bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mansard Roofline Model: Reinforcing the Accuracy of the Roofs
Authors: Marques Diogo , Ilic Aleksandar , Sousa Leonel
Published: October 2021

Continuous enhancements and diversity in modern multi-core hardware, such as wider and deeper core pipelines and memory subsystems, bring to practice a set of hard-to-solve challenges when modeling their upper-bound capabilities and identifying the main application bottlenecks. Insightful roofline models are widely used for this purpose, but the existing approaches overly abstract the micro-architecture complexity, thus providing unrealistic performance bounds that lead to a misleading characterization of real-world applications. To address this problem, the Mansard Roofline Model (MaRM), proposed in this work, uncovers a minimum set of architectural features that must be considered to provide insightful, but yet accurate and realistic, modeling of performance upper bounds for modern processors. By encapsulating the retirement constraints due to the amount of retirement slots, Reorder-Buffer and Physical Register File sizes, the proposed model accurately models the capabilities of a real platform (average rRMSE of 5.4%) and characterizes 12 application kernels from standard benchmark suites. By following a herein proposed MaRM interpretation methodology and guidelines, speed-ups of up to 5× are obtained when optimizing real-world bioinformatic application, as well as a super-linear speedup of 18.5× when parallelized.
On Renting Edge Resources for Service Hosting
Authors: Narayana V.S. Ch Lakshmi , Moharir Sharayu , Karamchandani Nikhil
Published: October 2021

The rapid proliferation of shared edge computing platforms has enabled application service providers to deploy a wide variety of services with stringent latency and high bandwidth requirements. A key advantage of these platforms is that they provide pay-as-you-go flexibility by charging clients in proportion to their resource usage through short-term contracts. This affords the client significant cost-saving opportunities by dynamically deciding when to host its service on the platform, depending on the changing intensity of requests. A natural policy for our setting is the Time-To-Live (TTL) policy. We show that TTL performs poorly both in the adversarial arrival setting, i.e., in terms of the competitive ratio, and for i.i.d. stochastic arrivals with low arrival rates, irrespective of the value of the TTL timer. We propose an online policy called RetroRenting (RR) and characterize its performance in terms of the competitive ratio. Our results show that RR overcomes the limitations of TTL. In addition, we provide performance guarantees for RR for i.i.d. stochastic arrival processes coupled with negatively associated rent cost sequences and prove that it compares well with the optimal online policy. Further, we conduct simulations using both synthetic and real-world traces to compare the performance of RR with the optimal offline and online policies. The simulations show that the performance of RR is near optimal for all settings considered. Our results illustrate the universality of RR.
The Probabilistic Turn in Semantics and Pragmatics
Authors: Erk Katrin
Published: October 2021

This article provides an overview of graded and probabilistic approaches in semantics and pragmatics. These approaches share a common set of core research goals: ( a) a concern with phenomena that are best described as graded, including a vast lexicon of words whose meanings adapt flexibly to the contexts in which they are used, as well as reasoning under uncertainty about interlocutors, their goals, and their strategies; ( b) the need to show that representations are learnable, i.e., that a listener can learn semantic representations and pragmatic reasoning from data; ( c) an emphasis on empirical evaluation against experimental data or corpus data at scale; and ( d) scaling up to the full size of the lexicon. The methods used are sometimes explicitly probabilistic and sometimes not. Previously, there were assumed to be clear boundaries among probabilistic frameworks, classifiers in machine learning, and distributional approaches, but these boundaries have been blurred. Frameworks in semantics and pragmatics use all three of these, sometimes in combination, to address the four core research questions above.
Coexistence of Emphysematous Pyelonephritis and Cystitis in a Patient with COVID-19 Complicated with Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum
Authors: Boukhannous Ibrahim , El Moudane Anouar , Chennoufi Mehdi , Mokhtari Mohamed , Ouraghi Abdelghani , Mimouni Hamza , Barki Ali
Published: October 2021

We report the first case of a 52-year-old nondiabetic male admitted for management of uremic syndrome associated with emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN), renal and perinephric abscess, and emphysematous cystitis (EC) on a single functional kidney with a large abundance of spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SP) complicating a SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. The patient has benefited from several dialysis sessions, intravenous antibiotics, and percutaneous drainage. His clinical course was complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome, and unfortunately, he died nine days following admission.
COVID-19 Infection Clinical Profile, Management, Outcome, and Antibody Response in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Single Centre Experience
Authors: Jasuja Sanjiv , Sagar Gaurav , Bahl Anupam , Verma Shalini
Published: October 2021

Introduction. Experience of COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with clinical presentation, management, factors influencing mortality, and antibody response is limited. Material and Methods. A retrospective data of COVID-19 in KTRs was collected and analyzed. The mortality rate, risk factors, and antibody response were primary objectives, while the clinical presentation, laboratory indicators, and pharmacological management were secondary objectives. Results. The 67 KTRs with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed COVID-19 infection reported between 1 May 2020 and 31 December 2020; 61.2% of patients were hospitalized; and 20.9% needed ventilation. The overall mortality was 26.9%, while blood group A had 50% mortality. The treatment options and used were steroids (100%), convalescent plasma (32.8%), ivermectin (58.2%), doxycycline (55.2%), remdesivir (34.3%), tocilizumab (10.4%), antibiotics (61.2%), anti-fungals (26.9%), low molecular weight heparin (45.3%), and oral anti-coagulants (26.9%). Anti-nucleosides (mycophenolate or azathioprine) were discontinued in 76.1% and calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) in 26.9%. Significant mortality (

p
<
0.001

) was observed in patients presenting with SpO2 <94 needing ICU care, ventilation, dialysis/acute kidney injury (AKI), and empirical therapies like convalescent plasma and remdesivir. The age of survivors versus nonsurvivors was not significantly different (

p
=
0.02

). The positive blood culture, low serum albumin, high TLC, high blood urea, interleukin-6, and CT severity score ≥15 were statistically significant in nonsurvivors. Overall mortality, mortality of hospitalized patients, and mortality of ventilated patients was 27%, 44%, and 100%, respectively. The median value of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) IgG antibody was 68.60 (IQR, 28.5–94.25) AU/ml in more than 90% of survivors. Conclusion. KTRs with COVID-19, needing ICU care, dialysis and ventilation support had poor outcomes. Recovered patients mounted adequate antibody response.
Research and Development of Inventory Management and Human Resource Management in ERP
Authors: Zhao Bo , Tu Chunlei
Published: October 2021

Nowadays, more and more companies are applying total inventory management as well as human resource management as one of the core concepts of the enterprise management platform. ERP is a resource allocation platform based on information technology applications to have the advantage of advanced and comprehensive management ideas to provide planning and operation software for enterprise managers and employees. This paper describes in detail the ERP system, as well as its planning and control ideas, its ideas, and the idea of internal control of enterprises in line with the rapid development of the information economy and knowledge economy in today’s situation; ERP systems also have some inefficiencies and other situations; in response to this situation, this paper also analyzes the ERP system by analyzing the application of ERP systems in enterprises, from the market function information system and ERP system in the application to inventory management as well as to human resource management for decision‐making, exploring its deficiencies in the inventory management system and human resource system and then proposing corresponding improvement methods and corresponding development measures. Enterprises can use the improved advanced information technology to enhance the unity and sharing of data and fine management and improve operational efficiency, and enterprises can achieve standardized and process‐oriented management of daily operations by using the improved ERP to control various business processes such as production, procurement, and sales and realize the collaborative processing of financial and business processes.
Dioscin Attenuates Myocardial Ischemic/Reperfusion‐Induced Cardiac Dysfunction through Suppression of Reactive Oxygen Species
Authors: Lyu Dayin , Tian Qing , Qian Huitao , He Chang , Shen Tianyu , Xi Jinxing , Xiao Pingxi , Lu Qiulun
Published: October 2021

Myocardial ischemic/reperfusion (MI/R) is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality. However, the mechanisms underlying pathological reperfusion remain obscure. In this study, we found that dioscin, a natural product, could be a potential candidate for treating MI/R through modulating cardiac dysfunction. Mechanistically, our work revealed that dioscin could suppress the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) via repressing the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 2 (Nox2) and enhancing the expression of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). These findings indicate that dioscin may be a potential candidate for therapeutic interventions in MI/R injury.
Six‐Year Outcomes of 25‐Gauge Chandelier Illumination‐Assisted Scleral Buckling
Authors: Li Hui , Zhang Conghui , Wei Jiayi , Keyal Khusbu , Wang Fang
Published: October 2021

Objectives. To report the long‐term results of scleral buckling using 25‐gauge chandelier illumination. Methods. The medical records of all patients presenting to Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital with simple rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) from June 2013 to Oct 2015 were retrospectively reviewed in this consecutive case series. All patients underwent preoperative and postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), B‐ultrasound, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography examination. Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) was obtained postoperatively. Results. Ten patients (10 eyes) were included in the final analysis. Of 10 patients, the average age was 49.3 ± 18.9 years old, the average duration of RRD was 30.9 ± 53.3 days, and the mean follow‐up period was 6.2 ± 0.9 years. There were nine eyes with myopia and four eyes with macular detachment. The primary anatomical success rate was 90%. Five eyes underwent 360‐degree band with element surgery, and five eyes underwent element surgery alone. The average length of encircling band and element was 68.2 ± 1.3 mm and 10.5 ± 2.5 mm, respectively. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications that occurred. The final BCVA was greater than or equal to 20/40 in nine eyes, of which four eyes achieved 20/20. UBM examination of the 25‐gauge chandelier insertion site revealed no tissue proliferation. Conclusions. For simple rhegmatogenous retinal detachment treatment, 25‐gauge chandelier illumination‐assisted scleral buckling is a kind of effective and safe method.
Effects of Lipoic Acid on Ischemia‐Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Ding Yueming , Zhang Yiming , Zhang Wunong , Shang Jia , Xie Zhenxing , Chen Chaoran
Published: October 2021

Ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury often occurred in some pathologies and surgeries. I/R injury not only harmed to physiological functions of corresponding organ and tissue but also induced multiple tissue or organ dysfunctions (even these in distant locations). Although the reperfusion of blood attenuated I/R injury to a certain degree, the risk of secondary damages was difficult to be controlled and it even caused failures of these tissues and organs. Lipoic acid (LA), as an endogenous active substance and a functional agent in food, owns better safety and effects in our body (e.g., enhancing antioxidant activity, improving cognition and dementia, controlling weight, and preventing multiple sclerosis, diabetes complication, and cancer). The literature searching was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and SCOPUS from inception to 20 May 2021. It had showed that endogenous LA was exhausted in the process of I/R, which further aggravated I/R injury. Thus, supplements with LA timely (especially pretreatments) may be the prospective way to prevent I/R injury. Recently, studies had demonstrated that LA supplements significantly attenuated I/R injuries of many organs, though clinic investigations were short at present. Hence, it was urgent to summarize these progresses about the effects of LA on different I/R organs as well as the potential mechanisms, which would enlighten further investigations and prepare for clinic applications in the future.
Evaluation Method of the Gas Hydrate and Free Gas System and Its Application in the Shenhu Area, South China Sea
Authors: Su Pibo , Li Tingwei , Liang Shurong , Liang Jinqiang , Wang Xiaoxue , Wan Xiaoming , Wang Feifei , Liu Fang
Published: October 2021

As a new alternative energy source, gas hydrate has attracted wide attention all over the world. Since gas hydrate is always associated with free gas, the evaluation of the gas hydrate and free gas system is an important aspect of hydrate reservoir exploration and development. In this study, based on identifying gas hydrate and free gas by well logging, the seismic reflection characteristics of gas hydrate and free gas are determined by an accurate well-to-seismic calibration method. On account of seismic reflection characteristics, AVO attributes are used to identify gas hydrate and free gas qualitatively. Using prestack and poststack inversion to get the ratio ofP-wave impedance andP-wave-to-S-wave velocities, we determine the three-dimensional space distribution of gas hydrate and free gas, predict their effective porosity and saturation, and eventually achieve the meticulous depiction of gas hydrate and free gas in the body, which is necessary in subsequent estimation of gas hydrate and free gas resources. Results show that according to logging interpretation, gas hydrate of the B-well is located in the depth range of 1460–1510 mbsl and free gas is in 1510–1542 mbsl. Moreover, gas hydrate of the A-well is located in the depth range of 1425–1512 mbsl, and no obvious free gas is identified. Gas hydrate is located above free gas and distributed continuously. In plane form, gas hydrate and free gas both present subelliptical distribution in the NW-SE direction. Gas hydrate has an effective porosity of 0.30–0.40, an average saturation of 0.33–0.40, and an effective thickness of 3.0–10.5 m, whereas free gas possesses an effective porosity of 0.35–0.40, a saturation of 0.24–0.32, and an effective thickness of 2.0–5.0 m.
Structural Resistance of Simplified Side Hull Models Accounting for Stiffener Design and Loading Type
Authors: Prabowo Aditya Rio , Tuswan Tuswan , Nurcholis Arifin , Pratama Anandito Adam
Published: October 2021

Thin-walled stiffened panels are fundamental structural components that form the primary structure of the ship hull. The effectiveness of the stiffener configuration design needs to be assessed because members are unavoidably subjected to various load types during operations. In this situation, assessment is required to quantify the responses and determine the relationship between the structural resistance and input parameters. The aim of this work was to obtain structural resistance data on the stiffened side hull of a medium-sized tanker with various model configurations by using finite element analysis with different loading parameters, i.e., load type and angle, as the main inputs. The results indicate that stiffener configurations subjected to loads at the center and random positions influence the effectiveness in reducing the deformation. The results show that the stiffener is more effective when the location of the force is very close to the stiffener. Therefore, higher strength can be obtained with a design in which the area that is not supported by the stiffener is minimized.
Neuropsychiatric Ramifications of COVID‐19: Short‐Chain Fatty Acid Deficiency and Disturbance of Microbiota‐Gut‐Brain Axis Signaling
Authors: Sajdel-Sulkowska Elizabeth M.
Published: October 2021

COVID‐19‐associated neuropsychiatric complications are soaring. There is an urgent need to understand the link between COVID‐19 and neuropsychiatric disorders. To that end, this article addresses the premise that SARS‐CoV‐2 infection results in gut dysbiosis and an altered microbiota‐gut‐brain (MGB) axis that in turn contributes to the neuropsychiatric ramifications of COVID‐19. Altered MGB axis activity has been implicated independently as a risk of neuropsychiatric disorders. A review of the changes in gut microbiota composition in individual psychiatric and neurological disorders and gut microbiota in COVID‐19 patients revealed a shared “microbial signature” characterized by a lower microbial diversity and richness and a decrease in health‐promoting anti‐inflammatory commensal bacteria accompanied by an increase in opportunistic proinflammatory pathogens. Notably, there was a decrease in short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA) producing bacteria. SCFAs are key bioactive microbial metabolites with anti‐inflammatory functions and have been recognized as a critical signaling pathway in the MGB axis. SCFA deficiency is associated with brain inflammation, considered a cardinal feature of neuropsychiatric disorders. The link between SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, gut dysbiosis, and altered MGB axis is further supported by COVID‐19‐associated gastrointestinal symptoms, a high number of SARS‐CoV‐2 receptors, angiotensin‐cleaving enzyme‐2 (ACE‐2) in the gut, and viral presence in the fecal matter. The binding of SARS‐CoV‐2 to the receptor results in ACE‐2 deficiency that leads to decreased transport of vital dietary components, gut dysbiosis, proinflammatory gut status, increased permeability of the gut‐blood barrier (GBB), and systemic inflammation. More clinical research is needed to substantiate further the linkages described above and evaluate the potential significance of gut microbiota as a diagnostic tool. Meanwhile, it is prudent to propose changes in dietary recommendations in favor of a high fiber diet or supplementation with SCFAs or probiotics to prevent or alleviate the neuropsychiatric ramifications of COVID‐19.
Enhancement of Wireless Lighting Control System
Authors: Attachie Joseph C. , Owusu George , Adu Shiphrah O.
Published: October 2021

The rapid increase in wireless technology has enormously increased wireless control of lighting system in residential, commercial, and industrial settings of many countries across the world. However, this system lacks troubleshooting interface, making it very difficult for the identification of faults in the lighting system. This paper therefore seeks to improve on the wireless lighting system by incorporating into the system two types of sensors such as the current sensor and light dependent resistance (LDR). The current sensor is functioned to determine fault in power supply, whilst the LDR determines fault due to damage in the AC lamp. The proposed system was first simulated with Proteus software to observe the set objectives. A successful simulation resulted in the implementation of the system. The results discussed prove that incorporating wireless technology with current sensor and LDR will make troubleshooting easy and effective when the need arises.
COVID‐19 Detection Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks and Binary Differential Algorithm‐Based Feature Selection from X‐Ray Images
Authors: Iraji Mohammad Saber , Feizi-Derakhshi Mohammad-Reza , Tanha Jafar
Published: October 2021

The new COVID‐19 is rapidly spreading and has already claimed the lives of numerous people. The virus is highly destructive to the human lungs, and early detection is critical. As a result, this paper presents a hybrid approach based on deep convolutional neural networks that are very effective tools for image classification. The feature vectors were extracted from the images using a deep convolutional neural network, and the binary differential metaheuristic algorithm was used to select the most valuable features. The SVM classifier was then given these optimized features. For the study, a database containing images from three categories, including COVID‐19, pneumonia, and a healthy category, included 1092 X‐ray samples, was used. The proposed method achieved a 99.43% accuracy, a 99.16% sensitivity, and a 99.57% specificity. Our findings indicate that the proposed method outperformed recent studies on COVID‐19 detection using X‐ray images.
The Domain-General Multiple Demand Network Is More Active in Early Balanced Bilinguals Than Monolinguals During Executive Processing
Authors: Malik-Moraleda Saima , Cucu Theodor , Lipkin Benjamin , Fedorenko Evelina
Published: October 2021

The bilingual experience may place special cognitive demands on speakers and has been argued to lead to improvements in domain-general executive abilities, like cognitive control and working memory. Such improvements have been argued for based on both behavioral and brain imaging evidence. However, the empirical landscape is complex and ridden with controversy. Here we attempt to shed light on this question through an fMRI investigation of relatively large, relatively homogeneous, and carefully matched samples of early balanced bilinguals (n = 55) and monolinguals (n = 54), using robust, previously validated individual-level markers of neural activity in the domain-general multiple demand (MD) network, which supports executive functions. We find that the bilinguals, compared to the monolinguals, show significantly stronger neural responses to an executive (spatial working memory) task, and a larger difference between a harder and an easier condition of the task, across the MD network. These stronger neural responses are accompanied by better behavioral performance on the working memory task. We further show that the bilingual-vs.-monolingual difference in neural responses is not ubiquitous across the brain as no group difference in magnitude is observed in primary visual areas, which also respond to the task. Although the neural group difference in the MD network appears robust, it remains difficult to causally link it to bilingual experience specifically.
Morphological and molecular evidence for the recognition of Caloglossa fonticola sp. nov. (Delesseriaceae, Rhodophyta) from an underground spring in Guangxi, China
Authors: FANG KUN-PENG , NAN FANG-RU , FENG JIA , LIU QI , LIU XU-DONG , XIE SHU-LIAN
Published: October 2021

Caloglossa (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) is a globally distributed euryhaline red macroalgal genus. However, only a few Caloglossa species have been documented in permanent freshwater habitats. Here, a new Caloglossa species, Caloglossa fonticola sp. nov., is described and illustrated from an underground spring in Bama County, Guangxi, China, based on morphological observations and molecular phylogenetic analysis. The new species is morphologically distinguishable from other species in the genus by a unique combination of character states, including thallus internodal blades linear, hardly or slightly constricted at nodes, adventitious branches and endogenous branches both absent, and unicellular rhizoids forming from clusters of wing cells arising from the first three axial cells of the main axis and lateral axis. Phylogenetic analysis based on rbcL and LSU rRNA DNA sequences indicated that Caloglossa fonticola was nested in a well-supported clade with Caloglossa bengalensis (Bootstrap supports for ML/posterior probabilities for BI: rbcL-98/1.00, LSU-100/1.00), with high sequence divergence between these two species (8.2–8.4% for rbcL and 3.2% for LSU), supporting its specific status. This is the first species of the genus Caloglossa reported in spring water habitats. The description of C. fonticola expands the known diversity of Caloglossa.
Senegalia propinqua (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae), a new species from the Yuanjiang dry-hot valley in south-central Yunnan Province, China
Authors: BAI LIN , MASLIN BRUCE , XIA NIANHE
Published: October 2021

Senegalia propinqua (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae), a new species from the Yuanjiang dry-hot valley in south-central Yunnan Province, China is described and illustrated. It is compared with S. kunmingensis, S. macrocephala and S. teniana. A distribution map of the four species is provided.
Ardisia patentiradiosa (Primulaceae), a new species from southern Vietnam
Authors: NURALIEV MAXIM S. , KUZNETSOV ANDREY N. , KUZNETSOVA SVETLANA P. , HU CHI-MING
Published: October 2021

Ardisia patentiradiosa C.M. Hu & Nuraliev (Primulaceae) collected from montane forest of Gia Lai Province, Vietnam, is described and illustrated. Its distinguishing characters from its closest relatives, Ardisia gracilenta C.M. Hu & J.E. Vidal and A. pitardii C.M. Hu & J.E. Vidal, are discussed.
Senecio lisowskii, a new name for Senecio jeffreyanus (Asteraceae, Senecioneae)
Authors: WANG LONG , BEENTJE HENK J.
Published: October 2021

N/A
Complement to the knowledge of the Haploops species (Crustacea, Gammaridea, Ampeliscidae), with the description of two new species from North Atlantic Ocean. [Contribution to the knowledge of the Haploops genus. 10.]
Authors: KAIM-MALKA R.A. , BELLAN-SANTINI D. , DAUVIN J.C.
Published: October 2021

Two new Haploops species are described from the North Atlantic Ocean: a blind species Haploops faroensis spec. nov. and Haploops truncata spec. nov. with a single pair of corneal lenses. In addition, Haploops vallifera Stephensen 1925 and Haploops similis Stephensen 1925, are re-described and the status of Haploops spinosa Shoemaker 1931, is re-established as a valid species. A table is given of the 75 morphological characters of the studied species.
Callogobius falx, a new species of goby from southern Japan
Authors: FUJIWARA KYOJI , SUZUKI TOSHIYUKI , MOTOMURA HIROYUKI
Published: October 2021

Callogobius falx n. sp. (Gobiidae) is described on the basis of two specimens (14.4 and 23.1 mm in standard length: SL) from the Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays VI-I, 8 or 9; anal-fin rays I, 7; pectoral-fin rays 18 or 19; lateral scale rows 20–22; body depth moderate, neither particularly slender nor deep (depth at pelvic-fin origin 18.3–20.0% of SL); pelvic-fin base with frenum; caudal-fin length moderate, margin rounded; cephalic sensory-canal pores absent; interorbital papillae row separated, forming two rows (one row in 14.4 mm paratype); postorbital papillae row not continuous with upper cranial papillae row; preopercular and transverse opercular papillae rows connected, forming single transverse row; body with three oblique black bars, angled upwards anteriorly and continuous with black bars on dorsal fins, anteriormost bar extending from 1st dorsal fin to midline of body, posterior two bars extending from second dorsal fin to dorsal surface of body and caudal peduncle, respectively; pectoral fin white, upper half widely (ca. 1/2 length of rays) margined with black; caudal-fin base with narrow sickle-like bar.
Pancretic Fat Accummulation is Associated with Subclinical Atherosclerosis
Authors: Sahin Sinan , Karadeniz Aysegul
Published: October 2021

We investigated the relationship between pancreatic fat accumulation and markers of atherosclerosis among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Patients with NAFLD have been reported to be at an increased risk of vascular events. We grouped 183 patients in whom we detected and graded hepatosteatosis (HS) on transabdominal ultrasonography into 2 groups based on the presence/absence of pancreatic fat. There were 85 participants (50 female; mean age: 53.6 ± 9.7 years) who were nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) positive and 98 participants (56 female; mean age: 51.4 ± 9.3 years) who were NAFPD negative. Carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) was significantly greater in the group where HS was accompanied by NAFPD (0.51 [0.40–0.62] vs 0.45 [0.35–0.55] mm; P < .001). Multivariable analyses showed that the independent predictors of increased cIMT were age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.108; 95% CI: 1.059–1.158, P = .001), hypertension (OR: 2.244; 95% CI: 1.099–4.579, P = .026), and the presence of NAFPD (OR: 3.078; CI 95% CI: 1.531–6.190, P = .0002). In the present study we demonstrated that, in patients with NAFLD, pancreatic fat accumulation was significantly associated with cIMT, a marker of early atherosclerosis. NAFPD may increase the risk of vascular events associated with NAFLD.
The Ghaznavid Empire of India
Authors: Anooshahr Ali
Published: October 2021

Almost all of our information on the Ghaznavids comes from two contemporary chronicles (one in Persian and one in Arabic) and a divan (poetic anthology) from the early eleventh century. The Arabic text is the Tarikh-i Yamini written by Abu Nasr al-ʻUtbi, and the Persian chronicle is the Zayn al-Akhbar by Gardizi. Virtually, all subsequent Persian chroniclers drew on the later Persian translation of the Yamini. After the Mughal period, a few used Gardizi as well. In the nineteenth century, H. M. Elliot translated parts of the Persian translation of ʻUtbi into English, which popularised that particular version of events in modern scholarship. This uncritical overreliance on a single source has led to perhaps the greatest misunderstanding of medieval Indian history. I will argue that the version of the Ghaznavid campaigns in ʻUtbi was meant strictly for the court of the ‘Abbasid caliph in Baghdad where a sufficiently learned audience could actually be expected to understand the very difficult Arabic of the text. The Yamini did not simply embellish reality but was actually trying to create a narrative that was in contradiction to and even independent of reality. It was part of a campaign of misinformation to hide the fact that the Ghaznavids were creating an Indian empire both as a network of tributary kings and as an open trade zone ruled by a king of kings symbolised by the elephant.
Palliative care and euthanasia: A Nepalese scenario
Authors: Atreya Alok , Khadka Anuska , Kandel Rakshya Arun
Published: October 2021

Palliative care, namely the relief of pain, is a priority for cases of incurable diseases in Nepal. However, since oral morphine is not available, pain control is often inadequate. Euthanasia is not permissible by law but could be a better solution in some cases and should be made understandable to patients and physicians as in developed countries. Should euthanasia be legal? If cheap and effective palliative care were easily accessible, most terminally ill Nepalese would avoid pressure to practise euthanasia because it is a cheaper option.
Testing for Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Adults Aged ≥18 in the United States, 2013-2017
Authors: King Hope , Soh J.E. , Thompson William W. , Brown Jessica Rogers , Rapposelli Karina , Vellozzi Claudia
Published: October 2021

Objective

Approximately 2.4 million people in the United States are living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The objective of our study was to describe demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, liver disease–related risk factors, and modifiable health behaviors associated with self-reported testing for HCV infection among adults.

Methods

Using data on adult respondents aged ≥18 from the 2013-2017 National Health Interview Survey, we summarized descriptive data on sociodemographic characteristics and liver disease–related risk factors and stratified data by educational attainment. We used weighted logistic regression to examine predictors of HCV testing.

Results

During the study period, 11.7% (95% CI, 11.5%-12.0%) of adults reported ever being tested for HCV infection. Testing was higher in 2017 than in 2013 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.27; 95% CI, 1.18-1.36). Adults with ≥some college were significantly more likely to report being tested (aOR = 1.60; 95% CI, 1.52-1.69) than adults with ≤high school education. Among adults with ≤high school education (but not adults with ≥some college), those who did not have health insurance were less likely than those with private health insurance (aOR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68-0.89) to get tested, and non–US-born adults were less likely than US-born adults to get tested (aOR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.68-0.87).

Conclusions

Rates of self-reported HCV testing increased from 2013 to 2017, but testing rates remained low. Demographic characteristics, health behaviors, and liver disease–related risk factors may affect HCV testing rates among adults. HCV testing must increase to achieve hepatitis C elimination targets.
Body pedagogics, transactionalism and vélo identities: Becoming a cyclist in motorised societies
Authors: Shilling Chris
Published: October 2021

Sociological research into the body pedagogics of occupational, educational, religious and sporting groups focuses on cases in which the social and material environment reproduces these ‘ways of life’, yet devotes little attention to how cultures persist within circumstances hostile to their maintenance. Developing a transactionalist approach to body pedagogics, I address this lacuna by investigating the case of cycling within societies dominated by automobility. Cycling, in these contexts, requires individuals to engage creatively with challenging physical and environmental exchanges. Such exchanges frequently alienate but can involve the development of ‘outsider’ mobile status, have been reorganised into stable practices by vélo cultures, and highlight embodied processes relevant to general sociological investigations into marginalised cultures.
Does Positive Contact Between Residents and Tourists Stimulate Tourists’ Environmentally Responsible Behavior? The Role of Gratitude and Boundary Conditions
Authors: Tu HongWei , Ma JianFeng
Published: October 2021

This study explored how and when positive contact between residents and tourists stimulates tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior. Drawing on social exchange theory, we verified a moderated mediation model in which gratitude mediated the link between positive contact and tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior, while agreeableness moderated the relationship between positive contact and gratitude. Data were collected from 691 visitors to Mount Wuyi. The findings revealed that positive contact directly affected tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior and that this link was mediated by gratitude. Furthermore, agreeableness significantly moderated the effects of positive contact on gratitude. In particular, the effect of positive contact on gratitude was stronger for tourists with high agreeableness. Additionally, agreeableness also strengthened the indirect relationship between positive contact and tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior through gratitude—which was, again, stronger for highly agreeable tourists.
Decentralized robust evolving cloud-based controller for two input two output systems
Authors: Vijay Anand J , Manoharan PS
Published: October 2021

The fuzzy logic controller (FLC) makes it possible to control a system using IF-THEN rules through human intellect. It tackles parameter uncertainty using imprecise reasoning. The fuzzy logic controller is usually tuned using offline methods. An online evolving adaptation of fuzzy controller design is a recent trend in fuzzy rule-based systems. The robust evolving cloud-based controller (RECCo) is one such controller implemented for single-input-single-output (SISO) systems. The membership functions and consequent rules are automatically updated in real time based on the input data. In this paper, a decentralized robust evolving cloud-based controller (DRECCo) is proposed for two-input-two-output (TITO) systems. It consists of two independent loops with RECCos having a nonparametric premise facet and an adaptive proportional-integral-derivative (PID) model consequent facet. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated for the benchmark interacting two-tank process (ITTP) and quadruple-tank process (QTP) by simulation and in real time. The results indicate that with the information of loop pairing and the forward-acting/reverse-acting nature of the process, the proposed controller can adapt itself to ensure set-point tracking and disturbance rejection.
High Compensation and Unethical Reciprocity
Authors: Wang Long , Song Fei , Zhong Chen-Bo
Published: October 2021

This research extends social exchange theory by investigating unethical reciprocity induced by high compensation in employee–manager exchange relationships. Two experimental studies based on behavioral games showed that even after employees had reciprocated their managers’ wage offers with commensurate work efforts, managers’ previous compensation decisions still had potent effects on employees’ subsequent ethical behaviors. Specifically, Study 1 showed that high wages led employees to engage in unethical reciprocity to benefit their managers at the expense of honesty. In addition, when managers had the possibility of rewarding employees’ unethical reciprocity, only underpaid employees demonstrated more unethical reciprocity, and high-paid employees were not affected by their potential personal payout. Study 2 replicated Study 1’s results using different designs and behavioral games. Its results consistently showed that high-paid employees were more likely to act dishonestly to advance their managers’ interests, irrespective of their own payouts. Finally, Study 3 complemented our experimental results with initial field evidence, suggesting that higher salaries were positively related to the likelihood of police officers engaging in unethical and illegal actions to help their organization. We discuss our results by applying cross-disciplinary insights on exchange models and compensation to organizational studies.
Implementation of Mobile Audiometry During the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Garcia Alejandro , Chari Divya A. , Stankovic Konstantina M. , Lee Daniel J. , Kozin Elliott D. , Franck Kevin H.
Published: October 2021

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the utility of portable audiometry became more apparent as elective procedures were deferred in an effort to limit exposure to health care providers. Herein, we retrospectively evaluated mobile‐based audiometry in the emergency department and outpatient otology and audiology clinics. Air conduction thresholds with mobile audiometry were within 5 dB in 66% of tests (95% CI, 62.8%‐69.09%) and within 10 dB in 84% of tests (95% CI, 81.4%‐86.2%) as compared with conventional audiometry. No significant differences were noted between mobile‐based and conventional audiometry at any frequencies, except 8 kHz (P <. 05). The sensitivity and specificity for screening for hearing loss were 94.3% (95% CI, 91.9%‐96.83%) and 92.3% (95% CI, 90.1%‐94.4%), respectively. While automated threshold audiometry does not replace conventional audiometry, mobile audiometry is a promising screening tool when conventional audiometry is not available.
Radicalism, Respectability, and the Colour Line of Critical Thought: An Interdisciplinary History of Critical International Relations
Authors: Conway Philip R.
Published: October 2021

The epithet ‘critical’ has become both coveted and contested. A long-established lodestone of personal, political, and professional commitment within academia, its meanings are multiple, and its histories are poorly understood. This article reconstructs an interdisciplinary history of debates concerning what it is to ‘be critical’, beginning in the 1930s but focusing on the late 1960s to the late 1990s. It argues the significance of the category ‘critical’ to be that it can connote political radicalism while allowing for a degree of professional respectability. Furthermore, the article shows that claims and counterclaims upon the parameters of criticality have privileged certain thought traditions. In particular, while contemporary discourses of ‘anti-wokeness’ caricature critical academics as being prepossessed with issues of coloniality and race, traditions of thought dealing with these issues have, until recently, been rather marginalised. The enduring ‘colour line’ of critical thought is not only unjust but also deleterious to political imagination.
The Unusual Case of Sexual Homicide Against Males: Comparisons and Classification
Authors: Chopin Julien , Beauregard Eric
Published: October 2021

This study examines the specificities of sexual homicides involving male victims. First, this study aims to identify characteristics specific to SH involving male victims by comparing them to SH involving female victims and determine whether rational choice approach and routine activities theories are useful to explain the crime-commission process. Second, this study aims to provide the first empirical classification of SH involving male victims. The sample used in this research comes from the Sexual Homicide International Database (SHIelD) including 662 cases of cases—100 cases involving male victims and 552 involving female victims. Bivariate and multivariate analysis are performed to examine the differences between the two groups and latent class analysis is used to generate an empirical classification of cases involving male victims. Findings indicate the victim’s gender plays an important role in the different choices made by sexual homicide offenders of male victims to successfully complete their crime. They adapted their crime-commission process to overcome the risks associated with a physical confrontation with a male victim (i.e., target selection, approach strategy, method of killing). Classification analysis suggests that it exists three different types of sexual murderers assaulting male victims: the robber sexual murderer, the sadistic sexual murderer, and the pedophile murderer. This research proposes the first empirical typology of sexual homicide involving male victims and provides both a true picture of the reality and a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon.
Telehealth Use Among Older Adults During COVID-19: Associations With Sociodemographic and Health Characteristics, Technology Device Ownership, and Technology Learning
Authors: Choi Namkee G. , DiNitto Diana M. , Marti C. Nathan , Choi Bryan Y.
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in rapid telehealth/telemedicine adoption. In this study, we (1) examined rates and correlates of telehealth (video call) use among those aged 70+, and (2) tested the significance of access to information and communication technology (ICT) device ownership and knowledge of how to use the internet and devices as telehealth-enabling factors. The Behavioral Model of Health Services Use served as the conceptual framework, and data came from the COVID-19 supplemental survey of the National Health and Aging Trend Study. Results show that telehealth use increased to 21.1% from 4.6% pre-pandemic. In logistic regression models without technology-enabling factors, older age and lower income were negatively associated with telehealth use; however, when technology-enabling factors were included, they were significant while age and income were no longer significant. Insuring that older adults have ICT devices and internet access may reduce health disparities and improve telehealth care delivery.
Polyethylene glycol diacrylate scaffold filled with cell-laden methacrylamide gelatin/alginate hydrogels used for cartilage repair
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Yan Zhenhao , Guan Guotao , Lu Zijing , Yan Shujie , Du Azhen , Wang Lixia , Li Qian
Published: October 2021

Natural cartilage tissue has excellent mechanical properties and has certain cellular components. At this stage, it is a great challenge to produce cartilage scaffolds with excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Hydrogels are commonly used in tissue engineering because of their excellent biocompatibility; however, the mechanical properties of commonly used hydrogels are difficult to meet the requirements of making cartilage scaffolds. The mechanical properties of high concentration polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel are similar to those of natural cartilage, but its biocompatibility is poor. Low concentration hydrogel has better biocompatibility, but its mechanical properties are poor. In this study, two different hydrogels were combined to produce cartilage scaffolds with good mechanical properties and strong biocompatibility. First, the PEGDA grid scaffold was printed with light curing 3D printing technology, and then the low concentration GelMA/Alginate hydrogel with chondral cells was filled into the PEGDA grid scaffold. After a series of cell experiments, the filling hydrogel with the best biocompatibility was screened out, and finally the filled hydrogel with cells and excellent biocompatibility was obtained. Cartilage tissue engineering scaffolds with certain mechanical properties were found to have a tendency of cartilage formation in in vitro culture. Compared with the scaffold obtained by using a single hydrogel, this molding method can produce a tissue engineering scaffold with excellent mechanical properties on the premise of ensuring biocompatibility, which has a certain potential application value in the field of cartilage tissue engineering.
Heat enhancement analysis of the hybridized micropolar nanofluid with Cattaneo–Christov and stratification effects
Authors: Ahmad Shafiq , Nadeem Sohail , Khan Muhammad Naveed
Published: October 2021

In the present article, it is examined the steady bio-convective hybridized micropolar nanofluid flow with the stratification conditions above a vertical exponentially stretching surface. The SWCNT+MWCNT are used in a base fluid of water to formulate the Hybrid nanoparticles in the current article. To examine the mass and heat transfer rate, the activation energy and Cattaneo-Christov heat flux are factored into the equation. The relevant transformations are manipulated to transfer the flow model into the coupled non-linear ODEs. To answer the coupled equations, the Bvp4c Matlab approach is being used. The conclusion of various parameters is examined graphically. The physical numbers observed via graphs, such as friction factor, local Sherwood number and local microorganism number. It is worth noticing that the axial and angular velocity reduces close the boundary and enhances away from the boundary with the escalation of solid volume fraction of SWCNT and MWCNT. Further, as increases the Peclet number, microorganism stratification parameters, and bio-convection Schmidt number, the microorganism sketch declines.