bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial Econometric Cross-Border Traffic Analysis for Passenger Cars – Hungarian Experience
Authors: Sipos Tibor , Szabó Zsombor , Török Árpád
Published: April 2021

The role of cross-border commuting needs is remarkable, given that large cross-border cities tend to have high traffic attractiveness. Thus, agglomeration effects are strongly prevalent in populous settlements close to the border. This is due to the fact that both Hungary and the neighboring countries are burdened by spatial inequalities; therefore, the traffic at the individual border crossing points is unbalanced. Our aim is to show the extent to which the introduction of certain public transport modes contributes to the reduction of cross-border passenger car traffic. In order to do this, we have to set up a spatial econometric model that can simultaneously handle the parallel public transport infrastructure, the cross-border attractiveness of border cities, and the impact of spatial inequalities. The results of the research shed light on how the introduction of each means of transport contributes to increasing the competitiveness of border regions. This will demonstrate the effectiveness of policy tools that can improve the competitiveness of a given macroregion.
Optimization of COVID-19-Free Supply Chains
Authors: Pupavac Drago , Maršanić Robert , Krpan Ljudevit
Published: April 2021

The basic aim of this paper is to research the importance of supply chain optimization in the circumstances of the COVID-19 crisis. The research object is the optimum selection of active participants before and after the COVID-19 crisis. The initial hypothesis of this paper is that optimal COVID-19-free supply chains can be formed with a dynamic programming method, the costs of which will be higher than those when this restriction would not exist, but significantly lower than those formed if the optimization principle in the selection of supply chain stakeholders would be neglected. Research results in this scientific discussion paper are based on the analysis and synthesis method, comparative method, and dynamic programming method. The main findings of this paper point to the conclusion that the COVID-19 crisis affected the reduction of goods flow within supply chains, reduction of potential participants in supply chains, reduction of supply chains business safety, and increase in business costs.
The Promise of Access
Authors: Greene Daniel
Published: April 2021

Why simple technological solutions to complex social issues continue to appeal to politicians and professionals who should (and often do) know better.

Why do we keep trying to solve poverty with technology? What makes us feel that we need to learn to code—or else? In The Promise of Access, Daniel Greene argues that the problem of poverty became a problem of technology in order to manage the contradictions of a changing economy. Greene shows how the digital divide emerged as a policy problem and why simple technological solutions to complex social issues continue to appeal to politicians and professionals who should (and often do) know better.

Greene shows why it is so hard to get rid of the idea—which he terms the access doctrine—that the problem of poverty can be solved with the right tools and the right skills. This way of thinking is so ingrained that is adopted by organizations that fight poverty—which often refashion themselves to resemble technology startups. Drawing on years of fieldwork, Greene explores how this plays out in the real world, examining organizational change in technology startups, public libraries, and a charter school in Washington, DC. He finds that as the libraries and school pursue technological solutions, they win praise and funding but also marginalize and alienate the populations they serve. Greene calls for new political alliances that can change the terms on which we understand technology and fight poverty.
People Count
Authors: Landau Susan
Published: April 2021

An introduction to the technology of contact tracing and its usefulness for public health, considering questions of efficacy, equity, and privacy.

How do you stop a pandemic before a vaccine arrives? Contact tracing is key, the first step in a process that has proven effective: trace, test, and isolate. Smartphones can collect some of the information required by contact tracers—not just where you've been but also who's been near you. Can we repurpose the tracking technology that we carry with us—devices with GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and social media connectivity—to serve public health in a pandemic? In People Count, cybersecurity expert Susan Landau looks at some of the apps developed for contact tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that issues of effectiveness and equity intersect.

Landau explains the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of a range of technological interventions, including dongles in Singapore that collect proximity information; India's biometric national identity system; Harvard University's experiment, TraceFi; and China's surveillance network. Other nations rejected China-style surveillance in favor of systems based on Bluetooth, GPS, and cell towers, but Landau explains the limitations of these technologies. She also reports that many current apps appear to be premised on a model of middle-class income and a job that can be done remotely. How can they be effective when low-income communities and front-line workers are the ones who are hit hardest by the virus? COVID-19 will not be our last pandemic; we need to get this essential method of infection control right.
Making in America
Authors: Berger Suzanne , MIT Task Force on Production in the Innovation Economy
Published: April 2021

How America can rebuild its industrial landscape to sustain an innovative economy.

America is the world leader in innovation, but many of the innovative ideas that are hatched in American start-ups, labs, and companies end up going abroad to reach commercial scale. Apple, the superstar of innovation, locates its production in China (yet still reaps most of its profits in the United States). When innovation does not find the capital, skills, and expertise it needs to come to market in the United States, what does it mean for economic growth and job creation? Inspired by the MIT Made in America project of the 1980s, Making in America brings experts from across MIT to focus on a critical problem for the country.

MIT scientists, engineers, social scientists, and management experts visited more than 250 firms in the United States, Germany, and China. In companies across America—from big defense contractors to small machine shops and new technology start-ups—these experts tried to learn how we can rebuild the industrial landscape to sustain an innovative economy. At each stop, they asked this basic question: “When you have a new idea, how do you get it into the market?” They found gaping holes and missing pieces in the industrial ecosystem.

Even in an Internet-connected world, proximity to innovation and users matters for industry. Making in America describes ways to strengthen this connection, including public-private collaborations, new government-initiated manufacturing innovation institutes, and industry/community college projects. If we can learn from these ongoing experiments in linking innovation to production, American manufacturing could have a renaissance.
Neural signatures of vigilance decrements predict behavioural errors before they occur
Authors: Karimi-Rouzbahani Hamid , Woolgar Alexandra , Rich Anina N
Published: April 2021

There are many monitoring environments, such as railway control, in which lapses of attention can have tragic consequences. Problematically, sustained monitoring for rare targets is difficult, with more misses and longer reaction times over time. What changes in the brain underpin these ‘vigilance decrements’? We designed a multiple-object monitoring (MOM) paradigm to examine how the neural representation of information varied with target frequency and time performing the task. Behavioural performance decreased over time for the rare target (monitoring) condition, but not for a frequent target (active) condition. There was subtle evidence of this also in the neural decoding using Magnetoencephalography: for one time-window (of 80ms) coding of critical information declined more during monitoring versus active conditions. We developed new analyses that can predict behavioural errors from the neural data more than a second before they occurred. This facilitates pre-empting behavioural errors due to lapses in attention and provides new insight into the neural correlates of vigilance decrements.
Slowing the body slows down time perception
Authors: De Kock Rose , Zhou Weiwei , Joiner Wilsaan M , Wiener Martin
Published: April 2021

Interval timing is a fundamental component of action and is susceptible to motor-related temporal distortions. Previous studies have shown that concurrent movement biases temporal estimates, but have primarily considered self-modulated movement only. However, real-world encounters often include situations in which movement is restricted or perturbed by environmental factors. In the following experiments, we introduced viscous movement environments to externally modulate movement and investigated the resulting effects on temporal perception. In two separate tasks, participants timed auditory intervals while moving a robotic arm that randomly applied four levels of viscosity. Results demonstrated that higher viscosity led to shorter perceived durations. Using a drift-diffusion model and a Bayesian observer model, we confirmed these biasing effects arose from perceptual mechanisms, instead of biases in decision making. These findings suggest that environmental perturbations are an important factor in movement-related temporal distortions, and enhance the current understanding of the interactions of motor activity and cognitive processes.
Fännikultuuri loomine koroonakriisis Eesti ja Valgevene jalgpallijuhtumite näitel
Authors:   Department of Folkloristics, Estonian Literary Museum, Estonia, Fiadotava Anastasiya , Voolaid Piret ,   Department of Folkloristics, Estonian Literary Museum, Estonia,   Centre of Excellence in Estonian Studies
Published: April 2021

The comparative study analyses the relationship between sports culture and the COVID-19 crisis based on the case studies of fan groups in Estonia and Belarus. Sports and the COVID-19 pandemic are closely interconnected. In the Estonian case, the official analysis results testify that during the first COVID-19 wave in spring 2020 the most affected region in the country was Saaremaa Island, where the virus was literally blown into the air by fan bugles at the international volleyball competition held on 4–5 March 2020. Belarusian sports events did not have such dramatic repercussions, but there were also coronavirus hotbeds in several popular football clubs. The two countries had different approaches to sports events. In Estonia, as in most European countries, all sports competitions and games were banned from 12 March to 17 May 2020, during the state of emergency, but in Belarus, normal sports life continued (except in the cases when there was a COVID-19 hotbed in a sports club). While Estonian football fans were forced to stay home and wait for the games to continue, Belarusian fans, unlike the rest of the world, enjoyed championship games and stadium life. The unique situation in Belarus drew the attention of world football fans to Belarusian football. During the pandemic, most fan activities took place online, making social media the most appropriate environment for this joint study. In this article, we compare the activities of Estonian and Belarusian football clubs during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and analyse how fan activities continued on Facebook. We also describe the general situation in the field of sports during the pandemic. Our analysis shows that the pandemic not only changed the communication pattern between clubs and fans (from real life to the virtual world), but also affected the ratio of parasocial and social interaction. Despite the different situations in the two countries, there was a tendency for football players and club representatives to interact with fans more actively than usual. New forms of fandom required new creative solutions and ways of communicating, which involved humour, (audio)visual media and an emphasis on positive agenda.
Myeloid Sarcoma: Evaluation of Histopathology, Immunoprofile and Cytogenetics
Authors: Patra Sanjiban , Parikh Biren P , Kaur Kanwalpreet
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Myeloid Sarcoma (MS), an uncommon tumour of immature myeloid blasts at extramedullary sites can be diagnostically challenging, if it is present de novo, precedes Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) or Myeloproliferative Neoplasm (MPN). There are a few studies in literature with a substantial number of cases on clinicopathological, Immunophenotypic (IPT) and Immunohistochemical (IHC) characteristics of MS. Aim: This study was aimed to analyse myeloid sarcoma in Indian population according to the age, gender, site of involvement, differential diagnoses, IHC, IPT and cytogenetics and to add some to the existing knowledge. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted at Gujarat Cancer Research Institute, Ahmedabad, with a total of 38 patients, diagnosed over past three years (January 2017 to December 2019). Clinical, morphological, IHC, IPT and molecular data of those 38 patients were retrieved and analysed. Results: Out of 38 cases, 16 (42.1%) and 13 (34.2%) cases were previously diagnosed cases of AML and Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) respectively. Nine patients (23.7%) presented as de novo. Most common site was lymph node (12/38, 31%), followed by breast, vertebra and other unusual sites. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) (31/38, 81.5%), CD117(25/35, 71.4%), CD45 (21/23, 91.3%), CD43 (14/22, 63.6%), CD68 (12/28, 42.8%), CD34 (15/37, 40.5%), CD33 (14/14, 100%), CD13 (15/16, 93.7%), HLA-DR (11/12, 91.6%), CD99 (3/29, 10.3%) and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl Transferase (TdT) (1/9, 11.1%) were expressed by tumour cells. However, epithelial mesenchymal, B and T lymphoid markers were negative. The present study found inv(16) and t(8;21) in MS in known AML patients. Among the known CML patients, two had variant positive for t (9;22) {t (2;9;22) (p23;q34;q11.2)}. Conclusion: Results of present study depicts that considering MS in differential diagnosis in its de novo presentation is necessary to prevent wrong diagnosis and help early treatment of these patients.
Prevalence of Seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2 among Health Care Workers in Tertiary COVID-19 Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Authors: Makadia Jemil S , Gohel Mukesh G , Chakrabarti Chandan , Pethani Jayshree D
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Healthcare Workers (HCW) are at increased risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection due to occupational exposure to infected patients and contaminated surfaces. Aim: To determine the prevalence of seropositivity against SARS-CoV-2 among HCW in a tertiary COVID-19 designated hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1st July to 31st July, 2020 on 1333 HCWs. HCWs included doctors, nurses, lab personnel, general service assistants and ancillary staff who work in hospital. Anti SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies were measured in serum sample by chemiluminescent technique. Results: Prevalence of seropositivity was found in 27.76% (370 out of 1333). It was highest among general service assistant 34.76% (especially among house keeping staff, 43.44%) and lowest among doctors (19.33%). The percentage of seropositivity among asymptomatic HCWs was 24.84%. Conclusion: The percentage of seropositivity among asymptomatic HCWs indicates that a large amount of infection passes asymptomatically. The discrepancy between various job categories might be due to differential occupational exposure and risk, lack of awareness and seriousness regarding transmission and risk of getting infection, various demographic factors like literacy, residential environment, community prevalence etc.
Comparison of MGIT 960 with Lowenstein Jensen Media for Recovery of Mycobacteria from Extrapulmonary Specimens in Southern India
Authors: Thangavelu Kalpana , Jamir Imola , Ellappan Kalaiarasan , Krishnakumariamma Krishnapriya , Gopichand Pallam , Das Sindhusuta , Joseph Noyal Mariya
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Prevalence of Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis (EPTB) due to Mycobacteriumtuberculosis and Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) are on the rise especially in a developing country like India. Smear Microscopy (SM) is commonly used for detection of mycobacteria. Due to the paucibacillary nature in the extrapulmonary specimens SM pose a problem in detection. Though molecular methods are increasingly used now-a-days but there are possibilities that these reactions may get inhibited due to the presence of inhibitors in the extrapulmonary specimens. Aim: To compare Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tubes (MGIT 960) with Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) medium for the detection of mycobacteria. Materials and Methods: The current prospective study was conducted on 1879 extrapulmonary specimens collected from a tertiary care hospital during the study period from July 2018 to March 2020. Specimens were subjected to Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) staining and Auramine Phenol (AP) staining. Culture was done in both LJ media and MGIT 960 culture. Positive mycobacterial cultures were subjected to MPT64 Immunochromatographic Test (ICT). Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS®) for Windows® release 21.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: A total of 129 (6.9%) and 105 (5.6%) mycobacteria was isolated by MGIT 960 and by LJ culture respectively among 1879 extrapulmonary specimens. MGIT 960 identified 118 (91.5%) as Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and 11 (8.5%) as NTM among the total mycobacteria isolated. Out of 105 mycobacteria grown by LJ culture, 95 (90.5%) and 10 (9.5%) were identified as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and NTM, respectively. The rate of contamination associated with MGIT 960 and LJ culture was 4.6% and 4.3% respectively. The Time to Detection (TTD) was found to be significantly shorter for isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by MGIT 960 culture compared to LJ culture. Conclusion: In the current study, authors compared MGIT 960 with solid LJ culture for recovery of both Mycobacterium tuberculosisComplex and NTM from extrapulmonary specimens and authors found increased recovery by MGIT 960 compared to LJ culture and also shorter duration of detection for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by MGIT 960 with comparable contamination rates.
Histopathological Study of Lower Gastrointestinal Tract Biopsies in 600 Cases
Authors: Jasani Jasmin Haridas , Vora Shivani Bhaveshbhai , Patel Nidhi Amrutlal
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Broadly the whole gastrointestinal tract can be divided into upper and lower segments by taking the insertion of ligament of Treitz as a landmark. The disorders of Lower Gastrointestinal Tract (LGIT) are responsible for a great number of morbidity. The microscopic analysis and the determination of histological types are thus helpful in deciding treatment options, predicting prognosis and conducting epidemiological studies and research. Delay in diagnosis causes direct as well as distant metastasis leading to advanced stage of the disease. Aim: To emphasise the usefulness of LGIT biopsy in diagnosing the conditions, thus helping the surgeons to decide further management prior to resection, especially in malignant cases. Materials and Methods: An observational retrospective study of various LGIT biopsies sent for Histopathological Examination (HPE) at Pathology department of Sumandeep Vidyapeeth, Vadodara, Gujarat, India was carried out. The study was based on the HPE of lesions received in the duration from June 2019 to September 2020. In this study, the records of LGIT specimens including small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus were included. Due importance was paid to brief clinical history with patient’s age, inpatient number and presenting signs and symptoms. A total of 600 specimens were analysed. Results: Non-neoplastic lesions were more common than neoplastic lesions cases out of the total 600 cases. Lesions were more common in 2nd to 5th decades with male preponderance. Among non-neoplastic lesions, majority of non-neoplastic lesion were of appendiceal lesion (247) followed by non-specific inflammation (138). Out of 30 neoplastic lesions; most common were of adenocarcinoma (15 cases). Conclusion: A wide variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions were diagnosed in the present study. In small intestine, non-neoplastic lesions were common while most of the malignant lesions were common in large intestine. The most common non-neoplastic lesion was appendicitis followed by non-specific inflammation and the most common neoplastic lesion was adenocarcinoma.
A Sneak Peek into COVID-19 Vaccines-Present Status
Authors: Gurajala Swathi
Published: April 2021

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has taken a toll on all of us for one year with more than 1.94 million deaths. Despite many educational interventions and precautionary measures, there is increasing number of cases with rising mortality. The only ray of hope in this uncertain situation is the development of “vaccines” against the disease. Several pharmaceutical companies across the world have started vaccine production which are in different phases of clinical trials. Till date only four vaccines, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Gamaleya Sputnik V, have completed the Phase 3 trials, received Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) and two Indian vaccines-COVISHIELD and COVAXINTM have received restricted use approval and are ready to be given according to the priority list given by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Several countries have started the process of vaccination to their high risk population above the age of 16. In this review, authors have listed the various vaccine options available till the time this article is written, their route of administration, dosage with few concerns related to the storage and safety of the vaccine. Let’s hope that atleast one of the vaccines in the pipeline will give promising results and help us to overcome the pandemic.
The Effect Work-Family Conflict, Organizational Justice, Job Stress on Organizational Citizenship Behavior Mediating by Supervisor Trust
Authors: Ulfa Cindy Shafira , Siwi Telly P. Ulviana
Published: April 2021

The low quality of human resources will be a problem for a company. On the other hand, a successful company requires employees who are willing to do more work than their formal duties to achieve company goals more effectively and efficiently. This behavior is called organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). This study aims to determine the effect of work-family conflict, organizational justice, job stress on organizational citizenship behavior mediated by supervisor trust. The research sample is determined by non-probability sampling which takes 100 employees of private banking companies. The validity test shows that all questionnaire questions are valid with an outer loading score of (p=0.6). Based on the results of the calculation of the validity assisted by SmartPLS, it shows that all instruments meet the valid requirements with AVE (p=0.5). Based on the data above, the results of the Cronbach Alpha and composite reliability test results show that all data are said to be reliable with a score (p=0.5). The results showed that work-family conflict had no effect on organizational citizenship behavior with a p-value 0.48 more than (p=0.05). Job stress has no effect on organizational citizenship behavior with a p-value score 0.71 more than (p=0.05), organizational justice affects organizational citizenship behavior with a p-value score 0.00 less than (p=0.05), supervisor trust has a positive effect on organizational citizenship behavior with a p-value score 0.00 less than (p=0.05), work-family conflict has no effect on organizational citizenship behavior mediated by supervisor trust with a p-value score 0.31 more than (p=0.05), organizational justice has a positive effect on organizational citizenship behavior mediated by supervisor trust with a p-value score 0.00 less than (p=0.05), organizational justice has an effect on organizational citizenship behavior mediated by supervisor trust with a p-value score 0.00 less than (p=0.05) and a negative beta score resulting in the direction of the relationship which is significant negative. Work-family conflict, organizational justice, job stress, supervisor trust have an effect on organizational citizenship behavior by 73.2%. Researchers can give are that further research can be carried out in different areas.
Demographic Predictors of Cultural Practices Regarding Female Genital Mutilation among Married Women in Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Authors: Omaka-Amari Lois N. , Obande-Ogbuinya Edith N. , Aleke Christian O. , Eunice Afoke N. , Nwafor Jude N. , Nwankwo Onyechi , Igwenyi Precious I.
Published: April 2021

Background: Peoples’ life and quality of health are usually dependent on the cultural practices and norms of the community.

Objectives: This study investigated Female Genital Mutilation Practices and Associated Factors among Married Women in the Ebonyi State of Nigeria.

Methods: The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted from August 2019 to January 2020.  Out of 260 questionnaires distributed, only 7 copies were discarded and a total of 253 women were drawn for the study through multi-stage sampling technique. Frequency, percentage, and logistics regression were the statistical tools used for data analysis.

Results: The majority of the participants: aged 25-34 years (37.9%); Christians (76.3%); urban dwellers (50.2%); had tertiary education (36.4%); had 3-4 children (32.0%); and were in business (29.2%) respectively. The cultural practices regarding FGM among married women in Ebonyi State were high (60.5%). Also, the majority of the participants (67.7%) were circumcised. Age by birth, religious affiliation, location, level of education, number of children, and occupation were predictors of the cultural practice of FGM with obvious variations. There is no significant difference existed with respect to religious affiliation, level of education, number of children, and occupation (P-value>0.05) while the difference was observed on the age by birth and location (P-value<0.05).

Conclusion: The high cultural practice of FGM is influenced by certain demographic predictors. Thus, there is a need for the Ebonyi State government in collaboration with other health agencies to adopt effective interventions, public health enlightenment, and mass education focusing on the negative consequences of FGM practices.
ANALISA PENGARUH PERCEIVED EASE OF USE TERHADAP BEHAVIOR INTENTION MELALUI PERCEIVED USEFULNESS SEBAGAI MEDIA INTERVENING PADA DIGITAL PAYMENT OVO
Authors: Muliadi Michaela Louisa , Japarianto Edwin
Published: April 2021

Kemajuan teknologi serta informasi membuat segala sesuatu menjadi lebih mudah untuk dilakukan sehingga menyebabkan adanya perubahan gaya hidup masyarakat. Salah satu penerapan perkembangan teknologi yang terjadi di Indonesia yaitu munculnya perusahaan FinTech (financial technology) yang telah menciptakan metode pembayaran baru yaitu melalui E-Wallet.  Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh dari perceived ease of use terhadap behavior intention dengan perceived usefulness sebagai variabel intervening pada E-Wallet OVO. Hasil dari penelitian ini membuktikkan bahwa kemudahan serta manfaat yang dirasakan individu dalam menggunakan teknologi informasi akan memicu timbulnya niat individu untuk menggunakan teknologi informasi tersebut.
PENGARUH SELF-ACTUALIZATION DAN GAYA HIDUP HANGOUT TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN DI KEDAI KOPI KEKINIAN PADA GENERASI MILENIAL SURABAYA
Authors: Widiyanti Diyah , Harti Harti
Published: April 2021

Penelitian Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh self-actualization dan gaya hidup hangout terhadap keputusan pembelian di kedai kopi kekinian pada generasi milenial Surabaya. Jenis penelitian yang dipakai adalah kuantitatif melalui pendekatan asosiatif. Teknik pengambilan sampel yakni non probability sampling dengan menggunakan 210 responden yaitu konsumen yang sudah melakukan pembelian di kedai kopi kekinian minimal 1 kali. Teknik pengumpulan data memakai kuesioner pada googleform dengan skala likert 1-4 dengan jumlah 21 item pernyataan. Setelah data terkumpul kemudian melakukan teknik analisis data. Teknik analisis data memakai regresi linier berganda melalui bantuan SPSS 23.0. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwasanya variabel Self-Actualization (X1) mempunyai pengaruh signifikan terhadap keputusan pembelian. Gaya hidup hangout (X2) mempunyai pengaruh signifikan terhadap keputusan pembelian. Self-Actualization dan gaya hidup hangout mempunyai pengaruh secara simultan terhadap keputusan pembelian di kedai kopi kekinian pada generasi milenial Surabaya.
Treatment planning of volumetric modulated arc therapy and positioning optimization for hippocampal‐avoidance prophylactic cranial irradiation
Authors: Fu Qi , Chen Deqi , Yan Hui , Chen Jiayun , Zhu Ji , Yan Lingling , Xu Yingjie , Deng Lei , Men Kuo , Dai Jianrong
Published: April 2021

Background

Hippocampal‐avoidance prophylactic cranial irradiation (HA‐PCI) offers potential neurocognitive benefits but raises technical challenges to treatment planning. This study aims to improve the conventional planning method using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique and investigate a better patient’s head positioning to achieve a high quality of HA‐PCI treatment plans.

Methods

The improved planning method set a wide expansion of hippocampus as a special region for dose decline. The whole brain target was divided into two parts according to whether the slice included hippocampus and their optimization objectives were set separately. Four coplanar full arcs with partial field sizes were employed to deliver radiation dose to different parts of the target. The collimator angle for all arcs was 90°. Tilting patient’s head was achieved by rotating CT images. The improved planning method and tilted head positioning were verified using datasets from 16 patients previously treated with HA‐PCI using helical tomotherapy (HT).

Results

For the improved VMAT plans, the max and mean doses to hippocampus were 7.88 Gy and 6.32 Gy, respectively, significantly lower than those for the conventional VMAT plans (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the improved planning method significantly improved the plan quality. Compared to the HT plans, the improved VMAT plans result in similar mean dose to hippocampus (P > 0.1) but lower max dose (P < 0.02). Besides, the target coverage was the highest for the improved VMAT plans. The tilted head positioning further reduced the max and mean doses to hippocampus (P < 0.05), significantly decreased the max dose to lens (P < 0.001) and resulted in higher plan quality as compared to nontilted head positioning.

Conclusions

The improved planning method enables the VMAT plans to meet the clinical requirements of HA‐PCI treatment with high plan quality and convenience. The tilted head positioning provides superior dosimetric advantages over the nontilted head positioning, which is recommended for clinical application.
Progresses on Novel B‐Site Perovskite Nanocrystals
Authors: Lin Weixi , Hu Xiaowen , Mo Liyi , Jiang Xiaofang , Xing Xiaobo , Shui Lingling , Priya Shashank , Wang Kai , Zhou Guofu
Published: April 2021

Halide perovskite materials have emerged as a new type of optoelectronic materials serving as key active layer for next‐generation photovoltaics, light‐emitting diodes, lasers, and photodetectors. Manipulating the crystal size toward the so‐called perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) will endow new properties due to quantum confinement and ligand effect. However, like their bulk crystalline film, the lead toxicity is still one of decisive concerns that holds‐back their public acceptance. Design of lead‐free (LF) PNCs requires efforts on replacing the B‐site element with other metal candidates from the periodic table. In the past half‐decade, hundreds of new LF PNCs have been developed with various sizes, subdimensionalities, ligands, and electron/quantum confinements, as well as wide applications. Although the lead‐based perovskites still dominate the ongoing research fields, the LF PNCs can have a large potential if novel nonlead B‐site element is introduced to render new type of LF PNCs material that is more stable, less toxic, and more efficient in device performance. In this review, recent progresses on the LF PNCs are revisited to seek these opportunities. The paper is organized in subtopics on material structures, synthesis, properties, and their state‐of‐the‐art applications of different LF PNCs, coupled with an in‐depth discussion on the perspectives and challenges.
Europium Hydroxide Nanorods Mitigate Hind Limb Ischemia in Wistar Rats
Authors: Nethi Susheel Kumar , Barui Ayan Kumar , Jhelum Priya , Basuthakur Papia , Bollu Vishnu Sravan , Reddy Bommana Raghunath , Chakravarty Sumana , Patra Chitta Ranjan
Published: April 2021

Lack of adequate blood supply to the limb extremities results in critical limb ischemia (CLI) and subsequent tissue death. Conventional approaches for CLI treatment include bypass surgery and angioplasty, which achieved limited clinical success due to their complex invasiveness. Of late, growth factor and cell‐based therapies emerged as alternative treatment strategies for CLI. However, these strategies could not achieve much success due to the associated drawbacks. Earlier, this study group develops europium hydroxide nanorods (EHN) which demonstrates potential proangiogenic (stimulating new blood vessel growth) properties. Recently it is shown that EHN could ameliorate the myocardial ischemia in Wistar rats by promoting therapeutic angiogenesis and mitigate cadmium‐induced vascular toxicity. Considering the importance of revascularization in managing CLI, it is hypothesized that the proangiogenic EHN might be useful for its effective treatment. Hence, in the present study, the therapeutic efficacy of EHN is comprehensively evaluated in the hind limb ischemia model of Wistar rats. The EHN‐administered ischemic rats exhibit improved motility, enhanced blood flow to the ischemic limb along with increased expression of angiogenic factors. Additionally, toxicity and pharmacokinetic studies of EHN in mice demonstrate their nontoxic nature, suggesting the feasibility of their practical clinical application for CLI treatment.
Molecular and Macroscopic Therapeutic Systems for Cytokine‐Based Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Jin Seung Mo , Lee Sang Nam , Yoo Yeon Jeong , Lim Yong Taik
Published: April 2021

Cytokines are proteins that mediate and regulate inflammation and immune responses in the body. While several cytokines have been investigated as antitumor agents in multiple clinical trials due to their potent immunomodulatory activities, the unfavorable pharmacokinetics of recombinant cytokines resulted in substantial side effects and a low therapeutic index. Because these factors have hampered the further development of cytokine‐based immunotherapy, bioengineered technologies that can enhance therapeutic efficacy and lower systemic toxicities are in high demand. In this review, the molecular modification of cytokines and delivery system for the spatiotemporal distribution of exogenous cytokines as well as macroscopic delivery systems for endogenous cytokine production based on gene therapy and immunomodulator‐mediated therapy will be discussed.
Photodynamic‐Chemodynamic Cascade Reactions for Efficient Drug Delivery and Enhanced Combination Therapy
Authors: Wang Sheng , Yu Guocan , Yang Weijing , Wang Zhantong , Jacobson Orit , Tian Rui , Deng Hongzhang , Lin Lisen , Chen Xiaoyuan
Published: April 2021

Nanomedicines with photodynamic therapy and reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐triggered drug release capabilities are promising for cancer therapy. However, most of the nanomedicines based on ROS‐responsive nanocarriers still suffer from serious ROS consumption during the triggered drug release process. Herein, a photodynamic‐chemodynamic cascade strategy for the design of drug delivery nanosystem is proposed. A doxorubicin hydrochloride‐loaded ROS‐responsive polymersome (DOX‐RPS) is prepared via the self‐assembly of amphiphilic poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(linoleic acid) and poly(ethylene glycol)‐(2‐(1‐hexyloxyethyl)‐2‐devinyl pyropheophorbide‐α)‐iron chelate (PEG‐HPPH‐Fe). The RPS can effectively deliver a drug to tumor site through passive targeting effect. Upon laser irradiation, the photosensitizer HPPH can efficiently generate ROS, which further causes in situ oxidation of linoleic acid chain and subsequent RPS structural destruction, permitting triggered drug release. Intriguingly, catalyzed by HPPH‐Fe, ROS will be regenerated from linoleic acid peroxide through a chemodynamic process. Therefore, ROS‐triggered drug release can be achieved without ROS over‐consumption. The in vitro and in vivo results confirmed ROS generation, triggered drug release behavior, and potent antitumor effect of the DOX‐RPS. This photodynamic‐chemodynamic cascade strategy provides a promising approach for enhanced combination therapy.
Deionization shocks in crossflow
Authors: Schlumpberger Sven , Smith Raymond B. , Tian Huanhuan , Mani Ali , Bazant Martin Z.
Published: April 2021

Shock electrodialysis is a recently developed electrochemical water treatment method that shows promise for water deionization and ionic separations. Although simple models and scaling laws have been proposed, a predictive theory has not yet emerged to fit experimental data and enable system design. Here, we extend and analyze existing “leaky membrane” models for the canonical case of a steady shock in crossflow, as in recent experimental prototypes. Two‐dimensional numerical solutions are compared with analytical boundary‐layer approximations and experimental data. The boundary‐layer theory accurately reproduces the simulation results for desalination, and both models predict the data collapse of the desalination factor with dimensionless current, scaled to the incoming convective flux of cations. The numerical simulation also predicts the water recovery increase with current. Nevertheless, neither approach can quantitatively fit the transition from normal to over‐limiting current, which suggests gaps in our understanding of extreme electrokinetic phenomena in porous media.
Group A streptococcal antigen exposed rat model to investigate neurobehavioral and cardiac complications associated with post‐streptococcal autoimmune sequelae
Authors: Rafeek Rukshan A. M. , Lobbe Catherine M. , Wilkinson Ethan C. , Hamlin Adam S. , Andronicos Nicholas M. , McMillan David J. , Sriprakash Kadaba S. , Ketheesan Natkunam
Published: April 2021

Background

The neuropsychiatric disorders due to post‐streptococcal autoimmune complications such as Sydenham's chorea (SC) are associated with acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (ARF/RHD). An animal model that exhibits characteristics of both cardiac and neurobehavioral defects in ARF/RHD would be an important adjunct for future studies. Since age, gender, strain differences, and genotypes impact on the development of autoimmunity, we investigated the behavior of male and female Wistar and Lewis rat strains in two age cohorts (<6 weeks and >12 weeks) under normal husbandry conditions and following exposure to group A streptococcus (GAS).

Methods

Standard behavioral assessments were performed to determine the impairments in fine motor control (food manipulation test), gait and balance (beam walking test), and obsessive‐compulsive behavior (grooming and marble burying tests). Furthermore, electrocardiography, histology, and behavioral assessments were performed on male and female Lewis rats injected with GAS antigens.

Results

For control Lewis rats there were no significant age and gender dependent differences in marble burying, food manipulation, beam walking and grooming behaviors. In contrast significant age‐dependent differences were observed in Wistar rats in all the behavioral tests except for food manipulation. Therefore, Lewis rats were selected for further experiments to determine the effect of GAS. After exposure to GAS, Lewis rats demonstrated neurobehavioral abnormalities and cardiac pathology akin to SC and ARF/RHD, respectively.

Conclusion

We have characterised a new model that provides longitudinal stability of age‐dependent behavior, to simultaneously investigate both neurobehavioral and cardiac abnormalities associated with post‐streptococcal complications.
Substituted Dihydropyridine Synthesis by Dearomatization of Pyridines
Authors: Heusler Arne , Fliege Julian , Wagener Tobias , Glorius Frank
Published: April 2021

Dearomatization is an effective method to transform readily available N‐heterocycles into partially saturated motifs. Manipulation of dihydro‐derivatives holds great potential and provides access to a variety of semi‐saturated N‐heterocyclic building blocks. However, current strategies are limited in scope and the use of sensitive reagents restricts the applicability in synthetic laboratories. Herein, we report the synthesis of a broad variety of N‐substituted 1,4‐ and 1,2‐dihydropyridines by very mild and selective reduction with amine borane for the first time.
Electrospun polylactic acid nanofiber membranes containing Capparis spinosa L. extracts for potential wound dressing applications
Authors: Zhu Peng , Zhang Xingqun , Wang Yunlong , Li Changen , Wang Xianzhu , Tie Jiancheng , Wang Ying
Published: April 2021

Capparis spinosa L. (CSL) is a medicinal plant with high antibacterial activity against a variety of pathogens and antioxidation properties. In this paper, for the first time, nanofiber membranes of polylactic acid (PLA) containing 0, 4, 7,and 10 wt% CSL ethyl acetate extract were fabricated by electrospinning. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the fiber diameter decreased after adding CSL to the PLA nanofibers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that CSL was successfully incorporated in the matrix. The water contact angle test proved that the addition of CSL improved the hydrophilic properties of the material. Moreover, the addition of CSL improved the oxidation resistance of the composite fiber membrane. A burst drug release from the composite nanofibers occurred within the first 12 hr, followed by slow release over a prolonged period of time. As the concentration of CSL increased, the inhibition ability of nanofibers against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) gradually increased. In summary, due to their good mechanical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties, CSL/PLA nanofiber membranes may possess potential applications as wound dressing materials.
Synthesis and application of an environmental epoxy plasticizer with phthalate‐like structure based on tung oil and cardanol for poly(vinyl chloride)
Authors: Song Fei , Huang Caoxing , Zhu Xinbao , Liu Chengguo , Zhou Yonghong , Jia Puyou
Published: April 2021

An epoxidized cardanol tungoleate (ECT) based on tung oil and cardanol was synthesized through esterification and epoxidation. The chemical structure of the compound was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR). The plasticizing effects of ECT as the main plasticizer in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was studied and compared with the commercial plasticizer dioctyl phthalate (DOP). The thermal migration stabilities, the thermal degradation process and the mechanical properties of PVC samples and the plasticization mechanism of ECT for PVC were investigated through the use of volatility, extraction, discoloration, and tensile tests as well as thermal gravity analysis (TGA), TGA–FTIR analysis, electronic universal testing machine and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Compared with DOP, the ECT plasticized PVC can exhibits better thermal stability, more excellent tensile strength (17.28 MPa) and higher stretchability (629.41%), which is 1161% higher than DOP (1.37 MPa) plasticized PVC film. In addition, the migration resistance and volatility stability of ECT are much better than DOP. Therefore, this fully bio‐based plasticizer based on tung oil and cardanol is a promising alternative plasticizer for PVC and may be an excellent phthalate substitute from the perspective of human health and sustainable development.
Synthesis and evaluating of carbon nanoallotrope‐biomacromolecule gel composites as drug delivery systems
Authors: Basta Altaf H. , Lotfy Vivian F.
Published: April 2021

This work was done to assess the role of precursors (agro and graphite) on performance of carbon nanoallotropes‐biomacromolecules composite as drug delivery for controlling the release of niacin. In this respect graphene oxide and bagasse‐based carbon oxide were synthesized and chelated with chitosan (Cs‐GO and Cs‐Co). These gel composites were characterized by many techniques [morphology, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, swelling, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading (L) % of niacin. Another series of experiments was carried out for studying the role of replacing part of carbon nanoallotrope by carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) on performance of produced drug carries, these systems were coded as Cs‐GO‐CMC and Cs‐Co‐CMC. The data showed that, the Cs‐GO gel composite provided maximum release of NA, at 5 h, for pH's simulated gastric and intestinal fluids; pH. 2.1 and pH 7.4 (1120 mg/L and 757 mg/L). The incorporation of CMC is not acceptable as it provided low drug release together with burst release of NA‐drug, and consequently possible caused tissue irritation or toxicity in the human body. The Cs‐GO and Cs‐CO systems with relatively low drug loading were recommended for their better controllability system to NA release, which prolonging benefit of human with niacin. The NA release from all investigated gels followed Fickian and non‐Fickian diffusion mechanisms.
A new, simple, highly scalable, and efficient protocol for genomic DNA extraction from diverse plant taxa
Authors: Mavrodiev Evgeny V. , Dervinis Christopher , Whitten William Mark , Gitzendanner Matthew A. , Kirst Matias , Kim Sangtae , Kinser Taliesin J. , Soltis Pamela S. , Soltis Douglas E.
Published: April 2021

Premise

Commonly used molecular techniques such as next‐generation sequencing require reliable methods to extract DNA quickly and efficiently. Secondary compounds within plant tissues make this requirement all the more challenging, often forcing researchers to test different extraction methods tailored to their particular species of interest in order to obtain large amounts of high‐quality genomic DNA. The opportunities provided by high‐throughput, next‐generation sequencing only exacerbate these problems, especially when trying to extract DNA from multiple species at the same time. Several methods have attempted to resolve the challenges of obtaining suitable DNA from plants; however, a rapid, high‐yield, high‐quality, and highly scalable DNA extraction method is still needed.

Methods and Results

We present a rapid DNA extraction protocol that utilizes a buffer with relatively large amounts of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium chloride, combined with a silica maxi‐column cleanup of the extracted DNA. The new method is easy to implement using standard equipment and inexpensive reagents. The entire procedure (from grinding to the final elution) can be completed in less than two hours for a single sample and can be easily scaled to meet desired research goals. It works on diverse green plants with highly varied secondary chemistries (e.g., ferns, gymnosperms, and phylogenetically divergent angiosperms).

Conclusions

Application of the protocol to various plant species yielded DNA of high quality in less than two hours and can be adjusted to extract DNA at large (maxi‐preps) or small (96‐well minipreps) scales. We anticipate that our method will be of wide utility for rapidly isolating large quantities of quality genomic DNA from diverse plant species and will have broad applications in phylogenetic studies utilizing PCR and short‐read DNA sequencing.