bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulatory responses of Methanosarcina barkeri to freezing temperatures and perchlorates: Transcriptomic insights into the potential for biological Martian methanogenesis
Authors: Harris Rachel , Schuerger Andrew , Wang Wei , Tamama Yuri , Garvin Zachary , Onstott Tullis
Published: February 2021

Observations of trace methane (CH4) in the Martian atmosphere are significant to the astrobiology community given the overwhelming contribution of biological methanogenesis to atmospheric CH4­ on Earth. Previous studies have shown that methanogenic Archaea can generate CH4 when incubated with perchlorates, highly oxidizing chaotropic salts which have been found across the Martian surface. However, the regulatory mechanisms behind this remain completely unexplored. In this study we performed comparative transcriptomics on the methanogen Methanosarcina barkeri, which was incubated at 30˚C and 0˚C with 10 mM calcium-, magnesium-, or sodium perchlorate. Consistent with prior studies, we observed decreased CH4 production and apparent perchlorate reduction, with the latter process proceeding by heretofore essentially unknown mechanisms. Transcriptomic responses of M. barkeri to perchlorates include up-regulation of osmoprotectant transporters and selection against redox-sensitive amino acids. Regulatory switches to methylamines for methanogenesis suggest competition for H2 with perchlorate reduction, which we propose is catalyzed by up-regulated molybdenum-containing enzymes and maintained by siphoning diffused H2 from energy-conserving hydrogenases. Methanogenesis regulatory patterns suggest Mars’ freezing temperatures alone pose greater constraints to CH4 production than perchlorates. These findings increase our understanding of potential methanogen survival beyond Earth and a biological contribution to Martian CH4.
A proteome-wide map of 20(S)-hydroxycholesterol interactors in cell membranes
Authors: Cheng Yu-Shiuan , Zhang Tianyi , Ma Xiang , Pratuangtham Sarida , Zhang Grace , Ondrus Alexander , Mafi Amirhossein , Lomenick Brett , Jones Jeffrey , Ondrus Alison
Published: February 2021

Oxysterols (OHCs) are hydroxylated cholesterol metabolites that play ubiquitous roles in health and disease. Due to the non-covalent nature of their interactions and unique partitioning in membranes, the analysis of live-cell, proteome-wide interactions of OHCs remains an unmet challenge. In this Resource, we present a structurally precise chemoproteomics probe for the osteogenic molecule 20(S)-hydroxycholesterol (20(S)-OHC) and provide a map of its proteome-wide targets in the membranes of living cells. Our target catalogue consolidates diverse OHC ontologies and demonstrates that OHC-interacting proteins cluster with specific processes in immune response and cancer. Competition experiments reveal that 20(S)-OHC is a chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective ligand for the protein Tmem97 (σ2 receptor), enabling molecular reconstruction of the Tmem97:20(S)-OHC binding site. Our results demonstrate that multiplexed, quantitative analysis of cellular target engagement can expose new dimensions of OHC activity and identify actionable targets for molecular therapy.
In-Situ Monitoring of Xenobiotics using Genetically Engineered Whole-Cell-Based Microbial Biosensors: Recent Advances and Outlook
Authors: Ali Syed Azmal , Mittal Deepti , Kaur Gurjeet
Published: February 2021

Industrialisation, directly or indirectly, exposes humans to various xenobiotics. The increased magnitude of chemical pesticides and toxic heavy metals in the environment, as well as their intrusion into the food chain, seriously threatens human health. Therefore, the surveillance of xenobiotics is crucial for social safety and security. Online investigation by traditional methods is not sufficient for the detection and identification of such compounds because of the high costs and their complexity. Advancement in the field of genetic engineering provides a potential opportunity to use genetically modified microorganisms. In this regard, whole-cell-based microbial biosensors (WCBMB) represent an essential tool that couples genetically engineered organisms with an operator/promoter derived from a heavy metal-resistant operon combined with a regulatory protein in the gene circuit. The plasmid controls the expression of the reporter gene, such as gfp, luc, lux and lacZ, to an inducible gene promoter and has been widely applied to assay toxicity and bioavailability. This review summarises the recent trends in the development and application of microbial biosensors and the use of mobile genes for biomedical and environmental safety concerns.
Influence of large-scale circulation and interannual modes of climate variability on seasonal drought characteristics over Pakistan
Authors: Ullah Irfan , Ma Xieyao , Yin Jun , Saleem Farhan , Syed Sidra , Omer Abubaker , Habtemicheal Birhanu Asmerom
Published: February 2021

The long-term drought monitoring and its assessment are of great importance for meteorological disaster risk management. The recurrent spells of heatwaves and droughts have severely affected the environmental conditions worldwide, including Pakistan. The present work sought to investigate the spatiotemporal changes in drought characteristics over Pakistan during Rabi and Kharif cropping seasons. The role of large-scale circulation and interannual mode of climate variability is further explored to identify the physical mechanisms associated with droughts in the region. Monthly precipitation and temperature data (1983–2019) from 53 meteorological stations were used to study drought characteristics, using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). The non-parametric Mann-Kendall (MK), Sen’s Slope (SS), and Sequential Mann-Kendall (SQMK) tests were applied on the drought index to determine the statistical significance and magnitude of the historical trend. The state-of-the-art Bayesian Dynamic Linear (BDL) model was further used to analyze large scale climate drivers of droughts, analysis revealed an increase in drought severity mostly over arid to semi-arid regions for both cropping seasons. Temperature played a significant role in defining droughts over dry and hot seasons, while rainfall is influential over the western disturbances (WD) influenced region. The analysis of atmospheric circulation patterns revealed that large-scale changes in wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity and geopotential height anomalies are the likely drivers of droughts in the region. We found that Niño4, Sea Surface Temperature (SST), and multivariate El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO4.0) Index are the most influential factors for seasonal droughts across Pakistan. Overall, the findings provide a better understanding of drought-prone areas in the region, and this information is of potential use for mitigating and managing drought risks.
WITHDRAWN: Early Outbreak Analysis of COVID-19 Epidemic: China and Global Health Perspectives
Authors: Dey Samrat Kumar , Rahman Md. Mahbubur , Siddiqi Umme Raihan , Howlader Arpita
Published: February 2021

Purpose: Globally, there is an obvious concern about the fact that the evolving 2019-nCoV coronavirus is a worldwide public health threat. The appearance in China at the end of 2019 of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; previously provisionally labeled as 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV) disease (COVID-19) caused a major global outbreak and right now is a major community health issue. As of 8 March 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) data showed that more than 105 500 confirmed cases were reported in over 100 countries/regions, with > 75% of cases being detected in China and >24% of cases detected globally. COVID-19 outbreak is evolving so rapidly; therefore, the available epidemiological data are essential to direct strategies for situational awareness and intervention. Methods: This article will present a visual exploratory data analysis (V-EDA) approach to collect and analyze COVID-19 data on epidemiological outbreaks. Various open data sources on the outbreak of COVID-19 provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Health Commission (NHC), Johns Hopkins University Interactive Dashboard and DXY.cn have been used in this research.Results: Therefore, an Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) with visualizations has been designed and developed in order to understand the number of different cases reported (confirmed, death, and recovered) in different provinces of China and outside of China between 22 January 2020 to 4 March 2020. Various open data sources on the outbreak of COVID-19 provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Health Commission (NHC), Johns Hopkins University Interactive Dashboard and DXY.cn have been used in this research. Conclusion: In all, this is extremely important to promptly spread information to understand the risks of this pandemic and begin containment activities.
Characteristics and Diversity of Mutations in Regulatory Genes of Resistance-nodulation-cell Division Efflux Pumps in Association With Drug-resistant Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter Baumannii
Authors: Salehi Bahare , Ghalavand Zohreh , Yadegar Abbas , Eslami Gita
Published: February 2021

Background: This study was aimed to characterize the genetic diversity and expression of three putative resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND)-type efflux systems and their contribution to multidrug efflux in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii.Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 95 A. baumannii isolates was determined by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion for 18 antibiotics and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of colistin was determined by the broth microdilution method. Moreover, the MIC of five classes of antibiotics was assessed using E-test strips in the presence and absence of phenylalanine-arginine beta-naphthylamide (PAβN). Regulatory genes of the RND efflux pumps (adeRS, adeL, adeN and baeSR) were subjected to sequencing. The relative expression of adeB, adeG and adeJ genes was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR).Results: Overall, the majority of isolates (93%) were extensively drug-resistant (XDR). In the phenotypic assay, efflux pump activity was observed in 40% of the isolates against multiple antibiotics mainly tigecycline. However, we found no efflux activity against imipenem. Several amino acid substitutions were detected in the products of regulatory genes; except in AdeN. Of note, G186V mutation in AdeS was found to be associated with overexpression of its efflux pump. No insertion sequences were detected. Conclusions: Our findings outlined the role of RND efflux pumps in resistance of A. baumannii to multiple antibiotics particularly tigecycline, and pointed out the importance of a variety of single mutations in the corresponding regulatory systems. Further studies are required to decipher the precise role of RND efflux pumps in multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of A. baumannii.
COVID19 - A Correlation Study of Infection Fatality Rate vs Age
Authors: DATTA JAYDIP
Published: February 2021

In this article one of the most important epidemiological parameter ie Infection fatality rate [ 1 ] is correlated with age of the population through a sigmoid statistics of Logistic model. The IFR is a special case of case fatality rate ( CFR ) . The CFR ( 1 ) is termed as the number of deaths due to symptomatic Covid infection within entire population per unit time . The IFR is a special case of CFR where number of deaths to be considered as total number of deaths due to symptomatic as well as asymptomatic infection within the same population per unit time .The sigmoid fit can also be approximated to modified quadratic fit [ 4-5 ]. CFR can be more specifically correlated to comorbidities [8 ]through linear regression analysis. co morbidities due to SARS-COV-2 infection for different chronic diseases like heart , Lung , Kidney , related chronic failure are analysed by a significant Pearson statistics ( 10 ) are discussed here . The IFR can be realised from mild to hospitalisation under ICU , critical care and finally severity to death( 9,12).
Nebulization Therapy With Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell -Derived Exosomes For COVID-19 Pneumonia
Authors: Chu Meiping , Wang Hao , Bian Linjie , Huang Jiehui , Wu Danping , Fei Fangli , Zhang Ruiting , Chen Yigang , Xia Jiazeng
Published: February 2021

Background: Scientists have been facing numerous challenges in the development of an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia. Several studies have suggested that improving patient immunity and reducing lung injury induced by SARS-CoV-2 may be effective for treating patients with COVID-19.Methods: A pilot trial of nebulization therapy with exosomes of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was performed on seven patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Exosomes secreted from MSCs were collected and purified using multiple ultrafiltration steps. All patients were treated with nebulization of MSC-derived exosomes, and primary safety and efficacy outcomes were evaluated.Results: Our clinical study demonstrated that nebulization of MSC-derived exosomes is a novel method that might be utilized in the treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia. Nebulization of MSC-derived exosomes did not induce acute allergic or secondary allergic reactions but did promote the absorption of pulmonary lesions and reduce the time of hospitalization for mild cases of COVID-19 pneumonia.Conclusions: Nebulization of MSC-derived exosomes is a safe, effective, and simple method, and their application at the beginning of treatment may be more beneficial.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000030261. Registered on 26 February 2020 – Retrospective registered, http://www.chictr.org.cn
Contact of Working Surfaces for Spherical Washers and Recommendations for Determining the Gap in the Joint
Authors: Dehtiarov I. M. , Neshta A. O. , Samardak M. P. , Antosz K. , Avramenko S. E.
Published: February 2021

In article analyzes the technical requirements for spherical washers used in threaded connections of pumps, which made it possible to highlight contradictions in paragraphs of the current standards for pump fasteners. They regarding recommendations for manufacturing technology and control of the working surfaces of washers. Publication analysis in the spherical surfaces lapping showed the absence of research in the spherical surfaces contact after lapping and the dependence of contact parameters by the technological parameters for this operation. The presence of a gap in conjunction with spherical washers after the lapping process was proved geometrically. Its location was determined, and a mathematical dependence was obtained to determine the maximum gap value in conjunction. It was found that the gap depends on the design parameters of the washers’ conjunction and the abrasive material grain size used for lapping. Recommendations for selecting the abrasive material grain size for the lapping operation for the most common values of the roughness parameters for the working surfaces of spherical washers have been formed. In the article was proposed to introduce into the technical requirements for the spherical washers drawings changes concerning the gap size allowable in the conjunction, and as well as tolerances value changes of the radii of the working surfaces of the washers, thus increasing their manufacturability without conflicting with the requirements of the current standards.
Improving sand flow rate measurement using the wavelet transform and ultrasonic sensors
Authors: Seraj H. , Evans B. , Sarmadivaleh M.
Published: February 2021

Accurate sand flow rate measurement is needed to minimize the side effects of sand production in gas fields. There are concerns about the accuracy of sand flow measurement using the sand measuring devices available on the market. In this paper, ultrasonic sensors and discrete wavelet transform signal analysis method is used to measure the sand flow rate. It is found that the strength of the discrete wavelet coefficients in the frequency range of 15–62 kHz has a linear relationship with sand flow rate. This finding provides a new methodology to accurately measure sand flow rate. The proposed method does not need fluid velocity as a prerequisite for sand rate measurement, so it greatly simplifies the system design when flow meters are not used for fluid velocity measurement. Also, this method has a much simpler calibration procedure compared to that of the sand detectors commonly used in the industry.
Phase-space methods for simulating the dissipative many-body dynamics of collective spin systems
Authors: Huber Julian , Kirton Peter , Rabl Peter
Published: February 2021

We describe an efficient numerical method for simulating the dynamics and steady states of collective spin systems in the presence of dephasing and decay. The method is based on the Schwinger boson representation of spin operators and uses an extension of the truncated Wigner approximation to map the exact open system dynamics onto stochastic differential equations for the corresponding phase space distribution. This approach is most effective in the limit of very large spin quantum numbers, where exact numerical simulations and other approximation methods are no longer applicable. We benchmark this numerical technique for known superradiant decay and spin-squeezing processes and illustrate its application for the simulation of non-equilibrium phase transitions in dissipative spin lattice models.
Determinants of intention to continue using internet banking: Indian context
Authors: Mohd. Al-Hattami Hamood , Ahmed Hashed Abdullah Abdulwahid , Abdullah Ali Khamis Afrah
Published: February 2021

It is necessary to understand the customers’ perceptions of internet banking because it helps determining the direction and patterns of intention to continue using internet banking. This could also help bank policymakers to develop appropriate strategies to increase internet banking usage. The study aims to examine the determinants of user’s intention to continue using internet banking since there have been no systematic attempts to understand this aspect, especially in the Indian context. This research suggests and tests an extended model to predict the intention to continue using internet banking in India. The suggested study model was examined using survey data from 206 internet banking users. PLS-SEM was employed for data analysis. The findings imply that the most significant determinants of intention to continue using internet banking are service quality, trust, and user satisfaction. On the other hand, the study finds that intention to continue using internet banking is not impacted by system quality and information quality.
The “double being” of the human being: culture as the basis for becoming a personality
Authors: Reyderman Illya , Zinevych Anastasiia
Published: February 2021

The main purpose of this article is to prove that one can become a personality only through culture. The authors propose to regard culture as a relatively autonomous spiritual sphere, which transcends the narrow requirements of the concrete society in its historical limitations. They argue that personality is the highest level of human development to emerge in culture, whereas the level of a biosocial organism is provided by society. The authors claim that only culture, be it religious or secular, contains an existential and spiritual imperative which demands each human being to realize one’s own potential humanity. They explain why in a postmodern world culture becomes an “existential choice” of each human being, depending on one’s free will: to inherit the culture, to become a human being of humanity or not. In the Free school of philosophy and culture seminars (Odesa, Ukraine), the authors propose to enter the field of culture through the mutual interpretation of a chosen masterpiece of world literature and to link its message with our lives.
Dental Orthopedic Morbidity Among Drafted Men Residing in Ivano-Frankivsk Region
Authors: Rachinsky Sergey , Labynets Olha , Schnayder Stanislav , Dieva Tetiana , Labunets Vasyl
Published: February 2021

The objective of the research was to establish the level of dental orthopedic morbidity among draftees in the western region of Ukraine.

Materials and Methods. A clinical dental examination of 294 drafted men residing in Ivano-Frankivsk region was carried out; among them, there were 185 urban residents and 109 rural residents.

Results. There were established a quite high prevalence of dental orthopedic morbidity and intensity of its development, especially among rural residents - 275.7 and 522.9 people per 1,000 population among urban and rural residents, respectively. The amount of orthopedic care in terms of total number of dentition defects and the teeth with destroyed coronal portion requiring orthopedic treatment, was found to be 2.4 times greater among rural residents as compared to urban ones and reached 1899.1 versus 787.6 defects, respectively. There was determined the identical structure of dentition defects among both urban and rural residents; bounded edentulous spaces accounted for 100% of cases, the absence of one tooth was observed in 92.3% of cases.

Conclusions. The urgent need for a radical reform of the system for providing comprehensive orthopedic care to drafted men with a mandatory active dispensary registration was substantiated.
Use of Modern Technology When Teaching Chemistry Disciplines to Pharmaceutical Students
Authors: Melnyk Oksana
Published: February 2021

Abstract. The introduction of computer technologies into the educational process creates a special information environment that motivates students to learn chemistry disciplines. This facilitates understanding and solving many intelligent tasks, contributes to better understanding and illustrating chemical laws and phenomena. The use of modern information technologies takes students’ independent work to a new level, where both network resources of the university and publicly available Internet resources play a significant role. Responsible use of gadgets transforms them from cheating tools into the powerful source of obtaining necessary information to solve the tasks.
Measuring Criterion Validity of Microinteraction Ecological Momentary Assessment (Micro-EMA): Exploratory Pilot Study With Physical Activity Measurement
Authors: Ponnada Aditya , Thapa-Chhetry Binod , Manjourides Justin , Intille Stephen
Published: February 2021

Background

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is an in situ method of gathering self-report on behaviors using mobile devices. In typical phone-based EMAs, participants are prompted repeatedly with multiple-choice questions, often causing participation burden. Alternatively, microinteraction EMA (micro-EMA or μEMA) is a type of EMA where all the self-report prompts are single-question surveys that can be answered using a 1-tap glanceable microinteraction conveniently on a smartwatch. Prior work suggests that μEMA may permit a substantially higher prompting rate than EMA, yielding higher response rates and lower participation burden. This is achieved by ensuring μEMA prompt questions are quick and cognitively simple to answer. However, the validity of participant responses from μEMA self-report has not yet been formally assessed.

Objective

In this pilot study, we explored the criterion validity of μEMA self-report on a smartwatch, using physical activity (PA) assessment as an example behavior of interest.

Methods

A total of 17 participants answered 72 μEMA prompts each day for 1 week using a custom-built μEMA smartwatch app. At each prompt, they self-reported whether they were doing sedentary, light/standing, moderate/walking, or vigorous activities by tapping on the smartwatch screen. Responses were compared with a research-grade activity monitor worn on the dominant ankle simultaneously (and continuously) measuring PA.

Results

Participants had an 87.01% (5226/6006) μEMA completion rate and a 74.00% (5226/7062) compliance rate taking an average of only 5.4 (SD 1.5) seconds to answer a prompt. When comparing μEMA responses with the activity monitor, we observed significantly higher (P<.001) momentary PA levels on the activity monitor when participants self-reported engaging in moderate+vigorous activities compared with sedentary or light/standing activities. The same comparison did not yield any significant differences in momentary PA levels as recorded by the activity monitor when the μEMA responses were randomly generated (ie, simulating careless taps on the smartwatch).

Conclusions

For PA measurement, high-frequency μEMA self-report could be used to capture information that appears consistent with that of a research-grade continuous sensor for sedentary, light, and moderate+vigorous activity, suggesting criterion validity. The preliminary results show that participants were not carelessly answering μEMA prompts by randomly tapping on the smartwatch but were reporting their true behavior at that moment. However, more research is needed to examine the criterion validity of μEMA when measuring vigorous activities.
Online Medical Record Nonuse Among Patients: Data Analysis Study of the 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey
Authors: Elkefi Safa , Yu Zhongyuan , Asan Onur
Published: February 2021

Background

Online medical records are being used to organize processes in clinical and outpatient settings and to forge doctor-patient communication techniques that build mutual understanding and trust.

Objective

We aimed to understand the reasons why patients tend to avoid using online medical records and to compare the perceptions that patients have of online medical records based on demographics and cancer diagnosis.

Methods

We used data from the Health Information National Trends Survey Cycle 3, a nationally representative survey, and assessed outcomes using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The patients (N=4328) included in the analysis had experienced an outpatient visit within the previous 12 months and had answered the online behavior question regarding their use of online medical records.

Results

Patients who were nonusers of online medical records consisted of 58.36% of the sample (2526/4328). The highest nonuser rates were for patients who were Hispanic (460/683, 67.35%), patients who were non-Hispanic Black (434/653, 66.46%), and patients who were older than 65 years (968/1520, 63.6%). Patients older than 65 years were less likely to use online medical records (odds ratio [OR] 1.51, 95% CI 1.24-1.84, P<.001). Patients who were White were more likely to use online medical records than patients who were Black (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.43-2.05, P<.001) or Hispanic (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.37-1.98, P<.001). Patients who were diagnosed with cancer were more likely to use online medical records compared to patients with no cancer (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.11-1.55, 95% CI 1.11-1.55, P=.001). Among nonusers, older patients (≥65 years old) preferred speaking directly to their health care providers (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.35-2.31, P<.001), were more concerned about privacy issues caused by online medical records (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.22-2.66, P<.001), and felt uncomfortable using the online medical record systems (OR 10.55, 95% CI 6.06-19.89, P<.001) compared to those aged 18-34 years. Patients who were Black or Hispanic were more concerned about privacy issues (OR 1.42, 1.09-1.84, P=.007).

Conclusions

Studies should consider social factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, and age when monitoring trends in eHealth use to ensure that eHealth use does not induce greater health status and health care disparities between people with different backgrounds and demographic characteristics.
Usability of a Fall Risk mHealth App for People With Multiple Sclerosis: Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Hsieh Katherine , Fanning Jason , Frechette Mikaela , Sosnoff Jacob
Published: February 2021

Background

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, neurodegenerative disease that causes a range of motor, sensory, and cognitive symptoms. Due to these symptoms, people with MS are at a high risk for falls, fall-related injuries, and reductions in quality of life. There is no cure for MS, and managing symptoms and disease progression is important to maintain a high quality of life. Mobile health (mHealth) apps are commonly used by people with MS to help manage their health. However, there are limited health apps for people with MS designed to evaluate fall risk. A fall risk app can increase access to fall risk assessments and improve self-management. When designing mHealth apps, a user-centered approach is critical for improving use and adoption.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to undergo a user-centered approach to test and refine the usability of the app through an iterative design process.

Methods

The fall risk app Steady-MS is an extension of Steady, a fall risk app for older adults. Steady-MS consists of 2 components: a 25-item questionnaire about demographics and MS symptoms and 5 standing balance tasks. Data from the questionnaire and balance tasks were inputted into an algorithm to compute a fall risk score. Two iterations of semistructured interviews (n=5 participants per iteration) were performed to evaluate usability. People with MS used Steady-MS on a smartphone, thinking out loud. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and developed into codes and themes. People with MS also completed the System Usability Scale.

Results

A total of 3 themes were identified: intuitive navigation, efficiency of use, and perceived value. Overall, the participants found Steady-MS efficient to use and useful to learn their fall risk score. There were challenges related to cognitive overload during the balance tasks. Modifications were made, and after the second iteration, people with MS reported that the app was intuitive and efficient. Average System Usability Scale scores were 95.5 in both iterations, representing excellent usability.

Conclusions

Steady-MS is the first mHealth app for people with MS to assess their overall risk of falling and is usable by a subset of people with MS. People with MS found Steady-MS to be usable and useful for understanding their risk of falling. When developing future mHealth apps for people with MS, it is important to prevent cognitive overload through simple and clear instructions and present scores that are understood and interpreted correctly through visuals and text. These findings underscore the importance of user-centered design and provide a foundation for the future development of tools to assess and prevent scalable falls for people with MS. Future steps include understanding the validity of the fall risk algorithm and evaluating the clinical utility of the app.
Understanding Concerns, Sentiments, and Disparities Among Population Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic Via Twitter Data Mining: Large-scale Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Zhang Chunyan , Xu Songhua , Li Zongfang , Hu Shunxu
Published: February 2021

Background

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019, its far-reaching impacts have been witnessed globally across all aspects of human life, such as health, economy, politics, and education. Such widely penetrating impacts cast significant and profound burdens on all population groups, incurring varied concerns and sentiments among them.

Objective

This study aims to identify the concerns, sentiments, and disparities of various population groups during the COVID-19 pandemic through a cross-sectional study conducted via large-scale Twitter data mining infoveillance.

Methods

This study consisted of three steps: first, tweets posted during the pandemic were collected and preprocessed on a large scale; second, the key population attributes, concerns, sentiments, and emotions were extracted via a collection of natural language processing procedures; third, multiple analyses were conducted to reveal concerns, sentiments, and disparities among population groups during the pandemic. Overall, this study implemented a quick, effective, and economical approach for analyzing population-level disparities during a public health event. The source code developed in this study was released for free public use at GitHub.

Results

A total of 1,015,655 original English tweets posted from August 7 to 12, 2020, were acquired and analyzed to obtain the following results. Organizations were significantly more concerned about COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR] 3.48, 95% CI 3.39-3.58) and expressed more fear and depression emotions than individuals. Females were less concerned about COVID-19 (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.71-0.75) and expressed less fear and depression emotions than males. Among all age groups (ie, ≤18, 19-29, 30-39, and ≥40 years of age), the attention ORs of COVID-19 fear and depression increased significantly with age. It is worth noting that not all females paid less attention to COVID-19 than males. In the age group of 40 years or older, females were more concerned than males, especially regarding the economic and education topics. In addition, males 40 years or older and 18 years or younger were the least positive. Lastly, in all sentiment analyses, the sentiment polarities regarding political topics were always the lowest among the five topics of concern across all population groups.

Conclusions

Through large-scale Twitter data mining, this study revealed that meaningful differences regarding concerns and sentiments about COVID-19-related topics existed among population groups during the study period. Therefore, specialized and varied attention and support are needed for different population groups. In addition, the efficient analysis method implemented by our publicly released code can be utilized to dynamically track the evolution of each population group during the pandemic or any other major event for better informed public health research and interventions.
Impact of Firearm Surveillance on Gun Control Policy: Regression Discontinuity Analysis (Preprint)
Authors: Post Lori , Mason Maryann , Singh Lauren Nadya , Wleklinski Nicholas P , Moss Charles B , Mohammad Hassan , Issa Tariq Z , Akhetuamhen Adesuwa I , Brandt Cynthia A , Welch Sarah B , Oehmke James Francis
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Public mass shootings are a significant public health problem that require ongoing systematic surveillance to test and inform policies that combat gun injuries. Although there is widespread agreement that something needs to be done to stop public mass shootings, opinions on exactly which policies that entails vary, such as the prohibition of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine if the Federal Assault Weapons Ban (FAWB) (1994-2004) reduced the number of public mass shootings while it was in place.

METHODS

We extracted public mass shooting surveillance data from the Violence Project that matched our inclusion criteria of 4 or more fatalities in a public space during a single event. We performed regression discontinuity analysis, taking advantage of the imposition of the FAWB, which included a prohibition on large-capacity magazines in addition to assault weapons. We estimated a regression model of the 5-year moving average number of public mass shootings per year for the period of 1966 to 2019 controlling for population growth and homicides in general, introduced regression discontinuities in the intercept and a time trend for years coincident with the federal legislation (ie, 1994-2004), and also allowed for a differential effect of the homicide rate during this period. We introduced a second set of trend and intercept discontinuities for post-FAWB years to capture the effects of termination of the policy. We used the regression results to predict what would have happened from 1995 to 2019 had there been no FAWB and also to project what would have happened from 2005 onward had it remained in place.

RESULTS

The FAWB resulted in a significant decrease in public mass shootings, number of gun deaths, and number of gun injuries. We estimate that the FAWB prevented 11 public mass shootings during the decade the ban was in place. A continuation of the FAWB would have prevented 30 public mass shootings that killed 339 people and injured an additional 1139 people.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the utility of public health surveillance on gun violence. Surveillance informs policy on whether a ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines reduces public mass shootings. As society searches for effective policies to prevent the next mass shooting, we must consider the overwhelming evidence that bans on assault weapons and/or large-capacity magazines work.
Narvarte y Palermo: la costura urbana desde dos perspectivas de la planeación en Ciudad de México y Bogotá en la primera mitad del siglo XX
Authors: Moreno Iregui Camilo Alejandro , Farfán Rodríguez John
Published: February 2021

Para la primera mitad del siglo XX, las urbanizaciones o fraccionamientos en Bogotá y Ciudad de México estuvieron sujetos a lógicas distintas de ocupación del territorio, las cuales se han estudiado tradicionalmente bajo el entonces recién instalado paradigma de la planeación urbana. La apuesta central de este artículo es entender, bajo el concepto de “costura urbana”, los procesos de consolidación que se dieron en el barrio Palermo y la colonia Narvarte. Se propone un enfoque comparativo entre los modelos teóricos de Karl Brunner y Carlos Contreras, en los que la expansión del tejido urbano no se pensaba únicamente como una adhesión de manzanas a las preexistencias, sino que apostaban por un proyecto funcional, estético y hasta cierto punto social.
Capacidad de mitigación de tres materiales constructivos de acuerdo con su desempeño térmico en Zonas Áridas, Caso de estudio: Torreón, Coahuila
Authors: Quiroa Herrera Jaime Andrés , Villanueva Solís Jorge , González Calderón Alleck Johnnathan , Retana Olvera Alaidé
Published: February 2021

El principal objetivo del presente artículo es presentar los resultados obtenidos del estudio que se realizó en tres módulos experimentales con los materiales: bloque de tierra comprimida (BTC) como material alternativo; block de concreto como material convencional; y adobe como material tradicional. Para el registro de las temperaturas superficiales y de aire internas de los tres módulos, así como para el monitoreo de la temperatura externa se utilizaron sensores hobo. Para el análisis de datos se utilizó la climatología dinámica en el espacio construido, definiendo el periodo de mediciones, así como el episodio y día representativos para una situación de calor. Los resultados obtenidos muestran cómo el material tradicional es el mejor adaptado a las condiciones climáticas, es decir, el de mayor capacidad de mitigación de los tres casos analizados; también, el material alternativo analizado tuvo mejor desempeño que el convencional, por lo que tanto el adobe como el BTC tienen una capacidad de mitigación mayor al block, además de la viabilidad de la utilización de ambos en la zona de estudio, aprovechando así la mayor capacidad de mitigación que ofrecen estas tecnologías en tierra en zonas áridas.
Purification of a Thermostable β-mannanase from Paenibacillus Thiaminolyticus - characterization and its Potential Use as a Detergent Additive
Authors: Dhawan Samriti
Published: February 2021

Endo-1, 4- β- D-mannanase (EC 3.2.1.78) is a glycoside hydrolase involved in random cleavage of β-1, 4- D-manno-pyranosyl linkages within mannans and heteromannans and generates branched and linear oligosaccharides. A β-mannanase was purified from a thermotolerant bacterium Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus isolated from a soil sample. Enzyme was purified to homogeneity with specific activity of 8812 U/mg protein. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and native poly-acryl amide gel electrophoresis indicated that the purified mannanase is a monomeric protein with a molecular mass of 38 kDa. The purified enzyme was found to be maximally active at temperature and pH of 60°C and 7.0, respectively. It was stable at 55°C for 24 h and maintained more than 50 % activity up to 3 h at 60°C. The enzyme was very stable in the pH range of 5.0-9.0. Purified β-mannanase demonstrated high stability after 1 h of pre-incubation with most of the tested organic solvents. Enzyme retained significant stability in the presence of various detergent additives, commercially available detergents and dish washing liquids. The high compatibility and substantial stability in the presence of nonionic detergents and dishwashing liquids confirmed its utility as an additive to dish washing liquids and laundry detergents. Enzyme exhibited efficacious de-staining of heteromannan based stains of chocolate ice cream and salad dressing in the wash performance test for detergent application. It also exhibited anti-soil redeposition effect on cotton swatches treated with tennis court clay and heteromannans.
Microbial Mechanisms for Remediation of Hexavalent Chromium and their Large-Scale Applications; Current Research and Future Directions
Authors: Arishi Amr , Mashhour Ibrahim
Published: February 2021

The increase of anthropogenic activities has led to the pollution of the environment by heavy metals, including chromium (Cr). There are two common oxidative states of Cr that can be found in industrial effluents the trivalent chromium Cr(III) and the hexavalent chromium Cr(VI). While the hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) is highly toxic and can trigger serious human health issues, its reduced form, the trivalent chromium Cr(III), is less toxic and insoluble. Leather tanning is an important industry in many developing countries and serves as a major source of Cr(VI) contamination. Globally, tannery factories generate approximately 40 million m3 of Cr-containing wastewater annually. While the physico-chemical treatments of tannery wastewater are not safe, produce toxic chemicals and require large amounts of chemical inputs, bioremediation using chromium-resistant bacteria (CRB) is safer, efficient and does not produce toxic intermediates. Chromium-resistant bacteria (CRB) utilise three mechanisms for Cr(VI) removal: biotransformation, biosorption and bioaccumulation. This review will evaluate the three Cr(VI) detoxification mechanisms used by bacteria, their limitations and assess their applications for large-scale remediation of Cr(VI). This can be helpful for understanding the nature of Cr(VI) remediation mechanisms used by bacteria, therefore, bridging the gap between laboratory findings and industrial application of microorganisms for Cr(VI) removal.
Training in developing higher-order thinking based online test instrument for biology teachers in Sekayu City
Authors: Anwar Yenny , Selamet Adeng , Huzaifah Siti , Madang Kodri
Published: February 2021

In this 21st century, teachers are required to empower students' Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). Unfortunately, there are still many teachers who have difficulty compiling HOTS questions. The purpose of this community service activity was training in formulating HOTS-based online test instrument for Senior High School (SHS) teachers in Sekayu City. Community service activities were carried out by a team from the Biology Education Study Program, Sriwijaya University through workshops. The workshop was held at Public SHS 2 Sekayu for two days. From the service activities that have been carried out, there has been an increase in the knowledge and skills of teachers in designing and making HOTS-based online evaluation tools. This activity also produced a HOTS question collection document and a google form link containing an online based HOTS question instrument. Based on the series of service activities, it can be concluded that the competence of teachers to conduct online-based HOTS evaluation activities has increased.
PENINGKATAN KREATIVITAS SISWA DALAM PEMBELAJARAN MATEMATIKA DENGAN GOOGLE CLASSROOM SEBAGAI KELAS DIGITAL BERBANTUAN APLIKASI GEOGEBRA
Authors: Pianda Didi
Published: February 2021

Penelitian ini adalah Penelitian Tindakan Kelas yang bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kreativitas siswa Kelas X SMK Negeri 6 Lhokseumawe  melalui pendekatan Google Classroom sebagai Kelas Digital dengan Aplikasi Geogebra. Subjek penelitian ini adalah siswa Kelas X-NKPI SMK Negeri 6 Lhokseumawe dengan jumlah 18 orang, Siklus I dilaksanakan selama 4 kali pertemuan dan siklus II dilaksanakan 3 kali pertemuan. Pengambilan data dilakukan dengan menggunakan lembar observasi untuk mengetahui tingkat kreativitas siswa selama pembelajaran berlangsung, angket kreativitas untuk mengetahui tingkat kreativitas siswa setelah pemberian tindakan, dan tes hasil belajar sebagai data tambahan untuk mengetahui sejauh mana peningkatan hasil belajar siswa. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa (a) skor rata-rata kreativitas siswa pada siklus siklus I sebesar 56,11 dengan kategori rendah dan siklus II 83,22 dengan kategori tinggi  (b) nilai rata-rata hasil belajar  siswa pada siklus I yaitu 69,72 dari skor ideal 100 dengan kategori hasil belajar sedang sedangkan pada siklus II  yaitu  81,22 dari skore ideal 100 dengan kategori hasil belajar tinggi. Dari hasil penelitian ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa dengan diterapkannya pendekatan Google Classroom sebagai Kelas Digital dengan Aplikasi Geogebra maka kreativitas belajar matematika siswa Kelas X-NKPI SMK Negeri 6 Lhokseumawe  mengalami peningkatan.
Japon Balığı (Carassius auratus) Gonad ve Viseral Organları Üzerine Bisfenol S’nin Toksik Etkileri
Authors: Nane İkbal Demet , Özil Öznur , Minaz Mert , Nazıroğlu Mevlüt , Diler Öznur , Özmen Özlem
Published: February 2021

Bisfenol A (BPA), polikarbonat plastiklerin ve epoksi reçinelerinin üretiminde kullanılan çevresel bir kirleticidir. Bununla birlikte bisfenol S (BPS), son zamanlarda BPA ürünlerine alternatif olarak kullanılmaya başlanan bir bisfenol analoğudur. Bu çalışmada farklı BPS konsantrasyonlarına (0, 100 ve 500 μg/L) 21 gün maruz bırakılan japon balıklarının (Carassius auratus) karaciğer, böbrek, gonad ve solungaç dokularındaki bir dizi etki histopatolojik olarak belirlenmiştir. Solungaçlarda BPS’nin hiperemi, ödem, epitel hücrelerinde deskuamasyon ve nekroza neden olduğu dikkat çekmiştir. Böbreklerde nekroz ve melanomakrofaj infiltrasyonları sıklıkla gözlenmiştir. Karaciğerde BPS’nin hiperemi ve inflamatuar hücre infiltrasyonlarına neden olduğu saptanmıştır. Bu çalışma, BPS'nin Carassius auratus'un çeşitli viseral organlarında dejeneratif değişikliklere neden olduğu ve histopatolojik değişikliklerin şiddetinin doza bağlı olduğunu ortaya koymuştur
CON VOZ PROPIA: LA EXPERIENCIA FÍSICO-DEPORTIVA DE DOS PERSONAS CON SÍNDROME DE ASPERGER
Authors: González Alba Blas , Prados Megías Esther
Published: February 2021

O presente trabalho mostra alguns dos resultados derivados do estudo de investigação realizado na tese de doutorado “Pedagogía de la Posibilidad. Estudio narrativo sobre el proceso educativo y resiliente de dos personas diagnosticadas de Síndrome de Asperger”.  A partir do enfoque da investigação biográfica narrativa e das análises dos relatos de vida de Isabel e Emmit, abordamos suas respectivas experiências desportivas intra e extraescolares. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar as potencialidades e debilidades destas práticas como veículos de socialização. Suas narrativas nos transportam a cenários escolares em que a Educação Física tem estado limitada a certos esportes de equipe e a atividades desportivas que não estão adaptadas a suas necessidades motoras e/ou hipersensoriais, e a atividades desportivas extraescolares que em certa medida têm potencializado o desenvolvimento de um processo resiliente. Seus relatos mostram cenários desportivos que por limitações formativas ou desinteresse dos professores não estão adaptados as suas necessidades pessoais e sociais.
“Invasive Klebsiella Pneumoniae Syndrome in Qatar”
Authors: Jamshaid Muhammad , Shahzad Aamir , Munir Huma , Tayyab Muhammad , Zafar. Abdul Aziz , Kamal Ijaz
Published: February 2021

Klebsiella pneumoniae can cause community-acquired and hospital-acquired
infection. It increases morbidity and mortality in high-risk patients.
We present a case of invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae in poorly controlled
diabetes mellitus, who ended up having a metastatic spread of Klebsiella
pneumoniae involving the liver, lungs, kidneys, brain, and muscle.