bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimum subsistence level in the social policy of the poor countries of Europe: the case of Ukraine
Authors:   Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Libanova Еlla
Published: December 2020

The category of «minimum subsistence level» (SL), also referred to as «absolute poverty line», is one of the fundamental in the socio-economic policy of the modern country. The majority of social transfers depends on the size of the minimum subsistence level, i.e., the level of state support for vulnerable groups of the population; SL is the basis for setting a number of salaries in the budgetary sphere and, accordingly, the amount of tax revenues; the practice is common of reconciling the size of the minimum wage and the maximum level of income from which contributions to compulsory state social insurance are paid with SL. Thus, the SL forms a significant part of budget expenditures and at the same time revenues in the public finance system. The article presents the results of systematization of the principles and methods of calculating SL adopted in different countries. In particular, the characteristics of normative, structural and normative, statistical, resource-based and subjective approaches are given. Considering the well-founded claims to the current methodology for determining SL in Ukraine, the urgent need for its transformation is emphasized and the author’s vision of innovations is highlighted. The rationale is provided for introducing a structural and normative approach for the analysis, monitoring and forecasting of social development and welfare, differentiated by age groups, determined in accordance with participation in education and the labour market. The necessity is emphasized of: developing the norms of food consumption exclusively by medical specialists; using different SL structures; transition to the calculations of SL of the households with a separate definition of the so-called semi-fixed costs (at the level of 20-30% of the food component of a person aged 20-64), which eliminates the use of disputable scales of equivalence. For the purpose of social assistance and calculation of its amount, it is proposed to focus on 40% of the median official salary. The argument is that payouts from the budget depend on the revenues, i.e., taxes on legal wages, and, moreover, this is the threshold accepted in many European countries. The article provides examples of SL calculations, in particular, with the definition of the impact of various methodological schemes on the level and depth of poverty in the country, on the structure of the poor.As the final result the proposals are given for the use of SL in public policy.
Implementation of Islamic Education Curriculum in Muhammadiyah 3 Basic School Padang Sidempuan
Authors: Yusnaldi Eka , Siregar Hendri , Damanik Muhd Hayyanul , Iskandar Wahyu , Yusuf Muhammad
Published: December 2020

The curriculum in Islamic education is known as the manhaj or "path" of the educational process in an institutional system. The qualitative research used in this study intends to find out and describe in detail the implementation of the Islamic religious education curriculum (PAI) in Muhammadiyah 3 Padang Sidempuan elementary school which includes how to plan the PAI curriculum at SD Muhammadiyah 3 Padang Sidempuan, how the PAI curriculum is implemented at SD Muhammadiyah 3 Padang Sidempuan and how to evaluate the PAI curriculum at SD Muhammadiyah 3 Padang Sidempuan. The results of this study (1) Planning the PAI Curriculum at SD Muhammadiyah 3 Padang Sidempuan, stated that SD Muhammadiyah 3 Padang Sidempuan held work meetings for PAI curriculum planning and organized technical guidance which aimed to create elaboration of educators in various fields. (2) The implementation of the PAI curriculum at SD Muhammadiyah 3 Padang Sidempuan has so far implemented the PAI curriculum in accordance with the stages that must be taken in the learning process using the development of the 2013 curriculum. (3) Evaluation of the PAI curriculum at SD Muhammadiyah 3 Padangsidimpuan school principals carry out Quality Control and Reporting. Evaluating the obstacles faced by teachers at SD Muhammadiyah 3 Padangsidimpuan. The obstacles that occur are there are still senior teachers who have not been able to teach Islamic Education learning with technology-based media.
SUSTAINABILITY-DISCLOSURES AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE: SHARIAH COMPLIANT VS NON-SHARIAH- COMPLIANT INDONESIAN FIRMS
Authors: Khattak Mudeer Ahmed , Ali Mohsin , Burki Aman Khan
Published: December 2020

We investigate the impact of sustainability-performance disclosure (SPD) on firmperformance on a cross-industry sample of 71 firms over the period 2011-2018. Wealso compare the relationship between shariah-compliant firms (SCFs) and non-shariah-compliant firms(NSCF). To control for possible issues of unobservedheterogeneity, endogeneity and autocorrelation, we use the system generalizedmethod of moments approach. We found that disclosure of sustainability performanceincreases a firm’s financial performance. Firms which disclose information on theirsustainability practices were found to have higher earnings on assets and equity,which clearly supports the argument of information asymmetry. In the comparison ofshariah-compliant and non-shariah-compliant firms, it was found that SCFs are at anadvantage by being shariah compliant and that disclosure of sustainabilityperformance increases the financial performance of such firms, whereas for non-shariah-compliant firms, the impact was found to be negative. One of the mainfindings from the research is that while firms’ involvement in corporate sustainabilityactivities is encouraged, they also need to disclose any related information to theirstakeholders, general public to capitalise on this investment, in return for a goodreputation and consider going shariah complaint. Our study further recommends thatthe management of firms in Indonesia should focus on shariah compliance andconsider sustainability-practice and sustainability-performance disclosures with apositive mindset, recognising them as means of gaining an advantage rather than asan obligation.
ZAKAT AND SDG 6: A CASE STUDY OF BAZNAS, INDONESIA
Authors: Hudaefi Fahmi Ali , Saoqi Abdul Aziz Yahya , Farchatunnisa Hidayaneu , Junari Ulfah Lathifah
Published: December 2020

Recent zakat distribution by the National Board of Zakat, Republic of Indonesia(BAZNAS), such as the construction of private lavatories for underprivilegedhouseholds, have contributed to the idea that zakat promotes the sustainability ofclean water and sanitation (SDG 6). However, this notion demands detailed academicexplanation to better understand it systematically. This paper thus aims to explore thedegree to which the toilet construction project has benefitted its recipients. This casestudy of BAZNAS’s project in Kendel, Boyolali, Indonesia, employs a qualitativeapproach based on participatory observation and semi-structured interviews. Thefindings explain the perspectives of local community after receiving the assistance,including the identification of reduction in numbers of local people affected bydiarrhoea. This information may validate the relationships between health, water andsanitation. Furthermore, the findings capture the involvement of local government inthe project execution. Thus, social and practical implications are revealed by thisstudy. This study pioneers the establishment of scholarly-based evidence about theprogramme of individual toilet construction executed by BAZNAS, and about theperspectives of its recipients in the wake of receiving the aid.
COMPARING THE INTERTEMPORAL EFFICIENCY OF ISLAMIC BANKS IN INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA
Authors: Rani Lina Nugraha , Kassim Salina
Published: December 2020

This study aims to measure and compare the intertemporal efficiency of Islamicbanks in Indonesia and Malaysia using data envelopment analysis (DEA) togetherwith window (intertemporal) analysis for the period 2012–2018 and applying anintermediation approach. Window analysis is used to indicate the stability of efficiencyover the study period. The findings show that the intertemporal technical efficiency(TE) of Islamic banks in Indonesia was 77.4% with stability score of 0.034, which wassignificantly more efficient and more stable than Malaysian banks at 75.1% withstability score of 0.169. Moreover, the the intertemporal pure technical efficiency(PTE) of Islamic banks in Indonesia was 91.7% with stability score 0.020, which wasalso significantly more efficient and more stable than Malaysian banks at 88.0% PTEand stability score of 0.161. In contrast, the intertemporal scale efficiency (SE) ofIslamic banks in Indonesia was 84.5%, slightly lower than that of Malaysian banks at85.3% but not significantly different. PTE improvement has contributed to TEimprovement, while SE has not reached an optimal level. Comparison to previousresults also showed that since the global financial crisis the PTEs of Islamic banks inIndonesia and Malaysia have improved while SEs have worsened. Therefore, effortsto improve SE by expanding the size of Islamic banks to reach optimum economiesof scale are urgently needed.
DO WORKERS’ REMITTANCES PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH? A CASE STUDY OF PAKISTAN
Authors: Ellahi Sarmad , Omer Muhammad
Published: December 2020

This study investigates the role of workers’ remittances in promoting economicgrowth in Pakistan, using data from 1976-2017. Remittances are an important sourceof Sharia-compliant (mostly) FX inflows, which may contribute to the economicdevelopment of many Islamic and non-Islamic economies. Nonetheless, they aremore relevant to Islamic economies, as they could potentially reduce therequirements of interest-based FX financing from donor agencies and/or from globalcapital markets. The impact of workers’ remittances on the economic growth ofIslamic developing economies remains a little explored area. Our research, whichemploys a case study of Pakistan, is first in this direction. We used the GMMestimation procedure to obtain efficient estimates in the presence of endogeneity andsimultaneity bias. Our estimates show that an increase in remittance inflowspositively affects the economic growth of Pakistan. The increase in per capita GDPcould be primarily due to an increase in the consumption of low-income recipients. Itis likely that this consumption demand promotes investment activity; however, thestudy could not establish the impact of remittances on such activity.
CONCEPTUALISING ISLAMIC CREDIT CARDS BASED ON MUSHĀRAKA MUTANĀQISA
Authors: Alkhan Ahmed M , Hassan M. Kabir , Hasan Rashedul
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualise an Islamic credit card (or mushārakacard) based on the Islamic principles of mushāraka mutanāqisa. A qualitativemethodology was employed, with qualitative content analysis used on AAOIFI Shari’aStandard (SS) No. 12 “Sharikah (Musharaka) and Modern Corporations” to derivekey rulings and controls for mushāraka mutanāqisa, which were then used toconceptualise an Islamic credit card based on mushāraka mutanāqisa. Theoretically,it should be possible to develop an Islamic credit card based on the Islamic rulings ofmushāraka mutanāqisa. The concept provided in this paper could be adopted as apilot project by Islamic retail banks. Evidence suggests that a new revised standardfor credit cards (included within AAOIFI Shari’a Standard (SS) No. 2) was underconstruction while this research was being undertaken. Therefore, it was not possibleto review what perhaps may be relevant information for conceptualising a new Islamiccredit card. The research intends to fill the gap by qualitatively conceptualising anIslamic credit card based on a mushāraka mutanāqisa in an in-depth manner,especially with the use of AAOIFI as a base for the conceptual analysis.
Die Karlsbad-Reise des Ferdinand Krackowizer im Jahre 1909. Anmerkungen zu einer Kulturgeschichte der bürgerlichen Badereise
Authors: Fendl Elisabeth
Published: December 2020

In May 1909, Ferdinand Krackowizer (1844–1933), an archival councillor from Linz, took a trip to the spa in Karlovy Vary. He kept a travel diary as well as a memory album where he stored all sorts of documents: postcards, concert programmes, tickets, menus, a report from his attending physician, etc. By analysing these documents we are able to reconstruct in detail Krackowizer’s stay at the spa and gain deeper knowledge of the everyday spa culture in Karlovy Vary at the turn of the century. In addition, the analysis takes into account the opinions and assessments provided by the traveller himself in his travel diary. The diary further facilitates reconstructing Krackowizer’s networks and understanding different aspects of cultural practices connected to spa travel. Finally, these primary sources show the importance which Krackowizer attributed to his spa trip as a form of external representation.
T-Essentially Coretractable and Weakly T-Essentially Coretractable Modules
Authors: Shaham Inaam Ali , Al-Aeashi Shukur , Shyaa Farhan
Published: December 2020

A new generalizations of coretractable modules are introduced where a module  is called t-essentially (weakly t-essentially) coretractable if for all proper submodule  of , there exists f End( ), f( )=0 and Imf tes  (Im f + tes ). Some basic properties are studied and many relationships between these classes and other related one are presented.
Compression-based Data Reduction Technique for IoT Sensor Networks
Authors: Abdulzahra Suha Abdulhussein , Al-Qurabat Ali Kadhum M. , Idrees Ali Kadhum
Published: December 2020

Energy savings are very common in IoT sensor networks because IoT sensor nodes operate with their own limited battery. The data transmission in the IoT sensor nodes is very costly and consume much of the energy while the energy usage for data processing is considerably lower. There are several energy-saving strategies and principles, mainly dedicated to reducing the transmission of data. Therefore, with minimizing data transfers in IoT sensor networks, can conserve a considerable amount of energy. In this research, a Compression-Based Data Reduction (CBDR) technique was suggested which works in the level of IoT sensor nodes. The CBDR includes two stages of compression, a lossy SAX Quantization stage which reduces the dynamic range of the sensor data readings, after which a lossless LZW compression to compress the loss quantization output. Quantizing the sensor node data readings down to the alphabet size of SAX results in lowering, to the advantage of the best compression sizes, which contributes to greater compression from the LZW end of things. Also, another improvement was suggested to the CBDR technique which is to add a Dynamic Transmission (DT-CBDR) to decrease both the total number of data sent to the gateway and the processing required. OMNeT++ simulator along with real sensory data gathered at Intel Lab is used to show the performance of the proposed technique. The simulation experiments illustrate that the proposed CBDR technique provides better performance than the other techniques in the literature.
PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF HOOKWORMS INFECTION ON DOGS IN SUKABUMI REGENCY, WEST JAVA PROVINCE, INDONESIA
Authors: Ridwan Yusuf , Wicaksono Ardilasunu , Fransiska Siti Vanessa , Theresa Princesse
Published: December 2020

Hookworms infection remains as an important parasitic infections affecting animal and human health worldwide. However, information on the prevalence and the risk factors of hookworm infection on dogs in Indonesia is very limited. A cross sectional study to estimate the prevalence and to identify risk factors of hookworms infection on dogs was conducted in rural area with different topography, Sukabumi Regency, Indonesia. A Total of 204 dog stool specimens were examined for hookworm eggs using simple flotation methods. The data of related risk factors namely type of topography area (high and low land), purpose of having dog, dog demography, dog reared management and deworming were collected through dog owners interview’s with completed a questionnaire. Those data were analyzed using the chi-square test (χ2) and logistic regression. The prevalence of hookworm on dogs in Sukabumi was 24.5 % (95% Confidence Interval [CI]=19.1-30.8). This prevalence was associated with topography of the area, the age of dog, and type of dog keeping methods. The prevalence of hookworms was higher in the high land area than low land area (OR=5.935, 95% CI=2.764-12.744 ). Logistic regression identified pupies as a high risk group to hookworms infection (OR= 2.041, 95%CI=1.035-4.055). The dog which kept in the cage/tied had higher risk than free roaming dog (OR=3.66, 95%CI=1.479-9.091).Key words: Dog, hookworms, prevalence, risk factors, Sukabumi.
Detection and Segmentation of Lesion Areas in Chest CT Scans For The Prediction of COVID-19
Authors: Ter-Sarkisov Aram
Published: December 2020

In this paper we compare the models for the detection and segmentation of Ground Glass Opacity and Consolidation in chest CT scans. These lesion areas are often associated both with common pneumonia and COVID-19. We train a Mask R-CNN model to segment these areas with high accuracy using three approaches: merging masks for these lesions into one, deleting the mask for Consolidation, and using both masks separately. The best model achieves the mean average precision of 44.68% using MS COCO criterion for instance segmentation across all accuracy thresholds. The classification model, COVID-CT-Mask-Net, which learns to predict the presence of COVID-19 vs common pneumonia vs control, achieves the 93.88% COVID-19 sensitivity, 95.64% overall accuracy, 95.06% common pneumonia sensitivity and 96.91% true negative rate on the COVIDx-CT test split (21192 CT scans) using a small fraction of the training data. We also analyze the effect of Non-Maximum Suppression of overlapping object predictions, both on the segmentation and classification accuracy. The full source code, models and pretrained weights are available on https://github.com/AlexTS1980/COVID-CT-Mask-Net.
TAPBPR Promotes Antigen Loading on MHC-I Molecules Using a Peptide Trap
Authors: McShan Andrew , Devlin Christine , Morozov Giora , Overall Sarah , Moschidi Danai , Akella Neha , Procko Erik , Sgourakis Nikolaos
Published: December 2020

Chaperones Tapasin and TAP-binding protein related (TAPBPR) perform the important functions of stabilizing nascent MHC-I molecules (chaperoning) and selecting high affinity peptides in the MHC-I groove (editing). While X-ray and cryo-EM snapshots of MHC-I in complex with TAPBPR and Tapasin, respectively, have provided important insights into the peptide-deficient MHC-I groove structure, the molecular mechanism through which these chaperones influence the selection of specific amino acid sequences remains incompletely characterized. Based on structural and functional data, a loop sequence of variable lengths has been proposed to stabilize empty MHC-I molecules through direct interactions with the floor of the groove. Using deep mutagenesis on two complementary expression systems, we find that important residues for the Tapasin/TAPBPR chaperoning activity are located on a large scaffolding surface, excluding the loop. Conversely, loop mutations influence TAPBPR interactions with properly conformed MHC-I molecules, relevant for peptide editing. Detailed biophysical characterization by solution NMR, ITC and FP-based shows that the loop hovers above the MHC-I groove to promote the capture of incoming peptides, thereby acting as a trap. Our results suggest that the longer loop of TAPBPR lowers the affinity requirements for peptide selection to facilitate peptide loading under conditions and subcellular compartments of reduced ligand concentration, and to prevent disassembly of high affinity peptide-MHC-I complexes that are transiently interrogated by TAPBPR during editing.
Engineering catalyst supports to stabilize Pd/PdO 2D rafts for water-tolerant methane oxidation
Authors: Xiong Haifeng , Kunwar Deepak , García-Vargas Carlos , Canning Griffin , Jiang Dong , Hernandez Xavier Isidro Pereira , Lin Sen , Wan Qiang , Purdy Stephen , Miller Jeffery , Leung Kevin , Chou Stanley , Brongersma Hidde , Veen Rik , Guo H. , Wang Yong , Datye Abhaya
Published: December 2020

The size and morphology of the active phase (metal or metal oxide) are critical for the performance of heterogeneous catalysts. Conventional approaches for catalyst synthesis involve the modification of pore size and structure, the use of ligands to anchor the metal during preparation or the use of nanostructured oxides with well-defined facets to provide suitable sites for metal nucleation and growth. However, these approaches may not yield durable catalysts for high temperature applications, such as the treatment of unburnt methane from natural gas fueled engines. Here we demonstrate an approach that relies on the trapping of metal single atoms on the support surface, in thermally stable form, to modify the nature of deposited metal/metal oxide clusters. By anchoring Pt ions on the catalyst support we can tailor the morphology of the deposited phase. In particular, two-dimensional (2-D) rafts of Pt/PtOx on the engineered catalyst support are formed by this approach, as opposed to three-dimensional (3-D) metal oxide nanoparticles on conventional supports. Adopting this approach for the synthesis of bimetallic catalysts via addition of Pd to the atom-trapped catalyst support (Pt@CeO2) we found that the resulting Pd/Pt@CeO2 catalyst provides improved thermal stability and water tolerance during methane oxidation. We attribute the improved performance to the 2-D morphology of the Pd/PdO phase present on the atom-trapped catalyst support. The results show that modifying the support by trapping single atoms could provide an important addition to the toolkit of catalyst designers to engineer catalyst supports for controlling the nucleation and growth of metal and metal oxide clusters in heterogeneous catalysts.
Higher mortality in bacteremic sepsis - A propensity score matched study
Authors: Mellhammar Lisa , Kahn Fredrik , Whitlow Caroline , Kander Thomas , Christensson Bertil , Linder Adam
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study was to describe outcome for critically ill patients with either culture-positive or -negative sepsis.In a clinical chart review of patients with a sepsis diagnosis treated in an intensive Care Unit (ICU), those who fulfilled sepsis-3 criteria and at had least one blood culture sampled ±48h from ICU admission were included. In a propensity score analysis bacteremic and non-bacteremic patients were matched with regard to age, comorbidities, site of infection and antimicrobial therapy prior to blood cultures.Out of 784 patients treated in the ICU with a sepsis diagnosis, blood cultures were missing in 140 excluded patients and additionally 95 excluded patients did not fulfill a sepsis diagnosis. In total 549 patients were included, 295 (54%) with bacteremia, 90 (16%) were non-bacteremic but had relevant pathogens detected from another body location and in 164 (30%) no relevant pathogen was detected in microbial samples. After the propensity score analysis, 90-day mortality was higher in bacteremic patients, 47%, than in non-bacteremic patients, 36%, p =0.04. In conclusion, bacteremic patients had higher mortality than their non-bacteremic counter-parts and bacteremia is more common in sepsis when studied in a clinical review.
Higher Mortality in Bacteremic Sepsis - A Propensity Score Matched Study
Authors: Mellhammar Lisa , Kahn Fredrik , Whitlow Caroline , Kander Thomas , Christensson Bertil , Linder Adam
Published: December 2020

BackgroundSepsis is a highly heterogenous disease which needs to be thoroughly mapped. The aim of this study was to describe characteristics and outcome for critically ill patients with sepsis-3 with either culture-positive or -negative sepsis.Methods Patients with severe sepsis or septic shock were retrospectively identified in the local quality registry from a general mixed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a University Hospital in 2007-2014. Data were collected through manual review of medical charts. Patients were included if they fulfilled sepsis-3 criteria and at least one blood culture was sampled ±48h from ICU admission. In a propensity score analysis bacteremic and non-bacteremic patients were matched 1:1 with regard to age, comorbidities, site of infection and antimicrobial therapy prior to blood cultures. A Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was performed to identify unmeasured class membership.Results784 patients were identified as treated in the ICU with a sepsis diagnosis. Blood cultures were missing in 140 excluded patients and additionally 95 patients did not fulfill a sepsis diagnosis and were also excluded. In total 549 patients were included, 295 (54%) with bacteremia, 90 (16%) were non-bacteremic but had relevant pathogens detected from another body location and in 164 (30%) no relevant pathogen was detected in microbial samples. After the propensity score analysis (n=172 in each group) 90-day mortality was higher in bacteremic patients, 47%, than in non-bacteremic patients, 36%, p =0.04. Patients without antibiotic treatment before sample collection (n=352) were more often bacteremic, 63%. Non-bacteremic patients without prior antibiotic treatment had lower mortality, 31% (n=129), compared to non-bacteremic patients with prior antibiotic treatment, 51% (n=124), p <0.01.The LCA identified 8 classes, with different mortality rates, where pathogen detection in microbial sampleswere important factors for class distinction andoutcome.ConclusionsBacteremic patients had higher mortality than their non-bacteremic counter-parts. Bacteremia is more common in sepsis than previously reported, when studied in a clinical review. Clinical chart review should be considered gold standard since a significant proportion of the patients in the proposed sepsis cohort, did not have sepsis, but would have been included in ICD- or electronic health record (EHR) algorithm approaches.
The Impact of Trust in Public Institutions on Compliance With Epidemiological Measures to Slow Down the Spread of COVID-19
Authors: Caplanova Anetta , Sivak Rudolf , Szakadatova Estera
Published: December 2020

This paper investigates the causal relationship between the trust in institutions and compliance with measures introduced to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Slovakia. We also analyse the impact of socio-economic characteristics on compliance with introduced measures. We use the data from a survey carried out by the Slovak Academy of Sciences on the representative sample of 1000 respondents. To derive the causal effect, we use a probit regression model. We find that trust in institutions helps to increase compliance with social distancing. We find that some socio-economic characteristics such as employment status, age or whether individuals feel to be in danger of COVID-19 have a positive and statistically significant effect on compliance with measures employed to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Lateral Advection Supports Nitrogen Export in the Oligotrophic Open-Ocean Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Kelly Thomas , Knapp Angela , Landry Michael , Selph Karen , Shropshire Taylor , Thomas Rachel , Stukel Michael
Published: December 2020

In contrast to its productive coastal margins, the open-ocean Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is notable for highly stratified surface waters with extremely low nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations. Field campaigns in 2017 and 2018 indicate low rates of turbulent mixing, which combined with oligotrophic nutrient conditions, give very low estimates of diffusive flux of nitrate into the euphotic zone (< 1 µmol N m-2 d-1). Estimates of local N2-fixation are similarly low. In comparison, measured export rates of sinking particulate organic nitrogen (PON) from the euphotic zone are 2-3 orders of magnitude higher (i.e. 462 – 1144 µmol N m-2 d-1). We reconcile these disparate findings with regional scale dynamics inferred independently from remote-sensing products and a regional biogeochemical model and find that laterally-sourced organic matter is sufficient to support >90% of open-ocean nitrogen export in the GoM. Results show that lateral transport needs to be closely considered in studies of biogeochemical balances, particularly for basins enclosed by productive coasts.
Value-Added Roles of Medical Students During COVID-19 Pandemic: Assessment of Medical Students’ Perception and Willingness in Sri Lanka
Authors: Wickramasinghe Nuwan , Jayarathne Shamalee , Pilapitiya Senaka
Published: December 2020

BackgroundCOVID-19 pandemic is an opportune time to identify the value-added roles of medical students to utilize the services of this potential workforce effectively in the health-care system. Hence, this study assessed medical students’ perception and willingness to assist in COVID-19 health sector preparedness and response via value-added roles in Sri Lanka. MethodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted among all medical students studying in six batches of the Faculty of Medicine and Allied Sciences (FMAS), Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (RUSL). A Google form prepared in English with statements about individual perception of medical students’ role and their willingness to assist in the COVID-19 health sector response via value-added roles was used to collect data. ResultsOut of 856 (79.6%) study participants, the majority was females (n=601, 70.2%). The majority (n=804, 93.9%) reported that they have a responsibility to contribute to the COVID-19 health sector response in the country. There was a statistically significant difference in medical students’ perceived level of clinical knowledge and clinical skills to assist in COVID-19 health sector response with advancing academic year (p<0.001). The commonly identified value-added roles were developing (n=770, 89.9%) and disseminating (n=744, 86.9%) health education messages, and field contact tracing activities (n=653, 76.3%). Other value-added roles were assisting the curative health sector in COVID-19 patient management (n=380, 44.4%) and other non-COVID-19 patient management (n=463, 54.1%). ConclusionsMedical students are mostly willing to be engaged in the preventive health sector value-added roles and to a lesser extent in the curative health sector value-added roles during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the medical educators need to clearly define the value-added roles and provide adequate training and supervision for medical students, from the first year to the final year, to combine learning with meaningful contributions to patient care and health-care system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Facial emotion processing in young people with subjective memory complaints: an ERP study
Authors: Perez Vanesa , Garrido-Chaves Ruth , Perez-Alarcon Mario , Paiva Tiago O. , Pulopulos Matias M. , Hidalgo Vanesa , Salvador Alicia
Published: December 2020

Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) are commonly related to aging, but they are also presented by young adults. Their neurophysiological mechanisms are not thoroughly understood, although some aspects related to affective state have been mentioned. Here, we investigated whether facial emotion processing is different in young people with (n = 41) and without SMCs (n = 39) who were exposed to positive, negative, and neutral faces, by recording the event-related potential (ERP) activity. From the ERP activity, the N170 (an index of face processing) and the LPP (an index of motivated attention) components were extracted. Regarding N170, results showed less amplitude for positive and neutral faces in the participants with SMCs than in those without SMCs. Moreover, women with SMCs displayed longer latencies for neutral faces than women without SMCs. No significant differences were found between the groups in the LPP component. Together, our findings suggest deficits in an early stage of facial emotion processing in young people with SMCs, and they emphasize the importance of further examining affective dimensions.
RNA-Seq Reveals Allele-Specific Expression of Somatic Mutations in Neuroblastoma
Authors: Li Xiaoqing , Sun Lan , Liu Qian , Tu Lingli , Stucky Andres , Wang Jingyi , Wu Zhongjun , Zhang Xi , Wang Kai , Zhong Jiang F
Published: December 2020

Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common solid tumors in children, accounting for approximately 8% of all pediatric malignancies and 15% of childhood cancer deaths. Somatic mutations in several genes such as ALK have been associated with neuroblastoma progression and can facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies. However, differential expression of mutated and wild-type alleles on the transcriptome level is not well studied. In this study, we analyzed 219 whole-exome sequencing datasets (with somatic mutations detected by MuTect from paired normal and tumor samples) and prioritized mutations in eight candidate genes as potential driver mutations. Meanwhile, we analyzed 127 RNA-seq samples (of which 85 also had DNA-seq data available) for allele-specific expression levels of each mutation. Our integrated analysis of somatic mutations and allele-specific expression levels confirmed the presence of allele-specific expression of somatic mutations in neuroblastoma including MYCN, ALK and PTPN22. The allele-specific expression of mutations suggests that the same somatic mutation may have different effects on clinical outcomes of tumors. Our study also suggests possible involvement of ZNF44 as a candidate driver gene for neuroblastoma. In summary, this study demonstrates the value of examining allele-specific expression levels of somatic mutations through the analysis of RNA-Seq data to assess the effects of somatic mutations in different patients. Improved understanding of allele-specific expression of somatic mutations can facilitate development of personalized treatment for neuroblastoma in precision medicine.
Magnification of Fear and Intention of Avoidance of Non-Experienced Dental Treatment
Authors: Lin Chia-Shu , Lee Chen-Yi , Chen Li-Ling , Wang Tze-Fang
Published: December 2020

Background. Dental fear is associated with the experience of prior dental treatment and avoidance of dental visits. It remains unclear if individuals show an intention of avoidance (IA) towards treatments that they have not received (i.e., non-experienced dental treatment). Methods. We investigated fear/IA of 12 common conditions of dental treatment of 402 adults. If subjects have experienced the condition, fear and IA were assessed based on subjects’ prior experience (i.e., ExpFear/ExpIA). If they have not experienced the condition, fear and IA were assessed based on their anticipation (i.e., NExpFear/NExpIA). Trait dental anxiety was assessed using the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+). Results. We found that (A) NExpFear and NExpIA were significantly higher than ExpFear and ExpIA, respectively. (B) The IDAF-4C+ scores are positively correlated with NExpFear/NExpIA and negatively correlated with the magnification of fear (i.e., the discrepancy in the fear/IA of non-experienced vs. experienced conditions). (C) The condition ‘extraction of a wisdom tooth’ and ‘root canal treatment’ showed the highest ratings on NExpFear. Conclusions. Individuals may develop a high degree of fear and IA of the treatment they have not received. Trait dental anxiety plays a key role in the magnification of the fear of non-experienced treatment.
Superpixel Image Segmentation of VISTA Expression in Colorectal Cancer: Implications for Immunotherapy
Authors: Wu Dongling , Hacking Sean , Vitkovski Taisia , Nasim Mansoor
Published: December 2020

Colorectal cancer is an overall bad player and accounts for 9% of all cancers. Today, advancements in immune checkpoint inhibition has provided therapeutics for many, but not all cancer patients. This issue is in part due to the tumoral microenvironment; which plays a significant role in determining response to immune check point therapeutics. This study serves as the first to evaluate a potent inhibitory checkpoint: V-domain immunoglobulin suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) and its role in CRC. This was evaluated with both conventional light microscope and superpixel image segmentation. Here we found VISTA expression to be associated with low tumor budding, lower tumor stage, high tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, mature stromal differentiation, BRAF mutation status and better disease-free survival in colorectal cancer. When comparing methodologies; superpixel image segmentation better stratified patients into prognostic groups. Anti-VISTA clinical trials are now open and recruiting for patient enrollment for patients with certain advanced solid tumors. Considering raised VISTA expression is associated with improved survival for patients with colorectal cancer: careful, well-designed and robust clinical trials should be pursued in this cancer subtype.
Metaheuristics in the Decentralization of Emergency Care.
Authors: Cabral Eric Lucas dos Santos , Castro Wilkson Ricardo Silva , Florentino Davidson Rogério de Medeiros , Junior João Florêncio da Costa , Frazão Talita Dias Chagas , Francisco Claudia Aparecida Cavalheiro , Souza Ricardo Pires de , Rêgo Amália Cinthia Meneses , ARAÚJO-FILHO IRAMI , Cabral Marco Antônio Leandro
Published: December 2020

BackgroundThe growth of the urban population exerts considerable pressure on municipalities’ public managers to focus their attention on providing emergency medical care that meets the growing demand for emergency pre-hospital medical care. Currently, there are a significant number of traffic accidents and other serious occurrences, such as heart attacks, drownings, epidemics, fires and disasters (floods, landslides, earthquakes) that demand a prompt and seamless response from pre-hospital medical care. As a result of such scenario, the present article endeavours to apply a dual-coverage mathematical model (DSM-Double Standard Model) to define the optimal location of the Emergency Medical Service (SAMU) decentralized dispatch bases in Natal / RN and conduct a simulation study to evaluate the displacement of ambulances between such bases. Patients and methodsThe methodological course that was followed by this research constitute for 12 steps, so as to the location of decentralized bases for sending emergency ambulances was established using the DSM model and the simulation model was performed using the FlexSim software© version 2018 evaluating base coverage in relation to the total number of calls by demand points for different scenarios.ResultsThe results obtained throughout the research demonstrated the feasibility of redefining the decentralized bases of SAMU / Natal ambulances as a strategy to reduce response time and guarantee compliance with performance parameters established by international organizations (the World Health Organization, for instance, establishes the time of 8 minutes for emergency medical service calls response). The simulation study showed a significant reduction in response time, by up to 60% in some cases.Conclusion﻿The proposition of new locations for the decentralized dispatch bases of the SAMU/Natal can provide an overall significant reduction on the ambulance response time, so as to contributes to expedite the initiation of treatment of patients, if necessary, sent to hospitals.
Clinicopathological Characteristics and Prognostic Factors for Cervical Adenocarcinoma: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Wang Min , Zhou Zhen-huan , Han Wei-wei
Published: December 2020

Objective: We aimed to assess the clinicopathological features and determine prognostic factors of cervical adenocarcinoma (AC).Methods: Relevant data were extracted from Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database from 2004 to 2015. The log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard analysis were utilized to identify independent prognostic factorsResults: A total of 3102 patients were identified. The higher proportion of patients with early FIGO stage (stage I: 69.4%; stage II: 14.1%), low pathological grade (grade I/II: 49.1%) and tumor size≤4cm (46.8%). The 5- and 10-year CSS rates were 74.47% and 70.00%. Meanwhile, the 5- and 10-year OS rates were 71.52% and 65.17%. Multivariate analysis found that married, surgery as well as chemotherapy were independent favorable prognostic indicators. Additionally, aged ˃45, grade III/IV, tumor size ˃4cm, advanced FIGO stage, pelvic lymph node metastasis (LNM) were unfavorable prognostic factors (all P<0.001). Stratified analysis found that patients without surgery could benefit significantly from chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In addition, chemotherapy could significantly improved survival in stage II-IV patients and radiothrapy only improved stage III patients (all P < 0.01).Conclusion: Marital status, age, grade, tumor size, FIGO stage, pelvic LNM, surgery and chemotherapy were significantly associated with prognosis of cervical AC.
Functional Characteristics of The Stelar K+ Outward Rectifying Channel (EeSKOR) Gene in Elytrigia Elongata
Authors: Zhou Yantong , Tian Xiaoxia , Zhang Yong , Mao Peichun , Zheng Mingli , Meng Lin
Published: December 2020

As an important nutrient, K+ plays a crucial role in plant stress resistance. It has been reported that the stelar K+ outward rectifying channel (SKOR) is involved in loading K+ into the xylem for its transport from roots to shoots. Elytrigia elongata is a perennial, sparsely distributed, rhizome-type herbaceous plant belonging to the wheatgrass family; it has high salt tolerance. Here, we isolated EeSKOR from decaploid E. elongata and investigated its function in transgenic tobacco. The results showed that EeSKOR was mainly expressed in the roots and was up-regulated with increasing salinity and drought intensity. Overexpression of EeSKOR in plants exposed to salt stress enhanced growth performance, increased SOD activity and chlorophyll content, significantly reduced H2O2 and MDA content, reduced Na+ concentration, and increased K+ concentration in transgenic tobacco plants compared with wild-type (WT) and null vector (Vector) plants. Our findings suggest that transgenic plants overexpressing EeSKOR could enhance K+ transport from the roots to the aboveground parts to maintain K+ steady-state in the aboveground under conditions of salt stress, thereby enhancing tobacco salt tolerance.
Effect of Ball Burnishing on HCF of Bilayer Composite for Support Wind Turbine Blades
Authors: Fouad Yasser , Marouani Haykel
Published: December 2020

The cyclic deformation behavior of two metal-matrix composites, namely aluminum-based composites reinforced with a steel wire and aluminum-based composites reinforced with an aluminum alloy 3030 wire, was investigated at room temperature for wind blades support. All materials were synthesized by sand casting and subjected to mechanical surface treatment by ball burnishing. High cycle fatigue was observed under reversed bending loading at 50 Hz. The composites reinforced with volume fraction (28% and 34%) of the wire shows excellent fatigue life and endurance limit under stress-controlled conditions. Moreover, the tensile and microstructural properties of these materials were examined. The alloyed aluminum-matrix-steel-wire-reinforced composite showed higher fatigue behavior than the wire reinforced using ball burnishing of as-cast alloys.
Molecular Mechanism by which Diosbulbin B Regulates the TP63 Gene in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: LIU LIU , Lao Qiufeng , Li Shengle , Pang Weiyi
Published: December 2020

BackgroundDioscorea bulbifera L. is mainly used for antitumor therapy in clinical practice. Studies have shown that the drug-containing serum obtained from Dioscorea bulbifera L. induces the apoptosis and inhibits the proliferation of rat breast cancer cells. However, the main active compounds and the molecular mechanism in triple-negative breast cancer are still unclear.MethodsThe TCMSP, GeneCards, GEO and TCGA databases were used to identify genes that intersect the target genes of Dioscorea bulbifera L., active Dioscorea bulbifera L. components and triple-negative breast cancer targets, and Kaplan-Meier and GSEA methods were used to analyze the survival and pathway enrichment of the intersecting genes, respectively. Subsequently, in vitro experiments were performed for verification.ResultsA total of 14 active components were screened, and the targets of the active components were combined with triple-negative breast cancer-related targets and differentially expressed genes obtained from the GeneCards database. Three genes (CCNB1, PGR and TP63) are related to the anti-breast cancer effects of Dioscorea bulbifera L., and TP63 (P<0.05) is related to breast cancer survival. The GSEA showed that the TP63 gene is related to the apoptosis pathway, and TP63 gene analysis in the TCGA clinical database showed the greatest expression difference in triple-negative breast cancer. The in vitro experiments showed that diosbulbin B, the main antitumor compound in Dioscorea bulbifera L., may inhibit the proliferation and migration of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and induce their apoptosis by promoting the expression of the TP63 gene.ConclusionThe present study fully elucidated the active components, potential targets and molecular mechanisms of Dioscorea bulbifera L. against triple-negative breast cancer and provided a new method for revealing the scientific basis and therapeutic mechanism of Chinese medicine in treating diseases.
Canagliflozin Attenuates Lipotoxicity in Cardiomyocytes and Protects Diabetic Mouse Hearts by Targeting the mTOR/HIF-1α Pathway
Authors: Sun Pengbo , Ding Yipei , Luo Jingyi , Zhong Jin , Xie Weidong
Published: December 2020

BackgroundLipotoxicity plays an important role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy and heart failure (HF). Canagliflozin (CAN), a marketed sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, has significant beneficial effects on HF. However, the potential pharmacological mechanism is still unknown.MethodsIn this study, we evaluated the protective effects and mechanism of CAN in the hearts of a C57BL/6J diabetic mouse model induced by a high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) for 12 weeks in vivo and using HL-1 cells (a type of mouse cardiomyocyte line) induced by palmitic acid (PA) in vitro.ResultsCAN could significantly alleviate lipid accumulation and inflammatory responses in the hearts of the HFD/STZ-induced diabetic mice. Furthermore, CAN significantly attenuated the inflammatory injury induced by PA in the HL-1 cells. In addition, CAN bound to the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and significantly inhibited mTOR phosphorylation and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression.ConclusionCAN attenuated lipotoxicity in cardiomyocytes and protected diabetic mouse hearts by targeting the mTOR/HIF-1α pathway.
Anesthesia and Surgery Induce a Functional Decrease Selectively in Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in Mouse Prefrontal Cortex Neurons
Authors: Matsumoto Yu , Fujino Yuji , Furue Hidemasa
Published: December 2020

Postoperative delirium (POD), a syndrome of confusion and inattention, frequently occurs after anesthesia and surgery. However, the neuropathogenesis of POD remains mostly unknown. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an essential role in cognitive processes. We therefore investigated how anesthesia and surgery induce neurofunctional changes in the PFC, and assessed whether intraoperative administration of dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 agonist, could prevent the functional changes in the PFC. Laparotomy was performed in mice under isoflurane anesthesia. After a battery of behavioral tests measuring natural behaviors and learning and anxiety levels, PFC neuronal activities were recorded using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Effects of intraoperative dexmedetomidine were also examined. In the anesthesia/surgery group, the frequency of excitatory synaptic responses in PFC pyramidal neurons was decreased after the surgery without any changes in the response kinetics. On the other hand, neuronal intrinsic properties and inhibitory synaptic responses were not changed. Intraoperative dexmedetomidine or glutamate receptor antagonists, prevented the excitatory synaptic dysfunction induced by anesthesia and surgery. These findings suggest that anesthesia and surgery induce functional reductions selectively in excitatory synaptic responses in PFC pyramidal neurons, and intraoperative dexmedetomidine inhibits the plastic change in the PFC synaptic transmission.