bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost-analysis of Treatment of Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Alipour Vahid , Rad Soroush , Mezginejad Fateme , Jahangiri Reza , Bagherzadeh Rafat , Nargesi Shahin , Mousavi Seyed Asadollah
Published: August 2021

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second common leukemia (5.18%) and the third deadliest leukemia in Iran. Moreover, it is the fifth prevalent cancer in the world, which involves 8% of all cancers. Objectives: The aim of this study was to calculate direct medical and non-medical costs of AML in 2019. Methods: The present retrospective-descriptive analysis was conducted on 192 patients with AML aged 19 to 70 years from 2016 to 2018. The data were collected from hospital records and interviews with experts. The bottom-up micro-costing approach and payer perspective was considered for cost analysis status. The relationship of affective variables was investigated, using nonparametric tests, including Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Costs were divided into costs of diagnosis, hospitalization, medication, nursing, visit and consultation, operating room, and medical supplies. The data were described by mean ± standard deviation and reported by percentage and also analyzed by SPSS 11 software. Results: According to the findings, the average age of all patients was 43.91 years and 55.7% of the patients were male. The highest and the lowest diagnostic costs were associated with laboratory tests at $1656459.48 and ultrasound charges $4229.46, respectively. The total direct medical costs per patient were $1056624.78 with an average of $4846.90 and the cost of medication included 36% of the total costs. The direct medical and non-medical costs were $10485488.48 and $487522.87, respectively Conclusions: Costs of AML treatment were estimated to be $1056624.78. Finally, it can be concluded that the cost of AML in Iran is much cheaper than that compared to other countries and also due to hidden subsidies from the public sector, the payment from the patient's pocket is very small.
Collaboration of Business Intelligence and Cloud Computing and Selecting the Best Cloud Business Intelligence Solution
Authors: ASLAN İpek , DEMİRAG Aşkın , AKKARTAL Erkut
Published: August 2021

In this study, business intelligence concept and architecture were explained from data sources to reporting with many advantages provided to institutions in the first part. Then, both cloud computing technology with its service and deployment models and the characteristics of cloud computing experienced clarified in the second part of the study. The relationship between cloud computing and business intelligence and the concept arisen from this collaboration, cloud business intelligence, were represented with its benefits and obstacles experienced by companies using this technology in the third part. Four service providers as alternatives serving cloud business intelligence solutions were selected and the criteria were determined according to the needs of the company, that would like to use a cloud business intelligence software. After all the criteria are prioritized and the alternatives are determined, the best software was chosen by using the Analytic Hierarchical Process software, called Expert Choice.
O CONTROLE FINALÍSTICO DE INCENTIVOS TRIBUTÁRIOS À LUZ DO PROPÓSITO DO DIREITO NA TEORIA DE SCOTT SHAPIRO: UMA ANÁLISE CRÍTICA.
Authors: Nogueira Rodrigo , Silva Maria Stela Campos da
Published: August 2021

O presente artigo objetiva contribuir para o aprimoramento do controle de incentivos tributários no direito brasileiro. Neste âmbito, em que os tributos são manuseados para além da arrecadação de receitas, observa-se, em relação ao controle finalístico, baixa densidade normativa em dispositivos constitucionais e legais. Pretende-se analisar criticamente este tema a partir da tese central da teoria do direito de Scott Shapiro, qual seja, a tese do propósito moral do direito (moral aim thesis). Para tanto, o trabalho está dividido em três partes: a) na primeira, apresenta-se a tese do propósito moral do direito; b) na segunda, sustenta-se a importância de um controle de incentivos tributários com uma perspectiva finalística a partir de seu enquadramento na categoria políticas públicas; c) na terceira, analisa-se se o atual desenho normativo desta modalidade de controle contribui para o fim que caracteriza um sistema jurídico. Conclui-se que o baixo incentivo à participação de agentes externos faz com que o vigente sistema de controle finalístico destoe do propósito fundamental do direito.
Modelo descritivo de atuação sustentável para o desenvolvimento de inovações sociais
Authors: Costa Priscila Rezende Da , Itelvino Lucimar da Silva , Monken Sonia Francisca
Published: August 2021

Purpose: The concept of social innovation as open, collaborative and social transformation process opens room to reinforce the need of legitimizing social impact businesses and of expanding partnerships for social change, as well as the urgency of establishing professional and more sustainable social innovation environments. Accordingly, we tried to answer the following research question: How can social business performance boost the development of social innovations?Design/methodology/approach: Therefore, we adopted the inductive approach of qualitative paradigm, based on the Grounded Theory, to investigate 24 social businesses. In addition, we adopted the Atlas.ti software for data organization and recovery.Aggregate results allowed us to  propose a descriptive model of sustainable performance for the development of social innovations in social business, based on the following propositions: sustainable performance in processes and social innovation, the prevalence of a cooperative environment to solve social issues, professional governance as causal factor to social innovation development, the development of actions focused on public interests as influencing conditions for social innovation development, technical and scientific evaluation of social impacts as strategy to measure the outcomes of developed innovations and the expansion of social impacts as the consequence of the self-negotiation of social affairs.Originality/value: A descriptive model of sustainable acting was proposed for the development of social innovations in social businesses.
O LUGAR DA SALA DE CINEMA EM UMA ONTOLOGIA DA IMAGEM CINEMATOGRÁFICA
Authors: Kahtalian Marcos , Da Motta Leda Tenório
Published: August 2021

A questão ontológica tem sido uma constante na história dos estudos cinematográficos, conforme são confrontados às novas tecnologias. Considerando os contextos de produção e recepção do audiovisual contemporâneo, que estão deslocando os regimes de visibilidade do filme para a internet, o presente artigo objetiva reavaliar o papel da sala de exibição. Joga-se com a hipótese de que ela representaria o derradeiro lugar da forma-cinema, em sua dimensão de cultura e culto, e se constituiria, nesse sentido, em traço pertinente à questão ontológica. Para tanto, mobiliza-se aqui, principalmente, o conceito de cinefilia
Analysis of seafood reference materials :
Authors: Ellisor Debra L , Place Benjamin , Phillips Melissa , Yen James
Published: August 2021

NIST Reference Material (RM) 8256 Wild-caught Coho Salmon, RM 8257 Aquacultured Coho Salmon, RM 8258 Wild-caught Shrimp and RM 8259 Aquacultured Shrimp were generated for use in authentication, nutrition and food safety-related determinations of crude fat and fatty acids. Each unit consists of two jars containing 6 to 8 g of fresh frozen powder homogenate. RMs of the same type (e.g. fish or shellfish) can be used individually or in tandem for comparative studies. This publication documents the sourcing, measurement results and statistical analysis employed in characterizing each material.
EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENT OF THE DIRECT INTEGRATION METHOD BY CENTRAL DIFFERENCES (DIMCD)
Authors: URKULLU MARTIN GORKA , FERNANDEZ DE BUSTOS IGOR , OLABARRIETA ANDER , ANSOLA RUBEN
Published: August 2021

The direct integration method by central differences (DIMCD) is an explicit method of order two for integrating the equations governing the dynamic analysis of multibody systems. So far, development has focused only on verifying the quality of the results. In this paper, it is shown that in addition to providing optimal results, it is also competitive from the point of view of computational efficiency, at least for systems with up to six bodies. For this purpose, an appropriate implementation of the method in a compiled language is presented. In turn, it is shown that the methodology is suitable for modeling in sparse matrices, although the proposed implementation is based on dense matrices. The resulting code is applied to different benchmark examples. Results from various commercial software are also included.

Keywords: Computational efficiency, multibody dynamics, central differences, null space, dense matrices, quaternions
COMBINED EFFECT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND THE KNOWLEDGE NETWORK ON PERFORMANCE AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
Authors: SAIZ-PARDO LIZASO MANUEL , MOLINA FERNANDEZ LUIS , HARO DOMINGUEZ CARMEN
Published: August 2021

Improving the performance of knowledge workers is one of the most relevant issues within knowledge management.
SHAPING ENVIRONMENTS CONDUCIVE TO EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE WITH INCIPIENT COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
Authors: Peralta Martin-Palomino Arturo , FERNANDEZ CABALLERO ANTONIO , LATORRE POSTIGO JOSE MIGUEL
Published: August 2021

Undoubtedly, the environment and the set of environmental factors that surround us can have a great influence on the perceived sense of well-being. However, there are few studies that analyze, jointly, the influence of a selection of factors for the conformation of environments that favor well-being, especially oriented to elderly people with cognitive impairment. It is in this context that the present study arises, with the aim of determining the influence of a set of ten factors (ambient temperature, lighting, ambient music, etc.) on the emotional well-being of elderly people with early symptoms of cognitive impairment, which is particularly important in today's increasingly aging society, where the gradual development of cognitive impairment is inevitable.
For this purpose, the advances achieved in previous research carried out by the authors are summarized, and a method based on the execution of a set of experiments is described, using collections of images to assess the emotional interpretation of each individual under the influence of different combination of simulated conditions (selected external factors) in their environment, processing and analyzing the data obtained by means of machine learning techniques.
The realization of these experiments and the application of the proposed analysis method will allow obtaining knowledge that can be used for the design of specific living environments for elderly people with cognitive impairment where the sense of emotional well-being and the preservation of their mental faculties are favored.

Key words: Emotional interpretation, environmental factors, Soft Computing, clustering, advanced age.
EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SOIL-ROCK MIXED FILLERS WITH DIFFERENT ROCK CONTENTS ON A HIGH EMBANKMENT
Authors: ZHANG YANQING , JING HONGJUN , DAI JUNYI
Published: August 2021

The mechanical properties of soil-rock mixed filler are the key factors influencing the high rockfill embankment stability. However, they remain unclear, given the complexity of soil-rock mixed filler structure. To analyze the stability of high rockfill embankment in the construction and operation phases, under the engineering background of a high rockfill embankment with a filling height of 50.6 m in the national highway 316 project within the Qinba mountainous area in China, a series of large-scale triaxial consolidated drained shear tests were performed on two soil-rock mixed fillers with 40% and 70% rock contents. Their stress-strain relation, deformation, and strength characteristics were observed. The applicability of Duncan-Chang model was also determined on the basis of the above tests. Results demonstrate that the stress-strain curve and volumetric strain of the filler with 40% rock content are strain hardening type and shear shrinkage type. The filler with 70% rock content has a weak strain softening, and its volumetric strain is first shear shrinkage and then shear dilation. The filler with 70% rock content has larger peak and critical frictional angles than the filler with 40% rock content. The tangential Poisson's ratios of the E-B and E-? models are obtained. The former can approximately reflect the volumetric strain characteristics of the filler with 40% rock content. The latter can approximately reflect those of the filler with 70% rock content. Yet, both models fail to describe the influence of confining pressure on the volumetric strain. The study results provide a reference for the stability analysis of high rockfill embankment engineering and provide parameters for constructing the constitutive model of soil-rock mixed fillers.

Keywords: high embankment; soil-rock mixed filler; large-scale triaxial shear test; deformation characteristics; Duncan-Chang model
HEURISTIC OPTIMIZATION OF THE FOUNDATION OF A DYNAMICALLY STRESSED ROTATING MACHINE USING THE LATE ACCEPTANCE HILL CLIMBING (LAHC) ALGORITHM
Authors: TERRADEZ MARCO JUAN LUIS , HOSPITALER PEREZ ANTONIO , ALBERO GABARDA VICENTE
Published: August 2021

This paper proposal the optimization of a foundation for rotative machine under dynamic loads in transient and permanent working mode. The foundation depends on fix parameters and 37 variables. Functional constraints are defined for the foundation. A cost function depending on the variables is defined to be minimized to find the optimal. From all the possible solutions, only are selected the ones that validate the constrains and minimize the cost function. The search of the optimal solution is made with an algorithm of random search by “neighbouring of one point” called Last Acceptance
Hill Climbing(LAHC). It is an algorithm of the type called “Adaptative Memory Programming” (AMP) that accepts worse solutions to get the local minimum and learns of the results of the search. The algorithm only depends on the length of the comparison vector and the stop criteria. 350 experiences were made with different length of the comparison vector. It was analysed the quality of the optimal solutions got it with
each length of the vector. Quality of the set of solutions was compared fitting them to a 3 parameters Weibull distribution.
DECISION SUPPORT FOR A SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION IN JOB SHOP MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS
Authors: NADERI MAHDI , FERNÁNDEZ ULLOA ANTONIO , ARES GÓMEZ JOSÉ ENRIQUE , PELÁEZ LOURIDO GUSTAVO
Published: August 2021

Despite the growing importance that is being given to the concepts of sustainability in many areas, not only in industry but also in the economy and public opinion in general, until now, most research has focused, practically, on the analysis of the concepts, but has not addressed, in a comprehensive way, its impact in decision making probably due to the complex relations of interdependence between its different aspects.
In this context, MAPSAM (Methodology for the Assessment of Sustainability in Manufacturing Processes and Systems) was created to help the decision-making process, allowing a conscious and transparent assessment by administrators and managers at the different levels of the structure of companies and organisations. This article explains its development and application in a "job shop" type manufacturing system with an approach that allows the integration of economic, environmental and social criteria.
MAPSAM is based on the use of various techniques and tools to quantify the importance of each aspect of sustainability and it has been applied in other production environments, being implemented in different systems, analysing their ease of use and evaluating their behaviour.
The objective is to show how it helps to make operational, tactical and strategic decisions in the management on these type of manufacturing companies and, specifically, in this contribution we want to highlight its versatility and applicability, by validating it in a certain type of layout.
With this new application, MAPSAM increases its possibilities as an innovative instrument that allows companies to make conscious and sustainable decisions in order to be more efficient, fair, supportive and respectful of the environment.

Keywords: Manufacturing System, Simulation, Decision Support, Sustainable Production, Decision-Making
HUMAN COGNITION INSPIRED PROCEDURES FOR PART FAMILY FORMATION BASED ON NOVEL INSPECTION BASED CLUSTERING APPROACH
Authors: GOPISETTI NAGA-SAI-RAM , ROCHA VARELA MARIA LEONILDE , MACHADO JOSE
Published: August 2021

Human cognition based procedures are promising approaches for solving different kind of problems, and this paper addresses the part family formation problem inspired by a human cognition procedure through a graph-based approach, drawing on pattern recognition. There are many algorithms which consider nature inspired models for solving a broad range of problem types. However, there is a noticeable existence of a gap in implementing models based on human cognition, which are generally characterized by “visual thinking”, rather than complex mathematical models. Hence, the natural power of reasoning - by detecting the patterns that mimic the natural human cognition - is used in this study as this paper is based on the partial implementation of graph theory in modelling and solving issues related to part machine grouping, regardless of their size. The obtained results have shown that most of the problems solved by using the proposed approach have provided interesting benchmark results when compared with previous results given by GRASP (Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure) heuristics.

Keywords: Cellular manufacturing systems; part family formation; human cognition; inspection-based clustering.
Case report of a solitary fibrofolliculoma on the alar rim
Authors: Jeong Ho Yoon , Bae Yong Chan
Published: August 2021

Fibrofolliculoma is a benign tumor characterized by a smooth, dome-shaped papule of size 2–4 mm. Most fibrofolliculomas occur as multiple lesions, and very rarely, they are solitary. Herein, we report a case of solitary fibrofolliculoma found in the alar rim, without the typical characteristics of a fibrofolliculoma. A 42-year-old man visited the hospital with a protruding lesion that had occurred 1 year previously. A mass of size 5× 7 mm was observed on the left alar rim. The tumor was dome-shaped and palpable. The patient did not have any similar lesions elsewhere. No family member was known to have such a lesion. An incisional biopsy was performed before surgery, and pathological examination revealed hyperkeratosis and dyskeratosis; however, an accurate diagnosis was not made. Complete resection was planned for the mass on the alar rim. The resected mass was subjected to permanent biopsy, and the pathological examination results led to the diagnosis of fibrofolliculoma. Therefore, when diagnosing a dome-shaped mass in the alar rim, despite the suspicion of a very rare disease, it is necessary to suspect fibrofolliculoma and consider the process from diagnostic examination to treatment.
A hemangioma in the masseter muscle: a case report
Authors: Park Daehwan , Park Sulki , Baik Bongsoo , Kim Sunyoung
Published: August 2021

Intramuscular hemangiomas of the masseter muscle are uncommon tumors and therefore can be difficult to accurately diagnose preoperatively, due to the unfamiliar presentation and deep location in the lateral face. A case of intramuscular hemangioma of the masseter muscle in a 66-yearold woman is presented. Doppler ultrasonography showed a 34× 15 mm hypoechoic and hypervascular soft tissue mass in the left masseter muscle, suggesting hemangioma. The mass was excised via a lateral cervical incision near the posterior border of the mandibular ramus. The surgical wound healed well without complications.
Investigating Gaps in Police Narratives
Authors: Jr Nicolas Tan Pujante,
Published: August 2021

Report writing is a major form of communication in the law enforcement; hence, professional writing skills are mandatory among the police. Though empirical studies suggest that police officers are confronted with inadequate report writing skills, little is known about how the report writing difficulties of the police manifest in their written narratives. Hence, using qualitative inquiry, this study analyzed, described, and interpreted the gaps or errors in written police narratives. One hundred twenty (120) police blotter narratives written by police investigators in three municipal police stations were analyzed to look into errors in grammar, mechanics, and lexis. Findings revealed that grammatical gaps are composed of errors on sentence construction,   verb usage, connective, pronoun, plural noun, and preposition; mechanical gaps  include errors on punctuation, capitalization, and spelling; and lexical gaps are inappropriate word choice and improper word form. These findings offer manifold academic and  professional intervention ideas that would help address the report writing issues among the   police.
Psychological Impact of Diabetic Care on Satisfaction and Quality of Life of Diabetes Patients Attending Endocrinology Clinic, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osun State, Southwest, Nigeria
Authors: Olajumoke Afolalu, Olamide , Damilola Akinwale, Oladayo , Omobolaji Makinde, Scholastica , Gbadebo Olawale, Stephen , Olufunmilola Folami, Roseline , Janet Orunmuyi, Idowu
Published: August 2021

Aims: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex, debilitating and chronic illness that presents substantial challenges to every individual living with the condition. The impact of DM reaches far beyond the physical symptoms of the disease, often the emotional distress and psychosocial impact on the quality of life (QoL) of these patients complicates the effective management of the disease. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of psychological experience and satisfaction with diabetic care on quality of life of diabetes patients.

Study Design: This was a descriptive research survey design carried out among diabetes patients attending endocrinology clinic of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Southwest, Nigeria between August to December 2020. 

Methodology:  Sample size determination was obtained using Taro Yamane’s formula and sample consisted of one hundred and ten (110) diabetic patients attending endocrinology clinic of  LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo. Samples were selected using convenience sampling method. Data were collected using modified Kessler psychological distress scale and Diabetes Quality of life Instrument and analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequencies, percentages and table. Inferential statistics of chi-square was used to test hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results: The results showed that more than half of the patients had poor psychological experience 61(55.5%) with diabetic care, though majority were satisfied 66(60.0%) with diabetic care but demonstrated poor quality of life 65(59.1%). The result also showed a significant relationship between psychological experience and quality of life (x2=5.564; df=1; p-value=0.018), level of satisfaction with diabetic care and quality of life (x2=25.280; df=2; p-value=0.000), level of satisfaction with diabetic care and psychological experience of diabetes patients (x2=25.185; df=1; p-value=0.000).

Conclusion: Promotion of psychological wellbeing of diabetes patients and quality outcome of diabetic care as well as patient-centered psychological care are essential by providing care that is respectful and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values.
Readiness for Drug Information Service Provision in Community Pharmacies in Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria
Authors: Awofisayo Sunday Olajide , Udoh Imoh Emmanuel , Awofisayo Jessica Imeh , Arhewoh Matthew Ikhuoria
Published: August 2021

This study was aimed at assessing the readiness for drug information service (DIS) provision at community pharmacies in Akwa Ibom state using a cross sectional, observational study approach. A pretested, validated questionnaire was adapted for the study. A total of 187 premises were enlisted for visits with questionnaires targeted at the superintendent pharmacists for desired responses. Response rate was 93.6%. Respondents were male (77, 44%) and female (98, 56%) with mean years of experience of respondents as 18.7 years. All respondents were aware of DIS terminologies and believed the concept to include enquiries on dosing (75%), side effects of drugs (99%), safety of drugs in cases such as pregnancy (79%), drug route of administration (80%), pill identification (66%) and substitutes to requested drugs (78%). Responses to limitations in discharging efficient DIS include non-trending service style (26%), premises requiring restructuring (26%), prohibitive setting up cost (17%) and non-availability of trained personnel (7%). At the time of this study, available resources for DIS in the premises included reference books (90%), periodicals (19%), and internet access through smart phones (60%). Secondary and tertiary sources of drug information were essentially relied on for DIS provision in the study area. There was significant association between socio-demographic characteristics such as age with readiness status (p<0.05). There was poor in-service training for effective DIS provision. Summarily, there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the DIS approach across the state. There is need for improvement in facilities and resources for efficient discharge of DIS in the study area.
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception towards COVID-19 Vaccine among the General Population in the Hail Province, KSA
Authors: Khaja Azharuddin Sajid Syed , Zafar Mubashir , Al-Shammari Meshari , Al-Shammary Khaled , Al-Rabie Abdulaziz , Al-Tamimi Abdulaziz , Al-Juhani Abdullah , Al-Harbi Abdulrahman , Al-Nabri Akram , Al-Sulami Lafi , Al-Enazi Sami , Al-Rashidi Yasser , Al-Shammari Ziyad , Ali Syed Abrar , Saleem Mohd.
Published: August 2021

Aim: Coronavirus infection has caused disease at the pandemic level with several deaths worldwide and affected all aspects of human life. One way to minimize virus transmission and its effects is to perform mass vaccination within the general population so that herd immunity is developed against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, low health literacy and vaccine hesitancy are potential threats in achieving this. The present study is designed to measure the Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception levels towards COVID-19 and assess public perception and acceptance levels of the vaccine among the general population in the Hail province of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A bilingual, community-based questionnaire, consisting of the respondents’ socio-demographic profile, COVID-19 knowledge, and attitude & perception towards COVID-19 vaccination, was circulated using different social media platforms. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS software.

Results: Appropriate knowledge level was found in 74.8% of the respondents, whereas inappropriate knowledge levels were observed in females and participants with non-health-related occupations and were inversely related to willingness to the vaccine. More than 60% of the respondents had a negative attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine, as only 51% were willing to get vaccinated. A negative attitude was significantly associated with female respondents.

Conclusion: Our study reports a high knowledge level among the respondents in the Hail province. However, there is also a decreased willingness to be vaccinated, suggesting that more vaccine and health literacy seminars should be conducted to generate awareness among the general population in the Hail province, KSA.
Analysis of in Situ Posterior Spinal Fusion with Pedicle Screws and Rods in Grade I and Grade Ii Isthmic
Authors: Manivannan S.
Published: August 2021

Spondylolysis has never been found in a newborn. Repetitive cyclic loading ultimately results in a stress fracture. Impingement between the inferior articular process of the cephalad verbetra and the superior articular process of the caudal vertebra creates pending moment that must be resisted by the pars. The hard cortical bone of the pars predisposes it to fatigue fracture, as well as nonunion, decreasing the likelihood of spontaneous healing. If healing occurs, the pars often heal in an elongated position. Either non-union or healing with elongation permits vertebral subluxation. This fundamental change in bony anatomy exposes the disc to increased shear load, even though the axial load remains unchanged. When the stiffness of the cortical bone is reduced by an underlying condition (congenital dysplasia), smaller amounts of tensile forces are required to produce a fatigue fracture. Another possible mechanism is an extension torque which is developed by the erector spinae acting through its attachment to the spinous process, resulting in a stress concentration at the pars. The aim of the study is to analyze the post-operative outcomes in, in-situ posterior spinal fusion with pedicle screws and rods in Grade I and Grade II isthmic and degenerative spondylolisthesis.
Comparative Study of Nutrient Values and Heavy Metals Content of Corchorus olitorius Collected from Farm Land (Post Service) and Dumpsite (Oko Fili) In Lagos, Nigeria.
Authors: Adu A. A. , Aderinola O. J. , Sanni N. R.
Published: August 2021

Africa is blessed with great diversity of plant resources that play major role in the continent's food, socio-economic and cultural development. These traditional leafy vegetables help to improve the nutritional status of populations and generate significant income in both rural and urban areas.Hence, this study investigated the nutrient contents and level of heavy metals in Corchorus olitorius collected from dumpsite (Oko fili in Alimosho Local Government Area) and farmland (Post Service in Ojo Local Government Area) using a standard procedure and t-test analysis. The results showed the presence of amino acids(aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, glycine, histidine, Arginine, threonine, alanine, proline, tyrosine, valine, methionine, cysteine, iso-leucine, leucine, phenylalanine and lysine) in C. olitorius from both sites, however no significant (p>0.05) difference exists between the mean of all the amino acids taken from both sites. Values of metals recorded in dumpsites were higher than that from farmland. However, only calcium (Ca), iron(Fe), potassium(K), magnesium(Mg), sodium(Na), phosphorus(P), and zinc (Zn) had higher significant differences in values for both the soil and C. olitorius. The respective values of these metals (mg/100g) in C. olitorius at dumpsite and farmland are: Ca (985.3±310.8, 633.8±190.1), Fe (141.4±18.314, 5.415±0.742), K (112.200±51.477, 32.200±13.717), Mg (308.050±121.552, 107.050±3.889), Na(37.995±16.497, 25.015±5.550), P(305.635±257.860, 137.500±39.739) and Zn(18.235±13.103, 4.380±1.810). Potassium/sodium ratio (K/Na) for C. olitorius at both sites is comparable to recommended value of 1.00. In conclusion, all the values of metals (except Na in soil and K in plant) are within WHO/FAO maximum recommended limits. Therefore, C. olitorius examined in this study is safe for consumption while the metals in both farmland and dumpsite are considered to be less   concentrated.
Analysis of the Plan to Receive Emergency Fire Response Teams for Large-Scale Disasters in Japan
Authors: Lee Euipyeong
Published: August 2021

In the event of large-scale disasters requiring state-level responses in Korea, the Fire Commissioner of the National Fire Agency (NFA) mobilizes the fire-fighting forces from the cities or provinces of the entire country. Korea does not have a suitable system to receive support in disaster-affected cities or provinces. There is, however, a system to support disaster-ravaged cities or provinces in accordance with the fire-fighting force mobilization system under the Framework Act on Fire Services. Unlike Korea, Japan mobilizes registered emergency fire response teams (EFRTs) to address large-scale disasters. In addition, fire departments of all prefectures and municipalities have established plans to receive EFRTs to prepare for large-scale disasters within their jurisdictions. This study analyzes the plan to receive EFRTs when large-scale disasters occur and EFRTs are mobilized in disaster sites in Japan. The receiving plan includes the following: procedure for requesting EFRT mobilization; establishment of a fire support coordination headquarters within the emergency operations headquarters of prefectures; establishment of command headquarters and command support headquarters in municipalities; establishment of air command headquarters in the fire air corps of prefectures; and appointment of the heads of command for support units and command support teams. Additionally, the plan addresses the establishment of advance points, hutment places, fueling stations, command systems, communication operation systems, task assignment systems, and unit movement and withdrawal procedures.
Understanding Differences in the Crystallization Kinetics between One‐Step Slot‐Die Coating and Spin Coating of MAPbI3 Using Multimodal In Situ Optical Spectroscopy
Authors: Schötz Konstantin , Greve Christopher , Langen Arjan , Gorter Harrie , Dogan Ilker , Galagan Yulia , van Breemen Albert J. J. M. , Gelinck Gerwin H. , Herzig Eva M. , Panzer Fabian
Published: August 2021

To develop a detailed understanding about halide perovskite processing from solution, the crystallization processes are investigated during spin coating and slot‐die coating of MAPbI3 at different evaporation rates by simultaneous in situ photoluminescence, light scattering, and absorption measurements. Based on the time evolution of the optical parameters it is found that for both processing methods initially solvent‐complex‐structures form, followed by perovskite crystallization. The latter proceeds in two stages for spin coating, while for slot‐die coating only one perovskite crystallization phase occurs. For both processing methods, it is found that with increasing evaporation rates, the crystallization kinetics of the solvent‐complex structure and the perovskite crystallization remain constant on a relative time scale, whereas the duration of the second perovskite crystallization in spin coating increases. This second perovskite crystallization appears restricted due to differences in solvent‐complex phase morphologies from which the perovskite forms. The work emphasizes the importance of the exact precursor state properties on the perovskite formation. It further demonstrates that detailed analyses of multimodal optical in situ spectroscopy allows gaining a fundamental understanding of the crystallization processes that take place during solution processing of halide perovskites, independent from the specific processing method.
Influence of cover crop mixtures on soil health in southeastern crop production systems
Authors: Johnson Anna M. , Gamble Audrey V. , Balkcom Kipling S. , Hull Noah R.
Published: August 2021

The restoration of soil health is a crucial step to maximize productivity in historically eroded soils of the southeastern United States. Cover crops have been known to improve soil health over time; therefore, studies were conducted from 2017 to 2019 in the Tennessee Valley (TVREC) and Wiregrass (WREC) Research and Extension Center regions of Alabama to examine the impact of cover crops on dynamic soil health indicators. Treatments including fallow, along with monocultures and combinations of cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.), and Daikon radish (Raphanus sativus L.) were arranged in a randomized complete block design in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)–legume cash crop rotations. Soil health indicators included permanganate oxidizable C (POXC), total C (TC), water stable aggregates (WSA), and soil strength (area under the curve for cone index [AUCCI]). Cover crops did not increase WSA compared with fallow after 2 yr of treatment. At TVREC, POXC in the 10‐to‐15‐cm depth increased 60.6% under crimson clover compared with fallow. At TVREC, TC increased in the top 15 cm of soil after 2 yr of crimson clover, rye–clover, and rye–radish compared with fallow by 14.3, 11.6, and 15.2%, respectively. No differences in AUCCI occurred between treatments in 2018 at either location. In 2019, AUCCI at TVREC was higher under fallow and radish treatments compared with rye and rye–radish, whereas AUCCI at WREC in 2019 was higher under clover‐containing treatments compared with fallow and rye. Overall, some improvements in soil health indicators were observed after 2 yr of cover crop utilization, but long‐term cover crop use may be necessary to observe more consistent soil health changes.
Evidence for the genetic similarity rule at an expanding mangrove range limit
Authors: Kennedy John Paul , Antwis Rachael E. , Preziosi Richard F. , Rowntree Jennifer K.
Published: August 2021

Premise

Host‐plant genetic variation can shape associated communities of organisms. These community‐genetic effects include (1) genetically similar hosts harboring similar associated communities (i.e., the genetic similarity rule) and (2) host‐plant heterozygosity increasing associated community diversity. Community‐genetic effects are predicted to be less prominent in plant systems with limited genetic variation, such as those at distributional range limits. Yet, empirical evidence from such systems is limited.

Methods

We sampled a natural population of a mangrove foundation species (Avicennia germinans) at an expanding range limit in Florida, USA. We measured genetic variation within and among 40 host trees with 24 nuclear microsatellite loci and characterized their foliar endophytic fungal communities with internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) gene amplicon sequencing. We evaluated relationships among host‐tree genetic variation, host‐tree spatial location, and the associated fungal communities.

Results

Genetic diversity was low across all host trees (mean: 2.6 alleles per locus) and associated fungal communities were relatively homogeneous (five sequence variants represented 78% of all reads). We found (1) genetically similar host trees harbored similar fungal communities, with no detectable effect of interhost geographic distance. (2) Host‐tree heterozygosity had no detectable effect, while host‐tree absolute spatial location affected community alpha diversity.

Conclusions

This research supports the genetic similarity rule within a range limit population and helps broaden the current scope of community genetics theory by demonstrating that community‐genetic effects can occur even at expanding distributional limits where host‐plant genetic variation may be limited. Our findings also provide the first documentation of community‐genetic effects in a natural mangrove system.
Direct Evidence on the Mechanism of Methane Conversion under Non‐oxidative Conditions over Iron‐modified Silica: The Role of Propargyl Radicals Unveiled
Authors: Puente‐Urbina Allen , Pan Zeyou , Paunović Vladimir , Šot Petr , Hemberger Patrick , van Bokhoven Jeroen Anton
Published: August 2021

Radical‐mediated gas‐phase reactions play an important role in the conversion of methane under non‐oxidative conditions into olefins and aromatics over iron‐modified silica catalysts. Herein, we use operando photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy to disentangle the elusive C2+ radical intermediates participating in the complex gas‐phase reaction network. Our experiments pinpoint different C2‐C5 radical species that allow for a stepwise growth of the hydrocarbon chains. Propargyl radicals (H2C−C≡C−H) are identified as essential precursors for the formation of aromatics, which then contribute to the formation of heavier hydrocarbon products via hydrogen abstraction–acetylene addition routes (HACA mechanism). These results provide comprehensive mechanistic insights that are relevant for the development of methane valorization processes.
The effect of biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles on the expression of CYP51A and HSP90 antifungal resistance genes in Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus
Authors: Bafghi Mahdi Hosseini , Nazari Razieh , Darroudi Majid , Zargar Mohsen , Zarrinfar Hossein
Published: August 2021

The application of biological nanoparticles (NPs) can be considered as a way to overcome the problem of antifungal resistance in pathogenic fungi. This study takes a new approach to biosynthesized NPs influence on the expression of CYP51A and HSP90 antifungal resistance genes in Aspergillus fumigatus and A. flavus, and comparison with antifungal agents. Selenium NPs (Se‐NPs) were biosynthesized using Aspergillus strains and their production was proved by several methods including, UV–Vis, XRD, FTIR, FESEM, and EDX techniques. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Aspergillus strains were determined using the CLSI M38‐A2 broth microdilution method. The differences in expression levels of CYP51A and HSP90 genes were examined between untreated and treated of A. fumigatus and A. flavus using itraconazole and amphotericin B and biosynthesized Se‐NPs through real‐time PCR. After confirming the results of NPs synthesis, the MIC of itraconazole and amphotericin B against A. fumigatus and A. flavus was 4 μg/ml. Based on the real‐time PCR results, the obtained ∆∆CTs for these strains were −0.18, −1.46, and −1.14. Whereas the MIC values for treated samples with Se‐NPs have decreased to 0.5 μg/ml, and the ∆∆CTs for these were −0.25, −1.76, and −1.68. The expression of CYP51A and HSP90 genes was significantly down‐regulated through the use of Se‐NPs against A. fumigatus and A. flavus.
A novel combined resveratrol/berberine phytochemotheraputic using the HePG2 cell line as a model for the treatment of hepatocarcinoma
Authors: D'Arcy Mark S. , Pike Claire V. S. , Coussons Peter J.
Published: August 2021

The results presented herein show that at clinically relevant concentrations (0–30 µM), the well‐tolerated phytochemical berberine (BER) induces cell death in cultured human hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells as a model for liver cancer, primarily via apoptosis. Similar, relatively low‐concentration single treatments using the structurally related phytochemical resveratrol (RSV), had little or no effect on cell viability but inhibited the cell cycle, while simultaneously increasing the strength of cellular adhesion. When used in combination, an RSV/BER cotreatment appeared to retain the ability of a single RSV treatment to increase cellular adhesion, but also induced a massive loss in hepatocarcinoma cellular viability, inducing cell death in more than 90% of cells. This model, therefore, suggests that it may be possible to use RSV to stabilise hepatocarcinomas against metastasis while using cotreatment with BER to simultaneously induce cell death. By measuring the changes in the activity of the pleiotropic enzyme transglutaminase 2 (TGM2), which is known to be overexpressed in hepatocarcinoma and many other tumours, we hypothesise a role for this enzyme in the activities of these two phytochemicals, and propose the potential use of this RSV/BER cotreatment as a chemotherapeutic in TGM2+ hepatocarcinomas.
Hexagonal Si−Ge Class of Semiconducting Alloys Prepared by Using Pressure and Temperature
Authors: Serghiou George , Odling Nicholas , Reichmann Hans Josef , Ji Gang , Koch‐Müller Monika , Frost Daniel J. , Wright Jonathan P. , Boehler Reinhard , Morgenroth Wolfgang
Published: August 2021

Multi‐anvil and laser‐heated diamond anvil methods have been used to subject Ge and Si mixtures to pressures and temperatures of between 12 and 17 GPa and 1500–1800 K, respectively. Synchrotron angle dispersive X‐ray diffraction, precession electron diffraction and chemical analysis using electron microscopy, reveal recovery at ambient pressure of hexagonal Ge−Si solid solutions (P63/mmc). Taken together, the multi‐anvil and diamond anvil results reveal that hexagonal solid solutions can be prepared for all Ge−Si compositions. This hexagonal class of solid solutions constitutes a significant expansion of the bulk Ge−Si solid solution family, and is of interest for optoelectronic applications.
PtPd‐decorated Multibranched Au@Ag Nanocrystal Heterostructures for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Performance in Visible to Near Infrared Light
Authors: Liu Yingjie , Song Tong , Gao Guanggang , Yang Ping
Published: August 2021

PtPd‐decorated multibranched Au@Ag nanocrystals (NCs) were synthesized to form heterostructures with enhanced electrochemical performance for water splitting in the visible/near infrared (vis‐NIR) light region. Three kinds of heterostructures including PtPd‐covered, PtPd‐edged, and PtPd‐tipped Multi‐branched Au@Ag NCs were fabricated by controlling the growth process of PtPd alloy nanoparticles on Au@Ag NCs. PtPd‐covered Multi‐branched Au@Ag nanocrystal exhibited the best photo‐assisted electrocatalytic activity. The initial overpotential under vis‐NIR light is 33 mV with a Tatel slope of 101 mV/dec while the overpotential is 150 mV at 10 mA cm−2. The enhanced catalyst activity is ascribed to samples with heterogeneous structures and changed morphology and composition. In addition, localized surface Plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect from the surface of samples resulted in the effective separation of electron‐hole pairs (photoelectric effect). Finally the photothermal effect generated from the absorbance of Au nanostructures in near‐infrared light increased the temperature of the catalyst. The synergy of structure, photoelectricity, and photothermal effect endows the catalyst with excellent photo‐assisted electrocatalytic activity.
Reaction Acceleration Promoted by Partial Solvation at the Gas/Solution Interface
Authors: Qiu Lingqi , Wei Zhenwei , Nie Honggang , Cooks R. Graham
Published: August 2021

The kinetics of organic reactions of different types in microvolumes (droplets, thin films, and sealed tubes) show effects of gas/solution interfacial area, reaction molecularity and solvent polarity. Partial solvation at the gas/solution interface is a major contributor to the 104‐fold reaction acceleration seen in bimolecular but not unimolecular reactions in microdroplets. Reaction acceleration can be used to manipulate selectivity by solvent choice.
A Dimethylaminophenyl‐Substituted Naphtho[1,2‐b]quinolizinium as a Multicolor NIR Probe for the Fluorimetric Detection of Intracellular Nucleic Acids and Proteins
Authors: Wickhorst Peter Jonas , Druzhinin Sergey I. , Ihmels Heiko , Müller Mareike , Sutera Sardo Manlio , Schönherr Holger , Viola Giampietro
Published: August 2021

The dye 3‐(4‐(N,N‐dimethylamino)phenyl)naphtho[1,2‐b]quinolizinium was synthesized by means of a Suzuki–Miyaura reaction in good yield, and its binding properties with duplex DNA, quadruplex DNA (G4‐DNA), RNA, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were investigated by photometric, fluorimetric and polarimetric titrations and DNA denaturation analysis. The compound intercalates into DNA and RNA, associates in binding site I of BSA, and binds to G4‐DNA by terminal π stacking. The ligand exhibits a fluorescence light‐up effect upon complexation to these biomacromolecules, which is more pronounced and blue shifted in the presence of BSA (Φfl=0.29, λfl=627 nm) than with the nucleic acids (Φfl=0.01–0.05, λfl=725–750 nm). Furthermore, the triple‐exponential fluorescence decay of the probe when bound to biomacromolecules in a cell enables their visualization in this medium and the differential labeling of cellular components.