bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
JUSTIFICATION OF TRANSPORT WORKS IN THE CONDITIONS OF A BLOCK QUARRY
Authors: KYRYLENKO Nina , SHAMRAI Volodymyr , KOVALEVYCH Liudmyla , LEBLYA Mykola , MAKHNO Artur
Published: May 2021

The increase in oil prices, consumables and tools is necessitate the re–equipment of mining enterprises in Ukraine. The share of automobile transport reaches 35–50 % in the dimension blocks production costs.

The purpose of the work is to determine transportation costs (TC) of 1 m3 of blocks depending on the volume and transportation distance within the quarry; improving the transportation plan by solving transportation problems of linear programming.

Fuel consumption and dimension block TC for three models of front–end loaders (FEL) were newly calculated on the basis of a comprehensive study. A comparison of the economic feasibility of FEL and dump truck (DT) use in certain mining conditions have been made. The rationalization plan (RP) of dimension blocks transportation within the quarry was newly proposed.

The research was performed at the dimension gabbro quarry, blocks transportation in which is performed using FEL CAT 988F (1) and DT KrAZ–256B. FELs CAT 988H (2) and CAT 986H (3) were adopted for comparison.

The average annual fuel consumption is determined: among the FELs considered in the research, the (3) consumes the least, and the (1) currently used at the enterprise consumes 22.7 % and 9.7 % more fuel compared to the (3) and the (2), respectively, in similar conditions. Trade blocks transportation using FEL is economically more expedient in comparison with the DT at transportation distance up to 300–400 m.

It is determined that the trade blocks TC using the (2) and the (3) is 5.3 % and 12.6 % lower, respectively, compared to the (1).

This paper also considers the transportation problem for FELs, in which blocks from several banks must be distributed between several storage areas, provided to minimize TC. According to the proposed RP of transportation, the savings will be up to 13 % compared to the initial conditions, which in monetary terms is 41538–48639 UAH/year depending on the FEL model. The replacement of the (1) for the (3) will reduce block TC by 12.6 % (47000 UAH/year) in the current conditions. The TC using the (3) will be 285303.5 UAH according to the proposed RP, which is 23.7 % (88476 UAH/year) less than the (1) application before the rationalization.

 

Keywords: dimension stone; front–end loader; commercial blocks transportation costs; transportation problem; cargo traffic rationalization; fuel consumption; haul road gradient.
Position of Croatia on European tourist market
Authors: Ban Ivo , Borković-Vrtiprah Vesna
Published: May 2021

Croatia is an important factor to the European tourist market. The constructed tourist capacities, realized traffic and revenues are a significant segment of the European "satisfaction industry". However, unfavorable trends were perceived in Croatian tourism already during the second half of the 1980's. War and war destruction had the effect of drastically influencing traffic, as well as resulting in the complete absence of tourists in some regions, as in Dubrovnik. All this, alongside the unavoidable problems of the transition process which appeared on this path, contributed to the serious difficulties that Croatian tourism faces. The come-back of Croatian tourism and the building of its entirely new identity is a long complex and difficult process. Regardless of present circumstances and the evident return of tourists to Croatia in 1997, it is necessary indispose the fundamental changes in the approach to tourism and tourist practices. It is necessary to define long-term goals and market segments towards which offers can be explicitly directed and to systematically develop contemporary, tourist marketing. As the changed and ever-increasing demands of today's tourist consumer seek substantial improvements in the Croatian tourist product, which must be significantly better in quality, richer and more diverse, and thereby more competitive. The Croatian tourist product must comply with all contemporary market demands. The paper considers all these questions and problems and indicates what is necessary and objectively possible to achieve within short-term and long-term periods, in order to accomplish the desired goal - the better placement of Croatia on the European market.
Tourism and agriculture
Authors: Šehanović Jusuf , Milotić Aldo , Peršurić Đordano , Tomčić Zdenko
Published: May 2021

The Republic of Croatia pays great attention to tourism and agriculture also, classifying them into the primary economy branches. The immediate connections between tourism and agriculture exist on several levels: Tourism is for agriculture very important from the point of food supply ; the revival of tourism influences positively and directly on the development of rural areas, especially islands for which Croatia is very interested. Tourism and agriculture influence the same areas and their mutual goal is to preserve this areas. To continue with this relation between tourism and agriculture, it is necessary to conduct the constant research mission without over-valuing the importance of influence one to another. According to former mentioned, the aim of this article is to present the real conditions of tourism and agriculture development.
Investment policy and competitiveness of Croatian tourism
Authors: Blažević Branko
Published: May 2021

According to the fact that every economic and social development is unthinkable without the continuous investment process, the author analyses the activities inside Croatian hotel industry and entirely economy in the last six years, paralleled with the phase of disinvestment. The competitiveness of Croatian hotel industry on the international market is jeopardized through the problem of disinvestment and investment effectiveness inside the infrastructural changes, which has to increase the entirely productivity by regularly investment, and also to cut the costs of the national economy. The author pays great attention to the fact that only effective investments contribute to the economy development.
Heat Treatment in Two Tomatoes Cultivars: A Study of the Effect 3 on a Physiological and Growth Recovery
Authors: Rajametov Sherzod Nigmatullayevich , Yang Eun Young , Jeong Hyo Bong , Cho Myeong Cheoul , Chae Soo-Young , Paudel Niroj
Published: May 2021

High temperature (HT) significantly affects the crop physiological traits and reduces the 12 productivity in plants. To increase yields as well as survival of crops under HT, developing heat13 tolerant plants is one of the main targets in crop breeding programs. The present study attempted 14 to investigate the linkage of the heat tolerance between the seedling and the reproductive growth 15 stages of tomato cultivars ’Dafnis‘ and ’Minichal’. This research was undertaken to evaluate heat 16 tolerance under two experimental designs such as screening at seedling stage and screening from 17 reproductive traits in greenhouses. Survival rate and physiological responses in seedlings of 18 tomatoes with 4-5 true leaf were estimated under HT (40 °C, RH 70%, day/night, respectively) and 19 under two control and HT greenhouse conditions (day time 28 °C and 40 °C, respectively). Heat 20 stress significantly affected physiological-chemical (photosynthesis, electrolyte conductivity, 21 proline) and vegetative parameters (plant height, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight) in all 22 tomatoes seedlings. The finding revealed that regardless of tomato cultivars the photosynthesis, 23 chlorophyll, total proline and electrical conductivity parameters were varied in seedlings during the 24 heat stress period. The heat tolerance rate of tomatoes in the seedling stage might not be associated 25 always with reproductive parameters. HT reduced the fruit parameters likeas fruit weight (31.9%), 26 fruit length (14.1%), fruit diameter (19.1%) and fruit hardness (9.1%) in compared to NT under HT 27 in heat susceptible tomato cultivar ‘Dafnis’, while in heat tolerant cultivar ‘Minichal’ fruit length 28 (7.1%) and fruit diameter (12.1%) was decreased by the affect of HT but on the contrary fruit weight 29 (3.6%) and fruit hardness (8.3%) were increased. In conclusion, screening and selection for tomatoes 30 should be evaluated at the vegetative and reproductive stages with consideration of reproductive 31 parameters.
Another Look at the Water Phases that Exist Under Room Conditions
Authors: Яхно Татьяна
Published: May 2021

A brief review of the history of the problem is intended to trace the progress in the development of scientific views on the structure of water. The discoveries in this area made in the first half of the last century are considered in comparison with modern data. It is shown that due to the de facto ban on the study of the structure of water in 1971, work in this direction was frozen for a long time. The paradox is that many forgotten truths have been independently "rediscovered" in our time, which speaks of their authenticity. On the basis of scientific literature and their own research, the authors come to the conclusion that water under room conditions is a microdispersed system, one phase of which is represented by continuous water, and the other - by polywater, discovered in the 70s of the last century.
Misconceptions and Associated Errors in the Learning of Mathematics Place Value in South African Primary Schools: A Literature Review
Authors: Themane Kgalushi Maria , Luneta Kakoma
Published: May 2021

Children’s learning of place value is critical to their future study of mathematics. However, its learning presents a huge challenge for many learners. As result they develop misconceptions and thencommit errors that become an encumbrance to their understanding of place value. It is therefore important to identify these misconceptions and their associated errors early and help children to overcome them. This article reports the findings from literature on what misconceptions learners display in the learning of place value and how they can best be supported to overcome them. The results show that despite the importance of this topic there are limited studies devoted to its research. The dearth of these studies creates a gap in the study of place value.
Chemical Characterization of the Lichen-symbiont Microalga Asterochloris erici and Study of Its Cytostatic Effect on the L929 Murine Fibrosarcoma Cell Line
Authors: Matesanz M. Concepción , Villa-Carvajal Mercedes , Linares Javier , Morante-Zarcero Sonia , Sierra Isabel , Barreno Eva , Catalá Myriam , Portoles M. Teresa
Published: May 2021

New resources of food, pharmaceuticals or biotechnological products are needed. The huge biodiversity of aero-terrestrial lichen-symbiont microalgae remains unexplored. Viability of these for human consumption demands the demonstration of the absence of toxic effects. In vitro biocompatibility of crude homogenates of axenic microalga Asterochloris erici, symbiotic in the lichen Cladonia cristatella, was analyzed after treatment of cultured L929 fibroblasts with different doses of microalgal homogenates. The results show that crude homogenates of A. erici do not induce fibroblast cytotoxicity but seem to have some cytostatic effect inducing slight cell cycle alterations and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase at the highest dose. Carotenoid analysis demonstrates high content of lutein, a xanthophyll with antioxidant and cytostatic properties in vivo. These findings confirm that Asterochloris erici can be considered suitable for the development of alimentary or pharmaceutical applications. The cytostatic effects should be further investigated for antitumor agents.
Dynamics of Bacterial Community Structure in the Rhizosphere and Root Nodule of Soybean: Impacts of Growth Stages and Varieties
Authors: Sohn Soo-In , Ahn Jae-Hyung , Pandian Subramani , Oh Young-Ju , Shin Eun-Kyoung , Kang Hyeon-Jung , Cho Woo Suk , Cho Youn-Sung , Shin Kong-Sik
Published: May 2021

Bacterial communities in rhizosphere and root nodules have significant contributions to the growth and productivity of the soybean (Glycine max L.). In this report, we analyzed the physiological properties and dynamics of bacterial community structure in rhizosphere and root nodules at different growth stages using BioLog EcoPlate and high-throughput sequencing technology, respectively. The BioLog assay found that the metabolic capability of rhizosphere is in increasing trend in the growth of soybeans as compared to the bulk soil. As a result of the Illumina sequencing analysis, the microbial community structure of rhizosphere and root nodules was found to be influenced by the variety and growth stage of the soybean. At the phylum level, Actinobacteria were the most abundant in rhizosphere at all growth stages, followed by Alphaproteobacteria and Acidobacteria and the phylum Bacteroidetes showed the greatest change. But, in the root nodules Alphaproteobacteria were dominant. The results of the OTU analysis exhibited the dominance of Bradyrhizobium during the entire stage of growth, but the ratio of non-rhizobial bacteria showed an increasing trend as the soybean growth progressed. These findings revealed that bacterial community in the rhizosphere and root nodules changed according to both the variety and growth stages of soybean in the field.
How Teachers Enable Primary School Students to be Resilient in Times of Ranau Earthquake
Authors: Bikar Soon Singh , Rathakrishnan Balan , Kamaluddin Mohammad Rahim , Che Mohd Nasir Norruzeyati , Mohd Nasir Mohd Azrin
Published: May 2021

The Ranau Earthquake that struck on 5, June 2015 and follow by February 2018 and April 2021, were a new disaster in Sabah and caused many Sabahan to panic. The unpredicted disaster also caused a serious impact on all aspects of life in Sabah. The earthquake has caused severe damage to eight primary schools in the vicinity of the epicenter; although no casualties were reported. However, the disaster has passing deep psychological effects among students. In this study, we examine how the primary school teachers enabled the student to be resilient during and after the disaster. Based on the interviews of 16 primary school students it was revealed that most of the teachers used WhatsApp to support resilience during and after the earthquake. Interviews with 16 primary school teachers revealed there were two main reasons for them to communicate with students namely, delivering emotional aid and monitoring their stress. Based on student interviews, five content categories of emotional support were identified: caring, reassuring, emotion sharing, belonging, and distracting. The main contribution of this study is social media can be used as a spontaneously and proactive tool to support student's resilience during and after the earthquake trauma.
Effect of Storage Conditions on Storability and Antioxidant Potential Of Pears CV. ‘Conference’
Authors: Łysiak Grzegorz P. , Rutkowski Krzysztof , Walkowiak-Tomczak Dorota
Published: May 2021

Late pear cultivars, such as ‘Conference’, can be stored for a long period, with their storability depending on storage conditions. A three-year study (2011-2013) compared the impact of half-year storage using four technologies – normal atmosphere, normal atmosphere + 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), controlled atmosphere, controlled atmosphere + 1-MCP – on the quality parameters of ‘Conference’ pears, such as mass loss, firmness, total soluble solids, acidity, antioxidant capacity, and the incidence of diseases and disorders. Additionally, the study analysed different storage conditions in terms of profitability, based on the market prices for pears in the seasons during which the pears were stored. The storage conditions had a very strong influence on the fruit quality parameters, and was found to affect most visibly the mass loss and the incidence of postharvest diseases and disorders. The storage of ‘Conference’ pears for 180 days in normal atmosphere is not economically viable, even if the fruit is subjected to 1-MCP treatment.
Perception of Vulnerable Ultra-Poor Women on Climate Change Impacts and Local Adaptation in a High Flood Prone Area of Bangladesh
Authors: Hassan Md. Shareful , Mahmud-ul-Islam Syed , Rahman Mohammad Mahbubur , Eslamian Saeid
Published: May 2021

The contextual and risk perception of climate change plays a critical role in an individual’s decision-making process. It could also help people to respond appropriately to the consequences of global climate change and eventually take necessary adaptation actions. However, the perceptions of climate change are often gendered and vary among men and women. Therefore, this study explores different perceptions of climate change and its local adaptation options among ultra-poor vulnerable women, particularly in highly vulnerable flood-prone regions of Bangladesh. The research followed an empirical research methodology to collect primary and secondary information using qualitative and quantitative research tools. The study findings reveal that climate change perceptions at the individual level are relatively low (63%). Still, they have been observing significant changes in various climatic variables over the past 30 years. Moreover, this study identified some major adaptation options such as plinth raising (100%), livestock rearing (100%), homestead gardening (82%), seasonal migration (82%), and using indigenous knowledge (69%), and so on to tackle the adverse impacts of climate change-induced extreme events including flooding at the local level. For implementing these adaptation measures, the respondents spent a significant amount of financial resources from individual sources in the study area. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used in addition to the statistical analyses to understand any connections between the climate change perceptions and other variables associated with the community under study. The SEM result shows that climate change will be a long–term problem, which offers a strong predictor in this model, considering standardized regression weight β= 0.56. It means, despite inadequate knowledge on climate change of the respondent’s, climate change is occurring and becoming the worst factor limiting cultural, economic, and environmental development in the study area.
A Biophysical Insight of Camptothecin Biodistribution: Towards a Molecular Understanding of Its Pharmacokinetic Issues
Authors: Almeida Andreia , Fernandes Eduarda , Sarmento Bruno , Lúcio Marlene
Published: May 2021

Camptothecin (CPT) is a potent anticancer drug, and its putative oral administration is envisioned although difficult due to physiological barriers that must be overcome. A comprehensive biophysical analysis of CPT interaction with biointerface models can be used to predict some pharmacokinetic issues after oral administration of this or other drugs. To that end, different models were used to mimic the phospholipid composition of normal, cancer, and blood-brain barrier endothelial cell membranes. The logD values obtained indicate that the drug is well distributed across membranes. CPT-membrane interaction studies also confirm the drug’s location at the membrane cooperative and interfacial regions. The drug can also permeate membranes at more ordered phases by altering phospholipid packing. The similar logD values obtained in membrane models mimicking cancer or normal cells imply that CPT has limited selectivity to its target. Furthermore, CPT binds strongly to serum albumin, leaving only 8.05% of free drug available to be distributed to the tissues. The strong interaction with plasma proteins, allied to the large distribution (VDSS=5.75 ± 0.932 L·Kg-1) and tendency to bioaccumulate in off-target tissues, were predicted to be pharmacokinetic issues of CPT, implying the need to develop drug delivery systems to improve its biodistribution.
In BRCA1 and BRCA2 Breast Cancers, Chromosome Breaks Occur Near Herpes Tumor Virus Sequences
Authors: Friedenson Bernard
Published: May 2021

Inherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes increase risks for breast, ovarian, and other cancers. Both genes encode proteins for accurately repairing chromosome breaks. If mutations inactivate this function, chromosome fragments may not be restored correctly. Resulting chromosome rearrangements can become critical breast cancer drivers. Because I had data from thousands of cancer structural alterations that matched viral infections, I wondered whether infections contribute to chromosome breaks and rearrangements in hereditary breast cancers. There are currently no interventions to prevent chromosome breaks because they are thought to be unavoidable. However, if chromosome breaks come from infections, they can be treated or prevented. I used bioinformatic analyses to test publicly available breast cancer sequence data around chromosome breaks for DNA similarity to all known viruses. Human DNA flanking breakpoints usually had the strongest matches to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) tumor variants HKHD40 and HKNPC60. Many breakpoints were near sites that anchor EBV genomes, human EBV tumor-like sequences, EBV-associated epigenetic marks, and fragile sites. On chromosome 2, sequences near EBV genome anchor sites accounted for 90% of breakpoints (p<0.0001). On chromosome 4, 51/52 inter-chromosomal breakpoints were close to EBV-like sequences. Five EBV genome anchor sites were near breast cancer breakpoints at precisely defined, disparate gene or LINE locations. Breakpoint flanking regions resembled known EBV-cancers. Twenty-five breakpoints in breast cancers were within 1.25% of EBV cancer breakpoints. In addition to BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, all the breast cancers had mutated genes essential for immune responses. Because of this immune compromise, herpes viruses can activate and produce nucleases that break chromosomes. Alternatively, anchored viral episomes can obstruct break repairs, whatever the cause. The results, therefore, imply proactive treatment and prevention of herpes viral infections may prevent some chromosome breaks and benefit BRCA mutation carriers.
Quadratus lumborum Block Reduces Postoperative Opioid Consumption and Decreases Persistent Postoperative Pain Severity in Patients Undergoing Both Open and Laparoscopic Nephrectomies—a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Borys Michal , Szajowska Patrycja , Jednakiewicz Mariusz , Wita Grzegorz , Czarnik Tomasz , Mieszkowski Marcin , Tuyakov Bułat , Gałkin Piotr , Rahnama-Hezavah Mansur , Czuczwar Mirosław , Piwowarczyk Paweł
Published: May 2021

Background: New regional techniques can improve pain management after nephrectomy. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial conducted at two teaching hospitals. Patients undergoing elective open and laparoscopic nephrectomy were eligible to participate in the trial. A total of 100 patients were divided into a quadratus lumborum block (QLB) group and a control (CON) group. At the end of surgery, but while still under general anesthesia, unilateral QLB with ropivacaine was performed on the side of nephrectomy for patients in the QLB group. The main measured outcome of this study was oxycodone consumption via a patient-controlled anesthesia (PCA) pump during the first 24 hours following surgery; other measured outcomes included postoperative pain intensity assessment, patient satisfaction with pain management, and persistent pain evaluation. Results: Patients undergoing QLB needed less oxycodone than those in the CON group (34.5 mg [interquartile range 23–40 mg] vs. 47.5 mg [35–50 mg]; p<0.001). No difference between the groups was seen in postoperative pain intensity measured on the visual analog scale, except for the evaluation at hour 2, which was in favor of the QLB group (p=0.03). Patients who received QLB were more satisfied with postoperative pain management than the CON group. Persistent postoperative pain was assessed with the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI) at months 1, 3, and 6 and was found to be significantly lower in the QLB group at each evaluation (p<0.001). We also analyzed the impact of the surgery type on persistent pain severity, which was significantly lower after laparoscopic procedures than open procedures at months 1, 3, and 6. Conclusions: QLB reduces oxycodone consumption in patients undergoing open and laparoscopic nephrectomy and decreases persistent pain severity months after hospital discharge.
Implicaciones de la COVID-19 en la educación escolar; una revisión temprana de los artículos publicados en revistas académicas
Authors: Niño Carrasco Shamaly Alhelí , Castellanos Ramírez Juan Carlos , Huerta Domínguez Lissete
Published: May 2021

Este trabajo corresponde a un estudio de revisión sobre las obras publicadas en revistas académicas, en torno al impacto de la Covid-19 en la educación escolar. Mediante la técnica de análisis interjueces se revisaron 60 artículos publicados en revistas académicas de diferentes partes del mundo. Se constató que la producción de artículos recoge problemáticas educativas surgidas principalmente en Estados Unidos de América, India y China; esta producción se enmarca sustancialmente en las áreas de Tecnología educativa, Ciencias de la Educación y Ciencias de la Salud. También se observó que la mayoría de publicaciones corresponde a artículos de opinión que sitúan la reflexión en el nivel educativo superior. En conjunto, los artículos emiten recomendaciones educativas de mejora en cinco niveles: políticas públicas en educación, atención y seguimiento institucional en el nivel educativo superior, atención y seguimiento curricular, procesos de enseñanza y de aprendizaje y reconfiguración del sentido de la educación.
Representaciones de la etnia rarámuri en el muralismo de la ciudad de Chihuahua
Authors: Liddiard Cárdenas Adán Erubiel , Hernández Orozco Guillermo
Published: May 2021

El muralismo de la ciudad de Chihuahua, capital del estado homónimo al norte de México, exhibe una presencia importante de imágenes de la comunidad rarámuri, etnia originaria de esa región. El objetivo de este artículo es exponer la catalogación de las distintas formas de representación visual encontradas hacia esta insigne comunidad indígena, así como la reflexión detrás de cada una. Esto devenido del análisis anterior en una investigación doctoral hacia este objeto de estudio, con una metodología historio e iconográfica, y rescate fotográfico de las obras en el trabajo de campo. El resultado son siete distintas representaciones reconocibles de imágenes humanas rarámuris, dentro de contextos pasados o presentes, donde se concluye que para lograr el acercamiento a una visualización de un grupo indígena, se requieren de todas las ópticas posibles, inclusive artísticas.
THE REGIME SWITCHING OF CYCLE INSTABILITY OF ISLAMIC BANKING AND THE ECONOMY: EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, AND PAKISTAN
Authors: Nurfalah Irfan , Rusydiana Aam Slamet
Published: May 2021

This study aims to examine the cyclical instability of Islamic banking in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan. A stable Islamic banking system can give the public confidence to conduct transactions and thus grow the economy. The proxy variable for stability used is the z-score, with 156 periods of research data from January 2007 to December 2019. The Markov Switching Vector Autoregression (MS-VAR) method was employed. The results show that Islamic banking stability in Indonesia based on the z-score is more stable than others. Nevertheless, in terms of the regression of all the variables, regime shifting, and the duration of the crisis, overall Malaysian Islamic banking displays the best performance. The instability of the Indonesian model is mostly affected by inflation, whereas Malaysia and Pakistan are affected by the financing to deposit ratio and the fluctuation in global oil, respectively.
Interannual Variability in the Summer Season Onset, Length and End Dates Across the Iran (1948-2016)
Authors: Sedaghat Mahdi , Nazaripour Hamid
Published: May 2021

It is very important to study the role of global warming on the variability of summer characteristics in arid and semi-arid climates such as Iran, because of its impact on natural and social systems.The aim of this study is to detect interannual variability in the onset, end and duration of the summer season in Iran. To achieve this goal, three indices are defined: physical, dynamic and synoptic. Daily data of the Earth's surface temperature (°C), tropopause level pressure (hPa) and geopotential height at 1000 hectopascals (m) are the basis of physical, dynamic and synoptic indices, respectively. Data were extracted from the reanalysis databases for 1948 to 2016 in different domains. A three-variable dataset using regional mean values allowed researchers to determine the start date (onset) of the summer based on the following thresholds: Temperatures above 25°C and duration of 10 days (physical index), tropopause level pressure less than 120 hPa and duration of 10 days (dynamic index), geopotential height at 1000 hPa less than 50 m and duration of 10 days (synoptic index). The opposite situation indicates the end of summer. The results showed that the start and end of summer based on physical, dynamic and synoptic indices are May 11 and September 21, June 4 and October 1, May 20 and September 15, respectively. The average length of summer is 134, 120 and 119 days, respectively. Statistically significant long-term trends have been observed for the start and end dates of the summer season. Seasonal variability has accelerated significantly since the late the twentieth century. In short, the summer season in Iran tends to start early and end late. As a result, summer lengths are longer in 80 percent of the years after 1981 compared with less than 50 percent from 1948 to 1981.
How is the hyponatremia management in hospitalized patients? A cross-sectional study
Authors: Sánchez Jorge Gabriel Ruiz , Fernández-Cagigao Yvonne , Fuentes Beatriz De León , Parra-Ramírez Paola , Rojas-Marcos Patrica Martín , Álvarez-Escolá Cristina
Published: May 2021

Background: Hyponatremia is the most frequent hydroelectrolytic disorder in hospitalized patients and is associated with mortality. A lack in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of the hyponatremic hospitalized patient has been reported. Hyponatremia in hospitalized patients is usually managed by specialties other than nephrology and endocrinology. The aim of our study is to describe the diagnostic and therapeutic management of hyponatremia by clinicians from services other than endocrinology and nephrology in hospitalized patients.Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive study of a consecutive case series of adult patients hospitalized with hyponatremia, in a tertiary hospital of Madrid, during January 1st-May 30th 2019, handled by non-endocrinologist nor nephrologist clinicians. We analyzed data regarding the details of the diagnostic assessment and the treatment established by the clinicians of the respective hospitalization service. Results: 32 cases studied, all of them with hypovolemic hyponatremia, 50% women, 50% managed in the emergency room. Volemic classification of hyponatremia was described in only 18.8%. The height of the internal jugular venous pulse was not measured in any case. Urine studies were developed in below 70% of cases. 50% of patients had a congruent treatment with the previous described volemic status. Only one case had a complete and successful diagnostic and therapeutic approach in accordance to clinical guidelines.Conclusion: In our series there was a lack in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of hyponatremia of hospitalized patients by non-endocrinologists and non-nephrologists.
Removal of Chromium(VI) from Aqueous Solution using a Strong base Anion Exchange Resin : Kinetic and Equilibrium Studies
Authors: REVANKAR HARISH NAGESH , KOUJALAGI PRASANNA S , GURJAR VIJAYENDRA R , KULKARNI RAVIRAJ M
Published: May 2021

The removal of chromium (VI) from aqueous solution using the strong base anion exchange resin Tulsion A-62 (MP) is reported in this study under a variety of experimental conditions, including initial chromium (VI) concentration, contact time, and medium pH. The ion-exchange process for the resin Tulsion A-62 (MP) was relatively simple and after 300 minutes of phase contact, the equilibrium was achieved. The sorption process, which is pH based, extracted the most chromium (VI) when the pH was between 4.0 and 5.0. Both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were used to fit the equilibrium results for Cr(VI) adsorption, however Langmuir isotherm model was found to be more acceptable for the Cr(VI) adsorption and maximum adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) was found to be 201.6 mg/g. Scanning Electron Microscopy with EDX and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy were also used to characterize Tulsion A-62 (MP) before and after chromium adsorption. The adsorption mechanism followed reversible first-order kinetics. The findings showed that such anion-exchange resins can be used to effectively extract chromium (VI) ions from water and wastewater.
Single / Dual-Band Frequency and Polarization Switching Using Frequency Selective Surfaces for Terahertz Applications
Authors: Mabrouk Ahmed Mosaad , Ibrahim Ahmed Abd Elmoneam , Hamed Hesham Fathi
Published: May 2021

This paper presents reconfigurable frequency and polarization FSS-based with photoconductive switches in a single and dual-band operation for antenna applications at the terahertz band. The single band FSS unit-cell element exhibits frequency reconfigurability between 0.62 THz and 0.7 THz. It also converts the LP waves into CP over a frequency band ranging from 0.59 THz to 0.8 THz (30 % 3-dB BW). The dual-band FSS unit-cell element exhibits frequency reconfigurability between (0.42 THz and 1.03 THz) when the switches are turned ON and (0.51 THz and 0.865 THz) when the switches are turned OFF. Moreover, it exhibits polarization conversion over two bands from 0.46 THz to 0.56 THz (20% 3-dB B.W) and from 0.82 THz to 0.91 THz (12 % 3-dB B.W). The dual-band FSS unit-cell element is arranged in a 7 x 7 array and used as a reflector for two dipole antennas (A and B) operating at 0.82 THz and 0.5 THz, respectively. The same dual-band FSS-based surface enhances their gain to about 8.4 dBi and converts their polarization from LP to CP at 0.82 THz and 0.5 THz, respectively.
Comparative Analysis of Water Quality Indices and Their Relationship with Anthropogenic Activities. Case Study: Bogotá River
Authors: Marimon Wilfredo , Jimenez Nathalie Toussaint , Jiménez Carlos , Chavarro John , Domínguez Efraín
Published: May 2021

The Water Quality Index is the numerical value that qualifies in categories, the water quality of a surface stream, based on the measurements obtained for a set of physicochemical and microbiological parameters registered in a water quality monitoring network. This indicator allows knowing the physical-chemical and microbiological quality conditions of a body of water and identifies contamination problems at a certain point. In the present study, the water quality was studied in 43 stations located in the Bogota river, considering different methodologies for calculating quality indices such as NSF, Oregon, IDEAM, Prati, and diffuse logic to establish the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of each method. Similarly, a correlation analysis was carried out between the parameters, and the land uses in the basin. The results indicated that all the indices showed regular or poor water quality for more than 80% of the stations for the temporal window studied. However, the methodology used in Colombia (ICA water quality index, in Spanish) has eclipsing problems in most of the evaluation points since where the water quality qualifies as good, other indices such as the fuzzy logic show a degree of contamination by any of the parameters mainly manganese or total suspended solids.
NLRC4 activation needs lncRNA LNCGM1082
Authors: Gao Yunhuan , Yang Yazheng , Wei Jianmei , Yue Jianmei , Wang Ya , Zhang Qianjing , Jin Mengli , Wang Rong , Yang Xiaorong , Zhang Junqi , Liu Xinqi , Zhang Yuan , Yang Rongcun
Published: May 2021

The activation of NLRC4 is a major host response against the infection by intracellular bacteria. However, there still remain challenges in understanding the activation upon sensing of diverse stimuli. We here found that lncRNA LNCGM1082 plays a critical role in the activation of NLRC4. LNCGM1082 in macrophages could affect maturation of interleukin (IL)-1β and pyroptotic cell death only after exposed to NLRC4 ligand. Similar to NLRC4-/- mice, LNCGM1082-/- mice were high sensitive to Salmonella typhimurium infection. LNCGM1082 deficiency in mouse or human macrophages had reduced IL-1β maturation and pyroptosis. Mechanistically, LNCGM1082 could induce the combination of PKCδ with NLRC4 in both mice and human. There was absence of binding of NLRC4 with PKCδ in LNCGM1082-/- macrophages. This lncRNA could be induced by Salmonella typhimurium through TLR5 in the macrophages of both mice and human. Thus, our data indicate that LNCGM1082 induced by TLR5 can mediate the binding of PKCδ with NLRC4 to cause the activation of NLRC4.
Influence of Sociodemographic Factors, and the Coverage and Offer of Health Services on Mortality Due to Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer in Brazil: A 20-year Analysis
Authors: Affonso Márcio Vinicius de Gouveia , de Souza Igor Gonçalves , Rocha Emerson Souza da , Goloni-Bertollo Eny Maria , Gomes Fabiana de Campos , Nascimento Liliane Silva do , de Melo-Neto João Simão
Published: May 2021

Background: To investigate the influence of sociodemographic factors and variables related to oral health services in oral and oropharyngeal cancer mortality in Brazil. Results: The mortality rate was higher in men than in women; the Southeast and South regions had the highest rates, which increased with age. Regarding APC analysis, men aged 57 years or more and those born from the 1920s to 1955, presented the highest mortality rate, while women born between the 1920s and the 1930s had a higher rate ratio. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression showed that black men living in the Midwest region had the lowest survival rate. Considering the correlations, the North and Northeast regions presented mortality rates inversely proportional to FPDC and NSTB, while the Southeast presented it only to FPDC. Conclusions: The sociodemographic variables analyzed exhibited an influence on mortality and survival rates in relation to oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Regarding the oral health services, it was observed that preventive and diagnostic procedures are not being performed, which may be exacerbating the increase in the mortality rates observed.
Fabrication of C6-Fluorocarbon-Dendrimer Based Superhydrophobic Cotton Fabrics for Multifunctional Aspects
Authors: Mondal Md. Ibrahim H. , Saha Joykrisna
Published: May 2021

C6-Fluorocarbon (FC)-dendrimer has been applied on cotton knit fabric for developing water repellent, self-cleaning, oil-water separation, acid-resistant, antibacterial, UV resistant and flame retardant property while maintaining acceptable levels of comfort for wearers. The C6-Fluorocarbon (FC)-dendrimer coated 100% cotton single jersey knitted fabric samples were prepared using “pad-dry-cure” method, and characterized and tested for comfort and other textile properties. The 90 g/L and 100 g/L FC-dendrimer treated cotton fabrics provided excellent water repellency, oil-water separation and self-cleaning performance. But air permeability and thermal conductivity were 13%, 15%, and 40%, 54% lower, respectively, than those of untreated fabrics. The presence of FC-dendrimer in the treated fabric was confirmed by FTIR, SEM, EDS and XRD analyses. SEM analysis was employed to study the morphology of deposited FC-dendrimer particles on the fabric surface. Thermal behaviors were evaluated by TGA and DTA. The FC-dendrimer-treated fabric also showed promise as a UV ray absorber, antimicrobial activity, acid resistance and flame retardant property. Overall, the result suggests that FC-dendrimer can be a valuable ingredient in the manufacture of multifunctional products.
The Effect of Intratesticular Injection of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cell (hADSC) on Testicular Oxidative Stress and Spermatogenesis Process in the Varicocele Rat Model
Authors: Siregar Safendra , Noegroho Bambang Sasongko , Adriansjah Ricky , Mustafa Akhmad , Bonar Ananta
Published: May 2021

Introduction: Varicocele is the predominant cause of male infertility and was found in 19% - 41% of men with primary infertility and 45% - 81% of men with secondary infertility. Human adipose Derived Stem Cells (hADSC) can suppress oxidative stress in some oxidative injury model. Therefore, this study would like to investigate the effect of intratesticular hADSC injection on MDA level and spermatogenesis process by histopathological examination in the varicocele rat model.Method: This is an experimental study. A total sampling of 9 male Wistar rats were divided into three groups. Group I consist of 1 Wistar rats without any treatment or model (sham group), group II consist of 4 Wistar rats with varicocele model without hADSC therapy (control group), and group III consist of 4 Wistar rats with varicocele model and were given injections of 1.0x106 hADSC cells intratesticularly 30 days after model was made (therapy group). Testicular tissue was harvested for evaluation. Results: In all varicocele model rats (group II and III), the result of MDA level in therapy group (2.53 mol/liter) was significantly lower than the MDA level in control group (4.43 mol/liter) (p = 0.01). On histopathological examination, the average Johnson's Score in the therapy and control group was 9,77 and 9,18, respectively. The analysis showed Johnson’s score in the intervention group was significantly higher (p = 0.018). Conclusion: Intratesticular injection of hADSC can help reduce MDA levels and improve spermatogenesis process, which is damaged by varicoceles.
Ad Hoc Network as a Solution in Disaster Management
Authors: Dattana Vishal , Kush Ashwani , Hasan Raza , Mahmood Salman , Naidu Vikas Rao
Published: May 2021

Whenever some natural disaster occurs, the immediate and most dreadful impact is a communication failure. It can easily be understood that communication systems can make a significant difference between survivals for life and death for those affected areas. Due to the potential for existing telecommunication infrastructure to be damaged, disasters are one of the most difficult implementations of multihop ad hoc networks Following a natural disaster, the deployed cellular network system could be partially or entirely lost. Multihop ad hoc contact is an intriguing option for dealing with a lack of communication in crisis situations. In many situations, ad hoc networks have been used for recovery or communication links. The main reason behind the concept is that they are infrastructure less and can adopt any topology. Though in the research arena disaster situations are one of the challenging areas. The situation can be disastrous in many ways, in this paper underwater situation like flood etc. have been considered as a case study. It has been observed that a significant gain in the signal strength ranges from 50–70% have been achieved which is quite respectable in disaster situations. The performance has been evaluated in terms of energy and signals gained. The research has been carried out and promising results were evident from the simulation. The new scheme performs better in certain cases and minor delay can be acceptable in the disastrous situations. We present criteria for ad hoc networks used in disaster for emergency response, with a focus on delay, packet delivery ratio, size, speed, and providing network status awareness through the network's nodes.
Quantification of Fructans in Bioethanol Stillage Based On a Simplified Analytical Method
Authors: Zimmermann Andreas , Kaltschmitt Martin
Published: May 2021

Bioethanol stillage, the main by-product of industrial bioethanol production, is a potential substrate for fructans. However, the determination and quantification of fructans in such complex sample matrices is still a challenge for the corresponding analytics to be overcome in order to allow for the identification and utilisation of such unused fructan sources. Especially a possible utilisation or rather the corresponding process development requires appropriate analytics first. Thus, this paper aims to illuminate the basics of fructan quantification in stillage and the corresponding challenges particularly arising with widely used HPLC-RID systems. On this basis, a new approach for fructan quantification is presented based on such HPLC-RID systems allowing for a reliable and especially simple fructan determination in bioethanol stillage for comparably high sample throughput. The developed method performs fructan quantification by determination of fructose and glucose equivalents after a targeted acidic hydrolysis adapted to the respective sample matrix. By means of two different stationary phases, the problem of limited resolution in case of HPLC-RID is overcome and thus measurement errors are reduced. The approach towards the adapted analytical method can be transferred easily to comparable complex sample matrices.
Exploration of Tumor Microenvironment-Related Biomarkers for the Prognosis of Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Han Xiaorui , Liu Zaiyi , Liang Changhong
Published: May 2021

Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most disastrous breast cancer subtypes world widely. The tumor microenvironment (TME), especially the infiltration of immune and stromal cells, are highly related to the occurrence, development and prognosis of breast cancer. Therefore, exploration of TME-related biomarkers is greatly important for improving overall survival rate of TNBC patients. Methods: The open-assess Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database provides gene expression profile for a variety of malignant tumors allowing researchers to explore genes demonstrating TME in the prognosis prediction of TNBC. In our present study, ESTIMATE algorithm was used to calculate the immune and stromal scores in accordance with the characteristics of specific genes in immune and stromal cells, and divide them into high and low-score groups. Limma R package was then utilized to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs). After that, functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were performed to explore the bio-information of the DEGs and their encoded proteins. Subsequently, the identified these genes were further verified in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Results: Eight genes, including ACAP1, DUSP1, LYZGZMA, SASH3, CCL5, CD74, and DPT, were explored to closely related to the TME of TNBC. A prognostic model containing these selected genes was established with a high efficiency in the prediction of the poor prognosis of TNBC patients.Conclusion: An eight-gene prognostic model was a considerably reliable approach for predicting the overall survival of TNBC patients, and could help clinicians selecting personalized treatments for their TNBC patients.