bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation and Analysis of Environmental Protection Investment Efficiency in China Based on DEA Model
Authors: Bian Jilan , Shan Yao , Zhao Guiyan
Published: March 2021

The environmental protection investment aims at protecting the environment, improving the quality of the environment and preventing the deterioration of the ecological environment. A certain amount of capital is put into environmental protection in the form of money, machinery and other elements to form the environmental capital stock. In this study, the DEA model was used to calculate and analyze the input-output efficiency of environmental protection in China from 2001 to 2015. The results show that the overall efficiency of environmental protection input-output in China was low from 2001 to 2015, and the DEA efficiency was not fully achieved in most years, and the contribution of environmental protection investment to the output of environmental protection industry needs to be further improved. Finally, according to the analysis results of DEA model, the countermeasures and suggestions were put forward to optimize the investment structure of environmental protection and promote the rapid economic development from the aspects of broadening the investment channels of environmental protection, actively guiding residents and enterprises to participate in environmental protection undertakings, optimizing the investment mode of environmental protection, vigorously promoting the progress of environmental protection science and technology, adhering to the circular development, and adjusting the industrial structure.
CCN1 gene polymorphisms associated with atrial septal defect susceptibility in Northwest Chinese population from different high-altitude areas
Authors: Yang Wenke , Bai Jun , Song Xinyu , Zhang Shasha , Chen Nana , You Tao , Yi Kang , Li Zhenglin , Xie Dingxiong , Xie Xiaodong
Published: March 2021

High-altitude hypoxic environment exposure is considered as one of the risk factors for congenital heart disease (CHD), but the genetic factors involved are still unclear. CCN1, one of the synergistic molecules in the hypoxic response, is also an indispensable molecule in cardiac development. Considering that CCN1 may play an important role in the occurrence of CHD in high-altitude areas, we investigated the association between CCN1 polymorphisms and CHD susceptibility in Northwest Chinese population from different high-altitude areas. We conducted a case-control study with a total of 395 CHD cases and 486 controls to evaluate the associations of CCN1 polymorphisms with CHD risk. Our results showed that the protective alleles rs3753793-C (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.42–0.81, P = 0.001), rs2297141-A (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.49–0.90, P = 0.001) and C-A haplotype of rs3753793-rs2297141 (OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.42–0.82, P = 0.002) were significantly associated with a decreased atrial septal defect (ASD) risk. Further subgroup analysis in different geography populations revealed robust association of SNP rs2297141 with ASD risk in a Han population residing in high-altitude of 2500–4287 m. We also found that the frequency of protective alleles was higher in high-altitude population, and the alleles were responsible for the difference of oxygen physiology related erythrocyte parameters in different high-altitude populations. rs3753793-C and rs2297141-A are likely related to high altitude and hypoxia adaptation, which may also be the reason for the association between CCN1 polymorphism and ASD risk.
An Intelligent Semanticification Rules Enabled User-Specific Healthcare Framework Using IoT and Deep Learning Techniques
Authors: R Radhika , A Bhuvaneswari , G Kalpana
Published: March 2021

Things or device under the Internet of Things, when connected to the internet, becomes a product, offers various applications and services for end-users. Existing methodologies offer sensor-based IoT based health-care services, to the end-users populated with lots of sensed values all at a time, making the health-care system with least robustness and inefficient due to unsystematic preview of patient’s health record. In order to address this issue, a novel semantic-based service framework is proposed in this paper which allows the end-user to subscribe for a specific physiological parameter, among all the available sensed data, making the health-care system more efficient. In the SeSem framework, Semantification rules and semantification relationship table are applied to the sensed JavaScript object Notation format (JSON) data, in order to semantically separate the JSON data, into a meaningful format. To list the sensed data according to the significance of health issues, a priority is assigned to the sensors in the semantification relationship table. Hence, semantically separated data can be done along with assigned priority. Sensor-based Sematic (SS) ontology is then applied to the semantically separated data, to transform the sensed data more relevant in terms of particular disease and sensor associated with it. The semantically separated sensed data are then published to the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) interface. Using MQTT subscribe, the end-user along with date and time, requests for a particular service, using a Semantic Similarity mapping algorithm, which compares the entire sensed data to that of requested data and responds with a particular physiological parameter request. To make the health care system deploy services in an intelligent way, deep learning algorithm Feedforward Recurrent Neural Networks are applied, which makes the prediction of sensed data based on the latest update when the end-user subscribes for a certain sensed data without specifying date and time. The proposed methodology is evaluated against IoT performance metrics which had shoed showing better results in terms of service-oriented IoT.
Additive Effect of Carbon Nanostructures on the Microstructures and Properties of Pitch Derived Carbon Foam Composites
Authors: khan muhammad , hussain amjad , Ahmad hammad , Tiehu Li , Zada Amir , hussain hidayat , hussain javid , imran muhammad , altaf ataf ali
Published: March 2021

In the present work, carbon foam (CF) coupled multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and CF/MWCNTs coupled nanodiamond (NDs) hybrid composites were prepared by the direct treatment of MWCNTs and NDs with pretreatment pitches through foaming, graphitization, and carbonization process. Both series of CF composites were compared and explored by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. It was investigated that the structural morphology, pore size and pore uniformity upgraded with the increment of MWCNTs content, however, the effect of ND particles in this aspect was more influential. Furthermore, the effect of additive loading of MWCNTs and NDs on the mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of CF composites were checked. The results revealed that maximum compressive strength 15.8 MPa and electrical conductivity 30.2×103 S/m of CFs were obtained at 4 wt.% MWCNTs and ND loadings respectively. While the maximum thermal conductivity value of 32.2 Wm-1k-1 was revealed by CFs having 2 wt.% MWCNTs and NDs loadings.
Assessing precipitation seasonal forecasts in Central Africa using North American Multimodel Ensemble (NMME)
Authors: Feudjio Armand Tchinda , TANESSONG Roméo Stève , MAMADOU Ossénatou , OROU Jean Bio CHABI
Published: March 2021

This study examines the seasonal forecast of the North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) over Central Africa (CA), which encompasses a region of the world where the economies of the countries are heavily dependent on agriculture and livestock. The forecast evaluation is done over the 4 seasons: December to February (DJF), March to May (MAM), June to August (JJA), September to November (SON) between 0 to 5 months lead time before the beginning of each season corresponding to many regional climate perspectives. Deterministic and categorical approaches focusing on the rainfall variable were used to assess NMME models over CA. The observed and predicted rainfall have been divided into three categories: below normal, normal and above normal. The results show that for 0 to 2 months lead time, the NMME Multi-model Ensemble Mean (MME) reproduces rainfall peaks (9 to 10 mm / days) at the level of Atlantic coast and in East of Democratic Republic of Congo in MAM and SON. Always between 0 to 2 months lead time, values of correlation coefficients (R) of all seasons are greater than 0.72. For 3 to 5 months lead time, low values of R are observed. It follows that probabilities of detection (POD) are greater than 50\% for all different normal seasons and less than 45\% for below and above normal seasons. On the other hand, high false alarm (FAR) values and low Critical Success Index (CSI) values are observed for both below and above normal seasons. The NMME model emerges as an interesting tool capable of providing important seasonal characteristics up to several months (5 months) before the start of the season in the CA, which will allow proper consideration of meteorological phenomena.
Design and Analysis of Heptagonal Cladding With Rotated-Hexa Elliptical Core Based PCF for the Applications of Communication Sectors in the THz Region
Authors: Hossain Md. Selim , Sen Shuvo
Published: March 2021

Photonic crystal fiber (PCF) beside heptagonal cladding with elliptical rotated-hexa curved center are talked about for terahertz (THz) waveguide. It is recognized that a successful effective material loss (EML) of 0.0076 cm-1 has been accomplished at 1 THz working recurrence. By utilizing the photonic crystal fiber PCF) concept, all reenactment comes about have been gotten with the limited finite element method (FEM) and perfectly match layer (PML) border conditions based on COMSOL Multiphysics computer apparatuses. This PCF fiber uncovers EML of 0.0076 cm−1, with expansive an effective area (EA) of 5.95×10-8 m2 and stream of control within the center locale of 90% at 1 THz. Besides, around pivotal optical directing viewpoints like as restriction misfortune, scattering, methodology, power fraction (PF) and effective mode area (EMA) have been too considered briefly. It is expected that the mentioned PCF waveguide will offer a significant improvement over existing design for communication field. Maintaining the typical principles for all the optical constraints suggests that the anticipated PCF can proficiently be pragmatic in multichannel communication and some other domains of the THz technology.
Water Quality From High Mountain Peatlands: Spring of Campo Belo River, Itatiaia -Brazil
Authors: D'oliveira Elisabete Castro , Lourencato Lucio Fábio , Silva Camila Rodrigues e , BUCh ANDRESSA CRISTHY , Marques Eduardo Duarte , Silva-Filho Emmanoel Vieira da
Published: March 2021

Peatlands are a transitional environment between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems that provide essential hydrological, ecological, and biogeochemical. Peatlands have been recognized as important environmental matrices in the storage of organic carbon and water. However, little is known in the literature about the influence of peatlands on the quality of surface water. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the water quality from peatlands in the spring of the Rio Campo Belo, in Itatiaia National Park, Itatiaia-Brazil. The spring water quality from peat profiles was based on the determinations of the temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity, pH, turbidity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total organic carbon (TOC), silica, ions, and trace elements (Al, Sb, As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Sn, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, Ga, Rb, Sr, and Zn) on spring water and peat core samples. The highest DO values ​​observed in the spring waters that leachate water and may be related to the lower water temperature, as well as the movement of water. The DOC values were relatively low suggesting no difference between the spring water and the water leached (1.6 and 1.7 mg l-1, respectively). Higher values of ions and trace elements in the leaching water from core peat demonstrate a greater contribution of the peatland to the concentration of these ions in spring water. An increase in TOC peatland did not cause an increase in pH, however, the removal of organic matter promoted an increase in pH.
Molecular Detection and Clinical Characteristics of Bacterial and Viral Main Etiological Agents Causing Respiratory Tract Infections in Tehran, Iran
Authors: Sarikhanbaghloo Taher Azimi , Hamidi-Farahani Ramin , Asgari Ali , Rajabi Jalil , Ahmadi Mousa , Darvishi Mohammad , Aminianfar Mohammad , Soleiman-Meigooni Saeed
Published: March 2021

Background: Respiratory tract infections are one of the most important infections among military personals, worldwide. The present study aimed to survey the prevalence of bacterial and viral main etiological agents causing respiratory tract infections among the military personnel in Iran. A cross-sectional study was performed from September 2020 to February 2021. Nasopharyngeal swabs were taken from patients, military personnel with respiratory tract infection symptoms. Detection of COVID-19 was performed with one step qRT-PCR method. TaqMan probe-based real-time PCR assay was used for the detection of influenza A and B viruses. The prevalence of adenovirus and M. pneumoniae were determined using nested PCR. Moreover, B. pertussis and S. pyogenes were identified by conventional PCR assay. The detection of H. influenzae was performed by multiplex PCR method. Results: Overall, 145 patients were included. Among viral pathogens, COVID-19, influenza A virus, and adenovirus were identified in 85.5%, 4.1%, and 1.4% of patients, respectively. Influenza B virus was not detected among military personnel. The frequency of bacteria etiological agents was as follows: S. pyogenes (2%), M. pneumoniae (0.7%), H. influenzae (0%), and B. pertussis (0%). Muscle aches (75.9%), headache (70.3%), lethargy (69%), cough (66.2%), stuffy nose (56.6%), fever (53.8%), and sore throat (53.1%) were amongst the most common clinical symptoms. Conclusions: Results showed that the military personals are the susceptible group to COVID-19 infection. Therefore, the accurate detection and implementation of control strategies such as vaccination are necessary.
Facilitation of Oral Sensitivity by Electrical Stimulation of the Faucial Pillars
Authors: Braun Tobias , Hamzic Samra , Doerr Johanna , Peters Laura , Viard Maxime , Reuter Iris , Prosiegel Mario , Weber Susanne , Yenigün Mesut , Tschernatsch Marlene , Gerriets Tibo , Juenemann Martin
Published: March 2021

BackgroundDysphagia is common in neurological disease. However, our understanding of swallowing and its central nervous control is limited. Sensory information plays a vital role in the initiation of the swallowing reflex and is often reduced in stroke patients. We hypothesized that the sensitivity threshold of the anterior faucial pillar could be facilitated by either electrical stimulation (ES) or taste and smell information.MethodsThe sensitivity threshold was measured by ES in the anterior faucial pillar region. The measurement was repeated 5 minutes after baseline. Thirty minutes after baseline, the participants underwent a test for taste and smell. Immediately after the test, the ES was repeated. ResultsThirty healthy volunteers with a mean age of 27±5.1 participated in the trial. Mean sensitivity threshold at baseline was 1.9mA ± 0.59mA. The values 5 minutes after baseline (1.74mA ± 0.56mA, p=0.027) and 30 minutes after baseline (1.67mA ± 0.58mA, p=0.011) were significantly lower compared to the baseline, but there was no difference between the latter (p=0.321).Conclusion After 5 minutes, a potentially facilitating effect was found on oral sensitivity by ES of the faucial pillar area. Thirty minutes later, this effect was still present.
Endothelium Response to Iron Sucrose Nanoparticles in Static Versus Dynamic Culture Model
Authors: Nikravesh Niusha , Diener Liliane , Chortarea Savvina , Rippl Alexandra , Wick Peter
Published: March 2021

Nanomedicines are promising therapeutic compounds allowing the development of new treatment approaches. However, important factors affecting the behavior of nanoparticles in vivo cannot be simulated in conventional static models. Dynamic cell cultures, where cells are cultivated in the presence of shear stress, have the potential to bridge this gap by mimicking critical features of physiological conditions. Iron-carbohydrate nanoparticles are a dominant treatment for iron deficiency unresponsive to oral iron supplements. Compared to the data available from clinical studies, little is known about the interaction of these particles with endothelial cells. Our approach implements and compares a microchannel-based dynamic human endothelium model to the static culture to explore potential differences in cells response after exposure to iron nanoparticles. Differences in cellular uptake are observable using Prussian blue assay. There is a noticeable increase on VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 gene expression on endothelial cells activated by inflammatory responses, in cells exposed to nanoparticles under static condition. Results show that cytotoxicity caused by iron particles is significantly lower under dynamic condition compared to static cultures. We demonstrate that inclusion of dynamic flow and biological fluids are positive steps towards nanoparticle evaluation in a physiologically relevant in vitro model.
The role of thrombophilia related polymorphisms in Coronavirus pandemic mortality
Authors: Cantanhede Marcos Henrique Damasceno , Sarges Kevin Matheus de Lima , Leite Mauro de Meira , Miyajima Fábio , Santos Eduardo José Melo dos
Published: March 2021

The current study represents a comprehensive analysis in several databases and extensive bibliographic review, aiming to evaluate the correlation between the frequency of thrombophilia related polymorphisms with mortality rates by COVID-19 worldwide. We found 8 polymorphisms at 8 genes statistically correlated with Daily Death Rates of COVID-19, being an important clue to assignment of genes involved in poor prognosis of COVID-19, specifically the ones related to thromboembolic events.
Reconfigurable Design of Hybrid MIMO Detection Scheme for Spatially Multiplexed MIMO System
Authors: Basha Adam Raja
Published: March 2021

In recent years, Multiple Input- Multiple Output (MIMO) has been used to expand data transfer for ensuring consistency. The transmitter and receiver use several antennas and they can achieve high spectral characteristics. However, as the numbers of users and antennas increase rapidly, the complexity of the system increases and it becomes a major problem in many detection systems. It is important to develop sophisticated components to improve compliance with many standards without compromising Bit Error Rate (BER) performance of the components. The proposed work introduces a New Hybrid MIMO Detector (NHMD), which provides the solution for the complicated design procedure. In this proposed method an Optimal Differential Evolution (ODE) algorithm has been designed to select multiple detection detectors. In addition, this method uses a parallel processing to reduce the amount of arithmetic logic. The proposed NHMD method is implemented for cylindrical devices belonging to different FPGA families with different antenna configurations (2 × 2, 4 × 4). The proposed NHMD method provides superior quality by combining multiple detectors. The simulation results confirm that the NHMD method uses low equipment as well as low power consumption and provides high efficiency without affecting BER performance.
Study on the Safety of Human Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells Transplantation in Young Animals and Its Efficacy on Myelination
Authors: Zhou Haipeng , Lu Siliang , Li Ke , Yang Yinxiang , Hu Caiyan , Wang Zhaoyan , Wang Qian , He Ying , Wang Xiaohua , Ye Dou , Guan Qian , Zang Jing , Liu Chang , Qu Suqing , Luan Zuo
Published: March 2021

Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), which can differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes during embryonic development, are an important potential source for myelin repair or regeneration. To date, OPCs from human sources (hOPCs) remain limited. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the safety and remyelination capacity of hOPCs developed in our laboratory by transplanting them into the lateral ventricles of Sprague–Dawley rats of different ages. The toxicity, biodistribution, and tumor formation abilities of the injected hOPCs were examined by evaluating rats’ vital signs, developmental indicators, neural reflexes, along with hematological, immunological, and pathological assessments. In addition, the hOPCs were transplanted into the corpus callosum of shiverer mice to verify cell myelination efficacy. Overall, our results showed that transplanted hOPCs into young mice showed no toxicity against their organ function or immune system, engrafted only in the brain, and caused no tissue proliferation or tumor formation. In terms of efficacy, the transplanted hOPCs formed myelin in the corpus callosum, alleviated the trembling phenotype of shiverer mice, and promoted normal development. The transplantation of hOPCs is safe and can effectively form myelin in the brain, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the future clinical transplantation of hOPCs.
Circulating Fibrocyte Level in Children with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: yasar pınar aslan , Kose mehmet , erdem serife , hangül melih , karaman zehra filiz , eken ahmet
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to evaluate circulating fibrocyte levels of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients at stable and exacerbation period. The study group consisted of 39 patients diagnosed with CF and 20 healthy controls. Individuals included in the study were divided into 3 groups as CF, CF exacerbated and healthy control groups and their circulating fibrocyte levels were compared. Findings from pulmonary function test (PFT) and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the lung were evaluated and compared with each other. The circulating fibrocyte count was found significantly higher in patients with CF compared to the exacerbated and control groups. No correlation was found between the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) values in PFT and the circulating fibrocyte count. The circulating fibrocyte count in patients (in CF group) with positive findings in HRCT was statistically significantly lower.Conclusion: The circulating fibrocyte level in the peripheral blood of the patients with CF was increased.
Sustainable Reconfigurable Manufacturing System Design Using Adapted Multi-Objective Evolutionary Based Approaches
Authors: Khettabi Imen , Benyoucef Lyes , Boutiche Mohamed Amine
Published: March 2021

Nowadays, manufacturing systems should be cost-effective and environmentally harmless to cope with various challenges in today's competitive markets. In this paper, we aim to solve an environmental oriented multi-objective reconfigurable manufacturing system design (ie., sustainable reconfigurable machines and tools selection) in the case of a single unit process plan generation. A non-linear multi-objective integer program (NL-MOIP) is presented first, where four objectives are minimised respectively, the total production cost, the total production time, the amount of the greenhouse gases emitted by machines and the hazardous liquid wastes. Second, to solve the problem, we propose four adapted versions of evolutionary approaches, namely two versions of the well known non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II and NSGA-III), weighted genetic algorithms (WGA) and random weighted genetic algorithms (RWGA). To illustrate the efficiency of the four approaches, several instances of the problem are experimented and the obtained results are analysed using three metrics respectively hypervolume, spacing metric and cardinality of the mixed Pareto fronts. Moreover, the influences of the probabilities of genetic operators on the convergence of the adapted NSGA-III are analysed and TOPSIS method is used to help the decision maker ranking and selecting the best process plans.
Monocyte to HDL cholesterol ratio as a marker of the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea in hypertensive patients
Authors: Sun Min , Liang Chao , Lin Hui , Meng Yuezhi , Tang Qunzhong , Shi Xiaoyu , Zhang Erming , Tang Qiang
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with hypertension. A total of 246 hypertensive patients (67 controls, 65 mild, 51 moderate, and 63 severe OSA) were included. The relationship between MHR and OSA was analyzed. MHR correlated positively with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), while negatively with mean SpO2 (P < 0.01). MHR was higher in OSA group than the control group (9.2 ± 2.6 vs. 10.8 ± 3.6, P < 0.001). Moreover, MHR in severe OSA group was the highest among all groups (9.2 ± 2.6, 10.2 ± 3.2, 10.4 ± 4.0, and 11.8 ± 3.4 in control, mild, moderate, and severe OSA group, respectively, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that MHR was an independent predictor of the presence of OSA (OR = 1.152, P < 0.01) and severe OSA (OR = 1.144, P < 0.01). Area under the curve of MHR was 0.634 (P < 0.05) and 0.660 (P < 0.05) for predicting OSA and severe OSA respectively in the ROC analysis. In conclusion, MHR increased with the severity of OSA. As a practical and cost-effective test, MHR was expected to be an available marker in evaluating OSA risk and severity in hypertensive patients.
Selectively Production of Levoglucosenone from Cellulose via Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis
Authors: Le Qian , Jiang Liqun , Zhao Zengli
Published: March 2021

Levoglucosenone (LGO) has a wide range of utilization in the field of organic synthesis. Magnetic solid acid (Fe3O4/C-SO3H600) was used in fast pyrolysis of cellulose to produce LGO. It was demonstrated that the catalyst could promote the pyrolysis of cellulose to produce LGO, but the yield was affected by the pyrolysis temperature and the relative amount of catalyst. The yield of LGO reached 20.0 wt% from catalytic fast pyrolysis of cellulose at 300°C, which was significantly higher than that from cellulose (0.3 wt%). Furthermore, the kinetic analysis and recycling results showed that the catalyst could not only reduce the required temperature of cellulose in fast pyrolysis, but also still efficiently promote the production of LGO after recovery and activation.
Mammary Epithelial Cell Transcriptome Reveals Potential Roles of lncRNAs in Regulating Milk Synthesis Pathways in Jersey and Kashmiri Cattle
Authors: Mumtaz Peerzada Tajamul , Bhat Basharat , Ibeagha-Awemu Eveline M. , Taban Qamar , Wang Mengqi , Dar Mashooq Ahmad , Bhat Shakil Ahmad , Shabir Nadeem , Shah Riaz Ahmad , Ganie Nazir Ahmad , Velayutham Dinesh , Haq Zulfkar ul , Andrabi Syed Mudasir
Published: March 2021

Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are now proven as essential regulatory elements, playing diverse role in many biological processes including mammary gland development. However, little is known about their roles in bovine lactation process. There are very few reports available to date on the role of lncRNAs in lactation physiology and mammary glands development in cattle. Results To identify and characterize the roles of lncRNAs in bovine lactation, milk derived mammary epithelial cells (MEC) from Jersey (high milk producer) and Kashmiri cattle (low milk producer) at early, mid and late lactation stages were used. The lncRNA transcriptome of the samples (n=18) was studied using next generation RNA sequencing technology. 633 putative lncRNAs were identified, 76 of which were differentially expressed (DE) between comparison between the three stages of lactation. Additionally, 56 DE lncRNAs were identified from 9 Jersey and 9 Kashmir samples. Correlation of DE lncRNAs with protein-coding genes resulted in a comprehensive list of lncRNA-mRNA co-expressed pairs. Most of the DE lncRNAs showed positive correlations with protein coding genes in Jersey compared to Kashmiri cattle where they were mainly negatively correlated, which could be one of the underlying mechanisms responsible for the differential milking performance between the two breeds. In addition, a number of the DE lncRNAs were paired with the most DE milk quality genes like GPAM, LPL, ABCG2, etc. indicative of their potential regulatory effects on milk quality genes. KEGG pathways analysis of potential cis and trans target genes of DE lncRNAs indicated that 27 and 48 pathways were significantly enriched in Kashmiri and Jersey respectively, including mTOR signaling, PI3K-Akt signaling and RAP1 signaling pathways. These pathways have been proven to play key roles in lactation biology and mammary gland development. Conclusions Our study mapped the expression profiles of lncRNAs across lactation stages and their relationships with candidate genes related to milk quality and yield traits in Jersey and Kashmiri cattle. These findings provide a valuable resource for the study of the regulatory mechanisms involved in the lactation process as well as facilitate understanding of the role of lncRNAs in bovine lactation biology.
Seismic Vulnerability Indices for Ground in Derince-Kocaeli (Turkey)
Authors: Guven Talih
Published: March 2021

Derince town is one of the most densely industrialized (oil refineries, ports, etc.) and populated urban areas which is located in one of the highest seismically active regions in Turkey. The area was damaged by a severe earthquake on 17 August 1999 in Kocaeli (Mw = 7.4). The geotechnical properties of layers play the most important role in the formation of damage. One of the weakness indicators for the soil structure in a region is the ground vulnerability indices (Kg). The reduction of damage from earthquakes is related to the knowledge of these ground properties. Therefore, the microtremor horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method was applied to single site measurements at 43 stations over an area of 40 km2 to evaluate local site effects in terms of ground vulnerability indices (Kg), fundamental frequency and amplification factor. Structural damage occurring during the August 17, 1999 Kocaeli (Mw=7.4) earthquake is compared with the estimated ground vulnerability indices. The results indicate that the Kg values are in good agreement with damage distribution. Large Kg values indicate weak points in the study area. According to results, the areas with Kg values greater than 14 seem to be the most vulnerable locations in the study. The Kg and soil types overwhelmingly comply with each other very well. Poor ground conditions are seen in areas with high vulnerability. Ground conditions should be taken into account during the planning and design of urban areas. The results obtained by considering ground conditions can be used as a quick method to identify risky areas.
Crystal Growth and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Semi-Organic [C4H12N2] ZnCl4. H2O Single Crystal for Laser Applications
Authors: Pichan Karuppasamy , Kamalesh T. , Senthilpandian M. , Ramasamy P.
Published: March 2021

Optical high quality semi-organic piperazinium tetrachlorozincate monohydrate, [C4H12N2] ZnCl4. H2O (PTCZ) single crystals were grown by conventional solution method. The structure of grown crystal was confirmed by the single crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) analysis. The material phase purities and its various (hkl) planes have been confirmed by the powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis at room temperature. The different functional groups were confirmed by the Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The optical quality of the PTCZ single crystal and band gap energy have been identified by the UV-Vis NIR spectral analysis and also calculated refractive index of the material. The thermal stability of the PTCZ single crystal was investigated by TG-DTA. The hardness related properties were analyzed by microhardness tester. The dielectric properties have been measured on the grown single crystal and the electronic polarizability value has been calculated with various theoretical approach. The etching process was carried out on the grown crystal to finding the dislocation density. The crystal atomic perfection has been investigated by the high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) or Rocking curve (RC) analysis. The Z-scan measurement has been carried out to finding third-order optical susceptibility (χ(3)) of the grown single crystal using solid state laser (640 nm).
Evaluating the Relationship Between Modern Energy Access and Social-Economic Situation of Households in Urban Areas of Turkey
Authors: BİLGİÇ Gülbahar , Şahin Mükerrem
Published: March 2021

This study evaluated the relationship between access to modern energy systems and the social-economic situation of households who live in urban zones Turkey. As a case study, in Yalova province in western Turkey, has been chosen the socio-economic and educational conditions of the households who can access clean energy services have investigated. For this purpose, we have conducted a survey covering Yalova urban areas. Results of the statistical calculations, the sample size was determined with a 6.7% acceptable error rate and a 95% confidence level, and as a result, it was seen that 214 households should be surveyed. Our results indicate the level of access of households living in Yalova to modern energy systems was changed according to their income level and education. In the city center, where access to electricity is not lacking, it has been observed that the inadequacy of households in access to electricity is only due to income difference. It has been considered that fossil fuels and derivatives are mostly consumed by low-income and low-education households. Based on this, it can be said that access to clean energy systems will increase as the income level increases, and the education level increases.
Spot-welding Path Planning Method for Curved Surface Workpiece of Body-in-white Based on Memetic Algorithm
Authors: Zhao Hang , Zhang Bangcheng , Sun Jianwei , Yang Lei , Yu Haiyue
Published: March 2021

Aiming at the problem of complex path planning in the processing of curved surface workpieces of body-in-white, a hybrid path planning method based on memetic algorithm is proposed. The method is divided into two parts, welding sequence planning and welding path planning between welding joints. By establishing the kinematics model of spot welding robot based on pipper criterion and z-y-z Euler angle solution method, the motion constraints of path optimization are analyzed. Under the framework of the memetic algorithm, the improved A-star algorithm with redundant node deletion and post smoothing process is used to obtain the smooth collision-free optimal path set between welding joints, and construct the objective function of traveling all welding joints with the shortest path length and the highest smoothness, the multi-objective elitist simulated annealing genetic algorithm is used to achieve the welding sequence planning of all welding joints. The variable neighborhood search method improves the mutation operator, the elitist strategy is introduced to improve the probability of crossover and mutation operation, and a simulated annealing algorithm is used to jump out of local search to get the global optimal solution. According to the motion constraints, the joint space path is obtained by the optimal path in Cartesian space. Simulations analysis results demonstrate that the hybrid path planning method based on the memetic algorithm can effectively optimize the path of spot welding robot, lay the foundation of controlling and trajectory planning during welding processes.
Mitigation Effects of Vitamin C and E Against Copper Toxicity in Broiler Chickens, With Reference to Biochemical, Genotoxicity and Pathological Studies
Authors: Hashem Mohamed , Hamied Sahar Abd El , Ahmed Eman
Published: March 2021

Copper (Cu) is necessary for biological utility, nevertheless when existing in abundance; it can produce plentiful injurious impacts. This enquiry was carried out to explore the efficiency of individual or combined doses of vitamin C (Vit C) and vitamin E (Vit E) in ameliorating some biochemical, genotoxicity and pathological changes in the liver of copper sulphate (CuSO 4 )-intoxicated chickens. One hundred- one day old broiler chicks were haphazardly divided into 5groups of 20 chicks each. The broilers were fed on basal diet only (control, gp.1 ) or supplemented with 300 mg CuSO 4 /kg diet (Cu, gp.2 ), CuSO 4 + 250 mg Vit C /kg diet (Cu+ Vit C, gp.3 ), CuSO 4 +250 mg Vit E /kg diet (Cu+ Vit E, gp.4 ) and both vitamins C + E (Cu+ Vit C+ Vit E, gp.5 ) for six weeks.
The results displayed that CuSO 4 - intoxicated birds (gp.2) had significantly ( p<0.05 ) dwindled body weight, gain and feed consumption with increased feed conversion rate from week 2 till the 6 th week compared with control group. Serum aminotransferases (ALT, AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly ( p<0.05 ) augmented in CuSO4- exposed group (gp.2) with significantly ( p<0.05 ) drop in serum total protein (TP), albumin, globulins, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C), and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels compared to control. Concomitantly, histopathological and DNA changes were perceived in liver of CuSO 4 -intoxicated birds. Co-supplementation of Vit C, and Vit E single-handedly or incorporation to CuSO 4 -intoxicated chickens displayed an enhancement in performance traits and abovementioned changes, especially with those given combination of vitamins. From the extant enquiry, it could be established that supplementation of vitamin C and E were beneficial for alleviation the harmful effects of CuSO 4 on performance and other studied parameters in broiler chickens.
Medical Students’ Experiences of Teaching with Emotional Intelligence in Clinical Settings: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Toufan Nahid , Omid Athar , Haghani Fariba
Published: March 2021

Background

Effective teaching in clinical environment is one of the challenges faced by clinical faculty members due to the complexities of the variables involved in the training. Using appropriate teaching methods by professors in this environment can promise efficient graduates in the field. The present study, as a follow up of Omid research, which designed a clinical teaching model based on emotional intelligence, was carried out to evaluate the results of implementing this model in a clinical setting.
Methods

A qualitative study was conducted using inductive content analysis in one of the educational hospitals affiliated with Esfahan University of Medical Sciences. A total of 20 volunteer medical students from different levels of education were selected using purposeful sampling and were asked to express their experiences of attending the round with its clinical teaching based on emotional intelligence. Participants included 4 stagers, 11 interns, and 5 residents. Data were collected using semi-structured individual interviews; each interview lasted for 40–60 minutes and began with the question: what do you think are the important features of this professor's clinical education? The following questions were asked based on the issues raised in the interview. Data collected were analyzed immediately after the interviews
Results

Two main categories emerged from data analysis: Health outcome and Learning outcome.
Conclusion

The use of teaching based on emotional intelligence in the clinical environment can be effective in promoting their learning while ensuring the health of the learners.
A novel electrochemical procedure for grown of bimetallic metal–organic framework (Ni/Zn-MOF) and its derived hydroxide@C onto Ni foam as binder-free high performance battery-type electrodes for supercapacitors
Authors: Song Qichao , Yang Chunguang
Published: March 2021

Todays, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derived structures have been extensively investigated as the novel electrode materials in energy storage area due to their stable porous architectures and exceptionally large specific surface area. In this study, bimetallic Ni,Zn-MOF is synthesized onto Ni foam via a novel indirect cathodic electrodeposition method for the first time. After that, the fabricated Ni,Zn-MOFs onto Ni foam was converted to corresponding bi-metal hydroxide@C/Ni foam through direct chemical treating with 6M KOH solution. The obtained Ni,Zn-MOFs/NF and Ni2 − xZnx (OH)2@C/NF electrodes are characterized through XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM and EDS analyses. These analyses results confirmed deposition of well-defined crystalline porous sheet-like structures of Ni3 − xZnx(BTC)2 deposited onto Ni foam, where the hydroxide@C electrode was also exhibited similar morphology. As the binder-free electrode, the as-prepared Ni,Zn-MOF@Ni foam exhibited the superior storage capacities of 356.1 mAh g− 1 and 255.5 mAh g− 1 as well as good cycling stabilities of 94.2 % and 84.5 % after 6000 consecutive charge/discharge cycles at the current densities of 5 and 15 A g− 1, respectively. On the other hand, Ni,Zn-MOF derived hydroide@C/Ni foam presented the superior capacities of 545 mAh g− 1 and 406 mAh g− 1 as well as proper cycle lifes of 91.8 % and 78.3 % after 6000 cycling at the applied loads of 5 and 15 A g− 1, respectively. Based on these findings, both of these fabricated battery-type electrodes are introduced as the promising candidates for use in energy storage devices.
Assessment and Characterization of Xylanolytic Bacteria Isolated from the Gut of Microtermes Obesi for Biomass Pretreatment
Authors: Batool Iram , Khan Falak Sher , Awais Muhammad , Ahmed Dawood , Khan Sami Ullah , Khan M. Ijaz
Published: March 2021

The aim of current research was to examine the potential for the production of hemicelluloses degrading enzymes from bacteria harbor in termite gut. The research was also focused on the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass (Corn stover, rice straw and cotton stalk) into fermentable sugars by using enzymes from the bacterial isolates. The bacterial isolates from termite gut were screened for their ability to degrade xylan that is the major constituent of hemicelluloses. Two bacterial isolates were chosen and identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Both isolates TGB9 and TGB10 belong to Bacillus geneus. The isolates have shown higher xylan degrading activity at 50 oC and optimum pH was 6.0. Xylanases from isolate TGB9 and TGB10 were utilized for sccharification of agricultural substrates (stover, rice straw and cotton stalk). As a result higher contents of reducing sugars were observed from corn stover. Xylanases from isolate TGB9 produced higher yields of reducing sugar than isolate TGB10. A comparative study was also performed among chemical pretreatment and xylanases from bacterial isolates. For this purpose agricultural substrates were also treated with H2SO4 and NaOH. Xylanases produced by TGB9 and TGB10 released higher content of sugar from agricultural substrates than chemical pretreatments. So it is concluded that termite gut have bacteria that can hydrolyze hemicelluloses more efficiently than chemicals.
Guiding Species Recovery through Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Population Genetic Structure of Two Critically Endangered Freshwater Mussel Species (Bivalvia: Unionidae)
Authors: Jones Jess Walter , Lane Timothy W. , Johnson Nathan , Hallerman Eric M.
Published: March 2021

The Cumberlandian Combshell (Epioblasma brevidens) and Oyster Mussel (E. capsaeformis) are critically endangered freshwater mussel species native to the Tennessee and Cumberland River drainages, major tributaries of the Ohio River in the eastern United States. The Clinch River in northeastern Tennessee (TN) and southwestern Virginia (VA) harbors the only remaining stronghold population for either species, containing tens of thousands of individuals per species; however, a few smaller populations are still extant in other rivers. We collected and analyzed genetic data to assist with population restoration and recovery planning for both species. We used an 888 base-pair sequence of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 1 (ND1) gene and ten nuclear DNA microsatellite loci to assess patterns of genetic differentiation and diversity in populations at small and large spatial scales, and at a 9-year (2004 to 2013) temporal scale, which showed how quickly these populations can diverge from each other in a short time period. Intraspecific mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite DNA variation was higher in E. capsaeformis than in E. brevidens. These two species have maintained quite different levels of genetic diversity within their Clinch River stronghold and in their smaller peripheral populations in the Big South Fork Cumberland and Nolichucky rivers, TN. For instance, with only three mtDNA haplotypes detected overall across populations, E. brevidens’ capacity for maintaining genetic diversity appears to be less than that of E. capsaeformis, which had 18 haplotypes. At the relatively small spatial scales (15-30 kilometers) investigated in the Clinch River, demes of both species exhibited minimal genetic differentiation in either the 2004 or 2013 sampling periods, typically <0.02 based on FST and <0.1 based on Jost’s D. Our genetic data suggest that mussels at the numerous shoals in a 32-kilometer section of the Clinch River comprise a single, large population of each respective species with very high gene-flow among individual demes. However, we also observed a high level of genetic differentiation among demes at the 9-year temporal scale, with differentiation metrics for E. brevidens (D = 0.47 and FST = 0.12) and E. capsaeformis (D = 0.31 and FST = 0.05) proving higher than the within-year values. This result strongly suggests that genetic drift is playing an important role in allele frequency change over time in these populations. At the spatial and temporal scales investigated in this study, various demographic, life history, and environmental factors are influencing maintenance of genetic variation and need to be considered during conservation planning for each species.
Persistent Minor Blips of HIV Viral Load in Patients on ART Are Associated With Virological Failure and Higher Rates of Clinical Events.
Authors: BERNAL Enrique , MUÑOZ Angeles , ALCARAZ Maria Jose , ALCARAZ Antonia , MASIA Mar , BRAVO Joaquín , BLANCO Jose Ramón , REUS Sergio , GORGOLAS Miguel , BARAIA-ETXABURO Josu Mirena , PEREZ Alexandre , CANO Alfredo , GUTIERREZ Félix , Study CoRIS
Published: March 2021

Objective: To investigate the long-term impact of plasma VL elevations between 50 and 199 copies/ml (VLE50-199) on virological failure and development of AIDS, death or non-AIDS events (NAE) in patients receiving ART. Methods: We analyzed ART-naïve adults from the cohort of the Spanish AIDS Research Network (CoRIS) who initiated ART from 2012 to 2017 and achieved VL<50 copies/ml within 3–9 months after ART initiation. Elevations of VL between 50 and 199 copies/ml were divided into uncommon (<25% of the measurements) or not viral elevation, frequent (25-50%) and very frequent (>50% of the measurements). Multivariate Cox models were used.Results: Of 4121 patients included, 3881 (94.2%) patients VLE50-199 was uncommon or was not present. VLE50-199 was frequent in 185 (4.5%) and very frequent in 55 (1.3%) patients. 169 had virological failure (4.1%), 57 (1.38%) patients died or developed an AIDS event and 107 (2.6%) developed NAE. Frequent VLE50-199 (aHR, 11.83; 95% CI, 6.42–21.84; p<0.001) and very frequent VLE50-199 (aHR, 29.1; 95% CI, 12.6–67.19; p<0.001) were associated with a higher risk of virological failure, but did not increase the risk of developing AIDS events or death. Frequent VLE50-199 had an adjusted NAE hazard ratio of 2.13 (95% CI, 0.91–4.97;p=0.081) and very frequent VLE50-199 of 4.66 (95% CI, 0.9–21; p=0.051). Conclusion: Persistent mild elevations between 50 and 199 copies/ml were strongly associated with an increased risk of virological failure and with higher rates of NAE. Therefore, closer monitoring of these patients may be warranted.