bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case Reasoning-Based Emergency Decision Making for Oil and Gas Accidents
Authors: La Ruifang , Zhang Zaixu , Bai Pengfei ,   School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum No.66 West Changjiang Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao, Shandong 266580, China,   School of Chinese Law and Economics Management, Shengli College China University of Petroleum, Shandong, China,   School of Management and Engineering, Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing, China
Published: November 2020

Throughout the digitization of the petrochemical industry, the Beidou technology-based disaster monitoring, evaluation, and early warning network system has supported emergency decision making for oil and gas accidents. Many problems arise throughout the emergency decision-making process during oil–gas accidents, such as the limited time for decision making, high complexity, and inadequate emergency plans. Targeting these issues, we propose the construction of a case library using a Bayesian network. This way, when a new accident occurs, its similarity and deviation indexes could be matched against those of historical cases registered in the database. As such, the candidate cases are adjusted using a case combination and pruning method, yielding the final qualified case model. A case verification of the “11.22” Sinopec Oil pipeline leak and explosion in Qingdao reveals that the proposed method only requires an oil and gas accident database to be built in advance, eliminating the need for sampling data to make decisions, and reducing the search space. Using the proposed case-based reasoning, historical data and experience regarding oil and gas emergency decisions can be activated and reused, which would greatly improve the modeling efficiency of the Bayesian network.
Escritores ante la pantalla: interferencias literarias en Lucía y el Sexo (Julio Medem, 2001)
Authors: Cobo Guijarro Clara
Published: November 2020

Este trabajo explora películas sobre escritores. La presencia de autores (reales o ficticios) y la muestra del proceso literario en la pantalla se han producido desde los orígenes del cine. Así, a lo largo de varias décadas, sugerentes líneas de investigación han sido abiertas en este contexto y serán atendidas en este estudio. Este tipo de personaje también será examinado en el cine español durante la primera década del siglo XXI. Por último, estas reflexiones se complementarán con el análisis de la película Lucía y el sexo, de Julio Medem (2001).
SCM Implementation Decisions Under Asymmetric Information: An Agency Approach
Authors: Wang Lina , Poelmans Stephen , Milis Koen
Published: November 2020

The optimization investment policy decision of SCM-supply chain management-implementation has been analysed under symmetric and asymmetric information conditions. For both conditions, SCM implementation optional decision optimizing models have been developed. In these models, both clients and vendors try to pursue their own benefits. Based upon the principal-agent theory, the models show to what extent a principal (a client) needs to pay more to an agent (a vendor) in a context of asymmetric information. For the client it is important to understand the extra costs to be able to adopt effective strategies to stimulate a vendor to perform an optimal implementation of a SCM system. The results of a simulation experiment regarding SCM implementation options illustrate and verify the theoretical findings and confirm the general notion that the less informed party is obliged to pay information rent to the better-informed party.
Analysis of coastal-plain fluvial architecture and high-frequency stacking patterns in the Upper Cretaceous Masuk Formation, Utah, U.S.A.: Climate-driven cyclicity?
Authors: Hess Aaron M. , Fielding Christopher R.
Published: November 2020

Most sequence stratigraphic models are based on the premise that relative changes in sea level (RSL) control stacking patterns in continental-margin settings. An alternative hypothesis, however, is that upstream factors, notably variations in relative water discharge (RQW) or the ratio of water to sediment discharge can influence or control stratal stacking patterns in fluvial systems. Sequence boundaries of RQW-driven systems differ from those driven by base-level fluctuations in that: 1) the depth of incision increases updip, and 2) rates of erosion are spatially uniform, leading to the formation of widespread, planar sequence boundaries. This paper presents an architectural and stratigraphic analysis of the well-exposed Masuk Formation of the Henry Mountains Syncline in southern Utah, an Upper Cretaceous coastal-plain fluvial succession that is interpreted to have been influenced significantly by RQW. Six lithofacies are recognized, three (Facies 1–3) recording floodbasin, mire, and (in one short interval) estuarine environments, and three (Facies 4–6) record different kinds of channel fills on a coastal alluvial plain. Seven major composite channel bodies (Facies 4–6), separated by intervals of non-channel deposits (Facies 1–3), are recognized in the stratigraphic interval. Composite channel bodies display planar, sheet-like geometry and are laterally continuous to a significantly greater extent (> 10 km) than would be expected from purely autogenic channel-belt construction. Together, these intervals record a series of high-frequency sequences, formed along the western margin of the Western Interior Seaway. In each individual sequence is a repetitive facies succession from a basal chaotic sandstone with admixed mudrock and sandstone transitioning upward to a more organized cross-bedded and stratified sandstone. This is interpreted to record cyclical changes from a peaked (flashy) discharge regime to a more normal runoff regime. Paleoflow data indicate a dominance of transverse (eastward-directed) dispersal early in the accumulation of the Masuk Formation, shifting to a pattern of greater axial (northward) dispersal over time. The RQW signal is strong in the lower part of the formation, decreasing upward. This suggests that the relatively short-headed streams draining from the rising Sevier fold–thrust belt were strongly influenced by climatic cyclicity, whereas more distally sourced systems were not. This study provides new insights into the architecture and stacking patterns of coastal-plain fluvial successions, emphasizing the plausible role that climate can play in shaping alluvial architecture in the rock record.
Role of Dislocations in the Process of Degradation of Semiconductor Lasers with Electronic Energy Pumping. Experimental Research
Authors: Garkavenko A. S. , Mokritsky V. A. , Maslov O. V. , Sokolov A. V.
Published: November 2020

Light self-destruction-degradation of the second type has been observed in samples of semiconductor lasers with electronic  energy  pumping with high  optical  homogeneity and good quality of surface treatment.  In these  samples,  damage appeared in the form of cords perpendicular to the ends of the resonator. According to the current understanding of the passage of powerful light streams through various media, the emergence of narrow light channels is due to the phenomenon of self-focusing. It refers to the fundamental physical mechanisms of propagation of laser radiation and is caused by nonlinear phenomena arising in a medium under the influence of high-power laser radiation. The physical reason for self-focusing is an increase in the refractive index n in a strong light field. Thermal self-focusing is the most probable cause of radiation redistribution in the active region of the crystal. However, it is possible that in the initial stage of the appearance of light channels a certain role is played by the growth of the intensity of radiation in certain sections of the crystal because of the instability of generation or small fluctuations in the pump current density. Then the process acquires an avalanche character, since the localization of the ray in the channel increases the density of light radiation which can lead to overheating of the substance and the activation of the thermal self-focusing mechanism. The experiments performed in this paper have shown that optically homogeneous crystals possess maximum resistance to degradation processes. In them,  the critical power of light destruction is determined by the self-focusing threshold of radiation in a material. Since the nonlinear addition to the refractive index Δn = n2E2 at the self-focusing threshold is determined by the change in the concentration of non-equilibrium carriers ΔN(E2), the value of the maximum fluctuation DΔNmax itself is proportional to the value of the non-equilibrium carrier concentration at the generation threshold ΔNpores and the relative excess of the generation threshold J = (j – jn)/jn. Thus, a low threshold concentration of non-equilibrium carriers is one of the conditions for increasing material resistance to degradation processes. In doped crystals ΔNpores is less than in  pure materials. This, perhaps, explains the rather higher value of Pcritial  in the optimally doped homogeneous n-GaAs. Smaller values of Pcritial in p-type samples doped with zinc can be associated not only with the inhomogeneity of these crystals, but also with large generation thresholds. In addition, the cross section for absorption of radiation by holes is about 3–4 times larger than by electrons, which can also reduce the self-destruction threshold of lasers. At Т = 300 K, the lasing thresholds are higher that naturally reduces the value of the self-focusing threshold.
Factores impulsores de la propensión a innovar y la productividad en los sectores de servicios y la industria manufacturera en Colombia
Authors: García-Luna Rafael , Cardoso-López Diego Andrés
Published: November 2020

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar los factores que impulsan la propensión a innovar y el desarrollo de la productividad en los sectores de servicios e industria manufacturera en Colombia —2013 a 2017—. Para su cumplimiento se utilizó una función de innovación con el fin de representar las características que inciden en la capacidad innovadora, en conjunto con vectores de características de las empresas y de insumos que permiten calcular el efecto de estos factores en la producción. Además, por medio de una función Cobb–Douglas se calculó la productividad total de los factores (PTF) y se examinó la variación de las productividades para ambos sectores. Entre los principales resultados se evidenció que el tamaño de las empresas, la inversión extranjera directa (IED) y la cooperación con otras instituciones tienen un impacto significativo en la propensión a innovar; así mismo, el porcentaje de capital humano y de exportaciones tienen un efecto positivo generalizado, el cual es mayor en el sector de servicios. En el cálculo de la productividad, el stock de capital físico, los trabajadores y las inversiones en investigación y desarrollo (I+D) tienen una participación positiva en el crecimiento empresarial de ambos sectores. Las variaciones de la productividad evidencian mayores incrementos y niveles más homogéneos del sector manufacturero en comparación con los servicios en los periodos estudiados.
Build a Bioinformatics Analysis Platform and Apply it to Routine Analysis of Microbial Genomics and Comparative Genomics
Authors: Liu Hualin , Xin Bingyue , Zheng Jinshui , Zhong Hao , Yu Yun , Peng Donghai , Sun Ming
Published: November 2020

Genomics and comparative genomics have been increasingly used as routine methods for general microbiological researches. However, it is usually necessary to call several tools or even write some scripts to complete some simple analysis, which is complicated for most biological researchers. To simplify the operation process, especially for the convenience of microbiologists in the analysis, here we have developed PGCGAP, a comprehensive, malleable and easily-installed prokaryotic genomics and comparative genomics analysis pipeline, which implements genome assembly, gene prediction and annotation, average nucleotide identity (ANI) calculation, phylogenetic analysis, COG annotation, pan-genome analysis, inference of orthologous gene groups, variants calling and annotation and screening for antimicrobial and virulence genes. Although we have tried our best to simplify the installation and usage of PGCGAP, it may be difficult for non-bioinformatician users to master it. So, a protocol was created to help microbiologists without any experience in bioinformatics to establish their own bioinformatics platform and perform routine analysis. This protocol shows how to choose equipment, to install a Linux subsystem on a laptop with windows 10 system, to install PGCGAP and perform all analysis with an example dataset. The protocol requires a basic understanding of Linux, so an additional web page was written to help uninitiated users learn Linux and whole-genome sequencing (http://bcam.hzau.edu.cn/linuxwgs.php).
Evidence of an Infectious Virus Reservoir in Suppressed Chronic Hepatitis B Patients
Authors: Burdette Dara , Lazerwith Scott , Yang Jenny , Chan Henry , IV William Delaney , Feierbach Becket
Published: November 2020

Current approved therapies for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) effectively control viral replication but are rarely curative. Patients on suppressive therapy still harbor cccDNA and cessation of therapy leads to rapid viral rebound 1-3. Even after long-term therapy of nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) treatment, the majority of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients have detectable but not quantifiable HBV DNA 4. While these data suggest viral suppression is not absolute with current NA therapies, it has not been determined whether the detectable HBV DNA represents infectious virus. Here, we show that serum from patients on suppressive therapy with viral loads below the limit of quantitation still contain infectious circulating virus. We used a chimeric mouse model with a humanized liver to demonstrate HBV-infected human serum can establish infection similar to that in humans. We determined the limit of detection of the model using diluted patient serum, then measured the infectivity of serum from patients suppressed on therapy. Our results support the hypothesis that residual virus can serve as a reservoir to maintain a chronic infection in patients on therapy. These results highlight the urgent need for orthogonal therapies to eliminate low levels of circulating infectious virus which may minimize ongoing chromosomal damage to the liver and potentially lead to a cure.
Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity and Its Impact on Sleep Quality in Persons Suffering From Restless Legs Syndrome
Authors: Reimers Anne , Heidenreich Verena , Bittermann Hans-Joachim , Knapp Guido , Reimers Carl-Detlev
Published: November 2020

Background: Main symptoms of the restless legs syndrome (RLS) are sleep onset insomnia and difficulty to maintain sleep. Previous studies showed that regular physical activity can reduce the risk of developing RLS. However, the relationships of physical activity on sleep quality parameters in subjects suffering from RLS have not been investigated by applying accelerometry. Thus, the present study investigates the impact of physical activity during the day (7-12 h, 12-18 h, 18-23 h) on sleep quality in subject suffering from idiopathic RLS as well as their intensity and extent of physical activity by applying a real-time approach.Methods: In a sample of 47 participants suffering from idiopathic RLS, physical activity and sleep quality were captured over one week by using accelerometers. For data analysis physical activity levels and step counts during three periods of a day (morning, afternoon, evening) were correlated with sleep quality parameters of the following night.Results: In this observational study, significant correlations of physical activity with the sleep parameters were rarely confirmed (exception: negative correlation of steps in the morning with periodic leg movements in sleep and negative correlation of physical activity in the evening and total sleep period). However, the physical activity levels of the participants were unexpectedly high compared to population-level data and variance in physical activity was low. The average activity was 13,817 (SD=4,086) steps and 347 (SD=117) minutes of moderate physical activity per day in females and 10,636 (SD=3,748) steps and 269 (SD=69) minutes of moderate physical activity in males, respectively. However, the participants conducted no vigorous physical activity.Conclusions: To investigate the effects of daily physical activity and RLS symptoms interventional studies with different intensities of physical activities at different points of time during the day are needed.
Production of Non-Cytotoxic Pyomelanin by A Laccase: Properties and Chemical Structure Compared to Bacterial and Synthetic Pigments
Authors: Lorquin Faustine , Ziarelli Fabio , Amouric Agnès , Giorgio Carole Di , Robin Maxime , Piccerelle Philippe , Lorquin Jean
Published: November 2020

Pyomelanin is a polymer of homogentisic acid synthesized by microorganisms. This work aimed to develop a production process and evaluate the quality of the pigment. Three procedures have been elaborated and optimized, (1) an HGA-Mn2+ chemical autoxidation (PyoCHEM yield 0.317 g/g substrate), (2) an induced bacterial culture of Halomonas titanicae through the 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid-1-hydroxylase route (PyoBACT, 0.55 g/L), and (3) a process using a recombinant laccase with the highest level produced (PyoENZ, 1.25 g/g substrate) and all the criteria for a large-scale prototype. The chemical structures had been investigated by 13C solid-state NMR (CP-MAS) and FTIR. Car-Car bindings predominated in the three polymers, Car-O-Car (ether) linkages being absent, proposing mainly C3-C6 (β-bindings) and C4-C6 (α-bindings) configurations. This work highlighted a biological decarboxylation by the laccase or bacterial oxidase(s), leading to the partly formation of gentisyl alcohol and gentisaldehyde that are integral parts of the polymer. By comparison, PyoENZ exhibited an Mw of 5,700 Da, was hyperthermostable, non-cytotoxic even after irradiation, scavenged ROS induced by keratinocytes, and had a highly DPPH-antioxidant and Fe3+-reducing activity. As a representative pigment of living cells and an available standard, PyoENZ might also be useful for applications in extreme conditions and skin protection.
SPINK7 Expression Changes Accompanied by HER2, P53 and RB1 Can Be Relevant to Predict Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma at Molecular Level
Authors: Pennacchiotti Gina , Garrido Fabio Valdés , González-Arriagada Wilfredo , Montes Héctor , Parra Judith , Guida Valeria , Gómez Silvina , Guerrero-Gimenez Martín , Fernandez-Muñoz Juan , Zopino Felipe , Carón Rubén , Ezquer Marcelo , Fernández-Ramires Ricardo , Bruna Flavia
Published: November 2020

The oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) affects patients worldwide with a high morbidity rate. Changes of SPINK7 in precancerous lesions could promote oncogenesis. Our aim was to evaluate SPINK7 as a potential molecular biomarker predictive of OSCC stages, compared with: HER2, TP53, RB1, NFKB and CYP4B1.
Oral biopsies from patients with dysplasia (n=33), less invasive (n=28) and highly invasive OSCC (n=18) were used. 20 cases with a clinical suspicion but normal mucosa confirmed were the control. Gene levels of SPINK7, P53, RB, NFKB and CYP4B1 were quantified by qPCR. SPINK7 levels were correlated with a cohort of 330 patients from the TCGA. Also, SPINK7, HER2, TP53, and RB1, were evaluated by immunohistofluorescence. One-way Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn's post-hoc with a p<0.05 significance was used to data analyze.
In OSCC, SPINK7 expression was down regulated and P53, RB, NFKB and CYP4B1 were up regulated (p<0.001). Also, SPINK7 was diminished in TCGA patients (p=2.10e-6). In less invasive OSCC, SPINK7 and HER2 proteins were decreased and TP53 and RB1 increased respect to others groups (p<0.05). Our results suggest that SPINK7 changes accompanied of HER2, P53 and RB1 can be used to classify the molecular stage of OSCC lesions, allowing a diagnosis to molecular and histopathological level.
Retinitis Pigmentosa is Associated With Shifts in The Gut Microbiome
Authors: Kutsyr Oksana , Maestre-Carballa Lucía , Lluesma-Gomez Mónica , Martinez-Garcia Manuel , Cuenca Nicolas , Lax Pedro
Published: November 2020

The gut microbiome is known to influence the pathogenesis and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. However, there has been relatively little focus upon the implications of the gut microbiome in retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Here, we investigated changes in gut microbiome composition linked to RP, by assessing both retinal degeneration and gut microbiome in the rd10 mouse model of RP as compared to control C57BL/6J mice. In rd10 mice, retinal responsiveness to flashlight stimuli and visual acuity were deteriorated with respect to observed in age-matched control mice. This functional decline in dystrophic animals was accompanied by photoreceptor loss, morphologic anomalies in photoreceptor cells and retinal reactive gliosis. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data showed a microbial gut dysbiosis with differences in alpha and beta diversity at the genera, species and amplicon sequence variants (ASV) levels between dystrophic and control mice. Remarkably, four fairly common ASV in healthy gut microbiome belonging to Rikenella spp., Muribaculaceace spp., Prevotellaceae UCG-001 spp., and Bacilli spp. were absent in the gut microbiome of retinal disease mice, while Bacteroides caecimuris was significantly enriched in mice with RP. The results indicate that retinal degenerative changes in RP are linked to relevant gut microbiome changes. The findings suggest that microbiome shifting could be considered as potential biomarker and therapeutic target for retinal degenerative diseases.
A Q Methodology Study on Divergent Perspectives on CRISPR-Cas9 in The Netherlands
Authors: Schuijff Mirjam , De Jong Menno , Dijkstra Anne
Published: November 2020

Background: CRISPR-Cas9, a technology enabling modification of the human genome, is developing rapidly. There have been calls for public debate to discuss its ethics, societal implications, and governance. So far, however, little is known about public attitudes on CRISPR-Cas9. This study contributes to a better understanding of public perspectives by exploring the various holistic perspectives Dutch citizens have on CRISPR-Cas9. Methods: This study used Q methodology to identify different perspectives of Dutch citizens (N=30) on the use of CRISPR-Cas9. The Q-sort method aims at segmenting audiences based on the structural characteristics of their views. Participants individually ranked 32 statements about CRISPR-Cas9 and discussed their rankings in small groups. By-person factor analysis was performed using PQMethod. Participants’ contributions to the discussions were used to further make sense of the audience segments identified.Results: Five perspectives on CRISPR-Cas9 were identified: (1) pragmatic optimists (2) concerned sceptics; (3) normative optimists; (4) enthusiastic supporters; and (5) benevolent generalists. Each perspective represents a unique position motivated by different ranking rationales. Sorting rationales included improving health, preventing negative impacts on society, and fear of a slippery slope. Overall, there is broad, but not universal support for medical uses of CRISPR-Cas9. Conclusions: Research on CRISPR-Cas9 should prioritise the broadly supported applications of the technology. Research and public debates on CRISPR-Cas9, its uses, its broader implications, and the governance of CRISPR-Cas9 are recommended. A discourse that includes all perspectives can contribute to the embedding of future uses of CRISPR-Cas9 in society is advised. This study shows that Q methodology followed by group discussions enables citizens to contribute meaningfully to discourses about research.
Exhausted gas reservoirs drive massive galaxy quenching in the early universe
Authors: Whitaker Katherine , Williams Christina , Mowla Lamiya , Spilker Justin , Toft Sune , Narayanan Desika , Pope Alexandra , Magdis Georgios , Dokkum Pieter van , Akhshik Mohammad , Bezanson Rachel , Brammer Gabriel , Leja Joel , Man Allison , Nelson Erica , Richard Johan , Pacifici Camilla , Sharon Keren , Valentino Francesco
Published: November 2020

When the Universe was merely three billion years old, about half of massive galaxies had already formed the bulk of their stars and new star formation plummeted [1]. How galaxies quench at such early times remains a puzzle, as their dark matter halos contain large gas reservoirs [2-4]. This gas should cool efficiently, sustaining star formation over long periods [5,6]. Here we present sensitive 1.3mm wavelength observations of cold dust in six quenched galaxies in the redshift range z=1.6 to z=3.2 with stellar masses ranging from 2.5x1010M⊙ to 5x1011M⊙, which are magnified by foreground galaxy clusters. Even with factors of up to 30 in magnification, four of the six galaxies are undetected at this wavelength. We show that these quenched galaxies have extremely little dust at early times, and by proxy very little cold molecular gas. The median dust mass is <0.01% of the stellar mass (molecular gas mass <1%), more than two orders of magnitude less than star-forming galaxies at this epoch [4]. The implication is that most early galaxies shut off star formation because their reservoir of molecular gas was rapidly depleted or removed, and is not being replenished.
Handgrip strength and its association with noncommunicable diseases and their risk factors among elderly individuals in Malaysia
Authors: Shah Shamsul Azhar , Safian Nazarudin , Ahmad Saharuddin , Hassan Mohd Rohaizat , Mohammad Zulkefley , Nurumal Siti Rohani , Ibadullah Wan Abdul Hannan Wan , Mansor Juliana , Shobugawa Yugo
Published: November 2020

Background: Handgrip strength (HGS) is indicative of overall physical health among older people. A reduction in HGS may be associated with an increased risk of disease. This study aims to assess the association between HGS and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the related risk factors.Methods: One thousand two hundred four (1204) participants from four areas in Selangor state, Malaysia, were recruited. A comprehensive face-to-face interview based on the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES-BM) questionnaire was administered, followed by HGS assessments by a handgrip dynamometer.Results: The mean age of the participants was 68.7 (SD 6.36) years. A total of 691 participants (57.4%) were male, and 513 (42.6%) were female. The mean HGS was 30.0 (SD 7.53) kg for men and 19.4 (SD 5.28) kg for women. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that factors associated with HGS among elderly males were age group, employment status, smoking status, alcohol consumption, moderate physical activity, BMI class, diabetes mellitus and self-rated health status. For females, the significant factors were age group, moderate and light physical activity, and BMI class.Conclusions: The study contributed to a better understanding of factors associated with HGS among elderly individuals in Malaysia. Consequently, HGS may be recommended as an assessment for identifying elderly individuals at risk of NCDs and poor health status.Trial RegistrationNot applicable
Single Frontal Burr-hole Craniostomy Under Local Anaesthesia for Treating Chronic Subdural Haematoma in the Septuagenarians and Older Adults: Surgical Technique and Results
Authors: Adeleye Amos Olufemi , Ulasi Bartholomew
Published: November 2020

Introduction. Chronic subdural haematoma is not a totally benign disease in the elderly patients, especially those aged 70 years and above. Hence, the surgical treatment of CSDH in those aged patients needs to be as minimally disruptive as possibleMaterials and Methods. An annotated description of the surgical technique of single frontal burr-hole craniostomy performed under local anaesthesia and without closed tube drainage for evacuating CSDH in the septuagenarians and older adults is described. We also review the outcome of the procedure on a prospective consecutive cohort of patients in our serviceResults. Thirty patients, 25 males, aged 70 years and above successfully underwent this surgical procedure. Their mean age was 76.5 years (standard deviation, SD, 4.3). The CSDH was bilateral in 30% (9/30); more left-sided in the rest, the unilateral cases, and was of mixed density radiologically, in most cases (73%, 22/30). Clinical presentation was mainly gait impairment, cognitive decline, and headache; and 57% (17/30) presented in coma or stupor as assessed by the Markwalder grading scale. The surgery was successfully executed in all, median duration 45.0 minutes (IQR 37.3-60.0), and solely under local anaesthesia in 77% (23/30) or with momentary short-acting sedation in the rest. Outcome was very good in 83.3% (25/30) using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) including two-third (20/30) completely asymptomatic (mRS 0), and 5/30 with only slight symptoms and no disability, mRS 1. Three patients died perioperatively.Conclusion. This surgical technique appears very effectual for CSDH, is executed at a comparatively low-cost, and, being much less disruptive than other traditional methods, may be a more homeostatic operative treatment in geriatric patients at least.
Perturbation of PI3K/Akt Signaling Affected Autophagy Modulation in Dystrophin-deficient Myoblasts
Authors: Yazid Muhammad Dain , Chen Hung-Chih
Published: November 2020

Background: The absence of dystrophin has gave a massive impact on myotube development in Muscular Dystrophy pathogenesis. One of the conserved signaling pathways involved in skeletal muscle differentiation is the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway that plays a vital role in autophagy regulation. To further understand and establish targeted therapy in dystrophin-deficient myoblasts, protein expression profiling has been determined which provides information on perturbed autophagy modulation and activation. Methods: In this study, a dystrophin-deficient myoblast cell line established from the skeletal muscle of a dystrophic (mdx) mouse was used as a model. The dfd13 (dystrophin-deficient) and C2C12 (non-dystrophic) myoblasts were cultured in low mitogen conditions for 10 days to induce differentiation. The cells were subjected to total protein extraction prior to Western blotting assay technique. Protein sub-fractionation has been conducted to determine protein localization. The live-cell analysis of autophagy assay was done using a flow cytometer. Results: In our culture system, the dfd13 myoblasts did not achieve terminal differentiation. PTEN expression was profoundly increased in dfd13 myoblasts throughout the differentiation day subsequently indicates perturbation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR regulation. In addition, rictor-mTORC2 was also found inactivated in this event. This occurrence has caused FoxO3 misregulation leads to higher activation of autophagy-related genes in dfd13 myoblasts. Autophagosome formation was increased as LC3B-I/II showed accumulation upon differentiation. However, the ratio of LC3B lipidation and autophagic flux were shown decreased which exhibited dystrophic features. Conclusion: perturbation of the PTEN-PI3K/Akt pathway triggers excessive autophagosome formation and subsequently reduced autophagic flux within dystrophin-deficient myoblasts where these findings are of importance to understand Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) patients. We believe that some manipulation within its regulatory signaling reported in this study could help restore muscle homeostasis and attenuate disease progression.
Towards a Universal Features Set for IoT Botnet Attacks Detection
Authors: Hussain Faisal , Abbas Syed Ghazanfar , Fayyaz Ubaid U. , Shah Ghalib A. , Toqeer Abdullah , Ali Ahmad
Published: November 2020

The security pitfalls of IoT devices make it easy for the attackers to exploit the IoT devices and make them a part of a botnet. Once hundreds of thousands of IoT devices are compromised and become the part of a botnet, the attackers use this botnet to launch the large and complex distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks which take down the target websites or services and make them unable to respond the legitimate users. So far, many botnet detection techniques have been proposed but their performance is limited to a specific dataset on which they are trained. This is because the features used to train a machine learning model on one botnet dataset, do not perform well on other datasets due to the diversity of attack patterns. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a universal features set to better detect the botnet attacks regardless of the underlying dataset. The proposed features set manifest preeminent results for detecting the botnet attacks when tested the trained machine learning models over three different botnet attack datasets.
Geospatial View of Air Pollution and Health Risk over North Indian Region in COVID-19 Scenario
Authors: Singh Dharmendra , Dahiya Minakshi , Nanda Chintan
Published: November 2020

Air pollutant concentration, Air Quality Index (AQI) and Excess Risk (ER %) is assessed in three scenarios including pre-lockdown, lockdown and post-lockdown based on 47 ground station data (during January 2020 to June 2020) distributed over northern part of India using statistics and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. Significant decrease in pollutants concentration, AQI and ER % was observed in lockdown period amid COVID-19. PM2.5, PM10, NO2, NH3 and CO decreased by 46%, 31%, 39%, 24% and 34% respectively, in lockdown scenario as compared to the pre-lockdown scenario. A decrease of 39% in AQI was observed as compared to pre-lockdown scenario however the difference was less when compared with post-lockdown scenario. The decrease in total ER % was 60.36 % over the study area due to improvement in air quality amid COVID-19 lockdown. The meteorological conditions were found consistent in the current year with respect to previous year and very less influence was observed on the concentration of air pollutants. The major implications of the current findings are air pollution management, health risk management, and pollution source and type identification.
Professionals’ perceptions of the establishment of a specialized brief therapy unit in a district psychiatric centre - a qualitative study.
Authors: Markussen Hilde Våbenø , Aasdahl Lene , Rise Marit By
Published: November 2020

Background: Increasing mental health problems and scarce treatment resources put pressure on mental health services to make innovations in service provision, such as developing differentiated services adapted to different needs. One innovation in differentiated service provision is brief or short-term treatment to patients with moderate mental health problems. Implementing a new unit in an organization usually faces many potential barriers and facilitators, and knowledge on how the professionals providing the services perceive the implementation of innovative approaches in mental health services is scarce. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the professionals’ perceptions of how the establishment of a specialized brief therapy unit had affected the organization, especially the everyday work in the outpatient clinics.Methods: Eleven professionals, five men and six women, took part in individual interviews. All participants were between 40 and 60 years old and had leading or coordinating positions in the organization. Their professional backgrounds were within psychology, nursing and medicine, most of them specialists in their field. Data was analyzed according to Systematic text condensationResults: The professionals’ experiences represented four main themes: (1) The brief therapy unit was perceived as successful and celebrated. (2) The general outpatient clinics, on the other hand, were described as “forgotten”. (3) The establishment process had elucidated different views on treatment in the outpatient clinics - and had set off (4) a discussion regarding the criteria for prioritizing in mental health services. Conclusion: Providing targeted treatment to patients with moderate mental health problems, while having a concurrent aim to solve broader problems in mental health services, entails a discussion regarding resource use and the appropriate level of treatment provision. Professionals should be more involved when innovative efforts are implemented, and the criteria for success must be conceptualized and evaluated. Longitudinal research on the implementation of innovative efforts in the services should include professionals’ and service users’ perspectives.
Family Presence During Resuscitation: Adaptation and Validation into Spanish of the Family Presence Risk-Benefit Scale and the Self-Confidence Scale Instrument
Authors: de Mingo-Fernández Eva , Belzunegui-Eraso Ángel , Jiménez-Herrera María
Published: November 2020

Background Since the 1980s, the controversial issue of family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation has been studied both to identify the perceptions, opinions and beliefs of health professionals, patients and family members, and to identify benefits and barriers, as well as to design training programs and protocols for its implementation. In 2008, Twibell et al designed a questionnaire that measured nurses’ perceptions of Risks-Benefits and Self-Confidence regarding Family Presence during Resuscitation. There are few studies in Spain on this practice, and therefore, this study is carried out using the same instrument, so that a comparison can be made.Methods The objective is to adapt and validate into Spanish the Family Presence Risk-Benefit scale and Family Presence Self-Confidence scale (FPRB-FPSC) instrument by Twibell et al. and thus, know the opinions of our healthcare professionals. For this purpose, a paper and online questionnaire was used. It was self-administered, semi-structured and translated cross-culturally. Statistical tests were carried out for the validity of the questionnaire. 541 healthcare professionals were invited to respond. The results were analyzed by means of factorial analysis with varimax rotation (maximum likelihood method), in addition to ANOVA and Student’s t-test to observe associations between different variables. The study was approved by the institutional review board of the Consorci Sanitari del Garraf, and by the clinical research Ethic Committee of the Fundació Unió Catalana Hospitals.Results 237 healthcare professionals answered the survey (69% women), of whom 167 were nurses. Healthcare providers who have experienced Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation barely reach 13%, with the majority being men and older people. As for the invitation to the FPDR, it barely reaches 5%, and regarding the willingness to include FP in the advance directives, 66% of the healthcare providers are in favor. Health professionals identify similar barriers to Family Presence and factors in its favor.The correlation between the two measured scales, FPRB-FPSC, is significant and has a moderate intensity of the relationship (r = 0.65 and α <0.001).Conclusions The Family Presence During Resuscitation (FPDR) generates controversy among health professionals, with a trend observed along with generational change, since younger professionals tend to accept the Family Presence better. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire indicate high validity and reliability. Risk-Benefit perception and self-confidence are related to the healthcare professionals who consider the Family Presence to be beneficial.
Clinical Characteristics on Admission Predict In-Hospital Fatal Outcome in Patients Aged ≥75 Years with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yu Zhihua , Ke Yuhe , Xie Jiang , Yu Hao , Zhu Wei , He Liqun , Zheng Qiongli , Li Chuanwei , Lu Jingya , Li Songnan , Wen Songnan , Wei Sheng , Liu Nian , Wei Li , Bai Rong
Published: November 2020

Background：Novel coronavirus disease（COVID-19）has become a worldwide pandemic and precise fatality data by age group are needed urgently. This study to delineate the clinical characteristics and outcome of COVID-19 patients aged ≥75 years and identify the risk factors of in-hospital death.Methods：A total of 141 consecutive patients aged ≥75 years who were admitted to the hospital between 12th and 19th February 2020. In-hospital death, clinical characteristics and laboratory findings on admission were obtained from medical records. The final follow-up observation was 31st March 2020.Results：The median age was 81 years (84 female, 59.6%). Thirty-eight (27%) patients were classified as severe or critical cases. 18 (12.8%) patients had died in hospital and the remaining 123 were discharged. Patients who died were more likely to present with fever (38.9% vs. 7.3%); low percutaneous oxygen saturation(SpO2) (55.6% vs. 7.3%); reduced lymphocytes (72.2% vs. 35.8%) and platelets (27.8% vs. 4.1%); and increased D-dimer (94.4% vs. 42.3%), creatinine (50.0% vs. 22.0%), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) (77.8% vs. 30.1%), high sensitivity troponin I (hs-TnI) (72.2% vs. 14.6%), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (72.2% vs. 6.5%; all P<0.05) than patients who recovered. Male sex (odds ratio [OR]=13.1, 95% confidence interval[CI] 1.1 to 160.1, P=0.044), body temperature >37.3°C (OR=80.5, 95% CI 4.6 to 1407.6, P=0.003), SpO2≤90% (OR=70.1, 95% CI 4.6 to 1060.4, P=0.002), and NT-proBNP>1800ng/L (OR=273.5, 95% CI 14.7 to 5104.8, P<0.0001) were independent risk factors of in-hospital death. Conclusions：In-hospital fatality among COVID-19 patients can be estimated by sex and on-admission measurements of body temperature, SpO2, and NT-proBNP.
Effects of exogenous nerve growth factor on the expression of BMP-9 and VEGF in the healing of rabbit mandible fracture with local nerve injury
Authors: Yang Sen , Cheng Jiao , Man Cheng , Jiang Lian , Long Guogeng , Zhao Wenjun , Zheng Dexin
Published: November 2020

Background: The fracture of mandible remains one of the most facial fractures and its healing is a complex process, involving nerve and growth factors. Currently, nerve growth factor not only benefits maintenance of sympathetic neurite growth but also takes part in the intricate regulatory network to stimulate other growth factors such as bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which promote together essential osteogenesis and angiogenesis to physiological bone formation, growth and fracture healing. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the combination of nerve growth factor (NGF), bone morphogenic protein-9 (BMP-9), and VEGF to accelerate the healing rate of mandible fracture.Methods: The models of mandible fracture with local nerve injury established in forty-eight rabbits were randomly divided into nerve growth factor group (NGF group), gelatin sponge group (GS group), blank group, and intact group with 12 rabbits in each group. The fracture healing was observed with visual and X-ray after the operation, then callus tissue in mandibular fracture area were collected for hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining observation, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of BMP-9 and VEGF in callus at different stages.Results: The combined results of macroscopic observation, X-ray examination, and histological section showed that a large number of osteoblasts and some vascular endothelial cells were found around the trabecular bone in the NGF group and the amount of callus formation and reconstruction was better than GS group at 2nd weeks after the operation. QRT-PCR result indicated that the expression levels of BMP-9 mRNA and VEGF mRNA in the four groups reached the highest value at 2nd week, and then decreased with time. At the same time, the content of BMP-9 and VEGF in callus tissue in the mandibular fracture area increased significantly in the NGF group than the GS group.Conclusion: The exogenous NGF could improve the expressions of BMP-9 and VEGF at the early stage of mandibular fracture to accelerate the healing of mandible fracture. This work will provide a new foundation and theoretical basis to make a clear mechanism of fracture healing, thereby promoting patients’ fracture healing and reducing their disability rate.
AUTHORSHIP OF THE JAWI ‘ULAMA’ IN EGYPT
Authors: Rohmana Jajang A
Published: November 2020

Nawawī of Banten (1813–1897) and Haji Hasan Mustapa (1852–1930) are two important figures of Malay-Indonesian Muslim scholars (‘ulamā’) who have been widely studied. However, personal proximity of these two ‘ulamā’ seems to escape from scholarly discussion. Seen from the light of scholarly commenting (sharh) tradition, this study on the other hand attempts to show their personal proximity between the senior teacher and young student when they lived in Mecca in the late nineteenth century. The sharh tradition of these two ‘ulamā’ particularly through appear in Nawawī’s al-’Iqd al-Thamīn that aims to comment on Mustapa’s work, Al-Fath al-Mubīn, and Mustapa’s al-Lum’a al-Nūrāniyya, a response to Nawawī’s al-Shadra al-Jummāniyya. These two Arabic books (s. kitab; p. kutub) were published in Cairo, Egypt. This article further argues that the sharh tradition situates authority and reputation as the epicenter of scholarly discussion between the two ‘ulamā’ who were influential among the Jawah community. It also argues that these two Sundanese scholars contributed significantly in the transmission of Islamic learning in the early twentieth century Middle East. Their works show a scholarly reputation which delivers insights on exceptionality of Islamic and Malay archipelagic issues and serve as a global contribution of Malay-Indonesian ‘ulamā’ to the triumph of Islamic learning traditions.
PROPHET’S MEDICINE AMONG THE CONTEMPORARY INDONESIAN SALAFI GROUPS
Authors: Jahroni Jajang
Published: November 2020

The old-centuries medical forms claimed to have been exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad, called Prophet’s medicine, have been reinvented by the contemporary Indonesian Salafis. This invention is parts of their attempts to return all aspects of life to the authoritative resources. In doing so, the Salafis use modern packaging to attract non-Salafi Muslims. As a result, Prophet’s medicine has been popular among certain Muslim groups. The presence of Prophet’s medicine, to some extent, challenges conventional medicine which is hardly affordable by the average people. This is made possible by an open political climate which occurs in Indonesia over the last two decades. It eventually leads to the diversity of medicinal knowledge in the country.