bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attention-Based Temporal-Frequency Aggregation for Speaker Verification
Authors: Wang Meng , Feng Dazheng , Su Tingting , Chen Mohan
Published: March 2022

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have significantly promoted the development of speaker verification (SV) systems because of their powerful deep feature learning capability. In CNN-based SV systems, utterance-level aggregation is an important component, and it compresses the frame-level features generated by the CNN frontend into an utterance-level representation. However, most of the existing aggregation methods aggregate the extracted features across time and cannot capture the speaker-dependent information contained in the frequency domain. To handle this problem, this paper proposes a novel attention-based frequency aggregation method, which focuses on the key frequency bands that provide more information for utterance-level representation. Meanwhile, two more effective temporal-frequency aggregation methods are proposed in combination with the existing temporal aggregation methods. The two proposed methods can capture the speaker-dependent information contained in both the time domain and frequency domain of frame-level features, thus improving the discriminability of speaker embedding. Besides, a powerful CNN-based SV system is developed and evaluated on the TIMIT and Voxceleb datasets. The experimental results indicate that the CNN-based SV system using the temporal-frequency aggregation method achieves a superior equal error rate of 5.96% on Voxceleb compared with the state-of-the-art baseline models.
Heart Rate Variability as a Potential Indicator of Cancer Pain in a Mouse Model of Peritoneal Metastasis
Authors: Kim Yurim , Yoon Hong Yeol , Kwon Il Keun , Youn Inchan , Han Sungmin
Published: March 2022

Heart rate variability (HRV) is closely related to changes in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) associated with stress and pain. In this study, we investigated whether HRV could be used to assess cancer pain in mice with peritoneal metastases. At 12 days after cancer induction, positive indicators of pain such as physiological characteristics, appearance, posture, and activity were observed, and time- and frequency-domain HRV parameters such as mean R-R interval, square root of the mean squared differences of successive R-R intervals, and percentage of successive R-R interval differences greater than 5 ms, low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and ratio of LF and HF power, were found to be significantly decreased. These parameters returned to normal after analgesic administration. Our results indicate that overall ANS activity was decreased by cancer pain and that HRV could be a useful tool for assessing pain.
An Improved Composition of CoFeSiB Alloy for Orthogonal Fluxgates
Authors: Butta Mattia , Janošek Michal , Pařez Jakub , Inchausti Alexander Valeriano , Chiriac Horia
Published: March 2022

Orthogonal fluxgates in fundamental mode based on (Co0.94Fe0.06)72.5Si12.5B15 cores have recorded very low noise in literature, especially if Joule annealing is performed on the core for a short period of time. However, for annealing time longer than 20–30 min, the noise of the sensor has a tendency to increase. In this work, we investigated this phenomenon, and we have found its origin in a monotonic increase of magnetostriction during the annealing process. We show that the wires with vanishing magnetostriction in their as-cast form exhibit positive magnetostriction after long-time annealing (more than 30 min), which increases the noise of the sensor. After researching the effect of the magnetostriction after annealing on the noise, we propose an alloy with a reduced amount of iron. Less iron leads to a larger as-cast negative magnetostriction, which becomes almost zero after long-time annealing (60 min), bringing further reduction of noise. We prove this effect on two wires from two different manufacturers, although with the same composition. The noise decrease with prolonged annealing is mainly observable in the low-frequency region: at 100 mHz, the noise of a single-wire sensor decreased from 20pT/Hz to 6pT/Hz when the annealing time was prolonged from 10 to 60 min.
Diagnostics of Articular Cartilage Damage Based on Generated Acoustic Signals Using ANN—Part I: Femoral-Tibial Joint
Authors: Karpiński Robert , Krakowski Przemysław , Jonak Józef , Machrowska Anna , Maciejewski Marcin , Nogalski Adam
Published: March 2022

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, progressive disease which has over 300 million cases each year. Some of the main symptoms of OA are pain, restriction of joint motion and stiffness of the joint. Early diagnosis and treatment can prolong painless joint function. Vibroarthrography (VAG) is a cheap, reproducible, non-invasive and easy-to-use tool which can be implemented in the diagnostic route. The aim of this study was to establish diagnostic accuracy and to identify the most accurate signal processing method for the detection of OA in knee joints. In this study, we have enrolled a total of 67 patients, 34 in a study group and 33 in a control group. All patients in the study group were referred for surgical treatment due to intraarticular lesions, and the control group consisted of healthy individuals without knee symptoms. Cartilage status was assessed during surgery according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) and vibroarthrography was performed one day prior to surgery in the study group. Vibroarthrography was performed in an open and closed kinematic chain for the involved knees in the study and control group. Signals were acquired by two sensors placed on the medial and lateral joint line. Using the neighbourhood component analysis (NCA) algorithm, the selection of optimal signal measures was performed. Classification using artificial neural networks was performed for three variants: I—open kinetic chain, II—closed kinetic chain, and III—open and closed kinetic chain. Vibroarthrography showed high diagnostic accuracy in determining healthy cartilage from cartilage lesions, and the number of repetitions during examination can be reduced only to closed kinematic chain.
A Comprehensive Evaluation of Possible RNSS Signals in the S-Band for the KPS
Authors: Han Kahee , Lee Sanguk , You Moonhee , Won Jong-Hoon
Published: March 2022

Recently, the Korean government has announced a plan to develop a satellite-based navigation system called the Korean Positioning System (KPS). When designing a new Radio Navigation Satellite Service (RNSS) signal, the use of the S-band has emerged as an alternative to avoiding signal congestion in the L-bands, and South Korea is considering using the S-band with the L-bands. Therefore, this study proposed possible S-band signal candidates and evaluated their performance, such as the radio frequency (RF) compatibility, spectral efficiency, ranging performance, and receiver complexity. Several figures-of-merit (FoMs) were introduced for quantitative performance evaluation for each candidate. Each FoM was calculated using an analytical equation by considering the signal design parameters, such as the center frequency, modulation scheme, and chip rate. The results showed that the outstanding candidate signal was different depending on the signal performance of interest and the reception environments. Therefore, we discuss and summarize the signal performance analysis results considering the whole FoMs together. Under the assumptions given in this paper, the binary phase shift keying (BPSK)(1), sine-phased binary offset carrier (BOCs)(5,2), and BPSK signals were superior for the spectral efficiency, ranging performance, and receiver complexity, respectively.
Air–Oxygen Blenders for Mechanical Ventilators: A Literature Review
Authors: Soares Gabryel F. , Almeida Otacílio M. , Menezes José W. M. , Kozlov Sergei S. A. , Rodrigues Joel J. P. C.
Published: March 2022

Respiratory diseases are one of the most common causes of death in the world and this recent COVID-19 pandemic is a key example. Problems such as infections, in general, affect many people and depending on the form of transmission they can spread throughout the world and weaken thousands of people. Two examples are severe acute respiratory syndrome and the recent coronavirus disease. These diseases have mild and severe forms, in which patients gravely affected need ventilatory support. The equipment that serves as a basis for operation of the mechanical ventilator is the air–oxygen blender, responsible for carrying out the air–oxygen mixture in the proper proportions ensuring constant supply. New blender models are described in the literature together with applications of control techniques, such as Proportional, Integrative and Derivative (PID); Fuzzy; and Adaptive. The results obtained from the literature show a significant improvement in patient care when using automatic controls instead of manual adjustment, increasing the safety and accuracy of the treatment. This study presents a deep review of the state of the art in air–oxygen benders, identifies the most relevant characteristics, performs a comparison study considering the most relevant available solutions, and identifies open research directions in the topic.
Spatial Deconcentration of Tourism Concentrations: A Visitors’ Galaxy Impact Model of the COVID-19 Crisis
Authors: Lim Jaewon , Kourtit Karima , Nijkamp Peter , Stream Christopher
Published: March 2022

This paper analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on mass tourism concentrations, such as Las Vegas. It argues that health risks and perceptions may induce a more deconcentrated pattern of mass tourism, with more geographical dispersion to rural and natural areas. The analytical framework is modeled and applied to extensive data on Las Vegas tourism. The proposition on deconcentrated tourism concentrations is confirmed. Pre-pandemic outer-inner city complementary relations between “Outdoor Activities” in 11 surrounding national parks and the “Gaming Industry” in Las Vegas have transformed into outer-inner city substitution relations in the COVID-19 pandemic. This represents the evolving deconcentration of tourism concentration facing the growing uncertainty in an inner-city due to health risks in a pandemic. Availability of diversified tourism resources may dampen the shock to a concentrated tourism destination such as Las Vegas when effectively linked to the decentralized but easily accessible tourism resources in dispersed rural and natural areas.
Enhanced Sonocatalytic Performance of Non-Metal Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4)/Coconut Shell Husk Derived-Carbon Composite
Authors: Pang Yean Ling , Koe Aaron Zhen Yao , Chan Yin Yin , Lim Steven , Chong Woon Chan
Published: March 2022

This study focused on the modification of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) using carbon which was obtained from the pyrolysis of coconut shell husk. The sonocatalytic performance of the synthesized samples was then studied through the degradation of malachite green. In this work, pure g-C3N4, pure carbon and carbon/g-C3N4 composites (C/g-C3N4) at different weight percentages were prepared and characterized by using XRD, SEM-EDX, FTIR, TGA and surface analysis. The effect of carbon amount in the C/g-C3N4 composites on the sonocatalytic performance was studied and 10 wt% C/g-C3N4 showed the best catalytic activity. The optimization study was conducted by using response surface methodology (RSM) with a central composite design (CCD) model. Three experimental parameters were selected in RSM including initial dye concentration (20 to 25 ppm), initial catalyst loading (0.3 to 0.5 g/L), and solution pH (4 to 8). The model obtained was found to be significant and reliable with R2 value (0.9862) close to unity. The degradation efficiency of malachite green was optimized at 97.11% under the conditions with initial dye concentration = 20 ppm, initial catalyst loading = 0.5 g/L, solution pH = 8 after 10 min. The reusability study revealed the high stability of 10 wt% C/g-C3N4 as sonocatalyst. In short, 10 wt% C/g-C3N4 has a high potential for industrial application since it is cost effective, reusable, sustainable, and provides good sonocatalytic performance.
Disclosure of Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance Information by Spanish Companies: A Compliance Analysis
Authors: Gutiérrez-Ponce Herenia , Chamizo-González Julian , Arimany-Serrat Nuria
Published: March 2022

The transposition of Directive 2014/95/EU to Spain through Law 11/2018 of December 28 requires companies to publish information on the impact of their environmental, social, and governance activities (ESG information) in management reports or in a “non-financial statement.” This study aims to assess the readiness of IBEX35 companies to submit ESG reports through their communication and web transparency and to determine whether such ESG information is related to these companies’ financial indicators. The study is pioneering in the analysis of the transparency of non-financial information on the websites of companies listed on the main Spanish stock market index (IBEX 35). It uses exploratory and descriptive analysis to determine whether the companies with the best economic efficiency indicators are also the most transparent in non-financial indicators (ESG) and to what extent these relationships explain the dependency between the two. The findings reveal that IBEX35 companies need to improve their web transparency by presenting solid non-financial reports with ESG sustainability parameters. The results show that companies with economic profitability in Return on Assets that use their debt levels wisely disclose higher levels of ESG information. In other words, financial performance and indebtedness contribute to improving levels of ESG disclosure on the IBEX35. Companies must also improve accessibility to ESG information, update it, and classify it in accordance with current regulations.
Technology-Based Strategies for Online Secondhand Platforms Promoting Sustainable Retailing
Authors: Bae Yoonjae , Choi Jungyeon , Gantumur Munguljin , Kim Nayeon
Published: March 2022

Online secondhand resale platforms are a booming industry involving the growing recognition of various economic, environmental, and recreational benefits in buying and selling used items. This preliminary study explores technology-based strategies for online secondhand platforms, which contributed to the resale industry’s steady growth and digital transformation. Through a variety of literature, this study established a basis for developing research on technological innovations in online resale platforms. A mixed method was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data to investigate and understand the features of resale e-commerce. Case studies of four online secondhand resale platforms specializing in general goods and fashion helped identify a variety of technological strategies that were later analyzed based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). Survey data from respondents in their twenties and thirties living in South Korea indicated features that promote safe transactions, engaging user experience and user interface design, and individual compatibility as most effective in influencing users’ resale platform usage. Features that involve high technology, such as virtual reality and machine learning, had the least impact on users’ usage. Data gathered from follow-up interviews showing the recurring theme of unfamiliarity with the technological features corroborated the survey findings. Analyzing qualitative data from expert interviews generated key concepts in future trends in online resale platform strategies, including effective data management. Based on this study’s findings, the digitalization and onlineization of the online secondhand resale industry are likely to continue with the implementation of various strategies that contribute to users’ perceptions of usefulness, ease-of-use, and enjoyment, increasing users’ satisfaction and, hence, the actual usage of these platforms. The proliferation of secondary e-commerce will facilitate a shared culture that values sustainable consumption in online platforms and promote sustainability in the retail industry.
Thermal Resistance of 30° Sloped, Enclosed Airspaces Subjected to Upward Heat Flow
Authors: Saber Hamed H. , Hajiah Ali E.
Published: March 2022

Heat transmission across an enclosed space is determined by the type of filling gas, the temperatures and long-wave emissivities of all surfaces that define the space, and the heat flow direction. The ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals provides the thermal resistances (R-values) of enclosed airspaces with only five effective emittance values (E) for vertical, horizontal, and 45° airspaces. ASHRAE R-values do not include the case of 30° sloped airspaces. In addition, ASHRAE R-values ignore the impact of the airspace aspect ratio (A) on R-values. However, many previous studies, as well as this study, have shown that A can have a significant effect on the R-value. Previously, correlations were developed for determining the R-values for vertical (90°) airspaces subjected to horizontal heat flow, horizontal (0°) airspaces subjected to up and down heat flow, 45° airspaces subjected to up and down heat flow, and 30° airspaces subjected to downward heat flow. To the authors’ knowledge, no such correlation existed for determining the R-value of 30° airspaces subjected to upward heat flow, which is developed in this paper. The potential increase in R-value by placing a thin layer of varied emittance on both sides in the middle of the airspace was also considered. Architects and building designers can use the developed correlation to compute the R-values of airspaces of various values for A and E and various operating conditions. This correlation along with the previous correlations can be included in the current energy models (e.g., EnergyPlus, ESP-r, DOE, and Design Builder).
Evolutionary Algorithm-Based Modeling of Split Tensile Strength of Foundry Sand-Based Concrete
Authors: Guan Tao , Shanku Wang , Rauf Momina , Adil Shahzeb , Iqbal Muhammad Farjad , Tariq Muhammad Atiq Ur Rahman , Azim Iftikhar , Ng Anne W. M.
Published: March 2022

Foundry sand (FS) is produced as a waste material by metal casting foundries. It is being utilized as an alternative to fine aggregates for developing sustainable concrete. In this paper, an artificial intelligence technique, i.e., gene expression programming (GEP) has been implemented to empirically formulate prediction models for split tensile strength (ST) of concrete containing FS. For this purpose, an extensive experimental database has been collated from the literature and split up into training, validation, and testing sets for modeling purposes. ST is modeled as a function of water-to-cement ratio, percentage of FS, and FS-to-cement content ratio. The reliability of the proposed expression is validated by conducting several statistical and parametric analyses. The modeling results depicted that the prediction model is robust and accurate with a high generalization capability. The availability of reliable formulation to predict strength properties can promote the utilization of foundry industry waste in the construction sector, promoting green construction and saving time and cost incurred during experimental testing.
Automatic Ceiling Damage Detection in Large-Span Structures Based on Computer Vision and Deep Learning
Authors: Wang Pujin , Xiao Jianzhuang , Kawaguchi Ken’ichi , Wang Lichen
Published: March 2022

To alleviate the workload in prevailing expert-based onsite inspection, a vision-based method using state-of-the-art deep learning architectures is proposed to automatically detect ceiling damage in large-span structures. The dataset consists of 914 images collected by the Kawaguchi Lab since 1995 with over 7000 learnable damages in the ceilings and is categorized into four typical damage forms (peelings, cracks, distortions, and fall-offs). Twelve detection models are established, trained, and compared by variable hyperparameter analysis. The best performing model reaches a mean average precision (mAP) of 75.28%, which is considerably high for object detection. A comparative study indicates that the model is generally robust to the challenges in ceiling damage detection, including partial occlusion by visual obstructions, the extremely varied aspect ratios, small object detection, and multi-object detection. Another comparative study in the F1 score performance, which combines the precision and recall in to one single metric, shows that the model outperforms the CNN (convolutional neural networks) model using the Saliency-MAP method in our previous research to a remarkable extent. In the case of a large-area ratio with a non-ceiling region, the F1 score of these two models are 0.83 and 0.28, respectively. The findings of this study push automatic ceiling damage detection in large-span structures one step further.
Humanities and Social Sciences in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals and STEM Education
Authors: Marcone Giancarlo
Published: March 2022

This article explores the question: How can the humanities and social sciences become key elements for the implementation of quality STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, providing students with the competencies required for a sustainable development agenda? To answer this question, the article seeks to (1) understand the elements that are common in STEM education, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), and Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, (2) analyze these relationships in higher education, and (3) evaluate how to integrate them in a classroom. The article presents the experience of a course that explicitly seeks to integrate humanities and social sciences in a STEM-oriented institution of higher education. This discussion will be complemented by the analysis of survey data from two semesters, taken at the beginning and at the end of a course. This will help to discuss how the students shaped their perceptions about these topics and to what extent these perceptions were or were not changed by the course. Finally, the article proposes that the specific analysis of sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their targets are educational tools to help achieve interdisciplinarity in the classroom, but only if we help the students to see the relationship of these SDGs to their own lives and with their own careers.
Visioning a Food System for an Equitable Transition towards Sustainable Diets—A South African Perspective
Authors: Sobratee Nafiisa , Davids Rashieda , Chinzila Chuma B. , Mabhaudhi Tafadzwanashe , Scheelbeek Pauline , Modi Albert T. , Dangour Alan D. , Slotow Rob
Published: March 2022

The global goal to end hunger requires the interpretation of problems and change across multiple domains to create the scope for collaboration, learning, and impactful research. We facilitated a workshop aimed at understanding how stakeholders problematize sustainable diet transition (SDT) among a previously marginalized social group. Using the systems thinking approach, three sub-systems, namely access to dietary diversity, sustainable beneficiation of natural capital, and ‘food choice for well-being’, highlighted the main forces governing the current context, and future interventions of the project. Moreover, when viewed as co-evolving processes within the multi-level perspective, our identified microlevel leverage points—multi-faceted literacy, youth empowerment, deliberative policymaking, and promotion of sustainable diet aspirations—can be linked and developed through existing national macro-level strategies. Thus, co-designing to problematize transformational SDT, centered on an interdisciplinary outlook and informational governance, could streamline research implementation outcomes to re-structure socio-technical sectors and reconnect people to nature-based solutions. Such legitimate aspirations could be relevant in countries bearing complex socio-political legacies and bridge the local–global goals coherently. This work provides a collaborative framework required to develop impact-driven activities needed to inform evidence-based policies on sustainable diets.
Exploring the Configuration of Institutional Practices—A Case Study of Innovation Implementation in Healthcare
Authors: Rincón Viviana Gutiérrez , Bayon Manoj Chandra , Zambrano Jose Javier Aguilar , Vasquez Javier Medina
Published: March 2022

In this study we provide a fine-grained description of the micro-processes of innovation through a qualitative study of the implementation of telemedicine innovation in a healthcare organization. Our qualitative analysis uses a mix of participant interviews, observation techniques and archival data sources. We use the concept of translation to describe the movement of ideas and practices through social interrelationships. Our results suggest that the implementation of innovation involving changes in extant institutional practices is a result of a translation during which actors assess not only their specific role within a given institutional practice but also how their actions influence the broad outcome. Our results bring to the fore the role that interactions between organizational actors and institutional practices play in the implementation of innovation. Consistent with the translation perspective, our results suggest that the implementation of innovation is mainly an organizational change process facilitated by a concurrence of meaning or the lack of it lack among organizational actors. Our study provides new evidence on the institutional practices that are created, maintained, modified as well as disrupted during the implementation of externally developed innovation.
A Stochastic Discrete Empirical Interpolation Approach for Parameterized Systems
Authors: Cai Daheng , Yao Chengbin , Liao Qifeng
Published: March 2022

As efficient separation of variables plays a central role in model reduction for nonlinear and nonaffine parameterized systems, we propose a stochastic discrete empirical interpolation method (SDEIM) for this purpose. In our SDEIM, candidate basis functions are generated through a random sampling procedure, and the dimension of the approximation space is systematically determined by a probability threshold. This random sampling procedure avoids large candidate sample sets for high-dimensional parameters, and the probability based stopping criterion can efficiently control the dimension of the approximation space. Numerical experiments are conducted to demonstrate the computational efficiency of SDEIM, which include separation of variables for general nonlinear functions, e.g., exponential functions of the Karhu nen–Loève (KL) expansion, and constructing reduced order models for FitzHugh–Nagumo equations, where symmetry among limit cycles is well captured by SDEIM.
Photon Counting CT and Radiomic Analysis Enables Differentiation of Tumors Based on Lymphocyte Burden
Authors: Allphin Alex J. , Mowery Yvonne M. , Lafata Kyle J. , Clark Darin P. , Bassil Alex M. , Castillo Rico , Odhiambo Diana , Holbrook Matthew D. , Ghaghada Ketan B. , Badea Cristian T.
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate if radiomic analysis based on spectral micro-CT with nanoparticle contrast-enhancement can differentiate tumors based on lymphocyte burden. High mutational load transplant soft tissue sarcomas were initiated in Rag2+/− and Rag2−/− mice to model varying lymphocyte burden. Mice received radiation therapy (20 Gy) to the tumor-bearing hind limb and were injected with a liposomal iodinated contrast agent. Five days later, animals underwent conventional micro-CT imaging using an energy integrating detector (EID) and spectral micro-CT imaging using a photon-counting detector (PCD). Tumor volumes and iodine uptakes were measured. The radiomic features (RF) were grouped into feature-spaces corresponding to EID, PCD, and spectral decomposition images. The RFs were ranked to reduce redundancy and increase relevance based on TL burden. A stratified repeated cross validation strategy was used to assess separation using a logistic regression classifier. Tumor iodine concentration was the only significantly different conventional tumor metric between Rag2+/− (TLs present) and Rag2−/− (TL-deficient) tumors. The RFs further enabled differentiation between Rag2+/− and Rag2−/− tumors. The PCD-derived RFs provided the highest accuracy (0.68) followed by decomposition-derived RFs (0.60) and the EID-derived RFs (0.58). Such non-invasive approaches could aid in tumor stratification for cancer therapy studies.
Botulinum Toxin for Essential Tremor and Hands Tremor in the Neurological Diseases: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Liao Yen-Hui , Hong Chien-Tai , Huang Tsai-Wei
Published: March 2022

Tremor is a common movement disorder. Essential tremor (ET) is the most common etiology of tremor, while hands tremor is the most disabling type of tremor. This study aimed to explore the effects of Botulinum toxin (BoNT) on tremor within 6 weeks of treatment, and the muscular weakness adverse effect within 6 weeks specifically in randomized controlled trials. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Tremor severity and grip strength after BoNT treatment were investigated. BoNT significantly attenuated hand tremor severity in patients with either essential tremor (ET), Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis (Standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.95 to −0.24, p = 0.001, I2 = 46%). Regarding people with ET, BoNT significantly reduced their tremor severity, including hands tremor and head tremor within 6 weeks of treatment (SMD = −0.58, 95% CI, −0.28 to −0.88, p = 0.002, I2 = 0%). Electromyography (EMG) but not anatomical guidance BoNT injection provided significant benefit on the relief of tremor in both conditions. The principal adverse event was weakness, but it did not worse within 6 weeks of BoNT treatment (SMD = −0.35, 95% CI, −0.83 to 0.12, p = 0.07, I2 = 57%), as assessed by the subjective grip strength. In conclusion, BoNT was an effective treatment for the hand tremor and ET, and EMG guidance injection was preferred. In addition, the muscular weakness adverse effect was not significant.
Multiplicity Dependencies of Midrapidity Transverse Momentum Distributions of Identified Charged Particles in Proton-Proton Collisions at (s)1/2 = 7 TeV at the LHC
Authors: Olimov Khusniddin K. , Liu Fu-Hu , Musaev Kobil A. , Shodmonov Maratbek Z.
Published: March 2022

Dependencies of midrapidity pt distributions of the charged pions and kaons, protons and antiprotons on charged-particle multiplicity density () in inelastic proton-proton collisions at (s)1/2 = 7 TeV at the LHC, measured by ALICE Collaboration, are investigated. The simultaneous minimum χ2 fits with the Tsallis function with thermodynamical consistence and the Hagedorn function with included transverse flow have well-described the pt spectra of the particle species in the ten studied groups of charged-particle multiplicity density. The effective temperatures, T, of the Tsallis function with thermodynamical consistence have shown a steady rise with increasing the charged-particle multiplicity in proton-proton collisions at (s)1/2 = 7 TeV, in agreement with the similar result obtained recently in proton-proton collisions at (s)1/2 = 13 TeV at the LHC. The respective T versus  dependence in proton-proton collisions at (s)1/2 = 7 TeV is reproduced quite well by the simple power function with the same value (≈ 1/3) of the exponent parameter as that extracted in proton-proton collisions at (s)1/2 = 13 TeV. The identical power dependence T~ε1/3 between the initial energy density and effective temperature of the system has been observed in proton-proton collisions at (s)1/2 = 7 and 13 TeV. We have observed that the transverse radial flow emerges at  ≈ 6 and then increases, becoming substantial at larger multiplicity events in proton-proton collisions at (s)1/2 = 7 TeV. We have estimated, analyzing T0 and ⟨βt⟩ versus  dependencies, that the possible onset of deconfinement phase transition in proton-proton collisions at (s)1/2 = 7 TeV occurs at  ≈ 6.1 ± 0.3, which is close to the corresponding recent estimate ( ≈ 7.1 ± 0.2) in proton-proton collisions at (s)1/2 = 13 TeV. The corresponding critical energy densities for probable onset of deconfinement phase transition in proton-proton collisions at (s)1/2 = 7 and 13 TeV at the LHC have been estimated to be 0.67 ± 0.03 and 0.76 ± 0.02 GeV/fm3, respectively.
Gauge Gravity Vacuum in Constraintless Clairaut-Type Formalism
Authors: Walker Michael L. , Duplij Steven
Published: March 2022

The gauged Lorentz theory with torsion has been argued to have an effective theory whose non-trivial background is responsible for background gravitational curvature if torsion is treated as a quantum-mechanical variable against a background of constant curvature. We use the CDG decomposition to argue that such a background can be found without including torsion. Adapting our previously published Clairaut-based treatment of QCD, we go on to study the implications for second quantisation.
Minisuperspace Quantum Cosmology in Metric and Affine Theories of Gravity
Authors: Capozziello Salvatore , Bajardi Francesco
Published: March 2022

Minisuperspace Quantum Cosmology is an approach by which it is possible to infer initial conditions for dynamical systems which can suitably represent observable and non-observable universes. Here we discuss theories of gravity which, from various points of view, extend Einstein’s General Relativity. Specifically, the Hamiltonian formalism for f(R), f(T), and f(G) gravity, with R, T, and G being the curvature, torsion and Gauss–Bonnet scalars, respectively, is developed starting from the Arnowitt–Deser–Misner approach. The Minisuperspace Quantum Cosmology is derived for all these models and cosmological solutions are obtained thanks to the existence of Noether symmetries. The Hartle criterion allows the interpretation of solutions in view of observable universes.
Effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination on SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 in Sicily over an Eight-Month Period
Authors: Amodio Emanuele , Vella Giuseppe , Restivo Vincenzo , Casuccio Alessandra , Vitale Francesco ,   on behalf of the COVID-19 Surveillance Working Group of the University of Palermo
Published: March 2022

In order to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the burden of disease, since 27 December 2020, Sicily has introduced a regional COVID-19 vaccination campaign. This study aimed at estimating the effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines on SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19. A retrospective cohort study was carried out on 3,966,976 Sicilian adults aged 18 years or more, who were followed-up from 1 January 2021 to 30 September 2021. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, severe COVID-19, and COVID-19 death or intubation during the study period was compared among vaccinated with two mRNA doses and unvaccinated individuals. Cox regression, adjusted for age and sex, and a joint-point analysis on rate trends were performed. Overall, 2,469,320 (62.2%) subjects have been vaccinated and a total of 103,078 (2.6% of the entire population) SARS-CoV-2-positive subjects have been observed including 4693 (0.12%) severe COVID-19, 277 (0.01%) intubated, and 2649 (0.07%) deaths. After two months from vaccination, adjusted vaccine effectiveness was 81.3% against SARS-CoV-2 infection, 96.1% against severe COVID-19, and 93.4% against intubation/death. During the eight-month follow-up, statistically significant decreasing effectiveness trends were observed for all the evaluated outcomes (−4.76% per month against SARS-CoV-2 infection; −2.27% per month against severe COVID-19 and −2.26% per month against COVID-19 intubation/death). The study results confirm that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have high real-world effectiveness, especially in the first months after vaccination. The vaccine effectiveness decreases over time and, even if the decrease is relatively small against severe outcomes, the increasing protection wane suggests the need for booster vaccination campaigns.
Модель разработки долгосрочного прогноза развития фундаментальных и поисковых научных исследований в контексте реализации документов стратегического планирования России
Authors:   Институт проблем развития науки РАН, Остапюк Сергей Федорович , Фетисов Вячеслав Петрович ,   Институт проблем развития науки РАН
Published: March 2022

В статье рассмотрены нормативно-правовые основания и предмет разработки прогноза развития фундаментальных и поисковых научных исследований. Разработаны положения, факторы и условия, регламентирующие формирование данного прогноза. Сформулированы предложения по развитию информационного и экспертного сопровождения прогноза.
О возможности применения сценарного подхода при прогнозировании и бюджетировании в практике корпоративного управления ПАО "Аэрофлот"
Authors:   Российский государственный университет им. А.Н. Косыгина (Технологии. Дизайн. Искусство), Филатов Владимир Владимирович , Аленина Елена Эдуардовна ,   Московский политехнический университет, Демченкова Светлана Алексеевна ,   Московский автомобильно-дорожный государственный технический университет, Пучкова Диана Романовна ,   Московский городской университет управления Правительства Москвы им. Ю.М. Лужкова
Published: March 2022

В статье рассмотрены возможности применения сценарного подхода при прогнозировании и бюджетировании в практике корпоративного управления ПАО «Аэрофлот». По методике Национального рейтинга корпоративного управления в 2018 г. в компании ПАО «Аэрофлот» рейтинг равен 7++, что говорит о соблюдении российского законодательства, учете интересов всех заинтересованных сторон (акционеров, государства, сотрудников, потребителей услуг). В настоящее время установлено, что в 2020-2021гг. этот аспект корпоративного управления в компании ПАО «Аэрофлот» реализуется не в полном объеме и требует доработки. Можно предположить, что именно из-за этого система управления рисками компании ПАО «Аэрофлот» не смогла своевременно справиться с разработкой антикризисных мероприятий. Авторы рекомендуют при составлении бюджетов подробно рассматривать пессимистический и оптимистический сценарии, для каждого из них планировать систему бюджетов, разрабатывать мероприятия по снижению рисков, быстрому реагированию на возникающие угрозы. Установлено, что применение сценарного подхода при бюджетировании и в практиках корпоративного управления позволит ПАО «Аэрофлот» рассмотреть все возможные ситуации, в том числе и маловероятные, своевременно поставить в известность о всех возможных рисках представителей Совета директоров, разработать мероприятия по минимизации риска.
Климатический саммит в Риме и конференция по климату в Глазго в 2021 году
Authors:   ООО ", Кузовкин Анатолий Ильич ,   Институт микроэкономики"
Published: March 2022

Мировые лидеры разъехались из Рима и Глазго, так и не взяв на себя повышенных обязательств сократить вредные выбросы. Без этого ученые прочат планете и человечеству климатическую катастрофу уже в этом веке. На саммите в Риме было решено только снизить добычу угля в мире после 2030 г. Успехи саммита в Глазго: обещания прекратить вырубку лесов после 2030 г. и уменьшить выбросы метана на 30% к 2030 г. В начале января 2022 г. по инициативе Франции – председателя ЕС в 2022 г. будет рассмотрен вопрос о признании АЭС экологически чистой (нейтральной) генерацией. В России в 2021 г. доля АЭС и ГЭС в производстве экологически чистой электроэнергии превышает 40%, а с учетом низкоуглеродных ТЭС на газе – более 80%. Главной проблемой ветряных и солнечных электростанций является необходимость дорогого аккумулирования электроэнергии из-за ненадежности погоды, которая ухудшается последние годы, например, безветрие в Северной Европе и морозы в 2021 г. в мире. Эти вопрос обсуждались и в Глазго.
Outcomes of side-to-end versus end-to-end colorectal anastomosis in nonemergent sigmoid and rectal cancers: a randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Habeeb Tamer A.A.M. , Mohammad Hatem , Wasefy Tamer , Mansour Mohamed Ibrahim
Published: March 2022

Purpose: The outcomes of open colorectal anastomosis of side-to-end versus end-to-end in nonemergent sigmoid and rectal cancer surgery in adults were compared.Methods: A randomized controlled trial on individuals with sigmoid and rectal cancers was conducted between September 2016 and September 2018.Results: The mean age was 62.58±12.3 years in the side-to-end anastomotic (SEA) group and 61.03±13.98 years in the end-to-end anastomotic (EEA) group. Except for the operative time, intraoperative data revealed no significant differences between the studied groups, and the SEA group revealed that the mean anastomotic time was significantly shorter. Perioperative blood loss, length of stay, reoperation, inpatient death, infection, and bleeding were significantly associated with leakage. There is a statistically significant change regarding the range of bowel frequency in the EEA group only (P=0.04). There is a statistically significant difference regarding incontinence for flatus in the SEA group only (P≤0.001). A statistically significant change in both groups regards incontinence for liquid stools (P≤0.001) and clustering of stools (P≤0.001 and P=0.043). The quality of life in the SEA group significantly dropped at 6 months and then returned to baseline as regards to physical well-being (PWB), functional well-being (FWB), and colorectal cancer symptoms (CCS) with no difference as regards SWB and EWB, while in the EEA group, the exact change happened only as regard PWB and FWB, but SWB and CCS percentage did not return to baseline.Conclusion: The SEA group offers a safe alternative approach to the EEA group.
Clinicopathologic characteristics of early-onset colorectal cancer
Authors: Park Kui Seon , Hong Young Ki , Choi Yoon Jung , Kang Jung Gu
Published: March 2022

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analysis of the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) under the age of 50 years.Methods: Between January 2009 and December 2018, 1,126 primary CRC patients were included from National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital. The patients were divided into group 1 (n=111, ≤50 years) and group 2 (n=1,015, >50 years). The clinicopathologic features and prognostic outcomes were compared. In addition, to analyze whether there were any differences of those characteristics in 3 groups, patients aged under 50 years were divided into their 20s, 30s, and 40s.Results: Group 1 had a slightly higher distribution in the left colon and rectum, lower T stage I and higher T stage IV rate, and a significantly higher distribution in stage N2 than group 2 (30.6%:16.3%, P<0.001). Poor histological differentiation of tumors was significantly high in group 1 (P=0.003). The 5-year survival rate for those in their 30s (69.2%) and 40s (91.6%) was higher than those in their 20s who died immediately after surgery (P<0.001). The 5-year disease-free survival rate was also confirmed to be meaningful for each age group, with 0% in their 20s, 53.8% in their 30s, 79.2% in their 40s (P<0.001).Conclusion: Although the age was not an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in this study, the early onset group of CRCs is more advanced at the time of diagnosis and has a more aggressive histologic type.
Characterizing the Decision Process in Setting Corn and Soybean Seeding Rates
Authors: Hennessy David , Lindsey Alexander , Che Yuyuan , Lindsey Laura , Singh Maninder , Feng Hongli , Hawkins Elizabeth , Subburayalu Sakthi , Black Roy , Richer Eric , Ochs Daniel
Published: March 2022

Selecting optimal corn and soybean seeding rates are difficult decisions to make. A survey of Ohio and Michigan farm operators finds that, although generally keen to learn from others, they tend to emphasize their own experience over outside information sources. Soybean growers declare university and extension recommendations as more important than do corn growers. In response to direct queries and in free comments, growers place more emphasis on understanding the agronomic and technological problems at hand than on adjusting to the market environment. Given the decision environment, we argue that these responses are reasonable.
EVALUATION OF TRANSMISSION DURING ACTIVE DENTAL PROCEDURES DURING THE SARS-COV-2 PANDEMIC
Authors: KÜREM İnan , KILIÇ Duygu , ÖZTÜRK Taner , DOĞRUEL Fatma , ARSLAN Soley
Published: March 2022

The aim of the study was to evaluate the measures taken in a dentistry faculty due to the COVID-19 (SARS-Cov-2) pandemic and their application methods and based to create a guide for infection control management in dentistry. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, performed in the Dentistry Faculty of Erciyes University were only emergency treatments in the first 3 months (T1) and after this period, normalization procedures and routine treatments (T2) were performed by recruiting patients at much lower capacity than before the pandemic. COVID-19 infection and isolation status of all staff working in the hospital during these periods were recorded. The source of infection that reveals these situations is defined as an internal source (IS) from within the hospital and as an external-source (ES) from contact outside the hospital. In the T1 period, no physician had COVID-19 infection or was put into isolation. In the T2 period, 3 out of 176 physicians had COVID-19 infection due to ES, and a total of 12 physicians, 5 from IS and 7 from ES, were put into isolation. That there were no physicians, who had COVID-19 infection in the T1 and T2 time intervals due to IS, shows that the measures taken in our faculty were sufficient. We think that these rules, which were arranged separately for the needs of each department, in accordance with the pandemic conditions by our faculty's infection board, are an effective guide for dental clinics, oral and dental health polyclinics, hospitals, and dentistry faculties.
Determinants of Food Security Status and Coping Strategies among Rice Farmers in Kebbi State, Nigeria
Authors: Danmaigoro A , Gona A
Published: March 2022

This study evaluated the food security status of rice farmers in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Data were generated from a sample of 120 rice farmers using multi-stage random sampling technique. Descriptive statistic, Food security index and Logistic regression models were used for the analysis. The results revealed that 36.7% were food secured while 63.3% were food insecure. The results revealed that the coefficient of age, gender, household size and farm size were statistically significant and positively influence food security status of rice farming households at 10%, 1%, 5%, and 1% level of probability, respectively. Based on the findings, it is recommended that government should improve on education and sensitize rice farmers regarding family planning since household size worsens the food security status of rice farming households. There is the need to increase the volume of food production as well as improve access to income generating activities that are more sustainable. Policies aimed at providing farm inputs at subsidize rate will motivate farming households and also increase their productivity.
Impact of GST on Rural Purchasing
Authors: Shanmugam P , Haripriya I
Published: March 2022

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a vast concept that simplifies the giant tax structure by supporting and enhancing the growth of a country GST is a apprehensive tax levy on manufacturing, sale and consumption of goods and services at a national level. The introduction of GST without proper preparation in the country as well as the state have made both positive and negative impacts on rural economy. Hence, an attempt has been made to analyse the impact of GST on rural households in Coimbatore district.