bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First-time mothers’ experiences of foetal reduction in pregnancy following assisted reproductive technology treatment in Taiwan: a qualitative study
Authors: Huang Mei-Zen , Sun Yi-Chin , Gau Meei-Ling , Puthussery Shuby , Kao Chien-Huei
Published: November 2021

Background

Foetal reduction—removal of one or more foetuses to reduce the number of foetuses in multiple conceptions—is a procedure used for improving pregnancy outcomes following assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. While there is a recognition of the importance of understanding the experiences of women who undergo foetal reduction to offer appropriate help and support, studies that provide relevant insights are sparse. Our aim was to gain an in-depth understanding about first-time mothers’ experiences of foetal reduction following ART treatment in Taiwan.

Methods

We adopted a qualitative design based on a phenomenological approach for this study. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven first-time mothers who underwent foetal reduction following ART treatment at a fertility centre in Taipei, Taiwan. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using the Colaizzi strategy.

Results

The views and experiences relating to foetal reduction reflected five key themes: hesitation, ambivalence and distress; the guilt of knowingly terminating a life; rituals and ceremonies to ease the sense of guilt; persuading oneself to consider the ‘big picture’; and wishing for a reunion in next pregnancy. Mothers often regretted that they took clinical advice to implant multiple embryos and then having had to resort to foetal reduction. There was a sense of hesitation, ambivalence and distress reflected in the views from all participants. They believed that they ended the fetuses’ lives knowingly and expressed strong feelings of guilt. Mothers often tried to persuade themselves to look at foetal reduction within the ‘big picture’ of the overall pregnancy outcome. Losing their unborn babies was as an unforgettable incident for most mothers, and they wished for a reunion with the lost baby in the next pregnancy.

Conclusion

Findings indicate the need for ART providers to undertake a more sensitive approach that involves detailed discussions with women and their families to tailor the embryo transfer processes to suit individual needs. Women who undergo foetal reduction should be provided with tailored interventions towards enhancing their coping strategies before and after foetal reduction taking into account the cultural and religious context.
Plant community response to fuel break construction and goat grazing in a southern California shrubland
Authors: Grupenhoff Ashley , Molinari Nicole
Published: November 2021

Background

Shrub-dominated ecosystems in California are widespread and provide invaluable ecosystem services to surrounding human-dominated communities. Yet shrublands, especially those at the wildland-urban interface, are at risk of degradation due to increasing wildfire frequency. Strategically placed fuel breaks are an important fuel management technique for reducing fire risk to neighboring communities and natural landscapes. Fuel breaks in shrub-dominated ecosystems are typically linear features where woody biomass is reduced, thereby providing fire suppression opportunities that limit fire spread. While fuel breaks are important for tactical response to fire, they can also affect the composition and structure of shrubland habitats. To understand the ecological changes resulting from fuel treatments in southern California chaparral, we measured vegetation change associated with fuel management techniques on a recently created fuel break established around the Lake Morena community on the Cleveland National Forest. The area was initially treated with cut and pile burning, then treated with herbicide, and 2 years later was subjected to short-term grazing by 1200 goats. The purpose of this study is to (1) evaluate the compositional and structural differences associated with fuel break creation and (2) quantify compositional shifts in herbaceous and woody vegetation caused by short-duration goat grazing as a method of fuel break maintenance.

Results

Plots on the fuel break and in untreated adjacent chaparral exhibited significantly different species assemblages. Total herbaceous cover (both native and non-native) was 92 times greater on the fuel break than in adjacent chaparral-dominated wildlands, and native shrub cover was 55.3 times greater in untreated adjacent chaparral than on the fuel break. Goats had a significant impact on reducing native and non-native herbaceous cover (87% reduction in cover, 92% reduction in height), but were ineffective at reducing the cover and height of most woody species such as Adenostoma fasciculatum, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Quercus berberidifolia, and Artemisia tridentata.

Conclusion

Initial fuel break creation was effective at reducing native woody cover and height, simultaneously giving rise to an abundance and diversity of native and non-native herbaceous species. Targeted goat grazing was successful at reducing herbaceous biomass but was ineffective at reducing woody biomass which is often one of the most important goals for fuel management in chaparral ecosystems. In areas where control of woody biomass is the primary objective, land managers should consider grazing duration and plant species composition when contemplating goats as a tool for fuel break maintenance.
Application of the Athlete Biological Passport Approach to the Detection of Growth Hormone Doping
Authors: Equey Tristan , Pastor Antoni , de la Torre Fornell Rafael , Thomas Andreas , Giraud Sylvain , Thevis Mario , Kuuranne Tiia , Baume Norbert , Barroso Osquel , Aikin Reid
Published: November 2021

Context

Because of its anabolic and lipolytic properties, growth hormone (GH) use is prohibited in sport. Two methods based on population-derived decision limits are currently used to detect human GH (hGH) abuse: the hGH Biomarkers Test and the Isoforms Differential Immunoassay.

Objective

We tested the hypothesis that longitudinal profiling of hGH biomarkers through application of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) has the potential to flag hGH abuse.

Methods

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and procollagen III peptide (P-III-NP) distributions were obtained from 7 years of anti-doping data in elite athletes (n = 11 455) and applied as priors to analyze individual profiles from an hGH administration study in recreational athletes (n = 35). An open-label, randomized, single-site, placebo-controlled administration study was carried out with individuals randomly assigned to 4 arms: placebo, or 3 different doses of recombinant hGH. Serum samples were analyzed for IGF-1, P-III-NP, and hGH isoforms and the performance of a longitudinal, ABP-based approach was evaluated.

Results

An ABP-based approach set at a 99% specificity level flagged 20/27 individuals receiving hGH treatment, including 17/27 individuals after cessation of the treatment. ABP sensitivity ranged from 12.5% to 71.4% across the hGH concentrations tested following 7 days of treatment, peaking at 57.1% to 100% after 21 days of treatment, and was maintained between 37.5% and 71.4% for the low and high dose groups 1 week after cessation of treatment.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that longitudinal profiling of hGH biomarkers can provide suitable performance characteristics for use in anti-doping programs.
Serological and immuno-histopathological detection of Paramphistomum epiclitum infection in large ruminant population in Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: KHAN I , AFSHAN K , ULLAH R , KOMAL M , KHAN MA , FIRASAT S
Published: November 2021

Recent molecular identification of Paramphistomum epiclitum in Pakistan raises concerns about its epidemiology and pathologies in infected tissues of ruminants. The present study aimed to find the seroepidemiological and histopathological record of Paramphistomum epiclitum from cattle and buffaloes. Indirect ELISA on animal sera and histology of infected rumen with hematological and biochemical analyses were performed. The overall prevalence of P. epiclitum was noted as 15.3% in the abattoir survey and 37.6% in the serological examination. The sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic test were 100% and 83.3% respectively. The paramphistomosis was significantly (p= 0.001) higher during August (6.4%) followed by September (5.4%), whereas the lowest prevalence was recorded during April (0.4%). The hematological and biochemical variations showed significant increase in total leukocyte count (p= 0.002), alanine aminotransferase (p= 0.05), glucose (p= 0.01) and cholesterol (p = 0.024) levels. However, significant decrease in the level of erythrocyte (p= 0.019), hemoglobin (p= 0.001), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (p= 0.05), mean corpuscular volume (p= 0.038) and platelets count (p= 0.048) was observed. The histopathology of rumen tissue showed haemorrhages, atrophy of ruminal papillae, sloughed mucosa, cellular vacuolation, and infiltration of lymphocytes inflammatory cells. The present study provides the prevalence and histopathological record of P. epiclitum in Pakistan for the first time in order to take control measures in the country.
New incidence or recurrence hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in genotype 4 hepatitis C virus treated with sofosbuvir/daclatasvir with or without ribavirin
Authors: Essawy Aya , Mehrez Mai , Shaheen Sara M. , El Garem Hassan , Sabri Nagwa
Published: November 2021

Background: Several studies have resulted in controversial data about the recurrence or new incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis C who were treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).  

Aim: This observational study aimed to assess the occurrence rate of HCC in patients who developed a sustained virological response (SVR)..

METHOD:  A six-month prospective study was done at the National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute [NHTMRI] in Cairo, Egypt on 150 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients treated with sofosbuvir and daclatasvir with or without ribavirin. Patients were assigned into two groups according to their laboratory values to either receive sofosbuvir/daclatasvir and ribavirin (S/D/R) or receive only sofosbuvir/daclatasvir (S/D). The main outcome measure was the occurrence of HCC.

Results: SVR-12 was 100%. 8.5% of patients developed HCC in the S/D/R group, while 0% in the S/D group.

Conclusion:  New incidence or recurrence of HCC may occur in CHC genotype 4 cirrhotic patients receiving sofosbuvir/daclatasvir and ribavirin (difficult to treat) although achieving SVR. The cause of HCC development in this study is cirrhosis, not the administered DAAs.
Post-pandemic e-learning: a pre-protocol to assess the integration of mobile VR and its effect on VARK learning styles
Authors: Manzoor Shahida Raihan , Mohd-Isa Wan-Noorshahida , Dollmat Khairi Shazwan
Published: November 2021

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in an abrupt but accelerated shift to e-learning worldwide. Education in a post-pandemic world has to amalgamate the advantages of e-learning with important pedagogical goals associated with in-person teaching. Although various advanced technologies are present at our fingertips today, we are still unable to use their full potential in teaching and learning. In this regard, mobile VR technology is both cost-efficient, versatile and engaging for students. Developing countries have more smartphone users than developed countries, implying that developing countries, like Malaysia, should utilize mobile or cellphones more significantly. With that in mind, we propose here a pre-protocol to investigate learner motivation and levels of engagement for e-learning with smartphone-integrated VR, based on their VARK (Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, Kinesthetic) learning styles.

Proposed methodology: This study intends to use a minimum sample of 30 students from the same age group under the K-12 (particularly grade 9-12) belonging to STEM curriculum. The Google Cardboard VR set will be used as the prime technology for its affordability, easy build feature and variety of available vendors. A mixed-method (survey and activity log/tracking) for data collection is suggested to find the degree of engagement and motivation of the learners’ learning in the mobile VR-assisted e-learning context. The students will be taught a topic using the mobile VR and then be assessed through simple classroom quizzes to assess how well they grasped the concept. The data collected through activity logs (while teaching the topic in mobile VR) and questionnaires will be mapped to each individual learner and organized in a data repository. Further visualization, analysis and investigation will be performed using Smart PLS, Python or R language.

Conclusions: The study aims to provide context for smartphone and software companies to develop technologies that could facilitate learner engagement during the post-pandemic state.
Morbidity of Children's Population of Lermontov City, Located in the Uranium Legacy Area
Authors: Lyaginskaya A. , Shandala N. , Titov A. , Metlyaev E. , Kuptsov V. , Karelina N.
Published: November 2021

Purpose: To carry out assessment the health status of the child population of the Lermontov city. This child population living in the area, of uranium legacy, and they are critical group of the population in terms of sensitivity to adverse environmental factors.

Materials and methods: The object of the study was the morbidity of children 0–14 years old (primary, chronic, oncological). The research material was the data of reporting forms of medical statistics, presented in the following forms: 7 – information on malignant neoplasms and 12 - information on the number of diseases in children. The development included data from Clinical hospital # 101 of the FMBA of Russia for 2014–2018. Statistical data processing was carried out using standard methods used for the analysis of biomedical data.

Results: The morbidity of children 0–14 years old in Lermontov in 2014–2018 averaged 2310.9 ± 115.7 per 1000. In the structure of morbidity, the leading places were occupied by diseases of the respiratory system – 59.2 %, the digestive system – 8.8 %, skin and subcutaneous tissue 5.5 %, trauma and poisoning – 4, 8 % and infectious and parasitic diseases. The frequency of chronic morbidity does not exceed the population estimates – 73.0 ± 4.1 per 1000. The peculiarity of chronic morbidity is the relatively high incidence of skin diseases – 25.3 % and the musculoskeletal system – 20.4 %. The morbidity of children in the first year of life is 2348.0 ± 135.1 per 1000. A feature of the morbidity structure is the high incidence of respiratory diseases, which makes up 66.3 % of the total morbidity, with population estimates – 20–30 %.

Conclusion: The increased radiation background can be considered as one of the possible negative environmental factors affecting the health of the population.
Ingarden’s Legacy: Responsibility as Legal and Beyond
Authors: Janik Piotr
Published: November 2021

Following Ingarden’s thoughts on the meaning of responsibility, this paper presents an analysis in the domain of values, without limiting it to ethics. Ingarden’s concept of responsibility is deeply rooted in the legal tradition and therefore establishes a mostly juridical and penal understanding of responsibility. I also refer to Stein’s research, which coincides with Ingarden’s thought and eventually provides a basis for responsibility. In her polemics with Scheler, Stein postulated accessing values through feeling in terms of a “living body.” In other words, Stein agrees with Scheler about the correlate of feeling, however, she opposes the personality account in Scheler and underlines the key role of the disposition of the living body and even the “personal touch,” one which enriches the concept of intentionality. Responsibility is crucial for the individual, for his or her development and life, as I will try to outline in this paper.
Assessment of Water Quality Using Modified Water Quality Index and Geographical Information System in Madathukulam Taluk, Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Chitradevi R. , Jeyaraj M. , Ghadamode Vikas D. , Poonkodi K. , Venkadasamy Rani , Magudeswaran P.N.
Published: November 2021

The present investigation is an extensive study of surface and ground water quality of Madathukulam taluk, Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu, India, to estimate the quality of water using Modified Water Quality Index (MWQI) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technique. In this study 35 water samples from Open well, Bore well, River, Lake and Pond were analysed for the physicochemical parameters like pH, temperature, total phosphate, total nitrate, turbidity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, faecal coliform, electrical conductivity, total hardness, chloride, fluoride, sodium and potassium. The resulting values were computed to investigate the quality of water using geographic information system and water quality index and compared with the standard drinking water guidelines proposed by the WHO (2017) and BIS (2012) for drinking and agricultural purpose. Inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation technique was used for preparing the spatial distribution maps for each physiochemical parameter. The analytical result signifies that 40% of the study areas are slightly acidic. GIS based water quality index shows that 63% of the area has recorded with good quality water, while the remaining 37% are of medium quality of water. The MWQI proved to be a useful method to classify the water similar to NSF-WQI in Madathukulam Taluk.
Stent detection with very thick tissue coverage in intravascular OCT
Authors: Yang Guangqian , Mehanna Emile , Li Chao , Zhu Hongyi , He Chong , Lu Fang , Zhao Ke , Gong Yubin , Wang Zhao
Published: November 2021

Coronary stenting or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is widely used to treat coronary artery disease. Improper deployment of stents may lead to post-PCI complication, in-stent restenosis, stent fracture and stent thrombosis. Intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) with micron-scale resolution provides accurate in vivo assessment of stent apposition/malapposition and neointima coverage. However, manual stent analysis is labor intensive and time consuming. Existing automated methods with intravascular OCT mainly focused on stent struts with thin tissue coverage. We developed a deep learning method to automatically analyze stents with both thin (≤0.3mm) and very thick tissue coverage (>0.3mm), and an algorithm to accurately analyze stent area for vessels with multiple stents. 25203 images from 56 OCT pullbacks and 41 patients were analyzed. Three-fold cross-validation demonstrated that the algorithm achieved a precision of 0.932±0.009 and a sensitivity of 0.939±0.007 for stents with ≤0.3mm tissue coverage, and a precision of 0.856±0.019 and a sensitivity of 0.874±0.011 for stents with >0.3mm tissue coverage. The correlation between the automatically computed and manually measured stent area is 0.954 (p<0.0001) for vessels with a single stent, and is 0.918 (p<0.0001) for vessels implanted with multiple stents. The proposed method can accurately detect stent struts with very thick tissue coverage and analyze stent area in vessels implanted with multiple stents, and can effectively facilitate the evaluation of stent implantation and post-stent tissue coverage.
DACON: a reconfigurable application-centric optical network for disaggregated data center infrastructures [Invited]
Authors: Guo Xiaotao , Xue Xuwei , Yan Fulong , Pan Bitao , Exarchakos Georgios , Calabretta Nicola
Published: November 2021

To solve the issues of low resource utilization and performance bottleneck in current server-centric data center networks (DCNs), we propose and experimentally demonstrate a disaggregated application-centric optical network (DACON) for data center infrastructures based on hybrid optical switches. DACON achieves flexible provision and dynamic reconfiguration of hardware nodes exploiting the softwared-define networking (SDN) orchestration plane. A four-node SDN-enabled disaggregated prototype is implemented with a field-programmable-gate-array-based controller of hardware nodes and nanosecond optical switches, performing a minimal node-to-node network latency of 378.6 ns and zero packet loss. Based on the unmodified Linux kernel and two different applications (distributed computing and a Memcached database), the application runtime of the disaggregated prototype is investigated and compared with the server-centric architecture. Experimental results show that the disaggregated prototype performs better with Memcached database applications, achieving a1.46×faster runtime than the server-centric network at a memory node access ratio of 0.9. Based on the customized control plane orchestrator and dynamic resource reallocation, the node-to-node latency is reduced by 21% when CPU nodes access memory nodes. The scalability of DACON is then numerically assessed based on experimentally measured parameters. Results show that the intra-rack node-to-node latency is less than 404.8 ns with a 6144-node network and memory node access ratio of 0.9. Finally, the cost and power consumption are also studied and compared with current DCN architectures. Results indicate DACON saves 13.4% of the cost of an interconnect network compared with current disaggregated architecture and consumes up to 31.1% less power with respect to server-centric DCN architectures.
Demonstration of latency-aware 5G network slicing on optical metro networks
Authors: Shariati B. , Velasco L. , Pedreno-Manresa J.-J. , Dochhan A. , Casellas R. , Muqaddas A. , González de Dios O. , Luque Canto L. , Lent B. , López de Vergara J. E. , López-Buedo S. , Moreno F. , Pavón P. , Ruiz M. , Patri S. K. , Giorgetti A. , Cugini F. , Sgambelluri A. , Nejabati R. , Simeonidou D. , Braun R.-P. , Autenrieth A. , Elbers J.-P. , Fischer J. K. , Freund R.
Published: November 2021

The H2020 METRO-HAUL European project has architected a latency-aware, cost-effective, agile, and programmable optical metro network. This includes the design of semidisaggregated metro nodes with compute and storage capabilities, which interface effectively with both 5G access and multi-Tbit/s elastic optical networks in the core. In this paper, we report the automated deployment of 5G services, in particular, a public safety video surveillance use case employing low-latency object detection and tracking using on-camera and on-the-edge analytics. The demonstration features flexible deployment of network slice instances, implemented in terms of European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) network function virtualization network services. We summarize the key findings in a detailed analysis of end-to-end quality of service, service setup time, and soft-failure detection time. The results show that the round-trip time over an 80 km link is under 800 µs and the service deployment time is under 180 s.
Adaptive correction of phase estimation with time based on weak measurement
Authors: Wang Gongling , Li Hongjing , Xiao Tailong , Huang Jingzheng , Zeng Guihua
Published: November 2021

An adaptive correction algorithm is demonstrated based on weak measurement, which introduces a feedback and an additional interaction to the system and can dynamically adjust the operating point in accordance with the condition of the estimated phase change. Two schemes, fast adaptive correction and slow adaptive correction, are proposed for different conditions of the modulation device. Fast adaptive correction scheme can realize a real-time correction and maintain the high sensitivity. Slow adaptive correction scheme, as a supplement, can correct the distortion of the measured parameter by changing the measuring period. These two schemes are useful for high precision phase estimation with time in modern physics and practical applications, including, but not limited to, timing synchronization, accurate distance measurement, and gravity wave detection. Moreover, we discuss the deviation of the adaptive correction for considering system noise in practical measurement.
Sensitivity-improved fiber optic current sensor based on an optoelectronic oscillator utilizing a dispersion induced microwave photonic filter
Authors: Zhang Naihan , Wang Muguang , Wu Beilei , Han Mengyao , Zhang Jing , Liu Yan , Fan Guofang
Published: November 2021

An optoelectronic oscillator (OEO)-based fiber optic current sensor (FOCS) with greatly improved sensitivity is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A microwave photonic filter (MPF) induced by the dispersion effect of a linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating (LCFBG) is used to select the frequency of the OEO oscillating signal. A two-tap MPF formed by a polarization multiplexed composite cavity is cascaded to achieve a stable single mode oscillation. When the current changes, the magneto-optic phase shift induced by Faraday effect will be introduced between the left and right circularly polarized lights transmitted in the reflective sensing unit. The magneto-optic phase shift is converted to the phase difference between the optical carrier and sidebands through a LiNbO3 Mach–Zehnder modulator. This phase difference is the decisive factor for the center frequency of the cascaded MPF as well as the oscillating frequency. Therefore, the current can be measured in the microwave frequency domain, which can improve the interrogation speed and accuracy to a large extent. The experimental results show that the oscillating frequency shifts up to 407.9 MHz as the current increases by 1 A.
Feasibility of continuous-variable quantum key distribution through fog
Authors: Wang Shiyu , Huang Peng , Wang Tao , Zeng Guihua
Published: November 2021

Free-space quantum key distribution (QKD) can be very attractive due to the possibility of its flexible and rapid deployment. In spite of the advantages of free-space transmission, there is still a risk of encountering bad weather such as fog. Here we experimentally demonstrate free-space QKD using continuous variables under foggy conditions and estimate achievable transmission distances based on the experimental results. Pessimistically, a weather condition that has visibility of 1 km allows about 0.6-km transmission. An optimistic result, on the other hand, shows that a transmission distance of 1.8 km at visibility of 1.5 km can be achieved. The results suggest that free-space continuous-variable quantum communication systems are potentially applicable in the presence of fog.
Precision determination of the ground-state hyperfine splitting of trapped 113Cd+ ions
Authors: Miao S. N. , Zhang J. W. , Qin H. R. , Xin N. C. , Han J. Z. , Wang L. J.
Published: November 2021

We measured the ground-state hyperfine splitting of trapped

113

C

d

+

ions to be 15199862855.02799(27) Hz with a fractional uncertainty of

1.8
×

10

−
14

. The ions were trapped and laser-cooled in a linear quadrupole Paul trap. The fractional frequency stability was measured to be

4.2
×

10

−
13

/

τ

, obtained from Ramsey fringes of high signal-to-noise ratios and taken over a measurement time of nearly 5 h, which is close to the short-term stability limit estimated from the Dick effect. Our result is consistent with previously reported values, but the measurement precision is four times better than the best result obtained to date.
Deep-learning-based fringe-pattern analysis with uncertainty estimation
Authors: Feng Shijie , Zuo Chao , Hu Yan , Li Yixuan , Chen Qian
Published: November 2021

Deep learning has gained increasing attention in the field of optical metrology and demonstrated great potential in solving a variety of optical metrology tasks, such as fringe analysis and phase unwrapping. However, deep neural networks cannot always produce a provably correct solution, and the prediction error cannot be easily detected and evaluated unless the ground-truth is available. This issue is critical for optical metrology, as the reliability and repeatability of the measurement are of major importance for high-stakes scenarios. In this paper, for the first time to our knowledge, we demonstrate that a Bayesian convolutional neural network (BNN) can be trained to not only retrieve the phase from a single fringe pattern but also produce uncertainty maps depicting the pixel-wise confidence measure of the estimated phase. Experimental results show that the proposed BNN can quantify the reliability of phase predictions under conditions of various training dataset sizes and never-before-experienced inputs. Our work allows for making better decisions in deep learning solutions, paving a new way to reliable and practical learning-based optical metrology.
High-resolution and sensitivity bi-directional x-ray phase contrast imaging using 2D Talbot array illuminators
Authors: Gustschin Alex , Riedel Mirko , Taphorn Kirsten , Petrich Christian , Gottwald Wolfgang , Noichl Wolfgang , Busse Madleen , Francis Sheila E. , Beckmann Felix , Hammel Jörg U. , Moosmann Julian , Thibault Pierre , Herzen Julia
Published: November 2021

Two-dimensional (2D) Talbot array illuminators (TAIs) were designed, fabricated, and evaluated for high-resolution high-contrast x-ray phase imaging of soft tissue at 10–20 keV. The TAIs create intensity modulations with a high compression ratio on the micrometer scale at short propagation distances. Their performance was compared with various other wavefront markers in terms of period, visibility, flux efficiency, and flexibility to be adapted for limited beam coherence and detector resolution. Differential x-ray phase contrast and dark-field imaging were demonstrated with a one-dimensional, linear phase stepping approach yielding 2D phase sensitivity using unified modulated pattern analysis (UMPA) for phase retrieval. The method was employed for x-ray phase computed tomography reaching a resolution of 3 µm on an unstained murine artery. It opens new possibilities for three-dimensional, non-destructive, and quantitative imaging of soft matter such as virtual histology. The phase modulators can also be used for various other x-ray applications such as dynamic phase imaging, super-resolution structured illumination microscopy, or wavefront sensing.
Photonic topological transition in dimerized chains with the joint modulation of near-field and far-field couplings
Authors: Fan Caifu , Shi Xi , Wu Feng , Li Yunhui , Jiang Haitao , Sun Yong , Chen Hong
Published: November 2021

Topological systems containing near-field or far-field couplings between unit cells have been widely investigated in quantum and classic systems. Their band structures are well explained with theories based on tight-binding or multiple scattering formalism. However, characteristics of the topology of the bulk bands based on the joint modulation of near-field and far-field couplings are rarely studied. Such hybrid systems are hardly realized in real systems and cannot be described by neither tight-binding nor multiple scattering theories. Here, we propose a hybrid-coupling photonic topological insulator based on a quasi-1D dimerized chain with the coexistence of near-field coupling within the unit cell and far-field coupling among all sites. Both theoretical and experimental results show that topological transition is realized by introducing near-field coupling for given far-field coupling conditions. In addition to closing and reopening the bandgap, the change in near-field coupling modulates the effective mass of photonics in the upper band from positive to negative, leading to an indirect bandgap, which cannot be achieved in conventional dimerized chains with either far-field or near-field coupling only.
A marketingszemlélet és a HR találkozása - A munkáltatói márkaépítés értelmezése, irodalma és kutatási irányai
Authors: Kajos Attila , Bálint Brigitta
Published: November 2021

Jelen cikk célja egy, a menedzsment és marketing elmélete és gyakorlata terén viszonylag fiatal, az elméleti irodalomban Ambler és Barrow által az 1990-es években megalkotott, és először 1996-ban publikált employer brand, illetve employer branding témakörének bemutatása és feldolgozása, valamint lehetséges kutatási irányok meghatározása. A szerzők bemutatják azokat a társadalmi és gazdasági tényezőket, amelyek közvetve vagy közvetlenül hatottak a tradicionális marketing és HR-funkciók elkülönültségének megszűnésére, és szükségessé tették a marketingszemlélet begyűrűzését a HR területére is. Elemzik, hogy miként kapcsolható össze és válik elválaszthatatlanná a vállalat belső és külső környezete, valamint a cégről kialakult kép. Vizsgálódásuk középpontjába a munkáltatói márka jelenségének és a munkáltatói márkaépítés folyamatának, eszköztárának és kivitelezésének különböző megközelítéseit helyezik. Végül különböző nemzetközi és magyar kutatásokat mutatnak be és hasonlítanak össze, a kutatások alanyai, módszertana, valamint a vizsgálat elméleti megközelítése alapján.
Test Automation of Web Application Login Page by Using Selenium Ide in a Web Browser
Authors: Krishna V. Vamsi , Gopinath G.
Published: November 2021

Selenium stands as open-source program apparatus aimed at computerization testing. Here, selenium-IDE (Integrated Developments Environment) Testing is investigated, which could be a remarkably vital movement in Program Improvement Handle. It is to look at and alter source code. A high-quality computer program can well be achieved by producing Compelling Testing. This Paper handles a critical in addition to the crucial issue of Program Testing. Testing can well be executed both manually and automatically. This paper sets to do Mechanization Testing through "Selenium". Test cases (TC) are consequently recorded with this web testing tool whilst the analyzer is entering the information in a web application screen.
The Influence of Budget Process, Internal Control, Organizational Characteristics on the Performance of Church Organizations in Indonesia
Authors: Purba Sahala , Muda Iskandar , Lumbanraja Prihatin , Kholis Azizul , Bukit Rina
Published: November 2021

The budgeting process, Internal Control and organizational characteristics are important. The research findings are expected the budgeting process, the internal control and organizational characteristics. Purpose of research aim to know the effect a Budgeting Process, Internal Control, Organizational Characteristics on Church Organizational Performance. This research a survey explanatory research design were 236 respondents who were church operational in Medan, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. The data use is primary and analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling analysis test. This type of research is quantitative. The results show that there is no influence of budgeting process indicators and organizational characteristics on performance.
Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery for Big Data in Cloud Environment
Authors: Shekan Raid Abd Alreda , Abdulkadium Ahmed Mahdi , Jabir Hiba Ameer
Published: November 2021

In past few decades, big data has evolved as a modern framework that offers huge amount of data and possibilities for applying and/or promoting analysis and decision-making technologies with unparalleled importance for digital processes in organization, engineering and science. Because of the new methods in these domains, the paper discusses history of big data mining under the cloud computing environment. In addition to the pursuit of exploration of knowledge, Big Data revolution gives companies many exciting possibilities (in relation to new vision, decision making and business growths strategies). The prospect of developing large-data processing, data analytics, and evaluation through a cloud computing model has been explored. The key component of this paper is the technical description of how to use cloud computing and the uses of data mining techniques and analytics methods in predictive and decision support systems.
The Main Features of the Use of Digital Technologies in the Financial and Banking Sector
Authors: Kirillova Elena Anatolyevna , Bogdan Varvara Vladimirovna , Blinkova Elena Victorovna , Zulfugarzade Teymur , Yunusova Kseniya Vasilyevna
Published: November 2021

The relevance of the research is dictated by the introduction of innovations in banking operations. Classical financial and credit institutions are transformed into high-tech platforms that can create new profit algorithms, using artificial intelligence, Big Data technology, and a global information base. The purpose of this study is to analyze the demand for digital services in the banking sector by customers and to propose criteria for determining the degree of digitalization of banks. The statistical method and the method of evaluating the activities of organizations taking into account the fact of digitalization have been used. To obtain objective results, various tools have been used to analyze the information space of the Internet: tools for analyzing search queries "Google Trends" and "Yandex Wordstat" to determine the relevance of providing digital services to customers. The technical part of the study, which is directly related to obtaining information from the Internet using both software tools and "manually", was conducted in the period from 2016 to 2021. The results of the study show the connection between the introduction of innovations and the reform of the financial and banking sector. The data was collected from 150 respondents who are experts in the implementation of digital technologies – artificial intelligence, Big Data, blockchain in the field of financial activity. A confirmatory analysis has been conducted to assess the reliability and validity of the digital technologies used in the financial and banking sector. The study proposes a method for assessing the degree of digitalization of banks: by the level of automation of the main processes; by the number of services provided online; by the speed of operations; by the availability of online services around the clock; by the range of digital technologies used; by the volume of online sales and the volume of transactions conducted using digital technologies.
Dance Intervention Using the Feldenkrais Method Improves Motor, and Non-Motor Symptoms and Gait in Parkinson’s Disease: A 12-Month Study
Authors: Kang Sung Hoon , Kim Jinhee , Kim Ilsoo , Moon Young Ae , Park Sojung , Koh Seong-Beom
Published: November 2021

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the effects of dancing (using the Feldenkrais method) on motor and non-motor symptoms, quality of life (QoL), and objective parameters of gait at the time of intervention and at the end of the 1-year study period.Methods This was a single-arm study in which 12 subjects with Parkinson’s disease (PD) received dance intervention during a 6-month period. Objective motor scales, gait analysis, and questionnaires on non-motor symptoms were evaluated at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months.Results Dance intervention decreased motor scale (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale and Tinetti scale) scores and improved gait disturbance (gait velocity and step length) without increasing levodopa equivalent dose. Furthermore, dancing decreased non-motor scale (Non-Motor Symptoms Scale and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) scores and improved QoL.Conclusion Our findings suggest that dance intervention can be a complementary management method for PD patients.
Válságkezelés és szervezeti válaszok
Authors: Nyikes Csaba , Vámosi Tamás , Poszpischil László
Published: November 2021

A tanulmány áttekinti a pandémiás válságra adott főbb európai és magyar foglalkoztatáspolitikai és munkaerőpiaci válaszokat, az ide tartozó intézkedéseket és azok irányultságát. A válság alapjaiban változtatta meg a munka világában tapasztalható viszonyokat, a piaci kereslet csökkenése okozta zavar a munkafolyamatok újratervezését igényelte. Az intézkedések ott tudtak hatékonyak lenni, ahol a reagálás gyorsan történt, rugalmas szervezeti keretek adták az alapot, és kommunikálták a döntések lényegét és irányát. A folyamat a vállalati kultúra újratervezését is igényelte. Más súlypontot kapott a HR-tevékenység is, felértékelődött a munkaerő megtartása, motiválása és mentális állapotának javítása. Elsősorban statisztikai források felhasználásával a tanulmány rávilágít az alkalmazott magyar foglalkoztatáspolitikai eszközök használatának ellentmondásaira, amelyek nem egyszer hozzájárultak a munkavállalói és szervezeti bizonytalansághoz.
Zoonotic Transmission and Host Switches of Malaria Parasites
Authors: Su Xin-zhuan , Wu Jian
Published: November 2021

Malaria is a deadly disease that affects the health of hundreds of millions of people annually. Five Plasmodium parasite species naturally infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, and Plasmodium knowlesi. These parasites can also infect various non-human primates. Parasites mainly infecting monkeys, such as Plasmodium cynomolgi and P. knowlesi, the latter of which was considered to be a monkey parasite for years, can also be transmitted to human hosts. Recently, many new Plasmodium species have been discovered in African apes, some of which may be transmitted to humans in the future. Here, we searched PubMed and the internet via Google and selected articles on the zoonotic transmission and evolution of selected malaria parasite species. We review current advances in the relevant topics, emphasizing the transmission of malaria parasites between humans and non-human primates. We also briefly discuss the transmission of some avian malaria parasites between wild birds and domestic fowls. Zoonotic malaria transmission is widespread, thus posing a threat to public health. More studies on parasite species, including their identification in non-human primates, transmission, and evolution, are needed to decrease or prevent the transmission of malaria parasites from non-human primates to humans.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Patterns and Antibiotic Susceptibility in Surgical and Non-Surgical Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in Indonesia
Authors:   Department of Clinical Pathology Faculty of Medicine Universitas Padjadjaran/Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital Bandung, Indonesia, Turbawaty Dewi Kartika , Logito Verina , Tjandrawati Anna
Published: November 2021

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the hospital is found mainly in surgical patients, which increases morbidity and mortality. Currently, vancomycin is the drug of choice for the treatment of MRSA infections. The increasing use of vancomycin and its inappropriate administration may increase the resistance of S. aureus to vancomycin. This study aimed to describe the distribution of MRSA and types of antibiotics that are still sensitive to MRSA in surgical and non-surgical patients. This cross-sectional, observational, retrospective descriptive study was conducted at the Microbiology Laboratory, Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, in 2019 using secondary data on the results of culture examination and antibiotic susceptibility of positive S. aureus culture isolates from all types of isolates from surgical and non-surgical patients. All specimens were cultured in appropriate media. Identification of S. aureus was performed by Gram staining to identify bacterial morphology, and automatic tools. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using an automatic machine. Seventy-five isolates (17%) were identified to be MRSA with 46 (53%) of them retrieved from surgical patients. Most of the MRSA isolates came from pus and were mostly due to skin infections. Antibiotic susceptibility results showed two Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) isolates from surgical patients. The positive culture of the MRSA and VRSA was dominated by surgical patients with pus coming from surgical wound infection, burn, and other skin infection as the most common sources. Thus, the proportion of MRSA isolates in the hospital in 2019 is 17% and two VRSA isolates are identified in the same year. The surgical ward was the primary origin of most MRSA isolates. Further studies are necessary to identify the MRSA incidence rate, evaluation and periodic monitoring of antibiotic use, and active surveillance in the surgical patient rooms.
Industry 4.0 and Business Policy Development: Strategic Imperatives for SME Performance
Authors: Govindarajo Normala S , Kumar M Dileep , Shaikh Erum , Kumar Mukesh , Kumar Pramod
Published: November 2021

Industry 4.0 presents companies with new prospects to renovate industrial manufacturing processes and increase value creation, has promised several optimizing strategies for improved business performance. The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between innovation capability and employee capability on organizational performance among Small and Medium Scale industries entrepreneurs. Following a positivist research philosophy with a quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive study design, the study addressed three direct and two indirect relationships in the model. The research followed the expectation Resource-Based View Theory to test the theoretical model. Following stratified random sampling, this research using 384 SME entrepreneurs from the Selangor state of Malaysia. The study applied Smart PLS-SEM to analyze the data. The results show that SME firms' innovation capability and employee capability positively correlate with business performance. The study also shows the partial mediation effect of technology change on innovation capability and business performance and employee capability and business performance. Research extends practical and theoretical implications to the stakeholders of SMEs and businesses.JEL Classification: L25, L26, L29How to Cite:Govindarajo, N. S., Kumar M, D., Shaikh, E., Kumar, M., & Kumar, P. (2021). Industry 4.0 and Business Policy Development: Strategic Imperatives for SME Performance. Etikonomi, 20(2), 213 – xx. https://doi.org/10.15408/etk.v20i2.20143.
Saving the Environment: Environmental Lessons in Colin Thiele’s February Dragon
Authors: Arafah Burhanuddin , Abbas Herawaty , Hikmah Nurul
Published: November 2021

This article explores the relationship between humans and nature in February Dragon and elaborates on the environmental lessons conveyed in Colin Thiele's February Dragon. This article utilizes the concept of ecocriticism by Glotfelty. Ecocriticism explains human-nature interconnectedness. The portrayal of human-nature relation reveals several values of environmental education that readers, both children, and adults, could learn. Three environmental lessons such as respect, responsibility, and empathy towards other living beings were found in the story. Based on the elaborations, the characters in the novel show their respect, responsibility, and empathy towards other species by protecting the animal and the environment from bushfire’s dangers.