bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In situ acoustic analysis of two 20th-century heritage carillons
Authors: Orr Scott Allan
Published: January 2021

Carillons are a diverse and global form of musical and civic heritage: musical instruments comprised of a series of 23 or more bells, typically hung in a tower-like structure, tuned chromatically and played from a touch-sensitive manual and pedal console using an elaborate mechanical action. Carillon bells have a distinct series of musical overtones which should be accurately tuned to one another and with other bells they sound alongside. Although these overtones have been previously studied ex situ, this study assesses the acoustic characteristics of two early-20th century carillons in Toronto, Canada as a combination of structure, bells, and mechanical action. Thus, the instrument and its context are considered holistically, more accurately reﬂecting the musical sensitivity of a carillonist. Spectral analysis of audio samples of each bell at diﬀerent musical dynamic levels enabled the analysis of the acoustic qualities of the bells and the mechanical action of the instruments. The tuning of bells in the instruments varied; most importantly, there was a signiﬁcant diﬀerence between the audial intensity of the bell tones produced by the instruments, demonstrating the importance of the mechanical action as part of the ‘carillon system’. This was represented with a resistive power-law model, that represents the sensitivity of intensity to carillonist musical dynamic level. A discussion of the implications for artistic and heritage practice follows. Understanding the in situ physical acoustics of the carillon as a holistic instrument in its context informs performers, arrangers, and composers of how they can best embrace the instrument’s unique qualities to improve artistic pursuits and support the appreciation of carillons as heritage instruments and function as civic voices.
Airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) triggers ocular hypertension through pyroptosis
Authors: Li Liping , Xing Chao , Niu Liangliang , Luo Bin , Zhou Ji , Song Maomao , Niu Jingping , Ruan Ye , Sun Xinghuai , Lei Yuan
Published: January 2021

Background Particulate matter (PM) is strongly linked to human health and has detrimental effects on the eye. Studies have, however, focused on the ocular surface, with limited research on the impact of PM2.5 on intraocular pressure (IOP).Methods To investigate the impact of PM2.5 on IOP and the associated mechanism, C57BL/6 mouse eyes were topically exposed to a PM2.5 suspension for 3 months, and human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells were subjected to various PM2.5 concentrations in vitro.Results The results revealed that the IOP increased gradually after PM2.5 exposure, and an upregulation of NLRP3 inflammasome, caspase-1, IL-1β, and GSDMD protein levels was observed in outflow tissues. PM2.5 exposure decreased HTM cell viability and affected contraction. Further, elevated ROS levels were observed as well as an activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and downstream inflammatory factors caspase-1 and IL-1β. ROS scavenger or caspase-1 inhibitor treatment improved these PM2.5-induced changes.Conclusion This study provides novel evidence of the PM2.5-mediated development of ocular hypertension, which occurs as a result of increased oxidative stress and the subsequent induction of pyroptosis in trabecular meshwork cells.
Pt/CeO2 with residual chloride as reusable soft Lewis acid catalysts: application to highly efficient isomerization of allylic esters
Authors: Huang Qi-An , Haruta Asahi , Kumamoto Yuhya , Murayama Haruno , Yamamoto Eiji , Honma Tetsuo , Okumura Mitsutaka , Nobutou Hiroki , Tokunaga Makoto
Published: January 2021

Heterogeneous acid and base catalysts play a crucial role in many important chemical processes. Hard Lewis and Brønsted acid catalysts like silica-alumina and zeolites have been widely applied in numerous reactions; however, developing reusable and active soft Lewis acid catalysts remain a challenge. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that a highly dispersed supported platinum catalyst can act as a heterogeneous soft Lewis acid. High turnover numbers and reusability were observed in the isomerization of allylic esters under solvent-free conditions. Moreover, the as-prepared catalysts are characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analyses, revealing that the highly dispersed Pt clusters with Pt–Cl bonds play a key role in the high activity. The residual chloride anion enhances the Lewis acidity of the Pt metal center and thus improves the catalytic activity. Simultaneously, the high catalytic activity of Pt/CeO2 with residual chloride and the soft Lewis acid mechanism are also proved by density functional theory (DFT) calculations based on the model reaction.
Financial Decision Making in The Framework of Neuroscience / Anthropology with Review to The Pandemic and Climate Change
Authors: Njegovanović Ana
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this paper is interdisciplinary research of combinations of different disciplines of (natural) anthropology/neuroscience of consciousness and quantum physics and (social sciences) of financial decision making in the context of climate change and pandemics, which can be useful for finding new information, solving complex problems. The aim of this study is to provide insights into financial decision-making through the intertwining of anthropology/neuroscience and quantum physics in financial decision-making within COVID 19 and climate change and what their relationship/outcomes are. Human consciousness has slipped towards the collapse of convergent crises. Namely, health and climate change are intertwined. The causes of the COVID 19 crisis and climate change are common and their effects are approaching. The climatic situation and COVID-19, a zoonotic disease, are subject to human activity that has led to environmental degradation. Neither the climate crisis nor the zoonotic pandemic was unexpected. They have led to the loss of life that could have been prevented by delayed, insufficient, or wrong actions. Financial decision-making requires harmonizing public health improvements, creating a sustainable economic future, and better protecting remaining natural resources and biodiversity Perhaps in this context financial simplification could be defined as the coexistence of all options with different degrees of potential that we will choose (it is a superposition), other options cease to exist for us when we enter the so-called zero of the desired option (the brain prepares our decisions). The results of the research showed us that COVID 19 and climate change have caused economic risks and uncertainties that have far-reaching and profound implications for financial decision-making as well as the financial services industry and its institutions. Extending tools through anthropology/neuroscience and quantum physics has given us knowledge of the need to connect both the natural and social sciences to understand the complex world around us.

Keywords: Anthropology, Neuroscience, Quantum physics, Financial Decision Making.
Economic factors affecting Thailand’s frozen shrimp export volume to the United States and Japan
Authors: Shuquan He , Bu-iad Matukorn
Published: January 2021

A Study of Economic Factors Affecting Thailand’s Frozen Shrimp Export Volume to the United States and Japan which hypothesized that there are economic factors that affect the quantity of frozen shrimp exports from Thailand to the United States, namely the Manufacturing Production Index classified by production activity, Frozen Seafood (MPI), Domestic Wholesale Shrimp Price (PRIshrimp), United States Gross Domestic Product (GDPU.S.A.), Per Capita Income of US Population (PCIU.S.A.), Rate Of Change In Private Consumption And Consumption Expenditures Of The US Private Sector (PCEU.S.A.) and assumed that there are economic factors affecting the quantity of frozen shrimp exports to Japan, namely the Manufacturing Production Index classified by production activity, Frozen Seafood Category (MPI), Domestic Wholesale Shrimp Price (PRIshrimp) , Japan Gross Domestic Product (GDPJapan), Per Capita Income Of Japanese Population (PCIJapan), Rate Of Change In Private Consumption And Consumption Expenditures Of The Japanese Private Sector (PCEJapan) which are consistent with the research of Pathumnakul, S., Khamjan, S., & Piewthongngam, K. (2007). Will use secondary data by collecting data on a monthly basis from January 2017 to December 2019 with the analysis of complex regression equations. By the least-squares estimation method, the study found that the economic factors affecting frozen shrimp export volume of Thailand to the United States in the same direction are manufacturing production index classified by production activity, frozen seafood category, wholesale shrimp prices in the country, the gross domestic product of USA, income per capita of the United States population and rate of change in US private consumption expenditure has no effect on the export volume of frozen shrimp from Thailand to the United States. For economic factors affecting the frozen shrimp export volume of Thailand to Japan in the same direction is statistically significant, the manufacturing production index classified by production activity, frozen seafood category, wholesale shrimp prices in the country, the gross domestic product of Japan, income per capita of the Japanese population and the rate of change in Japanese private consumption expenditure has no effect on the export volume of frozen shrimp from Thailand to Japan.

Keywords: economic factors, frozen shrimp, export volume.
Assesment of dynamic losses in power switches of autonomous inverters with different modulation algorithms
Authors: Mashkin A. V. , Fedotovsky S. B.
Published: January 2021

When designing an automated electric drive, it is required to provide the necessary quality indicators of speed control as much as possible with the lowest energy losses in it. Assessment of dynamic losses in power semiconductor switches of autonomous voltage inverters (AVI) is due to the need to select optimal control algorithms for them in order to increase energy efficiency in frequency-controlled asynchronous electric drive systems. To solve the set tasks, the method of mathematical modeling has been used. With the help of the developed program, an assessment of the dynamic losses in a high-speed electric drive during its operation in a steady state has been made. At a typical modulation frequency f = 6,000 Hz, which with scalar control algorithms provides a sufficient degree of approximation of the generated phase voltage envelopes to a sinusoidal form, and the use of pulse-width control (WIR) algorithms, significant dynamic losses are observed in the switches of an autonomous voltage inverter. In the course of using the WID algorithms, an accurate approximation of the sinusoidal shape is not required, which makes it possible to reduce the modulation frequency and, as a consequence, reduce the amount of dynamic losses in the AVI keys. Therefore, a comparative assessment of dynamic losses has been carried out for the scheme of a classic three-phased AVI using the algorithms of unipolar and bipolar pulse-width control. The obtained simulation results have shown that the unipolar WID algorithm is more energy-saving compared to the bipolar WID algorithm when used in high-speed electric drives.
Suprasegmental Features of Indonesian Students’ English Pronunciation and the Pedagogical Implication
Authors: Suciati Suciati , Diyanti Yuniar
Published: January 2021

This minor study aims at describing learners’ features of pronunciation in terms of their suprasegmental aspects found in their speech. Students were asked to read aloud a text entitled The Gorilla Joke from the © BBC British Council 2006. Students oral narrations were then analysed in terms of their intonation pattern and  stress assignment in sentence level. A metrical analysis was also used to show how students produced their speech rhythm. The result of the analysis shows that given the same text to read students may produce various combination of intonation patterns. Students also misplaced stress within the syllables or assigned no stress at all. Based on the metrical phonology analysis, learners did not assign foot timely based on the timing units in connected speeches. The speech production is more like a broken speech. Students also neglected the morphophonemics rules in which they did not produce the appropriate allomorphs [t], [d], and [id] in the past participle words. These features bring about some pedagogical implication.  

Keywords: student’ pronunciation features, suprasegmental aspects
Boundary RG flows for fermions and the mod 2 anomaly
Authors: Boyle Smith Philip , Tong David
Published: January 2021

Boundary conditions for Majorana fermions in
d=1+1d=1+1
dimensions fall into one of two SPT phases, associated to a mod 2
anomaly. Here we consider boundary conditions for
2N2N
Majorana fermions that preserve a U(1)^NU(1)N
symmetry. In general, the left-moving and right-moving fermions carry
different charges under this symmetry, and implementation of the
boundary condition requires new degrees of freedom, which manifest
themselves in a boundary central charge gg.
We follow the boundary RG flow induced by turning on relevant boundary
operators. We identify the infra-red boundary state. In many cases, the
boundary state flips SPT class, resulting in an emergent Majorana mode
needed to cancel the anomaly. We show that the ratio of UV and IR
boundary central charges is given by g^2_{IR} / g^2_{UV} = \mathrm{dim} \, \mathcal{O}gIR2/gUV2=dim𝒪,
the dimension of the perturbing boundary operator. Any relevant operator
necessarily has \mathrm{dim} \, \mathcal{O} < 1dim𝒪<1,
ensuring that the central charge decreases in accord with the
gg-theorem.
IMPAIRED AWARENESS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA (IAH) IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
Authors:   Arab board & Jordanian Board family medicine Assistant professor & consultant Family medicine Family Medicine department Faculty of Medicine King Abdulaziz university., Abdulaziz Murad Manal , Jehada Bousada Hoda ,   Pediatric consultant Nephrologist, Maternity & Childrens Hospital in Jeddah Jeddah. KSA., Fawzi Saati Mohammad ,   M.D KFAFH: King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jeddah, SA., Ali Abutaleb Faisal ,   Medical Intern, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, KSA Formal analysis MBBS., Mudith alosaimi Majed ,   Medical Intern, Faculty of Medicine, Albaha University, Saudi Arabia Data Curation MBBs., Fahad Almalki Abdulaziz ,   PHC physician MOH, Sajer General Hospital, KSA Data curation MD., Hasan Al Zahrani Rayan ,   Medical Intern, Taif University, KSA Formal analysis MBBS., Abdulali Althobaiti Hani ,   Medical Intern, Taif University, KSA MBBs., Abdullah Alrabie Majdi ,   Medical Intern, Taif University, KSA Project administration,MBBS., ali Alzaylaee Safiah ,   Medical Intern, Umm Alqura University, KSAData curation MBBS., Othman Ali Alnashri Samar ,   Medical Intern, Umm Al Qura University, KSA Conceptualization MBBS., Jamaan alghamdi Raad ,   General Practitioner, King Fahad Hospital, Albaha city.MBBS., Salem Alrazhi Fayzah ,   Medical Student, King Khalid University, Abha City.
Published: January 2021

Aims: The current study aimed to identify the prevalence of impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Also, it aimed to determine the risk factors for IAH. Methods: This is an analytical cross-sectional study that was conducted through a survey that targeted patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted from July 10th. 2020 to October 10th. 2020. Results: The authors got responses from 1080 patients. The mean age was 55.5 years and the mean duration of DM was 11 years. Three hundred and sixty (33.3%) responders stated that they developed symptoms of hypoglycemia, of them, 60 (16.7%) patients developed symptoms weekly, and 60 (16.7%) patients developed symptoms twice weekly.The prevalence of IAH in the sample was 14.8 % (Gold method), and 20%(Pearson method). Our results showed that the prevalence of IAH was higher among patients who were over 65 years of age, female gender, who had DM for over 15 years, and those who did not attend schools. Conclusion: The problem of IAH is a significant disorder in diabetic patients in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The current study showed that the prevalence of IAH was ranging from 14.8% to 20%.
Analysis of Urban Expansion and Modeling of LULC Changes Using Geospatial Techniques: The Case of Adama City
Authors: Regassa Bedasa , Kassaw Mikir , Bagyaraj Murugesan
Published: January 2021

In the last decades, Adama city has experienced drastic changes in its shape, not just in its vast geographical expansion, but also by internal transformations. Subsequently, understanding and evaluating the spatiotemporal variability of urban land use and land cover (LULC) shifts, and it is important to bring forth the right strategies and processes to track population development in decision-making. The goal of this analysis was therefore to examine LULC changes that have taken place over 37 years, forecast the long-term urban development in Adama City using geospatial techniques. To attain this, satellite data of Landsat 1973, 2000 and 2010 was downloaded from USGS Earth Explorer and processed using Arc GIS 10.5, Erdas 9.2, and Idrisi 32. A supervised classification technique has been used to prepare the base maps with six land cover classes that are accustomed to generate LULC maps. The maps are cross-tabulated to measure LULC changes, to look at land-use transfers between the land cover classes, to spot increases and declines in built-up areas in comparison to other land cover classes, and to determine the spatial changes in built-up areas. Finally, Markov Chain and CA-Markov techniques were used to model the LULC changes in the Adama district and to forecast possible changes in urban land use. The model was verified by the Kappa statistics and also by the application of other validation techniques. The growth of built-up areas in the last 37 years has risen from 2% in 1973, 10% in 2000 and 23% in 2010 and estimated about 60% over the next 30 years (2040).
NAD Precursors, Mitochondria Targeting Compounds and ADP-Ribosylation
Inhibitors in Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases and
Cancer
Authors: Poltronieri Palmiro , Mezzolla Valeria , Farooqi Ammad Ahmad , Di Girolamo Maria
Published: January 2021

:

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are prominent features of a
plethora of human disorders. Dysregulation of mitochondrial functions represents a common
pathogenic mechanism of diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.
The maintenance of the Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) pool, and a positive
NAD+/NADH ratio, are essential for mitochondrial and cell functions. The synthesis and
degradation of NAD+ and transport of its key intermediates among cell compartments
play an important role in maintaining optimal NAD levels, for the regulation of NAD+-utilizing
enzymes, such as sirtuins (Sirt), poly-ADP-ribose polymerases, and CD38/157 enzymes,
either intracellularly as well as extracellularly. In this review, we present and discuss
the links between NAD+, NAD+-consuming enzymes, mitochondria functions, and
diseases. Attempts to treat various diseases with supplementation of NAD+ cycling intermediates
and inhibitors of sirtuins and ADP-ribosyl transferases may highlight a possible
therapeutic approach for therapy of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Mechanisms for Cardiorenal Protection of SGLT-2 Inhibitors
Authors: Georgianos Panagiotis I. , Vaios Vasilios , Dounousi Evangelia , Salmas Marios , Eleftheriadis Theodoros , Liakopoulos Vassilios
Published: January 2021

Despite optimal treatment of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) with adequate blood pressure control
and agents blocking the renin-angiotensin-system (RAS), the residual cardiorenal risk of these patients remains
substantially high. There is, therefore, an unmet need for additional therapies effective to retard the progression
of DKD and improve cardiovascular outcomes in this high-risk population. Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2
(SGLT-2) inhibitors represent a novel drug class that received regulatory approval for improving glycemic control
in patients with type 2 diabetes and preserved kidney function. Large outcome trials designed to test their
cardiovascular safety profile showed an unexpected improvement in cardiovascular outcomes and also suggested
a slower progression of DKD with SGLT-2 inhibition. The Canagliflozin and Renal Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes
and Nephropathy (CREDENCE), a trial that was designed to specifically investigate the renoprotective
properties of SGLT-2 inhibitors in patients with overt DKD already receiving guideline-based therapy with a
RAS-blocker, was prematurely terminated due to an impressive benefit of canagliflozin on kidney and cardiovascular
outcomes. These impressive results refine the role and the indication of SGLT-2 inhibitors as a cardioand
renoprotective strategy in patients with DKD. In this article, we provide an overview of the available clinical-
trial evidence and explore the mechanisms mediating the cardiorenal protection afforded by SGLT-2 inhibitors.
We conclude with perspectives for a potential beneficial effect of this novel drug class in patients with
non-diabetic kidney disease.
Fine Tuning of Intracellular Ca2+ Content by Pharmacological Agents – A Strategy to Prevent Synapse Loss in Alzheimer Disease Hippocampal Neurons
Authors: Popugaeva Elena
Published: January 2021

:

Alzheimer disease is the dominant form of elderly dementia. Today all clinical trials that
target β-amyloid have failed to indicate that β-amyloid may not be a causative agent in AD pathogenesis.
Thus there is a need to search for alternative ways to treat AD patients.

:

Neuronal store-operated calcium entry is a fine-tuning mechanism that regulates intracellular Ca2+
content. Recent evidence suggests that store-operated calcium channels may be targeted with pharmacological
agents in order to prevent synapse loss, recover long-term potentiation and change behavior.

:

Current mini-review discusses basic chemical structures that modulate intracellular calcium dysbalance
via targeting store-operated calcium channels and their applicability as anti-AD pharmacological
agents.
Study and Determination of Aluminum in Dextran 40 Glucose Injection by ICP-MS
Authors: Liu Ji-Wu , Zheng Jin-Qi , Zhu Si-Qi , Gu Xiao , Zhu Pei-Xi
Published: January 2021

Background:

Aluminum (Al) is classified as other elements by ICH, and its permitted
daily exposure (PDE) has not been established. As it might cause compromised renal function,
guidelines, regional regulations and practices need to be addressed. According to the United States
Pharmacopeia 41 and the Japanese Pharmacopoeia 17, the aluminum content of large-volume parenterals
(LVPs) used in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) therapy must not exceed 25 ng mL-1. Therefore,
the package insert of LVPs used in TPN therapy must state the content of aluminum.

Objective:

A new microwave assisted acid digestion pretreatment together with inductively coupled
plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method was developed for the determination of aluminum
content in Dextran 40 Glucose Injection. The method was successfully applied for quality
evaluation of commercial Dextran 40 Glucose Injection.

Methods:

Samples were digested by a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid, with the assistance
of microwave. After that, ICP-MS in KED mode was employed to analyze the samples.

Results:

The method showed a good linearity (r2=0.9999) within the range of 2~100 ng mL-1,
with the limit of detection and quantitation of 0.482 ng mL-1 and 1.61 ng mL-1, respectively. A
good precision was obtained with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 8.8% (n=6). The spike recoveries
with low, middle and high Al content in 9 sample were 102.2%~107.4%.

Conclusion:

The developed method was successfully applied for the analysis of Al content in 44
batches of Dextran 40 Glucose Injection produced by 9 pharmaceutical companies from domestic
or international enterprises. The Al content of Dextran 40 Glucose Injection varied greatly
between different enterprises or different batches. Meanwhile, among total of 44 batches, the Al
content in 3 batches of Dextran 40 Glucose Injection exceeded the limitation of 25 ng mL-1,
which might cause potential safety problems.
Withdrawal Notice: MMR Vaccine Susceptibility of Viral Agents Causing Meningitis and Meningoencephalitis in Children
Authors: Rahmani Parisa , Alimadadi Hosein , Mohsenipour Reihaneh , Roshanghalb Mohammad
Published: January 2021

The article has been withdrawn from the journal “Infectious Disorders – Drug Targets” as it has already been found to be published in the journal in a Persian journal in the Persian language.

Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php

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It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure, or table that has been published elsewhere must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.
Negative Correlation between Neuregulin-4 and IL-9 Serum Levels in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Farshidi Hossein , Naderi Nadereh , Montazerghaem Hossein , Farshidi Narges , Rahimzadeh Mahsa
Published: January 2021

Background:

Neuregulin 4 (Nrg4) is a novel adipocytokine which has been proposed to play a role in modulating
energy metabolism and pathogeneses of atherosclerosis. However, no published research is available about the mechanisms
underlying the anti-atherosclerotic effect of Nrg4. Regarding the close link between adipocytokines and immune system,
we wonder whether there is a relation between Nrg4 and athero-protective cytokines. The aim of this study was to
investigate the relationship between serum Nrg4 levels and type 2 cytokines in Iranian patients with coronary artery disease
(CAD).

Methods:

In this case-control study, 125 CAD patients were compared to 55 healthy controls. Serum concentration of Nrg4,
IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13 were measured using ELISA. The associations of circulating Nrg4 and IL-5, IL-9, IL-13 were assessed
using linear regression analyses.

Results:

Serum concentration of IL-9 was significantly higher in patients compared to the healthy controls (317.9±139
versus 228.3±99.1, P= ˂0.0001). IL-13 and Nrg4 were significantly lower in patients compared to the healthy controls
(4.3±3.7 versus 6.1±3.9, P=0.01 and 0.5 versus 1.3, P=0.001 respectively). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that
IL-9 was negatively correlated with Nrg4 (β= -0.3, P=0.009).

Conclusion:

Our study ،for the first-time, provides the clinical evidence revealing that circulating Nrg4 concentrations are
inversely correlated with IL-9 in Iranian patients with CAD, suggesting that the protective role of Nrg4 on atherosclerosis
may be, in part, mediated by the proatherogenic cytokine, IL-9.
Effect of HCl Concentration and Acetone Washing on the Dielectric and Conduction Properties of Polyaniline Salts
Authors: Mohanty Jayashree , Mishra S.R. , Badapanda Tanmaya , Anwar S.
Published: January 2021

Background:

In order to know the effect of acid concentration, comparative
electrical properties of PANI salt samples prepared in two different media like water,
1M HCl and 2M HCl, have been studied.

Methods:

To know the effect of acetone washing on the electrical behavior of the polymer,
the polymer samples were washed with acetone. The X-ray diffraction pattern
shows a crystalline nature of all the prepared PANI salt samples except non-acetone
washed PANI salt prepared in 2M HCl. The SEM micrograph suggests a uniform and
continuous morphology for PANI salts prepared in 1M HCl, agglomerated granulated
structure for PANI salts prepared in 1M HCL, and fiber type structure for PANI salts
prepared in 2M HCl.

Results:

The study showed that the dielectric constant decreases with frequency in the
case of all the synthesized polymer samples. The variation of AC conductivity of the
synthesized polymer samples with respect to the frequency at room temperature follows
the power law. Through the fitting parameters, the DC conductivity was found.

Conclusion :

The results showed that the polymer sample, which was prepared in water
medium and not washed with acetone, had the highest dielectric and conductivity values,
whereas for acetone washed samples highest dielectric and electrical conductivity
was observed for the sample prepared in 2M HCl.
In Silico Insight into the Inhibitory Effects of Active Antidiabetic Compounds from Medicinal Plants Against SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Posttranslational Modification
Authors: Tijjani Habibu , Matinja Adamu Idris , Olatunde Ahmed , Zangoma Maryam Haladu , Mohammed Abubakar , Akram Muhammad , Adeoye Akinwunmi Oluwaseun , Lawal Hamza
Published: January 2021

Background:

The recent reemergence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) caused by the virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has prompted for the search of effective treatments in forms of drugs and vaccines.

Aim:

In this regards, we performed an in silico studies of 39 active antidiabetic compounds from medicinal plants to provide insight into their possible inhibitory potentials against SARS-CoV-2 replications and post-translational modifications. Top 12 active antidiabetic compounds with potential for dual inhibition of the replications and post-translational modifications of SARS-CoV-2 were analyzed.

Results:

Boswellic acids, celastrol, rutin, sanguinarine, silymarin and withanolides expressed binding energy for 3- chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) (-8.0 to -8.9 Kcal/mol), papain-like protease (PLpro) (-9.1 to -10.2 Kcal/mol) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) (-8.5 to -9.1 Kcal/mol) which were higher than that of the reference drugs (Lopinavir and Remdesivir) used in this study. Sanguinarine, silymarin and withanolides are most drugable phytochemicals among the other following phytochemicals as they obey the Lipinski’s rule of five analyses. Sanguinarine, silymarin and withanolides express moderately soluble with no hepatotoxicity, while silymarin and withanolides cannot permeate the blood-brain barrier and showed no Salmonella typhimurium reverse mutation assay (AMES) toxicity, unlike sanguinarine from the predictive absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicity (ADMET) studies.

Conclusion:

Sanguinarine, silymarin and withanolides could be proposed for further experimental studies for their development as possible phytotherapy for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Evocações históricas do liberalismo em Raul Brandão
Authors: Lage Maria Otília Pereira
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this article, in the context of the celebration of centenarians, is to reflect, crossing historical and literary studies on the singularity they bring to the contemporary historiographic discourse of Portuguese liberalism, the works of historical matrix and modernity of the writer Raul Brandão, intellectual of transition and rupture between two centuries, which continue to challenge us today. It focuses, in an interdisciplinary perspectve, on the Brandonian corpus of historical component and documentary rigor. El -rei Junot, 1817-Gomes Freire de Andrade, and Preface and Notes to O Siege of Porto, published works between 1912 and 1915, a stage of literary and civic maturity of the author, which involve political-military events of social relevance in the construction of our liberalism, a troubled historical of affirmation of freedoms. The analyzed corpus proves in a rigorous and detailed way, the innovative idea of writing and historical worldview of the writer from Porto, constituting a good contribution to the study of Raul Brandão's work and liberalism itself
Os primórdios do Socialismo em Portugal e a defesa da legislação internacional do trabalho. O Socialismo português nos congressos operários internacionais (1871-1896)
Authors: Garcia Beatriz Peralt
Published: January 2021

. The economic weakness of the first associations of Portuguese socialism did not allow them to attend, in person, the development of international socialism through the attendance at congresses that were periodically organized by the International Workers Association since 1872, however this fact did not prevent them from assuming the resolutions. Taken there, which were disciplined incorporated into its strategy of associative consolidation and doctrinal consolidation. Hence, for example, the founding of the Portuguese Socialist Party, as decreed in The Hague. This article aims to analyze the participation of the Portuguese socialists from this initial contact with the European internationalists until the end of the nineteenth century, already reorganized the IIª International. We also try to advance the history of Portuguese socialism in the nineteenth century by stressing the implications within its party structures
Flood Risk Management in Malaysia: The current hindrances for flood related agencies
Authors: Mabahwi Nurul Ashikin , Nakamura Hitoshi , Bhattacharya Yasmin
Published: January 2021

Flood risk management in Malaysia is a top-down government approach that requires shared responsibility in between government agencies. However, the issues and challenges faced by the relevant agencies is a neglected area of research. This paper aimed to identify the real issues and challenges of flood-related agencies in Malaysia. This paper used a qualitative approach to analyse the findings and found that limited authority, lack of enforcement power, lack of cooperation and collaborative risk-sharing, insufficient funding, lack of assets and manpower and communication issues are the issues faced by flood-related government agencies.
Keywords:: flood-related agencies; flood risk management; flood law and policy; Malaysia
eISSN 2398-4295 ©2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers (AMER); Association of  Behavioural Researchers on Asians / Africans / Arabians (ABRA); Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies (cE-Bs), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ajbes.v5i19.190
Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation: A review
Authors: Hosen Nadzirah , Nakamura Hitoshi
Published: January 2021

Climate change puts indigenous people at greater risk than others. Nevertheless, because of their intimate knowledge of their land, indigenous peoples' traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) could be the answer to fighting climate change. This paper aims to explain the role that TEK plays in responding to climate change. Document analysis included grey literature as well as peer-reviewed literature and project websites linked to indigenous climate change adaptation knowledge. The findings show that TEK not only helps indigenous people cope with environmental and climate pressures, but also promotes socio-ecological system resilience.

Keywords: climate change adaptation; traditional knowledge; traditional ecological knowledge; resilience

eISSN 2398-4295 ©2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers (AMER); Association of  Behavioural Researchers on Asians / Africans / Arabians (ABRA); Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies (cE-Bs), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ajbes.v5i19.194
Evaluating Apple Inc Mobility Trend Data Related to the COVID-19 Outbreak in Japan: Statistical Analysis
Authors: Kurita Junko , Sugishita Yoshiyuki , Sugawara Tamie , Ohkusa Yasushi
Published: January 2021

Background

In Japan, as a countermeasure against the COVID-19 outbreak, both the national and local governments issued voluntary restrictions against going out from residences at the end of March 2020 in preference to the lockdowns instituted in European and North American countries. The effect of such measures can be studied with mobility data, such as data which is generated by counting the number of requests made to Apple Maps for directions in select countries/regions, sub-regions, and cities.

Objective

We investigate the associations of mobility data provided by Apple Inc and an estimate an an effective reproduction number R(t).

Methods

We regressed R(t) on a polynomial function of daily Apple data, estimated using the whole period, and analyzed subperiods delimited by March 10, 2020.

Results

In the estimation results, R(t) was 1.72 when voluntary restrictions against going out ceased and mobility reverted to a normal level. However, the critical level of reducing R(t) to <1 was obtained at 89.3% of normal mobility.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that Apple mobility data are useful for short-term prediction of R(t). The results indicate that the number of trips should decrease by 10% until herd immunity is achieved and that higher voluntary restrictions against going out might not be necessary for avoiding a re-emergence of the outbreak.
Precision Assessment of COVID-19 Phenotypes Using Large-Scale Clinic Visit Audio Recordings: Harnessing the Power of Patient Voice
Authors: Barr Paul J , Ryan James , Jacobson Nicholas C
Published: January 2021

COVID-19 cases are exponentially increasing worldwide; however, its clinical phenotype remains unclear. Natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning approaches may yield key methods to rapidly identify individuals at a high risk of COVID-19 and to understand key symptoms upon clinical manifestation and presentation. Data on such symptoms may not be accurately synthesized into patient records owing to the pressing need to treat patients in overburdened health care settings. In this scenario, clinicians may focus on documenting widely reported symptoms that indicate a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, albeit at the expense of infrequently reported symptoms. While NLP solutions can play a key role in generating clinical phenotypes of COVID-19, they are limited by the resulting limitations in data from electronic health records (EHRs). A comprehensive record of clinic visits is required—audio recordings may be the answer. A recording of clinic visits represents a more comprehensive record of patient-reported symptoms. If done at scale, a combination of data from the EHR and recordings of clinic visits can be used to power NLP and machine learning models, thus rapidly generating a clinical phenotype of COVID-19. We propose the generation of a pipeline extending from audio or video recordings of clinic visits to establish a model that factors in clinical symptoms and predict COVID-19 incidence. With vast amounts of available data, we believe that a prediction model can be rapidly developed to promote the accurate screening of individuals at a high risk of COVID-19 and to identify patient characteristics that predict a greater risk of a more severe infection. If clinical encounters are recorded and our NLP model is adequately refined, benchtop virologic findings would be better informed. While clinic visit recordings are not the panacea for this pandemic, they are a low-cost option with many potential benefits, which have recently begun to be explored.
The US Public’s Perception of the Threat of COVID-19 During the Rapid Spread of the COVID-19 Outbreak: Cross-Sectional Survey Study
Authors: Xiu Xiaolei , Wang Anran , Qian Qing , Wu Sizhu
Published: January 2021

Background

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has made people uncertain about their perceptions of the threat of COVID-19 and COVID-19 response measures. To mount an effective response to this epidemic, it is necessary to understand the public's perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes.

Objective

We aimed to test the hypothesis that people’s perceptions of the threat of COVID-19 influence their attitudes and behaviors.

Methods

This study used an open dataset of web-based questionnaires about COVID-19. The questionnaires were provided by Nexoid United Kingdom. We selected the results of a questionnaire on COVID-19–related behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions among the US public. The questionnaire was conducted from March 29 to April 20, 2020. A total of 24,547 people who lived in the United States took part in the survey.

Results

In this study, the average self-assessed probability of contracting COVID-19 was 33.2%, and 49.9% (12,244/24,547) of the respondents thought that their chances of contracting COVID-19 were less than 30%. The self-assessed probability of contracting COVID-19 among women was 1.35 times that of males. A 5% increase in perceived infection risk was significantly associated with being 1.02 times (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.02-1.02; P<.001) more likely to report having close contact with >10 people, and being 1.01 times (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.01-1.01; P<.001) more likely to report that cohabitants disagreed with taking steps to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. However, there was no significant association between participants who lived with more than 5 cohabitants or less than 5 cohabitants (P=.85). Generally, participants who lived in states with 1001-10,000 COVID-19 cases, were aged 20-40 years, were obese, smoked, drank alcohol, never used drugs, and had no underlying medical conditions were more likely to be in close contact with >10 people. Most participants (21,017/24,547, 85.6%) agreed with washing their hands and maintaining social distancing, but only 20.2% (4958/24,547) of participants often wore masks. Additionally, male participants and participants aged <20 years typically disagreed with washing their hands, maintaining social distancing, and wearing masks.

Conclusions

This survey is the first attempt to describe the determinants of the US public’s perception of the threat of COVID-19 on a large scale. The self-assessed probability of contracting COVID-19 differed significantly based on the respondents’ genders, states of residence, ages, body mass indices, smoking habits, alcohol consumption habits, drug use habits, underlying medical conditions, environments, and behaviors. These findings can be used as references by public health policy makers and health care workers who want to identify populations that need to be educated on COVID-19 prevention and health.
Risk Factors and Leadership in a Digitalized Working World and Their Effects on Employees’ Stress and Resources: Web-Based Questionnaire Study
Authors: Bregenzer Anita , Jimenez Paulino
Published: January 2021

Background

In today’s world of work, the digitalization of work and communication processes is increasing, and will increase even further. This increase in digitalization at the workplace brings many new aspects of working life to light, such as working in virtual teams, mobile working, expectations of being constantly available, and the need for support in adapting and learning new digital tools. These changes to the workplace can contain risks that might harm the well-being of employees. Leaders can support the well-being of their employees in terms of protecting and replenishing their work-related resources to cope with critical work demands. This so-called health-promoting leadership could serve as a buffer between risk at the workplace and critical outcomes, such as stress, by amplifying work-related resources.

Objective

This study’s aims were twofold. First, we wanted to investigate if risk factors related to higher digitalization at the workplace can be identified and if these risk factors have an impairing effect on the well-being of employees (eg, higher stress and lower resources). Second, we wanted to investigate if the health-impairing effects of these risk factors can be reduced by health-promoting leadership.

Methods

A total of 1412 employees from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland took part in this online study and provided information on their perceived risks at the workplace, their leaders’ health-promoting behaviors, and their work-related stress and resources.

Results

The results of a hierarchical regression analysis showed that all four risk factors of digital work (distributed team work, mobile work, constant availability, and inefficient technical support) were related to higher stress at the workplace. In addition, distributed team work and inefficient technical support were associated with lower work-related resources. A possible buffer effect of health-promoting leadership between these risks and employee well-being was visible for inefficient technical support. In particular, in the case of having fewer support opportunities in learning and using digital tools, leaders could weaken the potential critical effects on stress. As for the other risk factors, leaders might engage in a different leadership behavior to improve their employees’ well-being, as the physical distance between leaders and employees in virtual team work or mobile work could make health-promoting leadership more difficult.

Conclusions

In a digitalized working world, solutions are needed to create working conditions that benefit employees. The results of this study strongly support the importance of investigating risk factors associated with an increase in digitalization at the workplace in addition to traditional risk factors. As for leadership, leaders need to show leadership behavior adapted to a digitalized workplace in order to reduce employee stress and increase work-related resources.
Using Twitter to Understand the COVID-19 Experiences of People With Dementia: Infodemiology Study
Authors: Bacsu Juanita-Dawne , O'Connell Megan E , Cammer Allison , Azizi Mahsa , Grewal Karl , Poole Lisa , Green Shoshana , Sivananthan Saskia , Spiteri Raymond J
Published: January 2021

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people with dementia in numerous ways. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of research on the COVID-19 impact on people with dementia and their care partners.

Objective

Using Twitter, the purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of COVID-19 for people with dementia and their care partners.

Methods

We collected tweets on COVID-19 and dementia using the GetOldTweets application in Python from February 15 to September 7, 2020. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the tweets.

Results

From the 5063 tweets analyzed with line-by-line coding, we identified 4 main themes including (1) separation and loss; (2) COVID-19 confusion, despair, and abandonment; (3) stress and exhaustion exacerbation; and (4) unpaid sacrifices by formal care providers.

Conclusions

There is an imminent need for governments to rethink using a one-size-fits-all response to COVID-19 policy and use a collaborative approach to support people with dementia. Collaboration and more evidence-informed research are essential to reducing COVID-19 mortality and improving the quality of life for people with dementia and their care partners.