analyses stratified by sex and age.

Results

The median follow-up time was 8.9 years, with an interquartile range of 1.4 years. The incidence rate of AMD in the OA group was 2.77 per 1,000 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.62–2.92], and in the non-OA group, 2.06 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI, 1.94–2.19). The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of AMD for the OA group was therefore 1.30 (95% CI, 1.20–1.41). In the subgroup analysis stratified by sex for the OA group, the adjusted HRs of AMD were 1.29 in the women's stratum and 1.31 in the men's. When stratified by age, the adjusted HRs of AMD for the younger (40–54 years) and older (55–69 years) strata were 1.28 and 1.31, respectively.

Conclusions

Persons with OA have an increased risk of developing AMD, regardless of age and sex.
Global Distribution of Extended Spectrum Cephalosporin and Carbapenem Resistance and Associated Resistance Markers in Escherichia coli of Swine Origin – A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Hayer Shivdeep Singh , Casanova-Higes Alejandro , Paladino Eliana , Elnekave Ehud , Nault Andre , Johnson Timothy , Bender Jeff , Perez Andres , Alvarez Julio
Published: May 2022

Third generation cephalosporins and carbapenems are considered critically important antimicrobials in human medicine. Food animals such as swine can act as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes/bacteria resistant to these antimicrobial classes, and potential dissemination of AMR genes or resistant bacteria from pigs to humans is an ongoing public health threat. The objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to: (1) estimate global proportion and animal-level prevalence of swine E. coli phenotypically resistant to third generation cephalosporins (3GCs) and carbapenems at a country level; and (2) measure abundances and global distribution of the genetic mechanisms that confer resistance to these antimicrobial classes in these E. coli isolates. Articles from four databases (CAB Abstracts, PubMed/MEDLINE, PubAg, and Web of Science) were screened to extract relevant data. Overall, proportion of E. coli resistant to 3GCs was lower in Australia, Europe, and North America compared to Asian countries. Globally, <5% of all E. coli were carbapenem-resistant. Fecal carriage rates (animal-level prevalence) were consistently manifold higher as compared to pooled proportion of resistance in E. coli isolates. blaCTX–M were the most common 3GC resistance genes globally, with the exception of North America where blaCMY were the predominant 3GC resistance genes. There was not a single dominant blaCTX–M gene subtype globally and several blaCTX–M subtypes were dominant depending on the continent. A wide variety of carbapenem-resistance genes (blaNDM–, VIM–, IMP–, OXA–48, andKPC–) were identified to be circulating in pig populations globally, albeit at very-low frequencies. However, great statistical heterogeneity and a critical lack of metadata hinders the true estimation of prevalence of phenotypic and genotypic resistance to these antimicrobials. Comparatively frequent occurrence of 3GC resistance and emergence of carbapenem resistance in certain countries underline the urgent need for improved AMR surveillance in swine production systems in these countries.
Diversified Polyketides With Anti-inflammatory Activities From Mangrove Endophytic Fungus Daldinia eschscholtzii KBJYZ-1
Authors: Wang Guisheng , Yin Zhenhua , Wang Senye , Yuan Yilin , Chen Yan , Kang Wenyi
Published: May 2022

In total, five new polyketide derivatives: eschscholin B (2), dalditone A and B (3 and 4), (1R, 4R)-5-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-1,4-dio (5), and daldilene A (6), together with 10 known as analogs (1, 7–15) were isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus Daldinia eschscholtzii KBJYZ-1. Their structures and absolute configurations were established by extensive analysis of NMR and HRESIMS spectra data combined with ECD calculations and the reported literature. Compounds 2 and 6 showed significant cell-based anti-inflammatory activities with IC50 values of 19.3 and 12.9 μM, respectively. In addition, western blot results suggested that compound 2 effectively inhibits the expression of iNOS and COX-2 in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. Further molecular biology work revealed the potential mechanism of 2 exerts anti-inflammatory function by inactivating the MAPK and NF–κB signaling pathways.
Clinical Analysis of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia With Epilepsy Seizures
Authors: Li Rui , Tang Ji-Hong , Zhang Bing-Bing , Shi Xiao-Yan , Dai Yuan-Yuan , Qu Rui
Published: May 2022

Objective

In order to analyze the clinical characteristics of epileptic seizures in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during treatment.

Methods

The clinical and imaging data of children diagnosed as ALL with epilepsy seizures from January 2013 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

A total of 2217 children with ALL were admitted during the study, of whom 229 (10.33%) had epileptic seizures after ALL treatment. Among them, 45 (19.65%) were in the high-risk group and 184 (80.35%) were in the low-risk group. Epileptic seizures mainly occurred in the induction remission period (24.02%), maintenance treatment period (25.33%) and after bone marrow transplantation (21.40%). The common causes were MTX-related demyelinating encephalopathy (34.06%) and reversible posterior encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) (25.3%). The first symptom was mainly convulsion (34.50%). The first attack had a comprehensive attack and partial attack. Most patients stop themselves. 30 cases (13.10%) had acute recurrence of epilepsy (recurrence within 3 months after the first attack), and 49 cases (25.76%) had neurological dysfunction after follow-up. 36 cases developed symptomatic epilepsy. Among the 130 children who completed the follow-up, 78 (60.00%) had no obvious neurological sequelae, and 52 (40.0%) had neurological sequelae. Among the 52 cases, there were 34 cases of mild sequelae and 18 cases of severe sequelae, including 8 cases of epilepsy combined with cognitive impairment.

Conclusion

Epileptic seizure is a common neurological complication during ALL treatment. The etiology and associated manifestations of the first epileptic seizure are diverse. Early neuroimaging and EEG examination are helpful for early diagnosis and treatment.
Reproducibility of Lesion Count in Various Subregions on MRI Scans in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Bozsik Bence , Tóth Eszter , Polyák Ilona , Kerekes Fanni , Szabó Nikoletta , Bencsik Krisztina , Klivényi Péter , Kincses Zsigmond Tamás
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Lesion number and burden can predict the long-term outcome of multiple sclerosis, while the localization of the lesions is also a good predictive marker of disease progression. These biomarkers are used in studies and in clinical practice, but the reproducibility of lesion count is not well-known.

Methods

In total, five raters evaluated T2 hyperintense lesions in 140 patients with multiple sclerosis in six localizations: periventricular, juxtacortical, deep white matter, infratentorial, spinal cord, and optic nerve. Black holes on T1-weighted images and brain atrophy were subjectively measured on a binary scale. Reproducibility was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). ICCs were also calculated for the four most accurate raters to see how one outlier can influence the results.

Results

Overall, moderate reproducibility (ICC 0.5–0.75) was shown, which did not improve considerably when the most divergent rater was excluded. The areas that produced the worst results were the optic nerve region (ICC: 0.118) and atrophy judgment (ICC: 0.364). Comparing high- and low-lesion burdens in each region revealed that the ICC is higher when the lesion count is in the mid-range. In the periventricular and deep white matter area, where lesions are common, higher ICC was found in patients who had a lower lesion count. On the other hand, juxtacortical lesions and black holes that are less common showed higher ICC when the subjects had more lesions. This difference was significant in the juxtacortical region when the most accurate raters compared patients with low (ICC: 0.406 CI: 0.273–0.546) and high (0.702 CI: 0.603–0.785) lesion loads.

Conclusion

Lesion classification showed high variability by location and overall moderate reproducibility. The excellent range was not achieved, owing to the fact that some areas showed poor performance. Hence, putting effort toward the development of artificial intelligence for the evaluation of lesion burden should be considered.