bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Out-of-pocket and catastrophic expenses in households of patients with schizophrenia lacking social security
Authors: Reyes-Morales Hortensia , Cabello-Rangel Héctor , Medina-Mora María Elena , Arredondo-López Armando
Published: June 2021

Objective. To estimate the magnitude of out-of-pocket (OOP) and catastrophic health expenses as well as impo­verishment experienced by households of schizophrenia patients lacking social security coverage. Materials and methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 96 individuals treated outpatient consultation between February and December 2018, in a psychiatric hospital. Results. All households sustained OOP health expenses; the median was 510 USD (95%CI: 456-628). The OOP expenses represented 28 and 4% of the capacity to pay of poor and rich households, respectively. The 16% of households incurred catastrophic expenses and 6.6% have impoverishment for health reasons. Conclusions. Our results illustrate that pocket expenses and catastrophic expenses in patients with schizophrenia are higher than those reported for the general population. There­fore, it is necessary to rethink the financial protection policies aimed at patients with schizophrenia and their households.
Asociación entre mortalidad por Covid-19 y contaminación atmosférica en ciudades mexicanas
Authors: Cabrera-Cano Ángel Arturo , Cruz-de la Cruz Julio César , Gloria-Alvarado Ana Berenice , Álamo-Hernández Urinda , Riojas-Rodríguez Horacio
Published: June 2021

Objetivo. Analizar la asociación entre la exposición crónica a contaminantes atmosféricos y la tasa de mortalidad por Covid-19 en ciudades mexicanas. Material y métodos. Estudio ecológico en 25 ciudades mexicanas utilizando el reporte de casos diarios de muertes por Covid-19 (febrero a junio 2020) y datos validados de contaminantes atmosféricos, considerando concentraciones promedio en cada ciudad en el último año. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión Poisson, con modelos aditivos generalizados y variables de ajuste. Resultados. Se encontró un incremento significativo de 3.5% (IC95% 2.3-4.7) en la tasa de mortalidad por Covid-19 por incremento de 1μg/m3 de NO2. La asociación con PM2.5 fue no significativa, con un incremento de 1.8% por cada μg/ m3. Conclusiones. Los resultados sugieren una asociación entre la mortalidad por Covid-19 y la exposición a NO2. Esta primera aproximación del riesgo asociado con la contami­nación del aire requiere de análisis más precisos, pero es consistente con estudios de otras regiones.
A Novel IL17RA Mutation In A Male Child With Chronic Mucocutaneous Candidiasis
Authors: Yakici Nalan , Halaçli Sevil Oskay , Tan Cagman , Cetinkaya Pinar Gur , Akar Halil Tuna , Cavdarli Busra , Ozbek Begum , Cagdas Deniz , Tezcan Ilhan
Published: June 2021

Purpose: Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) is characterized by persistent or recurrent fungal infections involving the nails, skin, oral and genital mucosa. Impaired IL17 mediated immunity is a cause for CMC. Patient and Methods: After the next-generation sequencing analysis showed the IL17RA variant, confirmation by Sanger sequencing was done. Functional validation of the variant by flow cytometry was performed. Results: We present a 6-year-old male patient who presented with recurrent oral and genital candida infections and eczema. He had staphylococcal skin lesions in addition to the fungal susceptibility and eczema. The patient was found to carry a previously unreported homozygous nonsense [(c.787C> T) (p.Arg263Ter)] mutation in the IL17RA gene. Sanger sequencing confirmed the variant and showed the segregation of the variant in the family. We used flow cytometry to detect IL17RA protein expression in patients’ PBMCs and measured the Th17 cell percentages. Severely decreased IL17RA protein expression was observed in patient’s PBMCs and decreased CD4+ IL17+ cell percentage as well as decreased IL17F expression in CD4+ cells compared with healthy control. Conclusion: In patients with chronic recurrent fungal and bacterial and/or infections of the skin, mucosa, and nails, advanced immunological studies should be performed to document the genetic susceptibility even if basic immunological tests are normal.
Probabilistic Model for the Lifetime Prediction of IoT Devices
Authors: Correia Felipe Pinheiro , Alencar Marcelo , Assis Karcius
Published: June 2021

The development of new electronics and communications technologies allows the Internet of Things (IoT) concepts to be put into practice. A large amount of information is expected to travel over the internet from intelligent objects to many different kinds of software and cloud computing applications. However, there are still several challenges to be overcome. Among them, management of devices energy consumption is intriguing. Therefore, a model to estimate the range of probabilities of the energy spent by IoT equipment is presented in this work. The results include the formulation of probability distributions and discrete event simulations. The proposed method can be applied to design and evaluate IoT applications.
Redo Accessory Pathway Ablation in the Pediatric Population
Authors: Corcia M Cecilia Gonzalez , Stuart Grahham , Walsh Mark , Cristina Radulescu , Spera Francesco , Tijskens Maxime , Heidbuchel Hein , Sarkozy Andrea
Published: June 2021

Background: Literature reports 5% of recurrence/ failure in pediatric accessory pathway ablations. Our aim was to investigate the reasons underlying this finding and share techniques to obtain long term success. Methods: Thirty-nine pediatric patients referred for a repeat procedure were analyzed: characteristics of the pathways and the initial and redo procedures were identified.Results: Mean age was 11.9 ± 3.3 years (59% males). Three patients (8%) had multiple accessory pathways. The most frequent location was left lateral (26%). Left sided pathway recurrence was caused mainly by poor contact (60%) and inadequate mapping (40%). For right lateral accessory pathways, poor contact accounted for 70% of failures. For antero-septal and para-hisian locations, the use of cryoablation and choice of low radiofrequency energy delivery accounted for > 75% of failures. Long-term success strategies included choice of contact force catheters and radiofrequency applications at the ventricular insertion of the pathway and in the aortic coronary cusps. In postero-septal substrates, the main reason accounting for failure was deep or epicardial location of the pathway (37%), solved by using an irrigated tip catheter or applying lesions within the coronary sinus, or applications from both right and left postero-septal areas. Conclusions: Acute failure and post-procedure recurrence in pediatric accessory pathway ablations have multiple reasons related to the characteristics of the pathway and the technology available. Accurate understanding of the anatomy, careful mapping and pacing maneuvers, and incorporation of new technologies contribute to achieve a definitive success in > 98% of procedures.
Development of the geometrical feature extraction tool using DBSCAN clustering for toolpath generation in incremental forming
Authors: Nagargoje Aniket , Kankar Pavan K. , Jain Prashant K. , Tandon Puneet
Published: June 2021

Incremental forming is an emerging manufacturing technique, which allows the forming of the components without product-specific dies. The process uses Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine tools to form complicated geometries. A punch, mostly a ball end tool, follows the toolpath obtained from the 3D model of the desired geometry to deform a blank into the desired shape. The objective of the current research is to develop a geometrical feature extraction technology to generate the toolpaths for the incremental forming process. A novel geometrical feature extraction tool, developed using attribute clustering techniques is proposed here. The proposed technology extracts geometrical features from the sliced contoured data of the geometry using Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) clustering and convex hull algorithms. Initially, the DBSCAN clustering technique is used for parent feature extraction. Later, child features are extracted from the parent features with the help of a convex hull algorithm. This paper discusses in detail the algorithms developed to extract geometrical features. The performance of the developed algorithms is validated with three different multi-featured geometries representing different types of families like geometries with natural partitions (features are connected with edges), geometries with smoothly connected features, and free form geometries. The results show that the techniques work successfully with different complicated geometries to extract the features. The outcome of this research would help evolve a system for an automatic generation of the feature-based toolpaths for the incremental forming (and similar) processes.
Objective Assessment of Corneal Backscattered Light in Myopic, Hyperopic, and Emmetropic Children
Authors: Nalcacioglu Pinar , Sen Emine , Aydemir Emre , Kiziltoprak Hasan , Yasar Hakan Halit
Published: June 2021

Purpose: To determine the corneal densitometry values by using Scheimpflug imaging in myopic, and hyperopic children and to compare the results with emmetropic children.Methods: The corneal densitometry measurements of the subject were obtained with Pentacam Scheimpflug tomography. The values were automatically measured in standardized grayscale units (GSU) over an area 12 mm in diameter, which was subdivided into 4 annular concentric zones (0-2 mm, 2-6 mm, 6-10 mm, 10-12 mm) and 3 corneal depths (anterior layer: anterior 120 µm; central layer: from 120 µm to the last 60 µm; posterior layer: last 60 µm). In addition, we evaluated the correlation between spherical equivalence and anterior corneal morphological parameters and the corneal densitometry values.Results: A total of 216 participants were included in this prospective cross-sectional study. The eyes were divided into three groups related to their spherical equivalent (SE) refractive error values as follows: 89 (41.2%) hyperopic eyes, 66 (30.6%) myopic eyes, and 61 (28.2%) emmetropic control eyes. The hyperopic eyes were found to have lower corneal densitometry values in 4 annular zones and the total diameter of all depths except the central layer. However, only the 6-10 mm annular zone of the central and posterior layers of the myopic eyes had lower corneal densitometry values than emmetropic eyes. There was also a significant correlation between spherical equivalence and corneal densitometry values in some zones of the hyperopic eyes. Conclusion: Backward scattering of light was lower in hyperopic eyes and this could affect the visual quality.
COVID-19 associated rhinosinusitis mucormycosis due to Rhizopus arrhizus: A rare but potentially fatal infection occurring after treatment with corticosteroids
Authors: Tabarsi Payam , Khalili Neda , Pourabdollah Mihan , Sharifynia Somayeh , Naeini Ali Safavi , Ghorbani Jahangir , Mohamadnia Abdolreza , Abtahian Zahra , Askari Elham
Published: June 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and since then the frequency of bacterial and fungal coinfections has been continuously rising. While invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is increasingly being recognized in association with COVID-19, there is limited information with regards to COVID-19 associated mucormycosis. Here, we describe a 50-year-old woman with uncontrolled diabetes who received systemic corticosteroids and remdesevir during her admission for COVID-19. Few days after discharge, the patient was readmitted due to facial swelling and numbness, and a diagnosis of COVID-19 associated rhinosinusitis mucormycosis due to Rhizopus arrhizus (formerly Rhizopus oryzae) was confirmed with sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA. This report aims to address the importance of short-term follow-up in COVID-19 patients who have received systemic corticosteroids, particularly those with predisposing conditions, as early detection and prompt, aggressive treatment is essential for the management of invasive fungal infections.
Semi Analytical Modelling for Drain-Induced Barrier Lowering Reduction in Dual-Metal Gate all Around FET
Authors: Kumar Amit , Rajput Anil Kumar , Pattanaik Manisha , Srivast Pankaj
Published: June 2021

In the research paper, the semi-analytical modelling is done for low drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) dual-metal gate all around FET (DM GAAFET). Vacuum and silicon nitride are considered in the act of the gate oxide material near drain region for dual-metal vacuum oxide gate all around FET (DM-VO GAAFET) and dual-metal nitride oxide gate all around FET (DM-NO GAAFET) respectively, in which surface potential, threshold voltage, and DIBL are modelled for both the devices. The proposed models are validated by comparing DM-NO GAAFET with DM-VO GAAFET. DM-NO GAAFET shows the better device performance than DM-VO GAAFET as the threshold voltage increased by 10% and DIBL decreased by 50% in simulated as well as analytical results. The obtained results are having very close agreement with simulated results for both the GAAFETs.
Systematic Analysis and Biochemical Characterization of the Caffeoyl Shikimate Esterase Gene Family in Poplar
Authors: Chao Nan , Qi Qi , Wang Xue-Chun , Li Shuang , Jiang Xiang-Ning , Gai Ying
Published: June 2021

Caffeoyl shikimate esterase (CSE) hydrolyzes caffeoyl shikimate into caffeate and shikimate in the phenylpropanoid pathway. In this study, we performed systematic analysis of CSE gene family in poplar and investigated the possible roles of CSEs and CSE-like genes in Populus. We performed a genome-wide analysis of the CSE family, including functional and phylogenetic analyses of CSE and CSE-like genes using the poplar (Populus trichocarpa) genome. Eighteen CSE and CSE-like genes were identified in the Populus genome and five phylogenetic groups were identified from phylogenetic analysis. CSEs in Group Ia, which were proposed as bona fide CSEs, have probably been lost in most monocots except Oryza sativa. Primary functional classification showed that PoptrCSE1 and PoptrCSE2 had putative function in lignin biosynthesis. In addition, PoptrCSE2, along with PoptrCSE12 might also respond to stress with a function in cell wall biosynthesis. Enzymatic assay of Populus tomentosa (Popto) CSE1, -2 and -12 showed that PoptoCSE1 and -2 kept CSE activity. PoptoCSE1 and 2 had similar biochemical properties, tissue expression pattern and subcellular localization. Most of the PoptrCSE-like genes are homologs of AtMAGL (monoacylglycerol lipase) genes in Arabidopsis and may function as MAG lipase in poplar. Our study provides systematic understanding of this novel gene family and suggests the CSE function in monolignol biosynthesis in Populus.
Analysis of Types And Costs of Drugs Used For 7 Days Before Death of Terminal Cancer Patients Hospitalized In Hospice And General Wards.
Authors: Kim Kichul , Kim Chul-Min , Ra Jeongran , Kim Yula , Park Ahreum
Published: June 2021

1) PurposeThe need for hospice palliative care continues to grow as the number of deaths from cancer increases with increasing interest in and need for the management of end stage cancer patients. We conducted this study to determine differences in quantity and cost of drugs used by end-stage cancer patients who were hospitalized in general wards or hospice wards for 7 days before death.2) MethodsAmong patients who died in the hospice ward or the general ward of a university hospital in a metropolitan city (Seoul) from January 2016 to September 2019, patients aged over 18 years with a hospital stay of 8 days or more were selected. A total of 526 patients were selected, including 290 from hospice wards and 236 from general wards.3) ResultsNumbers of PO, injections, and fluid, but not opioids, used in the hospice ward were significantly lower than those in the general ward. Cost of PO, injections, fluid, and total costs were significantly lower in the hospice ward than in the general ward. In the case of opioids, the cost was higher for the hospice ward. Total costs including all drug costs in the hospice ward were significantly lower than those in the general ward. 4) ConclusionCaring for people with terminal cancer in a hospice can lower costs and increase satisfaction for dying patients. Reducing the proportion of patients caring for terminal cancer in general wards and increasing access to hospice services can address health insurance deficits and exhaustion.
Anaerostipes Faecalis Sp. Nov. Isolated from Swine Faeces
Authors: Choi Seung-Hyeon , Choi Ji Young , Park Jam-Eon , Kim Ji-Sun , Kang Se Won , Lee Jiyoung , Lee Mi-Kyung , Lee Jung-Sook , Lee Ju Huck , Jung Hyunjung , Hur Tai-Young , Kim Hyeun Bum , Lee Ju-Hoon , Kim Jae-Kyung , Park Seung-Hwan
Published: June 2021

A novel, strictly anaerobic, gram-negative, segmented filamentous bacterium (SFB), strain AGMB03513T, was isolated from the faeces of a 5-month-old pig. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain AGMB03513T forms a lineage within the genus Anaerostipes and is most closely related to Anaerostipes butyraticus DSM 22094T (= KCTC 15125T, 95.8%), Anaerostipes hadrus DSM 3319T (= KCTC 15606T, 95.5%), Anaerostipes caccae DSM 14662T (= KCTC 15019T, 94.0%), and Anaerostipes rhamnosivorans DSM 26241T (= KCTC 15316T, 93.4%). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene and whole genome sequencing analysis revealed that its closest relatives are members of the family Lachnospiraceae and that the closest related is Anaerostipes butyraticus. Strain AGMB03513T grows at temperatures of between 30 and 45°C within a pH range of 7.0 to 9.0, and in medium containing up to 1.5% NaCl. Cells were found to utilize d-glucose, d-mannitol, d-lactose, d-saccharose, d-maltose, d-xylose, l-arabinose, d-mannose, and d-sorbitol, and acetate was identified as the major end product of metabolism. The DNA G+C content of the strain is 37.0 mol%. Average nucleotide identity (ANI) values obtained in comparisons of strain AGMB03513T with reference strains of species in the genus Anaerostipes were between 71.0% and 75.7%, which are below the ANI criterion for interspecies identity. The major components of cellular fatty acids were C12:0, C16:0, and C18:0. On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic, biochemical, chemotaxonomic, and genomic characteristics, we consider it reasonable to assign novel species status to strain AGMB03513T, for which we propose the name Anaerostipes faecalis sp. nov. The type strain AGMB03513T (=KCTC 25020T=NBRC 114896T).
Driver Drowsiness Detection and Alert System using Python and OpenCV
Authors: R BRINDHA HARINI , R YAMINI
Published: June 2021

Driver Drowsiness is the one of the reasons for increase in accident rates. Various facial recognition methods have been proposed to detect and alert the driver in-order to avoid accidents. Hence, this system is proposed to reduce the number of accidents due to drivers fatigue and hence increase the transportation safety. This system deals with automatic driver drowsiness detection based on visual information captured by the system.The driver is lively captured after which the images are further processed, and the fatigue is checked for. It creates an alarm for the driver immediately in case of fatigue detection, also an implementation to alert the vehicles owner and others concerned about the safety are alerted as well. The system enhances the safety measures by which accidents due to drivers drowsiness can be minimized.
Effect of Growth Factors on the Production of Mycelium-based Biofoam
Authors: Nashiruddin Noor Idayu Mohd , Chua Kai Shin , Mansor Azmi Fadziyana , Rahman Roshanida A. , Lai Jau Choy , Azelee Nur Izyan Wan , Enshasy Hesham El
Published: June 2021

Mycelium-based biofoam has the potential to become an alternative to petroleum-polymeric based-foam by utilising fungal mycelium and lignocellulosic material as the matrix and substrate, respectively. The lignocellulosic materials, which were rice husk, sawdust, and sugarcane bagasse, which is crucial for the production of biofoam, were tested as a substrate for Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium growth during the screening procedure. Three growth factors were varied during mycelium-based biofoam production: incubation temperature, spawn loading, and moisture content. In this study, rice husk was the ideal substrate in the production of mycelium biofoam compared to other fungi. The inhibition of P. ostreatus mycelium growth at 30°C incubation temperature was due to decay and contamination. On the other hand, by varying the growth factor of mycelium biofoam on rice husk, the optimum dry density of mycelium-biofoam was observed at 50% (w/w) moisture content (1.07 g/cm3), while the optimum compressive strength was observed at 40% (w/w) spawn loading (1.350 MPa). These results showed that varying the growth factor could influence the mechanical behaviour of the material. The morphology of the biofoam was also observed through a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Short and highly entangled tube-like structures and compact filaments forming a material were seen, responsible for the lightness characteristic of the material. The functional group of the biofoam was also determined using a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer. A new band of proteins and lipids was detected at 1633 cm−1 and 3280 cm−1 in the biofoam. It clearly shows that the chemical nature of feeding substrate responsible for the changes of material spectra. Therefore, this study highlighted that the biodegradable mycelium biofoam of P.ostreatus using rice husk as a substrate is a promising alternative to polymeric foam.
Functional Status in Relation to Depression Among Elderly Individuals in Indonesia
Authors: Idaiani Sri , Indrawati Lely
Published: June 2021

Background: Depression among elderly individuals is related to physical illness, functional status, prolonged treatment and other factors. Depression is not effectively treated with medication but can be alleviated by treating the physical illness and improving functional status. Therefore, this study aims to determine the relationship between functional status and depression in elderly individuals in Indonesia.Methods: The data used were obtained from a national survey dataset, namely, the Basic Health Research and Socio-Economic Survey in 2018, which was carried out in 34 provinces and 514 districts or cities. The total number of respondents was 93,829, aged ≥ 60 years. Functional status and depression were assessed using the Barthel index and MINI (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview), respectively. Furthermore, data processing was carried out with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 program and analyzed using the chi-square test and multiple logistic regression with the complex sample method.Results: Elderly individuals with severe dependence were at the greatest risk of becoming depressed compared to those without functional impairment or with independence after considering sociodemographic factors and disease history have 5.730 (95% CI= 4.302-7.632) the adj odds. Furthermore, this figure was higher than that of individuals with total dependence have 4.147 (95% CI=3.231-5.231) the adj odds. The physical illness experienced also played a role in the risk for depression, which was higher among elderly individuals with stroke and a history of injury. The sociodemographic factors involved include low education and economic levels. In contrast, the area of residence and marital status had no statistically significant effect on the relationship between functional disorders and depression.Conclusions: Elderly individuals with decreased functional status are prone to depression. The highest probability for depression was observed among those with severe dependence compared to those with total dependence. Consequently, interventions that involve various sectors, including social and family support, are needed.
Comparative Study of Biochar Modified with Different Functional Groups for Efficient Removal of Pb(II) and Ni(II)
Authors: Liu Chengchen , Lin Jiaxin , Chen Haojia , Wang Wanjun , Yang Yan
Published: June 2021

The potential application of biochar in water treatment is attracting interest due to its sustainability and low production cost. In the present study, H3PO4-modified biochar (H-PBC), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-modified biochar (E-PBC), and NaOH-modified biochar (O-PBC) were prepared for Ni(II) and Pb(II) adsorption in an aqueous solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were employed to characterize the as-obtained samples, and their capacities for Ni(II) and Pb(II) adsorption were determined. SEM showed that H-PBC retained the hierarchical porous structure of pristine biochar, and projections were observed on its surface. FT-IR showed that H-PBC possessed abundant oxygen-containing and phosphorus-containing functional groups on the surface. H-PBC, E-PBC, and O-PBC all exhibited excellent performance at Ni(II) and Pb(II) adsorption with qmax values of 64.94 mg/g, 47.17 mg/g, and 60.24 mg/g, and 243.90 mg/g, 156.25 mg/g, and 192.31 mg/g, respectively, which were significantly higher than the adsorption capacity (19.80 mg/g and 38.31 mg/g) of pristine biochar. Pseudo-second order models suggested that the adsorption process was controlled by chemical adsorption. Regeneration analysis showed that H-PBC had superior reusability characteristics. H-PBC had a greater adsorption capacity than other adsorbents due to its large specific surface area, and abundant oxygen-containing and phosphorus-containing functional groups. The results obtained in this study suggest that H-PBC is a promising adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions.
Oryzicola mucosus gen. nov., sp. nov., a Novel Slime Producing Bacterium Belonging to the Family Phyllobacteriaceae Isolated From the Rhizosphere of Rice Plants
Authors: Chhetri Geeta , Kim Jiyoun , Kim Inhyup , Kang Minchung , So Yoonseop , Seo Taegun
Published: June 2021

A novel Gram-stain negative, asporogenous, slimy, rod-shaped, non-motile bacterium was isolated from the root samples collected from rice field located in Ilsan, South Korea. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA sequence of the bacterium revealed a close proximity to Tianweitania sediminis Z8T (96.5%) followed by genera Mesorhizobium (96.4-95.6%), Aquabacterium (95.9-95.7%), Rhizobium (95.8%) and Ochrobactrum (95.6%). Strain ROOL2T produced white slime on R2A agar plates and grew optimally at 30℃ in the presence of 1-6% (w/v) NaCl and at pH 7.5. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10 and the major cellular fatty acids were C18 :1ω7c, summed feature 4 (comprising iso-C17:1 I and/or anteiso-C17:1 B) and summed feature 8 (comprising C18:1ω6c and/or C18:1ω7c). The polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminolipid and two unidentified lipids. The assembled draft genome of strain ROOL2T had 28 contigs with N50 values of 656,326 nt, total length of 4,894,583 bp and a DNA G+C content of 61.5%. The average amino acid identity (AAI) values of strain ROOL2T against the genomes of related members belonging to the same family were below 68%, is below the suggested threshold for genera boundaries. The ANI and dDDH values between the strain ROOL2T and the type strains of phylogenetically related species were 61.8-76.3% and 19.4-21.1%, respectively. Strain ROOL2T only produced carotenoid-type pigment when grown on LB agar but doesn’t produced slime material, in opposite they produced slime materials on R2A and doesn’t produces carotenoid-type pigments. The slime layer protects its inhabitants from environmental dangers such as desiccation and antibiotics. Strain ROOL2T produced indole acetic acid (IAA) in the presence of tryptophan. Bacterial IAA is a crucial phytohormone in plant growth and development. Striking gene clusters for indole-3-glycerol phosphatase and tryptophan synthase were found in the genome of strain ROOL2T. The genotypic and phenotypic characteristics indicated that strain ROOL2T represents a novel genus belonging the family Phyllobacteriaceae, for which the name Oryzicola mucosus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ROOL2T (KCTC 82711T = NBRC 114717T).
Design and Implementation of a Machine Learning Assisted Smart Wheelchair in an IoT Environment
Authors: Varghese Lijo Jacob , Jacob Suma Sira , SUNDAR CHINNASAMY , I Jacob Raglend
Published: June 2021

Gesture controlled wheelchair is designed and intended to perform specific job functions combining software interfacing with the hardware along with the embedded electronics, through hand controlled gestures. In this paper, a novel multiple control option-based wheelchair is proposed to cater to the needs of handicapped patients and senior citizens. This work is aimed at designing, integrating, coding, interfacing and testing a fully motorized, gesture controlled wheelchair which involves the physical implementation of the hardware, the software interfacing and testing. This Smart wheelchair is furnished with sensors, interactive cameras controlled by a processor unit that can control the various tasks it is designed to perform. The proposed Smart Wheelchair utilizes micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) accelerometers to recognize various hand gestures performing a specific task. It is an accelerometer-based system which controls a robotic arm wirelessly using a small, low-cost, 3-axis degrees of freedom accelerometer through RF signals. The gestures are also trained by machine learning to identify the training patterns by choosing the appropriate mode selection. The hand gestures are thus based on motion sensor and pattern recognition. Apart from these hand gestures, the smart wheelchair can also be controlled by an android mobile app through a smartphone or by a hand held device that can navigate the smart wheelchair in the forward, backward, right, left directions and also perform a stop operation. The Smart Wheelchair also detects an obstruction present on the way of navigation and is operated in accordance with the command. An interactive camera equipped with a microphone and speaker is meant for communication for the elderly for sending and receiving voice commands remotely. The camera can be accessed through an IoT environment which can be communicated on remote IP addresses on smartphones and personal computers. There are two Arduino Uno Rev3 Controller modules programmed to control the gestures of the gyroscopic accelerometer and other control methods based on a mode selection switch held by the user. The proposed methodology is also realized by Proteus, a simulation tool to check its practical credibility. The proposed circuitry is physically realized as a Smart Wheelchair prototype implemented with the above multi control which could be modified as any physical structure platform having two wheels.
Interdigital Coupled Compact FSS Reflector for UWB Antenna Gain Enhancement
Authors: Sen Gobinda , Das Santanu
Published: June 2021

A compact UWB FSS reflector is presented based on interdigital structure for gain enhancement of an UWB antenna. An equivalent circuit approach is proposed for the analysis of the FSS reflector. The reflector comprises a 6 × 6 array of unit cell dimension 6 mm × 6 mm and which is very compact. The reflector gives a linear phase response over UWB band. A UWB monopole antenna is designed with a half circular disc structure based on microstrip technology. A maximum of 5 dBi gain enhancement is achieved with this compact FSS reflector when placed at a distance below the antenna. The measured results closely follow the simulated ones which proves feasibility of this design.
Abnormal Behavior Monitoring By Using RNN For 5G Networks In Smart Cities.
Authors: Thangappan Theresal , Sengupta Supratik , Tank Rahul , Jain Piyush
Published: June 2021

The use of mm Wave or millimeter wave bands for systems based on mobile and wireless communication’s next generation is a promising alternate that has the capability for supporting continuous rates of data over tens of Gigabits per second or Gbps. Although the advantages are clear of using a large available spectrum, there are some challenges which are related to the characteristics of propagation at higher frequency bands which are needed to be dealt. In the existing system, an adaptive transmission that can reduce the probability of outage of secrecy capacity primarily when the mean signal to noise ratio of the eavesdropper is comparatively lower than the legitimate receiver’s mean signal to noise ratio. As more number of devices are connected to the network, security threats are also becoming a real concern. For ensuring the normal operation of smart city, monitoring of abnormal behaviors becomes essential. A smart city requires a guarantee mechanism which is reliable for guaranteeing the QoS. The network’s QoS or quality of service can be affected by various abnormalities in the network like abnormal flow, link fault and DDoS attack etc. which causes packet loss and also interruption of service. Also as more number of IoT devices are connected to the network, security threats are the main issue as more personal information becomes vulnerable.In the proposed system, Design of Resilient or Spatial Correlation is evaluated, this kind of Spatial Correlation enable the physical later to do the iterative search for N number of times until the communication is established without any blockage of objects. To reduce the disconnection of data transfer due to line of sight issues, an adaptive Resilient Correlation scheme is newly proposed here.
Avant-Grade framework Routing Optimization Based on Established Network Lifetime and Energy Management in WSN
Authors: V Kumar , Jayapandian N , Balasubramanie P
Published: June 2021

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is known to be a highly resource constrained class of network where energy consumption is one of the prime concerns. The existing system of LTDC has more drawbacks in network routing optimization lifetime and energy level improvement needed. In this research, a cross layer design methodology was adopted to design an energy efficient routing protocol entitled Avant-Grade framework Routing Optimization [AGFRO]. AGFRO is designed to minimize energy consumed in each node by reducing the amount of time in which a sensor node is in an idle listening state and reducing the average communication distance over the network. The performance of the proposed system has been critically evaluated in the context of network lifetime, throughput, and energy consumption of the network per individual basis and per data packet basis. The research results were analyzed and benchmarked against the well-known AGFRO protocols. The outcomes show a significant improvement in the WSN in terms of energy efficiency and the overall performance of WSN.
Effects of Cyclic Freezing and Thawing on the Shear Behaviors of an Expansive Soil under a Wide Range of Stress Levels
Authors: Zou Wei-lie , Han Zhong , Zhao Gui-tao , Fan Kewei , Vanapalli Sai K. , Wang Xie-qun
Published: June 2021

The focus of this paper is directed towards investigating the influence of multiple freeze-thaw (FT) cycles on the stress-strain relationships during undrained shearing for an expansive soil under a wide range of confining stresses (σc) from 0 to 300 kPa. Different numbers of FT cycles were applied to compacted specimens. The influence of FT cycles on the soil’s structure was investigated using mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests. FT impacted specimens were subjected to consolidated undrained (CU) shear tests with pore pressure measurement (σc = 10 to 300 kPa) and unconfined compression (UC) tests (σc = 0 kPa) to derive the shearing stress-strain relationships and the associated mechanical properties including (i) failure strength (qu), elastic modulus (Eu), effective and apparent cohesion (c’ and c), and effective and apparent friction angle (ϕ’ and ϕ) obtained from CU tests and (ii) qu and reloading modulus (E1%) and stress (Su1%) at 1% strain obtained from UC tests. Testing results show that FT cycles mainly influence the soil’s macropores with diameters between 5 and 250 microns. Cracks develop during FT cycles and result in slight swelling which contributes to an increase in the global volume of the soil specimens. There is a significant reduction in the investigated mechanical properties after FT cycles. They typically achieve equilibrium after about 6 cycles. The shearing stress-strain curves transits from strain-softening to strain-hardening as the confining stress increases. An empirical model is developed to describe the strain-softening behavior of the specimens under low confining stresses. The model is simple to use and well describes all stress-strain curves obtained in this study that show strain-softening characteristics.
An Improved Assembly Strategy Helps Parsing the Cryptic Mitochondrial Genome Evolution in Plants
Authors: Feng Yanlei , Xiang Xiaoguo , Akhter Delara , Fu Zhixi , Pan Ronghui , Jin Xiaohua
Published: June 2021

Although plant mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are small, they exhibit considerable complexity not seen in other eukaryotic mitogenomes. Assembly and analysis of plant mitogenomes is hampered by their large variations in structure and size, and the mitogenome remains the last genome to be deciphered in many plant species. As a result, very few plant mitogenomes have been assembled and little is known regarding their evolution. In this study, a strategy was devised for assembly of mitogenomes from existing short reads from whole-genome sequencing projects. The strategy combined current tools and manual steps to resolve the two main challenges to mitogenome assembly: repeat and plastid insertion sequences. High-quality complete mitogenomes were assembled for 23 species from five families of the Fagales. Mitogenomes varied 2.4 times in size. The largest, Carpinus cordata, did not contain large amounts of unique sequences, but instead contained a high proportion of sequences homologous to other Fagales. Further analysis of the Fagales mitogenomes revealed highly mosaic characteristics, with horizonal transfer (HGT)-like sequences identified from almost all seed plant taxa. Independent and unequal transfers of third-party DNA may partially account for the HGT-like fragments and unbalanced size expansions observed in Fagales mitogenomes. Supporting this, a mitochondrial plasmid of nuclear origin was found in Carpinus, and this may represent an intermediate stage prior to incorporation into the mitogenome. The approaches used in this study are widely applicable and provide new insights into the mechanisms of mitogenome evolution in plants.
Dynamics of Rubber Band Stretch Ejection
Authors: Li Xiang , Sun Bohua , Zhang Yi , Dai yuanfan
Published: June 2021

Why do stretched rubber bands not hit the hand after ejection? What is the mechanism behind the rubber band ejection dynamics? These questions represent a fascinating scientific problem. Because the size of a rubber band in the circumferential direction is much larger than that in the other two directions of its cross section, we regard the rubber band as a slender beam and establish a mathematical model of the dynamics of the rubber band stretching and ejection. Furthermore, we obtain the dependence of the dynamic curvature of the rubber band on the arc length and time. We used the finite element software ABAQUS to simulate the dynamic process of rubber band stretching and ejection. The simulation results and dimensional analysis were performed to examine the effect of the bending elastic rebound velocity. The mathematical model and simulation results revealed that the relationship between the curvature and time at the end of the rubber band ($s =0$) was as follows: $\kappa\sim t^{-{1}/{2}}$. This research has guiding significance for the design of rubber bands as elastic energy storage devices.
Factors Affecting China's Carbon Trading Price—A Case Study Based on Tianjin Carbon Emissions Trading Market
Authors: Du Yuwei , Chen Songsheng
Published: June 2021

Building a carbon emission trading market is an effective way to control carbon emissions. The carbon emission trading price is the key to the carbon trading market, and it will affect the carbon emission reduction behavior of enterprises. This study use the vector autoregression (VAR) model, the cointegration analysis, and the Granger causality test to analyze the influence of industrial development index (Shanghai Stock Exchange Industrial Index (000004.SH)), coal price index (National Coal Price Index), air quality index (AQI), and economic index (Purchasing Managers Index (PMI)) on the carbon emission trading price in Tianjin. Empirical research results based on data from January 2014 to December 2019 show that the Shanghai Stock Exchange Industrial Index and AQI are positively correlated with Tianjin carbon emission trading price, and the National Coal Price Index and PMI are negatively correlated with Tianjin carbon emission trading price. Finally, some suggestions are made to promote the rapid maturity of the national carbon emission trading market of China.
Psychological Impacts and Attitudes of the Syrian Population Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic and Face Masks During the First Syrian Lockdown
Authors: Mohsen Fatema , Bakkar Batoul , Kikhia Judy , Mchantaf Dana , Aldakkak Samar , Najjar Alma , Marrawi Marah , Latifeh Youssef
Published: June 2021

Background

This study assesses the attitudes and psychological impacts regarding COVID-19 and face masks among the Syrian population during the current pandemic and war.
Methods

A web-based cross-sectional Arabic survey design was employed. The survey was distributed in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and civil war in Syria. The survey contained items relating to socio-demographic characteristics and items assessing attitudes regarding COVID-19, and face masks. The chi-square test was applied to the questions against socio-demographic variables.
Results

Of the 4148 participants, 3053(73.6%) were female, and 3238(78.1%) were single. 423(10.2%) and 1573(37.9%) stated they had poor and moderate economic status respectively. Home quarantine has led to an increase in family problems 3016(72.7%) and has had a negative psychological impact upon 1666(40.2%) Syrians. 538(13.0%) are shy about wearing face masks in public.
Conclusion

Mountainous input from the Syrian government is needed to combat the threat of COVID-19 through targeted awareness campaigns and national helplines aimed at specific socio-demographic variables.
Recent UK Retirees’ Views About the Work-Related Factors Which Influenced Their Decision to Retire: A Qualitative Study Within The Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) Cohort
Authors: Stevens Martin J , Barker Mary , Dennison Elaine , Harris E. Clare , Linaker Cathy , Weller Susie , Walker-Bone Karen
Published: June 2021

Background.
Lower birth rates and increasing longevity have resulted in ageing populations in European countries. These demographic changes place challenges on pension provision as numbers of those who are economically inactive and retired increase relative to those in paid work. Therefore, governments need workers to postpone retirement and work to older ages. Whilst health and wealth are important in retirement decision-making, considerably less is known about the effects of workplace factors. The aim of this study was to explore the views of recent UK retirees about the role that work-related factors played in their decision to retire.
Methods
This qualitative study was nested within the Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) cohort. People who had retired 3–6 years previously (not for health reasons) were purposively sampled to obtain the views of men and women from a range of socio-economic backgrounds and jobs. Semi-structured interviews were carried out by telephone using a pre-defined topic guide. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.
Results
Seventeen interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis showed that retirement decisions were complex and multi-factorial but that work-related factors contributed to decision-making in two main ways. First, some work factors pushed participants towards retirement. These were perceptions that: workplace change had affected the way they were valued or increased pressure on them; work demands, including commuting, had intruded excessively on personal time, effects that were exacerbated by modern technology; work was draining, isolating or under-appreciated; and /or that work was causing physical strain or discomfort relative to their perception of their capacity. In contrast, work factors could also cause participants to pull back towards work, particularly: autonomy; supportive work colleagues; a sense of being appreciated; and perceived job flexibility.
Conclusions
Recent retirees explained that their decision to retire was multi-factorial but work-related factors contributed importantly. Potentially, employers could: review workers’ perceptions about their work; their capacity in relation to job demands; increase flexibility; and facilitate a supportive work community to encourage longer working lives.
Special Relativity sans Lorentz Transformation (OR) Perceptional Relativity
Authors: Asokan Sebastin Patrick
Published: June 2021

This paper shows that from the fact that the same Reality is perceived differently by the observers in different inertial frames, we can draw a simple and straightforward explanation for the constancy of light's speed in all inertial frames without any need for bringing in paradoxical Lorentz Transformation. This paper also proves that Lorentz Transformation has failed in its attempt to do the impossible task of establishing t' ≠ t to explain the constancy of the speed of light in all inertial frames without contradicting the interchangeability of frames demanded by the First Postulate of the Special Theory of Relativity. This paper also points out the misconceptions regarding the claimed experimental verifications of Lorentz Transformation's predictions in the Hafele–Keating experiment and μ meson experiment. This paper concludes that Einstein's Special Theory Relativity can stand on its own merits without Lorentz Transformation.
Bioinformatics Analysis of Some Novel Potential Biomarkers Associated With Osteoarthritis and Nervous System
Authors: Guo Zhongkui , Qin Yong , Chen Yang , Li Yi , Gu Ya , Chen Ming , Yin Pengbin , Zhao Yanpeng , Zhang Licheng , Tang Peifu
Published: June 2021

BackgroundOsteoarthritis (OA) is an age-related chronic inflammatory and degenerative changes that carries heavy burden for individuals and the society. The specific mechanism of OA still remains unclear today, which requires new methods and technologies to achieve some new breakthrough. Bioinformatics technology is a novel method to extract genetic information from many diseases. In this study, we aims at screening out some key genes to help to illuminate the pathogenesis of OA to help to diagnosis and cure it.Objective and MethodsBioinformatics technology was used to screen some key target genes that were closely related to OA and nervous system, and by using qRT-PCR to preliminary verify the results.ResultsIn this work, we analysis three gene expression profiles, GSE114007, GSE51588, and GSE55457, that downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO). At last, a total of 878 DEGs were identified with dataset GSE114007 (P<0.05 and |logFC|>1.5), consisting of 495 up-regulated genes and 383 down-regulated genes between the osteoarthritis and normal cartilage tissues. And by combining with the screened results of GSE51588 and GSE55457, finally, three genes, HES1, JUN, and IRE2, which were closely correlated with the nervous system that may help to diagnosis and cure osteoarthritis in the future were identified, and the result of qRT-PCR preliminary confirmed our finding.ConclusionHES1, JUN, and IRE2 were three potential genes related to osteoarthritis and nervous system that may help to diagnosis and cure OA.