bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical analysis of substitute drugs of abuse – “legal highs” from Lubuskie province, Poland
Authors: Mruczyk Kinga , Durkalec-Michalski Krzysztof , Jeszka Jan , Lipińska Joanna , Stefański Zbigniew
Published: March 2021

Introduction. Interest in substitute drugs of abuse, commonly called “dopalacze” [literally “after-burns”] that is “legal highs”, in Poland and abuse of such products, which could pose a significant life hazard, led to legislative action taken by the government. The decision by the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate made shops commonly called “smart shops” close down, while confiscated products were subjected to chemical analyses by national research institutes.Aim. Determination of the chemical composition and possible presence of active substances contained in tested samples of substitute drugs of abuse.Material and methods. The research material consisted of 171 samples taken for analysis at the end of 2010 from retailers in Lubuskie province. Samples of “legal highs” were tested in a specialized laboratory of the Institute of Rural Medicine, Lublin, by means of liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS).Results. Laboratory analyses of “legal high” samples showed the presence of different psychoactive substances in 136 samples, representing 80% of the tested products. The compounds included psychoactive substances – MDPV (17%), 4-EMC (10%), AM-694 (10%), JWH-203 (7%), TFMPP (6%), as well as narcotics, such as mephedrone (5% samples), Piper methysticum (5%), JWH-250 (4%), JWH-200 (5%) and Salvia divinorum (2%). Chemical analyses showed that only 35 samples contained no substances that would affect the physiological and psychological condition of the human body.Conclusions. Analyses of the chemical composition of “legal highs” showed that they contained a large group of different substances or their mixtures exhibiting psychoactive and narcotic activity that may pose a significant health and life hazard.
The role of viruses in the cancerogenesis
Authors: Chojnicki Michał , Pawlaczyk Mariola , Helak-Łapaj Celina , Żurawski Jakub , Wiktorowicz Krzysztof
Published: March 2021

It is estimated that seven key viruses such as Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV), Human papilloma viruses (HPV), Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes-virus (KSHV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV), are responsible for about 11% of cancers all over the world. Viruses however are not only associated with cancerogenesis process. Scientific researches from recent years emphasize the possible use of the microorganisms as antitumor therapy. Oncoviruses, also defined as tumor viruses cause cancers whereas oncolytic viruses infect the host’s cancer cells leading to destruction of tumor and due to that they are described as cancer killing viruses. It offers the potential application of viral infections to the cancer therapy.
Моделирование контактного взаимодействия элементов электромагнитного ускорителя с учетом ортотропных свойств материалов
Authors: Галанин Михаил Павлович , Galanin Mikhail Pavlovich , Родин Александр Сергеевич , Rodin Aleksandr Sergeevich
Published: March 2021

Решена задача о контактном взаимодействии элементов ствола электромагнитного ускорителя. Использовано двумерное упругое приближение. Расчетная область представляет собой одну четвертую часть поперечного сечения и включает в себя рельс, изолятор и силовую оболочку. Для решения задачи применен двухуровневый аддитивный метод Шварца, с помощью которого задача во всей области сведена к решению ряда локальных контактных задач во введенных подобластях. Представлены результаты трех расчетов: в первом применены реалистичные ортотропные свойства материалов, в двух других использованы изотропные приближения (для минимальных и максимальных значений модулей Юнга). Проведен сравнительный анализ напряженно-деформированного состояния ствола ускорителя для каждого случая.
Türkiye’de Kirlilik Sığınağı Hipotezi Geçerli mi? Fourier Eşbütünleşme ve Nedensellik Yöntemlerinden Kanıtlar
Authors: YURTKURAN Süleyman
Published: March 2021

Amaç: Bu çalışma 1971-2018 döneminde Türkiye’de kirlilik sığınağı hipotezi kapsamında doğrudan yabancı sermaye yatırımları, finansal gelişme, yenilenebilir enerji tüketimi ve CO2 salımı arasındaki ilişkiyi araştırmaktadır.

Tasarım/Yöntem: Çalışmada yeni geliştirilen Fourier ADL eşbütünleşme yöntemi, dinamik en küçük kareler uzun dönem tahmincisi ve Fourier Toda-Yamamoto Granger nedensellik testi uygulanmıştır.

Bulgular: Fourier ADL yöntemine göre uzun dönemde seriler arasında eşbütünleşme ilişkisi olduğu belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca dinamik en küçük kareler yöntemine göre doğrudan yabancı sermaye yatırımları ve finansal gelişmedeki artış CO2 salımını arttırmaktadır. Yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları tüketiminin ise çevre kirliliği üzerinde herhangi bir etkisi bulunmamaktadır. Doğrudan yabancı sermaye yatırımlarının CO2 salımını arttırması Türkiye’de kirlilik sığınağı hipotezinin geçerli olduğunu göstermektedir. Ancak yenilenebilir enerji kaynakları tüketimi, çevre kirliliğini azaltmak için arzu edilen düzeyde bulunmamaktadır. Son olarak seriler arasındaki nedensellik ilişkisini belirlemek için Toda-Yamamoto ve Fourier Toda-Yamamoto Granger nedensellik testleri kullanılmıştır. Nedensellik testi sonuçlarına göre doğrudan yabancı sermaye yatırımları ile CO2 salımı arasında çift yönlü, finansal gelişmeden CO2 salımına doğru tek yönlü bir nedensellik ilişkisi olduğu belirlenmiştir.

Sınırlılıklar: Bu çalışmada yalnızca çevre kirliliği göstergesi olarak CO2 salımı kullanılmıştır.

Özgünlük/Değer: Türkiye için gerçekleştirilen çalışmalarda doğrudan yabancı sermaye yatırımları ile yenilenebilir enerji tüketiminin birlikte analiz edilmemiştir. Ayrıca yeni geliştirilen Fourier ADL eşbütünleşme Toda-Yamamoto Granger nedensellik yöntemleri kirlilik sığınağı hipotezi çalışmalarında kullanılmamıştır. Çalışmanın bu şekliyle literatüre katkı sağlayacağı öngörülmektedir.
Large Lytic Defects Produce Kinematic Instability and Loss of Compressive Strength in Human Spines
Authors: Alkalay Ron N. , Adamson Robert , Miropolsky Alexander , Davis Roger B. , Groff Mike L. , Hackney David B.
Published: March 2021

Background:

In patients with spinal metastases, kinematic instability is postulated to be a predictor of pathologic vertebral fractures. However, the relationship between this kinematic instability and the loss of spinal strength remains unknown.

Methods:

Twenty-four 3-level thoracic and lumbar segments from 8 cadaver spines from female donors aged 47 to 69 years were kinematically assessed in axial compression (180 N) and axial compression with a flexion or extension moment (7.5 Nm). Two patterns of lytic defects were mechanically simulated: (1) a vertebral body defect, corresponding to Taneichi model C (n = 13); and (2) the model-C defect plus destruction of the ipsilateral pedicle and facet joint, corresponding to Taneichi model E (n = 11). The kinematic response was retested, and compression strength was measured. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to test the effect of each model on the kinematic response of the segment. Multivariable linear regression was used to test the association between the kinematic parameters and compressive strength of the segment.

Results:

Under a flexion moment, and for both models C and E, the lesioned spines exhibited greater flexion range of motion (ROM) and axial translation than the control spines. Both models C and E caused lower extension ROM and greater axial, sagittal, and transverse translation under an extension moment compared with the control spines. Two-way repeated-measures analysis revealed that model E, compared with model C, caused significantly greater changes in extension and torsional ROM under an extension moment, and greater sagittal translation under a flexion moment. For both models C and E, greater differences in flexion ROM and sagittal translation under a flexion moment, and greater differences in extension ROM and in axial and transverse translation under an extension moment, were associated with lower compressive strength of the lesioned spines.

Conclusions:

Critical spinal lytic defects result in kinematic abnormalities and lower the compressive strength of the spine.

Clinical Relevance:

This experimental study demonstrates that lytic foci degrade the kinematic stability and compressive strength of the spine. Understanding the mechanisms for this degradation will help to guide treatment decisions that address inferred instability and fracture risk in patients with metastatic spinal disease.
Energy access in informal settlements to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Nerini Francesco Fuso , Christley Emily , Ljungberg Hanna , Ackom Emmanuel
Published: March 2021

Over one billion people live in urban dwellers without adequate access to basic services such as energy, water, and healthcare. Here we use the SDG ´lens´ to evaluate how local policies and plans for energy access in informal settlements can be coordinated with the SDGs achievement. With a case study in Kibera, Kenya, we analyse how local energy access could enable or inhibit all local SDG Targets. Then, based on this knowledge, we propose a set of actions to achieve full modern energy access without compromising other local Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, we propose a new taxonomy to evaluate how actions affect the interlinkages between local energy access and the achievement of the SDGs.
EPPDA: An Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Data Aggregation Scheme with Authentication and Authorization for IoT-Based Healthcare
Authors: Almalki Faris. A. , Soufiene Ben othman
Published: March 2021

Internet of Things (IoT) connects various kinds of intelligent objects and devices using the internet to collect and exchange data. Nowadays, The IoT is used in diverse application domains, including the healthcare. In the healthcare domain, the IoT devices can collects patient data, and its forwards the data to the healthcare professionals can view it. The IoT devices are usually resource-constrained in terms of energy consumption, storage capacity, computational capability, and communication range, data aggregation techniques are used to reduce the communication overhead. However, in healthcare system using IoT, the heterogeneity of technologies, the large number of devices and systems, and the different types of users and roles create important challenges in terms of security. For that, the security and privacy aggregation of health data are very important aspects. In this paper, we propose a novel secure data aggregation scheme based on homomorphic primitives in IoT based healthcare systems, called “An Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Data Aggregation Scheme with authentication for IoT-Based Healthcare applications” (EPPDA). EPPDA is based the Verification and Authorization phase to verifying the legitimacy of the nodes wants to join the process of aggregation. EPPDA uses additive homomorphic encryption to protect data privacy and combines it with homomorphic MAC to check the data integrity. The security analysis and experimental results show that our proposed scheme guarantees data privacy, messages authenticity, and integrity, with lightweight communication overhead and computation.
Design and development of Dipole Array Antenna for Wi-Fi Applications
Authors: K Malaisamy , M Santhi , S Robinson , Mohd Wasim
Published: March 2021

This paper illustrates the design and development of the Series-fed Two Dipole Array antenna (STDA) for Wi-Fi applications. The proposed antenna consists of two dipole elements of different lengths, which are serially joined by the Coplanar Strip Line (CPS). The design incorporates an alternative feeding mechanism of coaxial/probe feeding technique with balun. The primary objective of this paper is to develop the high gain antenna with array configuration for Wi-Fi applications. The performance parameters of an antenna such as return loss, radiation pattern, gain and directivity are investigated for STDA array configurations. It operates at 2.4 GHz and produces a high gain of 21.6 dBi with reflector. The STDA antenna has been analyzed for different array configurations in the formation of 1×4, 1×8, 2×8 STDA array formation in order to improve the overall gain. The proposed antenna is fabricated an FR4 substrate with a dielectric constant of 4.4 and Loss tangent (tan δ) of 0.007 with the thickness of 1.6 mm. The size of an antenna is about 105 mm × 80 mm. The proposed antenna meets the requirements of an antenna which is operating at 2.4GHz with a bandwidth of 200 MHz; hence, it is found to be suitable for Wi-Fi applications.
An Energy-Efficient Routing Mechanism (EERM) for Wireless Sensor and Actor Networks
Authors: Saeed Muhammad Kashif , Mahmood Khalid , Hassan Mahmood Ul , Shah Ansar Munir , Khan Jahangir , Asshad Muhammad
Published: March 2021

Wireless Sensor and actor networks (WSANs) are the most vital research area in the wireless communication field. It consists of sensors, actors, and the base station, where actor nodes work as these networks' spine. The network's main objective is to sense the critical information from the area of interest and then send it to the base station. After that, it can make accurate decisions. This project proposes an Energy-Efficient Routing Mechanism (EERM) technique for the effective routing process. It works in three phases, which are Network initialization, data gathering, and routing. Once the node senses the data and tries to forward it to the base station, it chooses the sensor/ actor nodes from its neighbors having more energy and less distance towards the base station, a final node. As a result, there are significantly fewer chances of data loss due to battery depletion. Moreover, it confirms that there is no data duplication. After successful data transmission, the node will be set as in sleeping mode to save energy. EERM evaluates with other gossiping routing techniques like FELGossiping, ELGossiping, and LGossiping. It notices that there is less data packet loss in it. More nodes are alive in additional iterations due to energy-efficient solutions, which increases the network lifetime.
Enhanced Simulating Annealing and SVM for Intrusion Detection System in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Prabakar D , Gomathi s , Sasikala S , Saravanan TR , Ramesh s
Published: March 2021

Wireless Sensor Networking (WSN) is among the most recent technologies with uses ranging from medicine to the military. Nevertheless, WSNs are impervious to numerous types of cyber-attacks that could compromise the performance of the entire network, which could lead to fatal problems such as a routing attacks, denial-of-service attack, probe, etc. Key management protocols, secure routing, and authentication protocols cannot offer WSN protections for such kinds of attacks. The intrusion detection scheme is the way to solve the issue. This paper proposes an Enhanced simulated annealing based support vector machine algorithm for intrusion detection. Traditional features selection algorithm simulating annealing takes much time to run. So, to avoid this problem, we have introduced Enhanced simulated annealing. From the performance results, it can be seen that our proposed feature selection method provides better performance results than the existing method.
Enhanced Diversity Gain of Subcarrier Index Modulated MIMO-GFDM using Constellation Precoding Technique for 5G
Authors: Kumar Relangi Anil , K Satya Prasad
Published: March 2021

The massive growth of mobile users and various applications in coming days requires an enhanced Radio Access Technology (eRAT) to improve the diversity gain and spectral efficiency. Current research on Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM) modulation technique combined with Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) antenna system gives good resource allocation, out band emission and better signal strengths over the existing Orthogonal Multiple Access (OMA) techniques. The proposed scheme explains the improvement of diversity gain, spectral efficiency and energy efficiency of MIMO-GFMD system by combining the benefits of Subcarrier Index Modulation (SIM) and Constellation Precoding (CP) Technique. It is referred as SIM-CP-MIMO-GFDM system. In order to achieve the requirements, in proposed scheme few subcarriers are activated by index modulation bits in quadrature/in-phase dimensions and then data symbols are constellation Precoded. At the receiver, data blocks are detected by using QR Decomposition based Maximum Likelihood (ML) detection. Finally, this paper explains both theoretical and simulation result analysis that the proposed SIM-CP-MIMO-GFDM system outperforms compared to existing systems.
Particle Swarm Optimization Based Multi-Objective User Association for LTE-A Heterogeneous Networks
Authors: Summakieh Mhd Amen , Tan Chee Keong , Ng Yin Hoe , El-Saleh Ayman A.
Published: March 2021

Heterogeneous networks (HetNets) are a promising communication paradigm to satisfy the diverse requirements of Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A). Associating users with different base station tiers using the conventional technique based on the highest received SINR is not viable in HetNets due to its rigid association, which only aims at throughput maximization. Many e orts have been made to tackle the optimization problem of user association with a single objective such as throughput, fairness or energy efficiency. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-objective user association technique using particle swarm optimization (PSO) with the aim of jointly maximizing the throughput and the network balance index (NBI). By incorporating weight factors into the proposed scheme, the system operator has the flexibility to configure the priority levels of throughput and NBI. Numerical results demonstrate that our proposed multi-objective user association technique achieves better performance in terms of fitness values compared to the single-objective user association schemes.
Synergetic Physical Freezing and Chemical Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Sugarcane Bagasse Followed by Enzymatic Hydrolysis
Authors: Farghaly Ahmed M. , Ahmed Kareman , Gad Ali
Published: March 2021

This study focuses on employing an eco-friendly pretreatment approach for lignocellulosic Sugarcane Bagasse (SCB) as a major problematic solid waste in Egypt, complying with the standard legislation as well. The applied technique depended on SCB physical fractionation via freezing, followed by chemical hydrolysis using alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) and enzymatic hydrolysis. The changes occurred in macrostructure and the entire lignocellulosic compounds during the pretreatment stages were evaluated. Freezing fractionation resulted in relatively low glucose yield and saccharification ratio at -20°C for 2 h of 307.52 mg/gm native SCB and 48.5%, respectively, where no total reducing sugars (TRS) was obtained. Further AHP pretreatment was performed for the frozen-fractionated SCB at -20°C and 2 h with assistance of Box–Behnken Design response surface methodology (RSM). The investigated key parameters were H2O2 concentration (3, 5.5 and 8 %v/v), temperature (25, 42.5 and 60°C) and pretreatment duration (1, 3 and 5 h). The results revealed that the statistical modelling was able to predict the response of glucose yield and TRS production with R2 = 0.8221 and 0.8814, respectively. Applying the optimization tool of RSM, the optimum predicted values of glucose yield and TRS production were (886.51 mg/gm native SCB and 1.44 mg/mL), respectively; confirmed by the experimental analysis (898.5 mg/gm native SCB and 1.32 mg/mL), respectively. The coincided saccharification ratio was 97.5%. These results were obtained at H2O2 of 3 % (v/v), 56.93°C and 1 h which were 4.32 and 2.01 times higher than that obtained during the freezing pretreatment phase for glucose yield and saccharification ratio, respectively.
Researchers Working With City Administrations: Reflecting on Transdisciplinary Collaboration Under Conditions of Shared Goals but Different Constraints
Authors: Home Robert , Bauer Nicole
Published: March 2021

Academics and city administrations generally agree that environmental management decisions should be science based, which suggests the value of collaboration between city officials and researchers. Such collaboration, termed “ecology with cities”, is an example of translational ecology that should integrate ecological and social sciences to inform decision-makers. However, there has been insufficient reflection on whether ecology with cities achieves the expected development of practical social-ecological knowledge for the common good. We addressed this gap by asking city officials and researchers, in Switzerland and with whom we have collaborated in the past, about their motivations for, and experiences with, transdisciplinary collaboration. The respondents reported largely overlapping goals and an awareness of the mutual benefits of accessing the skills and resources of the other group. However, the reflections also unearthed latent tensions related to insufficient mutual awareness of institutional boundaries and limitations. We conclude that researchers should try to include collaboration partners who have experience in translational ecology practice and should establish learning processes early in a collaboration. Building good working relationships with city administrations and establishing such processes would facilitate the creation of realistic mutual expectations in which institutional limitations are considered so that common goals of maintaining or improving the ecological quality of cities can be amicably reached.
Phytoremediation using Phyllostachys pubescens (Moso Bamboo) to reduce the risk of chromium exposure
Authors: Ranieri Ezio , Cosanti Barbara , Ranieri Ada Cristina
Published: March 2021

In this study, a bamboo species, the Phyllostachys pubescens – Moso Bamboo (MB) -, was selected for its heavy metals accumulation and translocation potential to restore Cr-contaminated soil. In order to evaluate the potential for phytoremediation using MB to restore Cr-contaminated soil, pot experiments were carried out in simulated Mediterranean conditions, in laboratory, in a controlled environment, at a temperature of 20°C. Cr removal from soil was 43 % starting from a Cr content of approx. 200 mg/kg Dry Weight and the quantity of Cr per gram of root and rhizome was equal to 1.31 mg/g dw, while the quantity of Cr per gram of stem and leaves was equal to 0.86 mg/g dw, after 12 weeks. Pot experiments confirm that phytoremediation using plants such as MB provides an alternative approach for handling Cr-contaminated soil.
Estimating landscape structure effects on pollination for management of agricultural landscapes
Authors: Rahimi Ehsan , Barghjelveh Shahindokht , Dong Pinliang
Published: March 2021

The present study aims to examine the effects of habitat fragmentation to find a pattern of forest patches in agricultural landscapes that provide the highest pollination level. For this purpose, using simulated agricultural landscapes, including different forest proportions and degrees of fragmentation, pollination in different scenarios was estimated. We used landscape metrics to measure the landscape composition and configuration of each simulated landscape and estimated their statistical relationship with pollination. Our results showed that the effects of fragmentation on pollination were affected by two significant factors; 1- habitat amount and 2- small patches' capacity to supply pollination. Our results showed that when small patches' capacity in supplying pollination was low, fragmentation decreased pollination. When this capacity was very high, landscapes with a high degree of fragmentation showed higher levels of pollination. There was an exception for habitat amounts less than 0.1 of the entire landscape that increasing edge density, aggregation, and the number of patches, resulted in increasing pollination in all scenarios.
Study on cutting performance of SiCp/Al composite using textured tool
Authors: Wang Xu , Popov Valentin L. , Yu Zhanjiang , Li Yiquan , Xu Jingkai , Yu Huadong
Published: March 2021

In the micro cutting process of SiCp/Al composites, the tool wear is serious due to the existence of reinforcement phase in the material, which greatly affects the machined surface integrity. In order to reduce the friction and adhesion at the tool-chip interface, fabricating micro texture on the tool surface could be a feasible solution. This work focuses on the study of the cutting performance of the textured cutting tools through micro cutting of SiCp/Al composites. The experiments were carried out using NTK-KM1CCGW060202H uncoated cemented carbide tools with micro-hole textures developed by pulsed fiber laser. The results indicate that the micro-textured tools can reduce the wear, sticking and the contact length between the tool-chip. Also, the surface quality can be improved. It is observed from the chip’s surface that the micro-textured tool can produce secondary cutting when machining SiCp/Al composite materials, the smaller the texture spacing, the more obvious the secondary cutting phenomenon. Furthermore, the cutting forces can be reduced using the micro-textured tool in most cases. However, when the texture spacing is too small the cutting force does not decrease. Finally, the surface roughness and surface residual stress of the machined workpiece are investigated. Textured tools have better results.
Phytoplankton population as alarming warning bioindicator of water pollution in El-Temsah Lake, Egypt
Authors: Elshobary Mostafa , Attiah Abdullah M. , Salem Zenhom E. , Essa Dorya I.
Published: March 2021

Relative effects of spatio-seasonal variations on the quantitative and qualitative status of phytoplankton in 20 sampling locations of Temsah Lake were examined during winter and summer 2018. The study reveals that the population structure consisted of 105 species from 69 genera, with an annual average of 924155 cell/L. Bacillariophyceae formed the most dominant group with 42.45% of total phytoplankton with an average of 372379 cell/L. Navicula creptocephala was the most abundant species representing 19.16% of total diatoms and 7.78% of the whole standing crop with an annual average of 376879 cell/L. The highest phytoplankton abundance was in the Northern locations. Phytoplankton density showed a negative correlation of pH, temperature and TDS and positively correlated with nutrient content such as nitrate and silicate. In general, summer showed high indices value compared to winter and the diversity index in the current study ranged in moderate pollution range. The polluted state of the aquatic ecosystem in El-Temsah Lake during summer is comparatively higher than winter during the study period. Palmer’s and diversity indices showed that Northern sites were the most flourishing and polluted sites. The study also recorded a number of tolerate algae (13 genera and 8 species), which can be used as an indicator for different degrees of organic pollution. Genus and species Palmer’s Index scores of the northern site were in the range of ≥20 during summer, indicating most of the sampling locations showed probable to confirmed high level of organic pollution.
Caffeine improves work durability and physical performance in anaerobic exercises among active adults in Tripoli Lebanon
Authors: Tayba Zeina , Sacre Yonna , Attieh Randa , Mannan Haider
Published: March 2021

Background: People worldwide have a high intake of caffeine. Active adults are among the group of people who have always been interested in caffeine as an ergogenic aid. This study aims at examining the association between caffeine consumption and perceived performance (aerobic and anaerobic exercises) among active people attending different gyms in Tripoli. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 206 participants attending seven gyms in Tripoli. Participants were recruited using simple random sampling for a face-to-face individual interview. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data have been coded, entered, and analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The prevalence rate of active people practicing both aerobic and anaerobic exercises is 63.6%. More than half of our sample (54.8%) has been working out for a duration of more than 6 months and 84.6% of respondents spend at least 30 minutes during their workouts. Caffeine consumption was popular in our sample with 92.2% indicating that they use caffeinated products. The findings of this study showed an association between anaerobic exercise and caffeine, perceived as physical performance enhancer and work durability enhancer. Yet no association was found between aerobic exercise and caffeine consumption. Conclusions: Perhaps, future research could focus on the safe doses of caffeine that could be given for anaerobic exercises to have an ergogenic effect. This could help us to build scientific guidelines for caffeine’s association with sports performance.
Use of Lactobacillus plantarum (strains 22F and 25F) and Pediococcus acidilactici (strain 72N) as replacements for antibiotic-growth promotants in pigs
Authors: Pupa Pawiya , Apiwatsiri Prasert , Sirichokchatchawan Wandee , Pirarat Noppadon , Maison Tanawong , Koontanatechanon Anantawat , Prapasarakul Nuvee
Published: March 2021

Lactobacillus plantarum (strains 22F and 25F) and Pediococcus acidilactici (strain 72N) have appeared promising in in vitro studies. Microencapsulation, especially by the spray-drying method, has been used to preserve their numbers and characteristics during storage and digestion. This study compared the efficacy of these LAB strains and their microencapsulated form with antibiotic usage on growth performance, faecal microbial counts, and intestinal morphology in nursing-finishing pigs. A total of 240 healthy neonatal pigs were treated on days 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 after cross-fostering. Sterile peptone water was delivered orally to the control and antibiotic groups. Six-month storage spray-dried Lactobacillus plantarum strain 22F was administered to piglets in the spraydry group. The three fresh strains of LAB (109 CFU/mL) were orally administered to piglets in each group. All pigs received the basal diets, but these were supplemented with routine antibiotic for the antibiotic group. Pigs in the probiotic supplemented groups (spray-dried and three fresh strains of LAB) exhibited a better average daily gain and feed conversion ratio than those of the controls in the nursery and grower phases. Probiotic supplementation increased viable lactobacilli and decreased enterobacterial counts. Antibiotic additives reduced both enterobacterial and lactobacilli counts. Villous height and villous height:crypt depth ratio were greater in probiotic and antibiotic supplemented pigs comparing to the controls, especially in the jejunum. The results demonstrated the feasibility of using these strains as a substitute for antibiotics and the practicality of the microencapsulation protocol for use in swine farms.
Communication and Innovation in the Performance of Weaving and Pottery Crafts in Gojjam, Ethiopia, Wondifraw Mihret Dessie, Wondemihret2009@gmail.com, Gojjam Ademe Mengistu, Gademe@gmail.com, Tigist Abera Mulualaem, Tabera72@yahoo.com
Authors: Dessie Wondifraw Mihret , Mengistu Gojjam , Mulualem Tigist
Published: March 2021

Competitive organizations harness information and knowledge sharing undertakings to take risks and break customary routines. This study investigates craftspeople’s communication practices and innovation implementation towards improving business performance. Cross-sectional survey research design was employed to describe and see the association of communication and innovation with business performance. Data were collected from a sample of 326 craftspeople through structured questionnaire and field observation. Both descriptive and SEM statistics were mainly used to analyze data. Findings revealed that communication practices vital for craftspeople to be innovative and integrate them with clients were negligible. The communication flaws in turn resulted in stagnant and in-house limited trifling inventiveness in craft industries. Moreover, reflexivity, frequency of communication on creativity, product and market innovations were significantly associated with craftspeople’s performance. Hence, it is recommended to arrange training and experience sharing schemes for craftspeople to enhance their communication and innovation skills thereby improve performance.
Effectivity Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Nasopharyngeal Swab Rapid Testing Kits in Pakistan: A Scenario of Inadequate COVID-19 Diagnosis
Authors: Saeed Umar , Uppal Sara Rizwan , Piracha Zahra Zahid , Khan Aftab Ahmad , Rasheed Azhar , Zaheer Hafsah , Aftab Zubair , Uppal Rizwan
Published: March 2021

COVID-19 pandemic has urged the need of rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in limited time frame. To cope with current, COVID-19 expanding scenario, accurate diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 should be ensured by both national and international health organizations. Sporadic marketing of SARS-CoV-2 rapid detection kits raises questions regarding quality control and assurance. To aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab based rapid detection kits, in comparison to gold standard USFDA approved triple target real-time polymerase chain reaction. A cross-sectional study of 1500 suspected COVID-19 patients was conducted. 100 RT-PCR confirmed patients nasopharyngeal swabs were evaluated for RDT. The COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 NSP based RDT analysis showed 78% reactivity. Among RT-PCR confirmed negative subjects, 49.3% showed false positivity. The positive predictive analysis revealed 67.82% values, while the negative predictive vales of were 64.40%. The NSP RDTs showed limited sensitivities and specificities compared to gold standard RT-PCR. Accurate surveillance of COVID-19 is dependent upon authentic and validated SARS-CoV-2 detection nation-wide, which needs to be monitored by higher authorities. This study is critical for designing adequate measures by several COVID-19 strategic organizations to prevent future viral epidemics.
Enhanced LION Optimization with Efficient Path Routing Equilization Technique Against DOS Attack in WSN
Authors: R Elavarasan , K Chithra
Published: March 2021

In WSN, DOS (Denial of service) attack makes shortcoming system. The packets travel over and over in the sensor network. By that all the assets like data transmission, memory, and vitality are squandered by this attack. However, the attacker ought to optimize its attacker plan for request to boost the impact on the system performance because of the deficiency of vitality at the aggressor side. Denial of service (DoS) attack on the Internet has become a squeezing issue. By staying away from these sorts of attacks network performance can be improved. Therefore, Security is a fundamental requirement for these networks. Hence, to overcome the issues faced by the cross layer in the presence of DOS attack in WSN. For reliable data transmission, effective routing is required. This research work mainly focuses on the performance evaluation using optimization methods. To establish the efficient path in the Cross layer against DOS attack, this paper has proposed Enhanced lion optimization with efficient path routing equalization technique (LOEPRE). If there is any failure node occurs in the network then the node is recognized and communication of data packets again transmitted in another node. Retransmission of data causes overload in the network. The proposed model focuses on these issues and overcome these issues by improving the path efficiently with robust security. It consists of three phases: In initial phase include the route discovery in the network. In second phase, enhanced lion optimization technique is used for establish a route to transfer data with high security level. Finally, efficient path routing equalization technique is used for minimize the overload in the network, it provides the equalize path length in the network and is highly efficient. Hence, the proposed LOEPRE technique is used to achieve energy efficiency in wireless network for prolong network lifetime, minimum packet latency, minimize consumption of energy. Moreover, the simulation outcome of the proposed LOEPRE method highly robust while comparing to the existing methods EFCRS, SSPRA ELOER, EFLOR and TSTP. It achieves better performance than existing algorithms in comparing metrics connectivity ratio, end to end delay, overhead, throughput and packet delivery ratio.
The Effect of Anesthesia and Surgery on Postoperative Changes in Plasma biomarkers of neuronal injury, Alzheimer's disease, and inflammation in healthy subjects
Authors: Fan Wenguo , Mai Lijia , Wu Zhi , Wu Qiaomei , Yang Xiaoping , Gu Wenzhen , HE Yifan , Zhu Xiao , Song Guanghui , Huang Fang , He Hongwen
Published: March 2021

Background: Anesthesia and surgery have been linked to neurological sequelae such as perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) and increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The exact mechanisms of PND remain ambiguous and controversial, which were deserved to explore further. Methods: Healthy subjects undergoing general anesthesia for orthognathic surgery were prospectively randomized to receive propofol or sevoflurane for anesthetic maintenance. Blood samples were taken preoperatively and at 3, 24, and 48 hours after surgery. Neurofilament light (NFL), tau, Amyloid β (Aβ)40, Aβ42 and 21 inflammatory mediators in plasma were measured using highly sensitive assays.Results: A total of 50 healthy subjects were enrolled. The mean (SD) age was 24.80(4.63) years. Plasma NFL increased at each measurement from a baseline mean (SD) of 22.3 (20.4) pg/mL to a maximal mean (SD) level of 35.1 (28.7) pg/mL, a maximum increase of 599%, at 3 hours postoperatively. NFL level began to decline at 24 hours, but remained higher at 48 hours. The levels of Aβ40 and Aβ42 decreased at 3 hours, and to minimum mean (SD) of 196.70 (38.61) pg/mL and 8.01(1.66) pg/mL at 24 hours postoperatively, respectively. There were no significant differences in the concentrations of plasma tau after anesthesia and surgery. Plasma IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, I-TAC and MIP-1β were significantly increased at 3 hours postoperatively and then declined, which had a similar trajectory with a return to baseline. The peak levels of NFL, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and MIP-1β correlated with duration of surgery. The peak plasma NFL level significantly correlated with the levels of IL-6 and IL-8.Conclusions: In the healthy adults, general anesthesia and surgery were associated with an increase in NFL, and a decrease in Aβ40 and Aβ42 in the plasma. Elevated plasma NFL levels might be attributed to many of inflammatory mediators. The data indicate systemic inflammation after anesthesia and surgery may induce neuronal injury. These preliminary findings in healthy subjects could help us to understand the effects of anesthesia/surgery on brain and the potential mechanisms of PND.Trial Registration: The study was registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on Feb 11st, 2019 (ChiCTR1900021289).
The Influence of Drying-Wetting Cycles on the Suction Stress of Compacted Loess and the associated Microscopic Mechanism
Authors: Nie Yongpeng , Ni Wan kui , Li Xiangning , Wang Haiman , Yuan Kangze , Tuo Wenxin
Published: March 2021

In order to better understand and analyze the unsaturated stability of loess fillings, it is necessary to study the changes in suction stress before and after the drying-wetting cycles. In this study, the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) of compacted loess before and after drying-wetting cycles was tested using the filter paper method. Then, the suction stress was calculated and the microstructure of the loess sample was determined by the scanning electron microscope（SEM）and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results showed that the drying-wetting cycles had an important influence on the suction stress characteristic curve (SSCC) and microstructure of compacted loess. The change in suction stress before and after the drying-wetting cycles can be explained by the loess microstructure. The drying-wetting cycles did not significantly change the basic trend of the compacted loess's suction stress, but it increased the porosity and the diameter of the dominant pore (i.e., the inter-aggregate pore) of the sample, and reduced the suction stress when the same matrix suction was applied. The main significant change in suction stress with matrix suction occurred within the range of the dominant soil pores. The larger the diameter of the dominant pore, the smaller the suction stress under the same matrix suction. In addition, this study also proposes a new method for calculating suction stress based on the pore size distribution（PSD） parameters, which is more convenient than traditional calculation methods based on SWCC parameters.
Burden and Attitude to Resistant and Refractory Migraine A Survey From the European Headache Federation With the Endorsement of the European Migraine & Headache Alliance
Authors: Sacco Simona , Lampl Christian , Brink Antoinette Maassen van den , Caponnetto Valeria , Braschinsky Mark , Ducros Anne , Little Patrick , Pozo-Rosich Patricia , Reuter Uwe , Torre Elena Ruiz de la , Rio Margarita Sanchez Del , Sinclair Alexandra J , Martelletti Paolo , Katsarava Zaza
Published: March 2021

BackgroundNew treatments are currently offering new opportunities and challenges in clinical management and research in the migraine field. There is the need of homogenous criteria to identify candidates for treatment escalation as well as of reliable criteria to identify refractoriness to treatment. To overcome those issues, the European Headache Federation (EHF) issued a Consensus document to propose criteria to approach difficult-to-treat migraine patients in a standardized way. The Consensus proposed well-defined criteria for resistant migraine (i.e., patients who do not respond to some treatment but who have residual therapeutic opportunities) and refractory migraine (i.e., patients who still have debilitating migraine despite maximal treatment efforts). The aim of this study was to better understand the perceived impact of resistant and refractory migraine and the attitude of physicians involved in migraine care toward those conditions. MethodsWe conducted a web-questionnaire-based cross-sectional international study involving physicians with interest in headache care. ResultsThere were 277 questionnaires available for analysis. A relevant proportion of participants reported that patients with resistant and refractory migraine were frequently seen in their clinical practice (49.5% for resistant and 28.9% for refractory migraine); percentages were higher when considering only those working in specialized headache centers (75% and 46% respectively). However, many physicians reported low or moderate confidence in managing resistant (8.1% and 43.3%, respectively) and refractory (20.7% and 48.4%, respectively) migraine patients; confidence in treating resistant and refractory migraine patients was different according to the level of care and to the number of patients visited per week. Patients with resistant and refractory migraine were infrequently referred to more specialized centers (12% and 19%, respectively); also in this case, figures were different according to the level of care. ConclusionsThis report highlights the clinical relevance of difficult-to-treat migraine and the presence of unmet needs in this field. There is the need of more evidence regarding the management of those patients and clear guidance referring to the organization of care and available opportunities.
Brain connectivity and metacognition in persons with subjective cognitive decline (COSCODE): Rationale and study design
Authors: Ribaldi Federica , Chicherio Christian , Altomare Daniele , Martins Marta , Tomczyk Szymon , Jelescu Ileana , Maturana Enrique , Scheffler Max , Haller Sven , Lövblad Karl-Olof , Pievani Michela , Garibotto Valentina , Kliegel Matthias , Frisoni Giovanni B
Published: March 2021

BACKGROUND. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is the subjective perception of a decline in memory and/or other cognitive functions in the absence of objective evidence. Some SCD individuals however may suffer from very early stages of neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer’s disease, AD), minor psychiatric conditions, neurological, and/or somatic comorbidities. Even if a theoretical framework has been established, the etiology of SCD remains far from elucidated. Clinical observations recently lead to the hypothesis that patients with incipient AD may have overestimated metacognitive judgements of their own cognitive performance, while psychiatric patients typically present underestimated metacognitive judgements. Moreover, brain connectivity changes are known correlates of AD and psychiatric conditions, and might be used as biomarkers to discriminate SCD patients of different etiologies. The aim of the COSCODE study is to identify metacognition, connectivity, behavioural, and biomarker profiles associated with different etiologies of SCD. Here we present its rationale and study design.METHODS. COSCODE is an observational, longitudinal (4 years), prospective clinical cohort study involving 120 SCD, and 80 control subjects (40 persons with no cognitive impairment, and 40 mild cognitive impairment - MCI, or dementia patients), all of which will undergo 3T and 7T diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as well as behavioural and biomarker assessments at baseline and after 1 and 2 years. Both hypothesis-driven and data-driven cluster analysis approaches will be used to identify SCD sub-types based on metacognition, connectivity, behavioural and biomarkers features.CONCLUSION. COSCODE will allow defining and interpreting the constellation of signs and symptoms associated with different etiologies of SCD, paving the way to the development of cost-effective risk assessment and prevention protocols.
Serum Complement C3 Level Is a Predictor of Preterm Birth in Preconception Care for Pregnancies With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Hiramatsu Yuri , Isoda Kentaro , Kotani Takuya , Nakamura Eri , Wada Yumiko , Fujiki Youhei , Makino Shigeki , Fujita Daisuke , Takeuchi Tohru
Published: March 2021

Background. This study aimed to clarify predictors of preterm birth in pregnancy of women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We investigated the predictors of preterm birth before pregnancy from the perspective of the importance of preconception care.Methods. We analysed foetal outcomes of 108 pregnancies in 74 SLE patients. We compared pre-pregnancy clinical characteristics and disease activity in these women between the preterm birth and full-term birth groups to select predictive factors for preterm birth before pregnancy.Results. Eighty-three of 108 pregnancies resulted in live births, of which 27 (25.0%) were preterm births. Pre-pregnancy serum complement 3 (C3) level was significantly lower in the preterm birth group (77.0 mg/dl) than the full-term birth group (87.5 mg/dl) (P = 0.029). Multivariate analysis identified history of lupus nephritis (odds ratio: 5.734, 95% CI: 1.568-21.010, P = 0.008) and low C3 level (<85 mg/dl) at pre-pregnancy (odds ratio: 4.498, 95% CI: 1.296-15.616, P = 0.018) as risk factors for preterm birth. The greater the number of these risk factors, the higher was the preterm birth rate (P = 0.0007). In the case of SLEDAI score ≤ 4, the preterm birth rate was higher in the pre-pregnancy low C3 group (<85 mg / dl) (42.1%) than in the high C3 group (C3 ≥ 85 mg / dl) (14.7%) (P = 0.018).Conclusion. Preconception care improves the outcome of SLE pregnancy. Especially for patients with a history of LN, treatment management focusing on pre-pregnancy serum complement titers is very important.