bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Forming Conscious Discipline Among Students of Higher Educational Institutions
Authors: Safonova Oksana Vladimirovna , Voronkova Elena Gotfridovna , Voronkov Evgeny Grigorievich , Bolbukh Tatiana Vladimirovna , Kocheeva Nina Alekseevna
Published: June 2021

The article deals with forming conscious discipline among students of higher educational institutions, as well as defines the criteria for assessing the development of discipline. The research object of the present work is the process of educating conscious discipline among students of higher educational institutions. The authors used the following methods in the article. Firstly, the analysis of literature sources made it possible to single out the main theories that were taken as the basis for the study. Secondly, the surbey method of conversation allowed the authors to identify the main problems of the relationship between students and teachers, as well as the reasons for the violation of discipline. Thirdly, the authors used the observation method, which helped to determine the relationship and actions of students in the group. This made it possible to more objectively identify the causes of conflicts and develop proposals for their resolution. The authors also studied special methodological literature on improving student discipline, which allowed them to propose measures to increase students’ motivation in the formation of conscious discipline. According to the authors, purposefulness, objectivity and pedagogically expedient actions of teachers, and their communication with students are the leading conditions that ensure the parenting of conscious discipline.
The impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on the smooth transition dynamics of stock market index volatilities for the Four Asian Tigers and Japan
Authors: Yang Liu Day , Chun Ming Chen , Su Yi Kai
Published: June 2021

This rapid propagation of the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has caused the global healthcare system to break down. The infectious disease originated from East Asia and spread to the world. This unprecedented pandemic further damages the global economy. It seems highly probable that the COVID-19 recession changes stock market volatility. Therefore, this study resorts to the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedastic (GARCH) model with a smooth transition method to capture the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dynamic structure of the stock market index volatilities for some Asian countries (the Four Asian Tigers and Japan). The empirical results show that the shocks of the COVID-19 change the dynamic volatility structure for all stock market indices. Moreover, we acquire the transition function for all stock market index volatilities and find out that most of their regime adjustment processes start following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Four Asian Tigers except South Korea and Japan. Additionally, the estimated transition functions show that the stock market index volatilities contain U-shaped patterns of structural changes. This article also computes the corresponding calendar dates of structure change about dynamic volatility patterns. In the light of estimation of location parameters, we demonstrate that the structure changing the date of stock market index volatility for South Korea and Japan has occurred in late 2019.
Impacts of Online Social Support and Perceived Value in Influential Travel Blogs
Authors: Chang Wanching , Chao Ren-Fang , Chien Grace
Published: June 2021

As a result of exponential growth in the popularity of blogging, travel blogs have demonstrated their enormous marketing potential, and have become an increasingly important mechanism for exchanging information among tourists. The present study modeled online social support and perceived value as antecedents of the impacts of influential travel bloggers on their blog members’ travel-related behavioral intentions, and examined the mediating role of sense of virtual community (SOVC) among these relationships. The analysis results herein demonstrate that online social support, perceived value, and SOVC relate significantly to blog members’ behavior intention. Furthermore, the influence of perceived value and SOVC on behavior intention are both respectively significant. With SOVC as a mediating variable, the CI indirect effect of the perceived value on travel intention did not include 0, indicating an indirect relationship between these two variables. Referring to perceived values, the findings indicates that blog members perceive the influential travel blogs as offering epistemic value more than others. These findings have theoretical implications for social media and online interaction related literature, and have critical business implications for customer to customer (C2C) marketers to distinguish themselves within the expanding number of influential travel blogs.
GUEST SATISFACTION MANAGEMENT IN THE CATERING INDUSTRY
Authors: Galičić Vlado
Published: June 2021

The demands of guests in tourism and the catering industry, and the satisfaction of guests with services received have become the dominant competitive weapon throughout the entire developed world of tourism. The individual guest of today is in a position to harm the reputation of the caterer and innkeeper by spreading word of the faults in the services rendered and consumed. Complaints addressed to the caterer can often bring attention to the need of improving not only the integral process of service preparation and rendering, or any one of its components, but also the organisation of operation within the catering establishment. An indolent and negligent attitude of the caterer regarding such complaints is very irritating to guests of catering establishments, and as a rule, is the reason such guests turn to the competition. In principle, guests that are lodging a complaint do not necessarily have a negative attitude towards a given catering establishment. Most guests will not lodge a formal complaint, but will simply leave the restaurant when something is not to their liking, never to return again. Instead, they will frequent the establishment of the competition. The purpose of this paper is to explain how the objections and formal complaints made by guests can be used to enhance their loyalty towards a certain catering establishment or service. Namely, having witnessed a satisfactory solution to a complaint, the guest will pass this favourable experience on to others. The major part of this paper is based on the results of studies into the Complaint Books of one hundred catering establishments on the Opatija Riviera during the year 2001, and in the first nine months of 2002.
Guía de práctica clínica para el tratamiento farmacológico y psicológico de los pacientes adultos con trastorno bipolar y un diagnóstico comórbido de trastorno por uso de sustancias
Authors: González-Pinto Ana , Goikolea José Manuel , Zorrilla Iñaki , Bernardo Miquel , Arrojo Manuel , Cunill Ruth , Castell Xavi , Becoña Iglesias Elisardo , López Ana , Torrens Marta , Tirado-Muñoz Judit , Fonseca Francina , Arranz Belén , Garriga Marina , Sáiz Pilar A. , Flórez Gerardo , San Luis
Published: June 2021

Esta revisión resume las intervenciones farmacológicos y psicosociales que se han realizado en trastorno bipolar (TB) y un diagnóstico comórbido de trastorno por uso de sustancias (TUS) y además proporciona recomendaciones clínicas respecto de cuáles elementos de intervención son útiles para hacer frente a los síntomas del uso de sustancias versus los síntomas de estado de ánimo en pacientes con estas afecciones concurrentes. Se utilizó la mejor evidencia de ensayos controlados aleatorizados para evaluar las opciones de tratamiento. La fuerza de las recomendaciones se describió mediante el enfoque GRADE. Muy pocos de los ensayos aleatorizados realizados hasta la fecha han proporcionado evidencia consistente para el manejo tanto de los síntomas de estado de ánimo como del uso de sustancias en pacientes con TB. No hay disponibilidad de ensayos clínicos para pacientes con TB que utilizan el cannabis. Algunos tratamientos han mostrado beneficios para los síntomas de estado de ánimo sin beneficios para el uso de alcohol o sustancias ilícitas. Nuestros resultados sugieren que 1) podemos (débilmente) recomendar el uso de ácido valproico o naltrexona adyuvante para aliviar los síntomas del trastorno por consumo de alcohol; 2) el tratamiento complementario con lamotrigina parece reducir los síntomas relacionados con la cocaína y, por tanto, es recomendable (fuerza moderada); y 3) la vareniclina es recomendable (débilmente) para mejorar la abstinencia de la nicotina. La terapia grupal integrada es el enfoque con más validación y eficacia sobre los resultados en el uso de sustancias cuando este uso es abordado durante la fase inicial de tratamiento.
Problematic Internet Use and Psychological Problems among University Students with Disabilities
Authors: Pino Osuna María José , Herruzo Pino Carlos , Lucena Jurado Valentina , Herruzo Cabrera Javier
Published: June 2021

Problematic internet use (PIU) among people with disabilities has received very little attention in scientific literature. The objective of this work is to study PIU among Spanish university students with disabilities, and determine whether it is related to the presence of psychological problems and discomfort. A total of 432 Spanish university students with disabilities from six universities participated in the study (35% motor disability, 22.7% sensory disability and 42.1% other disabilities, excluding psychical or intellectual disability). PIU in the sample was assessed using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), while psychological problems were assessed using the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM). PIU prevalence was 6.3%, and significant differences were found by age (< 22 had a PIU prevalence five times higher), onset of disability (prevalence was 3.7 times higher in those with congenital disability) and main type of internet use (recreational). There were no differences by sex, level of education or type of disability. In all the dimensions measured by CORE-OM (psychological problems, subjective well-being, life functioning and risk of self-harm and harm to others), the prevalence of psychological problems was significantly higher among problematic internet users. In conclusion, university students who are disabled from birth (regardless of their type of disability and sex), under the age of 22, and use the internet mainly for social networking and recreational purposes are at greater risk of psychological distress and are more vulnerable to problems like anxiety and difficulties with social relationships.
Análise dos determinantes da utilização do Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil
Authors: Paschoalino Pietro , Parré José Luiz , Costa Cássia , Plassa Wander , Gobi José Rodrigo
Published: June 2021

Objetivo: O estudo analisa os determinantes de o indivíduo participar do Programa Farmácia Popular do Brasil (PFPB). Métodos: Utilizou-se a base de microdados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde em 2013, empregando o modelo Logit. Resultados: Observou-se que, conforme a idade do indivíduo aumenta, maior a probabilidade do uso de medicamentos pelo programa. Ademais, ter maior escolaridade, pertencer à classe de renda alta e possuir planos de saúde diminui essa probabilidade. Verificou-se, ainda, que a percepção de saúde de cada indivíduo não altera a probabilidade de uso do PFPB, mas o diagnóstico de doenças crônicas é importante fator explicativo para o uso de medicamentos. Conclusão: A utilização do programa está relacionada com fatores socioeconômicos e de morbidade, demonstrando a importância de políticas de assistência farmacêutica no processo saúde/doença, principalmente para indivíduos inseridos em baixas classes de renda e com doença crônica ou de longa duração. Os resultados permitem que os gestores públicos tenham uma maior compreensão do uso do programa pela população, possibilitando melhor direcionamento, ampliação e qualificação do acesso aos medicamentos.
O impacto econômico dos serviços farmacêuticos na assistência à saúde de pacientes portadores de hipertensão: uma revisão sistemática
Authors: Melo José Ítalo , Matos Ana Carolina , Pinto Rodrigo , Freitas Gabriel
Published: June 2021

Objetivo: Reunir e sintetizar evidências atuais que avaliem serviços farmacêuticos (SFs) na hipertensão, do ponto de vista econômico. Métodos: Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática de artigos publicados de 2009 a setembro de 2020 no PubMed, Scopus, Lilacs e Cochrane, seguindo o PRISMA. Dois revisores fizeram a triagem, selecionaram independentemente os estudos, extraíram os dados e avaliaram o risco de viés. Resultados: Um total de 2.223 artigos, excluindo duplicatas, foi encontrado nas bases de dados. Após a análise dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, 12 estudos foram inclusos; oito eram experimentais e quatro observacionais. Os SFs foram conduzidos em farmácias comunitárias, clínicas privadas e hospitais, com intervenções realizadas apenas por farmacêuticos ou em colaboração com outros profissionais. As intervenções, em sua maioria, foram consideradas custo-efetivas, melhorando parâmetros clínicos e a qualidade de vida. Apenas um estudo não apresentou resultados significativos em relação ao cuidado usual. Conclusão: Os SFs foram associados a impactos econômicos positivos, e as intervenções reduziram significativamente custos diretos médicos. No entanto, há necessidade de desenvolvimento de pesquisas mais robustas, como estudos randomizados e controlados, a fim de permitir avaliação mais assertiva quanto à relação de custo-efetividade dos serviços farmacêuticos.
Full-Field Optimization of Offshore Squeeze Campaigns in Total Gulf of Guinea Fields
Authors: Azari Vahid , Vazquez Oscar , Baraka-Lokmane Salima , Mackay Eric , Brice Stuart
Published: June 2021

Scale inhibitor (SI) squeeze treatments are one of the most common techniques to prevent downhole scale formation. In this paper, we present the optimization of treatment design for multiple wells included in offshore campaigns. Two offshore fields with 8 and 12 production wells in west Africa were considered that are separately treated via yearly squeeze campaigns. The wells included in each campaign are treated in a single trip of the supply vessel. Based on the storage capacity of the vessel, the available volume of SI onboard should be optimally allocated to each of the wells (having different properties and water production rates), so that they are all protected from scaling for 1 year until the next campaign is carried out. A hybrid optimization methodology was applied to optimize the squeeze campaign design.

The gradient descent (GD) algorithm was first applied to derive the squeeze “isolifetime proxies” related to each well. Each proxy includes all the possible squeeze designs that result in 365 days of squeeze lifetime in the well. Using these proxies, any combination of wells’ squeeze designs could be nominated as the campaign design, because that would result in treating all wells until the next campaign. The multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) technique was implemented to optimize the campaign design by simultaneously minimizing the total SI volume and the total injection time for the whole campaign. Minimizing the total pumping time would consequently minimize the deferred oil volume and the total cost of squeezes in the field.

Finally, the Pareto Front was identified for each field, showing the most optimum campaign designs. The Pareto Front was shown to be a valuable tool for the operator to make a trade-off between the size of the vessel and the injection time; that is, to use a bigger vessel to transport more inhibitor to the wells or to use a smaller one but for a longer time to inject more water during the squeeze treatments in the field. A cost analysis was performed to identify the most optimum deployment plan providing the most optimum inhibitor allocation strategy, including the optimum inhibitor volume and the optimum injection time for each campaign.
Modeling the Dispute Settlement of Reservoir In View of the Water Quality Issues: A Novel Hybrid Group Game Theory-Fuzzy Logic Approach
Authors: Mahmoudi Alborz , Shirangi Ehsan
Published: June 2021

To choose the best policy of the water resources allocation, considering both the quantitative and qualitative factors based on the possible uncertainties, there has always been a significant problem in the dry lands from perspectives of the decision makers. In this paper, using Game Theory concept, a novel hybrid approach of the Game Theory based fuzzy logic is proposed to reconcile conflicts among stakeholders of dam reservoirs who have their own different strategies and utilities to choose the best policy in order to gain the highest profit regarding the situations they deal with. In the proposed method, after the fuzzification of decision makers’ strategies, a matrix called a “priority matrix” is formed in which a combination of their strategies and priorities is presented as the matrix elements. Based on the concept of Nash equilibrium, an optimized scenario is elected from among the bargaining scenarios constructed via the integrated strategies. This method has the privilege of providing a game space in which a large variety of strategies and priorities of many decision makers can be modeled in a fuzzy space of variables to reach a point of agreement. In this study, the 15-Khordad Dam of Iran is selected as a case study area which faces problems such as salinity, low quality water, and conflicts among stakeholders. The results of the study indicated that the proposed method could be led to an optimized strategy for the water resources allocation.
Comprehensive seismic risk assessment map of South Korea developed using seismic, geotechnical, and social vulnerability indicators
Authors: Lee Seonyoung , Oh Seokhoon
Published: June 2021

At present, because it is not possible to predict earthquakes, disaster preparedness is vital for the reduction of damages. The awareness about earthquakes has substantially increased after the occurrence of two >M L 5 events in 2016 and 2017 in South Korea. This study presents the seismic risk assessment conducted for the entire country of South Korea. This assessment was performed using seismic, geotechnical, and social vulnerability indicators. The seismic vulnerability indicator was estimated using a probabilistic seismic hazard and fault-line density map that are directly related to the occurrence of earthquakes. The geotechnical vulnerability indicator was derived using bedrock depth data and extrapolation of digital elevation model data through geostatistical techniques. The seismic and geotechnical indicators were integrated based on the bedrock depth distribution. The social vulnerability indicator considered the distribution of relevant parameters such as vulnerable people, old houses, and road information. These statistical data without spatial continuity were incorporated into a map using principal component analysis. A five-grade classification of risks presented by the seismic and geotechnical vulnerability map and the social vulnerability index map was developed to facilitate simultaneous assessment. A risk matrix was applied to the two maps to produce a comprehensive seismic risk assessment map of South Korea, in which the southeastern and northwestern regions of South Korea present a high seismic risk. The results of this study will serve toward seismic risk management and minimize seismic disaster damages in South Korea.
A 3D weaving infill pattern for fused filament fabrication
Authors: Yao Yuan , Ding Cheng , Aburaia Mohamed , Lackner Maximilian , He Lanlan
Published: June 2021

The Fused Filament Fabrication process is the most used additive manufacturing process due to its simplicity and low operating costs. In this process, a thermoplastic filament is led through an extruder, melted, and applied to a building platform by the axial movements of an automated Cartesian system in such a way that a three-dimensional object is created layer by layer. Compared to other additive manufacturing technologies, the components produced have mechanical limitations and are often not suitable for functional applications. To reduce the anisotropy of mechanical strength in fused filament fabrication (FFF), this paper proposes a 3D weaving deposit path planning method that utilizes a 5-layer repetitive structure to achieve interlocking and embedding between neighbor slicing planes to improve the mechanical linkage within the layers. The developed algorithm extends the weaving path as an infill pattern to fill different structures and makes this process feasible on a standard three-axis 3D printer. Compared with 3D weaving printed parts by layer-to-layer deposit, the anisotropy of mechanical properties inside layers is significantly reduced to 10.21% and 0.98%.
In-silico analysis of BCL2 gene using multiple bioinformatics tools to identify the most lethal mutations that are crucial for its structural and functional integrity
Authors: Ghani Usman , Ali Yasir , Gul Karim , Khan Abbas , Wei Dong-Qing , Ullah Rahmat
Published: June 2021

BCL2 was the first ever known gene for anti-apoptotic activity, that encodes for essential proteins of the external mitochondrial membrane. Regarding tumorigenesis, deregulated BCL2 expression and related proteins have been recognized as characteristic of several human cancers and there is concrete evidence that the deregulated expression of BCL2 like proteins plays a vital role in tumor development, persistence and therapeutic resistance. Therefore, it is important to identify the polymorphisms of BCL2 that are both structurally and functionally important for research to find their possible malfunctions and therapeutics. For this reason, in our research, we have used a variety of bioinformatics tools to recognize the most destructive nsSNPs that may be important for the structure and function of BCL2. In silico tools, PROVEAN, SIFT, SNP&GO, PhD SNP, and PolyPhen2 included a variety of other tools such as I Mutant, MutPred, and ConSurf, to study their conservation profiles to validate their stability, structural, and functional impacts. Post-transcriptional alteration sites were also predicted followed by application of 3-D mapping with I-TASSER and Phyre2 tools. Furthermore, the gene interactions were mapped via STRING and GeneMANIA. We also found that nsSNPs Q118R (rs759928495), G193R (rs1197820694), R129C (rs777784952), and Ll81V (rs752310933) are the most destructive nsSNPs in BCL2 genes that can have a vital part in BCL2 protein defects and possibly cause different cancers. Gene-gene interactions showed relation of BCL2 with other genes depicting its importance in several pathways and co-expressions. This research is the first of its kind and offers future prospects for the development of dedicated medicines as well. In the animal models, the effects of BCL2 can also be tested in diseases. Such should be the study of BCL2 proteins from cancer patients. The effects of BCL2 can also be tested on animal models.
Relationship Between Personality Traits and Eating Speed - Results from a Large Cross-Sectional Study Among Iranian Adults
Authors: Kafeshani Marzieh , Feizi Awat , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad , Keshteli Ammar Hassanzadeh , Roohafza Hamidreza , Afshar Hamid , Adibi Peyman
Published: June 2021

BackgroundThe eating speed has been hypothesized to be associated with energy intake and weight control. Recently, the effects of some factors on eating rate were investigated, however; studies about the impacts of psychological factors in this field are rare. One of these possible factors is personality traits. This study aimed to assess the relationship between personality traits and eating speed. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed among 4763 adults in 2011. Personality trait was assessed by using the Big Five Personality Inventory Short Form. The eating speed was evaluated using a pretested questionnaire and latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to categorize participants according to the eating speed. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis was used for data analyses. ResultsWe found that the higher levels of neuroticism (quartile 4) were associated significantly with lower odds of normal eating speed (OR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.60; P<0.001) but higher levels of other personality traits were statistically significantly associated with higher odds of normal eating speed. ConclusionsThe current study showed significant associations between personality traits and eating speed; accordingly, it provides primary evidence about the potential value of personality traits for managing the eating rate. Further prospective observational and interventional studies are recommended.
A Study of Engineered Cementitious Composites by Investigating its Compressive and Flexural Strength
Authors: BINS SONA ROSE , KUMAR CENYA S , Ittuveetil Shivani , TOGI SONA , GEORGE MAREENA
Published: June 2021

Concrete has become an essential material as a part of construction field. Its behavior is weak in tension and strong in compression. The demand for tensile strength is high for concrete because higher loading requires more than 10% of compressive strength which make a critical issue for engineers. Another major issue faced by normal concrete is lack in ductility and strain capacity. Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC), also known as Bendable Concrete, has been designed to overcome the brittleness of concrete. It has tensile ductility of 3–5% and its self-controlled tight crack width is less than 100µm.It is a unique type of cement mixture with composition of low volume fibers (~ 2%) so as to impart ductility, ability to repair and high tensile strength besides. It also has low maintenance and is environment friendly in nature.The ECC composition does not contain coarse aggregate because they develop larger crack width which tend to have a negative effect on ductile behavior of ECC. This paper demonstrated a detailed review on properties of ECC and experimentally identified the best ECC mix by analysing the compressive the flexural strength at different ratios: 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2% and 2.5% of PVA fibre. Fifteen cubes (150mm x 150mm x 150mm) were casted for compressive strength test and fifteen beams (500mm x 100mm x 100mm) were casted for flexural strength and tested at the age of 28 days. Workability test have been conducted to access the fresh properties and consistency of the concrete.
Geochemical Characterization of Geothermal Spring Waters Occurring in South Part of Gujarat and West Coast Geothermal Province of Maharashtra, India
Authors: Sircar Anirbid , Yadav Kriti , Bist Namrata , Oza Hemangi Gaurangbhai
Published: June 2021

Geothermal waters are extensively useful for various purposes such as in industrial plants, societal benefits, irrigation, and domestic consumptions. However, its physiochemical characterization is very important before using it for any rationale. The main objective of this paper is to identify the hydro-chemistry of geothermal water which is placed in southern part of Gujarat such as Unai hot springs and Saputara geothermal springs, and west coast geothermal province (WCGP) like Tural-Rajwadi group of hot springs. The standard methods were used to carry out the analysis of geothermal water. Piper, Stiff, Gibbs, Extended Durov, and Wilcox diagrams have been plotted to categorize water samples in facies. Spatial distribution curves have also been plotted for geothermal regions of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The geochemistry of groundwater is influenced by the presence of most important ions like Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Cl-, HCO3-, and SO42-. Geothermal spring of Unai contains high TDS concentration around 1000 mg/l thus it cannot be used for drinking purposes but it can be utilized for domestic, balneology, and industrial purposes. However, after desalination this water can be utilized for drinking purposes. In Tural-Rajwadi hot springs TDS concentration was > 900 mg/l and pH range was between7-8 hence it can be used for domestic and industrial purposes. The temperature range of Tural-Rajwadi geothermal hot spring is 55-65°C which is very useful for milk pasteurization, industrial operations, space heating, balneology facilities like greenhouses and aquaculture ponds, and domestic purposes.
General Planar Motion Modeling and Control of a Smart Rigid-Flexible Satellite Considering Large Deformations
Authors: Ghorbani Hossein , Vatankhah Ramin , Farid Mehrdad
Published: June 2021

In this paper, the motion of a smart rigid-flexible satellite by considering large deformations for its flexible appendages in general planar motion is modeled. Therefore, the satellite can experience translational and rotational motions also its flexible appendages can vibrate arbitrarily in the motion plane. Two control forces perpendicular to each other and one control torque are responsible for controlling the motion of the satellite on the desired trajectories. Also, piezoelectric actuators and sensors suppress vibrations and estimate the transverse displacement of the satellite's flexible appendages, respectively. The coupled ordinary-partial differential equations of motion, equations of the sensors, and boundary conditions of the system are obtained using extended Hamilton's principle. Then, these equations are discretized using the Galerkin method. The discretized equations of motion are a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations due to the consideration of the large rotation angle of the satellite and large deformations for its flexible appendages. Adaptive super-twisting global nonlinear sliding mode controller is designed to satisfy the control objectives including position and attitude control, as well as suppressing vibrations of the flexible appendages in the presence of uncertainties and external disturbances. Eventually, numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Paracrine activity of adipose derived stem cells on limbal epithelial stem cells
Authors: Sikora Bartosz , Skubis-Sikora Aleksandra , Prusek Agnieszka , Gola Joanna
Published: June 2021

Limbal stem cells deficiency (LSCD) is an eye disease caused by the loss of stem cells in the corneal limbus as a succession of an injury due physical, biological, or chemical agents. Current therapies of LSCD are focused on the transplantation of donor corneas or tissue equivalents produced from autologous limbal stem cells. Every year there are waiting millions of people for the cornea transplantation all over the world and the list of waiting patients is growing due to the relatively low number of cornea donors. On the other hand, the transplantation of tissue or cells into the recipient’s body is associated with the higher risk of possible side effects. The possibility of the application of an indirect treatment using the properties of the paracrine activity of stem cells, would be beneficial for the patients with transplant failures. This study was to evaluate the paracrine effect of mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue (ADSC) on the viability of limbal epithelial stem cells (LESC). The paracrine effect was assessed by treating LESC with conditioned medium collected from ADSC culture. Cell viability, cytotoxicity, apoptosis and proliferation were evaluated using in vitro assays in standard conditions and induced inflammation. After the exposure to the examined conditions, the expression of genes related to pro- and anti- inflammatory factors was evaluated and compared to the secretion of selected cytokines by ELISA test. Moreover, the changes in LESC phenotype were assessed using of phenotype microarrays. Our findings suggest that paracrine activity of ADSC on LESC promotes its proliferation and mitigates the adverse impact of induced inflammation.
Single-Molecule Long-Read Sequencing Facilitates Transcriptomic Research For Whitmania Pigra, The Most Utilized Medical Leech In Chinese Traditional Medicine For Anticoagulant Therapy
Authors: Song Jing , Li Ping , Guan De-Long , Sun Yan
Published: June 2021

Although leeches are of great medical and economic value in anticoagulant therapy, full-length transcriptomes for leeches remain scarce. Here, we generated the first full-length transcriptome for the paddy leech Whitmania pigra (the most widely utilized medical leech in Chinese traditional medicine) through Pacific Biosciences (Pacbio) single-molecule long-read sequencing. A total of 191,676 full-length non-chimeric (FLNC) reads were obtained, 30,660 were high-quality unique full-length transcripts. The BUSCO (Bench-marking Universal Single-Copy Orthologues) accession of completeness demonstrated that 74.8% of BUSCOs were complete. We functionally annotated 28,144 transcripts were in public databases, including NR, gene ontology (GO), Pfam, etc. Furthermore, 1,314 long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs), 2,574 alternative splicing (AS) events, 932 transcript factors (TFs), and 33,258 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) we identified across all transcripts. From the generated data, a total of 426 anticoagulant genes, including 122 Antistasins, 124 with the Fibrinogen beta and gamma chains, and 62 Kazal-type serine protease inhibitors were screened out. Twenty-five novel proteins were revealed following the evaluation of the annotations and products of these anticoagulant transcripts. The regulation network between LncRNAs and corresponding coding transcripts was found with the typical mang-to-many pattern, especially obvious in a specific type of protein, Guamerin. Collectively, the present findings provide a rich set of full-length cDNA sequences for W. pigra, which will greatly facilitate research on transcriptomic genetic for this species and leeches.
Research on Risk Assessment Method of Enterprise's Arrears Based on Block-Chain Credit Consensus
Authors: Zhang Qian , Xing Sujie
Published: June 2021

Background:At present, the power supply market has always acquiesced to the rule of ‘use electricity first, pay later’,some electricity users may delay payment or even default on electricity bills due to various reasons, causing problems such as a long recovery period for electricity bills and difficulty in debt settlement. In order to reduce this kind of phenomenon, the power supply company must understand the user's historical electricity consumption data, capital status, credit status and other information, but the establishment of such a database requires a lot of time and human resource costs.Methods:Based on the distributed storage technology of blockchain, this paper abstracts power supply companies, power users, banking financial institutions, government regulatory agencies, etc. into nodes on the alliance chain.After that,this paper introduces a credit scoring model to judge the credit rating of user information based on characteristic indicators, and select the corresponding electricity fee recovery policy after the result is obtained, so as to reduce the operating risk of the power supply company.Results:This article combines the power and energy market with blockchain technology to establish a secure and distributed credit data blockchain, and at the same time establish a credit scoring model based on expert review questionnaire data. The analysis results show that this mechanism is suitable for credit data storage and sharing in energy transactions. Conclusions:Research and analysis indicate that the credit risk assessment method of electricity transaction data proposed in this article provides a theoretical basis for the combination of electricity transaction credit risk assessment and blockchain technology,which will help improve the company's ability to assess the risk of arrears and reduce the operating risk of power supply companies.
Geographical Distribution Of Dioxins, Cadmium And Mercury Concentrations In Reindeer Liver, Kidneys And Meat In The Russian Far North
Authors: Makarov Dmitry A. , Ovcharenko Vladimir V. , Nebera Elena A. , Kozhushkevich Alexander I. , Shelepchikov Andrey A. , Turbabina Xenia A. , Kalantaenko Anastasia M. , Bardyugov Nikita S. , Gergel Maria A.
Published: June 2021

Reindeer herding is a vitally important agricultural sector in the Russian Far North. It is believed, that Nothern ecosystems are prone to accumulation of persistent pollutants for the reasons of trophical chains, features and climate. Reindeers graze on vast areas, having seasonal migrations on distances up to hundreds kilometers in one side in North-South direction, that increases likehood to cross a locally polluted area. Here we present results of a large-scale countrywide study of reindeer liver, kidneys and meat pollution by dioxins, cadmium and mercury. Samples were taken in 2015-2020 years from 41 locations in 8 reindeer-herding regions of Russia. Dioxins were determined in 383 samples of liver and 13 of meat, cadmium and mercury – in 505 samples of liver, 315 of kidneys and 22 of meat. Dioxin pollution has shown a clear geographical trend: liver concentrations gradually decrease from the Western to the Eastern parts on the country, with the highest concentration of 76.5 pg/g of fat WHO-TEQ. The following factors are likely to explain the discovered trend: localization of chemical enterprises and density of reindeer population. The highest concentrations of metals were found in kidneys (7.3 mg/kg of cadmium and 1.1 mg/kg of mercury). The contribution of local sources to cadmium and mercury pollution was found to be less, than expected. We also speculate, that reindeer liver may serve as a good additional indicator of environmental pollution by the investigated contaminants.
A Novel Approach of Friction Stir Cladding of Aluminum on Carbon Steel Plate; Experimental Investigation and Material Characterization
Authors: Khalili Mohammad Mostafa , Farahani Mohammadreza , Zohrehvand Ali , Aminzadeh Ahmad
Published: June 2021

Cladding is usually used to improve the material functionality (i.e. corrosion, wear, and oxidation) and to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of the components in different industries. In this study, a new cladding approach based on the friction stir processing was successfully employed on carbon steel plate with 6061-T6 Aluminum alloy. The mechanical and metallurgical properties of the cladding layer were examined at different process parameters. Metallurgical investigation of ST/Al interface was also evaluated using the Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Optical microscope (OM). Two alloys were mixed uniformly together in the proper process conditions. Based on the results, the decrease of rotational speed from 1200 rpm to 800 rpm at a constant traverse speed of 15 mm/min, the cladding strength increased from 3.7 KN to 4.8 KN. At constant rotational speed of 800 rpm, with an increase in traverse speed from 15 mm/min to 35 mm/min, the cladding strength increased from 4.8 KN to 6.6 KN.
Impact of Telehealth in Bangladesh During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020
Authors: Rahman Saanjaana , Amit Sajid
Published: June 2021

Telehealth is allowing healthcare workers to see patients virtually in locations that were not accessible previously, and this has reduced cost and time as well as saved lives. Bangladesh is a developing country with only 6 doctors for every 10,000 patients11. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a rising percentage of individuals in Bangladesh are turning to telehealth as it may provide more convenience and access to care for online consultations while minimizing the risks of virus transmission that may result from going to a healthcare provider11,6. Our research question was to see if there was any impact of telehealth utilization on labor market productivity during the pandemic in 2020. This study will leverage a timely national experiment to evaluate the users of telehealth across the Bangladeshi population. We obtained de-identified data for 200 patients among outpatient telehealth visits from Global Health Data Exchange as it captures telehealth use throughout Bangladesh. The analysis showed, that 92% of participants were males in the study population, and had a higher dependency on telehealth than 8% of the females. We found that the youngest age group, 16–25, had the highest dependence on telehealth, compared to any other age group in Bangladesh. The lowest dependence was among the oldest age group of 45 years and above. However, there was no association between labor market productivity and telehealth use and we rejected our hypothesis. Longitudinal and geographical data are needed to understand more about the gender disparities and impact in telehealth utilizations.
The Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Trauma-Induced Secondary Injury in Rat Brain
Authors: Sen Ahmet , Erdivanli Basar , Tumkaya Levent , Uydu Huseyin Avni , Mercantepe Tolga , Batcik Sule , Ozdemir Abdullah
Published: June 2021

Secondary traumatic brain injury is a potentially modifiable and important determinator of the outcome. Sedation and analgesia are common components of the therapy. However current drug therapies have disadvantages like respiratory depression. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (Dex), a sedative drug with little to no depressive effect on respiratory centers, on secondary injury in rat brain tissue. Eighteen rats were randomized into three groups: Trauma group received anesthesia, followed by head trauma with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Apparatus, the Trauma+Dex group received additional treatment of 100µg/kg intraperitoneal dexmedetomidine daily for three days, The Control group received anesthesia only. Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), Na+, K+-ATPase, or sodium/potassium (Na/K-ATPase), and cysteine-aspartic proteases, cysteine aspartates-3 (caspase-3) levels were measured. MDA levels were highest in the Trauma group (p = 0.002 vs Control group). Mean levels in the Trauma+Dex group were lower, albeit still significantly high compared to the Control group (p = 0.002). Glutathione levels were similar in all groups (p = 0.99). Na/K-ATPase levels were lowest in the Trauma group, which is significant compared to the Control group (p = 0.002) and the Trauma+Dex group (p = 0.026). Histopathologic findings of tissue degeneration like edema, vascular congestion and neuronal injury, and cleaved caspase-3 levels were lower in the Trauma+Dex group compared with the Trauma group. Dexmedetomidine administered during the early stage of traumatic brain injury may inhibit caspase-3 cleavage. However, the mechanism does not seem to be related to the improvement of MDA or GSH levels.
Low postoperative blood platelet count may be a risk factor for mortality in patients with acute type A aortic dissection
Authors: Liu Guangyu , Wang Hongbai , Luo Qipeng , Cao Liang , Yang Lijing , Yu Cuntao , Yan Fuxia , Yuan Su
Published: June 2021

Background Mortality and complications remain high after Acute Type A Aortic Dissection (ATAAD) open surgery, which is associated with coagulation dysfunction. Platelets play an important role in the process of coagulation. This study was to explore the relationship between postoperative platelet counts and postoperative mortality in patients with ATAAD after open aortic repair surgery.Methods Patients with ATAAD who underwent Total Arch Replacement and Frozen Elephant Trunk in Fuwai Hospital from 2011 to 2015 were selected in this study. The perioperative data were collected and sorted through the electronic clinical case system. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for death within three years after surgery.Results A total of 495 patients were included in the analysis. After correction with the confounding factors, postoperative platelets count remained as an independent factor that was associated with lower mortality (OR = 0.918, 95%CI 0.853-0.988, P = 0.023).Conclusions The study indicated that decreased postoperative platelet count may lead to increased mortality, in patients with ATAAD underwent open aortic repair surgery.
Knowledge and Adherence to Treatments for Genitourinary Syndrome Of Menopause in Covid-19 Pandemic: Comem-Gsm Study
Authors: Mainar Laura Baquedano , Mendez Sonia Sanchez , Pérez Peña Dieste , Aragon Monica Hernandez , Mendoza Nicolás
Published: June 2021

ObjectiveTo study knowledge regarding genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and the treatments for it and to analyze treatment adherence during the COVID-19 confinement.MethodsMulti-center observational study including women between 35 and 75 years. An extension study of treatment adherence was conducted during the coronavirus pandemic between March and April 2020ResultsA sample of 2355 women were included. Vaginal dryness was the most frequently identified symptom (74.3%). Lubricants were the best-known treatments (69.6%), followed by local estrogens (25.7%); 66% of the women did not speak to their gynecologist about sexuality. Comparative analyses were conducted according to age, menopausal status, type of menopause, place of residence, type of health care received and level of education. During the coronavirus confinement period, adherence to treatments for vulvovaginal atrophy was poor in 72.5% asked (n=204). Reduced sexual activity (p>0.001) and coronavirus diagnosis (p=0.003) were significantly associated with poorer treatment compliance. ConclusionsThere is great lack of knowledge of the treatments used for GSM. Most women do not talk to their gynecologist about sexuality. Adherence to treatments during the coronavirus confinement has been worryingly low.
Prevalence, Demographic Characteristics and Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders in Children and Adolescents With Substance Use Disorder in Iran
Authors: Mohammadi Mohammad Reza , Hojjat Seyed Kaveh , Khaleghi Ali , Hooshyari Zahra , Mostafavi Seyed-Ali , Alavi Seyed Salman , Ahmadi Nastaran , kaviyani Faezeh , Ahmadi Ameneh , Kian Alireza Armani , Sarraf Nasrin , Safavi Parvin , Khalili Mina Norozi , Talepasand Siavash , Amiri Shahrokh , Molavi Parviz , Akbari Hadi , Arman Soroor , Mohammadzadeh Soleiman , Kousha Maryam , Golbon Atieh , Hosseini Seyed Hamzeh , Delpisheh Ali , Mojahed Azizollah , Moharari Fatemeh , Dastjerdi Reza , Jaberghaderi Nasrin , Ostovar Rahim , Moghadam Mehriar Nadr Mohammadi , Salmanian Maryam , Zarafshan Hadi
Published: June 2021

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of substance use disorder in Iranian children and adolescents and its relationship with demographic characteristics and psychiatric comorbidities.Method: The data were taken from a national survey on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Iranian children and adolescents. The national survey was conducted on 30,532 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years. The psychiatric disorders were assessed by employing k-SADS-PL questionnaire and interviews carried out by 240 clinical psychologists with the participants and their parents. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test and logistic regression.Results: A total of 277 (0.97%) were diagnosed as people with substance use disorder which were further studied for comorbid disorders. Among the various types of drugs, hypnotic / sedative / anti-anxiety drugs were abused by 84 people (46.15%), cannabis by 68 (37.36%) and stimulants by 43 (23.63%). The variables of gender, place of residence, and father’s occupation and parents’ education level were identified as predictors of substance use disorder in children and adolescents. At the same time, 42.50% substances and alcohol abusing people had at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder and the highest Comorbidity was observed in oppositional defiant disorder, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and separation anxiety disorder (p≤0.05). Conclusions: The findings can be used in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorder and promotion of mental health in children and adolescents by focusing on the psychiatric comorbidities of people with substance use disorder.