bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy: Role of
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
Authors: El-Sehrawy Amr A. , Elkhamisy Enas M. , Badawi Amani E. , Elshahawy Heba A. , Elsayed Eman , Mohammed Nehal T. , El-Eshmawy Mervat M.
Published: August 2021

Background:

This study was conducted by considering the vital role of Vascular Endothelial
Growth Factor (VEGF) in the development of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) on the one hand
and the frequent association between Subclinical Hypothyroidism (SCH) and DR on the other
hand.

Objective:

The present study was proposed to explore the possible role of VEGF in the relation between
SCH and DR; thus, we investigated the relationship between SCH and VEGF levels in patients
with DR.

Methods:

Two hundred patients with DR were recruited in this study [100 patients with Proliferative
Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR) and 100 patients with Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR)].
Patients with DR were divided into 2 groups according to thyroid function, patients with
SCH or those with euthyroidism. Patients were subjected to careful history taking and underwent
clinical and ophthalmological examination. Fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting
insulin, Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), TSH, FT4, FT3,
VEGF, and thyroid volume were assessed

Results:

Among all the studied patients, 21.5% (43/200) had SCH. DR patients with SCH had older
age, longer diabetes duration, and higher HbA1c, HOMA-IR, and VEGF than those with euthyroidism.
The frequency of PDR in patients with SCH was 72.1% (31/43) and 43.9% (69/157) in
those with euthyroidism, whereas the frequency of NPDR in patients with SCH was 27.9 (12/43)
and 56.1% (88/157) in those with euthyroidism (P 0.003). In multivariate analysis, PDR, HOMA-
IR, and VEGF levels were the significant predictor variables of SCH.

Conclusions:

Increased VEGF levels may be implicated in the relationship between SCH and DR.
Association between Increased Bcl-2, Fas and FasL Levels and Inflammation Extent in Labial Salivary Glands During Primary Sjögren's Syndrome
Authors: Benchabane Sarah , Slimani-Kaddouri Assia , Acheli Dahbia , Bendimerad-Iratene Thouraya , Mesbah Redouane , Touil-Boukoffa Chafia
Published: August 2021

Background:

Primary Sjögren Syndrome (pSS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by epithelial atrophy, mononuclear infiltration in exocrine glands resulting in the defective function of these glands. In pSS, atrophy of the epithelium is caused by an increased amount of apoptosis.

Objective:

The main aim of this study is to investigate the role of the apoptosis-related factors by studying Bcl-2, Fas and FasL expression in relation to the extent of inflammation as well as the effect of therapy on the expression of these mediators.

Methods:

In pSS patients (n=62) documented for their serological and clinical features, Fas, FasL and Bcl-2 plasma levels were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. In the same context, we investigated their expression by immunohistochemistry analysis in the labial salivary glands samples in association with the extent of inflammation.

Results:

Interestingly, our results indicated that in pSS patients, the plasmatic Bcl-2, Fas and FasL levels, which appeared to be associated with the severity of inflammation and were significantly elevated in comparison to the healthy controls. Moreover, a significant decrease in all these factors was observed in patients after combined corticosteroids-hydroxychloroquine therapy. Importantly, we report a strong positive correlation between Bcl-2 and NO levels. The immunohistochemical staining reveals a strong Bcl-2 expression in infiltrating mononuclear cells and a total absence in the acinar cells. The Bcl-2 level varies according to the severity of pathology. However, the expression of Fas and FasL was less important and predominantly localized in infiltrating mononuclear cells.

Conclusion:

Our current study highlights the involvement of Bcl-2, Fas and FasL in pSS glands injury. These factors may act as useful predictor markers of a clinical course in pSS, suggesting a novel approach in the pSS patients monitoring.
Pengembangan Alat Pengupas Kulit Nanas (Ananas comosus) Semi Mekanis
Authors:   Universitas Andalas, Putri Renny Eka , Maulana Dwipa Islam ,   Universitas Andalas, Hasan Ashadi ,   Universitas Andalas
Published: August 2021

Nanas merupakan salah satu komoditas buah-buahan tropis yang potensial dikembangkan karena dalam budidaya dan pemeliharaannya yang cukup mudah. Penanganan pascapanen buah nanas pada pengupasan kulit di tingkat petani umumnya masih dilakukan secara manual yakni menggunakan pisau. Pengupasan dengan menggunakan alat dapat mengupas kulit nanas dengan waktu pengupasan yang relatif cepat, menghasilkan kupasan yang lebih rapi dan mengurangi tenaga kerja. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan pengembangan alat pengupas kulit nanas semi mekanis. Manfaat dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mempermudah dan mempercepat proses pengupasan kulit nanas dengan hasil potongan yang ukurannya merata. Metode penelitian menggunakan metode eksperimen dengan dua perlakuan yaitu buah nanas matang 50% dan Buah nanas matang 100%. Kapasitas alat pengupas kulit nanas semi mekanis pada sampel matang 50% dan matang 100% secara berturut-turut 14.275 kg/jam dan 23.2299 kg/jam, kapasitas pembuangan mata pada matang 50% dan matang 100% secara berturut-turut sebesar 11.4292 kg/jam dan 12.7573 kg/jam, kapasitas input alat pengupas pada matang 50% dan matang 100% berturut-turut sebesar 18.8405 kg/jam dan 31.2702 kg/jam dan daya operator pada matang 50% dan matang 100% secara berturut-turut sebesar 28.3560 Watt dan 28.7640 Watt. Alat pengupas kulit nanas semi mekanis ini memliki beberapa keunggulan dibandingkan dengan pekerjaan yang dilakukan secara manual pada parameter kapasitas Kerja, ketebalan kulit, dan pembuangan mata.
A Fine-Tuned Bidirectional Encoder Representations From Transformers Model for Food Named-Entity Recognition: Algorithm Development and Validation
Authors: Stojanov Riste , Popovski Gorjan , Cenikj Gjorgjina , Koroušić Seljak Barbara , Eftimov Tome
Published: August 2021

Background

Recently, food science has been garnering a lot of attention. There are many open research questions on food interactions, as one of the main environmental factors, with other health-related entities such as diseases, treatments, and drugs. In the last 2 decades, a large amount of work has been done in natural language processing and machine learning to enable biomedical information extraction. However, machine learning in food science domains remains inadequately resourced, which brings to attention the problem of developing methods for food information extraction. There are only few food semantic resources and few rule-based methods for food information extraction, which often depend on some external resources. However, an annotated corpus with food entities along with their normalization was published in 2019 by using several food semantic resources.

Objective

In this study, we investigated how the recently published bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) model, which provides state-of-the-art results in information extraction, can be fine-tuned for food information extraction.

Methods

We introduce FoodNER, which is a collection of corpus-based food named-entity recognition methods. It consists of 15 different models obtained by fine-tuning 3 pretrained BERT models on 5 groups of semantic resources: food versus nonfood entity, 2 subsets of Hansard food semantic tags, FoodOn semantic tags, and Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms food semantic tags.

Results

All BERT models provided very promising results with 93.30% to 94.31% macro F1 scores in the task of distinguishing food versus nonfood entity, which represents the new state-of-the-art technology in food information extraction. Considering the tasks where semantic tags are predicted, all BERT models obtained very promising results once again, with their macro F1 scores ranging from 73.39% to 78.96%.

Conclusions

FoodNER can be used to extract and annotate food entities in 5 different tasks: food versus nonfood entities and distinguishing food entities on the level of food groups by using the closest Hansard semantic tags, the parent Hansard semantic tags, the FoodOn semantic tags, or the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms semantic tags.
State-of-the-art Dashboards on Clinical Indicator Data to Support Reflection on Practice: Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Bucalon Bernard , Shaw Tim , Brown Kerri , Kay Judy
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

There is an increasing interest in using routinely collected eHealth data to support reflective practice and long-term professional learning. Studies have evaluated the impact of dashboards on clinician decision-making, task completion time, user satisfaction, and adherence to clinical guidelines.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review aims to summarize the literature on dashboards based on patient administrative, medical, and surgical data for clinicians to support reflective practice.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. A search was conducted in 5 electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, ACM Digital Library, and Web of Science) to identify studies that met the inclusion criteria. Study selection and characterization were performed by 2 independent reviewers (BB and CP). One reviewer extracted the data that were analyzed descriptively to map the available evidence.

RESULTS

A total of 18 dashboards from 8 countries were assessed. Purposes for the dashboards were designed for performance improvement (10/18, 56%), to support quality and safety initiatives (6/18, 33%), and management and operations (4/18, 22%). Data visualizations were primarily designed for team use (12/18, 67%) rather than individual clinicians (4/18, 22%). Evaluation methods varied among asking the clinicians directly (11/18, 61%), observing user behavior through clinical indicators and use log data (14/18, 78%), and usability testing (4/18, 22%). The studies reported high scores on standard usability questionnaires, favorable surveys, and interview feedback. Improvements to underlying clinical indicators were observed in 78% (7/9) of the studies, whereas 22% (2/9) of the studies reported no significant changes in performance.

CONCLUSIONS

This scoping review maps the current literature landscape on dashboards based on routinely collected clinical indicator data. Although there were common data visualization techniques and clinical indicators used across studies, there was diversity in the design of the dashboards and their evaluation. There was a lack of detail regarding the design processes documented for reproducibility. We identified a lack of interface features to support clinicians in making sense of and reflecting on their personal performance data.
Understanding Decision Making in the Adoption of Digital Health Technology: The Role of Behavioural Economics’ Prospect Theory (Preprint)
Authors: Khan Waqas Ullah , Shachak Aviv , Seto Emily
Published: August 2021

UNSTRUCTURED

The decision to accept or reject new digital health technologies remains an ongoing discussion. Over the past few decades, interest in understanding the choice to adopt technology has led to the development of numerous theories and models. In 1979, however, psychologists Kahneman and Tversky published their seminal research article that has pioneered the field of behavioural economics. They named their model the “prospect theory” and used it to explain decision making behaviours under conditions of risk and uncertainty as well as to provide an understanding of why individuals may make irrational or inconsistent decisions. Although the prospect theory has been used to explain decision making in economics, law, political science, and clinically at the individual level, its application to understanding choice in the adoption of digital health technology has not been explored.
OPTIMALISASI KAPASITAS ENERGI ANGIN DAN MATAHARI DENGAN KONFIGURASI MIKROGRID BERDASARKAN KARAKTERISTIK BEBAN
Authors: Giyatno Dhanis Woro Fittrin Selo Nur , Subekti Lukman Bagus , Pradana Adlan Bagus , Nurmawati Indriana , Wibowo Indra
Published: August 2021

Diploma III Electrical Technology Study Program is a institutional vocational education institutional in Department of Electrical Engineering and Informatics that aims to produce graduate who are ready to work in operation and maintenance of power system. Since phenomena of scarcity of fossil fuels, study program meet the 2 major problems, namely the limitations of electrical energy for practical lab work and increased job skills on the electrical energy conversion of electrical energy from renewable energy. The purpose of this research is to optimalize capacity of solar and wind energy contained in the environment of the laboratory on the microgrid configuration, namely PV-Wind turbine-Battery. Software HOMER is used to simulate microgrid configuration with AC-DC load, AC load, and DC load. The results show indicate that microgrid PV-Wind turbine-Battery is more economically to meet the need AC-DC load than the others.
¿Qué desafíos jurídicos debe enfrentar Chile para implementar la mediación familiar en línea?
Authors: Alarcón García Sofía Andrea
Published: August 2021

En este trabajo estudiamos los desafíos jurídicos que debe enfrentar Chile para implementar la mediación familiar en línea. Para este análisis consideramos la regulación normativa sobre mediación familiar en Chile, el contrato tipo utilizado para la contratación de mediadores licitados, y el pronunciamiento de la Unidad de Mediación sobre la concurrencia personal en los procesos de mediación. Nosotros sostuvimos la hipótesis de que, para implementar la mediación familiar en línea en Chile, se deben efectuar modificaciones a la actual legislación sobre mediación familiar y a los contratos vigentes de mediación licitada.
Las licitaciones abiertas internacionales sobre medicamentos
Authors: Cancino Gómez Rodolfo
Published: August 2021

Ante la declaración de la Organización Mundial de la Salud de la pandemia del COVID-19, cada Estado ha tomado acciones para salvaguardar la salud de las personas y paliar la crisis económica. Esto impactó el Sistema de Salud Pública de México, el cual ya sufría un desabasto importante de medicamentos.  De tal forma, está nueva administración instrumentó un modelo de compras consolidadas mediante licitaciones donde acotó la participación sólo a los productores, discriminando contra todos los distribuidores y comercializadores, lo cual incrementó los índices de desabasto. Por tanto, estableció una nueva estrategia mediante un Convenio de Colaboración entre el Gobierno de México y la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas sobre Servicios de Proyectos Especiales (UNOPS) para llevar a cabo licitaciones internacionales y las consecuentes importaciones de medicamentos para combatir el desabasto y el sobreprecio y otros problemas de logística y distribución.
Low Cost Multi Bed Filter for Rainwater Harvesting System in India
Authors: Siddiqui Ahmar
Published: August 2021

The project mainly focus on capturing rainwater and with basic treatment on passing it through layers of various filter media which helps to make this water fit for human household purposes and various domestic activities. The filter is made in various layers having smaller specific gravity media at the top and larger specific gravity media at the bottom . Similarly larger size media are placed at the top and smaller denser media are placed at the bottom. The filter contains filtering medias such as granulated activated carbon made from coconut shells, ceramic earthenware clay pieces, coarse sand , Garnet sand and pebbles and gravels are used as a supporting layer. Each layer is being separated by mesh and muslin cloth arrangement so as to hold layers above one another and does not allow filter medias to dislocate from one place to another. This multibed filter is being made as per economical point of view such that it uses natural filtering medias and constructed easily at very low cost. This low cost multibed filter can filter down suspended solids, remove color ,taste and odor, lowers pH value, reduce alkalinity, total dissolved solids, concentration of chlorides, highly removes turbidity , lowers hardness in water, removes heavy metals such as mercury and other harmful elements as this filter contains activated carbon granules . The filtered water can also be used for human consumption after disinfection.
Adhyayan Online Platform
Authors: Mane Harshal
Published: August 2021

Adhyayan Online Platform is mostly useful for student and teachers. The impact of pandemic situation student faced lots of problems during in academic year such as Study material, attendance, and also submitting their assignment. This type of issue recovers in one single platform based on web application. This platform is very beneficial for a single educational institute because of ability to recover the manual errors and also take caring of wastage of time that will growing performance. This platform is very essential as well as it is to use and understandable view. Methods involve in Adhyayan Online Platform are teachers can provide study material through platform, student submit their assignment and teachers can access those assignment through platform and teachers can send notice to whole collage or single student along with that mange attendance of student by teachers in the platform and all information notify to student on mobile by message. This project is very convenient to whole collage. Every user that involve in module can easy and friendly handle this platform.
Analysis of Mask Wearability Via Feature Based & Image Based Approach Using Image Processing
Authors: Chauhan Sarita
Published: August 2021

The world is fighting the Covid19 pandemic. There are so many essential equipment needed to fight against Coronavirus. One of such essentials is Face Mask. Firstly, face masks were not mandatory for everyone but as the day progresses scientists and Doctors have recommended everyone to wear face masks. Now To detect whether a person is wearing Face Mask or not, we will use Face Mask Wearability technique. Face Mask wearability Platform utilizes Image Processing to perceive if a person does/doesn’t wear a mask. The application can be associated with any current or new IP cameras to identify individuals with/without a mask. Face Detection Methods are Feature Based Approach & Image Based Approach.
Brainy Road Accident Mitigation System
Authors: Vidyavathi Dr. B. M.
Published: August 2021

Many precious lives are lost due to road accidents because of over speeding and negligent driving every day. This is the matter of great concern for departments that deal with road safety and for the citizens. It is estimated that 80% of crashes and 65% of near collisions are due to driver’s lack of attention to traffic for three seconds before the event. The number of road crash deaths has increased by 31% from 2007 to 2017. As per the survey on the road accidents in India, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 1, 50,785 people were killed and another 4, 94,624 were injured in 4, 80,652 road crashes in India in 2016. Now day’s accidents are taking place at large scale. Majority of the accidents occurs due to the over speeding of vehicles, though there are speed limiting boards placed at the roadside of highways also at the road side in the city. But none of vehicles (drivers) follows the speed mentioned in the speed limit boards, due to which accidents occurs.
Studi Kualitatif Implementasi Kebijakan Eliminasi Malaria di Wilayah Endemis Rendah Kabupaten Pangandaran dan Pandeglang
Authors: Wahono Tri , Astuti Endang Puji , Ruliansyah Andri , Ipa Mara , Riandi Muhammad Umar
Published: August 2021

The government targets malaria elimination in Java and Bali by 2023. But until 2020, Pangandaran and Pandeglang Regency haven’t received malaria-free certification. This qualitative study was conducted to provide an overview of Pangandaran and Pandeglang malaria control implementation by comparing it to Activity Indicators based on the Indonesian Minister of Health Decree on malaria elimination. In-depth interviews, using thematically interview guidelines, were conducted to 48 key informants such as policyholders and people in charge of health programs and cross-sectoral at the provincial, district, sub-district, and village levels. Thematic analysis was used in the theme of policy implementation, budget, facilities and infrastructures, human resources, and cross-sector cooperation. The result shows that malaria control is implemented according to the decree, but some activities haven’t been done. The analysis on policy implementation theme shows that both districts have carried out according to the guidelines, with innovation in the form of establishing Posmaldes (village malaria post) in Ujung Kulon National Park in Pandeglang. APBD, APBN, and Global Fund are used as budget sources. Both districts stated that facilities and infrastructures are sufficiently available, but there is a lack in human resources’ quantity and varying degrees of competencies. There is also a lack of cross-sector cooperation because malaria control hasn’t become a priority in those sectors and they are only acting as supports to the health sector. Efforts to control malaria are considered less optimal due to the absence of malaria elimination regulations, varied human resource capabilities, and the limitation in the duties and functions of cross-sectors.
IRMÃOS CONTRA O IMPÉRIO: EVANGÉLICOS DE ESQUERDA NAS ELEIÇÕES 2020 NO BRASIL
Authors: Vital da Cunha Christina
Published: August 2021

Nosso objetivo neste artigo foi refletir sobre o movimento político de esquerda evangélico nas eleições 2020 no Brasil. Nossa atenção recaiu sobre temáticas e performances mobilizadas por candidatos, assim como sobre sobre a articulação produzida por eles entre identidades religiosas, raciais e de gênero. Os dados que sustentam as análises propostas resultam da pesquisa “Esquerda evangélica nas eleições 2020”, realizada pelo Instituto de Estudos da Religião em parceria com a Fundação Heinrich Boll. Embora o número de candidaturas eleitas tenha sido baixo, a organização de diversos núcleos de esquerda evangélica em 2020 marcaram a história daquelas eleições, assim como o debate público sobre religiosos e política no Brasil produzindo reverberações que devem ser ainda acompanhadas.
Laserterapia de baixa intensidade no manejo da dor provocada por separadores elastoméricos: uma revisão integrativa
Authors: Lima Ricardo Barbosa , Ribeiro Sabrina Nascimento , Lopes Amanda , De Moura Juliely Nascimento Furtado , Taga Márcio Luiz Lima , Da Rocha Daniel Maranha , Repeke Carlos Eduardo Palanch
Published: August 2021

Introduction: The use of elastomeric separators during orthodontic treatment can cause pain and low-level laser therapy has been used to manage this outcome. Objective: To present the evidence on the effect of low-level laser therapy in the management of pain caused by the use of elastomeric separators. Methods: An integrative review of clinical studies was carried out in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, BVS, SciELO and clinicaltrials.gov databases using a PICo strategy developed with descriptors, including studies published in the last ten years, without language restriction. 68 articles were tracked and 12 were reviewed. Literature review: Considering laser therapy, most studies used gallium and aluminum arsenide (Ga-Al-As), with a wavelength between 808nm and 940nm, as well as power between 40.6mW and 200mW. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used by most studies to measure the pain. Two studies did not find significant differences in low-level laser therapy in pain caused by elastomeric separators, eight studies found significant differences between the intervention, control and placebo groups (when used) and two studies were not fully conclusive and pointed out partial statistical differences between the groups in question. The application techniques were too heterogeneous in the studies included in this review and do not allow a quantitative synthesis. Conclusion: The low-level laser therapy can demonstrate beneficial effects in reducing pain caused by elastomeric separators. However, it is not yet possible to determine the best application technique.
Artes Visuais na Pedagogia: atelier de criação de bonecos de pano
Authors: Pillar Analice Dutra , Medeiros Rosana Fachel de
Published: August 2021

A indústria de brinquedos produz uma infinidade de bonecos de plástico, que choram, andam e cantam. A publicidade estimula o consumo, transformando-os em objetos de desejo das crianças. Os bonecos, que em sua maioria são padronizados, acabam indicando um modo de ser. A criação de bonecos de pano se contrapõe ao consumo de brinquedos e é uma possibilidade de inventar algo singular com outros corpos, cabelos, roupas. Este texto enfoca a relevância da arte, ao propiciar a criação de bonecos a estudantes do curso de Pedagogia. Aborda ateliers realizados com diferentes turmas, em mais de duas décadas, que mostram a diversidade dos trabalhos e suas relações com criações da arte contemporânea.
Board structure and disclosure of intellectual capital: An empirical study in an emerging market
Authors: Kusumawardani Anisa , Wardhani Wirasmi , Maria Siti , Yudaruddin Rizky
Published: August 2021

Capital market regulators have concentrated on company transparency, including and also intellectual capital disclosure (ICD) throughout the previous decade. Jensen and Meckling (1976) stated that high disclosure can reduce agency costs and the uncertainty faced by investors. This research aims to explore the ways the board structure, comprising board size, independence, female board members and CEO dichotomy, affects intellectual capital disclosure within Indonesia. A sample comprising 323 non-commercial companies in 7 industries listed publicly from 2008 to 2017 on Indonesia Stock Exchanges (IDX) was analyzed using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. This study found a positive and signiﬁcant impact of board size which implied that a higher total number of members of the board of directors results in a higher extent of ICD. The larger the number of outside board members, the better. This makes the board more independent and allows it to provide a higher level of corporate governance to shareholders. The findings revealed the level of ICD significantly and negatively affected CEO duality statistically. The complete findings indicated robust implications of board structure for ICD. This study may be utilized to facilitate higher intellectual capital awareness and foster ICD execution by IDX capital market administrators.
Do institutional arrangements influence the speed of adoption of laser-land leveller technology in the irrigated farmlands of Punjab, Pakistan? A discrete-time duration analysis
Authors: Sheikh Asjad Tariq , Mugera Amin , Pandit Ram , Burton Michael , Davies Stephen
Published: August 2021

Governments and international donors are actively promoting laser-land
leveller (LLL) technology to produce environmental benefits (i.e., avoid
soil salinity, minimize soil erosion risk, and groundwater security)
that could lead to sustainable agricultural production and averting land
degradation. We investigate the adoption process of laser-land leveller
(LLL) technology in Punjab, Pakistan during the period 1985–2018 using
survey data from 504 farming households. A discrete-time duration model
is used to investigate factors that could influence the speed of
adoption of LLL technology and an endogenous switching regression (ESR)
model to evaluate its impact on groundwater usage. It is found that
about 70% of the surveyed households had adopted the technology. The
key determinants of the speed of adoption include strong legal land
entitlements, farm size, and farm location along the watercourse.
Information acquired through formal and informal sources and exposure to
the technology potentially reduce adoption time. The adoption of LLL
reduces groundwater use by about 23% in wheat crop. These results
highlight the need for improved institutional arrangements such as
extension services, technology exposure, and establishing legal property
rights over land to enhance uptake of LLL technology.
Light-gated binding in double-motorized porphyrin cages
Authors: Nolte Roeland , Gilissen Pieter , Vanthuyne Nicolas , Feringa Ben , Elemans Johannes
Published: August 2021

Molecular motors change conformation under the influence of light and
when attached to host molecules they may find applications as sensors
and switchable catalysts. Here we present a porphyrin macrocyclic host
functionalized with two motor appendages for future catalytic
applications. The compound is formed as a mixture of six stereoisomers
(three sets of enantiomers), which have been separated by (chiral)
chromatography. 1H NMR and chiral spectroscopy revealed that in one set
of diastereomers the two motors interact with the cavity of the host
(bound-bound), whereas in a second set one interacts and the other one
does not (bound-loose). In the third set both motors do not interact
with the host compound (loose-loose). The motorized hosts bind guest
molecules in the order: (loose-loose) > (bound-loose)
> (bound-bound). They can be switched with light to
pseudo-identical diastereomers, leading to orthogonal behavior in the
light-gated binding of guest molecules. Whereas the photo-isomerization
of the diastereomer set loose-loose significantly lowers the binding
affinity for viologen guests, the opposite is true for the diastereomer
set bound-bound, i.e. the binding affinity increases. For the
diastereomer set bound-loose no influence on guest binding is observed
as the effect of photoisomerization on the motors is cancelled out.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of ABO blood group on the risk of COVID-19 infection
Authors: Balaouras George , Eusebi Paolo , Kostoulas Polychronis
Published: August 2021

We have been experiencing a global pandemic with baleful consequences
for mankind, since the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in Wuhan of China, in December 2019. 
So far, several potential risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection have
been identified. Among them, the role of ABO blood group polymorphisms
has been studied with results that are still unclear. The aim of this
study was to collect and meta-analyze available studies on the
relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and different blood groups, as
well as Rhesus state. We performed a systematic search on PubMed/MEDLINE
and Scopus databases for published articles and preprints. Twenty-two
studies, after the removal of duplicates, met the inclusion criteria for
meta-analysis with ten of them also including information on Rhesus
factor. The odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were
calculated for the extracted data. Random-effects models were used to
obtain the overall pooled ORs. Publication bias and sensitivity analysis
were also performed. Our results indicate that blood groups A, B and AB
have a higher risk for COVID-19 infection compared to blood group O,
which appears to have a protective effect. An association between Rhesus
state and COVID-19 infection could not be estabished.
Evaluating the Impact of Aggregation and RTS/CTS schemes on IEEE 802.11 Based Linear Wireless Ad-Hoc Networks
Authors: Guo Yunhai , Li Zhengxiang , Lv Rui , Yang Zhanxin
Published: August 2021

The Linear Wireless Ad-Hoc Network (Linear WANET), as a branch of the
Ad-Hoc network, refers to a self-organizing multi-hop wireless network
in which nodes are arranged linearly. Frame aggregation and RTS/CTS
schemes are introduced in IEEE 802.11 aims to improve network
transmission performance. However, the traditional mechanisms may not
have good adaptability in linear multi-hop networks. Thus, we defined a
Linear WANET simulation model based on the IEEE 802.11 protocol. We
established this model on the NS-3 network simulator to perform A-MSDU,
A-MPDU, and two-level frame aggregation simulation and analyzed the
aggregation performance under different channel environments. Meanwhile,
the RTS/CTS and TXOP mechanisms were also simulated in this paper. We
analyzed the performance of each mechanism in a Linear WANET under
saturated and unsaturated environments. We found that in a Linear WANET,
the A-MSDU mechanism can improve system performance to a limited extent,
but at the same time, it will increase the packet loss rate and delay.
Although the A-MPDU mechanism can reduce the retransmission overhead,
the higher A-MPDU Limit cannot further improve the throughput of the
Linear WANET. Meanwhile, in the case of single A-MPDU aggregation, there
has a lowest data delivery interval that the Linear WANET system can
withstand. Besides, we also found that the native TXOP mechanism cannot
effectively improve the system efficiency of Linear WANET. And the
RTS/CTS mechanism can improve the performance of Linear WANETs,
especially in a saturated throughput environment.
Co-invading ectomycorrhizal fungal succession in pine-invaded mountain grasslands
Authors: Milani Tomás , Hoeksema Jason , Jobbágy Esteban , Rojas J Alejandro , Vilgalys Rytas , Teste François
Published: August 2021

Pines (Pinus spp.) rely on co-introduced ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi to
invade native ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere. Although
co-invasive EM fungal communities are expected to be poor in species,
long-term successional trajectories and the persistence of dispersal
limitations are not well understood. We sampled the roots and
surrounding soil of Pinus elliottii and P. taeda trees invading mountain
grasslands of Argentina. We also sampled the EM fungal spore bank in
grassland soil near (~150 m) and far
(~850 m) from original pine plantations. We found an
impressive total of 47 different co-invasive EM fungal OTUs.
Differential dispersal capacities among EM fungi were detected in the
spore bank of grassland soil, but not under mature invading pines. After
thirty years of invasion, the age but not the degree of spatial
isolation of pine individuals affected the EM fungal composition. We
showed that invading pines can host a highly diverse EM fungal community
and although dispersal limitations can be important during the
colonization of non-invaded sites, they can be overcome in the life-span
of pines, allowing EM succession to continue. These results enhance our
understanding of the spatial structure and dispersal dynamics of EM
fungi during pine invasions.
Pulmonary vein isolation using Cryoballoon ablation versus RF ablation using ablation index following the CLOSE protocol: a Prospective Randomized Trial
Authors: Theis Cathrin , Kaiser Bastian , Kaesemann Philipp , Hui Felix , Pirozzolo Giancarlo , Bekeredjian Raffi , Huber Carola
Published: August 2021

Background The single procedure success rates of durable pulmonary vein
isolation (PVI) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) varies between
80 and 90 %. This prospective, randomized study investigated the
efficacy of Cryoballoon PVI (CBA) versus pulmonary vein isolation with
RF-energy following the CLOSE protocol in terms of single-procedure
arrhythmia-free outcome and safety. Methods and results A total number
of 150 patients undergoing de-novo catheter ablation for paroxysmal AF
were randomized to two different treatment arms in a 1:1 fashion. In
group-A patients, PVI was performed with the Cryoballoon (Articfront
Balloon, Medtronic Inc). The ablation procedure in group B was performed
with RF-energy (CARTO 3, Biosense Webster Thermocool STSF), following
the CLOSE protocol. During a mean follow-up of 12  4.5 months after a
single procedure, 64 (85.33 %) patients of group A were free of
arrhythmia recurrence versus 65 (86.67 %) patients in group B (p=ns). A
total of 14 patients (group A: 7 (9.33 %) group B: 7 (9.33 %); p=ns)
underwent a redo-procedure. No significant difference between both
groups was observed in terms of PV recovery (group A: 4 (5.33 %) vs.
group B: 3 (4 %); p=ns). Patients of group A showed significantly more
AF recurrence during the blanking period of three months (group A: 14
(18.67 %) versus group B: 6 (8 %); p<0.05. Conclusions
Cryoballoon PVI and PVI using ablation index following the CLOSE
protocol are equally efficient in achieving durable PV-isolation.
Cryoballoon ablation leads to significantly more AF recurrence during
the blanking period.
Flexural Properties and Polished Surface Characteristics of a Structural Colored Resin Composite
Authors: Mizutani K , Takamizawa T , Ishii R , Shibasaki S , Kurokawa H , Suzuki M , Tsujimoto A , Miyazaki M
Published: August 2021

Objective:

The aim of this study was to determine the flexural properties and surface characteristics of a structural colored resin composite after different finishing and polishing methods, in comparison to those of conventional resin composites.

Methods and Materials:

A structural color resin composite, Omnichroma (OM, Tokuyama Corp, Chiyoda City, Tokyo, Japan), and two comparison resin composites, Filtek Supreme Ultra (FS, 3M, St Paul, MN, USA) and Tetric EvoCeram (TE, Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Liechtenstein), were used. The flexural properties of the resin composites were determined in accordance with the ISO 4049 specifications. For surface properties, 70 polymerized specimens of each resin composite were prepared and divided into seven groups of 10. Surface roughness (Sa), gloss (GU), and surface free energy (SFE) were investigated after the following finishing and polishing methods. Three groups of specimens were finished with a superfine-grit diamond bur (SFD), and three with a tungsten carbide bur (TCB). After finishing, one of the two remaining groups was polished with a one-step silicone point (CMP), and the other with an aluminum oxide flexible disk (SSD). A group ground with SiC 320-grit was set as a baseline.

Results:

The average flexural strength ranged from 116.6 to 142.3 MPa in the following order with significant differences between each value: FS > TE > OM. The average E ranged from 6.8 to 13.2 GPa in the following order with significant differences between each value: FS > TE > OM. The average R ranged from 0.77 to 1.01 MJ/mm3 in the following order: OM > FS > TE. The Sa values of the OM groups polished with CMP and SSD were found to be significantly lower than those of the other resin composites, regardless of the finishing method. The GU values appeared to be dependent on the material and the finishing method used. The OM specimens polished with SSD showed significantly higher GU values than those polished with CMP. Most of the resin composites polished with SSD demonstrated significantly higher γS values compared to the other groups. Extremely strong negative correlations between Sa and GU in the combined data from the three resin composites and each resin composite and between Sa and γS in the OM specimens were observed; GU showed a strong positive correlation with γS in the same material.

Conclusion:

These findings indicate that both flexural and surface properties are material dependent. Furthermore, the different finishing and polishing methods used in this study were observed to affect the Sa, GU, and SFE of the resin composites.
VARIATIONS OF IRREGULARITY OF EARTH ROTATION AS TRIGGERING FACTOR OF SEISMICITY
Authors: Уткин В.И. , Юрков А.К. , Цурко И.А.
Published: August 2021

На основании данных каталогов NEIС и IERS рассмотрены связи между неравномерностью скорости вращения Земли и общей сейсмичностью, проявляющуюся в количестве землетрясений за единицу времени. Показано, что сейсмичность Земли увеличивается как при ускорении, так и при замедлении вращения планеты. Дано объяснение факту возникновения почти одновременно роя землетрясений, расположенных в различных точках земного шара. Показано, что между изменением скорости вращения и началом процесса землетрясения проходит 2 и более суток, что дает возможность организации краткосрочного прогноза тектонического события.

On the basis of data of NEIC and IERS catalogues correlation between irregularity of Earth rotation and global seismicity as a number of earthquakes per time unit is considered. It is shown that Earth seismicity increases with acceleration as well as with retardation of planet rotation. Explanation of simultaneous earthquake swarm in different points of Earth is given. It is shown that there is 2 days interval between change of rotation velocity and earthquake process which gives possibility of short-term forecast of tectonic events
STRONG MOTION DATABASE DEVELOPMENT BASED ON CONTEMPORARY IDEOLOGY
Authors: Заалишвили В.Б. , Харебов К.С. , Харебов А.К.
Published: August 2021

В работе рассмотрена структура и принципы построения базы данных сильных движений созданной на основе инструментальных записей землетрясений системы KNET с 1996 г по 2012 г.

The structure and principles of strong motion database construction based on instrumental system KNET records of earthquakes from 1996 till 2012 is considered.
GEOPHYSICAL BASIS OF ENGINEERING EARTHQUAKE PROTECTION OF RESPONSIBLE CONSTRUCTION OBJECTS
Authors: Заалишвили В.Б. , Кранцфельд Я.Л.
Published: August 2021

Для создания систем экранирования с целью снижения уровня воздействия при сильных землетрясениях необходимо знание вида и физического состояния грунтовой толщи. Таким показателем являются скорости распространения продольных и поперечных волн в том или ином виде грунта и находящимся в некотором состоянии. На основе большого анализа фактического материала были составлены гистограммы распределения значений скоростей, как в различного вида грунтах, так и в грунтах одного вида, с различны- ми физико-механическими показателями. Наличие большого фактического материала позволило получить корреляционные зависимости между плотностью и скоростью распространения поперечных волн. Наличие подобных данных, позволяющих прогнозировать вероятностные значения скоростей поперечных волн и отсюда, со- ответствующих плотностей грунтов, позволяет повысить обоснованность и контролируемость их значений, как при работах по экранированию зданий и сооружений, а также при оценках сейсмической опасности грунтов.

To create a shielding system with a purpose of impact level reduction at strong earthquakes, it is necessary to know the type and physical condition of the ground layer. Velocities of stress and shear waves in one or another form of the soil being in a certain state are such indicators. The histograms of velocity values were composed on the basis of wide analysis of factual material, as in various types of soils so in soils of one type, with different physical and mechanical properties. The availability of a lot of factual material made it possible to obtain correlations between density and propagation velocity of shear waves. The availability of such data that allows to predict the probability values of shear wave velocities and hence the corresponding densities of the soil, can improve the validity and accountability of their values, as when working on shielding of buildings and constructions so for assessment of seismic hazard soils.
THE QUA NTITATIVE ASSESSMENTS OF THE SEISMIC RISK
Authors: Джинчвелашвили Г.А. , Мкртычев О.В. , Келешев М.Ф.
Published: August 2021

В статье рассмотрены понятия сейсмического риска и дана методика расчета вероятности отказа сооружения при землетрясении. Многовековой опыт борьбы с последствиями землетрясений, накоплен- ный человечеством, свидетельствует о том, что наиболее действенный способ их минимизации состоит в проведении заблаговременных и масштабных антисейсмических мероприятий еще при строительстве на сейсмоопасных территориях. Антисейсмические мероприятия априори нуждаются в дополнительных затратах в сравнении со строительством в несейсмических районах. С точки зрения эффективности таких затрат они должны оправдываться снижением вероятных потерь (рисков ущерба) от землетрясений

The concepts of seismic risk are examined and the procedure of calculation of the probability of the failure of construction with the earthquake is given. Centuries-old experience of fight with the consequences of earthquakes, accumulated by humanity, attests to the fact that the most efficient method of their minimization consists of taking of advance and scale antiseismic measures even with the building on the earthquake-hazard territories. Antiseismic measures a priori need additional expenditures in the comparison with the building in the nonseismic regions. From the point of view of the effectiveness of such expenditures they must be justified by reduction in the probable losses (risks of damage) from the earthquakes.
TECHNOGENIC SEISMICITY ON THE PETROLEUM DEPOSITS of TSNO
Authors: Керимов И.А. , Ахматханов Р.С.
Published: August 2021

В статье рассмотрены вопросы современной геодинамики и техногенной сейсмичности Старогрозненского, Октябрьского и Гудермесского нефтяных месторождений. Обоснована необходимость создания геодинамических полигонов для изучения связей сейсмичности с процессами разработки нефтяных месторождений.

In the article are examined questions of contemporary geodynamics and technogenic seismicity of Starogroznenski, Oktiabrski and Gudermesski petroleum deposits. The need of creating the geodynamic ranges for studying the connections of the seismicity of the processes of development of petroleum deposits is substantiated
STRUCTURAL POSITION AND THE PROBLEMS OF MUD VOLCANISM CENTERS APPEARANCE IN THE POST ALPINE PLICATED CONSTRUCTION OF THE NORTH-WESTERN CAUCASUS (BASED ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE STUDY OF THE DEEP STRUCTURE OF THE MUD VOLCANO SHUGO)
Authors: Рогожин Е.А. , Собисевич А.Л. , Собисевич Л.Е. , Тверитинова Т.Ю.
Published: August 2021

Большинство грязевых вулканов расположено вдоль крупных тектонических зон Средиземномор- ского и Тихоокеанского подвижного поясов. Важным условием грязевулканических процессов являются складчатые деформации и дизъюнктивная дислоцированность осадочных образований. Вулкан Шуго один из наиболее известных действующих грязевых вулканов Таманской грязевулканической провинции в северо-западной периклинальной части альпийского складчатого сооружения Большого Кавказа. На фоне относительно спокойного характера этого грязевого вулкана в 1903, 1908 и 2006 гг. наблюдались кратковременные бурные извержения. Новые геофизические данные о глубинном строении вулкана Шуго расширяют наши представления о механизмах деятельности данного геологического объекта с учётом имеющихся материалов о его структурно-геологической позиции. В ходе полевых работ нами уточнено глубинное строение и получены данные о трещинно-разрывных структурах вулканической постройки, позволяющие перейти к рассмотрению тектодинамических условий формирования вулкана Шуго.

The majority of mud volcanoes is located along the large tectonic zones of Mediterranean and Pacific Ocean mobile belts. The important condition for mud volcanoes processes are plicated deformations and disjunctive dislocation of sedimentary formations. Volcano Shugo one of the most known active mud volcanoes of Taman mud volcanoes province in the North-Western periclinal part of the Alpine plicated construction of the Great Caucasus. The volcano has relatively calm nature , but in 1903, 1908 and 2006 yr. short-term stormy eruptions were observed.The new geophysical data about the deep structure of the Shugo volcano enlarge our ideas about the mechanisms of this geological object activity taking into account available material about its structural- geological position. Duringthe field works we have refined its deep structure and acquired data about the interstitial- explosive structures of the volcanic building, which make it possible to pass to the examination of the tekto-dynamical conditions for the formation of the Shugo volcano