bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Model of Community-Led Total Sanitation Pillar One: Open Defecation Free in Sagulung Subdistrict, Batam City
Authors: Arindayu Tita Widya , Azizah R. , Jalaludin Juliana , Sumantri Arif , Sham Shaharuddin Mohd , Juanah Lovetta Yatta , Ahmadi Ahmadi , Firdausi Salsabila Al
Published: August 2021

Introduction: Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) is an effort by the government to improve public health. The main focus of pillar one is to stop open defecation. Sagulung Subdistrict has verified and non-verified ODF villages in their working area. This paper aims to create a CLTS model based on the pillar of one ODF in the Sagulung Subdistrict. Methods: This research used a mixed-method that combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. An amount of 90 families were chosen as respondents using a simple random sampling technique. Besides that, three programmers and five implementers from the government also became respondents. Data were analysed with a Chi-Square test and descriptive analysis. Results and Discussion: This research showed that ODF declaration and local policies were the aspects that had not been fulfilled to the maximum on CLTS pillar one in the Sugulung Subdistrict Government. Sungai Lekop Primary Health Care had not fully fulfilled three aspects: the concept, planning, and targets (advocated and local policies). As a Non-ODF village, Sungai Langkai primary health care did not fulfil the concept, planning, and target (certificate of the training program, advocated, declaration of ODF and local policies). Conclusion: Variables that have not been fulfilled optimally can be arranged as a recommendation model to successful ODF in Sagulung Subdistrict.
ENTREVISTA: PROFESSOR CARLOS ALBERTO DA SILVA RIEHL
Authors: Ghetti Neuvânia Curty
Published: August 2021

No dia 22 de junho de 2015, a Revista CLIO – Arqueológica entrevistou o Professor Carlos Alberto da Silva Riehl, Professor Associado do Instituto de Química da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ. Graduado em Licenciatura em Química pela UERJ em 1986, com Mestrado e Doutorado em Química pela UFRJ, desenvolve atualmente pesquisas, ensino e atividades de extensão no Instituto de Química da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Destacam-se, entre suas contribuições, métodos e pesquisas desenvolvidos na área de Química, com ênfase em Química Analítica, atuando principalmente nos seguintes temas: fitoquímica, química forense, química arqueológica e desenvolvimento analítico.
SOBRE A ARTE BRASILEIRA DA PRÉ-HISTÓRIA AOS ANOS 1960: Fabiana Werneck Barcinski (org.).
Authors: Maior Paulo Martin Souto
Published: August 2021

Sobre a Arte Brasileira não é mais um tratado historicista dedicado aos diferentes períodos da história da arte no Brasil. Idealizado e organizado por Fabiana Barcinski, partiu de uma visão social da arte que pretendia dar um viés diferente à percepção da estética. Desde os primórdios da região como colônia portuguesa e como Nação independente depois, sem ignorar as raízes indígenas, a obra leva desde o início a uma reflexão  sobre o que realmente seja a genuína arte brasileira. Para tanto, foram convidados escritores e pesquisadores de diversas instituições acadêmicas do Brasil. O resultado foi uma obra original, crítica e reflexiva sobre as múltiplas facetas da arte brasileira e sob os diferentes olhares de um grupo destacado de especialistas.
A Comparison of K-Means and Mean Shift Algorithms
Authors: Shumaila Mehak Nigar
Published: August 2021

Clustering, or otherwise known as cluster analysis, is a learning problem that takes place without any human supervision. This technique has often been utilized, much efficiently, in data analysis, and serves for observing and identifying interesting, useful, or desired patterns in the said data. The clustering technique functions by performing a structured division of the data involved, in similar objects based on the characteristics that it identifies. This process results in the formation of groups, and each group that is formed, is called a cluster. A single said cluster consists of objects from the data, that have similarities among other objects found in the same cluster, and resemble differences when compared to objects identified from the data that now exist in other clusters. The process of clustering is very significant in various aspects of data analysis, as it determines and presents the intrinsic grouping of objects present in the data, based on their attributes, in a batch of unlabeled raw data. A textbook or otherwise said, good criteria, does not exist in this method of cluster analysis. That is because this process is so different and so customizable for every user, that needs it in his/her various and different needs. There is no outright best clustering algorithm, as it massively depends on the user’s scenario and needs. This paper is intended to compare and study two different clustering algorithms. The algorithms under investigation are k-mean and mean shift. These algorithms are compared according to the following factors: time complexity, training, prediction performance and accuracy of the clustering algorithms.
Clearing Steatosis Prior to Liver Surgery for Colorectal Metastasis: A Narrative Review and Case Illustration
Authors: Peloso Andrea , Tihy Matthieu , Rubbia-Brandt Laura , Toso Christian
Published: August 2021

Over the recent years, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common liver disorder in the developed world, accounting for 20% to 46% of liver abnormalities. Steatosis is the hallmark of NAFLD and is recognized as an important risk factor for complication and death after general surgery, and even more so after liver resection. Similarly, liver steatosis also impacts the safety of live liver donation and transplantation. We aim to review surgical outcomes after liver resection for colorectal-metastases in patients with steatosis, and discuss the most common pre-operative strategies to reduce steatosis. Finally, as illustration, we report the favourable effect of a low-caloric, hyper-protein diet during a two-stage liver resection for colorectal metastases in a patient with severe steatosis.
A Comprehensive Survey of Cognitive Graphs: Techniques, Applications, Challenges
Authors: Chen Meiling , Tian Ye , Wang Zhaorui , Xu Hong , Jiang Bo
Published: August 2021

The realization of the third-generation artificial intelligence (AI) requires the evolution from perceptual intelligence to cognitive intelligence, where knowledge graphs may not meet the practical needs anymore. Based on the dual channel theory, cognitive graphs are established and developed through coordinating the implicit extraction module and the explicit reasoning module as well as integrating knowledge graphs, cognitive reasoning and logical expressions, which have achieved successes in multi-hop question answering. It is desired for cognitive graphs to be widely used in advanced AI applications such as large-scale knowledge representations and intelligent responses, promoting the development of Al dramatically. This review discusses cognitive graphs systematically and elaborately, including basic concepts, generations, theories and technologies. Moreover, we try to predict the development of cognitive intelligence in the short-term future and further enlighten more researches and studies.
Assessment of metallurgical enterprises’ activities in Kazakhstan in the context of international trends
Authors:   Karaganda Technical University, Aubakirova Gulnara , Rudko Georgiy ,   State Commission of Ukraine for Mineral Resources, Isataeva Farida ,   Karaganda Technical University
Published: August 2021

The geological industry of Kazakhstan is transiting to CRIRSCO, the international system of reporting standards for mineral reserves. In view of the set tasks, the problem of adjusting the geological and economic assessment of deposits is being updated in order to adapt it to the international requirements and to increase accessibility and transparency for a potential external investor. This research has been carried out on the basis of the Kazakhmys Corporation LLС, the largest international company engaged in exploring, mining and processing of various minerals. The authors of this paper have made an attempt to expand the geological and economic assessment of the enterprise by digitizing the key business processes. On the basis of the formed factual database of the geological and economic indicators and characteristics of the stratiform pyrite-copper-lead-zinc deposit Kusmuryn, which is part of the Kazakhmys Corporation LLС, the economic indicators of extracting associated components have been calculated. Digital transformation is a key area of technological development of the mining industry in Kazakhstan for the coming years. In this regard, automation of calculating the geological and economic assessment of the investigated field will allow the company not only to reduce investment and operating costs, but also to deepen the internal analytical work to monitor the effectiveness of the applied digital solutions. Transformation of the economy of Kazakhstan presupposes state support for promising regions. The article shows that transition of the Kusmuryn deposit to underground mining in the medium term will accelerate the solution of pressing regional problems and remove social tension in the monotowns adjacent to the deposit. In order to strengthen its position in the global economy, Kazakhstan strives to achieve socio-economic goals in the field of sustainable development. It has been established that changing the method of production and automation of business processes of the Kazakhmys Corporation LLС will have a positive effect on the energy efficiency due to more rational use of available technologies. The research will improve the validity of predictive management decisions to strengthen the financial and economic situation and the international positions of the mining and smelting enterprise.
The role of Islamic marketing ethics for customer loyalty in Islamic banking through customer satisfaction
Authors:   Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic University, Nasuka Moh , Wijaya Tony ,   Yogyakarta State University, Hidayat Anas ,   Islamic University of Indonesia
Published: August 2021

This study aims to build a conceptual and empirical model of Islamic marketing ethics’ influence on Islamic banks’ customer loyalty through customer satisfaction on salesperson services and customer satisfaction to Islamic banks over the year 2020. This study develops a new theoretical model, namely the ethical behaviour of Islamic marketing which is predicted to influence customer loyalty in Islamic banks by integrating customer satisfaction variables. The marketing ethics measurement model in the current research was built employing the Islamic marketing concept approach. The research paradigm used in this study is post-positivistic. The data were collected from 217 customers of Islamic banks in Central Java utilizing the purposive sampling technique. The results showed that Islamic ethical behaviour has a significant impact on customer loyalty directly or indirectly through customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction with core services has a direct impact on customer loyalty at Islamic banks.
A study of the market reaction to CEO change
Authors:   University of Majsan, Jabbar Ali Khazaal , Hasan Hussein Falah ,   Dijlah University College, Khalbas Hudaa Nadhim ,   Dijlah University College
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate how market reacts to CEO changes and how it may lead to abnormal stock returns. The research is of retrospective character and is based on publicly available information published by listed companies in Tehran Stock Exchange during 2011-2015 taken from a sample of 102 companies. The hypotheses were tested using panel regression with fixed effects for time series and merged effects for cross sections. The results of hypothesis testing showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between CEO change and abnormal stock returns. In other words, it can be argued that at the time of CEO change, stocks are underrated by stockholders, as a result of which the estimated stock return will be lower than expected.
The Estimated Cost of Maintenance of Certification
Authors: LaVigne Caleb , Foulkes Guy , Kane Steve
Published: August 2021

Background:

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is a controversial topic in medicine for many different reasons. Studies have suggested that there may be associations between fewer negative outcomes and participation in MOC. However, MOC still remains controversial because of its cost. We sought to determine the estimated cost of MOC to the average orthopaedic surgeon, including fees and time cost, defined as the market value of the physician’s time.

Methods:

We calculated the total cost of MOC to be the sum of the fees required for applications, examinations, and other miscellaneous fees as well as the time cost to the physician and staff. Costs were calculated for the oral, written, and American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Web-based Longitudinal Assessment (ABOS WLA) MOC pathways based on the responses of 33 orthopaedic surgeons to a survey sent to a state orthopaedic society.

Results:

We calculated the average orthopaedic surgeon’s total cost in time and fees over the decade-long period to be $71,440.61 ($7,144.06 per year) for the oral examination MOC pathway and $80,391.55 ($8,039.16 per year) for the written examination pathway. We calculated the cost of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery web-based examination pathway to be $69,721.04 ($6,972.10 per year).

Conclusions:

The actual cost of MOC is much higher than just the fees paid to organizations providing services. The majority of the cost comes in the form of time cost to the physician. The ABOS WLA was implemented to alleviate the anxiety of a high-stakes examination and to encourage efficient longitudinal learning. We found that the ABOS WLA pathway does save time and money when compared with the written examination pathway when review courses and study periods are taken. We believe that future policy changes should focus on decreasing physician time spent completing MOC requirements, and decreasing the cost of these requirements, while preserving the model of continued evidence-based medical education.
The photogeny of revolution
Authors:   Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Petrovsky Helen V.
Published: August 2021

Drawing on the works of three authors, namely, Jean Epstein, Auguste Villiers de l’Isle-Adam and P.A. Kropotkin, the article attempts to lay the grounds for what might be called a semiotics of forces. Jean Epstein, a filmmaker and theorist of the new art form, is the au­thor of an original concept of photogénie where cinema is presented as an instru­ment re­vealing the transformations of matter itself. Erupting Etna stands for the trans­formations in question. Villiers de l’Isle-Adam is a symbolist writer, who also mentions Etna, associat­ing its explosive power with the chemical formulas of explosives. These formulas, inte­grated into his “least literary” novella, become special signs of social transformation: The writer, challenging the entire class of bourgeoisie that he deeply detests, makes use of the fear incited by the anarchists amongst it. Finally, P.A. Kropotkin, one of the leading theo­rists of anarchism but also an outstanding scientist and geographer, insists on the priority of transformative action over theory and every other speculation. In fact, he proposes his own version of the performative – of words changing the existing state of things – already at the end of the 19th century. In one way or another, all these writers are united by their understanding of the inherent connection between natural and social disasters (Kropotkin’s position is explicit). Described by Epstein and only once mentioned by Villiers de l’Isle-Adam, Etna becomes an element of a correlation, i.e., of a connection that is unapparent and necessary at the same time. What is implied is the relation between volcano and cin­ema as well as that between volcano and explosives. In both cases this relation becomes the designation of matter itself or, to be more exact, of matter in a state of flux and trans­formation. But this is also true of transformative action in the proper sense of the word (re­sulting in revolution, according to Kropotkin), whose verbal expressions always carry within themselves the energy of multidirectional forces. Etna is not merely a volcano and not just an element of a correlation; from the perspective of physics, it is synonymous with heat (scorching lava), which stands for changes in the properties of a substance, i.e., its transformation in purely physical terms. It is clear that transformation in cinema, literature as well as in social life cannot be represented directly; it is revealed only through a set of relations, namely, a semiotics of forces.
The problem of intentionality in the school of Brentano
Authors:   National Research University Higher School of Economics, Seliverstov Vladimir V.
Published: August 2021

From the moment Franz Brentano formulated his definition of intentionality, it imme­diately began to undergo modifications in the works of his students. Brentano’s original definition included reference to the scholastic tradition, but it differs from the one that was formulated by the scholastics. In his work “Psychology from an Empirical Point of View”, Brentano defines intentionality both as an orientation towards an object and as a relation to some content, but at no later time, neither in this work, nor in other published works, does he clarify the meaning of the concept of «content». In this regard, the stu­dents and interpreters of Brentano’s works had a question: does the scheme of inten­tionality consist exclusively of an intentional act and an object, or does it also include the content of a representation? Brentano’s disciples did not view this definition as clear and unambiguous. In order to clarify this concept, they often studied other similar philo­sophical conceptions in search of a more precise definition. In particular, they looked for a similar concept in the theory of Bernard Bolzano. The first version of the schema of in­tentionality, including the content of representation, appeared in the works of Hoeffler and Twardowski. For this reason, for a long time they were considered by historians to be the discoverers of the distinction between object and content. However, after the notes of Brentano’s lectures, which he also read to his students, were recovered, it became clear that Brentano himself made this distinction. In this regard, it seems extremely important to interpret the history of the relationships in the Brentano school through the prism of the discussions devoted to the definition of intentionality and the structure of an inten­tional act, as well as to understand the origins of each individual interpretation of this concept proposed by Brentano’s students
Schopenhauer’s theory of ideas
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Chepeleva Natalia Yu.
Published: August 2021

The article is devoted to the Arthur Schopenhauer’s contradictory doctrines of ideas. The analysis is accompanied by a discussion of historical and philosophical mysteries di­rectly related to Schopenhauer’s doctrines of ideas. His theory of ideas is explored in its ontological and aesthetic aspects as well as in its relation to Schopenhauer’s ethics. In the article, Schopenhauer’s definition of idea is analyzed in comparison with that of Plato and Kant. Despite the fact that Schopenhauer himself claimed that he understood the notion of idea in its true, Platonic sense, the article claims that he largely departed from Plato. Since the idea is enriched by the properties of thing-in-itself, it remains a rep­resentation accessible to cognition and becomes an intermediate link between the will and the individual. The article discusses the place of ideas in Schopenhauer’s ontology. The article distinguishes and characterizes the stages of objectification of the will, which Schopenhauer calls ideas. The ambivalent status of the idea gives rise to many other his­torical and philosophical problems. One of them is the determination of the status of a comprehensible (intelligible) character, which Schopenhauer declares to be another di­rect objectification of the will, besides ideas. Further, the article investigates the process of cognizing an idea. The author discusses Schopenhauer’s aesthetic teaching in connec­tion to the fact that Schopenhauer declares that cognition of the world of ideas is the goal of art. The article examines Schopenhauer’s classification of arts and separately prob­lematizes the status of music. The relationship between the philosophy of art and Schopenhauer’s ethical doctrines, in which he offers two ways to salvation, is discussed. The concepts of asceticism and genius are compared. The article suggests that Schopen­hauer's ethical doctrine can be presented as a complement to his doctrine of ideas. The fi­nal part of the article briefly formulates the main problems of Schopenhauer’s theory of ideas and discusses their possible solutions.
EMOTIONS IN SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING: THEORY, RESEARCH AND TEACHER EDUCATION
Authors: Leslie Sharon
Published: August 2021

EMOTIONS IN SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING: THEORY, RESEARCH AND TEACHER EDUCATION Juan de Dios Martinez Agudo (Ed.) Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2018
About TESOL in Context
Authors: TESOL in Context Journal Coordinator
Published: August 2021

ACTA statement

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Gravitational Fields and Gravitational Waves
Authors: Yuan Tony
Published: August 2021

The relative velocity between objects with finite velocity affects the reaction between them. This effect is known as general Doppler effect. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) discovered gravitational waves and found their speed to be equal to the speed of light c. Gravitational waves are generated following a disturbance in the gravitational field; they affect the gravitational force on an object. Just as light waves are subject to the Doppler effect, so are gravitational waves. This article explores the following research questions concerning gravitational waves: What is the spatial distribution of gravitational waves? Can the speed of a gravitational wave represent the speed of the gravitational field (the speed of the action of the gravitational field upon the object)? What is the speed of the gravitational field? Do gravitational waves caused by the revolution of the sun affect planetary precession? Can we modify Newton’s gravitational equation through the influence of gravitational waves?
ARID1A loss derepresses human endogenous retrovirus-H to modulate BRD4-driven transcription
Authors: Yuan Kai , Yu Chunhong , Lei Xiaoyun , Chen Fang , Mao Song , Lv Lu , Liu Honglu , Hu Xueying , Wang Runhan , Shen Licong , Zhang Na , Meng Yang , Shen Yunfan , Li Pishun , Huang Shi , Shao Hao , Lin Changwei , Zhang Zhuohua
Published: August 2021

The transposable elements (TEs) through evolutionary exaptation have become an integral part of human genome, offering ample regulatory sequences and shaping chromatin 3D architecture. While the functional impacts of TE-derived sequences on early embryogenesis are recognized, their role in malignancy has only started to emerge. Here we show that many TEs, especially the pluripotency-related endogenous retrovirus H (HERVH), are abnormally activated in colorectal cancer (CRC) samples. The transcriptional upregulation of HERVH is associated with mutations of several tumor suppressors including ARID1A. Knockout of ARID1A in CRC cells leads to increased accessibility at HERVH loci and enhanced transcription, which is dependent on ARID1B. Suppression of HERVH in CRC cells and patient-derived organoids impairs tumor growth. Mechanistically, HERVH transcripts colocalize with nuclear BRD4 foci, modulate their dynamics, and co-regulate many target genes. Altogether, we uncover a critical role for ARID1A in restraining HERVH, which can promote tumorigenesis by stimulating BRD4-dependent transcription when ARID1A is mutated.
Pulmonary Hypertension in Mitral Valve Disease -- Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis Versus Organic Mitral Regurgitation: The Doppler-Echocardiographic Study Revisited
Authors: Ratanasit Nithima , Karaketklang Khemajira , Rasmeehirun Prayuth , Chanwanitkulchai Roongthip
Published: August 2021

Purpose: The aims of the study were to determine the factors associated with PH among patients with mitral valve disease, and the similarities and differences in the subgroups of mitral stenosis (MS) and mitral regurgitation (MR). Methods: Patients with isolated moderate to severe organic mitral valve disease were prospectively enrolled. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was defined echocardiographically as pulmonary artery systolic pressure > 50 mmHg. Patients with MS who had mitral valve area > 1.5 cm2 and patients with MR who had effective regurgitant orifice area < 20 mm2 were excluded. Results: There were 318 patients (mean age 54.3 ± 15.5 years, 57.6% female, 66.7% MR). PH was present in 119 (37.4%) patients (48.1% and 31.8% in MS and MR, respectively). Severe mitral valve disease was reported in 245 (77.0%) patients. Left atrial (LA) diameter and pulmonary artery pressure were significantly higher in patients with MS. Dyspnea, LA volume index, significant tricuspid and pulmonary regurgitation, severe mitral valve disease and the presence of MS were independently associated with PH. Among patients with MS, LA volume index and severe disease were independently associated with PH. Significant tricuspid and pulmonary regurgitation, LA volume index and severe disease were independently associated with PH in patients with MR. Conclusions: PH is common in patients with mitral valve disease. LA volume index and severe disease were, in common, independently associated with PH in patients with mitral valve disease and in the subgroups of MS and MR.
An Improved Term Weighting Method Based on Relevance Frequency for Text Classification
Authors: Li Chuanxiao , Li Wenqiang , Tang Zhong , Li Song , Xiang Hai
Published: August 2021

As a vital step of text classification (TC) task, the assignment of term weight has a great influence on the performance of TC. Currently, masses of term weighting schemes can be utilized, such as term frequency-inverse documents frequency (TF-IDF) and term frequency-relevance frequency (TF-RF), and they are all consisted of local part (TF) and global part (e.g., IDF, RF). However, most of these schemes adopt the logarithmic processing on their respective global parts, and it is natural to consider whether the logarithmic processing apply to all these schemes or not. Actually, for a specific term weighting scheme, due to its different ratio of local weight and global weight resulting from logarithmic processing, it usually shows diverse text clasification results on different text sets, which presents poor robustness. To explore the influence of logarithmic processing imposed on the global weight on the classification result of term weighting schemes, TF-RF is selected as the representative because it can achieve a better performance among these schemes adopting logarithmic processing. Then, two propositions along with corresponding methods about the relation between TF part and RF part are proposed based on TF-RF. In addition, two groups of experiments are conducted on the two methods. The first group of experiments proves that one method (denoted as TF-ERF) is more helpful to the improvement than the other one (denoted as ETF-RF). The second group of experiments shows that TF-ERF not only ourperforms TF-RF but also obtains better performance than other existing term weighting schemes.
The Assessment of Musculoskeletal Disorders of Pregnancy
Authors: Afshar Ahmadreza , Tabrizi Ali , Bagheri Vahid , Sedokani Amin
Published: August 2021

Background

Almost all women experience some degree of musculoskeletal disorder during pregnancy, and almost a quarter of them develop at least temporarily musculoskeletal disorders during pregnancy. The most common of which is lower back pain, which affects half of all pregnant women. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders caused by pregnancy in women referred to Motahari Hospital of Urmia.
Methods

The present study is a cross-sectional study in which 344 pregnant patients referred to Motahari and Imam Hospitals of Urmia during 2020 were studied. The demographic factors and pregnancy characteristics of patients were recorded and evaluated. Patients were also questioned and examined using a questionnaire. The relationship between demographic factors and the frequency of various skeletal abnormalities was investigated.
Results

The mean age of patients and the mean gestational age were 27 ± 4.76 years and 22 ± 3.4 weeks, respectively. The analysis of the relationship between age, gravid and parity of pregnant women with the prevalence of complaints and clinical examination findings, indicated women with gravid 4 or more had more complaints of back pain (p-value = 0.021). It was also found that there is a statistical relationship between the increase in body mass index of patients and the frequency of wrist pain and carpal tunnel syndrome in the study population (p-value = 0.03).
Conclusions

The present study indicated the rate of musculoskeletal complaints of patients and pathological factors such as lumbar hyperlordosis in women with higher gravidity is higher than other groups of pregnant women. Larger body mass index is associated with more wrist pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Electrostatic Characteristics of High-k Stacked Gate-All-Around Heterojunction Tunnel Field Effect Transistor using Superposition Principle
Authors: C usha , Vimala P , Ramkumar K , Ramakrishnan V.N.
Published: August 2021

We use superposition method to model the electrostatic characteristics of high-k stacked Gate-All-Around Hetero Junction TFETs (GAA-HJTFETs). The hetero junction is set up by using Ge/Si material in the source/channel respectively. The modeling is accomplished by considering the space charge regions at the source-channel/drainchannel junctions and the channel region. The surface potential in the channel region is obtained by applying superposition principle, where as in source/drain it is derived by solving 2-D/1-D Poisson's equation respectively. Furthermore, the electric field and drain current are modeled from the surface potential and Kane model respectively. The results are confirmed using ATLAS TCAD simulation.
Joint Roughness Profiling using Photogrammetry
Authors: SARICAM T. , Ozturk Hasan
Published: August 2021

We propose an automated camera setup for photogrammetric roughness analysis in the laboratory environment. The developed fast and low-cost automation setup can be very useful for tedious and laborsome manual field logging practices. The photographs are processed in MATLAB to obtain disparity maps. Coding routines for stereo photogrammetry and digital measurements are written in MATLAB. Secondly, 6 effecting factors (projecting an image onto core face, depth of field, brightness, camera-to-object to baseline distance ratio, projected image size and occlusion) influencing noise in roughness depth maps computed by employing stereo photogrammetry are investigated. After deciding the best values that allow the lowest amount of noise, depth maps of 6 core faces are computed. Using the 3D point cloud generated, roughness profile measurements are made. Then, 8 profile measurements are made for each core face, both manually and digitally. The accuracy of the disparity maps has been verified by comparing 48 joint roughness coefficient (JRC) measurements made manually using a profile gauge. It was proved that surface roughness can be measured very fast in millimetric accuracy with an average Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 3.50 and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 3.02 by the help of the proposed set-up and calibration.
Impacts of Autofluorescence on Fluorescence Based Techniques to Study Microglia
Authors: Zhang Haozhe , Tan Chen , Shi Xiaoyue , Xu Ji
Published: August 2021

Microglia, the resident immune cells in the central nervous system, accrue autofluorescent granules inside their cytoplasm throughout their lifespan. In this report, we studied the impacts of autofluorescence on widely used fluorescence based techniques to study microglia, including flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining and live imaging. The failed attempt of using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) conjugated antibody to detect LAG3 protein in microglia prompted us to compare the sensitivity of FITC, PE and APC conjugated antibodies to detect surface protein expression in microglia. We found that phycoerythrin (PE) outperforms FITC and allophycocyanin (APC) as the fluorophore conjugated to antibody for flow cytometry by overcoming the interference from microglia autofluorescence. To identify the location and source of microglia autofluorescence, we did confocal imaging and spectral analysis of microglia autofluorescence on fixed brain tissues, revealing that microglia autofluorescence emits from cytoplasmic granules and displays a multi-peak emission spectrum. On live brain slices, autofluorescence could reduce the detected calcium signals imaged by GCaMP6s in microglia. In conclusion, autofluorescence is a critical factor to consider when designing experiments and interpreting results relying on fluorescence based techniques to study microglia.
Tumor-microenvironment Responsive Targeted Exosome-like Nanovesicles From Dunaliella Salina for Enhancing Gene/immune Combination Therapy
Authors: Zhu Mengxi , Li Shan , Feng Shuying , Wang Haojie , Hu Lina , Gao Shegan , Yu Yingjie , Liang Gaofeng
Published: August 2021

BackgroundAs an endogenous extracellular vesicle, exosome is increasingly presenting its great potential in the field of drug delivery. However, it is the bottleneck to obtain a large number of uniform, stable and multi-component controllable exosomes with low cost and time. ResultsIn this study, we develop a novel targeted drug delivery system based on exosome-like nanovesicle by use of natural marine single-celled Dunaliella salina (DENV), the c(RGDyK) peptide has been conjugated to DENV surface to achieve the targeted delivery to esophageal cancer cells. Furthermore, miR-375 has been loaded into the cRGD-DENV through electroporation, and aPD-L1 has been conjugated onto its surface via Gly-PLGLAG-Cys peptide, a matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2)-cleavable peptide, which facilitates the release of aPD-L1 in tumor environment to achieve the high-efficiency combination of gene therapy and immunotherapy. Firstly, the engineered DENV delivery system was prepared and characterized. It exhibited a proper particle diameter (approximately 150 nm) with in vitro sustained release features in the presence of MMP-2/9. More importantly, the cRGD-DENV was effective, promoted selective delivery of cargo to the target site, and reduced nonspecific uptake, consequently, significantly inhibit tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. ConclusionThe specific nanocarrier delivery system provide a promising strategy for the rapid and large-scale production of functionalized exosome-like nanovesicle by adapting multifunctional peptides specifically targeted tumor.
Neuron Navigator 3 (NAV3) is Required for Heart Development
Authors: Lv Feng , Yuan Fang , Lu Xiaofeng , Ge Xiaojuan , Shi Linsheng , Wang Xin , Liu Dong , Chen Changsheng
Published: August 2021

Background: As a tightly controlled biological process, cardiogenesis requires the specification and migration of a suite of cell types to form a particular three-dimensional configuration of the heart. Many genetic factors are involved in the formation and maturation of the heart, and any genetic mutations may result in severe cardiac failures. The neuron navigator (NAV) family consists of three vertebrate homologs (NAV1, NAV2, and NAV3) of the neural guidance molecule Uncoordinated-53 (UNC-53) in Caenorhabditis elegans. Although they are recognized as neural regulators, their expressions are also detected in many organs, including the heart, kidney, and liver. However, the functions of NAVs, regardless of neural guidance, remain largely unexplored. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of NAV3 in heart development.Results: The nav3 gene was found to be expressed in the cardiac region of zebrafish embryos from 24 to 48 hours post-fertilization (hpf) by means of in situ hybridization (ISH) assay. A CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing method was utilized to delete the nav3 gene in zebrafish and loss-of-function of Nav3 resulted in a severe deficiency in its cardiac morphology and structure. The similar phenotypic defects of the knockout mutants could recur by nav3 morpholino injection and be rescued by nav3 mRNA injection. Dual-color fluorescence imaging of ventricle and atrium markers further confirmed the disruption of the heart development in nav3-deleted mutants. Although the heart rate was not affected by the deletion of nav3, the heartbeat intensity was decreased in the mutants. Conclusions: The nav3 gene can be expressed in a variety of tissues or organs although it is initially identified as a neural guiding factor. Gene knockout of nav3 in zebrafish leads to severe development malformation of the heart. Moreover, the defective heart development can be rescued by nav3 mRNA injection. All these findings indicate that Nav3 was required for cardiogenesis in the development of zebrafish embryos.
Preparation of Tree-Structured ZnO Films And Application In Quantum Dots Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Dong Shaokang , Li Shengjun , Cai Junhao , Chen Zeng , Sun Fuhao , Lv Pin
Published: August 2021

This study reported the fabrication of tree-structured ZnO films through hydrothermal method. Long ZnO nanowires (NWs) were firstly deposited on the transparent conductive glass substrates. ZnO braches were then grown on the surface of ZnO NWs. The morphology of the as-prepared tree-structured ZnO films was affected by several factors, such as the concentration of Zn(CH3COO)2 in the seed precursor solution, and the hydrothermal reaction time. ZnO branches were vertically grown on the ZnO NWs when the concentration of Zn(CH3COO)2 was 0.04 M. Quantum dots (QDs)-sensitized solar cells were assembled using the CdS/CdSe QDs co-sensitized ZnO films as the photoanodes. The value of Incident photon-to-current conversion eﬃciency (IPCE) in the range of 550–650 nm was obviously enhanced with the growth of ZnO braches. The short-circuit current density (JSC) was increased from 9.65 to 12.60 mA cm-2 when the growth time of ZnO branches was 6 h. The overall PCE increased from 3.21% to 5.19%.
PI(4,5)P2 Controls Slit Diaphragm Formation and Endocytosis in Drosophila Nephrocytes
Authors: Gass Maximilian , Borkowsky Sarah , Lotz Marie-Luise , Schröter Rita , Nedvetsky Pavel , Luschnig Stefan , Rohlmann Astrid , Missler Markus , Krahn Michael P.
Published: August 2021

Drosophila nephrocytes are an emerging model system for mammalian podocytes and podocyte-associated diseases. Like podocytes, nephrocytes exhibit characteristics of epithelial cells, but the role of phospholipids in polarization of these cells is yet unclear. In epithelia phosphatidylinositol(4,5)bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) and phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P3) are asymmetrically distributed in the plasma membrane and determine apical-basal polarity. Here we demonstrate that both phospholipids are present in the plasma membrane of nephrocytes, but only PI(4,5)P2 accumulates at slit diaphragms. Knockdown of Skittles, a phosphatidylinositol(4)phosphate 5-kinase, which produces PI(4,5)P2, abolished slit diaphragm formation and led to strongly reduced endocytosis. Notably, reduction in PI(3,4,5)P3 by overexpression of PTEN or expression of a dominant-negative phosphatidylinositol-3-Kinase did not affect nephrocyte function, whereas enhanced formation of PI(3,4,5)P3 by constitutively active phosphatidylinositol-3-Kinase resulted in strong slit diaphragm and endocytosis defects by ectopic activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway. Thus, PI(4,5)P2 but not PI(3,4,5)P3 is essential for slit diaphragm formation and nephrocyte function. However, PI(3,4,5)P3 has to be tightly controlled to ensure nephrocyte development.
Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease In Anti-MDA5-Positive Dermatomyositis: A Retrospective Study of 87 Patients
Authors: Gui Xianhua , Shi Shenyun , Zhao Tingting , Qiu Yuying , Yu Min , Ma Miao , Ding Jingjing , Chen Lulu , Qiu Xiaohua , Xin Xiaoyan , Zhang Yingwei , Cao Min , Huang Mei , Cao Mengshu , Dai Jinghong , Cai Hourong , Xiao Yonglong
Published: August 2021

Objectives: The prognosis of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene (MDA5) antibody-positive dermatomyositis (DM)-interstitial lung disease (ILD) (anti-MDA5 -positive DM-ILD) is often poor, especially in rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RPILD). So far there is no established therapy. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatments for anti-MDA5-positive DM-ILD. Methods: This retrospective study comprised 87 anti-MDA5-positive DM-ILD patients. We reviewed the clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, lung function treatments, and outcomes of the 87 patients. Cox regression analysis was used to identify predictors of 6-month survival. The association between different combined immunosuppressive regimen and 6-month survival were evaluated.Results: High level of CYFRA21-1 and low PaO2/FiO2 ratio were associated with poor prognosis. Corticosteroid (CS) alone treatment group with higher CYFRA21-1 and lower PaO2/FiO2 ratio showed worse 6-month survival than the combination of CS with immunosuppressants group (p<0.01). In addition, tacrolimus/cyclosporine-treated anti-MDA5-positive DM Non-RPILD exhibited a better survival, comparing with tacrolimus/cyclosporine combined intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCY)-treated patients (p<0.05). Conclusion: Addition of immunosuppressants to CS, were associated with better 6-month survival in anti-MDA5-positive DM-ILD. The triple regimen (CS, tacrolimus/cyclosporine and IVCY) was not superior to duple one (CS, tacrolimus/cyclosporine) in anti-MDA5-positive DM Non-RPILD.
Prognostic Nomogram on Clinicopathologic Features and Serum Uric Acid for Precancerous Lesions and Gastric Cancer
Authors: Tang Shanshan , Chen Ying , Fu Chenhong , Xie Xin , Song Ziyu , Xu Jianzhong , Zhang Yihan , Fan Nengguang , Peng Yongde , Zhang Qifa , Xu Huanbai
Published: August 2021

The relationship between Uric acid (UA) and malignant tumor are still confusing. Gastric cancer(GC) is recognized to be closely related to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, early diagnosis rate is very low. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between H. pylori and hyperuricemia (HUA), and evaluate the predictive value of serum uric acid (SUA) in gastric precancerous lesion (GPL) and gastric cancer (GC). This retrospective study included 486 patients who underwent gastroscopy (155 controls, 272 GPL, 59 GC patients). The risk factors for GPL and GC were identified by multiple logistic regression analysis and nomogram was constructed to evaluate the ability of SUA to predict the risk of these diseases based on SUA score. We found that in healthy controls, HUA is positively correlated with H. Pylori (+). SUA was an independent risk factor for GPL and GC. Verification shows that the nomogram was better fitted for GC than for GPL. In conclusion, our study established nomogram based on SUA to predict the risk of GPL and GC, suggested that the incidence of GPL and GC is higher in H. pylori (+) HUA patients, so early intervention and vigilance should be raised.
Low Urine Secretion of Semaphorin3A In Lupus Patients With Proteinuria
Authors: Rimar Doron , Lidar Merav , Eiza Nasrin , Sabag Adi D , Toubi Elias , Slobodin Gleb , Rosner Itzhak , Rozenbaum Michael , Vadasz Zahava
Published: August 2021

Background: Immune semaphorins are important players in controlling both innate and adaptive immune responses. The regulatory role of semaphorin3A (sema3A) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other autoimmune diseases is widely reported. Decreased levels of serum sema3A were shown to be associated with SLE disease activity. Objectives: To assess urine concentrations of sema3A in SLE patients and its correlation with renal involvement and disease activity. Methods: Urine levels of sema3A were analyzed in 38 SLE patients of whom 13 had renal involvement and were compared to 10 healthy controls and 8 RA patients (disease control group). Results: The secretion of urine sema3A was found to be significantly lower in SLE patients compared to healthy controls and RA patients (4.9±3.9 ng/ml, 8.5±2.7 ng/ml, 9.85±1.7 ng/ml, respectively, p = 0.0006). Urine sema3A was significantly lower in SLE patients with lupus nephritis than in patients without nephritis (4.0±3.4 ng/ml vs 6.5±3.8 ng/ml, p=0.03). Urine sema3A was inversely correlated with proteinuria and SLE disease activity. Conclusion: Urine sema3A is decreased in lupus patients and should be further evaluated as a possible biomarker for disease activity and renal involvement.
Health-Related Quality of Life in PARP-Inhibitor Olaparib Maintenance in Ovarian Cancer Patients: Real World Data and Experience of a Single-Center in China
Authors: Jiang Yi , Meng Huangyang , Ruan Xinjia , Yuan Lin , Luo Chengyan , Wan Yicong , Cheng Wenjun
Published: August 2021

Objectives:To preliminarily explore the germline BRCA1/2 gene mutation status of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), analyze the relationship with clinicopathological characteristics and the impact on survival and prognosis. Then examine the BRCA1/2 gene sequence mutation rate and the QOL of ovarian cancer patients with oral Olaparib in a single-center of China.Methods:A retrospective analysis of the survival and prognostic factors of 82 ovarian cancer patients who had undergone genetic testing in the Department of Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from 2015 to 2018. These patients also underwent germline BRCA1/2 genetic testing. Then, we use the Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and the Quality of Life Ovarian Cancer 28 Questionnaire (QLQ-OV28) to determine the relationship between quality of life (QOL) in each category, and key demographic and clinical factors.Results: The total mutation rate of BRCA1/2 was 30.48%, among which the pathogenic mutation rate of BRCA1 was 20.73%, and the pathogenic mutation rate of BRCA2 was 9.75% in our single-center. A total of 18 pathogenic mutation sites and 2 mutation sites of unknown significance were found. Olaparib as maintenance therapy was significantly associated with better QOL on all functioning domains and several symptom domains. The patients without Olaparib maintenance therapy may experience deteriorating QOL in several domains. Conclusions: Patients with EOC have a higher frequency of BRCA1/2 gene mutation rate, which is related to the malignant biological behavior of the tumor. Patients with BRCA1/2 gene mutation may have a better prognosis. Olaparib maintenance therapy is associated with better QOL and higher QOL in several domains in single center of Chinese.