bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge and Understanding of Ecological Civilization: A Chinese Perspective
Authors: Yan Jun , Bocharnikov Vladimir
Published: December 2022

The idea of a socialist ecological civilization with Chinese characteristics is based on the latest provisions of Marxist theory applied to China’s current ecological environment. Responsible attitude contributes to the continuing formation of people’s awareness of the need for ecological protection, which in turn leads to the expansion of ecological practical activities; this shows that the idea of socialist ecological civilization with Chinese characteristics has very high theoretical and practical value. China’s ecological civilization has created an advanced national development strategy and now it is gradually putting it into practice. China is actively transforming its economic development mode, reducing energy and material consumption, limiting obsolete production capacity, insisting on collaborative innovation, and promoting sustainable economic development. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thought, the society is consciously striving to respect and protect nature. In this paper, the authors analyze China’s Ecological Civilization from the historical point of view, explain the conceptual framework of China’ Ecological Civilization Thoughts and describe the primary steps of China’s ecological civilization development.
Low genetic diversity in a widespread whistling alien: A comparison of Eleutherodactylus johnstonei Barbour, 1914 (Eleutherodactylidae) and congeners in native and introduced ranges
Authors: Leonhardt Franziska , Arranz Aveces Clara , Müller Anke , Angin Baptiste , Jegu Mathieu , Haynes Pius , Ernst Raffael
Published: December 2022

There is no clear empirical evidence to support the general assumption that genetic diversity favours successful invasions. Many invading species disperse and establish successfully despite low genetic diversity, a phenomenon known as the genetic paradox of biological invasion. Model systems that allow comparison of genetic patterns between exotic and native source populations are still scarce. This is particularly true for amphibians. Here we compare genetic patterns of the widely introduced Johnstone’s Whistling Frog, Eleutherodactylus johnstonei, with its successful alien congener E. antillensis and the single island endemic E. portoricensis. Genetic diversity and population differentiation in native and introduced populations of the three taxa were inferred from mitochondrial D-loop sequences (235 bp). Our results reveal that exotic populations of the two alien taxa, E. johnstonei and E. antillensis, are not only genetically impoverished due to founder effects, but that, moreover, their native range source-populations exhibit low genetic diversity and inter-population differentiation in the first place. Populations of the endemic E. portoricensis, on the other hand, are genetically more diverse and show marked inter-population differentiation. These observed genetic patterns are consistent with geological processes and invasion histories. We argue that the establishment success of the alien taxa in our model system is better explained by ecological factors and anthropogenic drivers than by genetic diversity. As these factors provide more parsimonious explanations, they should be given priority in management decisions. However, molecular studies with higher resolution are needed to fully test possible genetic and epigenetic components that could promote the invasion process.
Expertise scientifique et distinction diplomatique face au génocide
Authors: Bayart Jean-François , Smith Étienne
Published: December 2022

L’entretien avec Jean-François Bayart porte sur son expérience en tant que membre du Centre d’analyse et de prévision (CAP) du ministère des Affaires étrangères français de 1990 à 2005. Il interroge les relations entre savoirs africanistes et politique étrangère française au moment de la crise rwandaise, puis l’évolution plus générale des relations entre chercheurs, diplomates, politiques et militaires en France. Il souligne le décalage entre les représentations des différents acteurs, l’influence toute relative des chercheurs, et finalement la marginalisation croissante des savoirs académiques dans la politique étrangère comme dans les médias.
Complicités françaises au Rwanda : mobilisations citoyennes et parades politiques
Authors: Borrel Thomas
Published: December 2022

Cet article resitue le « rapport Duclert » dans l’histoire des mobilisations citoyennes pour la reconnaissance des responsabilités françaises dans le génocide des Tutsi et des parades politiques auxquelles ces mobilisations se sont heurtées. Si la commission Duclert a réussi à établir en deux ans une imposante synthèse, riche de milliers de références archivistiques, cet article montre que celle-ci ne produit pas de rupture sur le plan politique. Le rapport permet en effet au pouvoir français de refermer le débat, en prétendant l’avoir mené à son terme, sur le rôle de la France dans le génocide des Tutsi afin de mieux neutraliser des questionnements critiques.
Les bourgmestres de Kabarondo devant la Cour d’assises de Paris : la justice française face au génocide des Tutsi au Rwanda
Authors: Brunet-Lefèvre Timothée
Published: December 2022

En vertu de la compétence universelle de la France, deux anciens bourgmestres rwandais ont été jugés devant la Cour d’assises de Paris pour leur participation au génocide des Tutsi rwandais, en première instance en 2016 puis en appel en 2018. Les membres d’une communauté locale disséminée, tueurs comme rescapés, ont été réunis plus de vingt ans après les faits dans le prétoire. À partir des films du procès, cet article analyse le récit du génocide produit à l’audience et ses répercussions, devant des acteurs de la justice française étrangers au monde local convoqué à la Cour, et interroge le déroulement d’un procès relatif au génocide des Tutsi dans un tribunal français.
Enfer double et dédoublements infernaux dans le Voyage de saint Brendan
Authors: Quarroz Pauline
Published: December 2022

Par le biais de sa source, le Voyage de Saint Brendan hérite de caractéristiques majeures de la topographie infernale présente dans la littérature visionnaire médiolatine. Cela concerne en particulier les modalités d’accès au lieu et sa bipartition (enfer supérieur et inférieur). Partant du constat que Benedeit amplifie délibérément la visite des enfers par rapport à la Navigatio sancti Brendani , la présente contribution s’attache à décrire cet écart et à en identifier les enjeux. Une lecture micro-textuelle des apports à la description de l’île des forgerons et au témoignage de Judas révèle que la version anglo-normande procède à une variation poétique sur la conception de l’enfer double. Loin d’être gratuite, cette prolifération de dédoublements renforce la visée édifiante du récit destiné à un public laïque, tout en participant à l’esthétique du nombre qui régit la structure narrative du Voyage .
Is the consumer experience creating barriers for the effective uptake and disposal of bioplastics?
Authors: Fletcher Carly A.
Published: December 2022

Over the last decade, the European Union has developed objectives at a strategic level that seek to improve sustainability and circularity across all aspects of production and consumption. More recently, the Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan, have applied a specific focus on the production, use and disposal of plastics, where solutions that address the issues posed by traditional petroleum-based plastics have been sought. As a response to this strategic shift, the utilization of bioplastics (namely bio-based and/or biodegradable plastics) has been promoted as a potential solution, whereby they can substitute, or provide an alternative to, traditional petroleum-based plastics. However, successful uptake and the effective waste management of bioplastics, and products that utilize bioplastics, will be based on the consumer experience and ultimately market acceptance. This study explores three factors that may influence the consumer experience when purchasing, using, and disposing of bio-based and biodegradable plastics: consumer confusion, unrealistic expectations, and the value-action gap. Based on qualitative evidence gathered across the academic literature, this mini review suggests that all three aspects (both individually and combined) can have a marked effect on the uptake of bioplastics, and indeed other sustainable options. Indeed, when these potential impacts are considered in the broader context of a circular economy, it is suggested that feelings of cynicism and skepticism, along with unintended rebound effects may hamper the effectiveness to recirculating and maintaining resources within production and consumption systems and across multiple life cycles.
Network structure of urban digital financial technology and its impact on the risk of commercial banks
Authors: Chang Jiaqi , Xu Xuhan
Published: December 2022

In the context of the development of digital finance, the complexity of the network formed by urban digital financial technology has been deepening. Based on Chinese city data from 2010 to 2019, this paper conducts a dynamic evaluation of urban digital financial technology through grey target theory and uses social network analysis methods to study the network structure characteristics of urban digital financial technology and its impact on commercial bank risks. The study found that the spatial network of urban digital financial technology shows a trend of complexity and closeness, developed cities occupy a central position in the network of digital financial technology linkages and are net spillovers of urban digital financial technology. Further research on the impact of urban digital financial network structure on commercial bank risk found that both the overall network structure of urban digital financial technology and individual network structure have a significant inhibiting effect on commercial bank risk. Therefore, this paper focuses on the balanced development of digital financial technology in cities, while seeking to further exert the demonstration role of developed cities and achieve the reduction of risk level of commercial banks through the increase of overall network density and the decrease of network efficiency and network hierarchy.
Finite groups for which all proper subgroups have consecutive character degrees
Authors: Liu Shitian
Published: December 2022

Huppert and Qian et al. classified finite groups for which all irreducible character degrees are consecutive. The aim of this paper is to determine the structure of finite groups whose irreducible character degrees of their proper subgroups are all consecutive.
Enhancement of cone beam CT image registration by super-resolution pre-processing algorithm
Authors: Deng Liwei , Zhang Yuanzhi , Qi Jingjing , Huang Sijuan , Yang Xin , Wang Jing
Published: December 2022

In order to enhance cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) image information and improve the registration accuracy for image-guided radiation therapy, we propose a super-resolution (SR) image enhancement method. This method uses super-resolution techniques to pre-process the CBCT prior to registration. Three rigid registration methods (rigid transformation, affine transformation, and similarity transformation) and a deep learning deformed registration (DLDR) method with and without SR were compared. The five evaluation indices, the mean squared error (MSE), mutual information, Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC), structural similarity index (SSIM), and PCC + SSIM, were used to validate the results of registration with SR. Moreover, the proposed method SR-DLDR was also compared with the VoxelMorph (VM) method. In rigid registration with SR, the registration accuracy improved by up to 6% in the PCC metric. In DLDR with SR, the registration accuracy was improved by up to 5% in PCC + SSIM. When taking the MSE as the loss function, the accuracy of SR-DLDR is equivalent to that of the VM method. In addition, when taking the SSIM as the loss function, the registration accuracy of SR-DLDR is 6% higher than that of VM. SR is a feasible method to be used in medical image registration for planning CT (pCT) and CBCT. The experimental results show that the SR algorithm can improve the accuracy and efficiency of CBCT image alignment regardless of which alignment algorithm is used.
New criteria for oscillation of damped fractional partial differential equations
Authors: Luo Zhenguo , Luo Liping
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we consider a class of fractional partial differential equations with damping term subject to Robin and Dirichlet boundary value conditions. We derive several new sufficient criteria for oscillation of solutions of the equations by using the integral averaging technique and generalized Riccati type transformations. Some applications of the main results are illustrated by some examples.
Innovation and economic performance: The role of financial development
Authors: Prah Gigamon Joseph
Published: December 2022

This study empirically explores the influence of financial development (FD) in an innovation-growth nexus. Specifically, the study considers how, through FD, innovation impacts countries' export products, export values and national incomes. The system Generalized Method of Moments technique and the dynamic common correlated effect estimator are used on data of 57 economies covering the period 2000 to 2019. First, the findings reveal that, on the full sample, FD and its interaction with R&D expenditure have both short- and long-run effects on economic performance, as they both cause increases in export product, export value and national income. However, within the full sample study, the direct impact of FD is more favorable than the indirect effect. Second, within the developed and the developing economies, the study reveals that FD indirectly influences economic performance by improving the relationship between R&D expenditures and export products, export values and the national incomes of these groups of economies, both in the short- and the long-run. However, considering the developing economies, the findings show that the indirect influence of FD is more favorable than the direct effect. As a result, this study argues that FD is relevant for improving the relationship between innovation and economic performance, for both developed and developing economies. Policymakers should, therefore, ensure efficiency and stability in their financial sector as they engage in R&D activities in order to be able to harness the export-growth benefits of innovation fully. Moreover, policies that ensure sustainable money supply should be encouraged, especially within the developing economies.
Norma canaria y excepcionalidad en la realización de la /s/: el caso de El Pinar en la isla de El Hierro
Authors: Dorta Josefa
Published: December 2022

La /s/ en Canarias se caracteriza, en general, por su aspiración en posición implosiva y su realización como predorsodental en posición explosiva. En la isla de El Hierro, en cambio, se han registrado dos fenómenos que se apartan de esta norma: la frecuente realización sibilante en posición implosiva y la percepción en cualquier contexto como un sonido similar al de la /s/ castellana (apicoalveolar). Desde la perspectiva de la lingüística de la variación, este trabajo pretende comprobar, a partir de datos del municipio más conservador de la isla, El Pinar, si el peso de la norma canaria ha homogeneizado la realización de este fonema.
Improvement of the PBFT Algorithm Based on Grouping and Reputation Value Voting
Authors: Liu Shannan , Zhang Ronghua , Liu Changzheng , Xu Chenxi , Zhou Jie , Wang Jiaojiao
Published: December 2022

An improved practical Byzantine fault tolerance (Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerant consensus algorithm based on reputation, RPBFT) algorithm based on grouping and reputation value voting is proposed for the problems of high communication complexity, poor scalability, and random selection of master nodes of the practical Byzantine fault tolerance (PBFT) consensus algorithm of the consortium chain. First, the consistency process is optimized to take the response speed of nodes to each group leader as the basis of grouping, and the intragroup consensus is performed. The group leader then takes the result of intragroup consensus and participates in extra-group consensus to reduce the frequency and time of internode communication. Second, the reputation model and voting mechanism are proposed, and the group leader is generated by node reputation value voting, which enhances the initiative and reliability of trusted nodes and reduces the abnormal nodes as group leader. Finally, a simulation and performance testing system based on this improved scheme is built to prove the effectiveness as well as the usability of the scheme through simulation experiments. The experimental results show that when the number of network nodes is 36, the throughput of the RPBFT algorithm is six times that of PBFT. Therefore, the consensus delay is reduced by 91.7%, and the communication overhead is reduced by 37.8%.
A Novel Approach to Parkinson's Disease Progression Evaluation Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Zineddine Mhamed
Published: December 2022

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a devastating disorder with serious impacts on the health and quality of life for a wide group of patients. While the early diagnosis of PD is a critical step in managing its symptoms, measuring its progression would be the cornerstone for the development of treatment protocols suitable for each patient. This paper proposes a novel approach to digital PPMI measures and its combination with spirals drawings to increase the accuracy rate of a neural network to the maximum possible. The results show a well performing CNN model with an accuracy of 1(100%). Thus, the end-users of the proposed approach could be more confident when evaluating the progression of PD. The trained, validated, and tested model was able to classify the PD's progression as High, Medium, or Low, with high sureness.
Collaborative Filtering Recommender System for Timely Arrival Problem in Road Transport Networks Using Viterbi and the Hidden Markov Algorithms
Authors: Ofem Ofem Ajah , Agana Moses Adah , Felix Elemue Oromena
Published: December 2022

In this study, a timely arrival recommender system (TARS) using Viterbi and hidden Markov Model (HMM) was developed. Ratings from current road users were used as inputs and trained to provide recommendations to prospective road users on the best routes to follow to get to their destinations from any source in time. The system was deployed on Android devices and iPhones with Google map. Real time data on current road conditions were collected from twenty-one (21) bolt drivers in Calabar Metropolis traversing various routes from Unical to Watt Market. The system could calculate arrival time in km/h, generate nearest nodes on each route, detect routes with free or congested traffic flow, and then recommend the best route in real time to users for timely arrival. The application, if adopted, can aid road users to save time, cost, and reduce stress on both humans and the vehicles used.
Optimal Placement of Multiple DG Units With Energy Storage in Radial Distribution System by Hybrid Techniques
Authors: P. Munisekhar , Jayakrishna G. , Visali N.
Published: December 2022

In recent years, distributed generations (DGs) are extremely fast in detecting their location, which helps to satisfy the ever-increasing power demands. The placement of energy storage systems (ESSs) could be a substantial opportunity to enhance the presentation of radial distribution system (RDS). The major part of DG units in RDS deals with the detection of ideal placement and size of the DGs, which efficiently balance the power loss and voltage stability. The ideal location and size of ESSs are examined in standard IEEE-33 and 69 bus systems, which is important to reduce power losses. Nowadays, several algorithms or techniques are modified for the development of hybrid algorithms to improve the quality of DG allocation. In this research, a hybrid shuffled frog leap algorithm (SFLA) with ant lion optimizer (SFLA-ALO) is proposed for the optimal placement and size of the DG and ESS in the RDS to reduce power losses and maintain the stability of voltage. The performance of the proposed SFLA-ALO technique is compared with the implemented BPSO-SFLA technique.
PageRank and HodgeRank on Ethereum Transactions
Authors: Do Huu-Dung , Do Thuat
Published: December 2022

Mathematical ranking plays a critical role in the era of the internet and bigdata. Google's PageRank is well-known as a trillion-dollar algorithm. Definitely, algorithmic ranking frameworks are found on every search engine. In this paper, the article shall investigate how PageRank can be applied in the blockchain space to build up reliable and verifiable social credit and reputation systems. It is expected to provide a measure of credibility complementary and parallel with FICO, which is not applicable for individuals lacking credit information in financial institutions. Moreover, the approach proposes an unbiased method of interpreting and measuring real social interaction and reputation ranking on a blockchain network. The authors envision a future of payment based on cryptocurrencies (especially stable coins) and digital fiats; thus the proposed credit scoring framework shall be helpful for P2P credit and lending networks, possibly for decentralized finance (Defi) applications.
Sentiment Analysis of Tweets During the COVID-19 Pandemic Using Multinomial Logistic Regression
Authors: Raheja Supriya , Asthana Anjani
Published: December 2022

Recently, the research on sentimental analysis has been growing rapidly. The tweets of social media are extracted to analyze the user sentiments. Many of the studies prefer to apply machine learning algorithms for performing sentiment analysis. In the current pandemic, there is an utmost importance to analyze the sentiments or behavior of a person to make the decisions as the whole world is facing lockdowns in multiple phases. The lockdown is psychologically affecting the human behavior. This study performs a sentimental analysis of Twitter tweets during lockdown using multinomial logistic regression algorithm. The proposed system framework follows the pre-processing, polarity and scoring, and feature extracting before applying the machine learning model. For validating the performance of proposed framework, other three majorly used machine learning based models-- namely decision tree, naïve Bayes, and K-nearest neighbors-- are implemented. Experimental results prove that the proposed framework provides improved accuracy over other models.
Calcium Carbonate/Hydroxyapatite Microparticles and Osteoblast Responses
Authors: Bergara-Muguruza Leire , Abdel Razik Heba E. , Chen Peng , Ashida Maki , Takao Hanawa , Vallitu Pekka , Nakamura Miho
Published: December 2022

Calcium carbonate (CC)-hydroxyapatite (HAP) porous microparticles have gained a lot of popularity as a promising material for clinical applications. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of CC-HAP microparticles on osteoblast-like cells to be used as a bone-regeneration biomaterial. In this study, the different concentrations of conditioned media were used to compare the effects of released ions from CC-HAP microparticles. The material’s characteristics demonstrated that the immersion in cell culture medium did not change the crystal phases of CC-HAP. The decrease of calcium ions in cell culture medium is due to the dissolution-precipitation reactions on the material surfaces, which made more crystalline surfaces. The atomic absorption spectroscopy measurement demonstrated that the dissolution-precipitation reactions on the material surfaces in cell culture medium happened in 3 days and were stable between 3 to 5 days. The conditioned media immersed in cell culture medium for 4 days were used for further experiments. Cell evaluations demonstrated that excessive adding of CC -HAP could inhibit cell behaviors such as cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. The cell adhesion indicated by the number of vinculin-positive focal adhesions per cell decreased with the increase of the CC-HAP concentrations. The cells cultured with CC-HAP proliferated at a lower rate than the control without CC-HAP. One of the reasons for the inhibition of cell proliferation was thought to be less formation of focal adhesions with higher concentrations of CC-HAP. The excessive adding of CC-HAP had an inhibitory effect on osteoblast differentiation. The results of this study revealed that the conditioned media prepared by immersion of CC-HAP porous microparticles in cell culture media had effects on the behaviors of osteoblast-like cells such as cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation.
Research Progress of Nitride Coating Process Prepared by Cathodic Arc Ion Plating
Authors: Wang Xin Wu , Sun Hao Bin , Zhang Hua , Li Chang Ye , Zhao Cheng Liang , Si Shou Ji , Yao Hai Bin , Yu Hui Jun , Chen Chuan Zhong
Published: December 2022

As the main process of carbide tool coating fabrication, cathodic arc ion plating plays an important role in modern industrial production. This paper introduces the influence of process parameter selection on the coating properties of tools by cathodic arc ion plating. The process parameters mainly include nitrogen partial pressure, negative bias pressure and arc current, and the coating properties are mainly characterized by deposition rate, phase composition, coating hardness and surface quality. It can optimize the selection of process parameters on modern industrial production.
Osteoblast-Mediated Resorption of Porous Bioactive SCPC Granules Enhances Bone Regeneration in Human Extraction Sockets
Authors: Abdel Razik Heba E. , Nakamura Miho , Bergara-Muguruza Leire , Sarwar Uruj , Hassan Mohammad , Horowitz Robert , El-Ghannam Ahmed
Published: December 2022

Bone graft materials are widely used in orthopedic and maxillofacial surgeries. The controlled resorbability of the graft material is essential for bone regeneration. Hydroxyapatite and biphasic calcium phosphate bone grafts have poor resorption and limited bone conductive effects. Histology analyses of bone biopsy from SCPC grafted human extraction sockets showed complete bone regeneration and graft resorption in absence of osteoclasts and macrophages. The hypothesis of the present study is that bioactive SCPC inhibits osteoclast’s activity due to the presence of resorbable silica phase in the material. Our objective is to analyze the effect of SCPC dissolution products on the resorption activity of osteoclasts. The conditioned medium was prepared by immersion of SCPC resorbable bioactive SCPC porous granules (Shefabone, Inc, USA) in cell culture medium at various ratios at 37°C for 3 days. The concentration of Si ions released from the SCPC granules into cell culture medium was measured using ICP-OES. Osteoclast precursors derived from human bone marrow were seeded on bone slices and cultured in the conditioned medium containing 10% FBS and osteoclast induction factors. Osteoclast differentiation and resorption were evaluated by TRAP staining and measurement of the volume of resorption pits on the bone slices. Mature multinuclear giant TRAP-positive osteoclasts were observed on the bone substrates after 14 days incubation in control medium containing osteoclast induction factors. In conditioned medium, the number of multinuclear TRAP-positive cells was significantly decreased as the concentration of SCPC dissolved silica increased. The dissolution of silica from SCPC into the culture medium correlates well with down regulation of osteoclast differentiation and the rapid bone regeneration in human bone defects.
Effect of Newly Isolated Cronobacter Sp. KP 19 from Kuantan Port on Mild Steel Corrosion under Nitrate Reducing Condition
Authors: Jamaluddin Nur Ain Atiqah , Paizau Fatin Akmmal , Owi Wei Tieng , Yusoff Mahani , Masri Mohamad Najmi , Seng Kew Wee
Published: December 2022

Corrosion of mild steel has been attributed to the respiratory activity of microbes under different growth conditions. Under nitrate-reducing condition, nitrate-reducing bacteria were postulated to inhibit corrosion, yet existing literatures reported contradicting findings. Newly isolated Cronobacter sp. KP 19 from Kuantan Port is capable of reducing ferric iron (Fe3+) and nitrate (NO3-) as electron acceptors. To investigate the effect of Cronobacter sp. KP 19 on mild steel corrosion under nitrate-reducing condition, the Cronobacter sp. KP 19 was cultured as nitrate-reducing facultative bacteria in a defined growth M1 media amended with 15 mM of sodium nitrate as the sole electron acceptor. Mild steel coupons were immersed in growth media for 46 days. The deteriorations of the mild steel coupons were then evaluated by corrosion rate analysis and the morphology was characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. Our results indicated that under nitrate-reducing condition, Cronobacter sp. KP 19 remarkably accelerates the corrosion rates of mild steel by approximately ten folds. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of magnetite (Fe3O4) and vivianite [Fe3(PO4)2·8H2O] as the corrosion products. Results from current study provide insight on how facultative anaerobes affect the corrosion processes under different respiratory growth conditions.
Apatite-Graphene and Apatite-Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites: Hybrid Materials with Tailored Biological and Luminescent Properties
Authors: Acebedo Martinez Francisco Javier , Voltes-Martínez Ana , Ruíz Elena López , Choquesillo-Lazarte Duane , Fernández-Sánchez Jorge Fernando , Marchal Juan Antonio , Gómez-Morales Jaime
Published: December 2022

Apatite nanocomposites with graphene (G) or graphene oxide (GO) nanoflakes, as well as with related carbonaceous materials, present promising applications in hard tissue engineering, biomedicine, or drug delivery. Different methodologies have been explored in the last years to prepare apatite-based nanocomposites. Sitting drop vapour diffusion (SDVD) methodology induces the heterogeneous nucleation of biomimetic apatite on the reinforcement material, improving biological properties of the nanocomposites. In this work SDVD was used to prepare G-apatite and GO-apatite nanocomposites. Prior to the SDVD experiments, G flakes were obtained by sonication-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) using L-Alanine (L-Aln) as dispersing biomolecule, while a commercial aqueous Graphene Oxide (GO) dispersion was used for the nucleation essays in presence of the same biomolecules. A parallel set of nucleation experiments was performed in presence of Tb3+ ions, to endow the nanocomposites of luminescent properties. Characterization by XRD, FTIR, and TEM demonstrated the heterogeneous nucleation of needle-shaped apatite nanocrystals on the surfaces of G and GO flakes. Fluorescence spectroscopy certified the presence of Tb3+ ions in the nanocomposites resulting in luminescent materials which can be used in imaging or theragnostic. Finally, in vitro tests with human mesenchymal stem cells revealed excellent cytocompatibility and cell proliferation in presence of the nanocomposites.
Mechanical, Structural and Physical Properties of Carrageenan-Gum Arabic Biocomposite Film for Hard Capsule Application
Authors: Ramli Nur Amalina , Kamaluddin Nurul Natasya Amira , Adam Fatmawati
Published: December 2022

The hard capsule market growth is mainly driven by the demand for gelatin capsules made of animals. Plant-based hard capsules, such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose are currently in high demand for drug delivery, but the manufacturing process is costly with limited reagent supply. As an alternative, carrageenan from seaweed was used as a film-forming agent in this work. Carrageenan film possesses low mechanical strength, thus gum Arabic is incorporated to strengthen the biocomposite film. The films and hard capsules were produced with different concentrations of gum Arabic, ranging from 0 to 2.0 w/v%. The tensile strength and elongation at break were enhanced to 56.8 MPa and 23.7%, respectively. The highest capsule loop strength is 32.5 N, which was achieved at 1.2 w/v% of gum Arabic. All biocomposite films were kept at a moisture content of 13%, which is comparable to gelatin hard capsules. These results demonstrate that gum Arabic can strengthen the carrageenan biocomposite to be an alternative to gelatin hard capsules.
Mechanical and Tribological Properties Correlations of Die Cast and Spray Formed Aluminum 2.5wt.% Cu-2.5wt.% Mg - 5wt.% Zn Alloy
Authors: Chandra Mohan Heggedehalli Krishnappa , Devaraj Sonnappa , Narayana Swamy Kalavara Saddashiva Reddy , Venkatesha B.K.
Published: December 2022

Aluminum with –2.5wt.% Cu–2.5wt.% Mg – 5wt.% Zn alloy was synthesized by die cast and spray formed technique. The average density of die cast and spray formed Al alloy was measured by water displacement method. The compression strength, hardness and tribological properties of the Al alloy produced by die cast and spray formed technique was studied as per the ASTM test standards and recorded the average values. The surface morphology of die cast Al alloy depicts the dendritic structures and spray formed Al alloy contains the equiaxed grains, coarse grains and fine grains across the surface. The elemental analysis of both die cast and spray formed Al alloy was measured by using scanning electron microscope. Average percentage of porosity of die cast and spray formed aluminum alloy is 1.79 ± 0.23 and 1.10 ± 0.3 respectively. The hardness of spray formed Al alloy is 10.54 % lesser than that of die cast Al alloy. Average ultimate compression strength of spray formed and die cast Al alloys are 360.07 ± 9.58 MPa and 353.33 ± 5.56 MPa respectively. The study also recorded the wear rate and coefficient of friction of die cast and spray formed Al alloy at different load and speed conditions. The precipitation strengthening mechanism is found to be involved in spray formed alloy.
Forecasting exchange rates in Sri Lanka: a comparison of the double seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average models (DSARIMA) and SARIMA models
Authors: Basnayake B. R. P. M. , Chandrasekara N. V.
Published: December 2022

Exchange rates serve as a medium for currency trading in the financial market. The variations and the uncertainty movements in exchange rates have a potential effect on the performance of a country. The objective of this study is to forecast daily exchange rates in Sri Lanka using Double Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (DSARIMA) and Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) with Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (ARCH)/ Generalized ARCH (GARCH) models. The study collected a few daily exchange rates from the Yahoo finance website in terms of LKR from 1st January 2008 to 28th February 2022. The DSARIMA and SARIMA models were incorporated with the ARCH/ GARCH specifications of normal, skew-normal, student-t and skew-t due to the accurate specification of the proper error distribution led to an increase in the accuracy of the fitted model. The model comparisons were carried out considering different performance measures. The overall results from the actual and fitted graphs and lower error values of the fitted models suggested a SARIMA model for CHF/LKR, a SARIMA model with ARCH/GARCH for USD, EURO, JPY, GBP and AUD against LKR and a DSARIMA model with ARCH/GARCH for CAD and SGD against LKR were suitable to forecast the respective exchange rate. Overall, the results from this study will support government, investors, corporate, financial and managerial sectors in their future decisions to accomplish their objectives. The originality of this study concerns the application of DSARIMA models in exchange rates due to the availability of double seasonality in data.
Socio Economic Status, Economic Scarcity and Mental Health
Authors: Dharmawardene Vajira
Published: December 2022

No abstract available
Childhood Malnutrition in Sri Lanka: Past, Present and Future
Authors: Wickramasinghe Pujitha
Published: December 2022

No abstract available
Likelihood of Speaking Up by Health Professionals in Emergency Setting: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Ambanwala Anusha
Published: December 2022

Introduction: Speaking up is critical for patient safety, but many health-care professionals are hesitant to do so. Understand­ing the factors influencing can help to improve speaking-up behavior and team communication. The aim of the study was to investigate the health professionals’ likelihood of speaking up about safety concerns and associ­ated barriers to speaking up for safety.
Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Emergency Departments of three Teaching Hospitals in Colombo district, Sri Lanka with the sample of 155 of doctors and nurses. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire designed to assess attitudes, barriers, and facilitators for speaking up, and self-reported experience with speaking up. The likelihood of speaking up and the potential for patient harm were assessed.
Results: 33.6% of participants have reported they would not withhold their voice during a patient safety concern while 56% would often bring up specific concerns on patient safety. 38.7% reports patient safety concerns on each shift or daily during their work. More than 50% are comfortable with working culture but are concerned with constant reminding of safety rules (64.4%) and discouraged due to unchanged attitudes after address­ing patient safety concerns (62%). Workload (65.2%), hierarchy (62.6%), feared consequences of speaking up (56.1%), and powerlessness (50.3%) identified as major barriers in speaking up for safety.
Discussion: Contextual considerations have a significant impact on doctors’ and nurses’ willingness to speak up regarding patient safety. Speaking up leads to significant discomfort among doctors and nurses who aren’t in manage­rial positions. Staff should be given clear instructions and training on when and how to raise safety concerns in Emergency Department.
Acute Pancreatitis – Be Quick or Be Sorry
Authors: Kodisinghe S. K.
Published: December 2022

No abstract available
Linking Viral DNA to Endosomal Innate Immune Recognition
Authors: Bachmann Martin F , Speiser Daniel E
Published: December 2022

This Pillars of Immunology article is a commentary on “Toll-like receptor 9-mediated recognition of herpes simplex virus-2 by plasmacytoid dendritic cells,” a pivotal article written by J. Lund, A. Sato, S. Akira, R. Medzhitov, and A. Iwasaki, and published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, in 2003. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20030162.
The lived experience of hospitalized and non-hospitalized health care providers of COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study
Authors: Abdulah Deldar Morad , Piro Rasoul Sabri , Liamputtong Pranee
Published: December 2022

This paper explores the lived experience and any mental health issues of COVID-19 survivors throughout the disease crisis using a qualitative method. The semi-structured interviewing method was conducted with COVID-19 patients who were admitted and non-admitted to hospitals in Kurdistan, Iraq. The patients had positive and negative perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and disease including beliefs and thoughts about COVID-19, conspiracy thinking, and concerns toward the family and their children. The patients were affected by the disease in different ways including physical consequences of COVID-19 infection, social isolation, life changes, and mental wellbeing. But they had some coping strategies to overcome the disease such as seeking help, preventive measures, and coping techniques. The patients had some concerns about health settings and therapeutic procedures including lack of sufficient care, receptiveness, hospital environment, and infection guidelines. This study showed that the COVID-19 disease had devastating effects on patients either physically or psychologically.
Assessment of Quality and the Utilization of the Dental Prosthesis and Their Impact on Patient Satisfaction
Authors: Shetty Mallika S. , Sarfaraz Hasan , Shenoy Kamalakanth K.
Published: December 2022

Background and Aim:

Assessing patient satisfaction with dental prosthesis is usually difficult if the prosthesis does not fulfill the treatment need of the patient, and in most cases, the professionals' assessment of the prosthesis differs from the patients' perception of quality and treatment outcome. Patient satisfaction is important for the proper utilization of the prosthesis which helps improve the patients' overall quality of life and that remains the professionals' ultimate goal. The aim of this study was to assess the quality and utilization of dental prostheses and their impact on patient satisfaction.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1312 participants aged 18 years and above using a house-to-house approach among the rural population of Mangalore taluk. The study involved the completion of a predesigned and structured pro forma based on the WHO oral health assessment form. Evaluation of the prosthesis, and its quality was done by the professional. Fisher's exact test and odds ratio were conducted to find the significance of variables. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

It was found that the retention and chewing efficiency of the complete denture had a positive comparison that was statistically significant. The retention of the partial denture wearers had a positive correlation between the patient perception and the professional assessment. In fixed partial dentures candidates, there was a statistically significant comparison between their perception and professionals' assessment with regard to hygiene and periodontal health.

Conclusion:

Most of the completely edentulous patients residing in the rural population of Mangalore taluk are quite satisfied with their prosthesis, whereas the professional assessment revealed that the older denture lacked retention, occlusion, and hygiene.
First-use Hypersensitivity Reactions during Hemodialysis
Authors: Basta Mafdy N.
Published: December 2022

Hypersensitivity reactions during hemodialysis result from the interaction between blood constituents and the hemodialysis membrane. Different types of membrane materials, including cellulose, substituted cellulose, or synthetic noncellulose, are used in dialyzers' manufacture which can affect the frequency and type of reaction seen. Two types of reactions, classified as Type A and Type B, have been described. Type A reaction is far less common but more severe than Type B. The following is a case of Type A reaction in a 63-year-old Caucasian male who had his first hemodialysis prescribed with a synthetic noncellulose membrane. His hemodialysis session was aborted and the reaction was successfully managed. Subsequent dialysis sessions were performed, uneventfully, with a substituted cellulose membrane. This case illustrates the importance of remaining vigilant and cognizant of the possibility of hypersensitivity reactions to hemodialysis membranes, as some of the reactions could be potentially life-threatening.
Tourette Syndrome with Functional Overlay
Authors: Cavanna Andrea E. , Damodaran Laavanya , Purpura Giulia , Nacinovich Renata
Published: December 2022

Functional tics have long been described as part of the much wider spectrum of functional neurological disorders with motor manifestations. Reports of functional tics have been relatively rare, until their recent increase on a global scale during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such reports have often been characterized by an acute or subacute onset of complex motor and vocal manifestations. Moreover, functional tics have predominantly been reported in adolescent females, whereas neurodevelopmental tics, such as those reported by patients with Tourette syndrome (TS), typically begin in younger boys. In addition to their marked severity and complexity, functional tics can merge into other types of functional neurological disorders. However, functional tics can also coexist with neurodevelopmental tics, as patients diagnosed with TS can present with a functional overlay (dual diagnosis). In the present study, we report the clinical characteristics of a case series of 10 patients diagnosed with both TS and functional tics during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also provide the first within-subject comparison between neurodevelopmental tics and functional tics, to assist clinicians in the differential diagnosis of patients with TS who developed a functional overlay during challenging times.
Academic Leadership in the Era of Curricular and Quality Transition Toward Excellence
Authors: Chacko Thomas Vengail
Published: December 2022

Leadership literature indicates that focus has shifted from “top-down hierarchical” to “leadership everywhere” approach within organizations and this also applies to academic leadership. The context in which the new eco-leadership discourse has emerged, is presented as it is important for academic leaders to be aware that they need to tailor their leadership style and approach to be ready for the 21st century challenges arising from “triple disruptions due to digital and technology revolution, environmental emergency, and rising societal iniquity.” The framework of “leading from within” that has emerged from research on leadership in higher education has been found to be relevant and resonates well with academic leaders in India and so is presented in greater detail. Understanding of different academic leadership frameworks has been used to generate guidelines for academic leaders to use for implementing the changes that they would be expected to make to improve quality and make faculty future-ready.
Square roots of weighted shifts of multiplicity two
Authors: Kottegoda Chanaka , Le Trieu , Rodriguez Tomas Miguel
Published: December 2022

Given a weighted shift T of multiplicity two, we study the set
$\sqrt {T}$
of all square roots of T. We determine necessary and sufficient conditions on the weight sequence so that this set is non-empty. We show that when such conditions are satisfied,
$\sqrt {T}$
contains a certain special class of operators. We also obtain a complete description of all operators in
$\sqrt {T}$
.
Microstructure and Mechanical Behaviour of Dissimilar Laser Welded Joints for Automobile Applications
Authors: Pasupuleti Thejasree , Natarajan Manikandan , Katta Lakshmi Narasimhamu , R Ramesh , Naidu B Vishnu Vardhana
Published: December 2022

Over the last decade the utilization of laser sources has seen a marked increase with its reducing expenses and increasing productivity. Enabling technologies such as better process knowledge, better laser sources and systems, and on-going advances in Laser Beam Welding (LBW) processing technologies have all contributed to these accomplishments which include both macro and micro component fabrication through LBW. There are various existing applications that benefit from using challenging materials together, hence integrating dissimilar metals allows us to gain their benefits at a higher level and can be applied extensively for multiple applications. Metals with different mechanical and microstructural qualities and features such as high corrosion resistance and low specific weight are commonly chosen to fabricate dissimilar joints. Inconel 718 is a nickel-based superalloy that is extensively utilized in chemical, marine and nuclear power plant equipment, as well as aerospace applications for its outstanding corrosion resistance, creep resistance and exceptional mechanical qualities especially at high temperatures. Many automotive, aerospace and food processing industries are relying on SS304 due to its typical characteristics such as high strength and low cost. Hence it is necessary to research on bimetallic joints of Inconel 718 and SS304 in current manufacturing scenario. Dissimilar weldments of Inconel 718 (IN 718) and SS304 have been analysed in this study to determine the impact of LBW process parameters on the welds’ macro and microstructural properties. The weld parameters were shown to have a significant impact on the fabricated joint’s microstructural and mechanical characteristics, which in turn determine the joint’s overall quality.