bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collaborative Operations of Hospitality Industry during COVID-19 Lockdown and Strategic Approach with reference to Bangalore, India
Authors: Jamgade Sweety , Mathew Abby
Published: July 2021

The pandemic attack of Coronavirus had lurch the entire world to massive crisis of human illness, fatality, insecurity in family, business instability, and downfall of the economy resulting into huge number of job loss and pay cuts.  The inadvertent consequences of COVID-19 started showing its effect since end of December 2019 and were observed in India predominantly by the end of February 2020 onwards. The focus of the study was to find the COVID-19 impact on hospitality industry in India before and during the first lockdown and its collaborative operations with special reference to Bangalore. The methodology incorporated in the study was the descriptive approach through the qualitative method and the purposive sampling technique was utilised. It is evident that the hospitality industries is the hardest hit, as the tourists’ travel and stay plunged to an average of -60% change of occupancy data compared to the same period in 2019 in India according to the STR reports.  Due to this VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) environment the hospitality industry has initiated some of the collaborative operations to render their services to the society and generously assisting the government bodies. It is observed that the strategic collaborative frameworks can reduce the industry jolts during such disasters.
The stress of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic and pro-health behaviors among medical personnel - preliminary report
Authors: Badura Brzoza Karina , Bułdak Rafał , Dębski Paweł , Kasperczyk Sławomir , Woźniak-Grygiel Elzbieta , Konka Adam , Gawrylak-Dryja Ewa , Mond-Paszek Renata , Markiel Marcin , Gabryś Daniel , Brzoza Zenon
Published: July 2021

Cel pracy

Celem pracy była ocena zachowań prozdrowotnych jako działań ochronnych przed objawami lęku i depresji w grupie pracowników służby zdrowia, w okresie pierwszej fali pandemii wirusa SARS-CoV-2.

Metoda

W badanu udział wzięło 114 osób, w tym 46 lekarzy w wieku 41,10±11,89 lat i 68 pielęgniarek w wieku 48,16±8,54 lat.
Metody: Do badań użyto: Inwentarza Zachowań Zdrowotnych (IZZ), Inwentarza Objawów Depresyjnych (BDI) oraz Inwentarza Stanu i Cechy Lęku (STAI).

Wyniki

W grupie badanej w IZZ otrzymano średni wynik 79,61±13,08 pkt. W kwestionariuszu BDI badani uzyskali średnio 3,7±4,65pkt. W kwestionariuszu STAI, w części dotyczącej lęku-stanu wynik średni w grupie badanej wynosił 38,08±9,46 pkt., a w odniesieniu do lęku-cechy 38,35±8,44pkt. Biorąc pod uwagę składowe IZZ jedynie wyniki uzyskane w podskalach: pozytywne nastawienie psychiczne (PNP) oraz praktyki zdrowotne (PZ) korelowały ujemnie z wynikami uzyskanymi w skalach STAI i BDI. Ponadto wykazano prozdrowotny wpływ PNP na objawy lęku i depresji.

Wnioski

Nie zaobserwowano znacznego nasilenia objawów lękowych i depresyjnych wśród personelu medycznego w okresie pierwszej fali pandemii. Zachowania prozdrowotne, a zwłaszcza pozytywne nastawienia psychiczne mogą pełnić ochronna funkcję w odniesieniu do objawów lęku i depresji w sytuacji stresowej.
How Catastrophic Innovation Failure Affects Organizational and Industry Legitimacy: The 2014 Virgin Galactic Test Flight Crash
Authors: Chai Sen , Doshi Anil R. , Silvestri Luciana
Published: July 2021

We examine how catastrophic innovation failure affects organizational and industry legitimacy in nascent sectors by analyzing the interactions between Virgin Galactic and stakeholders in the space community in the aftermath of the firm’s 2014 test flight crash. Following catastrophic innovation failure, we find that industry participants use their interpretations of the failure to either uphold or challenge the legitimacy of the firm while maintaining the legitimacy of the industry. These dynamics yield two interesting effects. First, we show that, in upholding the legitimacy of the industry, different industry participants rhetorically redraw the boundaries of the industry to selectively include players they consider legitimate and exclude those they view as illegitimate: detracting stakeholders constrain the boundaries of the industry by excluding the firm or excluding the firm and its segment, whereas the firm and supporting stakeholders amplify the boundaries of the industry by including firms in adjacent high-legitimacy sectors. Second, we show that, in assessing organizational legitimacy, the firm and its stakeholders differ in the way they approach distinctiveness between the identities of the industry and the firm. Detracting stakeholders differentiate the firm from the rest of the industry and isolate it, whereas the firm and supporting stakeholders reidentify the firm with the industry, embedding the firm within it. Overall, our findings illuminate the effects that catastrophic innovation failure has over high-order dynamics that affect the evolution of nascent industries.
L-band compact Q-switched fiber laser based on a thulium-doped fiber saturable absorber
Authors: Xu Chaoyu , Huang Tianye , Wu Zhichao , Han Lei , Zhang Jing , Wang Dianhong
Published: July 2021

In this paper, a compact and stable Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser operating at around 1600 nm by employing a segment of 1-cm thulium-doped fiber saturable absorber (TDF-SA) is proposed. When the pump power is adjusted between 28 and 71 mW, the Q-switched operation can be maintained stably, and the output power increases from 74 µW to 2.6 mW. Furthermore, the peak power clamping effect is also observed when the pump power exceeds 60 mW. The structure of the cavity is greatly simplified by using all-optical and hybrid fiber components, which contributes to its long-term stability. Our results prove that the TDF can be a promising SA for all-fiber Q-switched pulses generation in the L-band.
Compact, spherical mirror-based dense astigmatic-like pattern multipass cell design aided by a genetic algorithm
Authors: Hudzikowski Arkadiusz , Głuszek Aleksander , Krzempek Karol , Sotor Jarosław
Published: July 2021

We propose a unique way to design multipass cells (MPCs), which combines cost-efficient spherical mirrors with the high-density pattern of astigmatic mirrors. Such functionality was accomplished using at least three standard spherical mirrors appropriately tilted, which breaks the parallelism between them. A genetic algorithm (GA) supported the cell configuration optimization. A 16 m and 23.8 m optical path length (OPL) MPC was developed, practically realized, and proved by a time-of-flight (TOF) experiment to demonstrate the principle. Finally, CO2 detection at 2004nm obtaining 0.4 ppmv limit of detection (LOD) using wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) with 10 s averaging was performed.
Supporting quadric method for designing refractive optical elements generating prescribed irradiance distributions and wavefronts
Authors: Bykov Dmitry A. , Doskolovich Leonid L. , Byzov Egor V. , Bezus Evgeni A. , Kazanskiy Nikolay L.
Published: July 2021

We propose a method for designing a refractive optical element with two working surfaces transforming an incident beam with a plane wavefront into an output beam with prescribed irradiance distribution and a non-planar wavefront. The presented method generalizes the supporting quadric method [Opt. Express 28, 22642 (2020)10.1364/OE.398990] proposed for collimated beam shaping to the case of a non-planar output wavefront. The method is simple to implement and is based on just a few main equations. We present several examples of designing optical elements (including elements with piecewise-smooth optical surfaces) generating light beams with prescribed irradiance distributions and wavefronts (spherical and aspherical). The examples demonstrate high performance of the method.
Fractional Fourier single-pixel imaging
Authors: Li Rui , Hong Jiaying , Zhou Xi , Li Qin , Zhang Xiao
Published: July 2021

Single-pixel imaging technology has a number of advantages over conventional imaging approaches, such as wide operation wavelength region, compressive sampling, low light radiation dose and insensitivity to distortion. Here, we report on a novel single-pixel imaging based on fractional Fourier transform (FRFT), which captures images by acquiring the fractional-domain information of targets. With the use of structured illumination of two-dimensional FRFT base patterns, FRFT coefficients of the object could be measured by single-pixel detection. Then, the object image is achieved by performing inverse FRFT on the measurements. Furthermore, the proposed method can reconstruct the object image from sub-Nyquist measurements because of the sparsity of image data in fractional domain. In comparison with traditional single-pixel imaging, it provides a new degree of freedom, namely fractional order, and therefore has more flexibility and new features for practical applications. In experiments, the proposed method has been applied for edge detection of object, with an adjustable parameter as a new degree of freedom.
Electro-optic polymer and silicon nitride hybrid spatial light modulators based on a metasurface
Authors: Sun Xinyu , Yu Hongyan , Deng Niping , Ban Dasai , Liu Guolei , Qiu Feng
Published: July 2021

Spatial light modulators (SLMs) are important for various applications in photonics, such as near-infrared imaging, beam steering and optical communication. After decades of advances, current commercial devices are typically limited to kilohertz modulating speeds. To realize higher operating speeds, an electro-optic (EO) polymer and silicon nitride hybrid SLM has been demonstrated in this work. We utilize a specially designed metasurface to support a relatively high quality resonance and simultaneously confine most of the incident light in the active EO polymer layer. Combing with the high EO coefficient of the polymer, a clear modulation at 10 MHz with a driving voltage of Vp-p=±10 V has been observed in the proof-of-concept device. Our ﬁrst-generation device leaves vast room for further improvement and may open an attractive route towards compact SLM with an RF modulation higher than 100 GHz.
Broadband normal-incidence mirrors for a range of 111–138 Å based on an a-periodic Mo/Be multilayer structure
Authors: Barysheva M. M. , Garakhin S. A. , Kolesnikov A. O. , Pirozhkov A. S. , Polkovnikov V. N. , Ragozin E. N. , Shatokhin A. N. , Smertin R. M. , Svechnikov M. V. , Vishnyakov E. A.
Published: July 2021

Broadband Mo/Be multilayer structures were designed for maximum uniform normal-incidence reflectivity in a broad range of 111–138 Å, which lies near and beyond the L2,3 absorption edge of Si. A comparison was made of the capabilities of two classes of aperiodic structures and of so-called “stack” structures, which are composed of several periodic structures with different periods stacked one over the other. Six-stack Mo/Be 80-layer structures were synthesized on concave (R = 1 m) superpolished fused silica substrates. Their absolute reflectivity was measured at 13% – 14% in the 111–138 Å optimization range using a laboratory reflectometer with a laser-plasma radiation source. The normal-incidence reflection spectra of the mirrors were recorded in the configuration of a transmission-grating spectrograph using the slowly varying quasicontinuum of a laser-driven tungsten plasma. Comparing the reflectivity data with the reflection spectra recorded with a CCD permitted estimating a decrease in the detector responsivity beyond the Si L-edge. The broadband normal-incidence multilayer mirrors facilitate the development of a high-resolution imaging spectrograph covering a usable range about the Si L-edge to characterize, for instance, the L-edge fine structures and chemical states. These mirrors will also find use in imaging solar instruments with a high spectral resolution operating aboard a spacecraft and in laboratory instruments for plasma diagnostics.
Quercetin affects uterine smooth muscle contractile activity in gilts
Authors: Zygmuntowicz Aleksandra , Markiewicz Włodzimierz , Grabowski Tomasz , Burmańczuk Artur , Vyniarska Alla , Jaroszewski Jerzy Jan
Published: July 2021

Quercetin is a polyphenolic flavonoid occurring in leaves, stems, flowers and fruits of many plants. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used as a natural therapeutic agent with a broad spectrum of activities (antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial and antiviral). Moreover, quercetin affects function of the reproductive tract, however the knowledge of this activity is still fragmentary. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the influence of quercetin on the contractile activity of the porcine myometrium collected from immature (n = 6), cyclic (n = 6) and early pregnant (n = 6) gilts. Strips of the myometrium (comprising longitudinal and circular layer) were resected from the middle part of the uterine horns and the isometric contractions were recorded. After 60–90 min of preincubation, the strips were stimulated with quercetin in increasing (10−13–10−1M) concentrations and the changes in the tension amplitude and frequency of contractions were measured. Quercetin decreased (P<0.01–0.001) the amplitude of contractions at concentrations 10−11–10−1M and 10−10–10−1M in cyclic and early pregnant groups, respectively. The frequency of contractions decreased in all groups but was the highest (at concentrations 10−11–10−1M; P<0.05–0.001) in the cyclic group and the lowest (at concentrations 10−5–10−1M; P<0.01) in the immature group. The tension decreased only in the cyclic group after quercetin administration in high concentrations (10−6–10−1M; P<0.05–0.01). The results indicate that quercetin causes relaxation of the porcine uterine smooth muscle but this activity is strongly related to the physiological status of the gilts.
Where will it end? Pathways to care and catastrophic costs following negative TB evaluation in Uganda
Authors: Samuels Thomas H. A. , Shete Priya B. , Ojok Chris , Nalugwa Talemwa , Farr Katherine , Turyahabwe Stavia , Katamba Achilles , Cattamanchi Adithya , Moore David A. J.
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Catastrophic costs incurred by tuberculosis (TB) patients have received considerable attention, however little is known about costs and pathways to care after a negative TB evaluation.

Materials and methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study of 70 patients with a negative TB evaluation at four community health centres in rural and peri-urban Uganda. Patients were traced 9 months post-evaluation using contact information from TB registers. We collected information on healthcare visits and implemented locally-validated costing questionnaires to assess the financial impact of their symptoms post-evaluation.

Results

Of 70 participants, 57 (81%) were traced and 53 completed the survey. 31/53 (58%) surveyed participants returned to healthcare facilities post-evaluation, making a median of 2 visits each (interquartile range [IQR] 1–3). 11.3% (95%CI 4.3–23.0%) of surveyed patients and 16.1% (95%CI 5.5–33.7%) of those returning to healthcare facilities incurred catastrophic costs (i.e., spent >20% annual household income). Indirect costs related to lost work represented 80% (IQR 32–100%) of total participant costs.

Conclusions

Patients with TB symptoms who experience financial catastrophe after negative TB evaluation may represent a larger absolute number of patients than those suffering from costs due to TB. They may not be captured by existing definitions of non-TB catastrophic health expenditure.
Reduction of knee joint load suppresses cartilage degeneration, osteophyte formation, and synovitis in early-stage osteoarthritis using a post-traumatic rat model
Authors: Takahashi Ikufumi , Takeda Keisuke , Matsuzaki Taro , Kuroki Hiroshi , Hoso Masahiro
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study was to clarify the histological effect of reducing the loading to knee on cartilage degeneration, osteophyte formation, and synovitis in early-stage osteoarthritis (OA) using a post-traumatic rat model. Ten male rats were randomly allocated into two experimental groups: OA induction by surgical destabilization of medial meniscus (DMM, OA group) and hindlimb suspension after OA induction by DMM (OAHS group). The articular cartilage, osteophyte formation, and synovial membrane in the medial tibiofemoral joint were analyzed histologically and histomorphometrically at 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. The histological scores and changes in articular cartilage and osteophyte formation were significantly milder and slower in the OAHS group than in the OA group. At 2 and 4 weeks, there were no significant differences in cartilage thickness and matrix staining intensity between both the groups, but chondrocytes density was significantly lower in the OA group. Synovitis was milder in OAHS group than in OA group at 2 weeks. Reducing knee joint loading inhibited histological OA changes in articular cartilage, osteophyte formation, and synovial inflammation. This result supports the latest clinical guidelines for OA treatment. Further studies using biochemical and mechanical analyses are necessary to elucidate the mechanism underlying delayed OA progression caused by joint-load reduction.
Not discussed: Inequalities in narrative text data for suicide deaths in the National Violent Death Reporting System
Authors: Mezuk Briana , Kalesnikava Viktoryia A. , Kim Jenni , Ko Tomohiro M. , Collins Cassady
Published: July 2021

Background

The rate of suicide in the US has increased substantially in the past two decades, and new insights are needed to support prevention efforts. The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), the nation’s most comprehensive registry of suicide mortality, has qualitative text narratives that describe salient circumstances of these deaths. These texts have great potential for providing novel insights about suicide risk but may be subject to information bias.

Objective

To examine the relationship between decedent characteristics and the presence and length of NVDRS text narratives (separately for coroner/medical examiner (C/ME) and law enforcement (LE) reports) among 233,108 suicide and undetermined deaths from 2003–2017.

Methods

Generalized estimating equations (GEE) logistic and quasi-Poisson modeling was used to examine variation in the narratives (proportion of missing texts and character length of the non-missing texts, respectively) as a function of decedent age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, military history, and homeless status. Models adjusted for site, year, location of death, and autopsy status.

Results

The frequency of missing narratives was higher for LE vs. C/ME texts (19.8% vs. 5.2%). Decedent characteristics were not consistently associated with missing text across the two types of narratives (i.e., Black decedents were more likely to be missing the LE narrative but less likely to be missing the C/ME narrative relative to non-Hispanic whites). Conditional on having a narrative, C/ME were significantly longer than LE (822.44 vs. 780.68 characters). Decedents who were older, male, had less education and some racial/ethnic minority groups had shorter narratives (both C/ME and LE) than younger, female, more educated, and non-Hispanic white decedents.

Conclusion

Decedent characteristics are significantly related to the presence and length of narrative texts for suicide and undetermined deaths in the NVDRS. Findings can inform future research using these data to identify novel determinants of suicide mortality.
Mycobacterial heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA)-induced interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) for discrimination of latent and active tuberculosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tang Jinhua , Huang Yuan , Cai Zheng , Ma Yueyun
Published: July 2021

Background

The Mycobacterial heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) is an important latency-associated antigen that can be used to distinguish between latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active tuberculosis (ATB). Although many studies were explored the efficiency of the HBHA-induced interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) in different populations, the clinical differential value of HBHA-IGRA is still controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether the HBHA-IGRA can be used as an efficient test for the discrimination of LTBI and ATB by a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods

Relevant articles were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library on Oct 18, 2020, with no start date limitation. The quality of each study was evaluated using Review Manager 5.4. The Stata MP v.14.0 software was used to combine sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio (LR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve, and area under SROC (AUC) to evaluate the diagnostic value of HBHA-IGRA for discrimination of LTBI and ATB. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis were performed for the sources of heterogeneity based on the selection criteria for active TB, the population, the TB burden, the type of antigen, the type of sample, and the time of antigen stimulation.

Results

A total of 13 studies (14 results) were included in this meta-analysis, including 603 ATB patients and 514 LTBI individuals. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of the HBHA-IGRA for discrimination of the LTBI and ATB were 0.70 (95% CI, 0.57~0.80) and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.71~0.84), respectively. The pooled positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were 3.15 (95%CI, 2.43~4.09), 0.39 (95% CI, 0.27~0.56), and 8.11 (95% CI, 4.81~13.67), respectively. The AUC was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.77~0.84). The subgroup analysis showed that the main source of heterogeneity was due to the HIV-infected population incorporated, and the different selection criteria of active TB subjects would also lead to the variation of the pooled sensitivity and specificity. Different TB burdens, HBHA antigen types, sample types, antigen stimulation time and BCG vaccination did not affect the heterogeneity in this analysis.

Conclusion

The HBHA-IGRA is a promising immunodiagnostic test for discrimination of latent and active TB, which can be added in commercial IGRAs to enhance the differential diagnostic performance.
Development of a brief scoring system to predict any-cause mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection
Authors: Jiwa Nasheena , Mutneja Rahul , Henry Lucie , Fiscus Garrett , Zu Wallack Richard
Published: July 2021

Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection are at a high general risk for in-hospital mortality. A simple and easy-to-use model for predicting mortality based on data readily available to clinicians in the first 24 hours of hospital admission might be useful in directing scarce medical and personnel resources toward those patients at greater risk of dying. With this goal in mind, we evaluated factors predictive of in-hospital mortality in a random sample of 100 patients (derivation cohort) hospitalized for COVID-19 at our institution in April and May, 2020 and created potential models to test in a second random sample of 148 patients (validation cohort) hospitalized for the same disease over the same time period in the same institution. Two models (Model A: two variables, presence of pneumonia and ischemia); (Model B: three variables, age > 65 years, supplemental oxygen ≥ 4 L/min, and C-reactive protein (CRP) > 10 mg/L) were selected and tested in the validation cohort. Model B appeared the better of the two, with an AUC in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of 0.74 versus 0.65 in Model A, but the AUC differences were not significant (p = 0.24. Model B also appeared to have a more robust separation of mortality between the lowest (none of the three variables present) and highest (all three variables present) scores at 0% and 71%, respectively. These brief scoring systems may prove to be useful to clinicians in assigning mortality risk in hospitalized patients.
Team numerical advantage in Australian rules football: A missing piece of the scoring puzzle?
Authors: Alexander Jeremy P. , Bedin Timothy , Jackson Karl B. , Robertson Sam
Published: July 2021

The primary aim of this study was to determine the relationship between a team numerical advantage during structured phases of play and match event outcomes in professional Australian football. The secondary aim was to quantify how players occupy different sub-areas of the playing field in match play, while accounting for match phase and ball location. Spatiotemporal player tracking data and play-by-play event data from professional players and teams were collected from the 2019 Australian Football League season played at a single stadium. Logistic regression analysed the relationship between total players and team numerical advantage during clearances and inside 50’s. Total players and team numerical advantage were also quantified continuously throughout a match, which were separated into three match phases (offence, defence, and stoppage) and four field positions (defensive 50, defensive midfield, attacking midfield, and forward 50). Results identified an increased team numerical advantage produced a greater likelihood of gaining possession from clearances or generating a score from inside 50’s. Although, an increased number of total players inside 50 was likely associated with a concomitant decrease in the probability of scoring, irrespective of a team numerical advantage. Teams were largely outnumbered when the ball was in their forward 50 but attained a numerical advantage when the ball was in the defensive 50.
Health care utilization at end of life among patients with lung or pancreatic cancer. Comparison between two Swedish cohorts
Authors: Ullgren Helena , Fransson Per , Olofsson Anna , Segersvärd Ralf , Sharp Lena
Published: July 2021

Objectives

The purpose was to analyze trends in intensity of care at End-of-life (EOL), in two cohorts of patients with lung or pancreatic cancer.

Setting

We used population-based registry data on health care utilization to describe proportions and intensity of care at EOL comparing the two cohorts (deceased in the years of 2010 and 2017 respectively) in the region of Stockholm, Sweden.

Primary and secondary outcomes

Main outcomes were intensity of care during the last 30 days of life; systemic anticancer treatment (SACT), emergency department (ED) visits, length of stay (LOS) > 14 days, intensive care (ICU), death at acute care hospital and lack of referral to specialized palliative care (SPC) at home. The secondary outcomes were outpatient visits, place of death and hospitalizations, as well as radiotherapy and major surgery.

A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used for associations. A moderation variable was added to assess for the effect of SPC at home between the cohorts.

Results

Intensity of care at EOL increased over time between the cohorts, especially use of SACT, increased with 10%, p<0.001, (n = 102/754 = 14% to n = 236/972 = 24%), ED visits with 7%, p<0.001, (n = 25/754 = 3% to n = 100/972 = 10%) and ICU care, 2%, p = 0.04, (n = 12/754 = 2% to n = 38/972 = 4%). High intensity of care at EOL were more likely among patients with lung cancer. The difference in use of SACT between the years, was moderated by SPC, with an increase of SACT, unstandardized coefficient β; 0.87, SE = 0.27, p = 0.001, as well as the difference between the years in death at acute care hospitals, that decreased (β = 0.69, SE = 0.26, p = 0.007).

Conclusion

These findings underscore an increase of several aspects regarding intensity of care at EOL, and a need for further exploration of the optimal organization of EOL care. Our results indicate fragmentation of care and a need to better organize and coordinate care for vulnerable patients.
Comparing non-breeding distribution and behavior of red-legged kittiwakes from two geographically distant colonies
Authors: Drummond Brie A. , Orben Rachael A. , Christ Aaron M. , Fleishman Abram B. , Renner Heather M. , Rojek Nora A. , Romano Marc D.
Published: July 2021

Knowledge of non-breeding distributions is a crucial component to seabird conservation, as conditions during the non-breeding period can play an important role in regulating seabird populations. Specifically, if seabirds from different colonies share the same wintering grounds, conditions in that shared region could have a widespread impact on multiple breeding populations. Red-legged kittiwakes (Rissa brevirostris) are endemic to the Bering Sea and may be especially susceptible to effects of climate change due to a restricted breeding range, small population size, and specialized diet. To examine whether red-legged kittiwakes from different breeding colonies overlapped in winter distribution and activity patterns, we used geolocation loggers to simultaneously track individuals from the two largest red-legged kittiwake breeding colonies in Alaska (separated by over 1000 km) during two consecutive non-breeding periods. We found that non-breeding activity patterns were generally similar between birds originating from the two colonies, but birds employed different migratory strategies during the early winter. Kittiwakes from Buldir Island in the western Aleutian Islands left the colony in September and immediately headed west, spending October through December around the Sea of Okhotsk and the Kuril Islands. In contrast, birds from St. George Island in the Pribilof Islands remained in the eastern Bering Sea or around the eastern Aleutian Islands for a couple months before traveling farther west. During late winter however, from January through March, birds from both colonies converged south of Kamchatka and east of the Kuril Islands over the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench and in the Western Subarctic Gyre before returning to their respective colonies in the spring. This late winter overlap in distributions along the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench suggests the region is a winter hotspot for red-legged kittiwakes and highlights the importance of this region for the global kittiwake population.
SARS-CoV-2-specific circulating T follicular helper cells correlate with neutralizing antibodies and increase during early convalescence
Authors: Boppana Sushma , Qin Kai , Files Jacob K. , Russell Ronnie M. , Stoltz Regina , Bibollet-Ruche Frederic , Bansal Anju , Erdmann Nathan , Hahn Beatrice H. , Goepfert Paul A.
Published: July 2021

T-cell immunity is likely to play a role in protection against SARS-CoV-2 by helping generate neutralizing antibodies. We longitudinally studied CD4 T-cell responses to the M, N, and S structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 in 26 convalescent individuals. Within the first two months following symptom onset, a majority of individuals (81%) mounted at least one CD4 T-cell response, and 48% of individuals mounted detectable SARS-CoV-2-specific circulating T follicular helper cells (cTfh, defined as CXCR5+PD1+ CD4 T cells). SARS-CoV-2-specific cTfh responses across all three protein specificities correlated with antibody neutralization with the strongest correlation observed for S protein-specific responses. When examined over time, cTfh responses, particularly to the M protein, increased in convalescence, and robust cTfh responses with magnitudes greater than 5% were detected at the second convalescent visit, a median of 38 days post-symptom onset. CD4 T-cell responses declined but persisted at low magnitudes three months and six months after symptom onset. These data deepen our understanding of antigen-specific cTfh responses in SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting that in addition to S protein, M and N protein-specific cTfh may also assist in the development of neutralizing antibodies and that cTfh response formation may be delayed in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Efectos de la ingesta de ajo negro en el cerebro: Una revisión sistemática
Authors: Andreo-Martínez Pedro , García-Martínez Nuria , Navarro-González Inmaculada
Published: July 2021

Este trabajo realiza una revisión sistemática sobre las implicaciones de la ingesta de ajo negro en el cerebro. El ajo negro es un alimento consumido en Asia durante siglos, introduciéndose recientemente en otros países como alimento funcional o nutraceútico. Este alimento se obtiene mediante la fermentación del ajo fresco a una temperatura y una humedad controladas durante un periodo de tiempo superior a diez días. El ajo negro contiene gran cantidad de compuestos fenólicos, que le confieren una alta capacidad antioxidante, y compuestos azufrados como la S-alil-L-cisteína que son los principales responsables de la gran variedad de funciones biológicas beneficiosas que presenta frente a diferentes patologías. En este sentido, los polifenoles pueden reducir el estrés oxidativo celular y la S-alil-L-cisteína puede cruzar la barrera hematoencefálica y ejercer un efecto protector frente a la neurotoxicidad. La metodología para realizar este estudio de revisión siguió las indicaciones marcadas por el protocolo PRISMA, encontrándose un total de cinco artículos originales tras aplicar los criterios de exclusión e inclusión establecidos. Todos los artículos encontrados utilizaron un modelo animal y estudiaron el efecto de la ingesta de ajo negro en el cerebro tras consumir glutamato monosódico, plomo y escopolamina. De los resultados encontrados por los diferentes artículos se puede deducir que el ajo negro se postula como un potente alimento funcional que puede proteger del daño neuronal, la disminución de la memoria de trabajo y la memoria espacial inducida por glutamato monosódico, y prevenir el daño oxidativo inducido por la escopolamina y el plomo. Por otro lado, debido al reducido número de artículos encontrados, se trata de una línea de investigación por explotar donde queda aún por dilucidar los mecanismos bioquímicos implicados en la acción protectora que ejerce el ajo negro sobre el cerebro, tanto en estudios en modelo animal como humano.
Metrologi Kelistrikan Terapan: : Untuk Laboratorium Kalibrasi di Industri dan Perguruan Tinggi
Authors:   Badan Standardisasi Nasional, Sardjono Hadi , Khairiyati Lukluk ,   Badan Standardisasi Nasional, Perangin-angin Windi Kurnia ,   Badan Standardisasi Nasional, Syahadi Mohammad ,   Badan Standardisasi Nasional, Azzumar Muhammad ,   Badan Standardisasi Nasional, Amalia Hayati ,   Badan Standardisasi Nasional, Yayienda Nibras Fitrah ,   Badan Standardisasi Nasional, Munir Miftahul ,   Badan Standardisasi Nasional
Published: July 2021

Tidak kita sadari bahwa keberadaan energi listrik telah mengalami 3 era dinamika perubahan yaitu era pembangkitan, era pembangunan dan era pemanfaatan. Para pembaca mestinya setuju jika sekarang ini kita telah memasuki era terakhir yaitu era pemanfaatan. Dalam era pemanfaatan terjadi sebuah dilematika keadaan dimana dengan sumber energi listrik yang terbatas harus dapat melayani kebutuhan (permintaan) yang terus meningkat. Salah satu strategi yang paling efektif untuk menghadapi keadaan seperti saat ini adalah meningkatkan tingkat pemanfaatan energi listrik yang didalamnya terdiri dari besaran tegangan, arus, resistansi dan daya dari frekuensi rendah sampai frekuensi radio. Berbicara masalah sejauh manakah tingkat pemanfaatan energi listrik dapat tercapai maka jawabannya adalah tergantung dari seberapa tinggi tingkat kemampuan pengelolaan mutu yang dibangun. Pengelolaan mutu menjadi wajib hukumnya sehingga perlu adanya pengetahuan yang memadai terkait dengan tiga komponen utama yaitu ilmu instrumentasi kelistrikan, ilmu pengukuran kelistrikan dan kompetensi metrologi kelistrikan yang dijelaskan pada buku ini. Siapakah yang berhak untuk bertanggungjawab sebagai garda terdepan peningkat mutu energi listrik adalah industri, laboratorium kalibrasi, perguruan tinggi dan laboratorium metrologi nasional.
The biggest Polish cities in response to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The perspective of municipal self-government administration
Authors: Glinka Kamil
Published: July 2021

The aim of the article is to analyze the activities of municipal self-government administration aimed at counteracting the destructive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic during the co-called first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020–June 2020). The article focuses on Polish cities with poviat rights. It presents the results of a nationwide survey in which the representatives of 47 city offices participated. It is supplemented with the analysis of the content of documents (laws, regulations and recommendations) and the elements of a comparative analysis. The conducted research procedure does not allow to confirm the hypothesis. There is no scheme of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic which consists of “bottom-up” activities of municipal self-government carried out in the areas of urban policy which are most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It turns out that most of the activities carried out are “top-down” activities that fit – as the respondents claimed – with the solutions adopted by the central government administration.
Distortion inequality for a Markov operator generated by a randomly perturbed family of Markov Maps in ℝd
Authors: Bugiel Peter , Wędrychowicz Stanisław , Rzepka Beata
Published: July 2021

Asymptotic properties of the sequences

(a){Pj}j=1∞$\{P^{j}\}_{j=1}^{\infty}$and

(b){j−1∑i=0j−1Pi}j=1∞$\{ j^{-1} \sum _{i=0}^{j-1} P^{i}\}_{j=1}^{\infty}$

are studied forg∈G= {f∈L1(I) :f≥ 0 and ‖f‖ = 1}, whereP:L1(I) →L1(I) is a Markov operator defined byPf:=∫Pyfdp(y)$Pf:= \int P_{y}f\, dp(y) $forf∈L1; {Py}y∈Yis the family of the Frobenius-Perron operators associated with a family {φy}y∈Yof nonsingular Markov maps defined on a subsetI⊆ ℝd; and the indexyruns over a probability space (Y,Σ(Y),p). Asymptotic properties of the sequences (a) and (b), of the Markov operatorP, are closely connected with the asymptotic properties of the sequence of random vectorsxj=φξj(xj−1)$x_{j}=\varphi_{\xi_{j}}(x_{j-1})$forj= 1,2, . . .,where{ξj}j=1∞$\{\xi_{j}\}_{j=1}^{\infty}$is a sequence ofY-valued independent random elements with common probability distributionp.

An operator-theoretic analogue of Rényi’s Condition is introduced for the family {Py}y∈Yof the Frobenius-Perron operators. It is proved that under some additional assumptions this condition implies theL1- convergence of the sequences (a) and (b) to a uniqueg0∈G. The general result is applied to some families {φy}y∈Yof smooth Markov maps in ℝd.
Subharmonic Solutions of Indefinite Hamiltonian Systems via Rotation Numbers
Authors: Wang Shuang , Qian Dingbian
Published: July 2021

We investigate the multiplicity of subharmonic solutions for indefinite planar Hamiltonian systems

J
⁢

z
′

=

∇
⁡
H

⁢

(
t
,
z
)

{Jz^{\prime}=\nabla H(t,z)}

from a rotation number viewpoint. The class considered is such that the behaviour of its solutions near zero and infinity can be compared two suitable positively homogeneous systems. Our approach can be used to deal with the problems in absence of the sign assumption on

∂
⁡
H

∂
⁡
x

⁢

(
t
,
x
,
y
)

{\frac{\partial H}{\partial x}(t,x,y)}

, uniqueness and global continuability for the solutions of the associated Cauchy problems. These systems may also be resonant. By the use of an approach of rotation number, the phase-plane analysis of the spiral properties of large solutions and a recent version of Poincaré–Birkhoff theorem for Hamiltonian systems, we are able to extend previous multiplicity results of subharmonic solutions for asymptotically semilinear systems to indefinite planar Hamiltonian systems.
Anisotropic 𝑝-Laplacian Evolution of Fast Diffusion Type
Authors: Feo Filomena , Vázquez Juan Luis , Volzone Bruno
Published: July 2021

We study an anisotropic, possibly non-homogeneous version of the evolution 𝑝-Laplacian equation when fast diffusion holds in all directions. We develop the basic theory and prove symmetrization results from which we derive sharp

L
1

L^{1}

-

L
∞

L^{\infty}

estimates. We prove the existence of a self-similar fundamental solution of this equation in the appropriate exponent range, and uniqueness in a smaller range. We also obtain the asymptotic behaviour of finite mass solutions in terms of the self-similar solution. Positivity, decay rates as well as other properties of the solutions are derived. The combination of self-similarity and anisotropy is not common in the related literature. It is however essential in our analysis and creates mathematical difficulties that are solved for fast diffusions.
Successful extracorporeal membrane oxygenation resuscitation of patient with cardiogenic shock induced by phaeochromocytoma crisis mimicking hyperthyroidism: A case report
Authors: Wang Tao , Xu Qiancheng , Jiang Xiaogan
Published: July 2021

A 29-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with the acute onset of palpitations, shortness of breath, and haemoptysis. She reported having an abortion (56 days of pregnancy) 1 week before admission because of hyperthyroidism diagnosis during pregnancy. The first diagnoses considered were cardiomyopathy associated with hyperthyroidism, acute left ventricular failure, and hyperthyroidism crisis. The young woman’s cardiocirculatory system collapsed within several hours. Hence, venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) was performed for this patient. Over the next 3 days after ECMO was established, repeat transthoracic echocardiography showed gradual improvements in biventricular function, and later the patient recovered almost completely. The patient’s blood pressure increased to 230/130 mm Hg when the ECMO catheter was removed, and then the diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma was suspected. Computed tomography showed a left suprarenal tumour. The tumour size was 5.8 cm × 5.7 cm with central necrosis. The vanillylmandelic acid concentration was 63.15 mg/24 h. Post-operation, pathology confirmed phaeochromocytoma. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a patient with cardiogenic shock induced by phaeochromocytoma crisis mimicking hyperthyroidism which was successfully resuscitated by VA ECMO.
Optimization of Murrayafoline A ethanol extraction process from the roots of Glycosmis stenocarpa, and evaluation of its Tumorigenesis inhibition activity on Hep-G2 cells
Authors: Tran Quoc Toan , Pham The Dan , Nguyen Thanh Duong , Luu Van Huyen , Nghi Do Huu , Duy Le Xuan , Nguyen Phi Hung , Nguyen Manh Cuong , Luu Van Chinh , Pham Minh Quan , Huyen Vu Thi , Pham Tri Nhut , Pham Dung Thuy Nguyen
Published: July 2021

Glycosmis stenocarpa is a species of shrub found in the Northern provinces of Vietnam. Its roots contain different carbazolic derivatives, mainly Murrayafoline A (Mu-A), which exhibits valuable biological activities. In this study, we performed an extraction of Mu-A from the roots of G. stenocarpa and optimized this process using response surface methodology (RSM) according to a central composite design, with three independent parameters including extraction time (min), extraction temperature (°C), and solvent/material ratio (mL/g). Two dependent variables were the Mu-A content (mg/g raw materials) and extraction efficiency (%). The optimal conditions to extract Mu-A were found to be as follows: extraction temperature, 67°C; extraction time, 165 min; and solvent/material ratio, 5:1. Under these conditions, the Mu-A content and extraction efficiency were 38.94 ± 1.31 mg/g raw materials and 34.98 ± 1.18%, respectively. Mu-A exhibited antiproliferation and antitumor-promoting activity against the HepG-2 cell line. The present optimization work of Mu-A extraction from G. stenocarpa roots contributed to the attempt of designing a large-scale extraction process for the compound and further exploitation of its potential in vivo applications.
Design of high-efficiency Hybrid Power Amplifier with concurrent F&F−1 class operations for 5G application
Authors: Tahmasbi Meisam , Razaghian Farhad , Roshani Sobhan
Published: July 2021

This paper presents a novel structure of Hybrid Power Amplifier (HPA) to operate in two arbitrary classes of operation at two desirable frequencies. The proposed HPA is designed in concurrent F&F−1 classes, simultaneously for 5G application. Presented HPA can solve the harmonics interference problem for concurrent F and F−1 classes and also for any arbitrary class of operation in desired frequencies. The designed HPA operates at 1.5 GHz frequency in the F class mode, while operates at 2.1 GHz frequency in the F−1 class mode. A new method is presented by using two diplexers to provide two paths for signal in different frequencies. Two parallel paths are used at the output of the HPA circuit, so the proposed HPA can operate at two classes. Two diplexers are used in the HPA to make proper isolation between the designed paths. In design of the proposed HPA, according to the utilized diplexers, the amplifier can operate between two arbitrary classes of operation at desired frequencies without any specific switch. The measured drain efficiency (DE) and power added efficiency (PAE) parameters are 57 and 51%, respectively at 2.1 GHz, while measured DE and PAE are 64 and 54%, respectively at 1.5 GHz.
Digitalization, Industry Concentration, and Productivity in Germany
Authors: Ferschli Benjamin , Rehm Miriam , Schnetzer Matthias , Zilian Stella
Published: July 2021

This paper investigates the links of digitalization and industry concentration with labor productivity at the sectoral level in Germany. Combining data for digitalization and labor productivity from the EU KLEMS database with firm-level data from the CompNet and Orbis Bureau Van Dijk databases to construct industry concentration measures between 2000 and 2015, we show that (1) the German economy appears to have digitized since 2000, and (2) there is no clear-cut relationship between digitalization and market concentration at the industry level. Using a time and sector fixed effects model and controlling for capital intensity, however, we find evidence for (3) a positive effect of both lagged industry concentration and lagged digitalization on productivity at the sectoral level in Germany. This finding is robust to alternative measures of digitalization and industry concentration as well as to their interaction but sensitive to the sector sample and to scale effects from the capital intensity. We, therefore, cautiously conclude that recent technological change appears to have been labor-saving and that productivity-enhancing aspect of a partial “superstar firm” effect may be identified in the German economy, in particular in its manufacturing sector.
Diet composition of Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) from the Han River Estuary Wetland in Korea using fecal DNA
Authors: Kim Jihee , Joo Sungbae , Park Sangkyu
Published: July 2021

To investigate the foraging preferences of the Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus) from the Janghang wetlands located in Han River estuary in South Korea, we elucidated their diet compositions using DNA extracted from their fecal samples. Samples were collected from the Janghang wetlands from June 2013 to January 2015. For dietary analysis, we amplified the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) regions, followed by cloning and sequencing. We were able to detect 20 families and 35 genera of plants from 77 fecal samples, showing that water deer in the Janghang wetlands mainly preferred Salicaceae (27.5%), Fabaceae (17.5%), and Poaceae (14.2%). In winter, the relative frequency of woody plant detection (81.3%) was much higher than that in other seasons. Our results suggest that Korean water deer in Janghang wetlands browse or graze depending on the locally-available plants species in their habitat as intermediate feeders. Non-invasive approaches using fecal samples could be applied to study food webs of various species and ecosystems for conservation and management of wildlife.