bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Earthquakes Reconnaissance Data Sources, a Literature Review
Authors: Contreras Mojica Diana Maria , Wilkinson Sean , James Philip
Published: June 2021

Earthquakes are one of the most catastrophic natural phenomena. After an earthquake, earthquake reconnaissance enables effective recovery by collecting building damage data and other impacts. This paper aims to identify state-of-the-art data sources for building damage assessment and guide more efficient data. This paper reviews 38 articles that indicate the sources used by different authors to collect data related to damages and post-disaster recovery progress after earthquakes between 2014 and 2021. The current data collection methods have been grouped into seven categories: fieldwork or ground surveys, omnidirectional imagery (OD), terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), remote sensing (RS), crowdsourcing platforms, social media (SM) and closed-circuit television videos (CCTV). The selection of a particular data source or collection technique for earthquake reconnaissance includes different criteria. Nowadays, reconnaissance mission can not rely on a single data source, and different data sources should complement each other, validate collected data, or quantify the damage comprehensively. The recent increase in the number of crowdsourcing and SM platforms as a source of data for earthquake reconnaissance is a clear indication of the tendency of data sources in the future.
High-Dimensional Separability for One- And Few-Shot Learning
Authors: Gorban Alexander N , Grechuk Bogdan , Mirkes Evgeny M , Stasenko Sergey V , Tyukin Ivan Y
Published: June 2021

This work is driven by a practical question, corrections of Artificial Intelligence (AI) errors. Systematic re-training of a large AI system is hardly possible. To solve this problem, special external devices, correctors, are developed. They should provide quick and non-iterative system fix without modification of a legacy AI system. A common universal part of the AI corrector is a classifier that should separate undesired and erroneous behavior from normal operation. Training of such classifiers is a grand challenge at the heart of the one- and few-shot learning methods. Effectiveness of one- and few-short methods is based on either significant dimensionality reductions or the blessing of dimensionality effects. Stochastic separability is a blessing of dimensionality phenomenon that allows one-and few-shot error correction: in high-dimensional datasets under broad assumptions each point can be separated from the rest of the set by simple and robust linear discriminant. The hierarchical structure of data universe is introduced where each data cluster has a granular internal structure, etc. New stochastic separation theorems for the data distributions with fine-grained structure are formulated and proved. Separation theorems in infinite-dimensional limits are proven under assumptions of compact embedding of patterns into data space. New multi-correctors of AI systems are presented and illustrated with examples of predicting errors and learning new classes of objects by a deep convolutional neural network.
THE VALUES OF EDUCATION IN DREAM NOVEL MIMPI ANAK PULAU BY ABIDAH EL KHALIEQY REVIEW OF INTRINSIC STRUCTURE STUDY
Authors: Purnomosidhi Nur Ahid Prasetyawan , Ninuk Lustyantie  , Emzir
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this research is to explore and gain a profound understanding of the values of education in the novel Mimpi Anak Pulau by Abidah El Khalieqy is reviewed from the angle of intrinsic structure of the novel (themes, plot, figures, luminaries, and background) that builds storytelling in the novel. This research is a qualitative descriptive research. The method used is content analysis. Techniques and procedures for data collection using research instruments in the form of notebooks, analysis sheets of intrinsic elements, analysis sheet of educational values in the novel Mimpi Anak Pulau by Abidah El Khalieqy. Results of the study shows the values of education in the form of religious/diligent worship, honest, toleration, discipline, hard work, creative, independent, democratic, curiosity, love of homeland, achievers, friendly, peace, love of reading, caring environment, social care, and responsible, which are found and depicted in the novel Mimpi Anak Pulau by Abidah El Khalieqy These educational values are demonstrated through an analysis of instrinsic structures, which include themes, figures and luminaries, grooves, and backgrounds.
PROFIL KEMAMPUAN COMPUTATIONAL THINKING ANAK USIA 5-6 TAHUN
Authors: Kumala Rosyida Ani Dwi , Rasmani Upik Elok Endang , Dewi Nurul Kusuma
Published: June 2021

Kemampuan computational thinking sudah dipertimbangkan untuk diberikan kepada anak sejak usia dini. Namun belum banyak gambaran terkait kemampuan ini. Penelitian ini bertujuan melaporkan profil kemampuan computational thinking anak usia 5-6 tahun di sebuah PAUD di Kota Surakarta. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kualitatif. Teknik pengumpulan data yaitu wawancara pada kepala sekolah, wakil kepala sekolah bidang kurikulum, observasi pembelajaran sebanyak 36 kali, dan dokumentasi. Teknik analisis data melalui proses penyajian data, reduksi data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian melaporkan bahwa ada delapan kemampuan computational thinking yang paling terlihat. Kemampuan tersebut adalah: 1) anak terbiasa dengan kegiatan berinstruksi; 2). anak terlatih untuk mencari solusi dari permasalahan yang dihadapi; 3) anak terbiasa mengungkapkan ide berupa gagasan, pendapat, atau karya; 4) anak mampu membagi tugas secara mandiri maupun dengan diskusi teman sebaya; 5) anak terbiasa dengan ice breaking dengan menerjemahan kode; 6) anak sudah terbiasa mengoperasikan komputer secara individu, 7) anak mengetahui fungsi dari fitur colour dan shape yang terdapat pada aplikasi power point dan paint; dan 8) anak mampu menerapkan solusi kedalam permasalahan yang sama pada kegiatan yang memiliki kemiripan dalam penyelesaian. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa kemampuan computational thinking anak berkembang secara beragam sesuai dengan tingkat intensitas pemberian stimulus.

 

Computational thinking skills are important for children from an early age. However, there are not many information related to this ability. This study aims to report the profile of the computational thinking ability of children aged 5-6 years in an early childhood education center in Surakarta City. This research is a qualitative approach with interviews to the headmaster and teacher, observation, and documentation as data collection methods. The data were analyzed through display, reduction, and concluding. The results of the study report that there are eight most visible computational thinking abilities. These children's abilities are 1) accustomed to instructional activities; 2). find solutions when facing some problems; 3) accustomed to expressing ideas in the form of opinions or works; 4) divide tasks independently or peer discussion; 5) familiar with ice breaking by translating codes; 6) accustomed to operating computers individually, 7) know the function of the color and shape features found in Powerpoint and paint applications; and 8) apply solutions to the same problem in activities that have similarities in completion. This study concludes that children's computational thinking abilities develop in various ways according to the intensity level of the stimulus.
Pengelompokkan Provinsi di Indonesia Berdasarkan Faktor Penyebab Balita Stunting Menggunakan Analisis Cluster Hierarki
Authors: Satriawan Dodi , Styawan Dwi Agus
Published: June 2021

The stunting condition is characterized by the growth of childrens who are slow and fail to reach normal height. Some of the causes of stunting include household access to sanitation and drinking water sources, initiation of early breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, full immunization, household income, and household access to nutritious food. This study aims to classify provinces in Indonesia based on the causes of stunting. The source of the data used is secondary data from the Ministry of Health and BPS in 2017. Clustering was carried out using the ward method cluster analysis. The clustering results are four groups with different characteristics. The first group of 16 provinces was a group with a high stunting factor. The second group consisting of 8 provinces was a group with a moderate stunting factor. The third group consisting of 6 provinces is a group with a low stunting factor. The fourth  group consisting of 4 provinces is a group with a very high stunting factor.
Analisis Ketahanan Bersekolah Anak Jenjang SMA/Sederajat di Provinsi DKI Jakarta Tahun 2019
Authors: Sodikin Yaya Setiadi , Tomanda Alan Anugrah
Published: June 2021

Pendidikan menjadi salah satu bagian yang penting dalam kemajuan suatu bangsa termasuk Indonesia. Rencana Strategis Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan yang menargetkan setiap jenjang pendidikan memiliki angka putus sekolah hanya 1 persen tetapi jenjang SMP/sederajat dan SMA sederajat belum mencapai target tersebut di tahun 2019. Data Susenas 2019 menunjukkan bahwa secara Nasional angka putus sekolah tertinggi tingkat SMA/sederajat terjadi di DKI Jakarta yang mencapai 6,13 persen walaupun DKI Jakarta berada diperingkat kedua untuk angka melanjutkan pendidikan ke SMA/sederajat untuk provinsi yang ada di Pulau Jawa. Penelitian ini menggunakan Time to Event Analysis untuk mengetahui bagaimana gambaran ketahanan bersekolah pada jenjang SMA/sederajat dan faktor-faktor yang memengaruhinya. Berdasarkan nilai Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) terendah maka dipilih model parametrik distribusi Gompertz. Hasil analisis data diperoleh kesimpulan bahwa terdapat satu variabel bebas yang memengaruhi ketahanan bersekolah jenjang SMA/sederajat di Provinsi DKI Jakarta tahun 2019 yaitu status bekerja anak, dimana anak yang berstatus bekerja memiliki resiko 4,44 kali lebih besar untuk putus sekolah dibandingkan anak yang tidak bekerja. Penelitian ini penting dilakukan karena DKI Jakarta memiliki angka melek huruf yang mencapai 99,74 persen dan rasio guru murid yang sesuai standar ideal namun memiliki angka putus sekolah tertinggi di Indonesa dan Angka Partisipasi Murni (APM) yang selalu di bawah rata-rata Nasional dala 5 tahun terakhir (2015-2019).
Pemodelan Jumlah Kasus Malaria di Indonesia Menggunakan Generalized Linear Model
Authors: Santi Vera Maya , Wiyono Abi , Sudarwanto
Published: June 2021

Generalized Linear Model (GLM) telah banyak digunakan untuk memodelkan berbagai macam tipe data dimana distribusi dari variabel respon merupakan distribusi yang termasuk dalam distribusi keluarga eksponensial. Contoh umum dari distribusi keluarga eksponensial adalah distribusi Poisson dan Binomial. Model regresi GLM mendeskripsikan struktur dari variabel prediktor, sedangkan fungsi penghubung secara khusus mendeskripsikan hubungan antara model regresi dengan nilai ekspektasi dari variabel respon. Tujuan dari artikel ini adalah mendapatkan variabel-variabel prediktor yang berpengaruh signifikan terhadap model. Metode Maximum Likelihood Estimation digunakan untuk mencari estimasi dari nilai parameter regresi model. Jumlah kasus malaria di Indonesia diidentifikasi berdistribusi Poisson. Terdapat 3 variabel prediktor yang berpengaruh signifikan terhadap jumlah kasus malaria di Indonesia, yaitu persentase rumah tangga yang memiliki akses sanitasi layak, jumlah kabupaten/kota yang menyelenggarakan tatanan kawasan kesehatan dan jumlah kabupaten/kota yang melakukan pengendalian vektor terpadu.
Extracurricular Activities and Academic Performance: Spotlight on Accounting Students of the University of Jos
Authors: Erhomosele Osareme
Published: June 2021

Extracurricular activities (ECA), though prevalent in educational institutions globally, remain controversial in the research arena. This study investigates the relationship between ECA and academic performance. Using data obtained from questionnaires on students’ level of participation in ECA and CGPA data from the Department of Accounting, University of Jos, Nigeria; the study found a positive but statistically insignificant relationship between academic performance and political, religious & sport related ECA’s. The Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression technique was the analysis tool adopted in the investigation, which was carried out on a sample of 225 students. The findings of this study are expected to aid education administrators, regulators, counsellors and other stakeholders; especially at the university level; in setting appropriate goals for student learning and development.
Mercury isotopes reveal atmospheric gaseous mercury deposition directly to the Arctic coastal snowpack
Authors: Douglas Thomas , Blum Joel
Published: June 2021

Springtime atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDEs) lead to snow with elevated mercury concentrations (>200 ng Hg/L) in the Arctic and Antarctic. During AMDEs gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) is photochemically oxidized by halogens to reactive gaseous mercury which is deposited to the snowpack. This reactive mercury is either photochemically reduced back to GEM and reemitted to the atmosphere or remains in the snowpack until spring snowmelt. GEM is also deposited to the snowpack and tundra vegetation by reactive surface uptake (dry deposition) from the atmosphere. There is little consensus on the proportion of AMDE-sourced Hg versus Hg from dry deposition that is released in spring runoff. We used mercury stable isotope measurements of GEM, snowfall, snowpack, snowmelt, surface water, vegetation, and peat from a northern Alaska coastal watershed to quantify Hg sources. Although high Hg concentrations are deposited to the snowpack during AMDEs, we estimate that ∼76 to 91% is released back to the atmosphere prior to snowmelt. Mercury deposited to the snowpack as GEM comprises the majority of snowmelt Hg and has a Hg stable isotope composition similar to Hg deposited by reactive surface uptake of GEM into the leaves of trees in temperate forests. This GEM-sourced Hg is the dominant Hg we measured in the spring snowpack and in tundra peat permafrost deposits.
Africa Set To Fuel Asian Growth and Its Own Brighter Future
Authors: Szymczak Pat Davis
Published: June 2021

Africa is on track to becoming the world’s most populous region by 2023 as growth in the continent’s population surpasses that of China and India; between 2020 and 2040, one in every two births will be African, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The problem—and the opportunity—is that three-quarters of those new global citizens living in sub-Saharan Africa will live without access to electricity and other energy-driven staples of the modern world.

“More than half a billion people [will be] added to Africa’s urban population by 2040, much higher than the growth seen in China’s urban population in the two decades of China’s economic and energy boom,” IEA noted in its Africa Energy Outlook 2019.

“Growing urban populations mean rapid growth in energy demand for industrial production, cooling, and mobility,” IEA analysts wrote. “The projected growth in oil demand is higher than that of China and second only to that of India as the size of the car fleet more than doubles (the bulk of which have low fuel efficiency) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is increasingly used for clean cooking.”

With regards to gas, Africa is on track to becoming the third-largest region to feed the growth in global gas demand over the next 20 years, the IEA said (Fig. 1).

Africa accounted for 8.8% of the world’s oil production in 2019, according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2020. Nigeria was Africa’s top oil producer at 2.2%; Algeria was next at 1.6%; then Angola, 1.5%; and Libya, 1.3%.

BP economists calculated Africa contributed 6.0% to the world’s natural gas production in 2019. They ranked Algeria as the continent’s top gas producer at a global share of 2.2% followed by Egypt, 1.6%, and Nigeria, 1.2%.

Africa’s hydrocarbon-producing nations have always depended on fossil fuel and mineral exports for the foreign exchange that feeds their economies.

But as the continent’s population grows and its demographics become younger and more urban, Africa is revealing itself as a “barefoot shoemaker”—wealthy to the extreme in fossil fuels and renewables, but with three-quarters of its sub-Saharan population living without electricity.

Africa’s R/P (reserves-to-production) ratio is about half that of the Middle East and a quarter of first-place South America. But it is worth asking if South America’s high R/P is not due to years of high-profile exploration, while Africa—with a west-coastal geology similar to South America’s east coast—is simply underexplored.

The World Bank has declared 32 of the continent’s 48 nations to be in an energy crisis considering that their gross domestic product (GDP) growth is outpacing power generation by a factor of three to four times.

Investment is vital to turning this situation around, and the most attractive investment opportunities pre-pandemic were found in Nigeria, Mozambique, Egypt, Mauritania, and Equatorial Guinea, according to the organizers of Africa Oil Week (AOW), an exploration and production (E&P) investment conference held annually for 27 years.
Q&A With Devon Energy It’s Time To Talk About IP Protection
Authors: Jacobs Trent
Published: June 2021

Devon Energy considers its development of a new completions technology called Sealed Wellbore Pressure Monitoring (SWPM) to be one of the shale sector’s biggest breakthroughs in subsurface engineering.

The approach to fracturing diagnostics represents a class of next-generation tools designed to make on-the-fly stimulation designs more practical than ever. But the innovation has done something else, too.

It has raised old questions within a relatively new sector about the role of intellectual property (IP) protection. When SWPM was introduced to petrotechnicals outside of Devon, some initially questioned how or why the technique needed to be patented at all.

The ingenuity behind SWPM could be boiled down to solving a math problem: How much fluid is pumped during the hydraulic fracturing treatment of one well before it travels across a known distance and applies pressure to the unperforated casing of a neighboring shut-in well?

The ability to answer this question rapidly and with surety holds great value for any developer of multiwell pads. But, as some wondered, was this simply a formula that could be repeated and used as freely as a decade’s old equation found in a textbook?

Was Devon being too protective over its discovery? Or was it simply being prudent?

Earlier this year, Devon was granted a US patent for SWPM, the end of a process that began on a well pad in 2017. In the meantime, the company shared rights with other operators for field trials before striking a deal last summer with software developer Well Data Labs to market SWPM to the rest of the unconventional business.

The drivers behind Devon’s IP strategy, what it learned while patenting SWPM, and what it hopes others in this space will take away from that experience are shared here by Chad Holeman, corporate counsel at Devon, and Kyle Haustveit, a co-inventor of SWPM and a subsurface engineering manager at Devon.

JPT: Can you begin by explaining your philosophy around IP protection and how SWPM reflects that?

Chad Holeman (CH): We talk about confidential and proprietary information with some degree of frequency. As an organization, I think that we’re further along on the spectrum of maturation as it relates to understanding what that means and safeguarding that information to the very best of our ability.

One key is that you need to be able to differentiate trade secrets, or confidential proprietary information that you want to keep close to the vest, from the inventive concepts that you want to protect and can also commercialize, potentially monetize, or gain some other type of competitive advantage from.

Inventive concepts such as SWPM fit that mold.

Kyle Haustveit (KH): I think the concept of leaving value on the table is one of the biggest reasons we do this.

A lot of operators have made massive investments into the digital revolution and multimillion-dollar investments into diagnostic programs to understand how we are breaking and draining the rock with our stimulations.

Through all that have come a lot of new ideas.
Crisis y Captura: El descontento social en tiempos de pandemia en América Latina y el Caribe
Authors: Saenz Cortés Hernán
Published: June 2021

Este documento esboza una propuesta de agendas de trabajo para promover el debate sobre cómo reconfigurar el pacto social por vías institucionales en América Latina y el Caribe, fortaleciendo así los sistemas democráticos de la región y hacer frente a privilegios. Estas cuestiones son esenciales en el contexto actual de pandemia y de crisis políticas. Cruzando datos estadísticos y con los estudios de caso de financiación de partidos (Perú), desarrollo turístico (República Dominicana), telecomunicaciones (Argentina) y acceso al agua (El Salvador), este documento establece la relación entre captura de políticas públicas, desigualdad y desafección con la democracia. Los casos demuestran cómo el lobby, las puertas giratorias y las campañas mediáticas son los principales mecanismos con los que las élites ejercen influencia abusiva para alejar del interés general decisiones políticas cruciales.
Numerical Approach for Differential-Difference Equations having Layer Behaviour with Small or Large Delay using Non-Polynomial Spline
Authors: Lalu M , Phaneendra K. , Emineni Siva Prasad
Published: June 2021

A numerical approach is suggested for the layer behaviour differential-difference equations with small and large delays in the differentiated term. Using the non-polynomial spline, the numerical scheme is derived. The discretization equation is constructed using the first order derivative continuity at non-polynomial spline internal mesh points. A fitting parameter is introduced into the scheme with the help of the singular perturbation theory to minimize the error in the solution. The maximum errors in the solution are tabulated to verify the competence of the numerical method relative to the other methods in literature. We also focused on the impact of large delays on the layer behaviour or oscillatory behaviour of solutions using a special mesh with and without fitting parameter in the proposed scheme. Graphs show the effect of the fitting parameter on the solution layer.
The Deceleration of Radio/Light Transmission; A Collision Mechanism Dependent Radio Signal Emission, Transmission, and Reception
Authors: Zhang Jing
Published: June 2021

The fast and slow fading of radio signal transmissions or laser beam itself and its spare light confirm the presence of two kinds of collisions --- electron-photon and photon-photon collision. Photon transmissions of radio signals are either in consecutive dense photon groups in slow fading process or widespread group pattern in fast fading form. The photon transmission shapes are irregular and dynamical changes. The radio frequency shift and the wavelength reduction by the calculation demonstrate decelerations of radio/light transmission speeds due to the gradual reduced distance between two consecutive photon groups along the transmission pathway. Photons from radio signals are able to affect electron movements in radio signal receiving process and electrons able to kick photons into space during radio signal emission. The pattern of free electron movement under the influence of local electromagnetic force in antenna is consistent with the randomly dynamic changes of radio signal in space. The fast fading is due to the collision of consecutive photon groups of signals in slow fading with free photons in space. The mathematical equation for the relationship between light/radio transmission speeds before and after photons collisions is established. The equation is confirmed by the calculations of well-known difference of light transmission speeds in different media. The gravities from Earth and Sun play little role during light/radio transmission.
Absolute mass of photons based upon the Hamiltonian of energy content
Authors: Kumar Sunny
Published: June 2021

In this article, the mass-energy equivalence is analyzed based on the total energy content & inertia of a body. The analysis included quantum energy formalization with relativity. The finding suggests that photons have absolute mass to justify their momentum.
Ceftolozane/tazobactam versus colistin in the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia due to extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a comparative cohort study
Authors: Mogyoródi Bence , Csékó András , Hermann Csaba , Gál János , Iványi Zsolt
Published: June 2021

Background

Resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are common pathogens in the intensive care unit (ICU), limiting available therapeutic options. We aimed to compare ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T) with colistimethate sodium (CMS) in the treatment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) due to extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Methods

A retrospective, observational study was performed at a tertiary care ICU. Clinical and microbiological success rate, 28-day all-cause mortality, and adverse events were compared in patients who received C/T with those treated with systemic CMS.
Results

A total of 51 patients were included (18 in the C/T and 33 in the CMS group). Clinical success rates in the C/T and CMS groups were 13 (72.2 %) and 10 (30.3 %), respectively. On multivariate regression analysis, treatment with C/T was independently associated with clinical success (odds ratio 4.47, 95% CI = 1.17–17.08). There was no difference in 28-day all-cause mortality (27.8 % and 33.3 % in the C/T and CMS group, p = 0.76). Acute kidney injury was more common in patients who received CMS (48.5 % vs 11.1 %, p = 0.01).
Conclusions

Ceftolozane/tazobactam proved to be efficient in the treatment of XDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa VAP and showed a better safety profile compared to CMS.
Understanding low-value care and associated de-implementation processes: A qualitative study of Choosing Wisely Interventions across Canadian hospitals
Authors: Parker Gillian , Kastner Monika , Born Karen , Shahid Nida , Berta Whitney
Published: June 2021

Background:Choosing Wisely (CW) is an international movement comprised of national campaigns in more than 20 countries to reduce low-value care (LVC). Hospitals and healthcare providers are examining existing practices and putting interventions in place to reduce practices that offer little to no benefit to patients or may cause them harm. De-implementation, the reduction or removal of a healthcare practice is an emerging field of research. Little is known about the factors which (i) sustain LVC; and (ii) the magnitude of the problem of LVC. In addition, little is known about the processes of de-implementation, and if and how these processes differ from implementation endeavours. The objective of this study was to explicate the myriad factors which impact the processes and outcomes of de-implementation initiatives that are designed to address national Choosing Wisely campaign recommendations.Methods:Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals implementing Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations in healthcare settings in four provinces. The interview guide was developed using concepts from the literature and the Implementation Process Model (IPM) as a framework. All interviews were conducted virtually, recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.Findings:Seventeen Choosing Wisely team members were interviewed. Participants identified numerous provider factors, most notably habit, which sustain LVC. Contrary to reporting in recent studies, the majority of LVC in the sample was not ‘patient facing’; therefore, patients were not a significant driver for the LVC, nor a barrier to reducing it. Participants detailed aspects of the magnitude of the problems of LVC, specifically the impact of harm and resources. Unique factors influencing the processes of de-implementation reported were: influence of Choosing Wisely campaigns, availability of data, lack of targets and hard-coded interventions. Conclusions: This study explicates factors ranging from those which impact the maintenance of LVC to factors that impact the success of de-implementation interventions intended to reduce them. The findings draw attention to the significance of unintentional factors, highlight the importance of understanding the impact of harm and resources to reduce LVC and illuminate the overstated impact of patients in de-implementation literature. These findings illustrate the complexities of de-implementation.
The Armey Curve Hypothesis-based Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) Hypothesis Testing Across the US States with Government Spending
Authors: Işık Cem , Ongan Serdar , Bulut Umit , Karakaya Sahir , Irfan Muhammad , Alvarado Rafael , Ahmad Munir , Rehman Abdul
Published: June 2021

This study re-tests the EKC hypothesis for US states with a new methodology that differs from all previous empirical studies using traditional EKC models. To this aim, this methodology, for the first time, unifies two seemingly different but strongly interrelated hypotheses (models), namely the Armey curve (AC) and traditional EKC models, into one single composite model. The rationale for creating this composite model is twofold. First, the functional propositions of these two hypotheses are depicted with inverted U-shaped curves. Second, they also have economically interrelated-causal relationships. This means that rising government spending (through the AC hypothesis) increases real GDP per capita (RGDPPC) and, consequently, increases in RGDPPC (through the EKC hypothesis) increase CO2 emissions. The composite model created may also allow US state policymakers to determine a single maximum spending level that will maximize or minimize CO2 emissions. Empirical findings indicate that the composite model is capable of testing the EKC hypothesis for 7 US states. Additionally, for 7 US states, maximum spending level was calculated to be around 15% of their RGDPPCs. Hence, with this calculated spending level, policymakers of these states may be able to determine-adjust their golden spending levels so as not to cause environmental degradation and declines in GDP.
Evaluation of the Efficacy of EASYDO ACTIVATOR Irrigation Technique in Intracanal Smear Layer and Debris Removal from Mature Permanent Teeth
Authors: Zhang Shao-Hui , Gao Zheng-Rong , Aimee Dusenge Marie , Feng Yao , Hu Jing , Zhao Jie , Zhao Ya-Qiong , Chen Yun , Liu Qiong , Ye Qin , Zhou Ying-Hui , Tan Li , Guo Yue , Feng Yun-Zhi
Published: June 2021

EASYDO ACTIVATOR (EA) is a continuously vibrational device for root canals irrigation, but its cleaning effectiveness has not been evaluated by any published reports. We were aiming to evaluate whether EA results in a greater intracanal smear layer and debris removal than conventional needle irrigation (NI) and passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI). Twenty-seven single-rooted teeth were used. Canals were sized to R30 and irrigated with 3% sodium hypochlorite. Species were divided into three groups: Group 1: NI; Group 2: PUI; Group 3: EA. Canal walls were subjected to scanning electron microscopy. NI- and PUI-group canal cleanliness decreased from the coronal to apical direction (P < 0.05), except for EA group in the apical third. PUI removed more smear layer from the coronal and middle thirds than EA and NI (P < 0.05). PUI and EA were superior to NI regarding debris removal (P < 0.05). The smear layer and debris from the coronal and middle thirds were effectively removed with EA and PUI. More effective removal occurred from the apical third for EA compared with PUI (P < 0.05). Both methods removed smear layer and debris better than NI, providing a theoretical basis for the clinical application of EA.
Levels of persistent organochlorine and polychlorinated biphenyls in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from three cage aquaculture farms on the Volta Basin of Ghana: Implications for human health
Authors: Magna Emmanuel Kaboja , Koranteng Samuel Senyo , Donkor Augustine , Gordon Christopher
Published: June 2021

Increased agrochemical based agricultural activities along the Volta Basin and aquacultural practices from the cage farms have raised concerns about the potential ecological risk to the aquatic ecosystem. To assess this, caged tilapia samples were analysed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticide (OCP).Fish samples in acetone/hexane (2:1v/v) solvent medium were sonicated on ultrasonic bath, shaken electronically, cleaned by solid-phase extraction and analysed by GC/ECD for OCPs and GC/MS for PCBs.The levels of OCPs reported in the fish ranged; ND – 2.310 µg/kg (fish farm A), <LOD – 4.260 µg/kg (fish farm B), <LOD – 6.109 µg/kg (fish farm C) and ND – 0.878µg/kg (control). The highest concentration of 6.109 µg/kg was encountered for δ-HCH in the muscles of Tilapia from fish farm C, whiles p,p'-DDE recorded the lowest in farm A. The levels of the OCPs detected in the cage tilapia were below the MRL proposed by the EU. Six PCBs congeners; PCB 18, PCB 28, PCB 52, PCB 101, PCB153 and PCB 180 were detected in the cage tilapia. The concentrations of the indicator congeners ranged from 0.288 ng/g to 0.931 ng/g dw, 0.042 ng/g to 1.321 ng/g dw, 0.260 ng/g to 10.657 ng/g, and ND-0.298ng/g dw in fish farm A, B, C and control respectively. The highest mean concentrations of PCB 153 (8.524 ± 1.5960ng/g) was found in farm Estimation of the EDIs and HQs for the pesticides do not present potential health risk to the consumers of the cage tilapia fish from the studied farms.
Anti-Leishmania activity of mucosal-associated invariant T-cells
Authors: Peruhype-Magalhaes Vanessa , Moreira Marcela , Pascoal-Xavier Marcelo Antônio , Lopes-Ribeiro Ágata , Fernandes Luana Borges , Pereira Victória Hellena , Pediongco Troi , Araújo Márcio da Silva , Teixeira-Carvalho Andréa , de Carvalho Andrea Lucchesi , Mourão Maria Vitória Assumpção , Campos Flávia , Borges Marineide , Carneiro Mariângela , Chen Zhenjun , Saunders Eleanor , McConville Malcolm , Tsuji Moriya , McCluskey James , Martins-Filho Olindo , Eckle Sidonia , Coelho-dos-Reis Jordana Grazziela
Published: June 2021

Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT)-cells are restricted by MR1 and are known to contribute to protection from bacterial and viral infections. Here we show that MAIT-cells also play an important role in protection from visceral leishmaniasis-VL, caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania donovani complex. In response to L. infantum, human peripheral blood MAIT-cells produced TNF and IFN-γ and this was MR1-dependent. Since Leishmania spp. lack riboflavin biosynthesis, this suggests that novel MAIT-cell antigen(s) exist in the context of Leishmania-infection. In asymptomatic individuals, MAIT-cells also produced IL-17A, dependent on MR1, a cytokine signature associated with resistance to visceral Leishmaniasis. In mice, MAIT-cells reduced parasite burden during peak infection and decreased pathology. In summary, these results broaden our understanding of MAIT-cell immunity to include protection from parasitic infections with implications for MAIT-cell based therapeutics and vaccines. Leishmania is an ancient and clinically important pathogen such that it may have contributed to shaping MAIT-cell biology.
Minimizing Sample Bias Due to Stigmatized Behaviours: the Representativeness of Participants in a Cohort Study of Alcohol in Pregnancy
Authors: Tappin David , Mackay Daniel , Reynolds Lucy , Fitzgerald Niamh
Published: June 2021

BackgroundStigmatized behaviours are often underreported, especially in pregnancy, making them challenging to address. The Alcohol and Child Development Study (ACDS) seeks to inform prevention of foetal alcohol harm, by examining links between a maternal blood biomarker and later child developmental outcomes. In order to minimize sampling bias, samples were given by pregnant women, using passive, generic consent. This paper examines the success of this approach, by comparing characteristics of women who provided samples to those who did not.MethodsAll pregnant women in the study city were sent a Patient Information Sheet (PIS) with their first NHS obstetric appointment letter. The PIS informed them that the NHS would like to take an extra blood sample for research purposes, unless they opted out. Neither the women nor the midwives were informed that the samples might be tested for an alcohol biomarker. This paper examines the extent to which women who provided the extra sample were representative of eligible women where no sample was provided, in terms of routinely collected information: age; body mass index; area based deprivation; previous pregnancies, abortions and caesarians; smoking status and carbon monoxide level; self-reported alcohol use, gestation and birth weight of their baby. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare groups. Results3,436 (85%) of the 4,049 pregnant women who attended their appointment provided the extra sample. Women who did not were significantly younger (p<0.001), less materially deprived (p<0.001), and less likely to be considered for intervention based on self-reported alcohol use (p<0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups on other routine data.ConclusionsThe use of passive consent without disclosure of the specific research focus resulted in a high level of sample provision in this cohort study of alcohol use in pregnancy. There was no evidence that study blinding was breached, and women who provided a sample were more likely to report alcohol consumption. It is therefore likely that passive consent reduced sampling bias compared to asking women to give blood for an alcohol study, even if anonymity was assured in both cases.
Comparative Evaluation of Postoperative Pain and Periapical Healing After Root Canal Treatment Using Three Different Base Endodontic Sealers – A Randomized Control Clinical Trial
Authors: Khandelwal Akshay , Jose Jerry , Palanivelu Ajitha , Teja Kavalipurapu Venkata
Published: June 2021

Backgroundː Endodontic Sealers come in direct contact with periapical tissue through the apical foramen and lateral canals, influencing the postoperative pain and periapical healing. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare postoperative pain and periapical healing after root canal treatment using different base endodontic sealers.Methodsː Primary root canal treatment was initiated in 63 patients diagnosed with necrotic pulp and apical periodontitis, followed by which the endodontic sealers used for obturation were selected based on the random allocation of the participants to the following groups; Tubli-Seal, AH Plus and BioRoot RCS. Postoperative pain was recorded by using 100 mm visual analog scale at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 7 d after obturation. Digital periapical radiographic evaluation was done to assess rate of periapical healing at baseline, 1, 3 and 6 months. Statistical analysis was done using Kruskal Wallis test and one-way ANOVA and p-value of less than 0.05 was considered as significance level.Resultsː Significant reduction was seen in the size of periapical lesions in all the study groups at 3 and 6 months (p ˂ 0.05). The mean difference in the size of periapical lesions for BioRoot RCS was 4.05, 10.22, for AH Plus was 2 3.86, 9.80 and Tubli-Seal were 6.27, 13.41 at 3 months and 6 months respectively. The mean pain scores at 24 h for Tubli-Seal, AH Plus, BioRoot RCS were 17.94 ± 11.35, 11.57 ± 11.18 and 4.73 ± 7.72. At 48 h were 5.26 ± 9.04, 1.57 ± 3.74 and 1.57 ± 3.74 respectively. The mean pain score at 72 h for Tubli-Seal was 2.63 ± 7.33 whereas none of the patients had reported pain in AH Plus and BioRoot RCS group. None of the patients had pain 7 d after treatment.Conclusionsː BioRoot RCS showed less postoperative pain compared to AH Plus and Tubli-Seal. BioRoot RCS showed better periapical healing compared to AH Plus and Tubliseal at 3- and 6-months interval respectively.Trial Registration: Registration of this trial was done prospectively in Clinical trials registry – India (CTRI) with registration number (CTRI/2018/10/015919) dated 08/10/2018.
Assessing the Efficacy of Chinese Herbal Medicine for Dialysis-related Myofascial Pain in the Fistula Arm: Study Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Trial
Authors: Hsu Yung-Tang , Ng Hwee-Yeong , Lee Yan-Yuh , Huang Yu-Chuen , Tsai Ming-Yen
Published: June 2021

BackgroundDialysis-related myofascial pain in hemodialysis (HD) patients is an important issue that is associated with many other psychosomatic problems. Effective interventions are required to alleviate pain in this group. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) may be a potential therapeutic treatment to reduce pain. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a CHM formula intervention on pain intensity, daily function, quality of life, and safety among patients receiving HD in a dialysis center within a southern Taiwan context. MethodsThis will be a randomized, open label, cross-over trial with two parallel groups in a pre- and post-test study. Forty patients with myofascial pain related to their arteriovenous fistula in the arm during regular HD sessions will be recruited. Participants will receive 4 weeks of treatment with Juan Bi Tang (JBT) and 4 weeks of no treatment in a random order, separated by a washout period of 2 weeks. Treatment doses (3 g JBT) will be consumed thrice daily. The primary outcome measure will be the Kidney Disease Quality of Life 36-Item Short-Form Survey. Secondary outcomes will include the Fugl-Meyer Assessment–arm, Visual Analogue Scale of pain, and grip strength. Outcomes will be collected before and after each intervention, for a total of four times per participant. The safety evaluation will focus on adverse events. DiscussionThis study will be the first to use CHM to treat patients receiving HD with dialysis-related myofascial pain in their fistula arm and to perform a complete assessment of the treatment, including records of quality of life, arm function and muscle power, severity of pain, and safety. The results of the study will provide convincing evidence on the use of JBT as an adjuvant treatment for dialysis-related myofascial pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Clinicaltrials.gov registry (NCT04417101) registered 30 May 2020.
Should Bangladesh be Integrated with Trans-Pacific Partnership? A Dynamic Panel Data Analysis
Authors: Hossain Md. Shaddam , Kundu Nobin Khor , Sultana Habiba
Published: June 2021

In this research endeavor, we have tried to assess the dynamic relationships between Bangladesh's trade balances with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries as well as whether Bangladesh could be benefitted if it has shown its intention to integrate with the TPP agreement. Hence, the tariff rate exporter per product is used as a proxy for economic integration variable along with conventional trade balance model. From the time span of 2005 to 2020, the simulated trade model tested for Bangladesh's merchandise trade with its TPP trading partner countries (with or without the USA). A dynamic balanced panel data analysis has used to capture the Unrestricted Error Correction Mechanism (UECM) and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimator. The model has tested under two different scenarios (with or without integration), and a robustness check of the model has confirmed the validation of the specification. The study has shown that cointegration exists; stable long-run relationships from any short-run deviation and short-run dynamics has also shown convergence. Therefore, empirical results have indicated that, without integrating both scenarios the value of coefficient of proxy for economic integration variable in both cases is 0.21 and statistically significant as well as Bangladesh's trade balance is relatively better off without integration than integration with the TPP agreement. Thus, this study has suggested that Bangladesh should be maintained bilateral trade relationship instead of not joining the TPP mega-regional FTA (i.e., TPP without the USA).
The Effects of Stromal Vascular Fraction（SVF）Cells and Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs) in Full-Thickness Skin Grafts
Authors: Feng Zhou , Miaomiao Fei , Lunli Gong , Guobao Wang , Jun Zhang , Xiaohai Zhu , Haiyan Cui
Published: June 2021

Background: To investigate the role and difference of autologous stromal vascular fraction（SVF）cells and allogeneic adipose-derived stem cells(ADSCs) in full-thickness skin graft.Methods: SVF cells and ADSCs were prepared from the inguinal fat pad of the rats, and full-thickness skin on the back of the rats were transplanted in situ. then, SVF, ADSCs and PBS were injected under the graft. Gross survival, H-E staining, Masson staining, CD31 and VEGF immunofluorescence were observed on 3d, 7d and 14d respectively.Results: the survival rate of SVF group was the best, followed by ADSCs group (p<0.05). the H-E and Masson staining structures of the SVF group were better than those of the other two groups under the microscope. CD31 and VEGF expression in SVF group at 7 days and 14 days after surgery was more obvious than that in ADSCs group and PBS group.Conclusion: Subcutaneous injection of autologous SVF or allogeneic ADSCs cells can improve the survival rate of full-thickness skin grafts. In addition, the effect of autologous SVF cells is better than that of allogeneic ADSCs.
Transcriptomic Profiling of Rice Reveals Positive Role of OsNCED3 in Rice Resistance Against Brown Planthopper
Authors: Sun Litong , Liu Yongyan , Noman Ali , Chen Lin , Li Jitong , Liu Jinglan
Published: June 2021

Background: Exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) could improve rice resistance to brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens. The 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is the rate-limiting enzyme for ABA biosynthesis in higher plants. In rice, OsNCED3 gene promoted ABA synthesis and improved abiotic stress tolerance, but the function of OsNCED3 in regulating rice defense against BPH remains unclear. Results: In this study, the average injury level, functional plant loss index and EPG results of rice conferred that insect-resistance of OE rice lines was significantly higher than that of WT. Then transcriptome analysis of overexpression (OE), RNA interference (RNAi) and wild type (WT) of OsNCED3 in Zhonghua11 rice lines after BPH infestation were performed. Seventeen RNA libraries were obtained from OE, RNAi and WT rice lines at 12 h post BPH infestation. The number of all differential expression genes (DEGs) between OE and WT or RNAi and WT were mostly up-regulated. These accounted for more than 75% of the total number of DEGs for each other. The number of DEGs between RNAi and WT rice lines fed by BPH increased significantly, higher than that between OE and WT, and most of these DEGs were related to the adversity stress and the biosynthesis of JA (jasmonic acid).Conclusions: overexpression of OsNCED3 gene could improve rice resistance to BPH.