bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Core Tax Legislation and Study Guide 2022
Authors: Barkoczy Stephen
Published: March 2022

Core Taxation Legislation and Study Guide is a reference text for students undertaking tax subjects. It provides curated extracts of legislation as well as useful guidance on study skills.

Part 1: The Study Guide assists students to prepare for a tertiary taxation course and conduct basic taxation research. It refers to key reference material, including websites and research tools, and includes useful tips on study techniques, researching a tax problem, essay writing and presentation, answering taxation law exam questions and how to cite legislation, cases, articles, rulings and reports for assignments.

Part 2: The Core Tax Legislation comprises selected extracts from relevant sections of taxation legislation and regulations.

An essential resource, this text allows students to access the parts of the legislation they will need for a taxation law course in a time-saving and user-friendly way.

Core Taxation Legislation and Study Guide 2022 is designed to be used in conjunction with Foundations of Taxation Law 2022.
Interest or ideology? Why American business leaders opposed the Vietnam War
Authors: Kirss Alexander
Published: March 2022

Why do business leaders support or oppose interstate wars? This article clarifies and empirically illustrates two competing perspectives on the sources of business war preferences: the opinions businesses have about interstate conflict. Namely, while an “economic consequences” perspective argues that business war preferences stem primarily from the economic effects of interstate conflicts, a “leader ideology” perspective predicts that business leaders’ domestic policy preferences and political ideology will determine their war preferences. I reexamine historical survey data on American business leaders’ opinions about the Vietnam War using item response theory scaling and regression analysis and find support for both perspectives. These results point toward the importance of further theoretical and empirical research on the sources of business war preferences, so I propose a structured, forward-looking research agenda on business war preferences based on different conceptualizations of businesses, their motivations, and the consequences of interstate conflicts.
IL-1β in breast cancer bone metastasis
Authors: Zhou Jiabao , Tulotta Claudia , Ottewell Penelope D.
Published: March 2022

Bone is the most common site for advanced breast cancer to metastasise. The proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) plays a complex and contradictory role in this process. Recent studies have demonstrated that breast cancer patients whose primary tumours express IL-1β are more likely to experience relapse in bone or other organs. Importantly, IL-1β affects different stages of the metastatic process including growth of the primary tumour, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), dissemination of tumour cells into the blood stream, tumour cell homing to the bone microenvironment and, once in bone, this cytokine participates in the interaction between cancer cells and bone cells, promoting metastatic outgrowth at this site. Interestingly, although inhibition of IL-1β signalling has been shown to have potent anti-metastatic effects, inhibition of the activity of this cytokine has contradictory effects on primary tumours, sometimes reducing but often promoting their growth. In this review, we focus on the complex roles of IL-1β on breast cancer bone metastasis: specifically, we discuss the distinct effects of IL-1β derived from tumour cells and/or microenvironment on inhibition/induction of primary breast tumour growth, induction of the metastatic process through the EMT, promotion of tumour cell dissemination into the bone metastatic niche and formation of overt metastases.
Superheroes and Violence: What the Punisher Teaches Us about American Politics
Authors: YOUNG DENNIS
Published: March 2022

The skull emblem of The Punisher—a vigilante superhero—has become a popular symbol among law enforcement personnel and has also appeared alongside Confederate flags in Charlottesville, VA, and at the January 6th, 2021 Capitol attack. A new article by Menaka Philips argues that closely examining images of the superhero, and of heroic violence in particular, may help provide some insight into the politics of violence in the United States. Understanding how and why certain groups associate with characters like the Punisher can also help scholars understand the role of race and gender in shaping popular conceptions about violence, and about how different groups are allowed to use it in the United States.
A Reflection on the Importance of Philosophy and Ethics in the Gulf and in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Coltri Marzia A.
Published: March 2022

This essay offers a critical perspective on the future of the Arabian Gulf universities with respect to the humanities and philosophy. Although higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf countries have begun offering some philosophy courses, there are too few degree programs for the humanities and philosophy. Most Gulf colleges still do not offer a bachelor's or master's degree in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS) based on the common assumption that the future is in STEM, and that degrees in engineering, science, technology, and medicine are more economically viable than their counterparts in the humanities. However, the latest results of the British Academy in its recent research report “Qualified for the Future: Quantifying demand for arts, humanities and social science skills” have shown that graduates in the humanities are more in demand in several areas of employment across the world. Key findings are that people who hold AHSS degrees have similar employability rates to those of STEM graduates. As a result, humanities and social sciences graduates work in a wide range of industries, including education, science and technology, public administration, national defense, financial services, and the media.
A novel 28-bp indel inIGF1Rgene associated with growth traits across four Chinese cattle breeds
Authors: Tang Jia , Ma Yilei , Yang Yu , Jiang Xiaojun , Li Longping , Lan Xianyong , Song Enliang , Lei Chuzhao , Wang Xin , Chen Hong
Published: March 2022

Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) is a cell surface receptor, belonging to the tyrosine kinase receptor superfamily.IGF1Rplays a role not only in normal cell development but also in malignant transformation, which has become a candidate therapeutic target for the treatment of human cancer. This study aimed to explore insertions and deletions (indels) inIGF1Rgene and investigate their association with growth traits in four Chinese cattle breeds (Xianan cattle, Jinnan cattle, Qinchuan cattle and Nanyang cattle). The current paper identified a 28-bp indel by polymerase chain reaction withinIGF1Rgene. The analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between the locus and the hucklebone width of Nanyang cattle in four periods, in which it was highly correlated at 6, 12 and 18 months. At the age of 6 months, it was also significantly correlated with body height, body weight and body length. Association analysis showed that the locus in Jinnan cattle was extremely significantly correlated with body slanting length and body weight, and significantly correlated with chest circumference. There was no significant correlation between this locus and growth traits of Xianan cattle and Qinchuan cattle. The detected indel in theIGF1Rgene was significantly associated with growth traits in Jinnan and Nanyang cattle, and could be used as a molecular marker for growth trait selection.
Potentials and challenges of analyzing use phase data in product planning of manufacturing companies
Authors: Meyer Maurice , Fichtler Timm , Koldewey Christian , Dumitrescu Roman
Published: March 2022

The successful planning of future product generations requires reliable insights into the actual products’ problems and potentials for improvement. A valuable source for these insights is the product use phase. In practice, product planners are often forced to work with assumptions and speculations as insights from the use phase are insufficiently identified and documented. A new opportunity to address this problem arises from the ongoing digitalization that enables products to generate and collect data during their utilization. Analyzing these data could enable their manufacturers to generate and exploit insights concerning product performance and user behavior, revealing problems and potentials for improvement. However, research on analyzing use phase data in product planning of manufacturing companies is scarce. Therefore, we conducted an exploratory interview study with decision-makers of eight manufacturing companies. The result of this paper is a detailed description of the potentials and challenges that the interviewees associated with analyzing use phase data in product planning. The potentials explain the intended purpose and generic application examples. The challenges concern the products, the data, the customers, the implementation, and the employees. By gathering the potentials and challenges through expert interviews, our study structures the topic from the perspective of the potential users and shows the needs for future research.
Bellini's Idyllic Endings
Authors: Jacobson Edward
Published: March 2022

This article takes its cue from the claim, made both in 1831 and in our own time, that Bellini's La sonnambula is a pastoral opera. Frustratingly difficult to define, the term ‘pastoral’ is at once both musical and literary, able to attach itself to everything from madrigal to oratorio to symphony across four hundred years. This article explores the various meanings of pastoral specific to the early nineteenth century and argues that its currency in music analysis today – as a topic, as a mode – is of little use when attention falls on the music of Italian opera. It concludes with an extended analysis of Bellini's handling of cadences in both La sonnambula and his other operas, insisting that it is here, in Italian composers’ repeated affirmation of the conventions of tonality, that the pleasures promised by the pastoral can be enjoyed today as much as they were two hundred years ago.
Characteristics of Low‐Frequency Pulses Associated With Downward Terrestrial Gamma‐Ray Flashes
Authors: Wada Y. , Morimoto T. , Nakamura Y. , Wu T. , Enoto T. , Nakazawa K. , Ushio T. , Yuasa T. , Tsuchiya H.
Published: March 2022

Winter thunderstorms in Japan have been recognized as an ideal target to observe high‐energy atmospheric phenomena thanks to low‐charge‐center cloud structures. During four winter seasons in Japan (from 2016 October to 2020 March), seven downward terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes (TGFs) were detected by gamma‐ray and broadband low‐frequency (LF: 0.8–500 kHz) monitors. All the detected TGFs took place at the initial stage of lightning flashes. Based on the LF observation, the seven downward TGFs in the present study can be classified into two types: energetic‐bipolar and small‐bipolar types. Three of them are energetic‐bipolar events, coincident with a high peak‐current LF pulse that originates from a negative return stroke with a peak current larger than 100 kA. The others are small‐bipolar events, followed by a negative bipolar LF pulse with a moderate peak current. Three of the four small‐bipolar events are multi‐pulse TGFs, while all of the energetic‐bipolar events in this study are single‐pulse TGFs.
Climate Report Rebukes Overshoot Plans with “Irreversible Consequences”
Authors: Duncombe Jenessa
Published: March 2022

Many pathways to stopping climate change involve overshooting 1.5�C temporarily. The latest synthesis of 34,000 references says that’s a bad idea.
Mitochondrial-derived damage-associated molecular patterns amplify neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Lin Miao-miao , Liu Na , Qin Zheng-hong , Wang Yan
Published: March 2022

Both mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammation are implicated in neurodegeneration and neurodegenerative diseases. Accumulating evidence shows multiple links between mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammation. Mitochondrial-derived damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are recognized by immune receptors of microglia and aggravate neuroinflammation. On the other hand, inflammatory factors released by activated glial cells trigger an intracellular cascade, which regulates mitochondrial metabolism and function. The crosstalk between mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammatory activation is a complex and dynamic process. There is strong evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction precedes neuroinflammation during the progression of diseases. Thus, an in-depth understanding of the specific molecular mechanisms associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and the progression of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases may contribute to the identification of new targets for the treatment of diseases. In this review, we describe in detail the DAMPs that induce or aggravate neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases including mtDNA, mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mtUPR), mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), transcription factor A mitochondria (TFAM), cardiolipin, cytochrome c, mitochondrial Ca2+ and iron.
Constraining composition and temperature variations in the mantle transition zone
Authors: Zhou Wen-Yi , Hao Ming , Zhang Jin S. , Chen Bin , Wang Ruijia , Schmandt Brandon
Published: March 2022

The mantle transition zone connects two major layers of Earth’s interior that may be compositionally distinct: the upper mantle and the lower mantle. Wadsleyite is a major mineral in the upper mantle transition zone. Here, we measure the single-crystal elastic properties of hydrous Fe-bearing wadsleyite at high pressure-temperature conditions by Brillouin spectroscopy. Our results are then used to model the global distribution of wadsleyite proportion, temperature, and water content in the upper mantle transition zone by integrating mineral physics data with global seismic observations. Our models show that the upper mantle transition zone near subducted slabs is relatively cold, enriched in wadsleyite, and slightly more hydrated compared to regions where plumes are expected. This study provides direct evidence for the thermochemical heterogeneities in the upper mantle transition zone which is important for understanding the material exchange processes between the upper and lower mantle.
Quantifying pupil-to-pupil SARS-CoV-2 transmission and the impact of lateral flow testing in English secondary schools
Authors: Leng Trystan , Hill Edward M. , Holmes Alex , Southall Emma , Thompson Robin N. , Tildesley Michael J. , Keeling Matt J. , Dyson Louise
Published: March 2022

A range of measures have been implemented to control within-school SARS-CoV-2 transmission in England, including the self-isolation of close contacts and twice weekly mass testing of secondary school pupils using lateral flow device tests (LFTs). Despite reducing transmission, isolating close contacts can lead to high levels of absences, negatively impacting pupils. To quantify pupil-to-pupil SARS-CoV-2 transmission and the impact of implemented control measures, we fit a stochastic individual-based model of secondary school infection to both swab testing data and secondary school absences data from England, and then simulate outbreaks from 31st August 2020 until 23rd May 2021. We find that the pupil-to-pupil reproduction number, Rschool, has remained below 1 on average across the study period, and that twice weekly mass testing using LFTs has helped to control pupil-to-pupil transmission. We also explore the potential benefits of alternative containment strategies, finding that a strategy of repeat testing of close contacts rather than isolation, alongside mass testing, substantially reduces absences with only a marginal increase in pupil-to-pupil transmission.
Application of an adapted FMEA framework for robot-inclusivity of built environments
Authors: Ng Y. J. , Yeo Matthew S. K. , Ng Q. B. , Budig Michael , Muthugala M. A. Viraj J. , Samarakoon S. M. Bhagya P. , Mohan R. E.
Published: March 2022

Mobile robots are deployed in the built environment at increasing rates. However, lack of considerations for a robot-inclusive planning has led to physical spaces that would potentially pose hazards to robots, and contribute to an overall productivity decline for mobile service robots. This research proposes the use of an adapted Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) as a structured tool to evaluate a building’s level of robot-inclusivity and safety for service robot deployments. This Robot-Inclusive FMEA (RIFMEA) framework, is used to identify failures in the built environment that compromise the workflow of service robots, assess their effects and causes, and provide recommended actions to alleviate these problems. The method was supported with a case study of deploying telepresence robots in a university campus. The study concluded that common failures were related to poor furniture design, a lack of clearance and hazard indicators, and sub-optimal interior planning.
Simultaneous expansion microscopy imaging of proteins and mRNAs via dual-ExM
Authors: Cho In , Chang Jae-Byum
Published: March 2022

Simultaneous nanoscale imaging of mRNAs and proteins of the same specimen can provide better information on the translational regulation, molecular trafficking, and molecular interaction of both normal and diseased biological systems. Expansion microscopy (ExM) is an attractive option to achieve such imaging; however, simultaneous ExM imaging of proteins and mRNAs has not been demonstrated. Here, a technique for simultaneous ExM imaging of proteins and mRNAs in cultured cells and tissue slices, which we termed dual-expansion microscopy (dual-ExM), is demonstrated. First, we verified a protocol for the simultaneous labeling of proteins and mRNAs. Second, we combined the simultaneous labeling protocol with ExM to enable the simultaneous ExM imaging of proteins and mRNAs in cultured cells and mouse brain slices and quantitatively study the degree of signal retention after expansion. After expansion, both proteins and mRNAs can be visualized with a resolution beyond the diffraction limit of light in three dimensions. Dual-ExM is a versatile tool to study complex biological systems, such as the brain or tumor microenvironments, at a nanoscale resolution.
Three-dimensional polygonal muscle modelling and line of action estimation in living and extinct taxa
Authors: Demuth Oliver E. , Wiseman Ashleigh L. A. , van Beesel Julia , Mallison Heinrich , Hutchinson John R.
Published: March 2022

Biomechanical models and simulations of musculoskeletal function rely on accurate muscle parameters, such as muscle masses and lines of action, to estimate force production potential and moment arms. These parameters are often obtained through destructive techniques (i.e., dissection) in living taxa, frequently hindering the measurement of other relevant parameters from a single individual, thus making it necessary to combine multiple specimens and/or sources. Estimating these parameters in extinct taxa is even more challenging as soft tissues are rarely preserved in fossil taxa and the skeletal remains contain relatively little information about the size or exact path of a muscle. Here we describe a new protocol that facilitates the estimation of missing muscle parameters (i.e., muscle volume and path) for extant and extinct taxa. We created three-dimensional volumetric reconstructions for the hindlimb muscles of the extant Nile crocodile and extinct stem-archosaur Euparkeria, and the shoulder muscles of an extant gorilla to demonstrate the broad applicability of this methodology across living and extinct animal clades. Additionally, our method can be combined with surface geometry data digitally captured during dissection, thus facilitating downstream analyses. We evaluated the estimated muscle masses against physical measurements to test their accuracy in estimating missing parameters. Our estimated muscle masses generally compare favourably with segmented iodine-stained muscles and almost all fall within or close to the range of observed muscle masses, thus indicating that our estimates are reliable and the resulting lines of action calculated sufficiently accurately. This method has potential for diverse applications in evolutionary morphology and biomechanics.
Intestinal permeability before and after albendazole treatment in low and high socioeconomic status schoolchildren in Makassar, Indonesia
Authors: Amaruddin Aldian I. , Koopman Jan Pieter R. , Muhammad Munawir , Lenaerts Kaatje , van Eijk Hans M. H. , Brienen Eric A. T. , Geelen Anoecim R. , van Lieshout Lisette , Wahyuni Sitti , Kuijper Ed J. , Zwittink Romy D. , Hamid Firdaus , Sartono Erliyani , Yazdanbakhsh Maria
Published: March 2022

Intestinal helminths are highly prevalent in low-SES children and could contribute to poor health outcomes either directly or via alteration of the gut microbiome and gut barrier function. We analysed parasitic infections and gut microbiota composition in 325 children attending high- and low-SES schools in Makassar, Indonesia before and after albendazole treatment. Lactulose/Mannitol Ratio (LMR, a marker of gut permeability); I-FABP (a surrogate marker of intestinal damage) as well as inflammatory markers (LBP) were measured. Helminth infections were highly prevalent (65.6%) in low-SES children. LMR and I-FABP levels were higher in low-SES children (geomean (95%CI): 4.03 (3.67–4.42) vs. 3.22 (2.91–3.57); p. adj < 0.001; and 1.57 (1.42–1.74) vs. 1.25 (1.13–1.38); p. adj = 0.02, respectively) while LBP levels were lower compared to the high-SES (19.39 (17.09–22.01) vs. 22.74 (20.07–26.12); p.adj = 0.01). Albendazole reduced helminth infections in low-SES and also decreased LMR with 11% reduction but only in helminth-uninfected children (estimated treatment effect: 0.89; p.adj = 0.01). Following treatment, I-FABP decreased in high- (0.91, p.adj < 0.001) but increased (1.12, p.adj = 0.004) in low-SES children. Albendazole did not alter the levels of LBP. Microbiota analysis showed no contribution from specific bacterial-taxa to the changes observed. Intestinal permeability and epithelial damage are higher while peripheral blood inflammatory marker is lower in children of low-SES in Indonesia. Furthermore, treatment decreased LMR in helminth-uninfected only.
Synthesis, characterization and thermal behavior of plasticized poly (vinyl chloride) doped with folic acid-modified titanium dioxide
Authors: Lu Yi-heng , Chen Zong-lin , Lu Yu-wei
Published: March 2022

To inhibit the agglomeration of nanotitanium dioxide, a poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) composite film doped with folic acid-modified titanium dioxide was synthesized and characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The average grain size of the folic acid-modified titanium dioxide was found to decrease by 1.3 nm, indicating that the cohesiveness of the nanoparticles is decreased. The lowest temperature for 1.0% thermal decomposition of PVC was determined to be 230.0 °C. The decomposition rate at the peak temperature is found to be 39.6% lower than that of a control sample. The stability of the PVC is improved due to a lower number of surface chlorine atoms as well intermolecular attraction. A mechanism for folic acid modification of titanium dioxide-doped PVC is proposed. After doping, the ester groups in the plasticizer show a significant decrease in the vibration peak intensities observed at 1264 cm−1, 1736 cm−1and 1106 cm−1. The doped PVC film suppresses the release of CO2, and the strongest vibration peak at 1264 cm−1is found to be 17.2% lower than that for the blank sample, indicating that doping is beneficial for plasticizer recovery.
Controllable secretion of multilayer vesicles driven by microbial polymer accumulation
Authors: Koh Sangho , Sato Michio , Yamashina Kota , Usukura Yuki , Toyofuku Masanori , Nomura Nobuhiko , Taguchi Seiichi
Published: March 2022

Membrane vesicles (MVs) are formed in various microorganisms triggered by physiological and environmental phenomena. In this study, we have discovered that the biogenesis of MV took place in the recombinant cell of Escherichia coli BW25113 strain that intracellularly accumulates microbial polyester, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). This discovery was achieved as a trigger of foam formation during the microbial PHB fermentation. The purified MVs were existed as a mixture of outer MVs and outer/inner MVs, revealed by transmission electron microscopy. It should be noted that there was a good correlation between MV formation and PHB production level that can be finely controlled by varying glucose concentrations, suggesting the causal relationship in both supramolecules artificially produced in the microbial platform. Notably, the controllable secretion of MV was governed spatiotemporally through the morphological change of the E. coli cells caused by the PHB intracellular accumulation. Based on a hypothesis of PHB internal-pressure dependent envelope-disorder induced MV biogenesis, here we propose a new Polymer Intracellular Accumulation-triggered system for MV Production (designated “PIA-MVP”) with presenting a mechanistic model for MV biogenesis. The PIA-MVP is a promising microbial platform that will provides us with a significance for further study focusing on biopolymer capsulation and cross-membrane transportation for different application purposes.
Changes in blood rheological properties and biochemical markers after participation in the XTERRA Poland triathlon competition
Authors: Teległów Aneta , Marchewka Jakub , Tota Łukasz , Mucha Dawid , Ptaszek Bartłomiej , Makuch Robert , Mucha Dariusz
Published: March 2022

The importance of physical activity in preventing chronic cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and the role of exercise as an adjunct therapy are widely recognized. Triathlon is a typically endurance discipline. Prolonged and intensive exercise is known to cause changes in blood rheological properties and biochemical markers; sometimes athletes participating in strenuous competitions need medical attention. To understand the phenomena occurring in the body in such situations, we decided to study participants’ biomarkers after the XTERRA Poland 2017 triathlon competition. The study involved 10 triathletes. The XTERRA Poland 2017 event comprised 1500-m swimming, 36-km cycling, and 10-km mountain running. Blood samples were collected 2 days before, immediately after, and 16 h after the competition. Immediately after the race, white blood cells count, platelets, and uric acid levels were significantly (P < 0.001) increased; haematocrit, Na+, Cl–, and IgA were decreased. On the following day, Na+, Cl–, and C-reactive protein levels were significantly (P < 0.001) increased; white blood cells count, red blood cells count, haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, platelets, IgG, and IgA were decreased. Assessing rheological parameters such as erythrocyte deformability and aggregation is useful for monitoring adverse effects of intensive and exhaustive exercise. The study illustrates the change in blood rheological properties and biochemical markers after intensive physical effort. Despite these differences, the indicators were within the reference range for the general population, which may demonstrate normal body function in the studied triathletes.
Diagnostic accuracy of mercurial versus digital blood pressure measurement devices: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Muniyandi Malaisamy , Sellappan Senthil , Chellaswamy Vidya , Ravi Karunya , Karthikeyan Sananthya , Thiruvengadam Kannan , Selvam Jerard Maria , Karikalan Nagarajan
Published: March 2022

This study aims to systematically review the diagnostic accuracy of a digital blood pressure measurement device compared to the gold standard mercury sphygmomanometer in published studies. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCO, EMBASE and Google Scholar host databases using the specific search strategy and filters from 1st January 2000 to 3rd April 2021. We included studies reporting data on the sensitivity or specificity of blood pressure measured by digital devices and mercury sphygmomanometer used as the reference standard. Studies conducted among children, special populations, and specific disease groups were excluded. We considered published manuscripts in the English language only. The risk of bias and applicability concerns were assessed based on the author’s judgment using the QUADAS2 manual measurement evaluation tool. Based on the screening, four studies were included in the final analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and 95% confidence interval were estimated. The digital blood pressure monitoring has a moderate level of accuracy and the device can correctly distinguish hypertension with a pooled estimate sensitivity of 65.7% and specificity of 95.9%. After removing one study, which had very low sensitivity and very high specificity, the pooled sensitivity estimate was 79%, and the specificity was 91%. The meta-analysis of DOR suggests that the digital blood pressure monitor had moderate accuracy with a mercury sphygmomanometer. This will provide the clinician and patients with accurate information on blood pressure with which diagnostic and treatment decisions could be made.
Adherence is an optimal factor for maximizing the effective and safe use of oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Yang So-Young , Kang Dong-Won , Nam Jin Hyun , Choi Eue-Keun , Lee Eui-Kyung , Shin Ju-Young , Kwon Sun-Hong
Published: March 2022

Few studies assessed the association between major adverse cardiovascular events and adherence to warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effects of adherence to oral anticoagulants (OACs) in patients with AF using claims data (July 2014–April 2019). Using the initial 3-month medication possession rate (MPR), patients were categorized into adherent (MPR ≥ 0.8) or non-adherent (MPR < 0.8) groups. Propensity score matching of non-adherent group to adherent group was conducted for warfarin (1:1) and DOAC (1:3), respectively. Incidence of ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), intracranial hemorrhage, and all-cause death was assessed in the matched cohort (67,147 patients). The hazard ratio (HR) for adherence to OAC was estimated using the Cox proportional hazard model with adjusting covariate including age and sex. The risk for ischemic stroke, MI, and all-cause death was lower in the DOAC adherent group than in the DOAC non-adherent group (HR: 0.78; 95% confidence intervals: 0.73–0.84; 0.75, 0.60–0.94; 0.54, 0.51–0.57, respectively). Adherence to OAC was not associated with the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (1.01, 0.85–1.20). Commitment programs to improve adherence in patients with AF could maximize drug effectiveness and safety.
Confluences of exceptional points and a systematic classification of quantum catastrophes
Authors: Znojil Miloslav
Published: March 2022

In the problem of classification of the parameter-controlled quantum phase transitions, attention is turned from the conventional manipulations with the energy-level mergers at exceptional points to the control of mergers of the exceptional points themselves. What is obtained is an exhaustive classification which characterizes every phase transition by the algebraic and geometric multiplicity of the underlying confluent exceptional point. Typical qualitative characteristics of non-equivalent phase transitions are illustrated via a few elementary toy models.
Biomechanics of esophageal elongation with traction sutures on experimental animal model
Authors: Toczewski Krystian , Gerus Sylwester , Kaczorowski Maciej , Kozuń Marta , Wolicka Justyna , Bobrek Kamila , Filipiak Jarosław , Patkowski Dariusz
Published: March 2022

Esophageal elongation is one of the methods of long gap esophageal atresia treatment. The aim of the study was to determine the best type of traction suture for esophageal lengthening on an animal model. White Pekin Duck’s esophagi were used as a model (fresh-frozen and thawed). The esophagus was cut in half, then both ends were sutured together and extended on a tensiometer. Tested sutures involved simple suture, suture aided by a single or double clip, and suture aided by pledget (10 samples each). Constant and 2 methods of intermittent traction were also compared. The histological study showed similarities between duck’s and newborn’s esophagus. The highest maximal force was achieved with pledget suture (F = 8.59 N ± 1.45 N), then with double clip (F = 5.74 N ± 1.29 N) and the lowest with single suture (F = 3.80 N ± 0.54 N) (p < 0.001). Pledget suture also allowed for the greatest elongation (p < 0.01). Intermittent traction results in better elongation at the same breaking strength as constant traction (p < 0.05) if traction is maintained during breaks. Reinforced sutures (pledget or double clip) should be taken into consideration in internal traction. When performing traction sutures, it is worth step by step carefully tightening the sliding knot in short periods before its final binding.
Long COVID in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients in a large cohort in Northwest Spain, a prospective cohort study
Authors: Pérez-González Alexandre , Araújo-Ameijeiras Alejandro , Fernández-Villar Alberto , Crespo Manuel , Poveda Eva ,   the Cohort COVID-19 of the Galicia Sur Health Research Institute, Cabrera Jorge Julio , del Campo Víctor , de Araujo Beatriz Gil , Gómez Carlos , Leiro Virginia , Longueira María Rebeca , López-Domínguez Ana , Ramón Lorenzo José , Marcos María , Teresa Pérez María , Patiño Lucia , Pérez Sonia , Pérez-Fernández Silvia , Ramos Cristina , Regueiro Benito , Retresas Cristina , Rivera Tania , Souto Olga , Taboada Isabel , Teijeira Susana , Torres María , Val Vanesa , Viéitez Irene
Published: March 2022

Survivors to COVID-19 have described long-term symptoms after acute disease. These signs constitute a heterogeneous group named long COVID or persistent COVID. The aim of this study is to describe persisting symptoms 6 months after COVID-19 diagnosis in a prospective cohort in the Northwest Spain. This is a prospective cohort study performed in the COHVID-GS. This cohort includes patients in clinical follow-up in a health area of 569,534 inhabitants after SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 diagnosis. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics were collected during the follow up. A total of 248 patients completed 6 months follow-up, 176 (69.4%) required hospitalization and 29 (10.2%) of them needed critical care. At 6 months, 119 (48.0%) patients described one or more persisting symptoms. The most prevalent were: extra-thoracic symptoms (39.1%), chest symptoms (27%), dyspnoea (20.6%), and fatigue (16.1%). These symptoms were more common in hospitalized patients (52.3% vs. 38.2%) and in women (59.0% vs. 40.5%). The multivariate analysis identified COPD, women gender and tobacco consumption as risk factors for long COVID. Persisting symptoms are common after COVID-19 especially in hospitalized patients compared to outpatients (52.3% vs. 38.2%). Based on these findings, special attention and clinical follow-up after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection should be provided for hospitalized patients with previous lung diseases, tobacco consumption, and women.
On the single and multiple associations of COVID-19 post-acute sequelae: 6-month prospective cohort study
Authors: Jiménez-Rodríguez Beatriz María , Gutiérrez-Fernández José , Ramos-Urbina Eldis Maria , Romero-Ortiz Ana Dolores , García-Flores Paula Isabel , Santiago-Puertas Maria Inmaculada , Martín-López Maria José , López-Milena Genaro , Fabregas Rene , Morales-García Concepción
Published: March 2022

Medical research is progressing to clarify the full spectrum of sub-acute and long-term effects of the post-COVID-19 syndrome. However, most manuscripts published to date only analyze the effects of post-COVID-19 in patients discharged from hospital, which may induce significant bias. Here, we propose a pioneering study to analyze the single and multiple associations between post-COVID-19 characteristics with up to 6-months of follow-up in hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The cohort study was conducted from May to October 2020 at the University Hospital Virgen de la Nieves, the leading hospital assigned for patients with COVID-19 in Granada, Spain. A total of 372 and 217 patients—with 217 and 207 included in the first and second follow-up visits—were referred 2 and 6 months after diagnosing COVID-19, respectively. We find out that post-COVID-19 clinical and mental health impairment symptoms are correlated with patient gender. Logistic adjustments showed strong statistically robust single and multiple associations of demographic, clinical, mental health, X-ray, laboratory indices, and pulmonary function variables. The functional lung tests are good predictors of chest CT imaging abnormalities in elderly patients. Bilateral lung involvement, subpleural reticulum, ground-glass opacity, peripheral lung lesions, and bronchiectasis were the most common findings of the high-resolution computed tomography images. Non-hospitalized patients suffer more severe thromboembolic events and fatigue than those hospitalized.
The human primary visual cortex (V1) encodes the perceived position of static but not moving objects
Authors: Ho Man-Ling , Schwarzkopf D. Samuel
Published: March 2022

Brain activity in retinotopic cortex reflects illusory changes in stimulus position. Is this neural signature a general code for apparent position? Here we show that responses in primary visual cortex (V1) are consistent with perception of the Muller-Lyer illusion; however, we found no such signature for another striking illusion, the curveball effect. This demonstrates that V1 does not encode apparent position per se.
Predicting compositional changes of organic–inorganic hybrid materials with Augmented CycleGAN
Authors: Ai Qianxiang , Norquist Alexander J. , Schrier Joshua
Published: March 2022

Image-to-image translation models applied to materials: augmented CycleGAN models for predicting chemical compositions of hybrid materials.
Very-light alcohol consumption suppresses breast tumor progression in a mouse model
Authors: Wang Xiuxiu , Jia Min , Mao Yifei , Jia Zhenzhen , Liu Huilin , Yang Guiwen , Wang Shuo , Sun Baoguo , Zhang Hongyan
Published: March 2022

This is the first report of the effect of very light alcohol dosages in the range of 0.1% w/v–2.0% w/v on cancer progression.
Melatonin induces fat browning by transdifferentiation of white adipocytes andde novodifferentiation of mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Salagre Diego , Chayah Meriem , Molina-Carballo Antonio , Oliveras-López María-Jesús , Munoz-Hoyos Antonio , Navarro-Alarcón Miguel , Fernández-Vázquez Gumersindo , Agil Ahmad
Published: March 2022

Melatonin`s browning mechanism of action is performed by both transdifferentiation of white adipocytes as well as differentiation of the mesenchymal stem cells into beige adipocytes.
Investigation of temperature and frequency dependence of the dielectric properties of multiferroic (La0.8Ca0.2)0.4Bi0.6FeO3nanoparticles for energy storage application
Authors: Bougoffa Amira , Benali E. M. , Benali A. , Bejar M. , Dhahri E. , Graça M. P. F. , Valente M. A. , Otero-Irurueta G. , Costa B. F. O.
Published: March 2022

The plot of dε′/dT versustemperature for the (La0.8Ca0.2)0.4Bi0.6FeO3material proves four dielectric anomalies at 180 K, 240 K, 320 K and 350 K with a colossal dielectric constant at low frequency allowing its application in energy storage devices.
CH4steam reforming on Pt + Pd/Al2O3monolith: impact of Mn0.5Fe2.5O4spinel addition
Authors: Chen Pak Wing , Maiti Debtanu , Liu Ru-Fen , Grabow Lars C. , Harold Michael P.
Published: March 2022

Zoned catalyst provides CH4oxidation enhancement afforded by spinel under oxidation regime and mitigates the detrimental base metal species migration from spinel layer to PGM layer under reforming regime.
Regulating Li-ion flux with a high-dielectric hybrid artificial SEI for stable Li metal anodes
Authors: Sun Xiangru , Yang Shaohua , Zhang Ting , Shi Yanbin , Dong Lei , Ai Guo , Li Dejun , Mao Wenfeng
Published: March 2022

A high-dielectric artificial solid–electrolyte interface is designed to regulate the electric field distribution and Li+ flux and stabilize the interface in lithium metal anodes.
Immortal polymerization of LA: the influence of steric effects, electronic effects and pKaon chain transfer agents
Authors: Liu Na , Zhang Jince , Wen Jingyi , You Xiaolei , Fang Dawei
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we systematically investigated the iROP of l-LA based Ca[N(SiMe3)2]2(THF)2/CTAs binary catalytic systems for the first time. The steric effect, electronic effect and pKa of CTAs all had great influences on the iROP of LA.
An asymmetric three-component reaction of a diazo compound with an alcohol and a seven-membered imine
Authors: Xie Xiongda , Bao Ming , Chen Kewei , Xu Xinfang , Hu Wenhao
Published: March 2022

An asymmetric three-component reaction via Mannich-type interception of an oxonium ylide with a 7-membered imine has been disclosed, providing chiral dibenzoazepine analogues with excellent stereoselectivity and structural diversity.
Achieving 17.5% efficiency for polymer solar cells via a donor and acceptor layered optimization strategy
Authors: Xu Wenjing , Li Xiong , Jeong Sang Young , Son Jae Hoon , Zhou Zhengji , Jiang Qiuju , Woo Han Young , Wu Qinghe , Zhu Xixiang , Ma Xiaoling , Zhang Fujun
Published: March 2022

PCEs of 14.81% and 17.53% are achieved in BHJ and LbL-PSCs with PNTB6-Cl and Y6 as active layers, and DPE and DFB as solvent additives, respectively. The PCE improvement can be confirmed from the optimized crystallinity and morphology of films.
Phase‐index correlation delay shift keying modulation
Authors: Duan Jun‐Yi , Yang Hua
Published: March 2022

High‐data‐rate phase‐orthogonality correlation‐delay‐shift‐keying (HPO‐CDSK) transmits 2‐bits orthogonal signal in parallel and achieve higher spectral efficiency in the category of non‐coherent detection chaotic systems. However, the spectral efficiency gain mainly relies on the sacrifice of energy efficiency. The study of HPO‐CDSK is extended and phase‐index CDSK (PI‐CDSK) is proposed. By virtue of index modulation (IM) technology in PI‐CDSK, according to the index bit, the orthogonal phase is used to distinguish the active carrier which bears the information bit. Since two bits (including index bit and information bit) are borne in one carrier, compared with HPO‐CDSK, PI‐CDSK can achieve double energy efficiency gain. Moreover, PI‐CDSK can decrease noise interference and eliminate the intra‐signal interference (ISI) component in demodulation. Results show that, with the same energy efficiency, PI‐CDSK has better bit‐error rate (BER) performance than that of CDSK, DCSK and their improved schemes.
Reliable metrics‐based linear regression model for multilevel privacy measurement of face instances
Authors: Li Xuan , Huang Zhenghua , Ma Lei , Xu Yuhang , Cheng Li , Yang Zhi
Published: March 2022

Social networking sites have made photo sharing convenient and, consequently, users of those sites frequently share photos. The proliferation of these social images throughout the Internet has inadvertently exposed an increasing number of personally identifiable information, particularly from the visual information of the faces in the images. Most existing methods to de‐identify faces results in an excessive loss of visual information. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a reliable metrics‐based linear regression model for multilevel privacy measurement of face instances using the size information of face instances. The proposed privacy measurement model provides a novel instance‐level‐based solution to measure privacy levels. The paper also establishes a scientific relationship between the size information of face instances and their privacy levels, quantifying the degree to which face instances need to be de‐identified. Finally, the paper proposes a novel k‐Same‐DT de‐identification method to provide reliable metrics for a linear regression model. It is a real‐time k‐same‐related de‐identification algorithm that combines the PCA dimensionality reduction strategy and the Delaunay triangle‐based face alignment algorithm.The proposed k‐Same‐DT method creates a de‐identified face with a lower identifiable rate and higher structural similarity, and it can provide reliable de‐identification metrics for privacy measurement. Experiments using the classical face dataset demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed de‐identification method. Extensive experiments and surveys on real‐world social images were also conducted to verify the proposed measurement model.
Design of high‐speed software defined radar with GPU accelerator
Authors: Li Wenda , Tang Chong , Vishwakarma Shelly , Woodbridge Karl , Chetty Kevin
Published: March 2022

Software defined radar (SDRadar) systems have become an important area for future radar development and are based on similar concepts to Software defined radio (SDR). Most of the processing like filtering, frequency conversion and signal generation are implemented in software. Currently, radar systems tend to have complex signal processing and operate at wider bandwidth, which means that limits on the available computational power must be considered when designing a SDRadar system. This paper presents a feasible solution to this potential limitation by accelerating the signal processing using a GPU to enable the development of a high speed SDRadar system. The developed system overcomes the limitation on the processing speed by CPU‐only, and has been tested on three different SDR devices. Results show that, with GPU accelerator, the processing rate can achieve up to 80 MHz compared to 20 MHz with the CPU‐only. The high speed processing makes it possible to run in real‐time and process full bandwidth across the WiFi signal acquired by multiple channels. The gains made through porting the processing to the GPU moves the technology towards real‐world application in various scenarios ranging from healthcare to IoT, and other applications that required significant computational processing.
Analyse de la construction de la vulnérabilité des ménages du système irrigué de Guédé au nord du Sénégal
Authors: Sila Anne , Gérard Françoise , Daré William’s , Ba Alpha , Faye Elhadj , Adamczewski Amandine , Bousquet François
Published: March 2022

Malgré l’amélioration qu’ils apportent à la production agricole, les périmètres irrigués génèrent des risques sociaux, économiques et écologiques importants, qui questionnent leurs impacts effectifs sur la vulnérabilité sociale, économique, environnementale et alimentaire des populations bénéficiaires. La réflexion sur la construction de la vulnérabilité mobilisée dans le cadre de cet article cherche à analyser, dans une perspective socio-historico-économique, comment les processus, les changements et les perturbations dans le temps et dans l’espace peuvent expliquer les mécanismes à la source des vulnérabilités actuelles des ménages installés autour du système irrigué de la cuvette de Guédé au Sénégal. Les résultats mettent en évidence une vulnérabilité différentielle des types de ménages à plusieurs facteurs de stress. Cette vulnérabilité est fonction de la faiblesse des surfaces cultivées et des rendements, des coûts de production élevés ou des difficultés d’accès à des activités extra-agricoles, mais aussi de la période et du lieu d’installation des ménages, qui définissent partiellement leur dotation en ressources, et ainsi leur capacité à faire face à des conditions changeantes. Pour fournir une réflexion pluridisciplinaire, systémique et nuancée sur la vulnérabilité des ménages agricoles du système irrigué de Guédé, il est important de comprendre les mécanismes qui fondent la construction et l’évolution de la vulnérabilité et de voir comment leurs interactions dynamiques peuvent réduire ou renforcer les vulnérabilités existantes ou créer de nouvelles vulnérabilités.