bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bismuth-213 for Targeted Radionuclide Therapy: From Atom to Bedside
Authors: Ahenkorah Stephen , Cassells Irwin , Deroose Christophe M , Cardinaels Thomas , Burgoyne Andrew R , Bormans Guy , Ooms Maarten , Cleeren Frederik
Published: March 2021

Besides external high-energy photon or proton beam therapy, targeted radionuclide therapy (TRNT) is an alternative approach to deliver radiation to cancer cells. TRNT is distributed within the body by the vascular system and allows targeted irradiation of a primary tumor and all its metastases, resulting in substantially less collateral damage to normal tissues as compared to ex-ternal beam radiotherapy (EBRT). It is a systemic cancer therapy, tackling systemic spread of the disease, which is the cause of death in most cancer patients. The α-emitting radionuclide bis-muth-213 (213Bi) has interesting properties and can be considered as a magic bullet for TRNT. The benefits and drawbacks of targeted alpha therapy with 213Bi are discussed in this review, covering the entire chain from radionuclide production to bedside. First, the radionuclide properties and production of 225Ac and its daughter 213Bi are discussed, followed by the fundamental chemical properties of bismuth. Next, an overview of available acyclic and macrocyclic bifunctional chelators for bismuth, and general considerations for designing a 213Bi-radiopharmaceutical are provided. Finally, we will provide an overview of preclinical and clinical studies involving 213Bi-radiopharmaceuticals, as well as the future perspectives of this promising cancer treatment option.
Experimental Evidence of Specimen-Size Effects on EN-AW6082 Aluminum Alloy in VHCF Regime
Authors: Invernizzi Stefano , Montagnoli Francesco , Carpinteri Alberto
Published: March 2021

The present paper investigates the influence of the specimen size of EN-AW6082 wrought aluminium alloy subjected to very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) tests. The hourglass specimens were tested under fully reversed loading condition, up to 10^9 cycles, by means of the ultrasonic fatigue testing machine developed by Italsigma® (Italy). Three specimens groups were considered, with a diameter in the middle cross-section ranging from 3 mm up to 12 mm. The stress field in the specimens was determined numerically and by strain gauge measurements in correspondence of the cross-section surface. The dispersion of experimental results has been accounted for, and data are reported in P-S-N diagrams. The decrease in fatigue resistance with increasing specimen size is evident. Theoretical explanation for the observed specimen-size effect is provided, based on Fractal Geometry concepts, allowing to obtain scale independent P-S*-N curves. The fatigue life expectation in the VHCF regime of the EN-AW6082 aluminium alloy full-scale components is rather overestimated if it is assessed only from standard small specimens of 3 mm in diameter. Experimental tests carried out on larger specimen, and a proper extrapolation, are required to assure safe structural design.
Green and Quick Extraction of Stable Biophenol-Rich Red Extracts from Grape Processing Waste
Authors: Sciortino Marzia , Avellone Giuseppe , Scurria Antonino , Bertoli Luca , Carnaroglio Diego , Bongiorno David , Pagliaro Mario , Ciriminna Rosaria
Published: March 2021

The extraction of grape processing waste (wine pomace) via microwave-hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) from three different cultivars grown in Sicily (Syrah, Perricone and Nero d’Avola) rapidly affords aqueous extracts highly concentrated in valued biophenols including flavonoids, anthocyanins and phenolic acids. The method does not employ organic solvent, acid or base and does not require grinding or freeze drying of the wine pomace nor separation of the grape skins from seeds and stem. All the extracts have a pronounced stability as shown by their red-violet color fully retained after storage for more than a year (15 months) in freezer under air. Concentrations of phenolics up to 2000 ppm were detected in the aged extracts of Sicily’s local cultivar Perricone, which also has the highest content of flavonoids. These findings provide a simple and economically viable extraction route to biophenol-rich red extracts that can be used as food colorants as well as to formulate nutraceutical, cosmetic and personal care products starting from an agricultural by-product available in >10 million tonne yearly amount.
Remodeling of Mitochondrial Plasticity: The Key Switch from NAFLD/NASH to HCC
Authors: Longo Miriam , Paolini Erika , Meroni Marica , Dongiovanni Paola
Published: March 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver and the third-leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Currently, the global burden of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has dramatically overcome both viral and alcohol hepatitis thus becoming the main cause of HCC incidence. NAFLD pathogenesis is severely influenced by lifestyle and genetic predisposition. Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles which may adapt in response to environment, genetics and epigenetics in the liver (“mitochondrial plasticity”). Mounting evidence highlighted that mitochondrial dysfunction due to loss of mitochondrial flexibility, may arise before overt NAFLD and since the early stages of liver injury. Mitochondrial failure not only promotes hepatocellular damage, but also release signals (mito-DAMPs) which trigger inflammation and fibrosis, generating an adverse microenvironment in which several hepatocytes select anti-apoptotic programs and mutations that may allow survival and proliferation. Furthermore, one of the key events in malignant hepatocytes is represented by remodeling of glucidic-lipidic metabolism combined to reprogramming of mitochondrial functions, optimized to deal with energy demand. In sum, this review will discuss how mitochondrial defects may be translated into causative explanations of NAFLD-driven HCC, emphasizing future directions for research purposes and for development of potential preventive or curative strategies.
Non-Commutative Key Exchange Protocol
Authors: Lizama-Pérez Luis Adrián , Romero José Mauricio López
Published: March 2021

We introduce a novel key exchange protocol based on non-commutative matrix multiplication. The security of our method does not rely on computational problems as integer factorization or discrete logarithm whose difficulty is conjectured. We claim that the unique opportunity for the eavesdropper to get the private key is by means of an exhaustive search which is equivalent to searching an unsorted database problem. Therefore, the algorithm becomes a promising candidate to be used in the quantum era to establish shared keys and achieve secret communication. Furthermore, to establish a 256-bit secret key the size of the public key only requires 256 bits while the private key occupies just 384 bits. Matrix multiplications can be done over a reduced 4-bit size modulo. Also, we show that in a generalized method, private numbers become indistinguishable and we discuss how to achieve Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). As a consequence, Lizama's protocol becomes a promising alternative for Internet-of-Things (IoT) computational devices in the quantum era.
Mapping Food Production in Hyper Arid and Arid Saharan Africa in the Holocene. A View from the Present
Authors: Lancelotti Carla , Biagetti Stefano
Published: March 2021

The reconstruction of land use practices in hyper arid Saharan Africa is often hampered by the accuracy of the available tools and by unconscious biases that see these areas as marginal and inhospitable. Considered for a long time the living space of pastoral mobile communities, new research is showing of agriculture might have been more important in these areas than previously thought. In this paper, after a review of present-day land use strategies in Saharan Africa, we show how ethnographic and ethnoarchaeological data can offer us a different point of view and help in better defining land use and food production strategies in this area. Ultimately, these insights can be integrated into the ongoing effort of reconstructing past land use globally.
Economic and Functional Feasibility of Concrete Encased Composite Columns in Buildings
Authors: Ahmed Umair , Rashid Assad , Baig Zafar
Published: March 2021

Modern day construction is widely influenced using concrete-steel composite columns. A lot of research on concrete-steel composite columns is being carried out around the world. The rapid growth in concrete-steel composite construction has widely decreased the use of conventional reinforced cement concrete construction (R.C.C), and the steel construction practices. The concrete-steel composite construction has obtained an extensive receiving around the globe. As Pakistan is a developing country, so, it is relatively a new concept for its construction industry when compared with the developed countries around the globe. Although, the R.C.C construction is suitable and economical for construction of framing systems of low-rise buildings, however, the increased dead load, span restrictions, less stiffness and risky formwork makes it uneconomical and unviable when it comes across the construction of intermediate to high-rise buildings. This research is an effort to learn the cost effectiveness, increased or decreased stiffness, and change on the functionality of the composite construction for intermediate to high-rise buildings constructed in Pakistan. A Base + Ground + 11 storey commercial building is selected for this study. A comparison is made between conventional R.C.C columns structure and concrete-encased composite columns structure. The equivalent static nonlinear analysis is performed using ETABS 2017 software. Although, for Base + Ground + 11 storey building, the construction cost of concrete-encased composite structure is 7.7% more than the conventional R.C.C columns structure, but the concrete-encased composite structure will have 13.013% more constructed floor area. This increased floor area helps to settle the cost difference between the two structures.
University Teaching Experiences With Sustainable Development Goals (SDG): Promoting Transversal Competencies in Online Journalism
Authors: Larrondo Ureta Ainara , Marauri Castillo Iñigo , Meso Ayerdi Koldo , Pérez Dasilva Jesús A. , Peña Fernández Simón
Published: March 2021

This article analyses one case of pedagogic innovation in the field of the university teaching of online journalism. The examined initiative has sought to develop Transversal Competencies (TC), useful for emotional, creative training and for creating enterprising future (online) journalists, through multimedia journalistic projects linked to the UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This article describes the educational and professional context within which this innovative training experience is set, and presents results obtained from surveys carried out among the participating students, and from classroom observations that show the impact, reach and interest of the described pedagogic initiative. This work also hopes to be of use for future applications of SDGs in other journalism and communication subjects linked to content creation, along with other training areas and work methodologies within the Social Sciences in which an epistemological “affective turn” is being promoted.
Spiritual Care for Increasing the Quality of Nursing Service in 21st Century: A Review
Authors: Ningsih Endang Sri Purwanti , Rumambo Pandin Moses Glorino
Published: March 2021

Holistic care in the nursing care consists of physical, psychological, socio-cultural, developmental and spiritual aspects. However, the spiritual has received less attention than the other four aspects. The aim of this study was to review paper related to spiritual care in nursing care practices. The method in this study is a review using the CINAHL database. CINAHL was used because the articles focus on nursing topics. The keywords used were "Spirituality" OR "Spiritual care" OR "Spiritual" AND "Nurse". The inclusion criteria for the article were English language and published from 2019-2021, for adult range between 18-44 years old. Exclusion criteria were article not in English language, not full paper article, not in Human and not psychometric study also master thesis. This study recorded 64 articles, screened according to the topic, then the final results recorded 19 articles. This article focuses on the use of spiritual care in patients, nurses and caregivers, as well as both of patients and caregivers. The results of the review showed that spiritual care was important for mental health, physical health, and well-being, quality of life, increasing expectations for patients, nurses or caregivers. The significance of the study was spiritual care should be addressed in nursing care practices and it must include in the nursing curriculum, because spiritual care has many benefits for patients and nurses.
PREFERENSI MASYARAKAT DALAM MEMILIH APARTEMEN DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE FUZZY ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS (F-AHP) DI KOTA DEPOK
Authors: Hafizha Mega , Setiono Setiono , Suryoto Suryoto
Published: March 2021

Abstrak

Kota Depok merupakan salah satu daerah penyangga Ibu Kota Jakarta, dimana keberadaannya diarahkan sesbagai pola pemukiman dan penyebaran kesempatan kerja secara lebih merata, sebagai upaya meringankan tekanan perkembangan penduduk DKI Jakarta. Banyaknya lembaga, institusi serta perguruan tinggi yang tersebar di Kota Depok, terutama di Jalan Margonda Raya, menjadikan Kota Depok dikenal sebagai sentra pendidikan. Hal ini berimbas kepada jumlah penduduk yang datang dan menetap di Kota Depok, dimana akan terus mengalami peningkatan setiap tahunnya. Kondisi ini tentunya berbanding lurus terhadap meningkatnya permintaan kebutuhan akan tempat tinggal, tak terkecuali permintaan terhadap apartemen sebagai tempat tinggal. Berdasarkan hasil kajian serta penelitian sebelumnya, selera masyarakat dalam memilih apartemen dipengaruhi oleh beberapa faktor. Oleh karena itu, penulisan ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor apa saja yang dapat mempengaruhi preferensi masyarakat dalam memilih apartemen khususnya di Kota Depok. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian kali ini yaitu deskriptif kualitatif serta pembobotan dengan metode Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (F-AHP). Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui metode survei berupa kuesioner dan hasil keputusan dari kuesioner diolah menggunakan Program Software Microsoft Excel 2016. Sebagai hasil, dalam memilih apartemen di Kota Depok, masyarakat akan mempertimbangakan beberapa fakor antara lain: produk, persepsi harga, lokasi, fasilitas apartemen, dan legalitas. Kemudian, dari 10 responden yang menjadi subjek penelitian, diperoleh faktor yang paling mempengaruhi masyarakat yaitu dekat dengan fasilitas sosial dan yang paling tidak mempengaruhi masyarakat adalah nama besar pengembang (Developer). Hasil tersebut didapatkan salah satunya karena lokasi apartemen yang ditinjau berada di jalan utama Kota Depok yaitu Jalan Margonda Raya, dimana terdapat banyak fasilitas sosial seperti sarana Pendidikan, Kesehatan, Olahraga, Rekreasi, maupun Pusat Perbelanjaan
Kata Kunci : Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (F-AHP), Pemilihan Apartemen, Preferensi Masyarakat
The Effect of Stirrer Depth And Electroless Coating of Hardness And Tensile Strength in Aluminium Matrix Composite AL6061-AL2O3
Authors: Andini Sukma , Surojo Eko , Triyono Teguh
Published: March 2021

Metal matrix composite (MMC) are composite materials that are widely used in the industrial sector. Examples of metal matrix composites are Al6061 as matrix alloys and Al2O3 as reinforcement. In general, making Al6061-Al2O3 composites using the stir casting method. The stirring parameter in the stir casting affects the physical and mechanical properties of the composites. The physical and mechanical properties of composites can be improved by increasing the wettability of the reinforcement. This research was conducted to determine the effect of the depth of stirring and electroless coating treatment on the hardness and tensile strength of Al6061-Al2O3 composites. The process of making composites with Al2O3 reinforcing particles with 6% weight fraction mixed with aluminum alloys and 2.5% magnesium powder as a wetting agent. Variations of this study were the depth of the stirrer and electroless coating treatment. The depths of stirring used for the experiment were 30%, 45%, and 60% of the height of the fluid. The testing phases in this study were the density and porosity test, metallographic observation, hardness test, and tensile test. The most efficient variation of the mixer depth was obtained at a mixer depth of 30% of the fluid height. The highest hardness and tensile strength test results are hardness value of 72.43 HBN and tensile strength of 182.19 MPa with electroless coating reinforcement treatment
Implementation of Automatic Dust Detector on Dust Suppression System on Transfer Tower 0 In Paiton 9 Power Plants
Authors: Maulana Adam Febrian , Trismawati Trismawati , Mustakim Mustakim
Published: March 2021

The operation of dust suppressor and dust collector was operating semi-manually by pressing the power button on the local panel during the initial unloading of coal material from the barge or stockpile, where local operators manage several large areas. This research is carried out on the implementation of Automatic Dust Detector for Dust Suppression operational at Paiton Unit 9 power plants with the aim of increasing the efficiency of operator and equipment performance. We use House of Quality (HOQ) as a determinant of the priority scale for technical response to be implemented, namely the addition of an Automatic Dust Detector. The results obtained showed a decrease in the calculation of the dust suppression operating time, i.e. from 5 hour 54 minutes to 5 hour 6 minutes, from 1005,36L/barge to 869,04L/barge  for water consumption, and 1L/barge to 0,86L/barge for chemical use. Furthermore, the implementation of the Automatic Dust Detector can significantly increase efficiency at least 15% from operating time difference.  
Do School Accreditation, Education Budget, and Teacher’s Competence Matter for Graduate’s Quality?
Authors: Azhari Azhari , Kamaruddin Kamaruddin , Marzuki Marzuki , Dewi Ratna
Published: March 2021

This study examinedthe effect of school accreditation, education budget, and teacher competence on the quality of high school graduates. The analysis method used was a panel regression through the Fixed Effect Model (FEM) approach, and the data were from 2017-2019. The results showed that school accreditation and education budgets had an effect on the quality of graduates. Also, the implication of this study is that schools need to increase accreditation, as well as the education budget. In terms of teacher competence, the teachers need to improve their             competence by taking an active role in organizations, training teacher capacity, and mastery of information technology. Meanwhile, teacher competence has no effect on the quality of graduates in senior secondary schools. Simultaneously, all variables have a significant effect on the graduates quality. The limitation of this study is the data used, regardless of the status of private and public schools. Therefore, studies to compare private and public schools are of particular interest.
Are Business Regulations Improving Economic Growth? Case Study between ASEAN and European Union
Authors: Sebayang Karuniana Dianta Arfiando , Febrina Belinda
Published: March 2021

Economic activities require a transparent regulatory and policy environment that is accessible to all levels of society. This study aims to explain the impact of ease of doing business on economic growth in both ASEAN and the European Union since doing business indicators applied globally. Gross Domestic Product is used as a proxy variable for economic growth as Gross Domestic Product is an indicator to measure economic growth. This study uses a descriptive quantitative research model and uses multiple regressions to determine the effect of ease of doing business on economic growth in ASEAN and the European Union by comparing the result of each ASEAN and European Union. In this study it was found that in ASEAN, there are four indicators of doing business have significant impact to economic growth, while in the European Union five indicators have significant impact to economic growth.
Internalization of Entrepreneurship Education in Tourism Awareness Groups: Evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Kusumojanto Djoko Dwi , Indrayani Indrayani , Hapsari Novia Tri
Published: March 2021

The inadequacy of entrepreneurship in Indonesia is becoming an interesting problem to study, and therefore the solution will be obtained through entrepreneurial education. Higher education plays an essential role in creating sustainable entrepreneurs. Therefore, this study aims to determine the internalization of entrepreneurship education in increasing the skills and knowledge in the Mentawir Mangrove Tourism Village community. This research uses a qualitative approach, with a type of phenomenology. Researchers act as implementers, observers, data collectors, data analyzers, giving actions, and at the same time producing research reports. In-depth interviews and observations with informants carried out data collection in this study. Data analysis in this study is using an interactive model. The results showed that the internalization of entrepreneurship education in the Mentawir Mangrove Tourism Village community is carried out traditionally. However, the output of the entrepreneurial education internalization process begins with creativity by the Tambun Tiram Tourism Awareness group in the form of mangrove syrup and bamboo handicraft production activities.
Length of Stay and 90-Day Readmission/Complication Rates in Unicompartmental Versus Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Jensen Christian Bredgaard , Petersen Pelle Baggesgaard , Jørgensen Christoffer Calov , Kehlet Henrik , Troelsen Anders , Gromov Kirill ,   the Lundbeck Foundation Centre for Fast-track Hip and Knee Replacement Collaborative Group
Published: March 2021

Background:

Whether to use unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for appropriate osteoarthritis cases is a subject of debate. UKA potentially offers faster recovery and fewer short-term complications. However, reported differences in preoperative comorbidity between TKA and UKA-treated patients could affect outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the length of the postoperative hospital stay (LOS) as well as readmissions and complications within 90 days after surgery between matched UKA and TKA cohorts.

Methods:

Patients undergoing UKA or TKA in a fast-track setup at 9 orthopaedic centers from 2010 to 2017 were included in the study. Propensity score matching with exact matching for surgical year was used to address differences in demographics and comorbidity between the UKA and TKA groups, resulting in a matched cohort of 2,786 patients who underwent UKA and 7,708 who underwent TKA. Univariable linear or logistic regression models, multivariable mixed-effects models, and a chi-square test were used to investigate differences in LOS, readmissions, and complications between the UKA and TKA groups.

Results:

The UKA group had a shorter median LOS than the TKA group (1 compared with 2 days, p < 0.001). The UKA group was more likely to be discharged on the day of surgery (21.1% compared with 0.5%, odds ratio [OR] = 38.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 27.0 to 52.6) and less likely to have an LOS of >2 days (OR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.17 to 0.24) compared with the TKA group. There was no difference in the 90-day readmission rate (p = 0.611) between the groups. The UKA group had fewer periprosthetic joint infections (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.26 to 0.99) and reoperations (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.20 to 0.81) compared with the TKA group. However, aseptic revisions were more frequent in the UKA group (OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.1 to 6.0).

Conclusions:

The UKA group had shorter hospital stays, a higher rate of discharge on the day of surgery, and fewer periprosthetic joint infections and reoperations compared with the matched TKA group. However, the TKA group had fewer aseptic revisions. Our findings support the use of UKA in a fast-track setup when indicated.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVAL FORECASTING TO BALI USING CASCADE FORWARD BACKPROPAGATION
Authors: Asvikarani Ayu Nikki , Widiartha I Made , Raharja Made Agung
Published: March 2021

Bali has a recognized tourism potential in the world arena. In order to improve the quality and development of the tourism sector in the midst of global competition, it is necessary to formulate appropriate strategies by decision makers such as private parties and government. In support of more accurate decision making, the authors make a system of forecasting the number of foreign tourist visits to Bali Province using Cascade Forward Backpropagation (CFB) method with coverage of Australia, Japan, and United Kingdom which are the top 3 countries with the highest foreign tourist arrival to Bali in that years. Factors used as input in forecasting include the number of visits of foreign tourists the previous year, the population of countries of origin of foreign tourists, Gross Domestic Product at current prices of countries of origin of foreign tourists, and Relative Consumer Price Index Origin of foreign tourists. In this study, optimization of activation function parameters, hidden neurons, and learning rate to obtain forecasting results with the lowest error rate. Forecasting results using the CFB method produces a fairly good accuracy with MAPE range of 6 - 30% where the activation function tanh work better than sigmoid activation function.
Characterization of the Groundwater within Regional Aquifers and Suitability Assessment for Various Uses and Purposes-Western Iraq
Authors: Hussien Bayan Muhie , Rabeea Muwafaq Ayesh , Mekhlef Husam Naji
Published: March 2021

Groundwater quality investigation has been carried out in the western part of Iraq (west longitude '40°40). The physicochemical analyses of 64 groundwater samples collected from seven aquifers were used in the determination of groundwater characterization and assessment. The concept of spatial hydrochemical bi-model was prepared for quantitative and qualitative interpretation. Hydrogeochemical data referred that the groundwater is of meteoric origin and has processes responsible for observed brackishness. The geochemical facies of the groundwater reveal that none of the anions and cations pairs exceed 50% and there are practically mixtures of multi-water types (such as Ca–Mg–Cl–HCO3 and Na+K–SO4–Cl water type) as dominant types. The hydrogeochemical evolution indicates that the groundwater is mainly controlled by the leaching and dissolution process of carbonate minerals. Increasing salt content is observed at different static water levels (groundwater flow) confirming mixing cases with multi water sources. Anthropogenic activities do not have a significant alteration in the geochemical nature of groundwater in aquifer systems. Most of the groundwater is classified within the category of C3S1 and C2S1 denoting admissible to good quality of water for irrigation in 67% of the total samples. On the other hand, 33% of samples are classified as bad to very bad. The groundwater of most aquifers has precedence for irrigation, agricultural purposes, animal drinking, and good to fair class for natural preserve activities. While the groundwater of Mullusi and Jeed-Rattga aquifers are suggested for human drinking purposes. Also, the groundwater within the hydrogeologic system can be used in low-pressure boilers, mining, construction industry, and unsafe in high-pressure boilers due to the relatively high total hardness (237 to 1456 mg/l). Corrosively ratio indicates that 83 % of exploited groundwater from boreholes is safe for long transport through metallic pipelines.
Detection of Leishmania tropica Using Nested-PCR and Some of Their Virulence Factors in Thi-Qar Province, Iraq
Authors: Flaih Mohammed Hassan , Al-Abady Fadhil Abbas , Hussein Khwam Reissan
Published: March 2021

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is one of endemic diseases in Iraq. It is considered as widely health problem and is an uncontrolled disease. The aim of the study is to identify of Leishmania species that cause skin lesions among patients in Thi-Qar Province, South of Iraq, also to detect some virulence factors of L. tropica. This study includes three local locations, Al-Hussein Teaching, Suq Al-Shyokh General and Al-Shatrah General Hospitals in Province for the period from the beginning of December 2018 to the end of September 2019. The samples were collected from 80 patients suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis, both genders, different ages, various residence places and single and multiple lesions. Nested-PCR technique was used to amplify kinetoplast minicircle fragments DNA (kDNA). Conventional-PCR was performed for determination of some virulence factors (LPG1, GP63, CPA and PPG1 genes). The electrophoresis findings of kDNA gene showed two species of the parasite found in the study area, 65 samples were positive for cutaneous leishmaniasis, L. tropica at 750bp and L. major at 560bp. Generally, L. tropica (57.5%) was the most common specie and L. major (23.75%) appeared in a low level. There are no significant differences between the infections of males and females, while there are significant differences at the comparison between age groups. All virulence genes (LPG1, GP63, CPA and PPG1) appeared in all L. tropica isolates with high percentage (100%). L. tropica is the major specie which that caused CL in Thi-Qar province, while L. major appeared in low incidence. The virulence genes, which were reviewed, are necessary and important in pathogenesis of L. tropica.
Experimental Evidence of Chaotic Resonance in Semiconductor Laser
Authors: Ibrahim Raghed ismial , Al Naimee Kais A. M. , Yaseen Sameer Kh.
Published: March 2021

In this paper, an experimental study has been conducted regarding the indication of resonance in chaotic semiconductor laser.  Resonant perturbations are effective for harnessing nonlinear oscillators for various applications such as inducing chaos and controlling chaos. Interesting results have been obtained regarding to the effect of the   chaotic resonance by adding the frequency on the systems. The frequency changes nonlinear dynamical system through a critical value, there is a transition from a periodic attractor to a strange attractor. The amplitude has a very relevant impact on the system, resulting in an optimal resonance response for appropriate values related to correlation time. The chaotic system becomes regular under a moderate frequencies or amplitudes. These dynamics of the laser output are analyzed by time series, FFT and bifurcation diagram as a result.
Properties of the Adjoint Operator of a General Fuzzy Bounded Operator
Authors: Gheeab Manar Naji , Kider Jehad R.
Published: March 2021

Our goal in the present paper is to recall the concept of general fuzzy normed space and its basic properties in order to define the adjoint operator of a general fuzzy bounded operator from a general fuzzy normed space V into another general fuzzy normed space U. After that basic properties of the adjoint operator were proved then the definition of fuzzy reflexive general fuzzy normed space was introduced in order to prove that every finite dimensional general fuzzy normed space is fuzzy reflexive.
Impact of Debris Flows on Filter Barriers: Analysis Based on Site Monitoring Data
Authors: Leonardi Alessandro , Pirulli Marina , Barbero Monica , Barpi Fabrizio , Borri-Brunetto Mauro , Pallara Oronzo , Scavia Claudio , Segor Valerio
Published: March 2021

Debris flows are one of the most complex and devastating natural phenomena, and they affect mountainous areas throughout the world. Structural measures are currently adopted to mitigate the related hazard in urbanized areas. However, their design requires an estimate of the impact force, which is an open issue. The numerous formulae proposed in the literature require the assignment of empirical coefficients and an evaluation of the kinematic characteristics of the incoming flow. Both are generally not known a priori. In this article, we present the Grand Valey torrent site (Italian Alps). A monitoring system made up of strain gauges was installed on a filter barrier at the site, allowing the evaluation of impact forces. The system provides pivotal information for calibrating impact formulae. Two debris flows occurred during the monitoring period. We present the interpretation of videos, impact measurements, and the results of numerical analyses. The combined analysis allows a back calculation of the events in terms of forces, flow depth, and velocity. Thus, we investigate the applicability of the impact formulae suggested in the literature and of the recommended empirical coefficients. The results highlight that hydrostatic effects dominated the impact during the first event, while hydrodynamic effects prevailed in the second one.
Simultaneous spatiotemporal computational super-resolution and multi-parametric fluorescence microscopy
Authors: Sankaran Jagadish , Balasubramanian Harikrushnan , Tang Wai Hoh , Ng Xue Wen , Röllin Adrian , Wohland Thorsten
Published: March 2021

We describe here a protocol for performing simultaneous spatiotemporal computational super-resolution and multi-parametric fluorescence microscopy. Our approach does not need specialized instrumentation, utilizes a GPU for faster data evaluation, and produces mutually consistent structure and dynamics data.
­­Highly Conducive Ex utero Mouse Embryogenesis from Pre-Gastrulation to Late Organogenesis
Authors: Aguilera-Castrejon Alejandro , Hanna Jacob H.
Published: March 2021

In mammals, morphogenesis and organogenesis take place after the embryo implants into the uterus, which makes it relatively inaccessible for observation and manipulation. While methods for in vitro culture of pre- and peri-implantation mouse embryos are routinely used, approaches for efficient and stable culture of post-implantation embryos from egg cylinder stages until advanced organogenesis remain to be established. We recently developed highly robust ex utero post-implantation mouse embryo culture platforms, that enable appropriate and faithful development of embryos before gastrulation (E5.5) until the hind limb formation stage (E11). In these protocols, late gastrulating embryos (E7.5) are grown in 3D rotating bottles settings, while extended culture from pre-gastrulation stages (E5.5 or E6.5) requires a combination of static and rotating bottle culture protocols. These systems support stable growth of normal mouse embryos ex utero from pre-gastrulation to advanced organogenesis.
cpn60 metagenomic amplicon library preparation for the Illumina Miseq platform
Authors: Fernando Champika , Hill Janet E.
Published: March 2021

This protocol can be applied to determine the composition of a microbial community. The cpn60 gene (also known as groEL, hsp60) is present in almost all bacteria and a 552-558 bp region of the gene has been established as a barcode for species level identification of bacteria. The primer cocktail used in this protocol amplifies cpn60 barcode sequences from bacteria with a wide range of G+C content. Some species of Mycoplasma lack the cpn60 gene and therefore this method is not recommended to detect Mycoplasma. DNA sequences generated from this method could be compared to cpnDB, a public database of cpn60 sequences, for identification. Library preparation involves cpn60 amplicon generation, PCR clean-up, index PCR, index PCR clean-up, library quantification, normalization, pooling, library denaturation and loading. Time taken to complete depends on the number of samples included. If using 96 samples, the procedure takes 8 hours but there are several stages where the samples could be stored and continued the next day. Specific instructions are provided for the Illumina MiSeq platform, but the protocol could easily be adapted for other sequencing platforms.
Influence of Weight Bias and Associated Factors on Perceptions of Plus Size Models
Authors: Miller Julia Caroline Porter , Carels Robert A.
Published: March 2021

Purpose: The fashion industry has recently begun to utilize plus size models. The aim of this study was to explore whether these models would be viewed more critically in comparison to thin models or subjected to weight bias and associated factors. Methods: University students (N = 330, Mage= 18.62, SDage = 1.33) viewed images of thin and plus size models and rated each image. They then filled out measures assessing weight bias (measured through the Antifat Attitudes Questionnaire), sociocultural attitudes regarding athletic and thin body types, and body appreciation. Results: Plus size models were rated more critically than thin models (p < 0.01). Thin and plus size model ratings were also highly correlated (p < 0.01), but weight bias was still predictive of plus model ratings within a regression model that included thin model ratings (p < 0.01). Further, mediational analyses found that weight bias partially mediated the relationship between thin and plus size model ratings. Males were more likely to rate both model types more critically (p < 0.01), but weight bias was found to partially mediate the relationship between male ratings of plus-sized models (p < .001). Conclusions: Despite the recent steps to include more body diversity among the fashion industry, plus size models still appear to be subjected to weight bias, especially among males. Level of Evidence: Level III, case–control analytic study.
Sex-specific DNA methylation changes in Alzheimer’s disease pathology
Authors: Zhang Lanyu , Young Juan , Gomez Lissette , Silva Tiago , Schmidt Michael , Cai Jesse , Chen Xi , Martin Eden , Wang Lily
Published: March 2021

Sex is an important factor that contributes to the clinical and biological heterogeneities in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the regulatory mechanisms underlying sex disparity in AD are still not well understood. DNA methylation is an important epigenetic modification that regulates gene transcription and is known to be involved in AD. We performed the first large-scale sex-specific meta-analysis of DNA methylation changes in AD, by re-analyzing four recent epigenome-wide association studies totaling more than 1000 postmortem prefrontal cortex brain samples using a uniform analytical pipeline. For each cohort we employed two complementary analytical strategies, a sex-stratified analysis that examined methylation-Braak stage associations in male and female samples separately, and a sex-by-Braak stage interaction analysis that compared the magnitude of these associations between different sexes. Our analysis uncovered 14 novel CpGs, mapped to genes such as TMEM39A and TNXB that are associated with AD in a sex-specific manner. TMEM39A is known to be involved in inflammation, dysregulated type I interferon responses, and other immune processes. TNXB encodes tenascin proteins, which are extracellular matrix glycoproteins demonstrated to modulate synaptic plasticity in the brain. Moreover, for many previously implicated AD genes, such as MBP and AZU1, our analysis provided the new insights that they were predominately driven by effects in only one sex. These sex-specific DNA methylation changes were enriched in divergent biological processes such as integrin activation in females and complement activation in males. Importantly, a number of drugs commonly prescribed for AD patients also targeted these genes with sex-specific DNA methylation changes. Our study implicated multiple new loci and biological processes that affected AD in a sex-specific manner and highlighted the importance of sex-specific treatment regimens for AD patients.
Development And Validation Of A Voice Script For Telephone Administration Of THE EORTC QLQ-C30
Authors: Piccinin Claire , Pe Madeline , Kuliś Dagmara , Shaw James W. , Wheelwright Sally J. , Bottomley Andrew
Published: March 2021

Purpose The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life-Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) is a widely used generic self-report measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for cancer patients. However, no validated voice script for interviewer-led telephone administration was previously developed that could be used as an alternative to self-completion. The aim of this study was to develop a voice script for interviewer administration via telephone. Methods Following guidelines from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) PRO Mixed Modes Good Research Practices Task Force, a randomised cross-over equivalence study, including cognitive debriefing, was conducted to assess equivalence between paper and telephone administration modes. Assuming an expected intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.70 and a minimally acceptable level of 0.50, a sample size of 63 was required. Results Cognitive interviews with five cancer patients found the voice script to be clear and understandable. Due to a protocol deviation in the first wave of testing, only 26 patients were available for analyses. A second wave of recruitment was conducted, adding 37 patients (n=63; mean age 55.48; 65.1% female). ICCs for mode comparison ranged from 0.72 (nausea and vomiting, 95% CI 0.48-0.86) to 0.90 (global health status/QoL, 95% CI 0.80-0.95; pain, 95% CI 0.79-0.95; constipation, 95% CI 0.80-0.95). For paper versus phone, all ICCs were above 0.70, except nausea and vomiting (95% CI 0.55). For phone versus paper, all ICCs were above 0.70. Conclusions The equivalence testing results support the voice script’s validity for administration of the QLQ-C30 via telephone.
Future climate and land use instability can negate the benefits of protected areas
Authors: Asamoah Ernest , Beaumont Linda , Maina Joesph M
Published: March 2021

Expanding protected area networks and enhancing their capacities is currently one avenue at the forefront of efforts to conserve and restore global biodiversity. Climate and habitat loss resulting from land use interact synergistically to undermine the potential benefits of protected areas (PAs). Targeting conservation, adaptation and mitigation efforts requires an understanding of patterns of climate and land-use change within the current arrangement of PAs, and how these might change in the future. In this paper, we provide this understanding using predicted rates of temporal and spatial displacement of future climate and land use globally and within PAs. We show that ~ 47% of the world’s PAs—10.6% of which are under restrictive management—are located in regions that will likely experience both climate stress and land-use instability by 2050. The vast majority of these PAs are also distributed across moist biomes and in high conservation value regions, and fall into less-restrictive management categories. The differential impacts of combined land use and climate velocity across protected biomes indicate that climate and land-use change may have fundamentally different ecological and management consequences at multiple scales. Taken together, our findings can inform spatially adaptive natural resource management and actions to achieve sustainable development and biodiversity goals.
Intrinsic and specific groundwater vulnerability using the GOD method as a pre-operational baseline assessment of an unconventional hydrocarbon industry
Authors: Lima Gustavo Filemon Costa , Ferreira Vinícius Gonçalves , Lima Jussara da Silva Diniz , Duarte Joyce Castro de Menezes , Dufilho Ana Cecília , Filho Carlos Alberto de Carvalho
Published: March 2021

In the middle of the São Francisco basin, the sub-basins of Indaiá and Borrachudo river highlight the considerable potential for unconventional hydrocarbon exploration. The present study seeks to evaluate the groundwater resource's intrinsic and specific vulnerability in the Indaiá and Borrachudo basins as an environmental baseline study for further development in the shale gas industry. The overlay and index GOD method was applied to assess the aquifer's intrinsic susceptibility regarding the Groundwater confinement (G), the Overlying Strata (O), and the Depth of the groundwater table (D). The specific vulnerability assessment considered the intrinsic vulnerability and the land cover/use of the area, concerning the diversity and the toxicity of pollutants inherent in each anthropogenic activity. The results indicate that 52.69%, 25.12%, and 17.57% of the aquifer area have Medium, High, and Extreme intrinsic vulnerability, respectively. The specific vulnerability assessment suggests an overall vulnerability reduction due to the low anthropogenic stress on the basin. Three gas research wells overlay moderate intrinsic vulnerability. One well is above the high vulnerability area, which concerns how the unconventional industry could develop regarding groundwater susceptibility in this ecosystem.
Effects of Treated Wastewater on Vegetative Growth and Pigmentation of Forage Crops
Authors: Paul Sujatha , AL Veerabhadraswamy
Published: March 2021

Purpose: The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the possibility of whether treated wastewater from industrial units could safely be used to irrigate crop plants and solve the problem of liquid effluent disposal in an eco-friendly manner. Methods: In this study select to evaluate the effects of effluents of textile, pharmaceutical and granite industry and on the germination (early growth) of selected forage crops like Sorghum bicolor, Pennisetum typhoideum and Hordeum vulgare. The present investigation involves the analysis of soil, water and plant analysis like chlorophyll, cartorenoids and growth. Results: The results revealed that pH, EC and chlorides and several other parameters were within the usual range of water used for irrigation purposes. The percentage of germination and vigor index was maximum for bajra and barley. The physico-chemical parameters of soil and wastewater were found to be within the usual range of tolerance limits for the industrial effluent on land prescribed by BIS except for TSS and hardness in some samples. The germination percentage and vigor index of jowar, bajra and barley were higher in granite industry water samples. The plant length of all crop samples had significant heights in all the samples. The total chlorophyll and carotenoid content were also found to be significant amounts in the leaf samples of all the crops grown in different water samples. Conclusion: Treated wastewater can be a prospective source of organic matter and nutrients that could increase the quality of soil, thus may be a beneficial alternative resource to freshwater for irrigation purposes in the offseason. Hence there are great possibilities for growing highly profitable forage crops using treated wastewater in the offseason.
The emission reduction effect of environmental information disclosure: a Chinese city perspective
Authors: Yu Weihua , Jin Xin
Published: March 2021

To address the problem of air pollution caused by industrialization and urbanization, China has issued various types of policies related to environmental protection. However, policies regarding environmental information disclosure have long-term advantages in reducing information asymmetry and improving regulatory efficiency, and are selected as the research objects of this paper. Using the "Environmental Information Disclosure Measures (Trial)" in 2008 as a quasi-natural experiment, our analysis utilizing the difference-in-differences method shows that (1) as the quality of environmental information disclosure increase, the production and emission of sulfur dioxide decrease, and this relationship is robust to different specifications; (2) a possible channel composed of green patents and the pollution source information and treatment information (PITI) disclosure index has a same-direction moderating effect on the reduction of pollutants; and (3) our findings are particularly pronounced in subsamples of large-scale and resource-intensive cities. Overall, this paper reveals micro evidence on the effects of environmental information disclosure policy on the reduction of pollutants, thus providing timely insights for the further improvement and implementation of the policy.