bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Klotho Deficiency Causes Heart Aging via Impairing the Nrf2-GR Pathway
Authors: Chen Kai , Wang Shirley , Sun Qiwei Wilton , Zhang Bo , Ullah Mujib , Sun Zhongjie
Published: December 2020

Rationale:

Cardiac aging is an important contributing factor for heart failure, which affects a large population but remains poorly understood.

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether Klotho plays a role in cardiac aging.

Methods and Results:

Heart function declined in old mice (24 months), as evidenced by decreases in fractional shortening, ejection fraction, and cardiac output. Heart size and weight, cardiomyocyte size, and cardiac fibrosis were increased in old mice, indicating that aging causes cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling. Circulating Klotho levels were dramatically decreased in old mice, which prompted us to investigate whether the Klotho decline may cause heart aging. We found that
Klotho
gene mutation (KL−/−) largely decreased serum klotho levels and impaired heart function. Interestingly, supplement of exogenous secreted Klotho prevented heart failure, hypertrophy, and remodeling in both old mice and KL (−/−) mice. Secreted Klotho treatment inhibited excessive cardiac oxidative stress, senescence and apoptosis in old mice and KL (−/−) mice. Serum phosphate levels in KL (−/−) mice were kept in the normal range, suggesting that Klotho deficiency-induced heart aging is independent of phosphate metabolism. Mechanistically, Klotho deficiency suppressed GR (glutathione reductase) expression and activity in the heart via inhibition of transcription factor Nrf2 (nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2). Furthermore, cardiac-specific overexpression of GR prevented excessive oxidative stress, apoptosis, and heart failure in both old and KL (−/−) mice.

Conclusions:

Klotho deficiency causes cardiac aging via impairing the Nrf2-GR pathway. Supplement of exogenous secreted Klotho represents a promising therapeutic strategy for aging-associated cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Estimation of the measurement uncertainty and practical suggestion for the description of the metrological traceability in clinical laboratories
Authors: Rigo-Bonnin Raúl , Díaz-Troyano Noelia , García-Tejada Laura , Marcè-Galindo Albert , Valbuena-Asensio Míriam , Canalias Francesca
Published: December 2020

Clinicians request a large part of measurements of biological quantities that clinical laboratories perform for diagnostic, prognostic or diseases monitoring purposes. Thus, laboratories need to provide patient’s results as reliable as possible. Metrological concepts like measurement uncertainty and metrological traceability allow to know the accuracy of these results and guarantee their comparability over time and space. Such is the importance of these two parameters that the estimation of measurement uncertainty and the knowledge of metrological traceability is required for clinical laboratories accredited by ISO 15189:2012. Despite there are many publications or guidelines to estimate the measurement uncertainty in clinical laboratories, it is not entirely clear what information and which formulae they should use to calculate it. On the other hand, unfortunately, there are a small number of clinical laboratories that know and describe the metrological traceability of their results, even though they are aware of the lack of comparability that currently exists for patient’s results. Thus, to try to facilitate the task of clinical laboratories, this review aims to provide a proposal to estimate the measurement uncertainty. Also, different suggestions are shown to describe the metrological traceability. Measurement uncertainty estimation is partially based on the ISO/TS 20914:2019 guideline, and the metrological traceability described using the ISO 17511:2020. Different biological quantities routinely measured in clinical laboratories are used to exemplify the proposal and suggestions.
Utilization of biological variation data in the interpretation of laboratory test results – survey about clinicians’ opinion and knowledge
Authors: Emre Humeyra Ozturk , Ozturk Ozlem Goruroglu , Coskun Abdurrahman , Yucel Dogan , Yazici Cevat , Serteser Mustafa , Senes Mehmet , Deniz Levent , Arslan Fatma Demet , Cubukcu Hikmet Can , Ucar Fatma , Sezer Ebru Demirel , Coskun Cihan , Karpuzoglu Fatma Hande
Published: December 2020

Introduction: To interpret test results correctly, understanding of the variations that affect test results is essential. The aim of this study is: 1) to
evaluate the clinicians’ knowledge and opinion concerning biological variation (BV), and 2) to investigate if clinicians use BV in the interpretation of
test results.
Materials and methods: This study uses a questionnaire comprising open-ended and close-ended questions. Questions were selected from the
real-life numerical examples of interpretation of test results, the knowledge about main sources of variations in laboratories and the opinion of
clinicians on BV. A total of 399 clinicians were interviewed, and the answers were evaluated using a scoring system ranked from A (clinician has the
highest level of knowledge and the ability of using BV data) to D (clinician has no knowledge about variations in laboratory). The results were presented
as number (N) and percentage (%).
Results: Altogether, 60.4% of clinicians have knowledge of pre-analytical and analytical variations; but only 3.5% of them have knowledge related
to BV. The number of clinicians using BV data or reference change value (RCV) to interpret measurements results was zero, while 79.4% of clinicians
accepted that the difference between two measurements results located within the reference interval may be significant.
Conclusions: Clinicians do not use BV data or tools derived from BV such as RCV to interpret test results. It is recommended that BV should be included
in the medical school curriculum, and clinicians should be encouraged to use BV data for safe and valid interpretation of test results.
Pre-amplification as a method for improvement of quantitative RT-PCR analysis of circulating miRNAs
Authors: Sekovanić Ankica , Pašalić Daria , Orct Tatjana , Piasek Martina , Mioč Tatjana , Stasenko Sandra , Kovačić Jelena , Jurasović Jasna , Dorotić Adrijana
Published: December 2020

Introduction: The assessment of circulating miRNAs is challenging and still limited due to their low concentrations, small size and lack of reference
values in human biological samples. Pre-amplification of complementary DNAs may facilitate reliable miRNA quantification. The aim of our study
was to evaluate the efficacy of pre-amplification as a step to increase the sensitivity of qPCR analysis for five candidate circulating miRNAs presumably
related to toxic metals and cigarette smoke exposure: miR-1537, miR-190b, miR-16, miR-21, and miR-146a.
Materials and methods: Candidate miRNAs expression was analysed in plasma samples of 19 mother-newborn pairs. For isolation, transcription,
pre-amplification and qPCR quantification kits and protocols by Qiagen (Hilden, Germany) were used. Paired t-test or Wilcoxon rank test were used
to compare miRNAs expression levels with and without a pre-amplification step prior to qPCR, separately in maternal and cord plasma. Intraclass
correlation (ICC) was calculated as an agreement measure between procedures for each miRNA.
Results: Pre-amplification facilitated the detection of all assayed miRNAs with an overall cycle threshold (CT) improvement of 6.6 ± 0.89 (P < 0.05).
Excellent ICCs (> 0.90) were found between data for preamplified and not preamplified miR-16, miR-21 and miR-146a. However, these correlations
for low expressed miR-190b were moderate (0.79 in maternal; 0.61 in cord plasma) and poor for miR-1537 (0.49 in maternal; no correlation in cord
plasma).
Conclusion: Pre-amplification is a useful, necessary step in the analysis of miR-1537 and miR-190b as a reliable procedure facilitating extracellular
miRNA expression detection in human plasma by real-time PCR quantification.
Reexamining Threat Perception in Early Cold War Japan
Authors: Oren Eitan , Brummer Matthew
Published: December 2020

This article discusses whether Japanese military and political elites perceived the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China (PRC) as threats during the Cold War. Realist scholars have argued that Japan's security alliance with the United States and the global balance of power were such that most Japanese officials did not perceive either of the Communist giants as a serious military threat. Reaching a similar conclusion but for starkly different reasons, constructivist scholars have argued that cultural, normative, and identity factors explain why Japanese elites did not perceive the Soviet Union or China as militarily threatening. Neither of these arguments holds up. Archival data and oral history collections from Japan's Self-Defense Force and National Diet Library reveal that Japan's defense establishment and political leaders perceived both the Soviet Union and the PRC as extremely threatening and that these perceptions fluctuated in intensity over time, across sectors, and among actors. Psychological factors, including affect, behavioral tendencies, and cognitive beliefs (the ABC model), may better explain why Japanese judged the intensity and source of perceived threats in the manner that they did. These findings underscore why threat perception in the international system is best evaluated by aggregating individual judgments and their distribution among larger groups.
Reconstructing Brutus’ De Virtute: Consolation and Antiochean Fundamentalism
Authors: Osorio Peter
Published: December 2020

Brutus’ De virtute, a lost work that had important but overlooked influence on Cicero’s ethical dialogues, is more dependent on Antiochus’ ethics than has been recognized. In reviewing the sources for De virtute (collected in an appendix), I arrive at a conception of Brutus’ work as a consolation written in a fundamentalist—rather than ecumenical—mode that focalizes its arguments and commonplaces from the perspective of Antiochus’ philosophical system. This conception is supported by the only other testimony for Brutus’ consolatory writing.
School Bullying Among Peers, Human Rights and the State’s Duty to Protect: The Case of Spain
Authors: Casla Koldo
Published: December 2020

Bullying among peers prevents children from enjoying their human rights in schools without the threat of aggression, harassment and discrimination. However, the States’ duty to protect children from bullying remains loudly unexplored both in academia and in human rights practice. This article begins to fill a gap by articulating the States’ duty to protect children from physical, psychological or relational aggression caused by other children in an educational setting beyond a punitive or individualistic perspective. This is the first study to operationalise the States’ duty to protect children from bullying by examining the reliability of reporting mechanisms, the accuracy and disaggregation of data, and the quality of training for education professionals and future teachers in a country, in this case, Spain. The analysis relies on rigorous empirical research with focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 139 people in three Spanish regions, including parents, children, academics, bullying survivors and education professionals.
Defending Democracy and the Rule of Law in the Era of Post-Enlargement
Authors: Schmalenbach Kirsten
Published: December 2020

This contribution critically analyses the four limbs of the EU’s defence mechanism upholding the rule of law within the Union. The first being the individual post accession rule of law mechanism, introduced by the Commission in 2006 for the two new member states Bulgaria and Rumania. The second, and arguably most powerful limb, involves the EU Court of Justice conducting a judicial review of a member state’s rule of law situation, which is of far greater concern for reviewed members than the so-called “nuclear” last-resort option of Art. 7 teu ’s sanction mechanism (fourth limb) that is politically difficult to enact. With a view to the politically fraught Art. 7 teu, the Commission introduced a new “early warning” rule of law framework in 2014 which pre-emptively enables exploring dialogue-based solutions to rule-of law issues as they emerge (third limb).
Description of the larva of Leptagrion dispar Selys, 1876 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) with notes on distribution and ecology of the specie
Authors: SANTOS LAÍS RODRIGUES , RIBEIRO CINTIA , MARIANO RODOLFO , RODRIGUES MARCIEL ELIO
Published: December 2020

The genus Leptagrion Selys, 1876 comprises 17 described species. Of these species, only eight have their immature stage described. In this work, we describe the last instar larva of Leptagrion dispar Selys, 1876. The specimens were collected in areas of Atlantic Forest in three municipalities of the southern region of Bahia, Brazil, in phytotelmata habitats of bromeliads. Larvae were described based on the characteristics of the preserved F-0 larvae and exuviae of the emerged specimens in the laboratory. We added information about the habitats where the specimens were found. We extended occurrence records to other regions of the state of Bahia and presented a comparative table with morphological characteristics of all Leptagrion larvae already described.
Expression X: Emotion Based Music Recommendation System
Authors: Manoj Kumar M. V. , Prashanth B. S. , Sarah Syeda , Kashif Md. , Sneha H. R.
Published: December 2020

This Paper proposes method to recommend a set of songs based on the facial emotion state of the user. Emotion state of the user is detected with the help of google mobile vision SDK. The detected emotion state is fed to Expression-X algorithm that would sort the music (based on emotion
value is keyed in) and generates a playlist which suites the emotion state of user. Since emotions are calculated based on the facial expression of a user, achieving 100% accuracy is undoubtedly hard as everyone has their own way of expressing emotions facially, with repetitive testing we
have achieved 70–75% success rate in detecting the rite emotion state of the user, and generating the suitable set of song recommendation.
Machine Learning Based Coronary Artery Disease Prediction
Authors: Bhavani A. C. , Aditya Shastry K. , Deepika K. , Shanbag Nithya N. , Akshatha G. C.
Published: December 2020

The world health organization (WHO) has assessed that the death of around 12 million people across the globe is observed each year because of diseases related to cardiovascular. The dangers associated with the cardiovascular disease can be identified effectively using machine learning
techniques. As per survey, around 30% of the patient suffers no symptoms during heart attacks. But the bloodstream contains unique indications of the attack for days. The medical diagnosis of a patient remains a complex task due to several factors. The accurate medical diagnosis of a patient’s
heart disease is critical as it significantly leads to the saving of millions of human lives. In this regard, the automation of the medical diagnosis is significant. The goal of this work is the development of a system for predicting the disease related to coronary artery in a patient with
high accuracy utilizing machine learning (ML) techniques. Several algorithms like Naïve Bayes (NB), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Decision Tree (DT) classifiers were implemented for predicting the disease. Extensive experiments demonstrated that the naïve Bayes achieved higher
accuracy than the DT and SVM with regards to accuracy, precision, F-Measure, Recall, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) performance metrics.
Metric Analyzer for Kannada Verse Using Rule-Based Approach
Authors: Prathibha R. J. , Manju Skanda K. H. , Juned S. , Shetty Anup R. , Shashank B. V.
Published: December 2020

Metrical poetry in any language is called Chandassu ( ). It generates rhythm to poem when the predefined metric rules are properly followed. The classification of Chandassu is done with the help of syllables known as Laghu ( ), Guru (....) and Gana (..). The proposed metric analyzer
for Kannada verse is a rule-based teaching and learning tool devised to identify and classify the Chandassu of input Kannada poem. This tool also contains an exercise module to test the level of understanding of learners about metric analysis. Accuracy obtained by the proposed system is very
good.
Child Tracking and Monitoring
Authors: Raghavan Ksheeraja , George Sara Mohan , Prahlad Anshuman D. , Deeksha T. M. , Chaatru Srikar K.
Published: December 2020

Child safety is an important issue across the world as crimes against children are rapidly rising. Tracking and monitoring the child can help assure the safety of children and any necessary action can be taken if there is cause for worry. This paper proposes a system for monitoring
and tracking children, which includes tracking the child’s movement to and from school using a wearable device and a companion application on the parents’ smartphone. This system gives us the location using a geofence and basic health information of the child.
Color Based Oil Palm Crop Bunch Grading Using Probabilistic Neural Network
Authors: Siddesha S. , Niranjan S. K.
Published: December 2020

This work aims at grading the oil palm crop bunch in to three categories unripe, ripe and overripe. Different color feature models like color histogram, color moments, color correlogram and color coherence vector are used to extract the color features of the crop bunch. Oil palm crop
bunches are classified into above mentioned grades using Probabilistic Neural Network. Experimentation is carried out using image dataset of 300 RGB images across three categories. An accuracy of 98.33% is achieved with 70% training, 10% validation and 20% testing for Color Coherence Vector
features.
A Smart Home by Using Internet of Things System: A Succinct Study
Authors: Neeraja Padala , Nandan Durgesh
Published: December 2020

The internet of things is nothing but the interconnection of a number of systems or objects in which the internal circuit consists of a number of sensors and connectors. The main aim of the internet of things is to transfer information and to make an interaction between the systems.
Through IoT, all the systems can be sensed and all the home appliances will be controlled remotely through a mobile device. It creates an integration of more and more networks in the future. The IoT is a very important emerging technology nowadays in which the main applications of IoT are
smart grids, smart homes, etc. As the number of devices was increasing nowadays IoT plays a very significant role in present society. So, the challenges were increasing and there will be a machine to machine communication and also with the user. It reduces human efforts as it is machine-dependent.
It acts according to the instructions given by the user.
A Crystal View on the Design of FIR Filter
Authors: Rohini R. , Satya Narayana N. V. , Nandan Durgesh
Published: December 2020

In audio and video signal processing main element is the FIR filter. This paper presents complete information regarding the FIR filters. It also focuses on the design of FIR filters which provide low-area, energy-delay, low-power consumption, high-speed, low critical path, and low complexity.
Implementation of FIR filters with different methods like memory-based VLSI architecture, filters for sampling rate conversion, linear phase FIR filters, optimal hybrid form FIR filters, Nyquist filters, hybrid multiplier less FIR filters, low complexity FIR filters, variable partition hybrid
form FIR filters, area efficiency FIR filters are discussed in this paper. The objective of this paper to provide all related information regarding FIR filters at one platform.
A Review on the Smart Irrigation System
Authors: Devanand Kumar G. , Vidheya Raju B. , Nandan Durgesh
Published: December 2020

Agriculture is one of the broadest economic sectors in our country, many farmers and labor depend upon agriculture to develop and to increase the economy of our country. We use many wireless communication modules to communicate the status of the field. We use the smart irrigator system
and the smart sensing system and many other sensors to use smart irrigation techniques efficient. The placement of different sensors in different positions of the fields to know the real status of the field. By this, we can automatically water the crop and operate different motors without
any physical work. The basic components of this idea are to use the sensors and to get an efficient output in the agricultural sector.
Performance of Lightweight Aggregate Concrete Containing Expanded Polystyrene, Cinder and Silica Fume
Authors: Harish M. L. , Narendra H. , Rizwan Tahashildar Md.
Published: December 2020

Lightweight aggregate concrete is developed by substituting normal weight aggregate either fully or partially based on required strength and density. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) bead is a type of low density material, which also has good energy-absorbing characteristics and can be used
as light weight aggregate in concrete. In the present study, Structural lightweight aggregate concrete (SLWAC) was produced by fully replacing normal weight aggregate with combinations of EPS beads to Cinder by the ratio 20:80, 40:60, 60:40, 80:20 respectively and Silica fume was used as supplementary
cementitious material. The resulting concrete had strength variation between 24.85 to 12.01 MPa, and the density variation of 1896 to 1664 kg/m3. Considering strength and density criteria 40:60 ratios was observed as the optimal mix. The Compressive strength acquired by concrete was inversely
proportional to the volume of EPS beads. Effect of fibres on mechanical properties such as flexural strength, compressive strength, and split-tensile strength was investigated on optimal mix by using polypropylene fibres, it was observed that a 13.24% increase in flexural strength at 1% fibres,
8.41% increase in Compressive strength at 1% fibres and 23.11% increase in split-tensile strength at 1% fibres. Along with these, durability tests such as water absorption and permeability tests were performed, the performance of this concrete in water absorption test and permeability is well
within the acceptable limits as the EPS ratio in the concrete increased, the absorption and depth of penetration values increased considerably. Microscopic observations were also made to study the interface amongst the cement paste and aggregates. It was revealed that silica fume has influenced
significantly in bonding with EPS beads.
E-Learning Adoption: An Empirical Study on App Based Learning Among Lower Primary Class Students in Karnataka Region
Authors: Rizwana M. , Singh Padmalini , a Raveendra , Hallur Rohith
Published: December 2020

The present research work essentially targets the audience who are using App based learning across Karnataka region. The core aim of the study is to identify the factors that influence the lower primary class students to opt for app based learning. The study has examined how well the
students have adopted and are using the application in their day to day academic activities. By employing simple random sampling technique, a sample size of 54 respondents who are using app based learning were selected. The overall results showed that the respondents are highly satisfied with
the app based learning and it has confirmed that the app based learning has helped the users enhance their academic performance.
Healthcare 4.0-Digitizing Healthcare Using Big Data for Performance Improvisation
Authors: Juneja Sapna , Juneja Abhinav , Anand Rohit
Published: December 2020

The management, analysis and usage of the data in the technical industry have been changed by the introduction of the Big Data Technology. There are numerous areas where usage of big data is very promising but the main industry that is getting maximum benefit from big data is healthcare
industry. Introduction of big data into healthcare affected a lot to healthcare industry. Most of the advantages are reduction in the cost of the treatment, decision making in case of any emergency, prevention of curable diseases and early prediction of epidemics etc. This usage of big data
in healthcare is also helpful in improvising the average lifetime of people. Like any other industry, Health professionals are also using a huge amount of data and using that data in performing various treatments and procedures to get benefited from it. In this paper, we will discuss about
the usage of big data in healthcare, the various sources of data, benefits of that data and the obstacles in using that data and tools, technologies and algorithms used to get, analyze and process that data.
Construction of User’s Navigation Sessions from Web Logs for Web Usage Mining
Authors: Ramanathaiah Ramakrishnan M. , Nigam Bhawna , Niranjanamurthy M.
Published: December 2020

Web Usage Mining applies fewer techniques in record data to pull out the behavior of users. The knowledge mined from the web log can be utilized in web personalization, Prediction, prefetching, restructuring of web sites etc. It consists of three steps in preprocessing, pattern detection
and analysis. Web log information is typically noisy and uncertain and preprocessing is a significant process ahead of mining. The Patterns discovered after applying the mining techniques are dependent on the accuracy of the weblog which in turn depends on the preprocessing phase. The output
of preprocessing should be the user’s navigation session file. In this paper the techniques of preprocessing and the method for construction of user’s navigation session file is proposed.
Air Pollution Prediction Using Recurrent Neural Network, Long Short-Term Memory and Hybrid of Convolutional Neural Network and Long Short-Term Memory Models
Authors: Kumar Naresh , Bindra Jatin , Sharma Rajat , Gupta Deepali
Published: December 2020

Air pollution prediction was not an easy task few years back. With the increasing computation power and wide availability of the datasets, air pollution prediction problem is solved to some extend. Inspired by the deep learning models, in this paper three techniques for air pollution
prediction have been proposed. The models used includes recurrent neural network (RNN), Long short-term memory (LSTM) and a hybrid combination of Convolutional neural network (CNN) and LSTM models. These models are tested by comparing MSE loss on air pollution test of Belgium. The validation
loss on RNN is 0.0045, LSTM is 0.00441 and CNN and LSTM is 0.0049. The loss on testing dataset for these models are 0.00088, 0.00441 and 0.0049 respectively.
Cloud Based e-Learning Platform: An Effective Virtual Learning Environment for Higher Education Institutions
Authors: Gupta Nidhi , Sharma Neeraj , Sood Sanjay
Published: December 2020

The teaching-learning process, especially in higher education has always been a matter of great concern in developing countries as it makes the nation’s youth capable and is a mainstay towards its development. With the introduction of ICT, it has become even more important to
change the learning methodology using the latest technologies like e-Learning, m-Learning, Cloud Computing etc., to match with the education standards of developed countries. This aim of this paper is to provide an insight about the use of e-Learning and cloud computing in HEIs. The paper
also discusses the various cloud based adoption technologies used for HEIs and illustrates the comparative analysis of the web based and cloud based e-Learning system.
Early Detection of Cyber Attacks Based on Feature Selection Algorithm
Authors: Dayanika J. , Archana G. , Siva Kumar K. , Pavani N.
Published: December 2020

The world is turning out to be progressively digitalized raising security concerns and the urgent requirement for strong and propelled security advancements and systems to battle the expanding complex nature of digital assaults. This paper talks about how machine learning is being utilized
in digital security in resistance and offense exercises, remembering conversations for digital assaults focused at machine learning models. In this review, we are proposing a scientific categorization of IDS, which considers information protests to be essential measurements to group and condense
IDS Literature based on machine learning and based on profound knowledge. The review explains initially the idea and scientific grade of IDSs. Machine learning calculations are presented at that point for the many time used in IDSs, measurements and presented benchmark datasets. Next, we take
the proposed ordered framework as a benchmark in conjunction with the agent writing and explain how to understand key IDS issues with machine learning and profound systems. At long last, difficulties and future advancements are talked about by assessing ongoing agent examines. This paper proposes
IDS dependent on highlight determination and bunching calculation utilizing channel and wrapper techniques. Channel and wrapper strategies are named include gathering dependent on direct connection coefficient (FGLCC) calculation and cuttlefish calculation (CFA), separately.
Analysis of Business Development Strategy Straw Mushroom Raw Material Empty Fruit Bunch in Lampung Province
Authors: Sarono  , Siregar Eddy Irsan
Published: December 2020

In Lampung, many businesses produce mushrooms made from empty fruit bunch (EFB) palm oil, this has a positive impact on companies and communities around the company. The objective of the research is to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the EFB standard
mushroom business and the analysis of its development strategy in Lampung Province. The result of the research shows that (1) the development of mushroom industry made from EFB in Lampung Province has the strength of raw material available in large quantities and easily obtained, while the
weakness is mushroom is a product that is easily damaged and untreated mushroom waste; (2) the odds are that the need for food mushrooms is still high and tends to increase, while the threat is increasing production and transportation costs and uncontrolled extreme weather; and (3) the main
priority strategy for the large business unit is the development of new mushroom processing business and the modernization of mushroom making technology, while for the small and beginner business unit is to encourage business development to reach economies of scale.
Approaches for Automated Monitoring and Evaluation of In Vitro Plant’s Morphometric Parameters
Authors: Berezhnoy Vladislav A. , Ivashchuk Olga A. , Maslakov Yuriy N. , Fedorov Vyacheslav I. , Yacenko Vladimir M.
Published: December 2020

The article discusses approaches to solving the problem of precise and objective registration and assessment of In Vitro plant’s morphometric parameters. Evaluating the impact of different nutrient media composition at different stages of plant development can help to choose
the right nutrient medium and get high-quality virus-free planting material. The process of manual measurements of plant growth parameters violates the microclimate formed for optimal plant development, assumes inaccuracies due to the influence of the human factor and requires processing large
volumes of heterogeneous data. The described disadvantages of manual measurements justify the prospects of using modern information technologies, methods and tools for automation and modeling, which allows conducting monitoring, evaluating and predicting the growth and development of plants
In Vitro. Today, there are various hardware and software systems for photographing plants and assessing their morphometric parameters. However, such systems do not take into account the location of plants behind the glass of the test tube, which introduces image distortions due to fogging
and glass defects, non-linearity at the boundaries of the tube, glare and reflection of the glass. This article proposes a prototype of an automated system for photographing plants from different angles, creating a 3D volumetric model of the plant and calculating morphometric parameters at
various stages of plant development.
In Vitro Study of “Protected Fats” Based on Lecithin and Calcium Alginate
Authors: Shaidorova Galina M. , Oleynikova Irina I. , Krut Ulyana A. , Kuzubova Elena V. , Radchenko Alexandra I.
Published: December 2020

Background: Today, the urgent tasks of feeding cattle is to increase milk yield, increase the fat content in milk, and improve the quality of other animal products. However, the recommended amount of fat is not enough during calving and during lactation of cows. This leads to
the fact that the fat content of milk is reduced by 30%. The aim of the study : To study the behavior of encapsulated fats in model media corresponding to the gastrointestinal tract of cattle. Materials and methods: The study was conducted by direct gravimetric analysis using a Programix
TX 50 muffle furnace. As model media for the gastrointestinal tract of cattle, standard pH titers were used, adjusted to the required pH value with 0.1 M solutions of hydrochloric acid/sodium hydroxide. Results: After analyzing the data obtained, it was found that in a slightly alkaline
medium (pH range 7.4–7.8), the time for complete release of phospholipids is 12 hours. During experiment No. 2, the behavior of “protected fats” was revealed in model environments corresponding to physiological parameters of the gastrointestinal tract of cattle. The equivalent
amount of phosphorus to phospholipids was 11.90%, which corresponds to a proportion of the liberated phospholipids of higher fatty acids equal to 97.30%. Conclusion: “Protected fats” reach the model environment of the small intestines of ruminants in an unchanged form, where
capsule disintegration is observed, followed by the release of the phospholipid mixture. Full release of the encapsulated mixture in a slightly alkaline medium (pH 7.4–7.8) is achieved within 12 hours.
Endothelioprotective Impact of 2-Ethyl-3-Hydroxy-6-Methylpyridine Nicotinate
Authors: Trunov Konstantin S. , Danilenko Anton P. , Pokrovsky Vladimir M. , Peresypkina Anna A. , Soldatov Vladislav O. , Konovalova Elena A. , Danilenko Lyudmila M. , Denisuk Tatyana A. , Povetkin Sergey V. , Zhernakova Nina I.
Published: December 2020

A main issue in pharmacology is the seek for effective agents for the correction of ED. To study the endothelioprotective effects of 2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-6-methylpyridinium (2e3h6m) nicotinate under conditions of L-NAME-induced oxidation. The L-NAME pattern of induced oxide efficiency
(25 mg/g) for one week was used. The endothelial and cardioprotective effect of 2e3h6m nicotinate at an amount of 3.75 mg/kg compared to picamilon 10 mg/kg was examined via the coefficient of ED (QED) and a number of exercise tests. Nicotinate 2e3h6m and picamilon exerted a pronounced endothelioprotective
impact on the pattern of L-NAME-induced NO deficiency, which manifested itself in a decrease in the coefficient of endothelial dysfunction (ED). At the same time, 2e3h6m nicotinate (7.6 mg/kg) was 2.1 times more effective than picamilon (10 mg/kg). So, 2e3h6m nicotinate was produced itself
as an endothelio and cardioprotector.
Variability and Transitions in Precipitation Extremes in the Midwest United States
Authors: Ford Trent W. , Chen Liang , Schoof Justin T.
Published: December 2020

Monthly to seasonal precipitation extremes, both flood and drought, are important components of regional climates worldwide, and are the subjects of numerous investigations. However, variability in and transition between precipitation extremes, and associated impacts are the subject of far fewer studies. Recent such events in the Midwest region of the United States, such as the 2011–12 flood to drought transition in the upper Mississippi River basin and the flood to drought transition experienced in parts of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois in 2019, have sparked concerns of increased variability and rapid transitions between precipitation extremes and compounded economic and environmental impacts. In response to these concerns, this study focuses on characterizing variability and change in Midwest precipitation extremes and transitions between extremes over the last 70 years. Overall we find that the Midwest as a region has gotten wetter over the last seven decades, and that in general the annual maximum and median wetness, defined using the standardized precipitation index (SPI), have increased at a larger magnitude than the annual minimum. We find large areas of the southern Midwest have experienced a significant increase in the annual SPI range and associated magnitude of transition between annual maximum and minimum SPI. We additionally find wet to dry transitions between extremes have largely increased in speed (i.e., less time between extremes), while long-term changes in transition frequency are more regional within the Midwest.
Pyrocumulonimbus Firepower Threshold: Assessing the Atmospheric Potential for pyroCb
Authors: Tory K. J. , Kepert J. D.
Published: December 2020

Pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) clouds are difficult to predict and can produce extreme and unexpected wildfire behavior that can be very hazardous to fire crews. Many forecasters modify conventional thunderstorm diagnostics to predict pyroCb potential, by adding temperature (Δθ) and moisture increments (Δq) to represent smoke plume thermodynamics near the expected plume condensation level. However, estimating these Δθ and Δq increments is a highly subjective process that requires expert knowledge of all factors that might influence future fire size and intensity. In this paper, instead of trying to anticipate these Δθ and Δq increments for a particular fire, the minimum firepower required to generate pyroCb for a given atmospheric environment is considered. This concept, termed the pyroCb firepower threshold (PFT) requires only atmospheric information, removing the need for subjective estimates of the fire contribution. A simple approach to calculating PFT is presented that incorporates only basic plume-rise physics, yielding an analytic solution that offers important insight into plume behavior and pyroCb formation. Minimum increments of Δθ and Δq required for deep, moist convection, plus a minimum cloud-base height (zfc), are diagnosed on a thermodynamic diagram. Briggs’s plume rise equations are used to convert Δθ, zfc, and a mean horizontal wind speed U to a measure of the PFT: the minimum heat flux entering the base of the plume. This PFT is proportional to the product of U, Δθ, and the square of zfc. Plume behavior insights provided by the Briggs’s equations are discussed, and a selection of PFT examples presented.
Risk Factors for Wound Infection in Outpatients With Lower Extremity Burns
Authors: Ladhani Husayn A. , Young Brian T. , Posillico Sarah E. , Yowler Charles J. , Brandt Christopher P. , Claridge Jeffrey A. , Khandelwal Anjay K.
Published: December 2020

Background

We sought to evaluate risk factors for wound infection in patients with lower extremity (LE) burn.

Methods

Adults presenting with LE burn from January 2014 to July 2015 were included. Data regarding demographics, injury characteristics, and outcomes were obtained. The primary outcome was wound infection. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for wound infection.

Results

317 patients were included with a mean age of 43 years and median total body surface area of .8%; 22 (7%) patients had a component of full-thickness (FT) burn; and 212 (67%) patients had below-the-knee (BTK) burn. The incidence of wound infection was 15%. The median time to infection was 5 days, and majority (61%) of the patients developed wound infection by day 5. Patients who developed wound infection were more likely to have an FT burn (22% vs. 5%, P < .001) and BTK burn (87% vs. 64%, P = .002), without a difference in other variables. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed age (Odds ratio (OR) 1.02 and CI 1.00-1.04), presence of FT burn (OR 5.33 and CI 2.09-13.62), and BTK burn (OR 3.42 and CI 1.37-8.52) as independent risk factors for wound infection (area under the curve = .72).

Conclusion

Age, presence of FT burn, and BTK burn are independent risk factors for wound infection in outpatients with LE burns.
The association between living in socially fragmented neighbourhoods and psychological distress among immigrant and non-immigrant people aged 45 and over in NSW, Australia
Authors: Tabatabaei-Jafari Hossein , Zulfiqar Tehzeeb , Welsh Jennifer , Bagheri Nasser
Published: December 2020

Objective:

Immigrants’ mental health is a growing public health concern. Neighbourhood characteristics in the host society may contribute to the poor mental health observed among immigrants. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between neighbourhood-level social fragmentation and socioeconomic characteristics with psychological distress among immigrants and non-immigrants living in Australia.

Methodology:

We conducted cross-sectional secondary data analysis of 228,039 participants from the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study, with psychological distress measured with the Kessler 10 (K10) and area-level social fragmentation and economic advantage/disadvantage measured at the statistical area level 1 (areas containing approximately 400 people). Multilevel logistic models were used to examine the extent to which differences across the least and most fragmented and economic advantage/disadvantage neighbourhoods contributed to the prevalence of high psychological distress (K10 score ⩾ 22).

Results:

Immigrants accounted for about 23% of the sample. Slightly more immigrants (34.8%) compared to non-immigrants (32.9%) lived in fragmented areas. Although immigrants were over represented in areas with socioeconomic advantage (40% vs 33.9%), the prevalence of high psychological distress in neighbourhoods with higher social fragmentation and socioeconomic disadvantage was higher in immigrants than non-immigrants. Immigrants had 17% (95% confidence interval = [12%, 22%]) higher odds of having high psychological distress compared to non-immigrants. There was no evidence of an interaction between social fragmentation or socioeconomic disadvantage and immigrant status. Living in fragmented or socioeconomically disadvantaged areas was associated with higher psychological distress among immigrants and non-immigrants. English as a second language and low annual income were significant predictors of psychological distress in immigrants over and above area-level characteristics.

Conclusion:

Immigrants are vulnerable to mental health issues, but the characteristics of the area they live in are also important. Helping immigrants settle into well-integrated and economically advantaged areas may decrease the possibility of mental health issues.
A multivibrator and oscillator trainer kit for an emerging pedagogy in engineering
Authors: Podder Amit Kumer , Islam Sayemul , Rahman Asif Ur
Published: December 2020

Implementation of a complex circuit with hardware components in a conventional way seems to be quite difficult for the students. Resultant wave-shapes may not be accurate and determined values of different parameters may not be exact. Due to inaccurate outcomes and time-consuming process in a conventional way, researchers despond to continue their approach. In this paper, a trainer kit has been developed which is just like a laboratory with necessary components and aims to implement multivibrators (Bistable, Monostable, and Astable) and RC phase shift oscillators in the laboratory. A variable power supply is constructed in the trainer kit that provides 9 V dc to the multivibrators and 15 V dc to the oscillator. Potentiometer, voltage regulator, different active and passive components such as resistors, capacitor, op-amp, transistor, and numerous jumper wires are introduced in this kit. The trainer kit ascertains an easy implementation by eliminating complexity and assures accurate wave-shapes at the oscilloscope within a short time. To validate the proposed system, a survey program has been introduced among many students and faculty members. The outcome of the survey is the demonstration of student and instructor views and opinions which acknowledges the trainer kit as an efficient and compatible working platform.
Stand against anti-Asian racial discrimination during COVID-19: A call for action
Authors: Gao Qin , Liu Xiaofang
Published: December 2020

Racial discrimination against people of Chinese and other Asian ethnicities has risen sharply in number and severity globally amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This rise has been especially rapid and severe in the United States, fueled by xenophobic political rhetoric and racist language on social media. It has endangered the lives of many Asian Americans and is likely to have long-term negative impacts on the economic, social, physical, and psychological well-being of Asian Americans. This essay reviews the prevalence and consequences of anti-Asian racial discrimination during COVID-19 and calls for actions in practice, policy, and research to stand against it.
The Lord’s Supper? When eating and dining become determinative in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34
Authors: Steinbrenner David A.
Published: December 2020

In 1 Cor 11:17–34, Paul admonishes the church in Corinth for celebrating the Lord’s Supper in a way that maintains and perpetuates inequitable treatment based on socioeconomic status. His concern is that such practices harm the church’s witness and create a disunity that tears the body of Christ apart and connects the church to liability for the death of Jesus himself. In Paul’s argument, food and dining do not function merely symbolically or metaphorically, but serve to actualize either unity in the body of Christ or division that leads to physical consequences of judgment from God. Paul grounds his argument in the logic of the tradition of the Lord’s Supper as it was handed down to him.
Food insecurity, Eucharist, and community: Reading Jean-Marc Éla’s “shade-tree” theology in light of Balthasar’s ecclesiology
Authors: Adamah Jackson Nii Sabaah
Published: December 2020

This article discusses how the African church together with the church catholic can develop a theological response to rising food insecurity in Africa. Considering food insecurity is only a symptom of a much broader set of sociological and political issues that determine the church’s response to the problem, this article explores the ecclesiological formulations of Jean-Marc Éla’s “shade-tree” theology in light of Balthasar’s ecclesiology. The differences in Éla’s and Balthasar’s visions of the nature and purpose of the church elucidate the complementary differences between the church as a prophetic community committed to social justice and a worshipping community committed to the performance of the Eucharist. Consequently, engaging the two Catholic theologians highlights the tensions of the church–world relationship the church must negotiate if it is to offer a robust response to food insecurity.