bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Orientación de la formación del modo de actuación atención médica integral: una estrategia pedagógica desde la teoría de la formación por etapas de las acciones mentales
Authors: Méndez Miguel Angel Toledo , Cabrera Ruiz Isaac Iran
Published: August 2020

El artículo propone una estrategia pedagógica para la formación del modo de actuación atención médica integral desde la teoría de la formación por etapas de las acciones mentales. La principal contribución y novedad radica en que posibilita la vinculación de la disciplina Psicología al proceso de formación del modo de actuación atención médica integral, mediante una lógica donde se relacionan invariantes de habilidades y acciones específicas en respuesta a las habilidades profesionales y acciones generalizadas de dispensarización, análisis de la situación de salud, diagnóstico e intervención, que determina los esquemas de bases orientadoras para la creación de las condiciones que intervienen en la formación de las acciones a concretar a través del componente laboral y en interacción con los componentes académico e investigativo. Los resultados forman parte de una investigación realizada entre los años 2016 y 2019 y coordinada entre la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas y la Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, ambas radicadas en Villa Clara, Cuba.
Assimilação de conceitos na Matemática: uma possibilidade metodológica aplicada ao ensino a distância
Authors: Farias Severina Andréa Dantas de , Rêgo Rogéria Gaudencio do
Published: August 2020

Este trabalho propõe uma discussão metodológica de ensino aplicada ao curso de Licenciatura em Matemática a distância da Universidade Federal da Paraíba, a partir da Teoria da Aproximação da Atividade e da Resolução de Problemas, com foco no estudo de triângulos, em Geometria. A pesquisa foi de caráter exploratório, do tipo quantitativo e qualitativo, na qual foram utilizados vários instrumentos para produção e aquisição de dados. Participaram de todas as etapas do estudo, que teve duração de oito meses consecutivos, 31 estudantes do 5º período do Curso investigado. Os resultados indicaram que as metodologias utilizadas foram relevantes para o desenvolvimento das tarefas matemáticas propostas aos participantes. Concluímos que as teorias discutidas contribuíram efetivamente para a assimilação conceitual trabalhada junto aos sujeitos da pesquisa.
Long-term follow-up of cystic thyroid nodules treated with percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) using two different approaches
Authors: Deandrea M , Trimboli P , Creanza A , Garino F , Mormile A , Bertolino S , Garberoglio R , Limone P P , Zingrillo M
Published: August 2020

Background and aim:

Cystic thyroid nodules (CNs), although generally benign, can cause compressive or aesthetic problems. Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) can represent an alternative to surgery. The present retrospective study evaluates: (i) the long-term outcome of CNs after PEI; (ii) the differences between two different PEI protocols; (iii) the CNs response according to the liquid component.

Materials and methods:

The study comprises 358 nodules post-PEI followed for at least 2 years. PEI was performed according to two different treatment protocols with a single (Foggia) or double (Turin) alcohol injection. CNs were divided according to their composition: cystic (CYS) >90%, mainly cystic (M-CYS) 75–90%, mixed (MIX) 50–75%, solid-mixed (S-MIX) 35-50%. The volume reduction rate (VRR) was defined as nodule volume (mL) after PEI/nodule volume (mL) before PEI x 100.

Results:

The 1-year VRR was significantly higher than that at 6 months (89.5% vs 72.9%, P = 0.0005), no differences were observed after 1 year. A significant difference between Turin and Foggia was observed only in VRR at early visit (79% vs 86%, respectively, P = 0.002) and recurrence rate (14% vs 24%, respectively, P = 0.001). Minor side-effects were infrequent. In 192 nodules with a 10-year follow-up CYS showed higher VRR than MIX and S-MIX nodules (P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Our study reported that the long-term outcome of CNs treated with PEI is excellent regardless of the PEI technique utilized; the larger the cystic amount, the higher the VRR. Based on present results, PEI can be considered as the first-line choice for treating thyroid CNs.
Prediction of soil unconfined compressive strength using Artificial Neural Network Model
Authors: Le Hoang-Anh , Nguyen Thuy-Anh , Nguyen Duc-Dam , Prakash Indra
Published: August 2020

The main objective of the present study is to apply Artificial Neural Network (ANN), which is one of the most popular machine learning models, to accurately predict the soil unconfined compressive strength (qu) for the use in designing of foundations of civil engineering structures. For the development of model, data of 118 soil samples were collected from Long Phu 1 power plant project, Soc Trang Province, Vietnam. The database of physicomechanical properties of soils was prepared for the model study, where 70% data was used for the training and 30% for the testing of the model. Standard statistical indices, namely Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and Pearson Correlation Coefficient (R) were used in the validation of the model’s performance. In addition, Partial Dependence Plots (PDP) was used to evaluate the importance of the input variables used for modeling. Results showed that the ANN model performed well for the prediction of the qu (RMSE = 0.442 and R = 0.861). The PDP analysis showed that the liquid limit is the most important input factor for modeling of the qu. The present study demonstrated that the ANN is a promising tool that can be used for quick and accurate prediction of the qu, which can be used in designing the civil engineering structures like bridges, buildings, and powerhouses.
Image Captioning using Facial Expression and Attention
Authors: Mohamad Nezami Omid , Dras Mark , Wan Stephen , Paris Cecile
Published: August 2020

Benefiting from advances in machine vision and natural language processing techniques, current image captioning systems are able to generate detailed visual descriptions. For the most part, these descriptions represent an objective characterisation of the image, although some models do incorporate subjective aspects related to the observer’s view of the image, such as sentiment; current models, however, usually do not consider the emotional content of images during the caption generation process. This paper addresses this issue by proposing novel image captioning models which use facial expression features to generate image captions. The models generate image captions using long short-term memory networks applying facial features in addition to other visual features at different time steps. We compare a comprehensive collection of image captioning models with and without facial features using all standard evaluation metrics. The evaluation metrics indicate that applying facial features with an attention mechanism achieves the best performance, showing more expressive and more correlated image captions, on an image caption dataset extracted from the standard Flickr 30K dataset, consisting of around 11K images containing faces. An analysis of the generated captions finds that, perhaps unexpectedly, the improvement in caption quality appears to come not from the addition of adjectives linked to emotional aspects of the images, but from more variety in the actions described in the captions.
Domain-Specific Antibodies Reveal Differences in the Membrane Topologies of Apolipoprotein L1 in Serum and Podocytes
Authors: Gupta Nidhi , Wang Xinhua , Wen Xiaohui , Moran Paul , Paluch Maciej , Hass Philip E. , Heidersbach Amy , Haley Benjamin , Kirchhofer Daniel , Brezski Randall J. , Peterson Andrew S. , Scales Suzie J.
Published: August 2020

Significance Statement

Two variants of circulating APOL1, G1 and G2, protect against subspecies of Trypanosoma brucei infection, but concurrently confer a greater risk of CKD. Little is known about the topology of APOL1 in HDL particles or on the podocyte cells affected in kidney disease. Antibodies generated along the length of APOL1 revealed differences of the exposed domains between serum and podocyte surface APOL1 topologies. These are the first direct insights into APOL1 conformations in physiological settings and have implications for development of APOL1-targeted drugs for APOL1 nephropathies.

Background

Circulating APOL1 lyses trypanosomes, protecting against human sleeping sickness. Two common African gene variants of APOL1, G1 and G2, protect against infection by species of trypanosomes that resist wild-type APOL1. At the same time, the protection predisposes humans to CKD, an elegant example of balanced polymorphism. However, the exact mechanism of APOL1-mediated podocyte damage is not clear, including APOL1's subcellular localization, topology, and whether the damage is related to trypanolysis.

Methods

APOL1 topology in serum (HDL particles) and in kidney podocytes was mapped with flow cytometry, immunoprecipitation, and trypanolysis assays that tracked 170 APOL1 domain-specific monoclonal antibodies. APOL1 knockout podocytes confirmed antibody specificity.

Results

APOL1 localizes to the surface of podocytes, with most of the pore-forming domain (PFD) and C terminus of the Serum Resistance Associated-interacting domain (SRA-ID), but not the membrane-addressing domain (MAD), being exposed. In contrast, differential trypanolytic blocking activity reveals that the MAD is exposed in serum APOL1, with less of the PFD accessible. Low pH did not detectably alter the gross topology of APOL1, as determined by antibody accessibility, in serum or on podocytes.

Conclusions

Our antibodies highlighted different conformations of native APOL1 topology in serum (HDL particles) and at the podocyte surface. Our findings support the surface ion channel model for APOL1 risk variant–mediated podocyte injury, as well as providing domain accessibility information for designing APOL1-targeted therapeutics.
18. Yüzyıl Sonunda Ayanlık Siyaseti ve Germiyanzâdeler
Authors: Dağlı Murat
Published: August 2020

Ayanlar Osmanlı tarihinin en çok ve belki de en iyi çalışılmış alanlarından biri
olmaya adaydır. Hem somut tarihi hem de daha kuramsal yaklaşımlar bu çalışma
alanını genişletse de, araştırmalar genellikle söz konusu olanlar 18. yüzyılın güçlü
ayanları, dolayısıyla görece güçsüz ayanlar hakkında bilgimiz sınırlıdır. Bu yazı
ayanlarla ilgili bilgi birikime bir katkı yapmayı amaçlar. Yazının esas amacı Kütahya
ayanlarından Germiyanzâdeler’in 18. yüzyılın sonunda ve 19. yüzyılın başındaki
durumları hakkındaki bilgimizi ilerletmek ve bölgedeki diğer ayanlar arasındaki
rekabet, merkez-çevre ilişkilerinin dinamiği ve 18. yüzyıl sonundaki mali ve idari
politikaların ekonomik ve sosyal dönüşüme etkileri gibi daha genel tartışmalar için
bazı tespitlerde de bulunmaktır.
Birinci Dünya Savaşı’nda Erzurum’un İşgali: Rus Basını ve Literatürüne Göre İşgalin Rusya’da ve Dünyada Yankılanması
Authors: Sadıgov Ramin
Published: August 2020

Birinci Dünya Savaşı’nda Osmanlı Devleti’nin savaştığı önemli cephelerden
birisi, şüphesiz Kafkas Cephesi olmuştur. Diğer cephelere kıyasla doğrudan Anadolu’nun
merkezine yönelecek saldırılara açık olması sebebiyle Osmanlı ve Çarlık
Rusya’sı bu cepheyi önemsemiştir. Erzurum 1828-1829 Osmanlı-Rus Harbi’nden
itibaren Rusya’nın hedefi haline gelmiştir. I. Dünya Savaşı sırasında da Rusya’nın
Kafkas Cephesi’nde öncelikli amacı Erzurum’u ele geçirmek olmuştur. Şehrin Osmanlı
III. Ordusunun ana karargahı olması ve yalnız Doğu Anadolu’da değil, aynı
zamanda Kafkasya ve Irak bölgesindeki Türk ordusunun operasyonları için ikmal
sağlayan bir kale rolü üstlenmesi Rusların Erzurum üzerine taarruz yapmalarının
nedenine çevrilmiştir.
Şüphesiz şimdiye kadar Erzurum’un işgaliyle ilgili Türkiye’de birtakım ilmi çalışmalar
yapılmıştır. Lakin Erzurum gibi önemli bir kalenin işgalinin, dönemin Rus basını
ve literatüründe nasıl aktarıldığı, Rusya ile dünyada ne şekilde yankılandığı hususu
üzerinde durulmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Bu nedenle çalışmada, dönemin Rus basını
ile literatürünün işgale yanaşması, işgalin Rusya’da ve dünyada yankılanması incelenmiştir.
An Attempt to Restore the Ordinary Death to the Visual Realm—Artistic, Therapeutic, and Ethical Aspects of the Post-Mortem Photography of Children in the 21st Century. Short Introduction
Authors: Lange Łucja
Published: August 2020

Post-mortem photography was a transcendental element in the 19th century, which not only democratized portraiture, but also helped in the bereavement process. The comeback of post-mortem photography as a psychological tool helping parents of deceased children to cope with death was only a matter of time. The role and importance of memento-moris has to be taken into account in order to make significant changes in the grieving process, but all of the aspects of this kind of photography need to be considered. The artistic, therapeutic, and ethical dimensions of post-mortem photography in the 21st century has its rules, and those rules need to be followed. The article constitutes only a part of the research devoted to the bereavement process from a sociological perspective.
Investigation of Shear Strength of Prefailed Overconsolidated Clayey Slopes by Fast Shearing
Authors: Kırım Gültekin , Cebeci Alper
Published: August 2020

Clayey soils might be investigated since the days of the beginning of the geotechnical science. The behaviour of the clays under different loading and environmental conditions is still under investigation. This study is dealing with the pre-failed soil slopes consist of high and low plastic overconsolidated clays. After failure of a slope, the thought of “soil strength reduces its residual strength” has found general acceptance and residual strength is applied to the calculations of the stability of pre-failed slopes. At this point, the question comes to the minds; if the slope formed with clayey soil or more specifically, high or low plastic overconsolidated clays, what would be the difference in shear behaviour after failure? That is the main point of this study. In the tests, Kaolin clay is used for low plastic samples and 50% Kaolin + 50% Bentonite in weight are used for high plastic clay samples. As testing steps; first, samples are over-consolidated, then sheared until their residual strengths and finally tested after a certain time at the highest rate of shearing of the apparatus. At the end of the 30 (thirty) tests, the results are obtained as expected. High plastic samples could serve lower strength values under the same normal stress; however, the interesting result was about the difference in values between the residual strength and the shear strength at a higher rate of shearing.
CQ-free optimality conditions and strong dual formulations for a special conic optimization problem
Authors: Kostyukova Olga , Tchemisova Tatiana V.
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we consider a special class of conic optimization problems, consisting of set-semidefinite(or K-semidefinite) programming problems, where the set K is a polyhedral convex cone.

For these problems, we introduce the concept of immobile indices and study the properties of the set of normalized immobile indices and the feasible set. This study provides the main result of the paper, which is to formulate and prove the new first-order optimality conditions in the form of a criterion. The optimality conditions are explicit and do not use any constraint qualifications. For the case of a linear cost function, we reformulate the K-semidefinite problem in a regularized form and construct its dual. We show that the pair of the primal and dual regularized problems satisfies the strong duality relation which means that the duality gap is vanishing.
Intracranial Hemorrhage in Patients With Hemophilia A
Authors: Budi Nugroho Setia , Airlangga Prananda Surya , Semedi Bambang Pujo
Published: August 2020

Introduction: Intracranial hemorrhage in inherited bleeding disorders is a medical emergency. The location of bleeding in most children is subdural and the most common cause is hemophilia. Although intracranial bleeding that occurs in people with hemophilia ranges from less than 5% of events, it is a life-threatening medical emergency so appropriate treatment is needed. Case Report: A boy patient 11 years old, 20kg weights have a seizure at home and followed by a decrease in consciousness. It was founded abnormalities in the form of anemia, prolonged FH (PPT 4x and APTT 4x), and hypocalcemia. The patient then was given main therapy; FVIII 100 IU/dL according to the FVIII target level calculated. The therapy continued with 500IU/12 hours according to the daily target of FVIII 50IU/dL. Discussion: The patient’s condition was getting better day by day. The patient’s consciousness started to improve after 14 days of postoperative. One month after that, the patient received koate treatment as the episodic handler. Diagnosing the exact cause in patients who have intracranial hemorrhage provides appropriate management so that the patients could be helped. Conclusion: Good collaboration between anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons, and pediatrics will increase the probability of successful management of critical bleeding without major sequelae.
Long-Term Habitual Exercise and Combination of β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate Plus Black Ginger Maintain Muscle Health in SAMP8 Mice
Authors: Aoki Kai , Konno Masaki , Tokinoya Katsuyuki , Honda Katsunari , Abe Takuya , Nagata Takeshi , Takehara Masaaki , Sugasawa Takehito , Takekoshi Kazuhiro , Ohmori Hajime
Published: August 2020

Muscle mass and strength decrease with aging, but habitual exercise can maintain muscle health. β-Hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate calcium (HMB) and black ginger (BG) are anti-oxidants that have been reported to improve muscle protein metabolism and energy production; these molecules may have synergistic effects. The senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 8 (SAMP8) model is a useful model of muscle aging. Therefore, in this study, we explored how the combination of habitual exercise, HMB, and BG affected muscle aging. We used 28-week-old SAMP8 mice divided into five groups: control, exercise (Ex), Ex+BG, Ex+HMB, and Ex+BG+HMB (Ex+Comb). Mice were required to run on a treadmill for 16 weeks at 5 days per week. In 44-week-old mice, grip strength tests and dissection were conducted. Muscle weight was measured, and the gastrocnemius muscle was subjected to quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting. Muscle mass and strength were preserved in the Ex+Comb group, and mitochondrial function was preserved through suppressing oxidative stress. Muscle protein synthesis signaling was improved in the Ex+Comb group. Autophagy and the ubiquitin system were normalized by Ex+Comb treatment. Overall, habitual exercise and HMB plus BG treatment maintained muscle health by suppressing oxidative stress, preserving mitochondrial function, and maintaining muscle protein metabolism in SAMP8 mice.
Intestine Microbiota of Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) and Pied Crow (Corvus albus) in Kinshasa City: A Risk Factor for Public Health?
Authors: Kisasa Robert , Nduaya Clarisse , Liesse Jean Marie , Mbundu Cyprien
Published: August 2020

Purpose: Our study focused on Pied Grow and Cattle Egret, two commensal and ubiquitous birds feeding in dumps and frequenting our homes. Our aim was to identify the bacteria that birds bring to our homes and could be a potential risk to Congolese health. Method: We have done bacteriological analyses of bird feces for to explore its gut micriobiota composition. The feces were collected in the uricotelic cloaca by using a swab in 52 Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) and 23 Pied Crows (Corvus albus) from Kinshasa city. Results: Bacteriological analyses revealed the presence of Proteus vulgaris (3.8%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.8%) on Cattle Egret, Salmonella sp. (8.7%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.7%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21.7%), Proteus vulgaris (30.4%) on Pied Crow, Citrobacter spp and Escherichia coli (100%) on both Cattle Egret and Pied Crow respectively. Conclusion: The presence of these pathogenic germs, suggesting these commensal and ubiquitous birds may be potential vectors of various Diseases which pose serious health problems in the region.
A Study on the Braided Fabrication of Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor
Authors: Lee joohyeon
Published: August 2020

This study's objective was to propose the use of textile braiding manufacturing methods, thus facilitating the application of the high precision and accurate measurability of optical fiber Bragg grating sensors to various structures.The purpose of this study was to Combine 3d braid processing with the optical Bragg grating sensor's accurate metrology. Out of limits of the sensor's epoxy attachment methods, the textile braiding method can make applicable scope diversify. The braiding processing is capable of designing a 3D fabric module processing, multiple objective mechanical fiber arrangement, and material characteristics. Optical stress-strain response conditions were explored through the optimization of design elements between the Bragg grating sensor and braiding. For this study, Bragg grating sensors were located 75% apart from the fiber center. The sensor core structure is helical of 1.54 pitch. A polyurethane synthetic yarn was braided together with the sensor on the Weaving machine core part in a braiding.Prototyping results, a negative Poisson's ratio makes curled the braided Bragg grating sensor. The number of polyurethan string yarns has been conducted the role of wrap angle in braiding. The 12 strands condition showed an increase in double stress-strain response rate at a Poisson ratio of 1.3%, and 16 strands condition was found to affect the sensor with noise at a Poisson ratio of 1.5%. This study can suggest applying braid processing of the Bragg grating sensor, which is expected to create and develop a new monitoring sensor.
The Current Status of Halophila beccarii: An Ecologically Significant, Yet Vulnerable Seagrass of India
Authors: Mishra Amrit Kumar , Apte Deepak
Published: August 2020

We reviewed the current status of a Vulnerable seagrass, Halophila beccarii from the coast of India using the published data from 1977-2020. We found that the seagrass, H. beccarii has a pan India distribution on both east and west coast. It is abundant in the intertidal silty-muddy region on the west coast, while on the east coast it is found on sandy habitats, with few exceptions of muddy habitat. H. beccarii was found to be associated with mangroves or smaller seagrass species within a depth limit of 1.7m. Low salinity and high nitrate levels were observed for the H. beccarii meadows of the west coast due to its association with mangroves. The nutrient levels in H. beccarii meadows of India were comparatively lower than other seagrass meadows. Most of the research on H. beccarii has focoused on its morphometrics (41%), reproductive (33%) and distribution (29%) along the coast of India. Reproductive traits such as flowering and fruiting varying according to the seasons of each coast due to the influence of monsoon and its associated temperature, salinity and nutrient influx. H. beccarii has a great potential of various bioactive compounds, which needs further investigation. Habitat disturbance, anthropogenic pollution and coastal development are the major cause of declining H. beccarii ecosystems in India. Significant loss of the seagrass was observed from the west coast of India due to increased coastal development activities. There is a significant need in quantifying H. beccarii population trends, impact of climate and anthropogenic stressors, economic values of ecosystem services and the role of ecological connectivity for better conservation and management of H. beccarii seascapes across India. There is a need for integration of research outcomes in policy framing for preventing the decline and further loss of this vulnerable seagrass ecosystem.
CONSTRUCTIVE DIALECTIC OF FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION MODEL INTEGRATED WITH CRITICAL THINGKING IN AFFIRMATION LITERACY SKILL
Authors: Baharun Hasan , Muali Chusnul
Published: August 2020

This paper presents the effectiveness of focus group Discussion and critical thinking model on literacy skills of educational supervisor in Ministry of Religious Affairs, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia. This study adopts a quantitative research approach and uses a a quasi-experimental quasi-experimental study with a randomized pretest-post-test with control group design. The study shows that there are differences of literacy ability in education supervisor in Ministry of Religious Affairs, Probolinggo between focus group discussion (FGD) with critical thinking literacy ability. The focus group discussion approach is more effective in improving literacy skill. The scientific work shown with the average post test score is higher than the treatment-treated class of critical thinking.
Effect of Rutin on Diabetic Auditory Neuropathy in an Experimental Rat Model
Authors: Doostkam Aida , Mirkhani Hossein , Iravani Kamyar , Karbalay-Doust Saied , Zarei Kazem
Published: August 2020

Objectives. Diabetic auditory neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus that has a major impact on patients’ quality of life. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of rutin in treating diabetic auditory neuropathy in an experimental rat model.Methods. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the following groups: group 1, control; group 2, diabetic rats; and groups 3–5, rats treated with rutin (at doses of 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg, respectively). We used auditory brain stem response, stereology of the spiral ganglion, and measurements of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) to evaluate the effects of treatment.Results. Significant improvements in auditory neuropathy were observed in the rutin-treated groups in comparison with the diabetic group (P<0.05). Auditory threshold, wave latency, wave morphology, the volume and number of neurons in the spiral ganglion, and SOD and MDA activity showed improvements following treatment.Conclusion. Rutin shows promise as a treatment modality for diabetic auditory neuropathy, but more trials are warranted for its clinical application.
Sustainable Energy Transitions: Overcoming Negative Externalities
Authors: Pysmenna U. Yе. , Trypolska G. S.
Published: August 2020

Nowadays the world energy system faces numerous transitions and shifts of the existing socio-technical regimes towards higher sustainability. Along with it, the sustainable transitions are often being postponed, slowed down or rejected to avoid negative externalities that could threaten the system stability. In this study, we aim to reach the deeper understanding of the externalities of energy transitions and the vulnerability of energy systems under the influence of negative externalities caused by sustainable energy transitions. Using the Externality theory (Baumol, Oates), Sociotechnical transition theory (Geels), as well as Energy sustainability Trilemma Method for the evaluation of the sustainability of energy systems we argue that such externalities need to be treated (internalized, avoided) by special policy measures other than common (classical) ways which may cause slowing down of sustainability transitions and make extra barriers for them. Transitions to more clean and low-carbon energy systems using energy technologies such as solar, wind, small hydro, biomass, waste management, e-vehicles are in the scope of this paper. It classifies the wide range of policy methods (classical and new) being applied separately and simultaneously, and analyses their application in energy policies designing aimed to combat negative externalities of energy sustainability transitions worldwide, so they might be minimized by properly tailored energy policy in each particular case.
Orthogonal Components Forming of the Microprocessor-Based Protection Input Signals
Authors: Romaniuk F. A. , Rumiantsev V. Yu. , Rumiantsev Yu. V. , Kachenya V. S.
Published: August 2020

The use of orthogonal components (OS) is the main direction of determining information parameters in microprocessor relay protection and automation of electric power systems. Most of the measuring devices used in modern protection and automation devices can be implemented using known operating systems. Digital non-recursive frequency filters based on discrete Fourier transform are used for OS selection. The main disadvantage of these filters is their low performance that exceeds the period of industrial frequency. For the construction of high-speed measuring devices, this time of establishing the true output signal is often unacceptable. The article proposes to form the equivalent signal OS in microprocessor defenses based on the values of the cosine and sine axes of the main harmonic formed using a discrete Fourier transform, by multiplying them by a correction factor, which is a function of the values of the input signal amplitude and its main harmonic. The proposed algorithm for generating OS input signals in microprocessor defenses is characterized by high performance in transient modes and has wide functionality. A block diagram of an OS equivalent signal generator has been developed, all blocks of which can be implemented according to known schemes on a microelectronic and microprocessor element base. The OS shaper model is implemented in the MatLab-Simulink dynamic modeling environment. The model functioning was checked using two types of test actions, viz. a sinusoidal signal with a frequency of 50 Hz (idealized action) and a signal close to the real secondary current of a short-circuit current transformer. As a result of the performed calculations, a significant (up to two times) in the speed of the proposed method of OS formation in comparison with the formers based on the discrete Fourier transform, frequency properties of both formers being identical.
Specific Features of Calculating the Radiant Component of the Heat Flow of Horizontal Bunch from Finned Tubes with Exhaust Shaft
Authors: Sukhotski A. B. , Marshalova G. S. , Danil’chik Е. S.
Published: August 2020

The article discusses the heat exchange of radiation of bunches of round finned tubes with the environment and the exhaust shaft. The system of equations describing the entire set of primary processes that make up the radiation heat exchange of finned bundles is very complex mathematically; therefore, the calculations of radiant heat transfer are usually based on a number of simplifying assumptions with a involuntarily distortion of the real physical picture. The main methods for calculating radiation used in engineering practice, viz. calculation by the average angular coefficient and the zonal method are briefly considered. A refined zonal method for calculating the radiant component of the heat flow of a horizontal bunch of finned tubes with an exhaust shaft is proposed. An experimental study of single-row bunches of finned tubes with different annular steps S1 (64 and 70 mm) was carried out for small Reynolds numbers Re = 130–720 in a wide range of the determining temperature at the beam inlet (16–83 °C). The aluminum finning of the bunch tube had the following parameters: screw finning diameter d = 0.0568 m; diameter of the tube at the base d0 = 0.0264 m; height, step and average fin thickness, respectively, h = 0.0152 m, s = 0.00243 m and Δ = 0.00055 m. Air movement in the bunch was carried out by gravitational traction created by a rectangular exhaust shaft. The experimental bunch was installed above the shaft, and the air was preheated before entering the shaft, which allowed expanding the temperature range of the air at the entrance to the bunch. It was found that incorrect accounting for a bunch reemission with an exhaust shaft when calculating single-row finned bunches causes a decrease in convective heat transfer by 7–25 %.
Effect of acupuncture on women with poor ovarian response: study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial
Authors: Fang yigong , Xu huanfang , Zheng chensi , He liyun , Su tongsheng , Wang huidan , Li yu , Zhao cui , Zhang cuilian , Bai yang , Tong guoqing , Chen li , Zhao fang , Yang huisheng , Hao mingzhao , Yin yaqian , Yang li , Liu baoyan
Published: August 2020

Background: Poor ovarian response (POR), a manifestation of low ovarian reserve and ovarian aging, leads to a significant reduction in the pregnancy rate after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Acupuncture has increasingly been used to improve the ovarian reserve. The purpose of this study will be to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on increasing the number of retrieved oocytes after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in women with POR.Methods: This will be a multicenter randomized controlled trial. A total of 140 women with POR will be randomly assigned to receive acupuncture or nontreatment for 12 weeks before controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. The primary outcome will be the number of retrieved oocytes. The secondary outcomes will be antral follicle counts, serum levels of anti-Müllerian hormone, basal serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and estradiol levels, scores from the self-rating anxiety scale, fertilization rates, cleavage rates, available embryo rates and high-quality embryo rates. The safety of acupuncture will also be assessed.Discussion: The results of this trial will help to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of POR. This may provide a new treatment option for patients with POR and their physicians.Trial registration: AMCTR-IPR-18000198. Registered on 10 August 2018, http://www.acmctr.org/showproj.aspx?proj=289
Multidrug resistant and extensively drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii hospital infection associated with high mortality: A retrospective study in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Shi Jingyi , Sun Ting , Cui Yun , Wang Chunxia , Wang Fei , Zhou Yiping , Miao Huijie , Shan Yijun , Zhang Yucai
Published: August 2020

Background Multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii presents challenges for clinical treatment and causes high mortality in children. We aimed to assess the risk factors and overall mortality for MDR/XDR Acinetobacter baumannii infected pediatric patients. Methods This retrospective study included 102 pediatric patients who developed MDR/XDR Acinetobacter baumannii infection in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of Shanghai Children’s Hospital in China from December 2014 to May 2018. Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates were recovered from different specimens including blood, sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, ascites, hydrothorax, and urine. Antibiotic susceptibility test was determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute interpretive criteria. Clinical and biological data were obtained from the patients’ medical records.Results 102 patients with Acinetobacter baumannii infection were enrolled. The median age was 36 (9.6, 98.8) months, and there were 63 male in the case group. The overall mortality rate was 29.4%, while the Acinetobacter baumannii-associated mortality rate was 16.7% (17/102, 12 bloodstream infections, 4 meningitis and 1 intra-abdominal infection). Bloodstream infections occurred in 28 patients (27.5%), and 10 patients (9.8%) among them had central line-associated bloodstream infections (6 central venous catheters, 2 PICCs, 1 venous infusion port and 1 arterial catheter). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cultures were positive in 4(3.9%) patients. 14(13.7%) patients got positive cultures in ascites and hydrothorax. Lower respiratory isolates (56/102) accounted for 54.9% of all patients. Non-survival patients appeared to have a lower NK cell activity (6.2%±3.61% vs. 9.15%±6.21%, P =0.029), higher CD4+ T cell ratio (39.67%±12.18% vs. 32.66%±11.44%, P = 0.039),and a higher serum level of interlukin-8 (IL-8, 15.25 (1.62, 47.22)pg/ml vs. 0.1 (0.1, 22.99)pg/ml, P=0.01) when Acinetobacter baumannii infection developed. Multivariate logistic analysis indicated that high serum level of Cr (RR, 0.934, 95%CI, 0.890-0.981；P=0.007) and high BUN/ALB level (RR, 107.893, 95%CI, 1.425-870.574; p= 0.005) were associated with high risk of mortality in MDR/XDR Acinetobacter baumannii infected patients. Conclusion MDR/XDR Acinetobacter baumannii infection is a serious concern in pediatric patients with high mortality. Bloodstream and central nervous infection accounted for high risk of death. Acute kidney injury is associated with high risk of mortality.
Long non-coding RNA HAGLR inhibits growth and metastasis and reduces stemness of lung cancer cells through the microRNA-330-3p/SLC34A2 axis
Authors: Yang Chunxia , Chen Dukai , Zhong Xiaoling , Yang Fangding
Published: August 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to erroneous posting.
Long noncoding RNA NEAT1 aggravates osteosarcoma carcinogenesis via regulating the microRNA-579/MMP13 axis
Authors: Wang Lili , Zhou Jingzhen , Zhang Yong , Hu Tao , Sun Yongning
Published: August 2020

The authors have withdrawn this preprint due to author disagreement.
Self-organizing topology for energy-efficient ad-hoc communication networks of mobile devices
Authors: Banerjee Indushree , Warnier Martijn , Brazier Frances M. T
Published: August 2020

When physical communication network infrastructures fail, infrastructure-less communication networks such as mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET), can provide an alternative. This, however, requires MANETs to be adaptable to dynamic contexts characterized by the changing density and mobility of devices and availability of energy sources. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a decentralized context-adaptive topology control protocol. The protocol consists of three algorithms and uses preferential attachment based on the energy availability of devices to form a loop-free scale-free adaptive topology for an ad-hoc communication network.

The proposed protocol has a number of advantages. First, it is adaptive to the environment, hence applicable in scenarios where the number of participating mobile devices and their availability of energy resources is always changing. Second, it is energy-efficient through changes in the topology. This means it can be flexibly be combined with different routing protocols. Third, the protocol requires no changes on the hardware level. This means it can be implemented on all current phones, without any recalls or investments in hardware changes.

The evaluation of the protocol in a simulated environment confirms the feasibility of creating and maintaining a self-adaptive ad-hoc communication network, consisting of multitudes of mobile devices for reliable communication in a dynamic context.
Role of serum high-motility group box-1 (HMGB1) concentration as a prognostic factor in canine acute pancreatitis
Authors: Lee Jeong-Hwa , An Ju-Hyun , Chae Hyung-Kyu , Park Su-Min , Li Qiang , Song Woo-Jin , YOUN Hwa-Young
Published: August 2020

Background

High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is an intranuclear molecule that is released extracellularly in cytotoxic conditions. In acute pancreatitis, extracellular HMGB1 acts as stimulating factor in the mechanism associated with pancreatic injury. The serum level of HMGB1 may be associated with the severity and prognosis of pancreatitis.

Methods

To evaluate the prognostic property of serum HMGB1 levels at the time of diagnosis of pancreatitis, case control study using serum samples collected over 10 months from canine patients in Seoul National University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (SNU VMTH). The HMGB1 levels in serum were measured by ELSIA and they were analyzed with patient’s death, hospitalization cost and hospitalization period.

Results

Serum levels of HMGB1 in patients with acute pancreatitis (n=19) were higher than those in normal individuals (n=10). Mean (± standard deviation) values were 76.00 (±46.99) and 31.65 (±18.41) ng/mL, respectively (p=0.004). The levels of HMGB1 were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors with acute pancreatitis (p = 0.019). Clinical severity of acute pancreatitis was categorized into three stages—mild, moderate, and severe—based on the disease activity index (DAI). Higher HMGB1 levels in serum were related to mortality in patients with moderate DAI (p = 0.049). Furthermore, higher levels of serum HMGB1 among hospitalized patients were positively associated with higher costs and longer duration of hospital stays.

Conclusions

The evaluation of serum HMGB1 levels at the time of diagnosis was identified as a potential prognostic factor to assess the outcome of acute pancreatitis in canines.
Tissue mechanics and expression of TROP2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma with varying differentiation
Authors: Zhang Baoping , Gao Shuting , Li Yiting , Li Ruiping , Cao Rui , Cheng Jingyang , Guo Yumeng , Wang Errui , Huang Ying , Zhang Kailiang
Published: August 2020

Background Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) is overexpressed in many squamous cell carcinomas and promotes tumor development and invasion. The association between TROP2 expression and occurrence and development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains to be understood.Methods We investigated the role of TROP2 in OSCC patients using a combination of biophysical approaches. A total of 108 OSCC patient specimens with varying degrees of differentiation were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry, Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis, and atomic force microscopy to analyze TROP2 expression, morphology, and mechanical properties of OSCC tissues.Results TROP2 was overexpressed in 34% of poorly differentiated OSCC samples. High levels of TROP2 were associated with 10.2% survival rate lower than 45.4% and patient age (odds ratio [OR]=0.437, P=0.039, 95% confidence interval [CI, 0.198–0.966]), tumor size (OR=13.148, P=0.000, 95% CI [5.060–34.168]), and TNM stage (OR=0.141, P=0.000, 95% CI [0.082–0.244]). Average surface roughness of low, medium, and highly differentiated OSCC tissues were 448.9±54.8, 792.7±83.6, and 993.0±104.3 nm, respectively. The Pearson coefficient revealed a negative association between tumor stiffness and TROP2 expression (r=-0.84, P<0.01).Conclusion Overexpression of TROP2 negatively associated with patient survival, degree of tumor differentiation, and tissue mechanics. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that TROP2 may be an indicator of OSCC differentiation leading to the altered mechanical properties of OSCC tissues.
Clinical characteristics and laboratory indicator analysis of 67 COVID-19 pneumonia patients in Suzhou, China
Authors: Wang Yi , Yao Lin , Zhang Jian-Ping , Tang Pei-Jun , Ye Zhi-Jian , Shen Xing-Hua , Xu Jun-Chi , Wu Mei-Ying , Yu Xin
Published: August 2020

Background Sudden exacerbations and respiratory failure are major causes of death in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pneumonia, but indicators for the prediction and treatment of severe patients are still lacking. Methods A retrospective analysis of 67 collected cases was conducted and included approximately 67 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who were admitted to the Suzhou Fifth People’s Hospital from January 1, 2020 to February 8, 2020. The epidemiological, clinical and imaging characteristics as well as laboratory data of the 67 patients were analyzed.Results The study found that fibrinogen(FIB) was increased in 45 (65.2%) patients, and when FIB reached a critical value of 4.805 g/L, the sensitivity and specificity、DA, helping to distinguish general and severe cases, were 100% and 14%、92.9%, respectively, which were significantly better than those for lymphocyte count and myoglobin. Chest CT images indicated that the cumulative number of lung lobes with lesions in severe patients was significantly higher than that in general patients (P<0.05), and the cumulative number of lung lobes with lesions was negatively correlated with lymphocyte count and positively correlated with myoglobin and FIB. Our study also found that there was no obvious effect of hormone therapy in patients with severe COVID-19.Conclusions Based on the retrospective analysis, FIB was found to be increased in severe patients and was better than lymphocyte count and myoglobin in distinguishing general and severe patients. The study also suggested that hormone treatment has no significant effect on COVID-19.
In vivo length change of ligaments of normal knees during dynamic high flexion
Authors: Kono Kenichi , Konda Shoji , Yamazaki Takaharu , Tanaka Sakae , Sugamoto Kazuomi , Tomita Tetsuya
Published: August 2020

Background Few studies compared the length change of ligaments of normal knees during dynamic activities of daily living. The aim of this study was to investigate in vivo length change of ligaments of the normal knees during high flexion. Methods Eight normal knees were investigated. Each volunteer performed squatting, kneeling, and cross-leg motions. Each sequential motion was performed under fluoroscopic surveillance in the sagittal plane. The femoral, tibial, and fibular attachment areas of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), deep medial collateral ligament (dMCL), superficial medial collateral ligament (sMCL), and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) were determined according to osseous landmarks. After 2D/3D registration, the direct distance from the femoral attachment to the tibial or fibular attachment was measured as the ligament length. Results From 20° to 90° with flexion, the ACL was significantly shorter during cross-leg motion than during squatting. For the PCL, dMCL, sMCL, and LCL, there were no significant differences among the 3 motions. Conclusion The ACL was shorter during cross-leg motion than during squatting in mid-flexion. This suggests that the ACL is looser during cross-leg motion than during squatting. On the other hand, the length change of the PCL, MCL, and LCL did not change even though the high flexion motions were different.
Dietary habits and metabolic response improve in obese children whose mothers received an intervention to promote healthy eating: Randomized clinical trial
Authors: López-Contreras Iris Nallely , Vilchis-Gil Jenny , Klünder-Klünder Miguel , Villalpando-Carrión Salvador , Flores-Huerta Samuel
Published: August 2020

Background: Lifestyles habits such as eating unhealthy foodscommence at home and are associated with the development of obesity and comorbidities such as insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and chronic degenerative diseases, which are the main causes of death in adults.The present study compared changes in dietary habits, behaviors and metabolic profiles of obese children whose mothers attended at the hospital to group sessions, with those who received the usual nutritional consultation. Methods: Randomized clinical trial, 177 mother/obese child pairs participated, 90 in the intervention group and 87 in the control group. The intervention group attended six group education sessions to promote healthy eating, being this an alternative of change of habits in children with obesity. The control group received the usual nutritional consultation; both groups were followed up for three months. Frequency of food consumption, behaviors during feeding in the house and metabolic profile was evaluated. Mixed effect linear regression models were used to evaluate the effect of the intervention on the variables of interest, especially in HOMA-IR. Results: The intervention group reduced the filling of their dishes (p = 0.009), forcing the children to finish meals (p = 0.003) and food substitution (p < 0.001), moreover increased the consumption of roasted foods (p = 0.046), fruits (p = 0.002) and vegetables (p < 0.001). The children in the control group slightly increased HOMA-IR levels (0.51; 95% CI -0.48 to 1.50), while the children in the intervention group significantly decreased (-1.22; 95% CI -2.28 to -1.16). The difference in HOMA-IR between the control and intervention group at the end of the follow-up was -1.67; 95% CI: -3.11 to -0.24. Conclusions: The educational intervention improved some eating habits at home, as well as HOMA-IR levels; why we consider that it can be an extra resource in the management of childhood obesity. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04374292 (Date assigned: May 5, 2020). Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04374292