bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role Of Social Media In Sustaining Business During Corona Virus Pandemic
Authors: Kaur Satinder , Kaur Anterpreet
Published: December 2022

Due to Corona Virus Pandemic (Covid-19), several countries across the world resorted to lockdowns in order to protect their people from getting infected from the virus. But these lockdowns confined millions of citizens to their homes restricting their mobility. Restricted mobilization resulted in shutting down businesses and ceasing almost all economic activities. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the global economy is expected to shrink by over 3 per cent in 2020, the steepest slowdown since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Another analysis by International Monetary Fund reveals that demand in the manufacturing sector has gone down in many countries of the world that further resulted in unemployment. During the lockdown, an estimated 14 crore (140 million) people lost employment while salaries were cut for many others. More than 45 per cent of households across the nation have reported an income drop as compared to the previous year. Thus, Covid-19/ Crona virus outbreak has presented new and significant downside risks to the global economic outlook. In the case of India too, some economists revealed that during lockdown there is ajoblossof40millionpeople(MRD report) in the country, that’s too in the unorganized sectors. Moreover, with the advent of the lockdown most of the sector shifted their functioning online or work from home in order to sustain their working. During shutdown it is also observed that the digital world got a push, sale of mobile phones and related gadgets increased. The small as well as big traders, businessmen started using apps like watsepp, Face book, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, PayTM etc more frequently. Undoubtedly, social media has helped in sustaining economy and business during the Corona Virus Pandemic. The present research work is an effort to look upon the role of social media in sustaining business during lockdown. Data were collected empirically again with the help of social media. Results revealed that impacts of lockdown were different on different types of businesses.
Study of Mechanical, Thermal, and Microstructural Properties of Polypropylene/Ceramic Waste Composites
Authors: LÓPEZ-RAMIREZ Roberto , FLORES-VAZQUEZ Ana L. , CASTREJON-SANCHEZ Victor , TELLEZ-JURADO Lucia , DORANTES-ROSALES Hector J. , SORIANO-VARGAS Orlando
Published: December 2022

In this work, the effect of reinforcement of the iPP with ceramic waste (CW), and the use of maleic anhydride compatibilizing agent grafted with polyolefin elastomer (POE-g-MAH) are studied. The composites were fabricated by extrusion and injection processes, and their morphology and microstructure, as well as fracture surface and mechanical and thermal properties were analyzed. Characterization by polarized optical microscopy showed that the ceramic waste particles were well-dispersed into the iPP matrix without the presence of agglomerates. However, the POE-g-MAH did not show good compatibility when it was added to the iPP/CW composite. Hardness Rockwell R, tensile and flexural measurements showed that the hardness, Young´s modulus, and flexural modulus increased with the incorporation of CW and without the POE-g-MAH. The ductility of the composites was several decreased with the addition of CW. POE-g-MAH affected the hardness, ductility, strength tensile, Young´s modulus, flexural modulus, and interfacial interaction in the iPP/CW composite. Analysis by X-ray diffraction showed that the CW also acted as a nucleating agent, increasing the crystallization degree, and forming the β-phase. Analysis of the Fourier transformed infrared showed transmittance bands of the iPP, CW, POE-g-MAH and composites. The bands were similar and there were no major changes in characteristic bands of composites, but CW and POE-g-MAH produced changes in the shape and intensity of band peaks of the iPP matrix. The CW addition to the iPP matrix modified the thermal properties of pure iPP, such as the degree of crystallization and melting temperature in the iPP/CW composites. The incorporation of POE-g-MAH decreased the crystallization temperature and crystallinity degree in the iPP/CW composite.
Practicing Hypothesis Tests in Textile Engineering: Spinning Mill Exercise
Authors: Gönül Şengöz Nefise
Published: December 2022

A novel statistical approach for multiple-stream processes is proposed in this manuscript. As important as quality control in manufacturing is, hypothesis tests are an important part of it if utilized and constructed the most logically to evaluate and decide on a special matter in a production line or a production machine. The proposed statistical approach is explained in detail in a spinning mill having 20 spinning frames. The spinning frames are adjusted according to customers’ orders and to the technology of spinning frames first. Then, the result of that adjustment is controlled statistically by means of hypothesis testing, χ2, t-test, and F statistics are used. Later, they are pooled one by one, and at the end, all 20 spinning frames are considered as one machine producing the same yarn, the same variance of yarn count, and the same yarn count. Performed literature review claims that control charts are appropriate for multiple-stream processes. But, the application of this proposed statistical approach guarantees that production starts with correct adjustments on machines, and control charts become more sensitive to the assignable causes. The application area of this proposed statistical approach is wide, leading to higher quality in products, a requirement that is in demand more every day.
Iron-Based Ionic Liquids for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Application
Authors: Singh Gehlot Praveen , Kumar Arvind
Published: December 2022

In the biomedical treatment, identification of diseases and their diagnosis are running with help of many biomedical techniques including imaging such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI technique requires an identification of targeted cell or lesion area which can be achieved by contrast agent. For clinical use, T1 positive MRI contrast agents and T2 negative MRI contrast agents are being used. However, these contrast agents have several drawbacks such as toxic effect of metal centre, poor resolution, weak contrast, low intensity image and short signal for long-term in vivo measurement. Therefore, development of new contrast agents is imperative. Ionic liquids with their unique properties have been tried as novel contrasting materials. Particularly, iron-containing amino-acid-based ionic liquids or amino-acid-based paramagnetic ionic liquids (PMILs) have been reported and demonstrated as MRI contrast agents. These PMILs have shown superior features over reported contrast agents such as dual-mode contrast, biofriendly nature, involvement of non-toxic magnetic centre (Fe), stable aqueous solution, better image intensity at low concentration level and easy to synthesis. PMILs have been characterized well and studied with animal DNA using various techniques. The result revealed that animal DNA is remain safe and stable structurally up to 5 mmol.l−1. These cost-effective PMILs opened the greater opportunity in the field of contrast-based biomedical applications.
Uses of Portable Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometers
Authors: Owen Bussey III Robert
Published: December 2022

Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) technology, whether in a laboratory or in the field allows scientists to identify and quantitate volatile and semi-volatile chemical compounds at low levels. It was not until the 1990s, well after the birth of GCMS in the 1950’s, that portable GCMS technology became possible. GCMS miniaturization along with a need for scientists to test samples outside of the laboratory drove the development of portable GCMS systems. Currently, scientists in the environmental, emergency response, government, military sectors, and private manufacturing industries use portable GCMS technology to monitor and quantitate various chemicals such as low levels of hazardous compound exposure in the environment. Successful implementation of portable GCMS also required that many sample preparatory techniques used in the laboratory must be modified for application in the field to maintain simplicity and robustness of the analysis of complex matrices like soil or water. This chapter will describe portable GCMS technology along with the current uses and sample preparatory techniques utilized.
Potential Use of African Botanicals and Other Compounds in the Treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections
Authors: Omobolanle Adesanya Enitan , Daniel Ogunlakin Akingbolabo
Published: December 2022

Infections caused by the group of Staphylococcus bacteria are commonly called Staph infections, and over 30 types of Staphylococcal bacteria exist with Staphylococcus aureus causing about 90% of the infections from the genus. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a major cause of both hospital- and community-acquired infections with major concern arising from its strain of species that is resistant to many antibiotics. One of such strain is the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that has been described to be a resistance to methicillin drugs. Another is glycopeptides-resistant emerging from the increased use of glycopeptides drugs. This continuous emergence and spread of new resistant strains of S. aureus is a major challenge which makes the search for novel anti-resistant agents imperative. The development of vaccines from natural and synthetic products is some of the measures being proposed for the protection against the infections. Also, the development of monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies for passive immunization is sought for, and attentions with regard to arriving at successful trials have been directed back to medicinal plant research as an alternative. This review discusses the treatment strategies of MRSA, the antibacterial property of various medicinal plants, and the influence of their active compounds on methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), as well as to recommend the path to future research in this area.
Complement-Mediated Kidney Disease
Authors: Vuković Brinar Ivana , Matošević Matija
Published: December 2022

From very discovery of the complement cascade, it had an intriguing role in pathophysiology of kidney disease. The hallmark of complement cascade involvement in kidney diseases comprises of immune-complexes deposits in the glomeruli, acting as activation for the classical pathway. However, additional mechanisms of complement activation, namely alternative and lectin pathways are extremely important and prominent in complement-mediated kidney disease. Disease prototype of activation of complement is an atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome with solid activation of complement and C3 glomerulopathy is a hallmark of fluid phase activation of alternative complement pathway. Further research has shown that alternative pathway also plays a role in pathogenesis and progression of other kidney diseases including anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis and immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis as well as IgA nephropathy. A better understanding of complement system’s role in kidney disease has also brought forth novel therapeutic approaches in form of complement cascade inhibitors, revolutionizing the treatment of patients that were faced with unfavorable outcomes. Through this chapter, we bring to you an overview of most prevalent complement-mediated kidney diseases with emphasis on the role of complement in their pathogenesis and the potential for treatment targeting the complement cascade.
Intrapartum Care: What Does the Evidence Say?
Authors: Elito Jr. Julio , Francisco Kuhn dos Santos Jorge
Published: December 2022

Childbirth is one of the most important moments in life. Delivery assistance is a major challenge today. Safety in childbirth care to avoid maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality is especially important. It is vital to avoid, on the one hand, the excess of medicalization with early and unnecessary interventions and, on the other hand, the lack of care that can lead to a delay in decision-making. In this delicate balance, it is also important to consider the expectation of the parturient with her desires related to how the birth she idealized will happen. Respecting her wishes without putting the maternal-fetal unity at risk is a great challenge for the obstetrician. It is important to avoid interventions as fundal pressure, routine episiotomy and the excess of unnecessary caesarean section. Cultural, socio-economical aspects and choosing the delivery mode are part of a big puzzle. This chapter aims to assess the best childbirth care among the scientific evidence and will cover the following topics: first stage of labor (differentiating latent from active phase), progression of the first and second stages of labor, pain relief during labor, prevention of postpartum hemorrhage, care of the newborn, and the puerperal woman.
Recent Advances in Immunotherapeutic Approaches for Recurrent Reproductive Failure
Authors: Abdolmohammadi-Vahid Samaneh , Aghebati-Maleki Leili , Ahmadian-Heris Javad , Danaii Shahla , Yousefi Mehdi
Published: December 2022

Human reproduction is an insufficient process, disturbed by various factors, such as immunologic aberrations of mother. Immunologic abnormalities, including cellular and humoral immunity imbalance, cause dysregulated immune responses against embryo, fetus, and associated components and lack of maternal immunotolerance, which compromise the maintenance of pregnancy. Therefore, evaluation of immunologic parameters, including cellular and humoral immunity assessment (T and B lymphocyte, T helper subtypes, NK cells, cytokines, and autoantibodies), especially in women with a history of pregnancy loss or implantation failure, would help clinicians to manage the disorder and prevent next unfavorable pregnancy outcomes. Moreover, several immunomodulatory approaches have been introduced to modulate the abnormal immunologic responses in patients who experience reproduction failure, especially those diagnosed with immunologic basis. Anticoagulants, corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, immunosuppressive medications used in inhibition of graft rejection, such as calcineurin inhibitors, recombinant cytokines, and cell therapy approaches, are among these modalities. Here, we discuss the proposed mechanisms of immunologic abnormalities involved in the etiopathogenesis of reproduction disorders, besides the suggested immunologic tests and immunotherapeutic approaches which may be helpful in management of these disorders.
Neglected Arboviruses in Latin America
Authors: J. Rodriguez-Morales Alfonso , Katterine Bonilla-Aldana D.
Published: December 2022

Over the last decade, there has been an increasing concern for epidemics in Latin America, as well as in other regions, due to arboviruses causing epidemics. Before 2013, dengue and yellow fever were of major preoccupation in urban and rural areas, respectively. But after that year, the emergence of chikungunya (2013) and Zika (2015) with their widespread in the region, affected millions of individuals, especially in tropical countries. Nowadays, other alpha and flaviviruses, but also bunyaviruses, have been circulating in the region causing small outbreaks, as is the case of Mayaro, Madariaga, Rocio, Oropouche, and St. Louis encephalitis, among others. In the current chapter, we address the situation regarding these other arboviruses that have been neglected by also being a differential diagnosis and an etiology of febrile syndrome in the region.
Use of Statins in Dental Implantology and Their Impact on Osseointegration: Animal Studies
Authors: Katanec Tomislav , Gabrić Dragana
Published: December 2022

Statins are one of the most commonly used drugs for the prevention of atherosclerosis and ischemic heart disease. Statins have an antibacterial effect against oral pathogens, especially against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Studies on animals that we analyzed in this chapter show that statins promote angiogenesis and osteoblast differentiation. Data on the effect of statins on the process of osseointegration are important in clinical practice and should be an integral part of dental education. PubMed, Cochrane Central, and Web of Science database search was performed for animal studies on statin effects on dental osseointegration. Fifteen studies performed on laboratory animals were identified where statins were applied systemically, locally, orally, subcutaneously, or intraosseously. Titan implants of different diameters were placed in tibia and femur of animals. Statins improved osseointegration and enhanced contact of implant surface with the newly formed bone, as well as significantly increased the volume of newly formed bone in lab animals. The purpose of this chapter is to prove the relationship between local use of statins and better osseointegration, as well as a larger amount of newly formed bone around the implant. Knowledge of the effect of frequently prescribed medications on dental procedures and osseointegration is necessary for both students and physicians.
Breast Abscess as the Sole Presentation of Salmonella Typhi Infection: Case Report
Authors: VARMA Sharin , KAUR Ravinder , SATİJA Shweta
Published: December 2022

A breast abscess is a common clinical entity most commonly caused by gram-positive cocci in the lactating breast. Here we present a bilateral breast abscess due to Salmonella Typhi in a young non-lactating female. The patient presented with on and off fever and a painful lump with discharge in the left breast, followed by similar complaints in the right breast after a few days. Incision and drainage were done, and the sample was sent for microbiological analysis. Salmonella Typhi was isolated. The patient had high titers of the Widal test though her blood culture was negative. The infection was successfully treated with a combination of surgical drainage and antibiotics. This case highlights that a systemic Salmonella infection need not always present with the typical symptoms and can solely present in a focal manner (breast abscess) and highlights the importance of microbiological analysis for accurate diagnosis and proper management. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2022; 12(4):163-166.
Integrating Digital Literacy Into English As A Foreign Language (EFL) Class: A Cooperative Learning Approach
Authors: Henny Mardiah
Published: December 2022

In this ICT (Information, Communication and Technology) era in which internet service spreads widely over the world enables people to access abundant information more easily. Digital literacy skills are crucially needed to filter reliable and unreliable information. Digital literacy competencies are also essential to filter the massive spread of fake news or hoax and hate speech. In education, digital literacy competencies need to be taught and trained to students to gain information, analyse digital information content critically and to use information in many types of formats from a number of sources obtained through computers. Therefore, digital literacy skills can be integrated in learning. Cooperative learning is a learning approach that allow students take part in group learning activities to analyze, synthesize and reflect thoughtful evaluation of a digital content. This study aims to foster integration of digital literacy competencies into English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class through cooperative learning approach. The subjects of this study were 37 students of 6th semester of TBI-1 (English Education Department) class of the State Islamic University of North Sumatera. This study was conducted using qualitative method. Data collection techniques utilized secondary research and observation. The research findings show that students who are dominated by Generation Z are literate enough in performing digital literacy skills through cooperative learning approach.
The Ageing Process and Health
Authors:   Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, Worsley Sarah , Border Peter
Published: December 2022

This POST note examines the biological basis of ageing, the potential to manipulate the ageing process and to use such knowledge to promote better health later in life.
The Microbiome and Human Health
Authors:   Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, Cullen Erin , Border Peter
Published: December 2022

This POSTnote examines what is known about the human microbiome and the diseases and conditions linked to it. The note then describes interventions to modify the human microbiome and examines the issues raised by their use and by microbiome research more generally.
Jurnal Riview Artikel Kecemasan dengan Berbagai Fisioterapi yang dapat Menurunkan Kecemasan
Authors: Tanuwidjaja Sri , Safitri Safitri , Apriani Maya
Published: December 2022

Pendahuluan: Kecemasan yang berlebihan pada sesuatu hal yang tidak realistis dapat menyebabkan gangguan kecemasan. Penduduk dunia sepertiganya dipengaruhi oleh gangguan anxietas selama masa hidupnya menurut survei epidemiologi (Soodan and Arya, 2015). Diperlukan untuk memastikan pengobatan yang sesuai dengan jenis gangguan kecemasan. Untuk mengatasi ansietas dengan pemberian psikotropika, dapat menimbulkan dan memberikan efek samping yang berbahaya (Puspita, 2019). Memberikan informasi mengenai perkembangan pengobatan secara fisioterapi yang digunakan pada penderita gangguan kecemasan berdasarkan tipe gangguannya tujuan dari review artikel ini. Metode: Menggunakan beberapa sumber data untuk dijadikan referensi pada review artikel ini terdiri dari 20 jurnal ilmiah, 5 textbook, dan 2 website resmi yaitu National Institute of Mental Health dan Ministry of Health. Therapy) Pencarian artikel jurnal dilakukan secara elektronik dengan menggunakan beberapa database, yaitu: database Sage, Sience Direct, Proquest, dan Google Scholar dari Januari 2013 sampai Juli 2022. Hasil: Beberapa alternatif fisioterapi mengurangi kecemasan dengan progressive muscle relaxation, terapi music, terapi murotal, terapi berpikiran positif dan CBT (Cognitif Behavior Therapy) Metode. terhadap berbagai penyakit dan masalah fisikologis pada manusia. Kesimpulan: Pengobatan alternatif fisioterapi dapat secara efektif menurunkan kecemasan pada berbagai pasien yang mengalami masalah penyakit tubuh dan jiwa.
Public health aspects of food allergy and food intolerance: Literature review
Authors: Ristovska Gordana , Petrova Aleksandra , Grigorova Evgenija
Published: December 2022

Aim of the paper was to make a review of available evidence for food allergies and food intolerance, to make a distinction between allergy and intolerance, and to emphasize the current knowledge about the prevalence and preventive measures. We made a search through PubMed and Google scholar, using the search terms "food", "allergy", "intolerance", "prevalence", "prevention" and "measures" for the period from 2000 to 2020, in order to find appropriate papers and publications. Food intolerance is defined as a non-immunological reaction to certain natural food ingredients or food additives that causes pharmacological, metabolic and gastro-intestinal reactions to food or food compounds. Food allergy is defined as an immune-mediated reaction to food, that is almost always mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE). The worldwide prevalence of IgE-mediated allergic reactions is not exactly known. It is believed that about 1-2% of adults and between 5-7% of the children suffer from some type of food allergy and this number is growing. The most frequent specific food allergens are eggs, fish, peanuts, nuts, cow's milk, cereals containing gluten, (such as wheat, rye, barley, oats) seafood, soybeans, sesame, celery and mustard. Food intolerance can sometimes be controlled by limiting the amount of a certain type of food that is consumed, but when it comes to food allergies, much stricter avoidance of the food is required. Only food allergy, not food intolerance, can lead to a potentially fatal anaphylaxis reaction. In order to avoid food allergy, it is necessary to label the products for the presence of allergens.
Metabolomics and Application on The Specificity of Host-Invasion Interaction
Authors: Liu Huan
Published: December 2022

Article 4. Metabolomics and Application on The Specificity of Host-Invasion Interaction/新陈代谢组学在宿主细胞与生物入侵关系的专一性机制中的应用研究 Author: Liu Huan (1983-), Master of Science (First Class Honours), The University of Auckland
Metebolomics and Immunology Cultivation
Authors: Liu Huan
Published: December 2022

Article 6-1: Metebolomics and Immunology Cultivation /新陈代谢组学与免疫力培养 Author: Liu Huan (1983-), Master of Science (First Class Honours), The University of Auckland.
Assimilation of The Cells’ ‘Memory’ Between Different Phenotypes and Its Implication on Canceration
Authors: Liu Huan
Published: December 2022

Article 7. Assimilation of The Cells’ ‘Memory’ Between Different Phenotypes and Its Implication on Canceration/ 不同表现型细胞间在‘思维’上的的同化机制及在癌变过程的指示意义 Author: Liu Huan (1983-), Master of Science (First Class Honours), The University of Auckland.
The Principal of Thermodynamics: Specific Heat Capacity and Material
Authors: Liu Huan
Published: December 2022

Article 9. The Principal of Thermodynamics: Specific Heat Capacity and Material/热力学原理：比热容与材料 Author: Liu Huan(1983-), Master of Science (First Class Honours), The University of Auckland.
Essay: Materials and Thermodynamics
Authors: Liu Huan
Published: December 2022

Article 12. Essay: Materials and Thermodynamics Author: Liu Huan (1983-), Master of Science (First Class Honours), The University of Auckland.
O teatro nas cidades do século XIX e a dependência da trajetória nas políticas culturais contemporâneas
Authors: Pozzer Marcio Rogerio Olivato
Published: December 2022

Este artigo apresenta uma reflexão sobre os motivos pelos quais cidades que possuíam teatros no passado manifestam, atualmente, maior grau de institucionalidade  de suas políticas culturais em relação às demais cidades. Para tanto, mediante estudo de caso do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, realizou-se um levantamento de dados históricos quanto à presença do teatro nas cidades e à institucionalidade das políticas culturais. A análise dos resultados se deu a partir de duas abordagens teórico-metodológicas: o conceito de path dependence e a concepção de comunidade cívica. Assim, confrontou-se a existência de certas institucionalidades centrais para as políticas culturais da atualidade com a existência de edifícios teatrais no século XIX. Verificou-se que, no século XIX, as cidades que possuíam movimentos teatrais a ponto de viabilizarem a construção desses edifícios deixaram um legado político e social; em média, tais cidades apresentam políticas culturais com maior grau de institucionalidade do que as demais.
Anjo Negro, de Nelson Rodrigues: a caracterização do personagem Ismael
Authors: Silva Mayara Nunes da
Published: December 2022

Este artigo tem como objetivo refletir sobre a caracterização do personagem Ismael, na peça Anjo Negro, de Nelson Rodrigues. De modo mais específico, a análise busca demonstrar que Ismael, ao longo da peça, é construído – por suas palavras e ações, bem como pelas informações que os outros personagens apresentam sobre ele – como um “anjo negro”; imagem que evoca sentidos negativos, como a maldade, a crueldade e a morte. Tal representação é construída, principalmente, em contraste com a imagem de Elias, personagem que, na maioria dos atos, sobretudo para a personagem Virgínia, reflete a bondade, a pureza e a delicadeza, e cuja aparência física faz alusão à figura de um anjo comum do imaginário cristão.
Presença e ausência da representação na performance
Authors: Ferracini Renato
Published: December 2022

A performatividade, a partir da materialidade da cena, tem a pretensão para furar o semblante do dito “teatral” e promulga uma fuga do signo, do semântico, da ficção; mas nessa busca não restauraria a teatralidade e a representação em possibilidades outras? Na busca da oscilação e do desmascaramento da representação enquanto semblante, o performativo enquanto materialidade da cena não geraria outra representação, outro semblante na sensação e na percepção, mas sempre uma representação de um infinito irrepresentável em sua totalidade? Essa comunicação busca problematizar essas questões a partir da afirmação da impossibilidade da ausência da representação na materialidade da performance e para isso, problematiza o próprio conceito de materialidade e do real na cena contemporânea.
Conversas com Maurice Durozier
Authors: Birchal Juliana de Lima
Published: December 2022

Entrevista com Maurice Durozier, um dos atores mais antigos do Théâtre du Soleil, no qual ingressou em 1980 para o espetáculo Richard II. O encontro foi realizado entre outubro e dezembro de 2014, em um café próximo à Cartoucherie, sede do grupo em Paris. De forma despretensiosa, a conversa passou por temas como a transmissão no Théâtre du Soleil, a preparação e treinamento do ator, o trabalho com o texto e a vida em trupe.
Mussolini's Nature
Authors: Armiero Marco , Biasillo Roberta , Graf von Hardenberg Wilko
Published: December 2022

This exploration of the environmental practices of Benito Mussolini's fascist regime invites readers to consider the ecological connections of all political projects.

In this first environmental history of Italian fascism, Marco Armiero, Roberta Biasillo, and Wilko Graf von Hardenberg reveal that nature and fascist rhetoric are inextricable. Mussolini's Nature explores fascist political ecologies, or rather the practices and narratives through which the regime constructed imaginary and material ecologies functional to its political project. The book does not pursue the ghost of a green Mussolini by counting how many national parks were created during the regime or how many trees planted. Instead, the reader is trained to recognize fascist political ecology in Mussolini's speeches, reclaimed landscapes, policies of economic self-sufficiency, propaganda documentaries, reforested areas, and in the environmental transformation of its colonial holdings.

The authors conclude with an examination of the role of fascist landscapes in the country's postwar reconstruction: Mussolini's nature is still visible today through plaques, monuments, toponomy, and the shapes of landscapes. This original, and surprisingly intimate, environmental history is not merely a chronicle of conservation in fascist Italy but also an invitation to consider the socioecological connections of all political projects.
Comprehension of polarity of articles by citation sentiment analysis using TF-IDF and ML classifiers
Authors: Karim Musarat , Saad Missen Malik Muhammad , Umer Muhammad , Fida Alisha , Eshmawi Ala’ Abdulmajid , Mohamed Abdullah , Ashraf Imran
Published: December 2022

Sentiment analysis has been researched extensively during the last few years, however, the sentiment analysis of citations in a research article is an unexplored research area. Sentiment analysis of citations can provide new applications in bibliometrics and provide insights for a better understanding of scientific knowledge. Citation count, as it is used today to measure the quality of a paper, does not portray the quality of a scientific article, as the article may be cited to indicate its weakness. So determining the polarity of a citation is an important task to quantify the quality of the cited article and ascertain its impact and ranking. This article presents an approach to determine the polarity of the cited article using term frequency-inverse document frequency and machine learning classifiers. To analyze the influence of an imbalanced dataset, several experiments are performed with and without the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) and uni-gram and bi-gram term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF). Results indicate that the proposed methodology achieves high accuracy of 99.0% with the extra tree classifier when trained on SMOTE oversampled dataset and bi-gram features.
Determination of PaO2/FiO2 after 24 h of invasive mechanical ventilation and ΔPaO2/FiO2 at 24 h as predictors of survival in patients diagnosed with ARDS due to COVID-19
Authors: Hueda-Zavaleta Miguel , Copaja-Corzo Cesar , Miranda-Chávez Brayan , Flores-Palacios Rodrigo , Huanacuni-Ramos Jonathan , Mendoza-Laredo Juan , Minchón-Vizconde Diana , Gómez de la Torre Juan Carlos , Benites-Zapata Vicente A.
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes high mortality. The objective of this study is to determine whether the arterial pressure of oxygen/inspiratory fraction of oxygen (PaO2/FiO2) 24 h after invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and the difference between PaO2/FiO2 at 24 h after IMV and PaO2/FiO2 before admission to IMV (ΔPaO2/FiO2 24 h) are predictors of survival in patients with ARDS due to COVID-19.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted that included patients with ARDS due to COVID-19 in IMV admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital in southern Peru from April 2020 to April 2021. The ROC curves and the Youden index were used to establish the cut-off point for PaO2/FiO2 at 24 h of IMV and ΔPaO2/FiO2 at 24 h associated with mortality. The association with mortality was determined by Cox regression, calculating the crude (cHR) and adjusted (aHR) risk ratios, with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Results

Two hundred patients were analyzed. The average age was 54.29 years, 79% were men, and 25.5% (n = 51) died. The cut-off point calculated for PaO2/FiO2 24 h after IMV and ΔPaO2/FiO2 24 h was 222.5 and 109.5, respectively. Those participants with a value below the cut-off point of ΔPaO2/FiO2 24 h and PaO2/FiO2 24 h after IMV had higher mortality, aHR = 3.32 (CI 95% [1.82–6.07]) and aHR = 2.87 (CI 95% [1.48–5.57]) respectively.

Conclusion

PaO2/FiO2 24 h after IMV and ΔPaO2/FiO2 24 h in patients diagnosed with ARDS due to COVID-19 on IMV were associated with higher hospital mortality. These findings are helpful to identify those patients with a higher risk of dying on admission to the ICU.
Transcriptome and metabolome analyses reveal anthocyanins pathways associated with fruit color changes in plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.)
Authors: Chen Lei , Wang Xuesong , Cui Long , Li Yuebo , Liang Yinghai , Wang Shanshan , Chen Yubo , Zhou Lan , Zhang Yanbo , Li Feng
Published: December 2022

Plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) is one of the most widely cultivated and important fruit trees in temperate and cold regions. Fruit color is a significant trait relating to fruit quality in plum. However, its development mechanism has not been studied from the aspects of transcriptional regulation and metabolomic progress. To reveal the mechanism of fruit color developments in plums, we selected the fruits of two plum cultivars, ‘Changli84’ (Ch84, red fruit) and ‘Dahuangganhe’ (D, yellow fruit) as plant materials for transcriptome sequencing and metabolomic analysis were performed. Based on the data of transcriptome and metabolome at three fruit developmental stages, young fruit stage, color-change stage, and maturation stage, we identified 2,492 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 54 differential metabolites (DMs). The KEGG analysis indicated that “Flavonoid biosynthesis” was significantly enriched during three fruit development stages. Some DEGs in the “Flavonoid biosynthesis” pathway, had opposite trends between Ch84 and D, including chalcone synthase (CHS), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) and flavonol synthase (FLS). Also, the genes encoding MYB–bHLH–WD (MBW) protein complexes, especially MYBs and bHLHs, showed a close relationship with plum fruit color. In the current study, DMs like procyanidin B1, cyanidin 3-glucoside, and cyanidin-3-O-alpha-arabinopyranoside were key pigments (or precursors), while the carotene and carotenoids did not show key relationships with fruit color. In conclusion, the anthocyanins dominate the color change of plum fruit. Carotenes and carotenoids might be related to the color of plum fruit, but do not play a dominate role.
Diversification and historical demography of Haloxylon ammodendron in relation to Pleistocene climatic oscillations in northwestern China
Authors: Chen Yuting , Ma Songmei , Zhang Dan , Wei Bo , Huang Gang , Zhang Yunling , Ge Benwei
Published: December 2022

The influence of aridification and climatic oscillations on the genetic diversity and evolutionary processes of organisms during the Quaternary in northwestern China is examined using Haloxylon ammodendron. Based on the variation of two cpDNA regions (trnS-trnG and trnV) and one nDNA sequence (ITS1-ITS4) in 420 individuals from 36 populations, the spatial genetic structure and demographic history of H. ammodendron in arid China is examined. Median-joining network and Bayesian inference trees enabled the identification of three diverged lineages within H. ammodendron from 24 different haplotypes and 16 ribotypes, distributed across western (Xinjiang), eastern (Gansu and Inner Mongolia) and southern (Qinghai) regions. AMOVA analysis demonstrated that more than 80% of observed genetic variation related to lineage split was based on cpDNA and nDNA variation. Allopatric divergence among the three groups was mainly triggered by geographical isolation due to Xingxingxia rock and uplift of the Qilian Mountains during the Quaternary. Local adaptive differentiation among western, eastern and southern groups occurred due to gene flow obstruction resulting from arid landscape fragmentation accompanied by local environmental heterogeneity of different geographical populations. The southern margin of the Junggar Basin and the Tengger Desert possibly served as two independent glacial refugia for H. ammodendron. The distribution of genetic variation, coupled with SDMs and LCP results, indicated that H. ammodendron probably moved northward along the Junggar Basin and westward along Tengger Desert at the end of the last glacial maximum; postglacial re-colonization was probably westward and southward along the Hexi Corridor.
New estimators for estimating population total: an application to water demand in Thailand under unequal probability sampling without replacement for missing data
Authors: Ponkaew Chugiat , Lawson Nuanpan
Published: December 2022

Water shortage could play an imperative role in the future due to an influx of water demand when compared to water supplies. Inadequate water could damage human life and other aspects related to living. This serious issue can be prevented by estimating the demand for water to bridge the small gap between demand and supplies for water. Some water consumption data recorded daily may be missing and could affect the estimated value of water demand. In this article, new ratio estimators for estimating population total are proposed under unequal probability sampling without replacement when data are missing. Two situations are considered: known or unknown mean of an auxiliary variable and missing data are missing at random for both study and auxiliary variables. The variance and associated estimators of the proposed estimators are investigated under a reverse framework. The proposed estimators are applied to data from simulation studies and empirical data on water demand in Thailand which contain some missing values, to assess the efficacies of the estimators.
Association Between Sublingual Buprenorphine-Naloxone Exposure and Dental Disease
Authors: Etminan Mahyar , Rezaeianzadeh Ramin , Kezouh Abbas , Aminzadeh Kevin
Published: December 2022

This study examines the association of sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone and dental adverse events using the IQVIA health claims database.
Association of California Immigrants' Avoidance of Public Programs Due to Immigration Concerns With Delayed Access to Health Care
Authors: Wolstein Joelle , Babey Susan H. , Tan Sean , Shimkhada Riti , Ponce Ninez A.
Published: December 2022

This cross-sectional study examines the association of avoidance of public programs among California immigrants with delayed access to health care services and prescriptions owing to concerns about how their interaction with these services may affect their immigration status.
Effectiveness of Tuina Therapy Combined With Yijinjing Exercise in the Treatment of Nonspecific Chronic Neck Pain
Authors: Cheng Zi-ji , Zhang Shuai-pan , Gu Yuan-jia , Chen Zi-ying , Xie Fang-fang , Guan Chong , Fang Min , Yao Fei
Published: December 2022

Importance

Both tuina therapy and yijinjing exercise were beneficial to patients with nonspecific chronic neck pain, but the evidence for this combination is limited.

Objective

To investigate the effectiveness of tuina therapy combined with yijinjing exercise compared with tuina therapy alone for patients with nonspecific chronic neck pain.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A 12-week, open-label, analyst-blinded randomized clinical trial (8-week intervention plus 4-week observational follow-up) was conducted from September 7, 2020, to October 25, 2021. A total of 102 participants with nonspecific chronic neck pain were recruited, and data were analyzed from December 10, 2021, to March 26, 2022.

Interventions

Participants in the tuina group or tuina combined with yijinjing group received 3 sessions of tuina therapy per week for 8 weeks, for a total of 24 sessions. Participants in the tuina combined with yijinjing group practiced yijinjing 3 times a week for 8 weeks, including an instructor-guided exercise at the hospital and 2 self-practice exercises at home.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was change in visual analog scale (VAS) score from baseline to week 8. Secondary outcomes included Neck Disability Index scores, Self-rating Anxiety Scale scores, tissue hardness, and active range of motion.

Results

This randomized clinical trial recruited 102 patients (mean [SD] age, 36.5 [4.9] years; 69 [67.6%] female) who were randomized to 2 groups. All 102 patients (100%) completed all the outcome measurements. The mean difference in VAS scores from baseline at week 8 for the tuina combined with yijinjing group was −5.4 (95% CI, −5.8 to −5.1). At week 8, the difference in VAS score was −1.2 (95% CI, −1.6 to −0.8; P < .001) between the tuina group and the tuina combined with yijinjing group. The effectiveness of tuina combined with yijinjing in treating nonspecific chronic neck pain remained at the 12-week follow-up.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this randomized clinical trial, for patients with nonspecific chronic neck pain, tuina combined with yijinjing was more effective than tuina therapy alone in terms of pain, functional recovery, and anxiety at week 8, and effectiveness remained at week 12. A combination of tuina and yijinjing should be considered in the management of nonspecific chronic neck pain.

Trial Registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2000036805
Learning causality with graphs
Authors: Ma Jing , Li Jundong
Published: December 2022

Recent years have witnessed a rocketing growth of machine learning methods on graph data, especially those powered by effective neural networks. Despite their success in different real‐world scenarios, the majority of these methods on graphs only focus on predictive or descriptive tasks, but lack consideration of causality. Causal inference can reveal the causality inside data, promote human understanding of the learning process and model prediction, and serve as a significant component of artificial intelligence (AI). An important problem in causal inference is causal effect estimation, which aims to estimate the causal effects of a certain treatment (e.g., prescription of medicine) on an outcome (e.g., cure of disease) at an individual level (e.g., each patient) or a population level (e.g., a group of patients). In this paper, we introduce the background of causal effect estimation from observational data, envision the challenges of causal effect estimation with graphs, and then summarize representative approaches of causal effect estimation with graphs in recent years. Furthermore, we provide some insights for future research directions in related area. Link to video abstract: https://youtu.be/BpDPOOqw‐ns
Mechanical DNA Origami to Investigate Biological Systems
Authors: Mills Allan , Aissaoui Nesrine , Finkel Julie , Elezgaray Juan , Bellot Gaëtan
Published: December 2022

The ability to self‐assemble DNA nanodevices with programmed structural dynamics that can sense and respond to the local environment can enable transformative applications in fields including mechanobiology and nanomedicine. The responsive function of biomolecules is often driven by alterations in conformational distributions mediated by highly sensitive interactions with the local environment. In this review, the current state‐of‐the‐art in constructing complex DNA geometries with dynamic and mechanical properties to enable a molecular scale force measurement is first summarized. Next, an overview of engineering modular DNA devices that interact with cell surfaces is highlighted detailing examples of mechanosensitive proteins and the force‐induced dynamic molecular interaction on the downstream biochemical signaling. Finally, the challenges and an outlook on this promising class of DNA devices acting as nanomachines to operate at a low piconewton range suitable for a majority of biological effects or as hybrid materials to achieve higher tension exertion required for other biological investigations, are discussed.
Millimeter‐range Induced Flexo‐Pyrophotronic Effect in Centrosymmetric Heterojunction for Ultrafast Night‐Photomonitoring
Authors: Kumar Mohit , Seo Hyungtak
Published: December 2022

Unlike the structure‐specific piezoelectric effect, flexoelectricity is a universal phenomenon that can offer a wide range of energy‐efficient, cost‐effective, mechano‐opto‐electro‐coupled applications. Even though the flexoelectric effect has been extensively studied at nanoscale, a fundamental, yet unresolved, the issue is how it can be exploited at larger scales for potential applications. Herein, the long‐range (>millimeter) stimulated and regulated impact of the localized inhomogeneous strain‐induced flexoelectric potential on centrosymmetric metal/titanium oxide heterojunction with nanoscale precision (≈5.8 nm) is demonstrated. The noticed phenomenon is attributed to the long‐range interaction between flexoelectric and build‐in potentials, which is further utilized to develop mechanically regulated (enhancement > 104%), self‐powered (i.e., 0 V), ultrafast (>10 million bits per second), and broadband (λ = 365–1720 nm) pyro‐photosensors having high responsivity (≈1.18 mA W−1). As prospective applications, proof‐of‐concept ultrafast night movement monitors (>720 km h−1), high‐performing stationery, and dynamic obstacle sensors with possible impact alerts are developed. These findings lay the groundwork for the micro‐to‐millimeter‐range flexo‐opto‐electrical coupling in centrosymmetric materials, which can have a wide variety of practical applications.