bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Covid-19 Impact on Telemedicine
Authors: Singh Ankit , Jha Ajeya , Purbey Shankar
Published: July 2021

In healthcare,the delivery has become challenging as the affected patients need to be cured, and at the same time, other patients and communities need to be protected. The traditional healthcare delivery modes need to be revised as it has a higher probability of human contact and transmission of infections.This study aims to review the existing work in the literature related to care delivery in the COVID 19 era and to suggest alternative modes and practices to reduce the transmission of infection and to improve the accessibility of healthcare to the population. This research was conducted through a comprehensive review of research articles available in the research databases "PubMed" and "Science Direct"searched with the keywords "Coronavirus" and "COVID-19" till March 19, 2020. This conceptual study analysis the best practices for adoption by the government to contain COVID 19. At the same time, it also analyses the conceptual model proposed in a study done in Taiwan. Moreover, the current study proposes a new healthcare delivery model with the integration of Telemedicine, Healthcare, and Institutional Care. This study concludes that at the primary level of healthcare, the Use of Telemedicine should be considered and promoted, similarly at the secondary level of care, Home healthcare should be the preferred mode, and last, at the tertiary level of healthcare requires hospitalization should be preferred.
Systematic Review of effects of Shodhana & Shmana Chikitsa in Ayurveda in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus Type-II (Prameha)
Authors: Sawarkar Punam , Sawarkar Gaurav , Hadke Jayashri
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic clinical condition. It induces some irreversible pathological changes in the body, which rise to multiple complications. Moreover, the side effects of the established anti-hyperglycemic agents in contemporary science on their long-term use make it more worst. Considering the higher incidence rate of Diabetes mellitus due to faulty lifestyle, it is essential to think over various safe but effective measures in alternative science. i.e., Ayurveda. In Ayurveda, diabetes mellitus can be correlated with Prameha or Madhumeha due to similarity in signs & clinical features.

Aim & Objective: The prime aim of this study is to study the efficacy and safety of different Shodhana & Shamana Chikitsa in Ayurveda for glucose control & improvement in clinical features during the management of Diabetes Mellitus Type II(Prameha W.S.R).

Materials & Methods: This is a meta-analysis of Ayurvedic interventions in Shodhana, or Shamana Chikitsa used to manage Prameha (Diabetes mellitus type II). On extensive Review of the literature, 42 clinical studies (R.C.T. & N.R.C.T.) fulfilling inclusion criteria & conducted with 1743 participants at different places were critically analyzed. Adequate details of the individual studies were tabulated and discussed.

Observations & Results: It is reflected that the combinations of both these interventions are more effective than only Shaman Chikitsa in the management of Diabetes mellitus.

Conclusion: All of these interventions in Ayurveda reviewed through this study are appeared to be generally safe and effective, having a prime or adjuvant role. However, Ayurvedic physicians should prescribe them based on their clinical judgment, patient’s references, type of pathology, chronicity of the disease & strength of the patient.
High Incidence of Substance Abuse among Youths in Cocoa Research Institute Community, Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Orimogunje A. O. , Ogundeji B. A. , Agbebaku E. E. O. , Awodumila D. , Balogun S. T. , Aboderin A.
Published: July 2021

Aims: This study hereby examined the high incidence of drug abuse among the youths in Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) community at Ibadan, Nigeria.

Study Design: Multistage sampling approach.

Place and Duration of Study: CRIN staff quarters and surrounding communities.

Methodology: A multistage sampling approach was used for the study. The first stage involved the purposive selection of Senior Staff Quarters, Junior Staff Quarters and Alata road because majority of the respondents resides there. The second stage involved using simple random sampling technique to select Twenty- two (22) respondents from the three locations above, making the total sample size to be Sixty-six (66) respondents. Data were obtained using an interview schedule. Descriptive (frequencies, percentages, mean values) and inferential (Chi-square, PPMC) statistics were used to analyze the data at 0.05 level of significance.

Results: Mean age of the respondents was 31.0 years, this indicates that most of the respondents were in their youthful age and very energetic. Majority (80.3%) of the respondents were male and only 19.7% were female. In the causes of substance abuse, prevention of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) ranked first on the list with mean (1.87).

Conclusion: The relationship between Sex (χ2=0.032, p=0.859), Marital status (χ2=6.905, p=0.032), Religion (χ2=5.052, p=0.025), indicate that there is significant relationship between Marital status and Religion and effects of substance abuse.
Assessment of Influence of Process Safety Culture on Employee Attitude towards Violations in Selected Petroleum Companies, in Niger-Delta
Authors: Ekong Akaninyene Edet , Ugbebor John N. , Brown Bara K.
Published: July 2021

The study examined Influence of Process Safety Culture on Employee Attitude towards violations in Selected Petroleum Companies, Niger-Delta. A descriptive cross-sectional oilfields based study. Study utilized non-probability sampling method combining purposive, convenience and quota sampling techniques. Purposive sampling is centred on the intent or purpose of the study. The research was a descriptive cross-sectional study, the population was made up of a sample size of one thousand workers of the processing unit of ten selected International Oil Companies (IOCs) and Local Oil Companies (LOCs) selected by convenience sample techniques. The study adopted Regression analysis for testing and modelling the research hypothesis. Before carrying out regression analysis, multicollinearity was checked to know if it is good fit for regression analysis on SPSS IBM 20 version. Outcome of the test shows that; regression analysis was acceptable because the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) of the checked multicollinearity was 1.000 which means there was no awkward multicollinearity. This study adopted the 95% confidence level and 0.05 significance level. The study discovered that process safety culture influences employees’ attitudes toward violations in Oil and Gas industries with positive coefficient of standardized coefficient(β) of 0.397 and p-value 0.000 less than the significance level 0.05 and t-statistics being 12.354. It is recommended that ways to motivate employees to adopt the safety habit should be adopted and may be done using the carrot and stick method propounded by Abraham Maslow. Management must learn to choose the most suitable approach to motivate employees to abide by the safety expectations of their organisation. Awards can be given at the end of every quarter to the most safety conscious employee or acts of recognition or even monetary rewards. For employees who do not obey safety rules when positively motivated, penalties, fines, punishment.
Assessing the Nutrient Quality of Biofertilizer Produced from Organic Waste Using Lysinibacillus Macroides and Alcaligens Faecalis
Authors: Amadi V. , Wemedo S. A. , Amadi L. O.
Published: July 2021

Biofertilizers are ecofriendly fertilizers that are produced via degradation of wastes by microorganisms. The efficiency of Lynsibacillus macroides and Alcaligens faecalis in the production of fertilizer from organic wastes was evaluated. The bacterial isolates were isolated from soil samples collected from fallow patch of land in the Rivers State University farm using standard microbiological methods. The test bacteria were identified by conventional and molecular techniques. Organic wastes including cassava peels, elephant grass and poultry droppings used in this study were collected from the Rivers State University Farm. Three experimental treatments were used in this study; treatment 1 contains 300g of the composite substrate without any organisms and served as control, treatment 2 contains 300g of the composite substrate and 200ml of Lynsibacillus macroides while treatment 3 contains 300g of the composite substrate and 200ml of Alcaligenes faecalis. The treatments were allowed to degrade for 10 days. The pH, temperature, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and total organic carbon were determined using standard analytical method. Means of physicochemical parameters in treatment 1, 2 and 3, respectively were: pH 8.3±0.7, 8.6±0.4 and 9.0±0.3; Nitrogen: 2.63±0.08, 1.97±0.03 and 1.51±0.01; phosphorus: 4.71±0.01, 4.43±0.01 and 3.52±0.02; potassium: 604.10±2.12, 591.00±1.41421 and 504.20±2.83; total organic carbon: 31.75±0.78, 23.04±0.04 and 17.56±0.01 mg/kg. The treatment which was supplemented with Lysinbacillus macroides produced more nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and total organic carbon than treatment which was supplemented with A. faecalis. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference (P≤ 0.05) between the quantity of nitrogen produced by L. macroides and A. faecalis. Although the amount of nitrogen produced by both organisms were significantly different from the control. More so, statistical analysis showed that the quantity of phosphorus, potassium and total organic carbon produced by L. macroides was significantly higher (P≤ 0.05) than those produced by A. faecalis and the control. Thus, Lynsibacillus macroides is a better biofertilizer producer than A. faecalis.
Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Nigeria
Authors: Ndugbu M. O. , Otiwu K. C. , Uzowuru L. N.
Published: July 2021

This study examined the relationship between foreign direct investment and economic growth in Nigeria using secondary data sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletin between the periods of 1986 to 2017. The study employed Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) and Pairwise Granger Causality test to ascertain the direction of causality between variable employed. Findings revealed that of the six exogenous variables used as an indicator of foreign direct investment, only the non-oil related foreign direct investment, trade openness and market capitalization were able to pass test of hypothesis, which suggest that of the six employed independent variables, three established the fact that foreign direct investment is a vital stimuli in promoting economic performance in Nigeria with more emphasis on the non-oil related foreign direct investment. The study thus concluded that non-oil related foreign direct investment is more helpful to Nigeria’s economy compared to oil related foreign direct investment inflows. Consequently, it is recommended that both Nigeria’s private and public sectors should intensify efforts to attract further foreign direct investment inflows into the non-oil related sectors of the economy, while relatively de-emphasizing attraction of inflows into the oil related sector in the interest of the country.
Direct Microtip Focused Electrohydrodynamic Jet Printing of Tailored Microlens Arrays on PDMS Nanofilm‐Modified Substrate
Authors: Su Shijie , Liang Junsheng , Li Xiaojian , Xin Wenwen , Chen Li , Yin Penghe , Wang Zizhu , Ye Xushi , Xiao Jianping , Wang Dazhi
Published: July 2021

Microlens arrays (MLAs) have been widely employed as key components of various functional devices. However, the high‐efficiency fabrication of tailored MLAs with high numerical aperture (NA) is still a challenge. Herein, a one‐step maskless fabrication method of MLAs on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanofilm modified substrate via microtip focused electrohydrodynamic jet (MFEJ) printing is developed. The MFEJ printing can effectively avoid nozzle blockage even with highly viscous UV‐curable polymer. The contact angle (CA) of polymer can be controlled on different hydrophobic substrates, which are modified by treatment with PDMS, and MLAs with different NA can be realized. The polymer CA increases from 19° to 73° after surface modification, and the NA of MLAs correspondingly increases from 0.18 to 0.53. The MLAs diameter and focusing properties can be easily tuned by combining the printing parameters with PDMS nanofilm modification. Various patterns of MLAs with high NA are obtained by MFEJ printing. The projection experiment indicates the uniformity and excellent optical performance of the MLAs. Moreover, the fabricated MLAs can generate magnified virtual images with a magnification up to 1.72‐fold. Results show that the MFEJ printing can fabricate functional and tailored MLAs with high NA on the PDMS nanofilm‐modified substrate.
Coupling smartphone and CRISPR–Cas12a for digital and multiplexed nucleic acid detection
Authors: Yu Tao , Zhang Shengwei , Matei Razvan , Marx William , Beisel Chase L. , Wei Qingshan
Published: July 2021

Accurate, rapid, and multiplexed nucleic acid detection is of great value for applications in biomedicine and agriculture. Here, we demonstrated a one‐step Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) diagnostic method for the digital and multiplexed detection of both single‐stranded (ss) and double‐stranded (ds) DNA on a handheld smartphone device. ssDNA targets exhibited faster reaction kinetics of this single‐step CRISPR–Cas12a assay than dsDNA counterparts. Under optimized conditions, picomolar levels of ssDNA targets can be detected in 96‐well plates by using a benchtop plate reader. The detection sensitivity can be further improved to 5 fM when running the reaction in a microwell‐based digital assay chip. Multiplexed detection of hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus DNA markers was demonstrated on the smartphone‐based platform. Finally, the one‐step CRISPR–Cas12a assay performed robustly in human serum samples with a recovery rate of ssDNA detection between 96% and 105.6%, suggesting a high potential for clinical diagnostic applications in point‐of‐care settings.
Hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis suppression and intranasal corticosteroid use: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Sampieri Gianluca , Namavarian Amirpouyan , Lee John J. W. , Hamour Amr F. , Lee John M.
Published: July 2021

Background

Intranasal corticosteroids (INCS) are used in the management of sinonasal conditions. Use of exogenous steroids can be associated with hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis dysfunction and adrenal insufficiency (AI). We aimed to estimate the rate of AI after INCS use in a meta‐analysis, stratified by steroid type and treatment duration.

Methods

Ovid Medline, Embase Classic, PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases were searched following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines to identify studies investigating INCS use and AI. AI was defined as morning serum cortisol <550 nmol/L and <80 nmol/L with and without adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation. INCS were classified as first (beclomethasone dipropionate, triamcinolone acetonide, beclomethasone, budesonide, dexamethasone) and second (ciclesonide, mometasone furoate, and fluticasone propionate) generation. Duration of treatment was classified as short (<1 month), medium (1‐12 months), and long‐term (>12 months) time periods.

Results

This search identified 3668 articles. A total of 39 studies (1678 patients) were included in the final analysis. The pooled percentage of AI for routinely utilized first‐ and second‐generation INCS was 0.70% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29‐1.12%). Stratified by type, AI was observed in 0.78% (95% CI, 0.25‐1.30%) of first‐generation and 0.58% (95% CI, −0.1% to 1.26%) of second‐generation steroids. AI was seen in 0.48% (95% CI, −0.01% to 0.96%) of short‐term, 1.13% (95% CI, 0.2‐2.1%) of medium‐term, and 1.67% (95% CI, 0.37‐2.9%) of long‐term use of INCS.

Conclusion

Overall, the use of INCS carries a low risk for AI. Although modest, this risk may differ depending on the length of duration and type of INCS used. Informing patients of these risks is of importance for the treatment of chronic sinonasal conditions.
Cumulative comorbidity burden does not worsen outcomes in management of chronic rhinosinusitis
Authors: Gill Amarbir S. , Mace Jess C. , Rimmer Ryan , Ramakrishnan Vijay R. , Beswick Daniel M. , Soler Zachary M. , Manor James , Orlandi Richard R. , Smith Timothy L. , Alt Jeremiah A.
Published: July 2021

Background

The impact of multiple coexisting medical comorbidities on treatment outcomes in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is unknown. In this study we sought to evaluate the effect of comorbidities on sinonasal quality of life (QOL) and general health utility values by utilizing the Functional Comorbidity Index (FCI) in CRS patients.

Methods

Patients with CRS were prospectively enrolled in a cross‐sectional study of medical and surgical therapies. The 22‐item Sino‐Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT‐22) and Medical Outcomes Study Short‐Form 6D (SF‐6D) scores were recorded at enrollment and 6‐month follow‐up; Lund‐Kennedy endoscopy and Lund‐Mackay computed tomography scores were recorded at enrollment. The FCI was calculated using the electronic medical record. The impact of cumulative comorbidity burden on baseline and posttreatment outcomes was assessed using univariate and bivariate correlations.

Results

A total of 428 participants with CRS were included. The average (mean standard ± deviation) FCI score was 3.03 ± 2.28 (range, 0‐12). Significant linear correlations were identified between increasing FCI score and baseline SNOT‐22 and SF‐6D scores (R = 0.166, p = 0.001 and R = −0.245, p < 0.001, respectively). There was no correlation between FCI and change in SNOT‐22 or SF‐6D scores after CRS treatment (R = 0.066, p = 0.17 and R = −0.087, p = 0.074, respectively). Achievement of a minimally clinically important difference was also independent of FCI.

Conclusion

Although cumulative comorbidity burden, as measured by FCI, is associated with worse baseline SNOT‐22 and SF‐6D scores, it does not appear to limit posttreatment improvement in either outcome measure. On average, patients with high comorbidity burden report substantial improvement in both QOL and health utility after CRS treatment, similar to those with fewer comorbidities.
Palladium supported on MRGO@CoAl‐LDH catalyzed reductive carbonylation of nitroarenes and carbonylative Suzuki coupling reactions using formic acid as liquid CO and H2 source
Authors: Jadidi Nejad Masoumeh , Heydari Akbar
Published: July 2021

In the present study, a heterogeneous palladium catalyst system, Pd nanoparticles supported on MRGO@CoAl‐LDH, was synthesized and employed in reductive carbonylation of nitroarenes and carbonylative Suzuki coupling reactions using formic acid as CO and H2 source. The as‐obtained heterogeneous catalyst was characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDAX), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The nanocatalyst was reused for 5 cycles with a negligible reduction in the yield of products. All reactions were carried out with high yields and under suitable and safe conditions. Also, we have successfully applied formic acid as a good and safe alternative to CO and H2 gases.
Synthesis and performance application of self‐crosslinking water‐borne epoxy resin for cementing
Authors: Peng Zhigang , Zhou Zhengyan , Feng Qian , Zheng Yong , Yang Qizhen , Liu Xifeng
Published: July 2021

Aiming at the problem of high brittleness of cement stone, we have studied the self‐emulsificating and self‐crosslinking modification of epoxy resin (EP) (E54), and the modified EP was used in oil well cement to improve the cement ring toughness and reduce the cement ring cracked. Using 2‐acrylamide‐2‐methyl propane sulfonic acid and acrylamide as modified monomers, benzoyl peroxide as initiator, and grafting modification method by free radical polymerization to obtain water‐borne epoxy resin (WBE). Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and 1H NMR were used to characterize the modified product, which showed that the WBE contained ─SO3H and ─CONH2 hydrophilic groups, and the connecting method of the hydrophilic side chain was clarified. WBE can achieve good dispersion in an aqueous solution, it can be stabilized for 30 min without stratified at a centrifugal speed of 6000 rpm; when the temperature is >80°C, it can be self‐curing. The addition of WBE can increase the flexural strength of cement stone by 48.3%, the compressive strength by 38.4%, and reduce the modulus of elasticity by 45.3%. Scanning electron microscope analyzed the mechanism of WBE to improve the toughness of cement stone, and found that after WBE cross‐linking, polymer films and three‐dimensional network structures are formed in the cement stone, making the cement structure more compact. WBE can effectively improve the mechanical properties of cement rings and can be used to improve cementing quality.
Influence of the dispersion of Nanoclays on the cellular structure of foams based on polystyrene
Authors: Ballesteros Alberto , Laguna‐Gutierrez Ester , Cimavilla‐Roman Paula , Puertas Maria Luisa , Esteban‐Cubillo Antonio , Santaren Julio , Rodriguez‐Perez Miguel Angel
Published: July 2021

In the present work blends of polystyrene (PS) with sepiolites have been produced using a melt extrusion process. The dispersion degree of the sepiolites in the PS has been analyzed by dynamic shear rheology and X‐ray micro‐computed tomography. Sepiolites treated with quaternary ammonium salts (O‐QASEP) are better dispersed in the PS matrix than natural sepiolites (N‐SEP) or sepiolites organo‐modified with silane groups (O‐SGSEP). A percolated network is obtained when using 6.0 wt% of O‐QASEP, 8.0 wt% of N‐SEP and 10.0 wt% of O‐SGSEP. It has been shown that multiple extrusion processes have a negative effect on the polymer architecture. They produce a reduction in the length of the polymeric chains, and they do not lead to a better dispersion of the particles in the polymer matrix. Foams have been produced using a gas dissolution foaming process, where a strong effect of the dispersion degree on the cellular structure of the different foams was found. The effects on the cellular structure obtained by using different types of sepiolites, different contents of sepiolites and different extrusion conditions have been analyzed. The foams produced with the formulations containing O‐QASEP present the lowest cell size and the most homogeneous cellular structures.
The relationship between child behaviour problems at school entrance and teenage vocabulary acquisition: A comparison of two generations of British children born 30 years apart
Authors: Parsons Sam , Sullivan Alice , Moulton Vanessa , Fitzsimons Emla , Ploubidis George B.
Published: July 2021

Behaviour problems in early childhood have a lasting impact on cognitive development and education attainment in later adolescence and into adulthood. Here we address the relationship conduct and hyperactivity problems at school entrance, and vocabulary acquisition in adolescence. We compare performance in identical assessments across two generations of British children born 30 years apart in 1970 (n = 15,676) and 2000/2 (n = 16,628) and find that both conduct and hyperactivity problems have a negative association with later vocabulary in both generations. We take advantage of rich longitudinal birth cohort data and establish that these relationships hold once family socioeconomic status and a child’s personal characteristics and earlier vocabulary acquisition are taken into account. We also find that teenagers today achieved substantively lower scores in the vocabulary assessment compared to their counterparts born 30 years earlier, and that this holds across all categories within each of the family and individual characteristics considered in this article. As vocabulary and language skills are key prerequisites for wider learning, we discuss implications the findings have for education policies.
Before launching mergers, acquisitions, or partnerships, consider potential role of key higher ed regulations
Authors: Parker Lisa
Published: July 2021

For many colleges and universities, the COVID‐19 pandemic finally crystalized the lurking suspicion that business as usual may no longer work for the world of higher education.
Did court dismiss faculty member's free speech claim?
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: July 2021

The plaintiff was a faculty member at California State University, Chico and served as the chair of the departmental personnel committee. The plaintiff completed a performance review for a tenure‐track professor, which disagreed with the committee's final evaluation. Accordingly, the plaintiff recorded her disagreements in a “minority report,” which was within her rights as a committee member.
Did judge dismiss student's false imprisonment claim?
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: July 2021

St. John's University police asked a student for a meeting in connection with a reckless driving incident on campus. When the student appeared, the interviewing officer told him there was a video showing he was the reckless driver. The student denied he was the one driving. He informed the officers the female student falsely accused him to protect her boyfriend.
Matching distributions for survival data
Authors: Jiang Qiang , Xia Yifan , Liang Baosheng
Published: July 2021

In studies with survival endpoints, it is often of interest to predict the disease risk or survival probabilities in the presence of censored failure times. One commonly used approach is to model the association between the survival outcome and covariates via a semiparametric regression model and use the fitted model for prediction. In this article, we propose two methods to evaluate or predict the survival rates. The first method estimates survival probabilities by matching survival functions, and the second one is based on matching censored quantiles. Unlike traditional regression approaches, the proposed methods directly match the distribution of linear combinations of the covariates to the entire target distribution or parts of it. To accommodate censoring, we adopt a redistribution‐of‐mass technique for the proposed matching censored quantiles. The asymptotic consistency of the resulting estimators is well established. Simulation studies and an example with real data are also provided to further illustrate the practical utilities of our proposals. The proposed methods have been implemented in an R package.
Autism spectrum disorder detection using sequential minimal optimization‐support vector machine hybrid classifier according to history of jaundice and family autism in children
Authors: Yücelbaş Şule , Yücelbaş Cüneyt
Published: July 2021

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by several nervous system problems that change the function of the brain. It is either congenital or occurs in the early years of life. Although the cause of ASD is not known exactly, it is generally thought to be genetic. Today, the relationship of ASD with other diseases is under investigation. One of these diseases is jaundice. It has been shown in different medical studies that the probability of children, who were jaundiced in the newborn period and/or had a family history of autism, having this disorder is higher than the others. However, studies in this area using artificial intelligence techniques are limited. For this reason, in this study, the relationship between ASD with jaundice and/or family history of autism in children was emphasized by using current machine learning techniques and analyses. Datasets were established by digitizing verbal data obtained from children between the ages of 4 and 11: (1) subjects with a family history of autism, (2) subjects with a history of jaundice, (3) subjects with both history of jaundice and family autism, and (4) subjects with no conditions. Since the verbal datasets created by the answers from the children (with or without ASD) or the people around them were converted into numerical form with 0–1 coding, mathematical operations could be performed using these datasets. The four subgroups of data mentioned above were given to the sequential minimal optimization‐support vector machine hybrid classifier after they were separated into training and test data via the stratified cross‐validation method. The results were analyzed with various statistical parameters. In addition, the sequential forward floating selection algorithm was used to determine which features were not effective for ASD detection. Obtained results from all datasets can provide a new perspective for the literature. As a result, it was determined with a 100% success rate for dataset1 and dataset3. In addition, the ASD detection rate was calculated at 95.52% in children with a history of jaundice. Finally, considerable and meaningful interpretations were made about which features according to the history of jaundice and family autism for each dataset are more effective in ASD detection in children.
Phototunable Lignin Plastics to Enable Recyclability
Authors: Hu Cheng , Zhao Mingzhen , Li Qiang , Liu Zhihua , Hao Naijia , Meng Xianzhi , Li Jinghao , Lin Furong , Li Chenxuan , Fang Lei , Dai Susie Y. , Ragauskas Arthur J. , Sue H. J. , Yuan Joshua S.
Published: July 2021

The accumulation of non‐degradable petrochemical plastics imposes a significant threat to the environment and ecosystems. We addressed this challenge by designing a new type of phototunable plastics based on the unique lignin chemistry to enable readily end‐life recycling. The advanced material design leveraged the efficient photocatalytic lignin depolymerization by ZnO nanoparticles to build lignin‐polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)‐ZnO blends. We first demonstrated the highly effective phototunable lignin depolymerization in the complex polymer blend matrix and explored the molecular mechanisms. The technical barriers of mechanical property and recycling processing were then addressed by a new blend design with lignin core grafted with PMMA polymer. The new process has resulted in a new type of PMMA‐g‐lignin blend, which significantly improved the mechanical properties, making it comparable to PMMA alone. More importantly, the mechanical properties of the UV‐treated blend decreased drastically in the new design, whereas the properties did not reduce in the non‐grafted blends upon UV exposure. The results highlighted that the new blend design based on graftization maximized the impact of lignin depolymerization on blend structure and recyclability. Based on the results, we developed a process integrating UV and alkaline treatments to recycle PMMA for plastics and fractionated lignin for bioconversion or other applications in the new phototunable plastics.
Constant DC‐bus critical conduction mode Zeta converter fed primary‐side regulated LLC resonant converter in LED lighting applications
Authors: Pal Somnath , Singh Bhim , Shrivastava Ashish
Published: July 2021

This paper deals with a two‐stage high‐power light‐emitting diode (LED) driving solution for an isolated LED load. The first‐stage DC–DC power conversion is using a nonisolated Zeta converter operating in critical conduction mode to reduce component stress and switching power loss. This power stage is accountable for the power factor correction (PFC) under the universal AC voltage operation and developed a constant DC‐bus voltage for the second stage. In the second stage, half‐bridge LLC resonant converter is dedicated to deliver ripple‐free DC voltage to an isolated LED load. A new primary‐side regulation (PSR) technique is implemented in series with the resonant tank to reduce the component counts in the feedback loop. The stability of the DC‐bus voltage is verified by the state‐space analysis for the critical conduction mode (CrCM) Zeta converter. A 150 W load is driven by a prototype with a nearly unity power factor (PF) and low harmonics distortion in the input current.
Careful matching with a mentor benefits students
Authors: Enos Gary A.
Published: July 2021

For nearly 15 years, students with learning disabilities at West Virginia Wesleyan College have had access to comprehensive mentoring services to assist them with both general organizational skills and specific coursework. Anita Dib, M.A., Director of the Learning Center, Tutoring System at the college, described the components of the school's Mentor Advantage Program.
Manage mental health issues involving faculty, staff members
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: July 2021

Amid the ongoing changes and stressors related to COVID‐19, the mental health of faculty and staff members has become one of the top personnel concerns at colleges and universities throughout the country. To help you address these issues from both a legal and practical standpoint, a panel of experts shared strategies during a webinar hosted by the Employment Law Alliance, moderated by José A. Olivieri, Esq., Co‐Managing Partner at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Wisconsin.
Prepare for post‐COVID service challenges and population increases in Disability Services Offices
Authors: Bedrossian Louise
Published: July 2021

It is likely that colleges and universities will see an increase in the number of students who continue to experience the effects of COVID‐19 infection. Recognizing the myriad impacts of COVID will best prepare disability services providers to serve and support students.
Admissions
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: July 2021

An overview of the key topics faced by disability services providers with citations to noteworthy cases, statutes, regulations, and additional sources.
An assessment of terminology for intraspecific diversity in fishes, with a focus on “ecotypes” and “life histories”
Authors: Clemens Benjamin J. , Schreck Carl B.
Published: July 2021

Understanding and preserving intraspecific diversity (ISD) is important for species conservation. However, ISD units do not have taxonomic standards and are not universally recognized. The terminology used to describe ISD is varied and often used ambiguously. We compared definitions of terms used to describe ISD with use in recent studies of three fish taxa: sticklebacks (Gasterosteidae), Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchusspp., “PST”), and lampreys (Petromyzontiformes). Life history describes thephenotypicresponses of organisms to environments and includes biological parameters that affect population growth or decline. Life‐history pathway(s) are the result of different organismal routes of development that can result in different life histories. These terms can be used to describe recognizable life‐history traits. Life history is generally used in organismal‐ and ecology‐based journals. The terms paired species/species pairs have been used to describe two different phenotypes, whereas in some species and situations a continuum of phenotypes may be expressed. Our review revealed overlapping definitions for race and subspecies, and subspecies and ecotypes. Ecotypes aregenotypicadaptations to particular environments, and this term is often used in genetic‐ and evolution‐based journals. “Satellite species” is used for situations in which a parasitic lamprey yields two or more derived, nonparasitic lamprey species. Designatable Units, Evolutionary Significant Units (ESUs), and Distinct Population Segments (DPS) are used by some governments to classify ISD of vertebrate species within distinct and evolutionary significant criteria. In situations where the genetic or life‐history components of ISD are not well understood, a conservative approach would be to call them phenotypes.
Predatory cues drive colony size reduction in marine diatoms
Authors: Rigby Kristie , Selander Erik
Published: July 2021

Colony formation is a common feature among nonmotile marine phytoplankton. Several theories exist around the potential benefits of larger colonies.

Here, we test the hypothesis that predation is one of the drivers behind colony formation and chain length plasticity. We exposed cultures of Thalassiosira rotula, Chaetoceros curvisetus, and Chaetoceros affinis to copepodamides, a chemical alarm cue released by copepods and perceived as an indicator of predation threat by their prey. This was coupled with a grazing experiment, which compared copepod grazing rates on different chain lengths.

Our results show that T. rotula and C. curvisetus decreased their chain lengths by 79% and 49%, respectively, in response to copepodamides. Single cells and short chains were grazed at lower rates compared with long chains, and the copepodamide‐driven size shift led to 30% and 12% lower grazing in T. rotula and C. curvisetus, respectively. In contrast, C. affinis showed a slight increased chain length in response to copepodamides although nonsignificant.

We found that 2 of 3 studied species reduce their chain length in response to the presence of copepod grazers. Altered size structure has implications for the route of carbon in the marine food webs and carbon export to deeper strata.
Commensal small mammal trapping data in Southern Senegal, 2012–2015: where invasive species meet native ones
Authors: Granjon Laurent , Fossati‐Gaschignard Odile , Artige Emmanuelle , Bâ Khalilou , Brouat Carine , Dalecky Ambroise , Diagne Christophe , Diallo Mamoudou , Gauthier Philippe , Handschumacher Pascal , Kane Mamadou , Husse Lætitia , Niang Youssoupha , Piry Sylvain , Sarr Nathalie , Sow Aliou , Duplantier Jean‐Marc
Published: July 2021

Describing patterns and testing hypotheses on processes driving biological invasions represent major issues in ecology. Addressing these questions requires building adequate data sets, i.e., covering areas and spanning periods adapted to the invasion processes studied. Rodents include major invasive species, among which the black rat Rattus rattus and the domestic mouse Mus musculus have nearly colonized the entire world, from their native Asian range. To do so, they have benefitted from their ability to cope with human‐modified environments and to live in the immediate vicinity of Man, who served as a vector of their dispersal between regions and continents. In Senegal, both R. rattus and M. musculus, initially introduced by early West European colonizers some centuries ago, are currently expanding thanks to road traffic and infrastructure development and rampant urbanization that concerns even remote regions of the country. As part of projects aimed at studying (1) the role of invasive black rat populations in the emergence of zoonotic diseases in southeastern Senegal, and (2) the evolutionary consequences of parasites in R. rattus and M. musculus invasions in Senegal, we conducted a series of field campaigns throughout the southern half of the country, between May 2012 and September 2015. The objectives were to catch commensal small mammals using standard trapping procedures, identify them using morphological or molecular tools, and take samples from them upon autopsy, to look for zoonotic parasites and pathogens. Along with data on individual specimens, information on microhabitats was gathered at each trap position. This resulted in the constitution of a data set of more than 13,000 trapnights, which allowed the capture of more than 3,100 small mammals, all characterized by a series of associated biological, geographical, and environmental data. The small mammals concerned are mainly rodents (10 species), shrews, and hedgehogs. The two invasive rodent species were the most numerous, exceeding in numbers all the other species pooled. This data set makes it possible to study coarse to fine‐scaled distribution of species of this commensal community in southern Senegal, as well as the possible determinants of this distribution in terms of habitat preferences and/or interspecific interactions. This data set can be freely used for non‐commercial purposes and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The perception of Naturology students from inhaling the pink pepper essential oil (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi)
Authors: Huei Zago Wang Juliana , Kozuchovski Daré Patricia , Armiliato Emer Aline
Published: July 2021

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Brazilian pepper tree or ‘aroeira’) is a native Brazilian tree, which its different parts are used medicinally for several applications, and its fruits are known as pink pepper. Composed mainly by monoterpenes, pink pepper's essential oil (EOpp) presents cytotoxic, antioxidant, insecticidal, cicatrizant, fungicidal, bactericidal and antimicrobial activity. It is known that there exists some literature, which describes psycho‐emotional effects, as well as symbolic aspects related to the use of essential oils (EOs) in clinical practice. However, there is a lack of current scientific studies that address these effects described in the literature, resulting from the stimulus via inhalation, as well as if it can interfere in the effectiveness of treatments with EOs. This research aimed to describe the perceptions and psychological associations of UNISUL's students of Naturology, when inhaling EOpp. This is a qualitative, descriptive, exploratory and field research. This research was conducted with 30 participants in individual in‐depth interviews. The inhalation of EOpp was related to the perception of physical sensations such as relaxation, sedation and improvement of breathing, as well as discomfort in the respiratory system, such as nose stinging; childhood memories and other past recollections, feelings of comfort, welcome, warmth, tranquility, calm, well‐being and peace; and improvement of self‐perception, sense of presence and decreased thoughts. It was possible to conclude that most of the feelings and emotions expressed by the interviewed participants were more directly related to the physical sensations and memories that emerged with the inhalation of EOpp, than with EOpp itself.
Regional premiums in nonferrous metals markets
Authors: Gilbert Christopher L.
Published: July 2021

Peculiarities of the LME contract structure give the impression that exchange spot prices measure transaction prices paid by consumers and received by producers. This impression can be misleading. Transaction prices also include a regional premium that can account for a substantial component of the full price. In well‐supplied markets, premiums measure the cost of intermediating exchange warehouses and consumers. In periods of tight demand they reflect the urgency of consumer requirements. I use a Markov‐switching model to analyze the regional and temporal variation in aluminum and zinc premiums.
Knowledge extraction for automatic driving control by using local correlation features
Authors: Lv Jia
Published: July 2021

In recent years, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, more and more companies have shifted their attention to the field of automatic driving. The target detection is one of the core technologies in the field of automatic driving, which can perceive the environment by using distributed sensors and affect the vehicle driving control. How to describe vehicle image is particularly important in target detection for automatic driving. In this paper, we combine edge information, HOG features and local association features to describe the targets in image for automatic driving. Then, the extracted features are used to learn a classifier for further vehicle detection. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve better prevision, recall, and F1‐measure than merely using edge features or HOG features. The proposed method can extract more comprehensive features for vehicle detection.
Did Protestantism promote prosperity via higher human capital? Replicating the Becker–Woessmann (2009) results
Authors: Edwards Jeremy
Published: July 2021

This paper shows that the Becker–Woessmann reformulation of the Weber thesis—Protestants were more prosperous in 19th‐century Prussia because they had higher human capital—is untenable. Regional variations in the Prussian institutional framework influenced economic outcomes, but Becker and Woessmann's econometric analysis takes no account of these variables, which suggests that their instrumental variable—distance to Wittenberg, a spatial variable—is invalid. When these regional effects are taken into account, 19th‐century Prussia provides no evidence that Protestantism increased prosperity by increasing human capital.
Tracking and specialization of high schools: Heterogeneous effects of school choice
Authors: De Groote Olivier , Declercq Koen
Published: July 2021

We analyze the impact of choosing an elite school on high school graduation in an early tracking system in Flanders (Belgium). Whereas elite schools offer only an academic track, most other schools offer multiple tracks. On average, students experience a 3.3 percentage point increase in the likelihood of obtaining a degree. We find that the effects are heterogeneous. On average, students who self‐select into elite schools do not experience an effect. However, students who do not choose an elite school would experience positive effects. Our results can be explained by different tracking decisions in both types of schools.
Molecular analysis and systematic profiling of allosteric inhibitor response to clinically significant epidermal growth factor receptor missense mutations in non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Zhao Yan , Zhu Dan , Gao Junzhen
Published: July 2021

Human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an attractive anti‐non‐small cell lung cancer (anti‐NSCLC) druggable target, but many traditional adenosine triphosphate (ATP)‐competitive EGFR inhibitors have been clinically observed to eventually establish acquired resistance due to kinase mutations. Allosteric inhibitors represent a new direction of EGFR‐targeted therapy, which have been successfully developed since 2016 to overcome the widely occurring kinase drug‐resistant mutations T790M/C797S [Jia Y, et al. Nature 2016; 534: 129–132]. In this study, a systematic inhibitor response‐to‐mutation profile of 11 reported EGFR allosteric inhibitors against 17 clinically significant EGFR missense mutations in NSCLC was created by integrating computational analyses and kinase assays, from which we were able to identify a number of representative mutation/inhibitor pairs with sensitization and deactivation. It is unraveled that most mutations have only a moderate or modest effect on inhibitor binding, while few mutations located within or nearby the kinase's allosteric site can cause strong sensitization or deactivation to allosteric inhibitors; thus they can influence the inhibitor binding substantially by forming or breaking noncovalent interactions between them. In particular, the gatekeeper mutation T790M and constitutively activated mutation L858R were observed to effectively improve the inhibitory potency of allosteric inhibitors, whereas the gain‐of‐function mutation T854A was revealed to considerably reduce inhibitory activity by breaking a geometrically perfect hydrogen bond. In addition, we also found that the allosteric inhibitor‐addressed conformational change in EGFR kinase domain has only a marginal effect on ATP binding, suggesting that allosteric inhibitors do not use the substrate‐regulatory strategy to suppress kinase activity; instead, they just shift the EGFR conformational equilibrium from active to inactive states by inducing a displacement in kinase's αC‐helix.