bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the electrochemical and expansion performances of the Sn-Si/graphite composite electrode for the industrial use
Authors: Shao Ying , Jin Zhou , Li Jin , Meng Yemin , Huang Xuejie
Published: January 2022

The future development of lithium-ion battery in electric vehicles needs to improve its energy density, which is largely depends on the application of novel active materials with high specific capacity. Recently, Sn-Si hybrid materials have been proved to achieve both high specific capacity and good cycle stability. In practice, Sn-Si are mixed with graphite to form a composite electrode in order to further improve the stability. However, detailed investigation of the Sn-Si/graphite electrodes is seldom found. The current study examines the most concerned electrochemical and expansion performances of the Sn-Si/graphite anodes, accompanied with the morphology, crystalline and chemical composition analysis. The percolation model and the lattice expansion model are proven to fit well for the capacity and expansion evolution law of the composite anodes, respectively, as function of Sn-Si hybrid percentages. Base on the comparison with the conventional graphite anode, an efficient Sn-Si/graphite composite anode could be concluded that achieves a high reversible capacity (450 mAh g-1), a promising 1st coulombic efficiency (75%) and stable cycling (cycling coulombic efficiency > 98%), making it one of the Sn-based anodes closest to industrial use.
Deteriorating microbiomes in agriculture - the unintended effects of pesticides on microbial life
Authors: Daisley Brendan A. , Chernyshova Anna M. , Thompson Graham J. , Allen-Vercoe Emma
Published: January 2022

There is emerging concern regarding the unintentional and often unrecognized antimicrobial properties of “non-antimicrobial” pesticides. This includes insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides commonly used in agriculture that are known to produce broad ranging, off-target effects on beneficial wildlife, even at seemingly non-toxic low dose exposures. Notably, these obscure adverse interactions may be related to host-associated microbiome damage occurring from antimicrobial effects, rather than the presumed toxic effects of pesticides on host tissue. Here, we critically review the literature on this topic as it pertains to the rhizosphere microbiome of crop plants and gut microbiome of pollinator insects (namely managed populations of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera), since both are frequent recipients of chronic pesticide exposure. Clear linkages between pesticide mode of action and host-specific microbiome functionalities are identified in relation to potential antimicrobial risks. For example, inherent differences in nitrogen metabolism of plant- and insect-associated microbiomes may dictate whether neonicotinoid-based insecticides ultimately exert antimicrobial activities or not. Several other context-dependent scenarios are discussed. In addition to direct effects (e.g., microbicidal action of the parent compound or breakdown metabolites), pesticides may indirectly alter the trajectory of host-microbiome coevolution in honey bees via modulation of social behaviours and the insect gut-brain axis - conceivably with consequences on plant-pollinator symbiosis as well. In summary, current evidence suggests: (1) immediate action is needed by regulatory authorities in amending safety assessments for “non-antimicrobial” pesticides; and (2) that the development of host-free microbiome model systems could be useful for rapidly screening pesticides against functionally distinct microbial catalogues of interest.
Higher Education Development, Regional Economic Growth and Opening to the Outside World
Authors: Guo Yadi
Published: January 2022

The development of higher education and opening to the outside world are important factors in promoting China's economic growth. On the basis of clarifying the relationship between the three, based on the economic and social statistics of 290 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2003 to 2018, this paper constructs a panel model to test the role of higher education development on regional economic growth and the mediating role of urban opening up between the two. The study found that: in the past 15 years, the improvement of the development level of higher education can not only directly promote the growth of the regional economy, but also indirectly promote the growth of the regional economy by improving the level of urban opening to the outside world. It is suggested that the high-quality development of higher education should be continuously promoted, and the opening-up efforts should be increased in order to achieve the strategic goal of high-quality economic and social development.
Adaptation of the regional agronomic diagnosis for grapevine yield analysis
Authors: Merot Anne , Metay Aurélie , Smits Nathalie , Thiollet-Scholtus Marie
Published: January 2022

Yield issues are crucial for winegrowers. In France, yield is often lower than winegrowers’ objectives, and there is a need to understand the causes and magnitude of yield variability in vineyard systems. The yield formation process for grapevine (Vitis vinifera) takes place over two consecutive years. Grapevine is also characterised by a limited control of phenology, a winter dormancy period and the existence of storage organs. We adapted the regional agronomic diagnosis approach as defined by Doré et al. (1997) to quantify grapevine yield variability in two complementary case studies. The regional agronomic diagnosis proved useful in acquiring knowledge on grapevine functioning, reflecting on the data collection strategy, and leveraging interventions to better control yield by integrating multiple factors, particularly in the context of transitioning viticulture systems. Furthermore, the successful application of a regional agronomic diagnosis to grapevine crops can be considered as a major contribution to increasing the understanding of yield formation. It helps winegrowers manage yield variability when addressing planned or unplanned changing conditions, such as an agroecological transition or climate change.
Relation between the Fatigue and Fracture Ductile-Brittle Transition in S500 Welded Steel Joints
Authors: Sallaba Finn , Rolof Franziska , Ehlers Sören , Walters Carey Leroy , Braun Moritz
Published: January 2022

The formation and propagation of cracks occurs through irreversible dislocation movements at notches, material defects and grain boundaries. Since this process is partly thermally controlled, the resistance to dislocation movements at low temperatures increases. This slows both fatigue initiation and fatigue crack propagation. From recent experimental data, it can be seen that fatigue crack growth is accelerated below the fatigue transition temperature (FTT) that correlates with the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) found by well-known fracture mechanics tests, i.e., Charpy impact, fracture toughness, and CTOD. Hence, this study investigates the relation between FTT and DBTT in S500 high-strength steel base material and welded joints at low temperatures using fatigue crack growth, fracture toughness tests as well as scanning electron microscopy. From the tests, an almost constant decrease in fatigue crack propagation rate is determined with decreasing test temperature even below the DBTT.
Quantitative Determination and Fingerprint of Phenolic Compounds with Anti-inflammatory Activities for the Quality Control of Mangosteen Extract
Authors: Xu Doudou , Li Zhu , Guo Mudan , Jiang Bo , Zhang En , Zheng Xinchuan
Published: January 2022

The extracts of Garcinia mangostana L. (mangosteen) are traditionally used for medicinal purposes in Asia. Phenols and xanthones are the two main phenolic compounds with anti-inflammatory activities in the pericarps of mangosteen. A simple and economic reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of phenols (catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2) in mangosteen. The mobile phase was acetonitrile: water (12:88) at 30°C, the flow rate was 1 mL/min, and the detection wavelength was 230 nm. The results showed good linear relationships for catechin from 50-250 ng and for epicatechin and procyanidin B2 from 250-1250 ng. The RP-HPLC fingerprint determination method of total xanthones in mangosteen was also established to provide a new method for quality control of mangosteen extract. The mobile phase was a methanol-water gradient elution at 30°C, the flow rate was 1 mL/min, and the detection wavelength was 320 nm. The similarity of fingerprints of 10 batches of total xanthones was more than 0.90. These methods had good precision, reproducibility, and stability and can be applied in the quality control of mangosteen extracts for medicinal purposes.
Bayesian Nonlinear Models for Repeated Measurement Data: An Overview, Implementation, and Applications
Authors: Lee Se Yoon
Published: January 2022

Bayesian nonlinear mixed effects models for data in the form of continuous, repeated measurements from a population, also known as Bayesian hierarchical nonlinear models, are a popular platform for analysis when interest focuses on individual specific characteristics and relevant uncertainty quantification. Due to the limitation of computational power, this framework was relatively dormant until the late 1980s, but in recent years, the statistical research community saw vigorous development of new methodological and computational techniques for these models, the emergence of software, and wide application of the models in numerous industrial and academic fields. This article presents an overview of the formulation, interpretation, and implementation of Bayesian nonlinear mixed effects models and surveys recent advances and applications.
Niqab, Protest Movement, and the Salafization of Indonesian Islam
Authors: Ahmad Maghfur , Muniroh Siti Mumun , Nurani Shinta
Published: January 2022

This study aims to reveal the niqab as a protest movement and an instrument of regeneration (salafization) for Salafi Muslim women in Indonesia. The niqab has been one of the important symbols in the Salafi Islamic movement and has been the main dress for Salafi Muslim women. This study is of importance since the existing niqab studies are more related to religious identity, culture, motivation, stigma, and stereotypes. Data in this phenomenological research were obtained through interviews, observations, and documentation involving the niqab-wearing women from Salafi Islam activists at Majlis Ta’lim Al-Izzah of Pekalongan and Pondok Pesantren SJR Al-Salafy of Yogyakarta. The data were then analyzed with the Moustakas’ model. This study has shown that the niqab in the internal circle of Salafi Islam has a plural meaning. Among Salafi Muslims, it not only functions as a cultural identity or a symbol of piety in religion but also holds the spirit of protest, resistance, struggle, and an instrument of da’wah to expand the influence of Salafi ideology. That is, the niqab has become a symbol of resistance to both the hegemony of religiosity and the established dressing culture for Indonesian Muslim women. It is also a symbol of the struggle towards the kaffah Islam and an essential instrument for the regeneration of Salafi Islam. Overall, the niqab phenomenon in Indonesia indicates that the salafization in Indonesian Islam has been running in a structured, massive, and sustainable way.
Test-System for Identification of Typical and Genetically Altered Variants of Cholera Vibrios, Biovar El Tor, Using Real-Time PCR
Authors: Savel’ev V. N. , Kulichenko A. N. , Savel’eva I. V. , Kovalev D. A. , Taran T. V. , Podoprigora E. I. , Sosunov V. V. , Radaeva T. V.
Published: January 2022

The aim of the work was to analyze and assess the results of using PCR test-system “V. cholerae variant ctxB-rtxC FL genes” for identification of Vibrio cholerae O1 with differentiation between typical toxigenic and genetically modified variants in a multiplex format with a real-time hybridization-fluorescent recording of results. Materials and methods. To achieve this goal, a set of reagents for the PCR test-system “V. cholerae O1 variant ctxB-rtxC FL genes”, as well as a method for identifying V. cholerae O1 with differentiation between typical toxigenic and genetically altered variants were utilized. The specificity, specific activity and sensitivity of the developed test-system by the example of 35 V. cholerae O1 strains, 6 V. cholerae non-O1 strains, 5 heterologous strains (Shigella zonnei – 2 strains, one Salmonella typhimurium strain, S. enteritidis, Escherichia coli) were investigated. Results and discussion. The panel of reagents for the PCR test system “V. cholerae variant ctxB-rtxC FL genes” detects DNA fragments of the ctxBCl, ctxBEl, rtxC genes in the genome of toxigenic V. cholerae О1 (has specific activity, analytical sensitivity 1·103 GE/ml) and does not detect these genes in non-toxigenic V. cholerae O1 and non-O1, as well as in heterologous strains of microorganisms (100 % specificity). RF Patent No. 2732448 was granted for the PCR test-system “V. cholerae variant ctxB-rtxC FL genes”. It can be used to increase the efficiency of the epidemiological surveillance system and to carry out a justified scope of anti-epidemic measures in the event of cholera importation into the territory of the Russian Federation.
Optimization of the Conditions for Cultivation of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in the Process of Obtaining Cell Mass
Authors: Salikhov R. R. , Borisova S. V. , Avdeeva N. G. , Samokhvalova Yu. I. , Volokh O. A.
Published: January 2022

Objective of the study was to optimize the conditions of submerged recurrent cultivation and the composition of the nutrient medium for obtaining the cell mass of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains, used as an adsorbent in the preparation of diagnostic plague immunoglobulins. Materials and methods. We utilized Y. pseudotuberculosis adsorbent strains 6; 31; 68; 69; and 70 belonging to V, I, III, IV, and V serotypes, respectively, received from the State Collection of Pathogenic Bacteria at the premises of the RusRAPI “Microbe”. The cultivation process was carried out on an incubator-shaker, laboratory and pilot fermenters with variation of the process parameters, different options for feeding and nutrient media. Results and discussion. In the course of work, the optimal parameters of recurring submerged cultivation have been established. It was found that the highest biomass yield is provided by a combination of a nutrient medium – a carbon substrate in the form of a broth, based on an enzymatic fibrin hydrolysate, with the addition of galactose as a substrate feeding. Thereat, the morphology and immunochemical properties of microbial cells obtained through modified preparation process do not differ from those produced in the control run. The optimization of the parameters for Y. pseudotuberculosis cell mass cultivation with subsequent upscaling has been performed.
Domestically-Produced Monoclonal-Antibody-Based Means of Diagnosing Particularly Dangerous Infections
Authors: Kretenchuk O. F.
Published: January 2022

Currently, great significance is attached to the preparation of diagnostic drugs based on specific immunoreagents, which include monoclonal antibodies produced by hybridomas. The use of monoclonal antibodies is one of the important approaches for the detection of pathogens of particularly dangerous infections – anthrax, brucellosis, tularemia, plague, cholera, glanders, and melioidosis. The review presents the main achievements of Russian scientists on obtaining such experimental drugs, and also pays attention to those sets of monoclonal reagents that are authorized in the Russian Federation. To date, three sets of reagents for detecting the causative agent of anthrax (latex agglutination, immunochromatographic method, multiplex immunofluorescence analysis) have been registered in our country on the basis of monoclonal antibodies; four sets of reagents for identifying the causative agent of tularemia (latex agglutination, immunochromatographic method, multiplex immunofluorescence analysis, dot-variant of enzyme immunoassay); three sets for the detection of plague microbe (enzyme immunoassay and immune chromatographic tests); five sets for cholera vibrios (slide agglutination, immunofluorescence, immune chromatographic method and enzyme immunoassay); two sets for the diagnosis of glanders and melioidosis (immunofluorescence); kits for detecting brucella have not been registered, there are only singular experimental designs. The involvement of modern drugs based on monoclonal antibodies in the diagnosis of particularly dangerous infections will improve the quality and reliability of laboratory analysis.
The Role of Outer Membrane Vesicles of Agents of Particularly Dangerous Infections in the Pathogenesis and Immunogenesis of Infectious Process
Authors: Aronova N. V. , Pavlovich N. V. , Tsimbalistova M. V. , Golovin S. N. , Anisimova A. S.
Published: January 2022

The literature review is devoted to the modern concepts of the vesiculation phenomenon and its biological role in pathogenic bacteria – causative agents of particularly dangerous human infections. Data on the production, structure, composition, and functions of the outer membrane vesicles (OMV) of bacteria have been summarized. In recent years, the interest of researchers in the formation of spherical structures (so called bubbles or vesicles) from outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria has significantly increased. Such structures are surrounded by the double layer of a phospholipid membrane, the outer layer of which is enriched with lipopolysaccharide molecules. The inner space of vesicles could include various antigens, receptors, adhesins, toxins, enzymes, porins, etc. The formation of vesicles by the outer membranes of bacteria is recognized as a normal physiological manifestation of bacterial activity aimed at adaptation to environmental conditions. The investigation of the biological role of OMV showed their connection with the pathogenesis and immunogenesis of bacterial diseases. The review provides information on the peculiarity of induction, OMV composition and their participation in the processes of patho- and immunogenesis of severe infections caused by groups I–II PBA – the gram-negative causative agents of plague, tularemia, brucellosis, glanders, melioidosis, cholera, and formation of extracellular vesicles in a gram-positive anthrax pathogen. The particular attention is paid to the issue of developing safe and effective next-generation vaccine preparations based on bacterial vesicles.
Psychoeducation on the Risks of Early Marriage to Reduce Early Marriage Intentions in Adolescents
Authors: Anwar Zainul , Rahmah Maulida
Published: January 2022

There are various reasons for someone to marry at an early age, one of which is the condition of someone who has a strong desire to marry at a young age. Early marriage intention is the tendency of a marriage that has a desire to marry at the age of teenagers or under the age of 20 years. The increasing intention of early marriage can be overcome, one of them is by providing psychoeducation. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of providing psychoeducation on early marriage in reducing the intention of early marriage in adolescents. The research subjects were 55 teenagers who were taken purposively. This research is a quasi-experimental research. This type of research uses a pre-experimental design method with the type of pre-test and post-test one group design. The results showed that there was a significant difference in scores for the treatment without psychoeducation and with the treatment with psychoeducation t (-39.305; p = 0.000 <0.05). Thus, it can be concluded that psychoeducation can be used to reduce early marriage intentions.
Religiosity, Emotional Intelligence, and Tawadhu in Postgraduate Students
Authors: Dias Salma Saraswati , Tiaranita Yola , Nashori Fuad
Published: January 2022

College students are those people who educate themselves in university, that makes them have more knowledge than other students. But unfortunately, the more knowledge they have, the more they like to brag about themselves. Many people with higher education degree tend to brag about themselves to others in order to get appreciation, acknowledgement and respect. Those behaviors are against Islamic value that teaches us to be humble to others. This humility is called tawadhu’ in Islam. The purpose of this research is to find out the effect of religiousity and emotional intelligence to tawadhu’ in post-graduate students of UII. The subject of this research are 117 post-graduate students of UII. Based on double-regression in SPSS version 16, there is a correlation between religiousity and emotional intelligence to tawadhu’ with signification value of 0,000 (p<0,05) and F score of 14,294.
The Dynamics of Sexual Orientation in Gays
Authors: Hidayah Fathul
Published: January 2022

There is a different group of people with certain sexual orientations inside a community. Sexual orientation is divided into three namely heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual. In this study, which trying to lift the topic of the dynamics of gay sexual orientation. Gay is a sexual inclination which men are intereted into fellow men. There is one thing that is most important in the dynamics of gay orientation, it is called the formation of sexual orientation identity. The purpose of this study is to know the full picture of the dynamics of sexual orientation on gays. This research uses qualitative research method with the design of case study about the life history type. Three Respondents are involved in this study, 1 person as the main respondent and 2 people as significant others. The results of this study indicate that there were several causes until the respondent becomes gay, when he was a 6 grader, he imitated the blue film he watched, then disappointed because he was betrayed by his female partner, and because of the environment that encouraged him to go deeper into the gay world.
Community Participation in Poverty Alleviation Efforts Based on Women's Empowerment through the P3EL Program in Sidoarjo Regency
Authors: Maryam Effy Wardati , Indriani Ririn Dewanti Dian Samudera
Published: January 2022

Women are the group most severely affected by poverty, especially in case of food insecurity. As a result of these conditions, pregnant mothers could malnutrition that can potentially give birth in poor mental or health condition. Poverty reduction is not merely the issue of capital and technical skills, but also how to evoke the feeling of being able to overcome problems of their lives in a dignified manner. Empowerment of poor women do in order to find the effort that poor women can actively participate in any activities for poverty alleviation. This study aims to assess community participation, particularly of women to poverty alleviation efforts based on empowerment. This research was descriptive-exploratory using primary data sources from interviews and secondary data sources of written documents on the implementation of the Programme P3EL in Sidoarjo. Subjects were members P3EL program in 2012 and the BPMPKB (particularly the PUE) as the implementing program. The results showed that the model of participation of members to poverty alleviation efforts based on the empowerment of women through P3EL program were in the form of energy, thoughts, and cooperation. While the participation factors underlying were egoism motivation and collectivism.
Resilience of Mothers Who Have Down Syndrome Children in Sidoarjo
Authors: Lestari Fiqqi Anggun , Mariyati Lely Ika
Published: January 2022

The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and resilience factors for mothers who have children experiencing Down Syndrome. That is factors that help mother finds the strength to face the problem. The method was a qualitative exploratory study using three subjects 30-45 years old mother who has a child with Down syndrome and has resilience. The determination of the subject used purposive sampling techniques and located in some places according to the agreement of subject and significant others. Data collection methods used were interviews equipped with general guidelines as well as the recording field. The results showed that each mother were different in terms of characteristics and resilience factors and differences in educational factors, economic and employment background. Factors that affected the subject resilience also have differences. Some of the factors supporting emerging resilience, the family support factor was the support obtained by the subject.
Sistem Informasi Akuntansi: Penerimaan Kas di Lembaga Zakat, Infaq, Shadaqah
Authors: Abidin Fityan Izzah Noor
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this research was to find out the application of accounting information systems at zakat, infaq, shadaqah institutions in an effort to improve internal control of cash receipts at LAZISMU Sidoarjo. In this research, the main focus is the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which was introduced by Davis in 1989, which is an adaptation of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) which is a theory to model user acceptance of technology. This research approach used a qualitative approach with primary data sources. Data collection was obtained from interviews, observations and documentation. data validity techniques with triangulation models. The results of the study stated that the application of accounting information systems in LAZISMU Sidoarjo Regency has used a central system, namely ZISKA software stands for (Zakat, Infaq, Sadaqah, and Humanity). The advantages of the system are more detailed. However, there are obstacles that occur such as network disruptions and to prevent the risk of data loss data backup is performed. To anticipate any recording errors on cash receipts, cross-checks and evaluation are conducted through meetings. The use of forms or documents has been numbered printed. Transparent financial statements to the public. Cash deposits to the bank are done every day and directly deposited on bank working days. There are some weaknesses in the internal control element.
Factors Stimulating Treatment in a Certified Breast or Prostate Cancer Center
Authors: Schirrmacher Raja , Hamann Ruben , Justenhoven Christina
Published: January 2022

The German Cancer Society (DKG) offers certification of oncological centres since 2003. Meanwhile more than 260 and more than 120 certified centres for breast and prostate cancer, respectively, exist in Germany. Aim of the herein performed investigation was the identification of factors that stimulate treatment of patients with breast or prostate cancer in a certified centre. This study was based on information available in the database of the Cancer Registry of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The impact of age, region of residence, tumor status, grading and presence of metastasis on patient’s decision with respect to a certain medical facility was analyzed by adjusted logistic regression. This investigation included data of 13,020 breast cancer and 10,904 prostate cancer patients diagnosed in the years 2016 to 2020. Overall, 59 % and 28 % of breast and prostate cancer patients, respectively, were treated in a DKG-certified centre. The analyses showed that residence in an urban region was associated with treatment in a certified centre (breast: OR 0.42, 95% CI (0.37-0.48); prostate: OR 0.46 95% CI (0.40-0.53)). In addition, older breast cancer patients were more often treated in hospitals without certificate (OR 1.13, 95% CI (1.04-1.24). Prostate cancer showed no association with age but early tumor stage (T1) were more often treated in hospitals without certificate (OR 1.23, 95% CI (1.03-1.46). In contrast, patients with more advanced tumors, T2 and T3, were likely to be reported by DKG-certified centres (OR 0.58, 95% CI (0.41-0.81) and OR 0.67, 95% CI (0.47-0.96), respectively). Most breast and more than a quarter of prostate cancer patients were treated in DKG-certified centres. The region of residence seemed to affect the decision for a certain facility for all patients. Whereas age at diagnosis and tumor status played a role for breast and prostate cancer patients, respectively.
Theoretical investigation of the complexation, structural, and electronic properties of complexes between oseltamivir drug and cucurbit[n = 6–9]urils
Authors: Rakrai Wandee , Tabtimsai Chanukorn , Kaewtong Chatthai , Wanno Banchob
Published: January 2022

The structural geometries of cucurbit[n]uril with n = 6–9 and their complexes with oseltamivir (OST) drug were obtained using the density functional theory computations. The stationary points of the most stable complexes were confirmed using vibrational frequency calculation. The complexation energies and electronic properties of CB[n]/OST complexes were investigated. The calculated results indicate that the intermolecular interactions in all the studied complexes occurring via a large number of dipole–dipole interactions, especially hydrogen bonds between oxygen atoms of CB[n] and hydrogen atoms of amine of oseltamivir drug. The negative complexation energies of CB[n]/OST complexes in both gas and water phases indicate that the host–guest complexes are exothermic process and the complexes are more stable than its bare CB[n]. In addition, the CB[7]/OST complex is more stable than that of all studied CB[n]/OST complexes. The frequency calculation results of the most stable complexes for each of CBs indicate that complexations are occurred via a spontaneous process. The NBO analysis of complexes shows the transferring of partial charge from CB[n]s to oseltamivir which correspond to their MEP contours. The HOMO and the LUMO orbitals are localized on the oseltamivir in CB[n]/OST complexes. After drug complexation, the electronic properties also display that, the energy gaps of CB[n] are significantly changed. All of the complexation properties point out here that CB[n]s can act as a host for appropriately oseltamivir guest, even in aqueous solution.
Securing medical data by role-based user policy with partially homomorphic encryption in AWS cloud
Authors: BOOMIJA  , S.V. Kasmir Raja
Published: January 2022

Cloud technology provides services for storing and accessing a large amount of data with ease of access and less cost. Sensitive data like patients' electronic health information should be encrypted before outsourcing into the cloud. Many traditional encryption methods are used for protecting data in the cloud, but unable to perform computation on encrypted data. Homomorphic encryption operates directly on the ciphertext. In this study, a Secure Partially Homomorphic Encryption (SPHE) algorithm is proposed to secure the outsourced data and perform multiplication and division operations on the ciphertext. The access control policy in the cloud environment is more flexible. An attacker can easily collect sensitive data by abusing the access policy of another user. So the database privacy is compromised. Creating a role hierarchy and managing the session is difficult in the cloud environment. The above issues motivate us to develop a model which is the integration of the proposed scheme SPHE with role-based user policy. The model is implemented in Eclipse IDE and AWS Toolkit for Eclipse and deployed in Amazon Elastic Beanstalk (EB) environment. This model is particularly used for securing the patient e-health details and performing computation on outsourced data. The patient details are encrypted by the algorithm SPHE and uploaded in AWS (Amazon Web Service) S3 bucket. The users are created by AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) service and the access level policy is defined based on user roles in EB environment. The proposed model performance is studied by comparing with other partially homomorphic methods Elgamal, Pailler, and Benaloh. This model achieves data integrity and data confidentiality using the role-based user policy with SPHE.
Effect of the presence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome related features on Anti-Mullerian Hormone and Androstenedione levels in adolescents with or without menstrual irregularity
Authors: HANEDAN Nurcan , Ersoy Betul , HANEDAN Candost , Özyurt Beyhan Cengiz , TANELİ Fatma
Published: January 2022

Purpose
To determine the variation in Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) and Androstenedione (A4) concentrations in adolescent girls, with or without menstrual cycle disorder in relation to phenotypic features of PCOS.
Methods
Adolescent girls (n=129), age range 14-19 years, were recruited in the cohort study. All participants were in the 4th or 5th year after menarche. Sixty-eight had menstrual irregularities, usually oligomenorrhea (OM), and 61 had regular menstruation (RM). AMH and A4 concentrations were measured. Hirsutism was recorded. Polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) was evaluated by transabdominal pelvic ultrasonography. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) features were defined according to Rotterdam consensus criteria.
Results
AMH and A4 were significantly higher in adolescent girls with OM than in girls with RM (p<0.05). A4 and body mass index (BMI) of adolescents with OM was significantly higher in those with hirsutism than those without hirsutism (p=0.01 and 0.008, respectively). There was a positive correlation between A4 and BMI (r: 0.327, p<0.01). Logistic regression showed that the frequency of OM in the presence of PCOM was 10.8 times (95% CI 2.04-12.09) compared to those without PCOM. The highest AMH concentrations were found in girls with OM, hirsutism, and PCOM (p<0.05).
Conclusions
AMH and A4 are elevated in adolescents with oligomenorrhoea. High A4 is more prominent in the presence of hirsutism and is associated with increased BMI. PCOM, increases the likelihood of oligomenorrhea by about 10 times. AMH increase as the combination of clinical features of PCOS increases in adolescents with menstrual irregularity.
The Impact of Peer Support on Testing, Linkage to and Engagement in HIV Care for People Who Inject Drugs in Indonesia: Qualitative Perspectives From a Community-led Study
Authors: Iryawan Arif Rachman , Stoicescu Claudia , Sjahrial Faisyal , Nio Kuntanto , Dominich Alexa
Published: January 2022

Introduction: People who inject drugs (PWID) in Indonesia are disproportionately affected by HIV, but tend to be diagnosed at a late stage of infection, delay initiation to and have poor rates of retention in antiretroviral treatment, resulting in high rates of morbidity and mortality. In addition to legal, policy and health system barriers, PWID may be hesitant to engage in HIV, treatment and care due to lack of knowledge, distrust of the health care system, and stigma related to their drug use and HIV status. Implementation of formal peer support initiatives may reduce provider- and PWID LHIV-level barriers and increase testing, linkage to, and engagement in HIV care among PWID.Methods: We conducted a community-led qualitative study to explore the impacts of peer support for PWID on HIV care access and engagement in Indonesia. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 participants in Jakarta and Bandung. Thematic analysis was used to explore how PWID living with HIV (PWID LHIV) (n=8), peer support workers (n=6), and service providers (n=6) perceived peer support provision by non-governmental organisations.Results: Participants unanimously described peer support as beneficial. Peer support workers were widely credited with facilitating access to HIV testing, referral to care, uptake of and adherence to antiretroviral treatment, as well as sustaining engagement in care for PWID. Support mechanisms that facilitated positive PWID LHIV experiences included provision of HIV knowledge and awareness, emotional support, help with navigating complex bureaucracy, developing trust in health care services, enhancing confidence and motivation, and supporting peers to navigate a wide range of health and social welfare services beyond HIV-related care.Conclusions: Findings indicate that peer support can enhance access to testing, linkage to, and engagement in HIV care for PWID LHIV in Indonesia. In a context of an ongoing HIV epidemic among people who use drugs, reduced funding and policy attention to HIV and harm reduction, there is an urgent need to prioritize peer support interventions to identify people who use drugs facing health risks and link them to appropriate services.
A Mega-Analysis of the Effects of Feedback on the Quality of Simulated Child Sexual Abuse Interviews with Avatars
Authors: Pompedda Francesco , Zhang Yikang , Haginoya Shumpei , Santtila Pekka
Published: January 2022

The present study aimed to test the effectiveness of giving feedback on simulated avatar interview training (Avatar Training) across different experiments and participant groups and to explore the effect of professional training and parenting experience by conducting a mega-analysis of previous studies. A total of 2,208 interviews containing 39,950 recommended and 36,622 non-recommended questions from 394 participants including European and Japanese students, psychologists, and police officers from nine studies were included in the mega-analysis. Experimental conditions were dummy-coded, and all dependent variables were coded in the same way as in the previously published studies. Professional experience and parenting experience were coded as dichotomous variables and used in moderation analyses. Linear mixed effects analyses demonstrated robust effects of feedback on increasing recommended questions and decreasing non-recommended questions, improving quality of details elicited from the avatar, and reaching a correct conclusion regarding the suspected abuse. Round-wise comparisons in the interviews involving feedback showed a continued increase of recommended questions and a continued decrease of non-recommended questions. Those with (vs. without) professional and parenting experience improved faster in the feedback group. These findings provide strong support for the robustness of Avatar Training.
Simulating inequalities in social care provision during the Covid-19 pandemic: an agent-based model
Authors: Gostoli Umberto , Silverman Eric
Published: January 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic is deeply affecting every aspect of people daily lives around the world, both through the effects of the virus itself and the related mitigation measures put into place by governments. However, the impact of the virus is not equal within each society, as an increasing number of empirical studies show that its effects at the individual level exhibit a social gradient of health, a phenomenon known to characterize many public health outcomes. In this paper, we investigate the effect of the pandemic and related mitigation policies on social care need and supply, using a proof-of-concept agent-based model (ABM). This ABM simulates agents’ socioeconomic status, kinship networks, and heterogeneous behavioural responses to the pandemic. We propose that such models may help policymakers develop more effective policies to mitigate viral spread, that can take into account the unequal impact of the pandemic on individuals in different socioeconomic status groups. The social care outcomes in the model also illustrate that policy solutions aimed at controlling the pandemic may have substantial effects on the level of unmet social care need.
Selective PROTAC-mediated degradation of SMARCA2 is efficacious in SMARCA4 mutant cancers
Authors: Yauch Robert , Cantley Jennifer , Ye Xiaofen , Rousseau Emma , Januario Tom , Hamman Brian , Rose Chris , Cheung Tommy , Hickle Trent , Soto Leofal , Quinn Connor , Harbin Alicia , Bortolon Elizabeth , Chen Xin , Haskell Roy , Lin Eva , Yu Shang-Fan , Del-Rosario Geoff , Chen Emily , Martin Scott , Merchant Mark , Grimmer Matthew , Broccatelli Fabio , Wang Jing , Pizzano Jennifer , Dragovich Peter , Berlin Michael
Published: January 2022

The mammalian SWI/SNF helicase SMARCA4 is frequently mutated in cancer and inactivation results in a cellular dependence on its paralog, SMARCA2, thus making SMARCA2 an attractive synthetic lethal target. However, published data indicates that achieving a high degree of selective SMARCA2 inhibition is likely essential to afford an acceptable therapeutic index, and realizing this objective has been challenging due to the homology with the SMARCA4 paralog. Herein we report the discovery of the first potent and selective SMARCA2 proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) molecule (A947). Selective SMARCA2 degradation was achieved in the absence of selective SMARCA2/4 PROTAC binding and translated to potent in vitro growth inhibition and in vivo efficacy in SMARCA4 mutant models, compared to wild type models. Global ubiquitin mapping and proteome profiling revealed no unexpected off-target degradation related to A947 treatment. Our study thus highlights the ability to transform a non-selective SMARCA2/4-binding ligand into a selective and efficacious in vivo SMARCA2-targeting PROTAC, and thereby provides a potential new therapeutic opportunity for patients whose tumors contain SMARCA4 mutations.
Evaluation of Flow Resistance in Gravel-Bed Channels with Bed-Load Transport by using Multi-Gene Genetic Programming
Authors: Kumar Satish , Pradhan Arpan , Khuntia Jnana Ranjan , Khatua Kishanjit Kumar
Published: January 2022

Evaluation of flow resistance is necessary for the computation of conveyance capacity in open channels. For the case of channels with bedload conditions, the significance of the friction factor is of paramount importance. The gravel-bed channel response for a bedload transport condition in terms of flow resistance is distinct from that of a fixed bed and requires a different evaluation technique. The paper studies the different empirical approaches by various authors to determine the friction factor under bedload transport conditions and proposes an expression using genetic programming to derive the same. Flow resistance in the bedload transport condition is affected by various hydraulic as well as geometric parameters. In the present study, the factors proposed to be influencing friction factor for such a flow condition are undertaken as bed slope, relative submergence depth, aspect ratio, Reynolds number, and Froude number. A wide range of experimental datasets is used to determine the effect of these influencing parameters. The predictability of the proposed model is compared to the various empirical equations in literature. The proposed model is observed to effectively predict the friction factor for a wide range of datasets, unlike the existing models. The evaluated value of the friction factor from different models is used to validate the conveyance capacity of a river. The developed Multi-Gene Genetic Programming (MGGP) model is observed to reasonably predict discharge in the river, signifying that the model is competent to be applied to field study, within the specified range of parameters.
Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, and Maternal and Child Health Services, Uganda, 2020
Authors: Emong Daniel Jacob , Wadunde Ignatius , Kadobera Daniel , Bulage Lilian , Kabwama Steven Ndugwa , Ario Alex Riolexus
Published: January 2022

Background: Access to healthcare services has been severely compromised in many countries by the COVID-19 pandemic. By June 30, 2020 Uganda had not gathered enough information on the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare services. We assessed the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Tuberculosis (TB), Malaria, and Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional assessment during July 2020 in randomly selected health facilities across the four geographical regions of Uganda. We abstracted data on the number of clients seeking healthcare services from, the Out-Patient Department (OPD), HIV, TB, malaria, and MCH facility registers before (January-February) and during (April-May) the pandemic. We compared the outcomes before and during using the paired t-test. Results: We assessed 28 facilities. There was a significant decrease in average outpatient department total attendances from (M=5,529, SD=6541.2) before compared to (M=3576, SD=4345.6) during COVID-19 pandemic (P=0.0031). Similarly, the average number screened for TB significantly decreased from (M=2822, SD=5409.2) to (M=1300, SD=2525.5) P=0.040 and ANC 1st contacts from (M=200 SD=207.8) before to (M=137, SD=133.3) during COVID-19 pandemic p = 0.015. Conclusion: A significant number of the population may not have readily accessed healthcare services during the pandemic especially those with long term illnesses like TB and HIV. We developed Information, Education and Communication materials and conducted a catch-up campaign for TB. Awareness creation among service providers on reduced intake of HIV and MCH services during COVID-pandemic is needed for enhancement of community education.
The Polymorphism of Producing Public Goods in an Evolutionary Volunteer's Dilemma Game
Authors: Guo Zi-Xuan , Perc Matjaž , Li Qing-Ming , Shi Lei , Wang Rui-Wu , He Jun-Zhou
Published: January 2022

There is an inconsistency between theory and observations with regards to the contributions of strong and weak players to the public goods. Theory suggests that contributors are either strong players in asymmetric games or cooperative players in symmetric games, but experiments indicate that the weak players in asymmetric systems also contribute to public goods. To reconciling these conflicts, we here study an evolutionary volunteer's dilemma game by assuming different roles can be interchangeable. In this model, the evolutionary dynamics shows the dynamics of multiple equilibria that depend on initial conditions, which can be interpreted as the production modes of public goods under different circumstances. Precisely, we find that the survival of strong individuals with mixed strategies is associated with two different outcomes. One result is equal to Selten's (1980) model, and public goods are produced by strong players if the defectors are weak players, where strong defectors are scarce in the initial condition. In another result, the weak individuals with mixed strategies produce public goods if the defectors are strong individuals, where the strong cooperators are absent in the initial condition. Concretely, the game degenerates to a mixed population of strong individuals with the weak players going extinct, and the weak defectors are scarce in the initial condition. The studied evolutionary game may help to explain the emergence of diverse forms of cooperation in asymmetric evolutionary games.