bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
El papel de las ciudades pequeñas y medias en la articulación y cohesión territorial: el caso del litoral mediterráneo andaluz y su red urbana polinuclear ante los recientes procesos de dinamización multifuncional = The role of small and medium cities in the territorial articulation and cohesion: The Case of the Andalusian Mediterranean coast and its polinuclear network of cities in the face of recent multifunctional stimulation processes
Authors: Rodríguez Escudero Álvaro Daniel
Published: June 2022

ResumenLas ciudades pequeñas y medias son un activo fundamental de los territorios y, aunque con un papel renovado hoy, siguen siendo, como históricamente, claves para el desarrollo equilibrado de nuestras regiones y sus sociedades. Aunque en torno a dicho papel pueden realizarse multitud de análisis, muy diversos, la articulación funcional es una de las dimensiones más interesantes a través de la cual comprobar cómo estas ciudades contribuyen, por su posición socioespacial intermedia, a la cohesión territorial.La red polinuclear de nodos urbanos del litoral centro-oriental de Andalucía, entre las aglomeraciones urbanas de Málaga y la Costa del Sol y de Almería y el Poniente, constituye un interesante caso de estudio por ser escenario de la aparición e intensificación de una serie de procesos de gran impacto sobre las estructuras demográficas y económicas precedentes sin que esto haya supuesto una disminución de sus funciones de intermediación históricas. A través del análisis de la articulación territorial de esta red urbana, con Vélez-Málaga, Motril y Adra a la cabeza demográficamente, se defiende la necesidad de atender a las ciudades pequeñas y medias a la hora de plantear estrategias futuras de planificación y desarrollo territorial, reivindicando y considerando su necesario protagonismo.AbstractSmall and medium-sized cities are a fundamental asset of territories and, although with a renewed role today, they remain, as historically, key to the balanced development of our regions and their societies. Although a multitude of diverse analyses can be carried out on this role, functional articulation is one of the most interesting dimensions through which to verify how these cities contribute, due to their intermediate socio-spatial position, to territorial cohesion.  The polynuclear network of urban nodes on the central-eastern coast of Andalusia, between the urban agglomerations of Malaga and the Costa del Sol and Almeria and the Poniente, is an interesting case study because it is the scene of the appearance and intensification of a series of processes with a great impact on the previous demographic and economic structures without this having led to a reduction in their historical intermediary functions. Through the analysis of the territorial articulation of this urban network, with Vélez-Málaga, Motril and Adra at the demographic forefront, the need to pay attention to small and medium-sized towns when considering future strategies for territorial planning and development is defended, reaffirming and considering their necessary prominence.
The Stroma and Tumor Microenvironment Are Not the Most Instrumental Players in Tumor Cells Immune Evasion, Growth, and Resistance to Therapy
Authors: Tallima Hatem , El Ridi Rashika
Published: June 2022

The central reason behind emergence of clinically-detectable tumors is evasion from immune surveillance due to lack of cancer cells surface membrane expression of tumor-specific peptides in association with MHC class I molecules, concealment of natural killer cells-activating molecules, and absence of inflammation resulting from inefficient stimulation of innate immunity receptors and co-stimulatory molecules. The tumor microenvironment (TME) also contributes to tumor initiation, progression and resistance to therapeutic interventions because of its dense, fibrogenic, barrier-like composition, aberrant vasculature, and production of cytokines and chemokines responsible for recruitment of immune suppressive cells, notably myeloid-derived suppressor cells, M2 macrophages, regulatory T cells, extracellular trap-forming neutrophils, and cancer-associated fibroblasts. We herein show that the relentless efforts and strategies to overcome the TME elusive tumor-promoting impact produced contrasting, opposed, controversial effects, characterized by limited efficacy and proven adversity, and most importantly deterred from attempts to discover and counteract the fundamental inherent mechanisms initiating, and not consequent to, carcinogenesis.
Two-State Alien Tiles: A Coding-Theoretical Perspective
Authors: Yin Hoover H. F. , Ng Ka Hei , Ma Shi Kin , Wong Harry W. H. , Mak Hugo Wai Leung
Published: June 2022

The switching game Lights Out and its variants were studied extensively as recreational mathematics problems. The game board of the ordinary Lights Out is a rectangular grid of lights, where each light is either on or off. By clicking a light, the clicked light and its adjacent rectilinear neighbors are toggled. Given an arbitrary initial configuration of lights, the final mission is to “solve” this game by switching off all the lights. Most studies on Lights Out and its variants focused on the solvability of given games or the number of solvable games, but when the game is viewed in a coding-theoretical perspective, more interesting questions with special meanings in coding theory will naturally pop up, such as finding the minimal number of lit lights among all solvable games except the solved game, or finding the minimal number of lit lights that the player can achieve from a given unsolvable game, etc. However, these problems are usually hard to be solved in general in terms of algorithmic complexity. This study considers a natural extension of the Lights Out game, which enlarges the toggle pattern in a way that all the lights in the same row and those in the same column of the clicked light are toggled. This variant of Lights Out is a two-state version of a switching game called Alien Tiles. In this paper, we investigate the properties of the two-state Alien Tiles, and discuss several coding-theoretical problems about this game. Then, we apply this game as an error correction code and investigate its optimality. We also give a brief overview on algorithmic complexity and coding theory for readers who are not familiar with these topics. The purpose of this paper is to propose ways of playing switching games in a think-outside-the-box manner, which benefit the recreational mathematics community.
Environmental Exposures and Phenotype of Non-smoking COPD
Authors: Arbat Sameer , Arbat Ashok , Agrawal Bharat , Deshpande Parimal , Rahman Irfan , Bakamwar Swapnil , Borkar Prajakta
Published: June 2022

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is strongly associated with tobacco smoking and it is the increasing cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The prevalence of COPD among never smokers varies widely across regions, areas, and nations. COPD in smokers has been extensively explored worldwide, however, COPD in non-smokers is under-explored and there is limited data available on non-smoking COPD. We determined the role of environmental pollution and biomass fuel exposure in COPD patients who were non-smokers. We evaluated the clinical profile of non-smokers with COPD in a retrospective observational study. 180 non-smoker COPD patients were selected from the year 2016-to 2018. We found that many patients with COPD are non-smokers and the incidence is higher among the rural population, suggesting that non-smoking COPD is evolving rapidly due to biomass smoke and other environmental pollutant exposures.
Education Inequalities in Ethiopia: A macro-level Analysis and its Policy Implications
Authors: Bareke MIsganu Legesse , Agezew Birhanu Haile , Dedho Negash Haaile , Herut Adane Hailu , Demissie Mesfin Molla , Yimer Berhanu Mekonnen , Lebeta Mulugeta Fufa
Published: June 2022

Globally, inequalities in educational provision are prevalent between genders, various geographical regions, and among different socio-economic backgrounds. Consequently, this study set-out to assess the level of disparity among the Federal Regional States of Ethiopia using Gini-coefficient and Lorenz curve from the statistical data of MoE. Moreover, data were collected from 656 respondents found in the sample regions. The result of the Gini-coefficient indicated that disparity in educational provision has been reduced over the past couple of decades both at primary (0.145 to 0.032) and secondary levels (0.277 to 0.126). Emerging regions are by far lagging behind the central and established regions. The sources of variation were mainly the demand-side variables, especially the economic and contextual related issues like drought and conflicts. Therefore, educational policies designed at the central level are advised to consider the strategies to bridge the existing inequalities through equitable provision of the education system to its citizen.
The Hull of A Galleon: An Archaic Construction or A Masterpiece of Ship Design
Authors: Asgarov Rasim
Published: June 2022

The Galleon was considered a masterpiece of shipbuilding in the sixteenth century, but from a modern point of view, the shape of her hull looks archaic and primitive. However, how accurate is this perception? Is the hull form of Galleon primitive? What were the reasons for its unique design features? This article investigates these questions by directly analysing the hull’s features from the point of view of modern ship’s theory, as well as from a historical perspective. A careful evaluation of specific design criteria of a typical Galleon, together with analysing a 3D model of its hull on modern software, with further insight for the seakeeping behaviour of Galleon with a comparison to more modern full-rigged ship (Barque of 19 CE), showed that these features were not random, but instead had a good rationale behind it, and served specific and carefully decided functions, required at the time.
Zn-Mn Doped Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles Loaded Zein Coatings for Bioactive and Antibacterial Orthopedic Implants
Authors: Batool Syeda Ammara , Ahmad Khalil , Irfan Muhammad , Ur Rehman Muhammad Atiq
Published: June 2022

In recent years, natural polymers have replaced synthetic polymers for antibacterial orthopedic applications owing to their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. Zein is a biopolymer found in corn. The lacking mechanical stability of zein is overcome by incorporating bioceramics e.g. mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (MBGNs). In present study, pure zein and zein/Zn-Mn MBGNs composite coatings were deposited via electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on 316L stainless steel (SS). Zn and Mn were co-doped in MBGNs in order to make use of their antibacterial and osteogenic potential, respectively. A Taguchi design of experiment (DoE) study was established to evaluate the effect of various working parameters on the morphology of the coatings. It was observed that coatings deposited at 20 V for 5 min with 4 g/L concentration (conc.) of Zn-Mn MBGNs showed highest deposition yield. Uniform coatings with highly dispersed MBGNs were obtained adopting these optimized parameters. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed to investigate the morphology and elemental composition of zein/Zn-Mn MBGNs composite coating. Surface properties i.e. coating roughness and wettability analysis concluded that composite coatings were appropriate for cell attachment and proliferation. For adhesion strength various techniques including tape test, bend test, pencil hardness test, and tensile test were performed. Wear and corrosion analysis highlighted the mechanical and chemical stability of coatings. Colony forming unit (CFU) test showed that zein/Zn-Mn MBGNs composite coating was highly effective against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) due to the presence of Zn. The formation of hydroxyapatite (HA) like structure upon immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) validated the in vitro bioactivity of the coating. It was concluded that zein/Zn-Mn MBGNs coating synthesized in this work can be used for bioactive and antibacterial orthopedic applications.
A Closed-Form Expression for the Unit Step Function
Authors: Venetis John
Published: June 2022

In this paper, the author obtains an analytic exact form of the Unit Step Function (or Heaviside step function) which evidently constitutes a fundamental concept of Operational Calculus. This important function is also involved in many other fields of applied and engineering mathematics. Heaviside step function is performed here in a very simple manner, by the use of a finite number of standard operations. In particular it is expressed as the summation of six inverse tangent functions. The novelty of this work when compared with other analytic representations, is that the proposed exact formula contains two arbitrary single - valued continuous functions which satisfy only one restriction. In addition, the proposed explicit representation is not exhibited in terms of miscellaneous special functions, e.g. Bessel functions, Error function, Beta function etc and also is neither the limit of a function, nor the limit of a sequence of functions with point – wise or uniform convergence. Hence, this formula may be much more practical, flexible and useful in the computational procedures which are inserted into Operational Calculus techniques and other engineering practices.
The Effect of Small Particulate Matter on Tourism and Related SMEs in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Authors: Srinamphon Phisek , Chernbumroong Sainatee , Tippayawong Korrakot
Published: June 2022

In northern Thailand, the problem of small particulate matter happens every year, with the pri-mary source being agricultural weed burning and wildfire. The tourism industry is strongly impacted and has been the spotlight for the past few years. Thus, the study aims to investigate the effect of small particulate matter on tourism and related SMEs in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The data was collected from 286 entrepreneurs in the tourism and related SMEs sectors. The data was analyzed using data mining and association rule techniques. The study revealed that small particulate matter has a considerable impact on customer factors, especially the number of customers has decreased. Operational factors and prod-uct/service factors are also affected by the dust in the form of adjustments to keep the business running and the protection of the health of employees and customers. Certainly, financial factors are affected by the small particulate matter situation, both lower revenues and higher costs.
SURVEI PENYAKIT BUSUK PANGKAL BATANG KELAPA SAWIT DI KEBUN CIKASUNGKA, PT PERKEBUNAN NUSANTARA VIII, BOGOR
Authors: Salsabila Amelia , Ramdan Evan Purnama , Asnur Paranita , Hidayat Hendi
Published: June 2022

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jack) is an important plantation commodity for both agriculture and the economy, because its oil-producing potential is greater than that of other crops, such as corn, soybean and sunflower oil. The main disease of this plant is stem rot (BPB) caused by Ganoderma boninense. Therefore, it is necessary to know and identify BPB problems and their control efforts at PTPN VIII Palm Oil Plantation, Cikasungka. The study used a Randomized Block Design (RAK) with 3 observation blocks each covering an area of 25 ha, each block taken 5 observation plots with an area of 50 x 50 m2 each, then from each plot 5 sub-plots measuring 10 x 10 m2 were taken. Observational data were analyzed with variance and further tested by Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The results of this study indicate that the symptoms of disease in the garden are very diverse, ranging from mild to very severe. The signs of the disease can be identified through the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma boninense. The incidence of disease in all survey locations ranged from 16 – 38%, although in each location did not show significant differences. The percentage of disease severity was lowest in location B3 (5.75%) which had a significant effect compared to location B1. Location B1 had the highest disease severity, which was 23%. The control of BPB that has been carried out at the survey site includes the construction of isolation trenches followed by the application of biofungicides with the active ingredients of T. koningii and T. harzianum.
GROWTH OF CELERY (Apium graveolens L.) AFTER TREATMENT OF DROUGHT STRESS AND CULTURE Trichoderma harzianum
Authors: Abrar Rezky Muhammad
Published: June 2022

Celery is a plant that is sensitive to drought stress. The availabillity of water is one factor that affect the growth of celery plants. Stunted plant growth caused by dry conditions of water in the planting media. Treatment of fungus Trichoderma harzianum in planting media is expected to overcome drought stress. This study aims to find out the effect of giving fungus Trichoderma harzianum on the growth of celery plants under drought stress conditions. This research was conducted from September 2020 to January 2021. The research design used was a completely randomized design with a factorial pattern consisting of 2 factors with 5 replications. The first factor is watering time (P) consists of watering every day (P1), every 4 days (P2), every 6 days (P3), every 8 days (P4), and every 10 days (P5). The second factor is fungus Trichoderma harzianum consists of 0 g/kg (T1), 25 g/kg (T2), 50 g/kg (T3), 75 g/kg (T4), and 100 g/kg (T5). The result showed that the drought stress treatment had a significant effect on the parameters of plant height, root volume and root wet weight. Treatment fungus Trichoderma harzianum significant effect on plant height parameters, while the combination of drought stress and treatment fungus Trichoderma harzianum did not significantly affect all growth parameters.
Preliminary Study of LiCoPO4 cathode material synthesis for LiCoPO4/Graphite Cell
Authors: Hutama Anjas Prasetya , Yudha Cornelius Satria , Azinuddin Yazid Rijal
Published: June 2022

Nowadays, the race towards a high-performance Li-ion batteries discovery for energy storage has become an interesting technological challenge. New or improved Li-ion battery cathodes have been developed relentlessly in this decade. LiCoPO4 (LCP) is a cathode material that allow a battery to operate at high voltage which resulted a high energy density battery. The presence of strong P-O bond adds a thermal stability feature to LIB cells. In this study, a LiCoPO4 material were prepared by precipitation of Co3(PO4)2 (CP) followed by high temperature Li insertion. H­3PO4 were used as the phosphate source. The crystallization or precipitation of CP can only be achieved under mild pH condition, which can be controlled using sodium hydroxide. XRD, SEM and FTIR analysis were used to characterize the final product. The as-obtained LCP were applied as cathode material while graphite was used as the counter anode. The cell can deliver a charge-discharge capacity at a voltage of 2.0-4.95 V. This preliminary can be a groundwork toward the commercialization of LCP based Li-ion batteries for high duty application.
Determinantes del emprendimiento en estudiantes universitarios en Tamaulipas, México
Authors: Sevilla Morales José Angel , García Fernández Francisco , Legarreta-González Martín Alfredo
Published: June 2022

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue identificar los factores determinantes del emprendimiento en estudiantes universitarios en Tamaulipas, México. Se analizan las actitudes emprendedoras, en particular de tres facultades de la Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas (México), así como su impresión sobre el rol jugado, por las diferentes instituciones académicas y empresas, en el fomento del espíritu empresarial. Adicionalmente, se estudia la percepción de las empresas sobre su capacidad de influir en el interés emprendedor de los universitarios, así como su opinión sobre el papel de la facultad en el fomento empresarial.
Caracterización de la certificación OEA en una empresa transportista en la frontera Juárez-El Paso
Authors: Vázquez Rojero Ary Pamela , Martínez Almanza María Teresa
Published: June 2022

El aumento de diversas amenazas y riesgos en las cadenas de suministro internacional ha supuesto una mayor responsabilidad por parte de las empresas para asegurar el abastecimiento. La certificación OEA se orienta a brindar acceso fluido al comercio, agilizar los trámites aduanales y coadyuvar en lograr una cadena de suministro internacional integrada. La presente investigación tuvo como propósito profundizar en el conocimiento del proceso de certificación OEA en una empresa transportista en la frontera Juárez-El Paso. Para su desarrollo se eligió el enfoque cualitativo, a través de 13 entrevistas semiestructuradas dirigidas al personal de la empresa, las cuales fueron analizadas por tema para un diseño de teoría fundamentada. En los resultados resalta la necesidad de fortalecer la cultura de seguridad de los empleados y la capacitación sobre el programa OEA a nivel operativo. Como ventajas destacan la facilitación comercial y el reconocimiento mutuo.
Planeación de producción en una organización manufacturera de arneses. Un caso de estudio de nivelación del inventario
Authors: Zapata Zamarrón Itzel Judith , Sandoval Chávez Diego Adiel , Tarango Hernández Luz Elena
Published: June 2022

El control de inventarios requiere de una gestión adecuada que prevenga los retrasos en las entregas; las acciones de gestión deben definirse de acuerdo con la demanda promedio del mercado. La estandarización es una estrategia de competitividad mundial que trae consigo el reforzamiento de las operaciones de las organizaciones, mejorando su posicionamiento en los mercados. Por ello, se desarrolló y documentó un sistema llamado SIOP (Sales, Inventory and Operation Planning), teniendo como entradas la demanda y los inventarios disponibles, que se procesan, para generar las 3M de la capacidad (maquinaria, mano de obra y materiales). Se eligieron seis números de parte clasificadas como A para estudiar el impacto de la adopción del SIOP. Los resultados muestran que se redujeron los promedios y las variaciones en los nivales de inventarios. Se presenta una discusión general de los hallazgos y las conclusiones que se derivan, recomendando una continuidad para investigaciones futuras.
El tiempo estándar y su importancia en las cotizaciones de proyectos de manufactura. Un enfoque de gestión
Authors: Méndez Meléndez Lorena Janeth , Sandoval Chávez Diego Adiel , Terrazas Mata Luz Elena
Published: June 2022

La cotización de la mano de obra en proyectos de manufactura es un factor decisivo para la competitividad de organizaciones de este sector. Es prioritaria en organizaciones de mano de obra intensiva por la frecuente aparición de nuevos competidores. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar, basado en tiempo estándar de operación, cómo difieren las cotizaciones de mano de obra nominales en relación con las reales en proyectos de nuevos negocios, para identificar alternativas de gestión y reducir estas brechas. Se eligió un conjunto de operaciones relevantes de costo de mano de obra, examinando el costo cotizado en relación con el real; estimado mediante un estudio de tiempos. Los resultados mostraron que las estimaciones basadas en datos históricos difieren significativamente en relación con los datos que proporcionaron los estudios de tiempo, estableciendo avenidas de gestión. Se presentan las conclusiones derivadas del estudio, así como las recomendaciones para trabajos futuros.
Efek Pemoderasi Struktur Kepemilikan Terhadap Hubungan Antara Kecakapan Manajerial dan Manajemen Laba
Authors: Anggita Linda Dwi , Romadhon Fitri , Firdausi Sugeng
Published: June 2022

One measure of company performance that is commonly used as the basis for making decisions is the company's profit which is presented in the income statement. However, investors often do not pay attention to how the company's process generates profits, so that profit information is always the target of misinformation through opportunistic actions of management to act according to their interests, which is known as earnings management. The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of managerial ability on earnings management with ownership structure as a moderating variable. The population in this study is the pharmaceutical sub-sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2016-2020 as many as 10 companies. Based on the purposive sampling method, the sample in this study was 10 companies. The data analysis method used panel data regression. The results of this study indicate that managerial ability affect earnings management, managerial ownership can moderate the effect of managerial ability on earnings management, and institutional ownership is not able to moderate the effect of managerial ability on earnings management Indikator kinerja suatu perusahaan yang sering dijadikan dasar pengambilan keputusan adalah laba perusahaan yang dilaporkan dalam laporan laba rugi. Akan tetapi, investor sering tidak memperhatikan proses perusahaan dalam menghasilkan laba. Hal tersebut membuat manajer memiliki kesempatan untuk bertindak oportunis dengan cara melakukan manajemen laba. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalis pengaruh kecakapan manajerial terhadap manajemen laba, dan efek moderasi struktur kepemilikan terhadap hubungan antara kecakapan manajerial dan manajamen laba. Populasi dari penelitian ini sebanyak 10 perusahaan pada sub sektor farmasi yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia dari tahun 2016 hingga 2020. Metode analisis data yang digunakan adalah regresi data panel. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa kecakapan manajerial dapat mempengaruhi manajemen laba. Kepemilikan manajerial dapat memoderasi pengaruh kecakapan manajerial terhadap manajemen laba. Serta, adanya kepemilikan institusional tidak dapat memoderasi pengaruh kecakapan manajerial terhadap manajemen laba.
Construction of an active immune model and electrophysiological study of mice with anti-NMDAR encephalitis
Authors: Huang Hongmi , Ye Lin , Li Sijun , Luo Xiaodan , wu yuan
Published: June 2022

Background: anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis is an autoimmune disease, which can show severe neuropsychiatric symptoms, of which seizures are one of the most common symptoms. At present, the mechanism of anti-NMDAR encephalitis is still unclear, and the appropriate animal model is the basis of scientific research.Methods: C57BL/6 male mice were actively immunized with the amino terminal domain peptide of GluN1 subunit. C57BL/6 mice were divided into GluN1359-378 group, control group and blank group. Electroencephalogram system was used to record rats' EEG. Indirect ELISA was used to detect serum NMDAR-AB after 14 days of ATD peptide active immunization. HEK293 cells containing GluN1 and GluN2B subunit plasmids were incubated with positive serum to detect NMDAR-AB；Hippocampal neurons were incubated with the serum of the above groups, and NMDAR-AB was detected. Immunohistochemistry was used to verify the serum NMDAR-AB of mice. Western blot was used to verify NMDAR-AB, Glutamic vesicle transporters and γ -Aminobutyric acid vesicle transporters in hippocampus.Results: 1. 2 weeks after active immunization with ATD peptide, the detection rate of NMDAR-AB in serum of GluN1359-378 group was 67%, which was significantly higher than that of control group；2. The transfected HEK293 cells, hippocampal neurons and mouse brain sections were incubated with NMDAR-AB positive serum. The results showed that GluN1359-378 peptide could induce serum autoantibodies against GluN1 and GluN2b; 3. In GluN1359-378 peptide immunized mice, anti glun1 protein was mainly expressed in hippocampal neurons; 4. In GluN1359-378 group, the expression of glun1 on the membrane surface decreased significantly. The decrease of glun1 on the membrane surface was related to the decrease of NMDAR cluster density on the surface of hippocampal neurons; 5. The total GluN1 of GluN1359-378 group had no significant change, but the vGluT1 of hippocampal tissue increased and vGAT did not change. 6. Epileptic discharge was recorded in 78% of the GluN1359-378 mice, but not in the control group, which was related to the increase of vGluT1 in hippocampus.Conclusion: the anti-NMDAR encephalitis model was successfully established by active immunization with GluN1359-378 peptide targeting GluN1 gene ATD, and the mouse EEG showed epileptiform discharge.
Cardiac Geometry, as assessed by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance, can differentiate subtypes of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Vascular Disease
Authors: McGettrick Michael , Dormand Helen , Brewis Melanie , Lang Ninian N , Johnson Martin , Church Colin
Published: June 2022

Background: Ventricular septal flattening reflects RV pressure overload in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Eccentricity index (EI) and pulmonary artery distensibilty (PAD) correlate with pulmonary artery pressure. We assessed the utility of EI and PAD measuring using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to assess for pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with chronic thromboembolic disease. CMR, the gold standard investigation for assessment of right ventricular function, has added benefit over echocardiogram of allowing detection of pulmonary vascular occlusion with magnetic resonance pulmonary angiogram. This may allow non-invasive differentiation between patients who have chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and those with pulmonary vascular obstructions but no evidence of PH at rest, known as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD). Methods: 20 patients without resting pulmonary hypertension, including 10 with chronic thromboembolic disease, and 30 patients with CTEPH were identified from a database at the Scottish Pulmonary Vascular Unit. CMR and right heart catheter had been performed within 96 hours of each other. Short-axis views at the level of papillary muscles were used to assess the EI at end-systole and diastole. Pulmonary artery distensibility was calculated using velocity-encoded images attained perpendicular to the main trunk.Results: EI at end-systole and end-diastole were higher in CTEPH compared to controls (1.3+/-0.5 vs 1.0+/-0.01; p=<0.01 and (1.22+/-0.2 vs 0.98+/-0.01; p=<0.01, respectively) and compared to those with CTED. PAD was significantly lower in CTEPH compared to controls (0.13 +/- 0.1 vs 0.46 +/- 0.23; p=<0.01) and compared to CTED. End-systolic EI and end-diastolic EI correlated with pulmonary vascular haemodynamic indices and exercise variables, including mean pulmonary arterial pressure (R 0.74 and 0.75, respectively), cardiac output (R-value -0.4 and -0.4, respectively) NTproBNP (R-value 0.3 and 0.3, respectively) and 6-minute walk distance (R-value -0.7 and -0.8 respectively). Pulmonary artery distensibility also correlated with 6-minute walk distance (R-value 0.8). Conclusions: EI and PAD can be used to detect the presence of pulmonary hypertension in chronic thromboembolic disease and differentiate between CTEPH and CTED subgroups. These measures support the use of non-invasive tests including CMR for the detection pulmonary hypertension in the investigation of chronic thromboembolic disease and may reduce the requirement for right heart catheterisation.
Cortical thinning in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Patients with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Authors: Li Yezhou , Wang Jing , Ji Lirong , Cheng Chaohong , Su Tong , Wu Shuqing , Han Fei , Cox Daniel , Wang Erlei , Chen Rui
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEObstructive sleep apnoea is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness due to sleep fragmentation and hypoxemia, both of which can lead to abnormal brain morphology. However, the pattern of brain structural changes associated with excessive daytime sleepiness is still unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of excessive daytime sleepiness on cortical thickness in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.MATERIALS AND METHODS:61 male patients with newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea were included in the present study. Polysomnography and structural MRI were performed for each participant. Subjective daytime sleepiness was assessed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale score. Surface-based morphometric analysis was performed using Statistical Parametric Mapping 12 and Computational Anatomy 12 toolboxes to extract cortical thickness. RESULTS:Using the median Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, patients were divided into the non-sleepiness group and the sleepiness group. The cortical thickness was markedly thinner in the sleepiness group in the left temporal, frontal, and parietal lobe and bilateral pre- and postcentral gyri (pFWE<0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between the cortical thickness and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale score. After adjusting for age, body mass index, and obstructive sleep apnoea severity, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale score remained an independent factor affecting the cortical thickness of the left middle temporal lobe, transverse temporal and temporal pole.CONCLUSION:Subjective daytime sleepiness is associated with decreased cortical thickness, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale score may be of utility as a clinical marker of brain injury in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.
The initial attempt at home hemodialysis in mainland China
Authors: Ni Zhaohui , Zhou Yijun , Lu Renhua , Shen Jianxiao , Gu Leyi , Mou Shan , Zhao Li , Zhang Haifen , Zhang Bin , Fang Yan , Fang Wei , Wang Qin , Zhang WeiMing , Zhang Jidong , Li Weiping
Published: June 2022

Background
Observational studies showed home hemodialysis (HHD) to be associated with better survival than facility hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD). Patients on HHD have reported higher quality of life and independence. HHD is considered to be an economical way to manage end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has had a significant impact on patients with ESKD. Patients on HHD may have an advantage over in-center HHD patients because of a lower risk of exposure to infection.
Participants and Methods:
We enrolled hemodialysis patients from our dialysis center. We estabilished HHD training center at first. The training center was approved by Chinese government. Doctors, nurses and engineers train and assess patients separately. There are three forms of patient monitoring: home visit, internet remote monitoring, and out-patient service. Demographic and medical data included age, gender, blood pressure, dialysis related data. Laboratory tests were conducted in our central testing laboratory including hemoglobin (Hgb), serum creatinine (Cr), urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid (UA), albumin (Alb), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), parathyroid hormone (PTH), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP).
Results
Six patients who underwent regular dialysis in the hemodialysis center of our hospital were selected for HHD training. We enrolled 6 patients, including 4 males and 2 females. The mean age of the patients was 47.5 (34.7–55.7) years, the mean dialysis age was 33.5 (11.2–41.5) months. After an average of 16.0 (11.2–25.5) months of training, Alb, P and BNP were improved compared with baseline values. After training, three patients returned home to begin independent hemodialysis. During the follow-up, there are no serious adverse events leading to hospitalization or death, but there are several adverse events. They have been solved quickly by extra home visits of the technicians or online by remote monitoring. During the time, laboratory indicators of all the patients including Hgb, Alb, Ca, P, PTH, BNP, β2-MG remained stable before and after HHD treatment.
Conclusion
HHD is feasible and safe for ESRD in China, but larger-scale and longer-term studies are needed to further confirm.
General practitioners in front of Covid-19: Italy in European comparative perspective
Authors: Genova Angela , Lombardini Simone
Published: June 2022

Background
Primary care has had a crucial role in managing Covid-19 pandemic, despite the differences in primary care models in Europe. Focusing on GPs number as key aspect in primary care services, this study is led by the following research questions: 1) Is the number of GPsper 100.000 inhabitants increased or decreased in the last 20 years in European countries? 2) Has the GPs number per 100.000 inhabitants in Italy been consistent with the rest of the EU countries trend?3) Is there any statistically significant correlation between the trend in GPs number and the Covid-19 mortality?
Methods
Comparative data of the number of GPs per 100,000 inhabitants, in 22 European countries is investigated, between 1995 and 2014 (the last available data), with a specific focus on Italian case study. Moreover a statistical correlation is investigated between GPs trend and Covid-19 mortality rate.
Results
Data shows that the number of family doctors over 100,000 inhabitants in European countries have increased over the last 20 years, except for Italy where it has strongly reduced. The correlation between GPs number trend and Covid-19 mortality rate shows an inverse statistically significant results: countries with an increasing number of GPs had a lower rate in Covid-19 mortality.
Conclusion
This study contributes in the debate on the key role of primary care and GPs in managing the pandemic, showing the unpreparedness of the Italian health system to face the emergency.
Learned Pseudo-Random Number Generator: WGAN-GP for Generating Statistically Robust Random Numbers
Authors: Okada Kiyoshiro , Endo Katsuhiro , Yasuoka Kenji , Kurabayashi Shuichi
Published: June 2022

Pseudo-random number generators (PRNGs) are software algorithms generating a sequence of numbers approximating the properties of random numbers. They are critical components in many information systems that require unpredictable and nonarbitrary behaviors, such as parameter configuration in machine learning, gaming, cryptography, and simulation. A PRNG is commonly validated through a statistical test suite, such as NIST SP 800-22rev1a (NIST test suite), to evaluate its robustness and the randomness of the numbers. In this paper, we propose a Wasserstein distance-based generative adversarial network (WGAN) approach to generating PRNGs that fully satisfy the NIST test suite. In this approach, the existing Mersenne Twister (MT) PRNG is learned without implementing any mathematical programming code. We remove the dropout layers from the conventional WGAN network to learn random numbers distributed in the entire feature space because the nearly infinite amount of data can suppress the overfitting problems that occur without dropout layers. We conduct experimental studies to evaluate our learned pseudo-random number generator (LPRNG) by adopting cosine-function-based numbers with poor random number properties according to the NIST test suite as seed numbers. The experimental results show that our LPRNG successfully converted the sequence of seed numbers to random numbers that fully satisfy the NIST test suite. This study opens the way for the “democratization” of PRNGs through the end-to-end learning of conventional PRNGs, which means that PRNGs can be generated without deep mathematical know-how. Such tailor-made PRNGs will effectively enhance the unpredictability and nonarbitrariness of a wide range of information systems, even if the seed numbers can be revealed by reverse engineering. The experimental results also show that overfitting was observed after about 450,000 trials of learning, suggesting that there is an upper limit to the number of learning counts for a fixed-size neural network, even when learning with unlimited data.
Application of Machine Learning in the Diagnosis of Vestibular Disease
Authors: Do Tram Anh , Takakura Hiromasa , Asai Masatsugu , Ueda Naoko , Shojaku Hideo
Published: June 2022

Machine learning is expected as a potential aid to support human decision-making in disease prediction. In this study, we determined the utility of various machine learning algorithms in classifying peripheral vestibular (PV) and non-PV diseases through equilibrium function test results. The 1009 patients who had undergone our standardized neuro-otological examinations were recruited. We adopted five supervised machine learning algorithms (Random Forest, AdaBoost, Gradient Boosting, Support Vector Machine, and Logistic Regression). After preprocessing, tuning the best hyperparameters using GridSearchCV, and obtaining the final evaluation using scikit-learn in the testing set, the prediction capability was evaluated by various diagnostic test measures, namely accuracy, F1-score, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, precision, recall, and Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC). All five algorithms yielded relatively good results with the accuracy of each machine learning algorithm ranging from 76–79%, with the best being the Support Vector Machine classifier. In cases where the predictions of the five models were consistent, the accuracy of the PV diagnosis results was improved with a probability of 83%, whereas it increased to 85% for the non-PV diagnosis results. Increasing the number of patients and optimizing classification methods are warranted to obtain the highest diagnostic accuracy.
Photodecolorization of synthetic dye Congo red from the aquatic system by CaMgO2@g-C3N4 nanocomposite
Authors: Aldaghri O. , Modwi A. , Idriss Hajo , Mustafa Bakheit , Ali M. K.M. , Ibnaouf K . H.
Published: June 2022

Artificial dyes resist conventional oxidation and reduction mechanisms, making them challenging to eliminate from industrial sewage. Moreover, most of them have adverse effects on human health and the environment. Hence, the current investigation aimed to fabricate CaMgO2@g-C3N4 nanocomposite for Congo red dye decolorization. The nanocomposite was fabricated from its precursors via a facile sonochemical approach and then characterized by various techniques. The XRD structural data revealed the development of peaks related to the phases of all constituents. The coupling of MgO and CaO to the g-C3N4 nanosheets is demonstrated through TEM morphological, EDX, and XPS investigations. The composite manifested high photocatalytic degradation of Congo red dye in an aqueous system by virtue of its large surface area, low band gap energy and the photogenerated holes, and electron and the hydroxyl radical involvement. The dye photodecolorization displayed a rate constant of 0.07092 (min-1) and a decolorization rate of 99%. Furthermore, the photodegradation kinetics fitted the pseudo-first-order model and mechanistic suggested interpretation through the Z-scheme pattern. The investigation outcomes concluded that CaMgO2@g-C3N4 nanocomposite is a powerful catalytic agent for synthetic dye decolorization in aqueous media.
Endothelial Progenitor Cell-Mediated Angiogenesis is Promoted by the Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1/CXC Chemokine Receptor 7 Signaling Axis in Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Huang Zhiyong , Lei Chen , Ni Xuejun , Zhang Mingliang , Jia Xinyu , Xiao Yiming , Wei Zengni , Shan Xiuying , Wang Biao
Published: June 2022

Background
The role of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1/CXC chemokine receptor (CXCR) 7 signaling axis in angiogenesis mediated by endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in diabetes mellitus (DM) remains unclear.
Methods
An in vivo wound healing model was established in mice, which were treated with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or TGF-β1. Wound closure rate was measured to evaluate wound healing. Histological analysis and immunofluorescent staining were performed to investigate angiogenesis and the number of EPCs in vivo. EPCs were isolated from bone marrow via gradient centrifugation. An angiogenic medium was used to induce endothelial cells (ECs) from EPCs. Flow cytometry was used to identify EPCs and ECs. Lv-shCXCR7 was used to determine the role of CXCR7 in EPCs in vitro. EPC proliferation was measured via 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine staining. Scratch and transwell assays were performed to assess EPC migration.
Results
Remaining wound area from day 7 to 14 in the DM + TGF-β1 group was significantly lower than that in the DM + PBS group but higher than that in the PBS group. On day 14, the number of microvessels in wounds was significantly higher for TGF-β1-treated mice than for mice not treated with TGF-β1. The number of EPCs in the DM + TGF-β1 group was significantly higher than that in the DM + PBS group. The high-glucose environment significantly impaired the proliferation, migration, and tube-forming ability of EPCs; however, TGF-β1 partially restored the proliferation and tube-forming ability of EPCs (p < 0.05). Additionally, shCXCR7 lentiviral transfection resulted in a significant reduction in the proliferation and tube-forming ability of EPCs; however, it had no significant effect on EPC migration. Furthermore, the high-glucose environment caused a decrease in the mRNA and protein expression of CXCR7 in EPCs; however, this was partially reversed by TGF-β1 (p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Our results show for the first time that TGF-β1 partially restores the proliferation and tube-forming ability of EPCs in a high-glucose environment by upregulating CXCR7 expression, increasing the number of blood vessels, and accelerating wound healing. This novel TGF-β1 pathway may play a potentially therapeutic role from bench to bedside.
Performance analysis of a versatile bulk-service queue with group-arrival, batch-size-dependent service time and queue-length dependent vacation
Authors: Pradhan Sourav , Nandy Nilanjan , Gupta Umesh Chandra
Published: June 2022

Queueing systems with bulk-service and vacation policy have become one of the pivotal interest for the researchers due to their widespread application in food processing technology, manufacturing systems etc. This article analyzes a single server versatile bulk-service queueing system wherein the customers arrive according to compound Poisson process and service time is dependent on the batch-size of undergoing service. Moreover, single and multiple vacation policy have been incorporated along with queue-length dependent vacation. After providing the steady-state system equations, the bivariate probability generating function of queue and server content distribution together has been derived at departure epoch. After the evaluation of the unknown probabilities , complete joint distribution has been extracted in terms of roots of the denominator of the bivariate pgf. The joint distribution at arbitrary epoch have also been reported. The discussed procedure and the reported results have been depicted through some numerical examples for different service and vacation time distributions. Some significant observation about the model have been sketched graphically.MSC Classification: 60G05 , 60K25
Legume Based Traditional foods of Palampur region of Himachal Pradesh and their nutritional composition
Authors: sharma rekha
Published: June 2022

The present investigation was undertaken with the objectives to document the traditional food recipes, process/preparation, nutritional evaluation and development of protocols for the standardization of the recipes to minimize the nutrient losses. Three blocks viz. Baijnath, Panchrukhi, Bhawarna and Palampur itself were selected. A questionnaire was used to collect the relevant information on traditional foods from 120 respondents. In legumes black gram contained highest crude protein content(26.26%).Recipes analysis result showed that pakodu contained high crude protein content i.e. 27.44 per cent, whereas Crude fat content was highest in mukund badi madra (22.17%).