bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY IN THE REGIONAL ECONOMY: BASED ON PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
Authors:   Financial university under the government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Korechkov Yury V.
Published: December 2020

The article examines the theoretical aspects of the development of entrepreneurial activity based on public-private partnership (PPP) in the regional economy. The organizational and economic mechanism of public-private partnership development in the regional economy is shown. Its main elements include: justification of the conditions for using financial resources for a PPP infrastructure project; creation of organizational bases for implementing the public-private partnership model; implementation of a set of management functions (planning, organization, motivation and control) in the conditions of the entire investment cycle; achieving goal setting and ensuring the effectiveness of the PPP infrastructure project in the interaction of the state and business. It is proved that the process of implementing public-private partnership includes elements of institutional support for this system: regulatory support for the PPP Institute; formation of a system of state regulation of relations in the field of publicprivate partnership; formation of an organizational and economic mechanism for managing the development of public-private partnership in the regional economy. It is revealed that the institutional regulatory framework in the regional economy involves the creation of a regulatory framework for the functioning of the system of interaction of public authorities and business structures, forming an open competitive environment for public-private partnership, identification of the openness and transparency of the system of relations of public-private partnerships. It is shown that the use of the public-private partnership mechanism will ensure the necessary growth rates in the regional economy. Implementation of infrastructure projects is one of the forms of avoiding “institutional traps” in the context of crisis situations in recent years. It is concluded that a necessary condition for the effective implementation of a regional public-private partnership PPP project is to find the necessary financial resources and ways to use them most effectively for the socio-economic development of the region.
Single mothers' contact frequency with family and non-family members
Authors: Zagel Hannah
Published: December 2020

Existing studies on single mothers’ social contacts often examine small selective samples and are mostly cross-sectional. The lack of high-quality longitudinal survey data on this subject constrains the possibility to draw more generalizable conclusions. This paper exploits panel data to investigate whether transitions to single motherhood affect contact frequency. Fixed-effects models are used on the six waves of the German ‘Socio-economic Panel’ survey that contain social contact data (1990, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013) for analyzing whether single motherhood is associated with changes in contact frequency with family and non-family members. Findings show that women transitioning to single motherhood maintain contact with family and non-family members. Single motherhood is unlikely to cause mothers’ structural isolation. However, the absence of a second parent in the household neither seems to be connected with an increase in contact frequency with others. Providing a more generalised account of single mothers’ social contacts over time than previous research, the present study does not find evidence for a disintegrative effect of single motherhood.
Tuberculosis and its Diagnosis: Past, Present and Future
Authors: Aditi Giri Goswami  , Sandeep Kumar Verma  , Manmohan S. Jangdey
Published: December 2020

Tuberculosis is an endemic disease in the developing countries worldwide. Early and definitive diagnosis of Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) is important both at individual and population level for reducing mortality as well as transmission of the disease. Currently available diagnostics can be broadly categorized into microscopy, culture based and molecular method-based approaches. Among the advanced molecular methods, the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAA), Line Probe Assay and Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CB NAAT) are mentionable. However, all these diagnostic methods either have compromised sensitivity or require expensive instrumentations that ultimately limit their efficacy as established diagnostic method. Currently used rapid and affordable diagnostic test for TB is sputum microscopy that detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in clinical sample. This test has sub-optimal sensitivity as it depends firstly on the abundance of Mtb in the sample and secondly on operator’s accuracy. On the other hand, culture-based diagnostic tests are time-consuming and dependent on expertise and infrastructure. Likewise, molecular tests are also dependent on expensive instrumentation and technical sophistication. Hence, rapid, sensitive and affordable diagnostic method for the detection of Active Pulmonary tuberculosis at an early phase is still a primary requisite.
The Airplane Hangars of Pier Luigi Nervi: Digital and Scaled Models
Authors: Barazzetta Giulio M. , Mossa Emilio , Poggi Carlo , Simoncelli Marco
Published: December 2020

The paper presents a complete study of the work done by Pier Luigi Nervi for the design and construction of a series of concrete hangars between 1935 and 1940. This research is enclosed in the framework of the exhibition entitled "Pier Luigi Nervi, il modello come strumento di
progetto e costruzione" that gathers researches from Università degli Studi di Bologna, Università di Roma Tor Vergata and Politecnico di Milano. The exhibition was used as a starting point for a general discussion about the meaning of the logical passage that leads engineers
and architects from physical scaled models to numerical structural models. The Politecnico di Milano contributed to re-writing the first experiences of Pier Luigi Nervi and Arturo Danusso in the structural modeling. Scaled models, nowadays substituted by finite element methods, were widely
used in the past, for the understanding of the structural behavior of complex structures. Unfortunately, many of these masterpieces have been destroyed during the years (as happened to the two original models tested by Pier Luigi Nervi and reproduced for the exhibition).
 In the
last part of the paper, based on numerical results, the structural behavior of these hangars is deeply discussed, underlining all the principal strengths and weaknesses of these complex structures.
The Cardiac Effects of Performance-Enhancing Medications: Caffeine vs. Anabolic Steroids
Authors: Sivalokanathan Sanjay , Małek Łukasz , Malhotra Aneil
Published: December 2020

Several performance-enhancing or ergogenic drugs have been linked to both significant adverse cardiovascular effects and increased cardiovascular risk. Even with increased scrutiny on the governance of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in professional sport and heightened awareness of the associated cardiovascular risk, there are some who are prepared to risk their use to gain competitive advantage. Caffeine is the most commonly consumed drug in the world and its ergogenic properties have been reported for decades. Thus, the removal of caffeine from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list of banned substances, in 2004, has naturally led to an exponential rise in its use amongst athletes. The response to caffeine is complex and influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Whilst the evidence may be equivocal, the ability of an athlete to train longer or at a greater power output cannot be overlooked. Furthermore, its impact on the myocardium remains unanswered. In contrast, anabolic steroids are recognised PEDs that improve athletic performance, increase muscle growth and suppress fatigue. Their use, however, comes at a cost, afflicting the individual with several side effects, including those that are detrimental to the cardiovascular system. This review addresses the effects of the two commonest PEDs, one legal, the other prohibited, and their respective effects on the heart, as well as the long-term implications.
Comparing Statistical and Neural Machine Translation Performance on Hindi-to-Tamil and English-to-Tamil
Authors: Ramesh Akshai , Parthasarathy Venkatesh Balavadhani , Way Andy , Haque Rejwanul
Published: December 2020

Statistical machine translation (SMT) which was the dominant paradigm in machine translation (MT) research for nearly three decades has recently been superseded by the end-to-end deep learning approaches to MT. Although deep neural models produce state-of-the-art results in many translation tasks, they are found to under-perform on resource-poor scenarios. Despite some success, none of the present-day benchmarks that have tried to overcome this problem can be regarded as a universal solution to the problem of translation of many low-resource languages. In this work, we investigate the performance of phrase-based SMT (PB-SMT) and NMT on two rarely-tested low-resource language-pairs, English-to-Tamil and Hindi-to-Tamil, taking a specialised data domain (software localisation) into consideration. This paper demonstrates our findings including the identification of several issues of the current neural approaches to low-resource domain-specific text translation and rankings of our MT systems via a social media platform-based human evaluation scheme.
Separate and Combined Impacts of Land Cover and Climate Changes on Hydrological Responses of Dhidhessa River Basin, Ethiopia
Authors: Kabite Gizachew , Muleta Misgana , Gessesse Berhan
Published: December 2020

Land cover and climate changes greatly influence hydrologic responses of a basin. However, the response vary from basin to basin depending on the nature and severity of the changes and basin characteristics. Moreover, the combined impacts of the changes affect hydrologic responses of a basin in an offsetting or synergistic manner. This study quantified the separate and combined impacts, and the relative contributions of land cover and climate changes on multiple hydrological regimes (i.e., surface runoff, streamflow, groundwater recharge evapotranspiration) for the Dhidhessa Subbasin. Land cover and climate change data were obtained from a recent study completed for the basin. Calibrated Soil and Water Analysis Tool (SWAT) was used to quantify the impacts. The result showed that SWAT model performed well for the Dhidhessa Subbasin in predicting the water balance components. Substantial land cover change as well as an increasing temperature and rainfall trends were reported in the river basin during the past three decades. In response to these changes, surface runoff, streamflow and actual evapotranspiration (AET) increased while groundwater recharge declined. Surface runoff was more sensitive to land cover than to climate changes whereas streamflow and AET were more sensitive to climate change than to land cover change. The combined impacts played offsetting effect on groundwater recharge and AET while inconsistent effects within study periods for other hydrologic responses. Overall, the predicted hydrologic responses will have negative impacts on agricultural production and water resources availability. Therefore, the implementation of integrated watershed management strategies such as soil and water conservation and afforestation could reverse the negative impacts.
Peri-Implantitis - Decontaminating and Regenerative Treatment Protocol
Authors: Duarte Fernando , De Oliveira Leonel
Published: December 2020

Peri-implant diseases are defined as pathological inflammatory reactions in the tissue surrounding the osseointegrated implants. They are classified into two categories: mucositis - defined as peri-implant soft tissue inflammation and peri-implantitis - bone loss in the peri-implant region. A clinical case of a 61-years-old woman with an implant in the 46 anatomical position and a 5-year follow-up is presented. A probe depth of 5mm and a bone defect length of 35% was observed. The Implacure® Protocol was applied, with the main objective of eliminating the biofilm present on the exposed implant surface. There are multiple approaches to treat peri-implant diseases. While non-surgical treatment is essential for mucositis control, the treatment of peri-implantitis surgical treatment should be considered. Regenerative bone reconstruction promotes bone repair in the defect area and reduces bleeding during probing. To achieve that, autologous fibrin combined with Cerasorb M® was used. The proposed approach in the exposed clinical case involves the application of Implacure® Protocol, whose combination of the physical decontamination technique, together with the use of chlorhexidine and orthophosphoric acid, added with the combination Piperacillin + Tazobactam together with hyaluronic acid, provide a base that allows to regenerate bone using platelet-rich fibrin with Cerasorb M® and increase the survival time of the implant.
Para uma aprendizagem histórica: dos mitos aos desafios
Authors: Moreira Ana Isabel
Published: December 2020

Este trabalho tem como propósito contribuir para uma reflexão mais ampla sobre os sentidos que se vão conferindo à ‘aprendizagem histórica’ nos dias atuais. Partido de pressupostos teóricos que sustentam uma particular conceção de Educação Histórica, por exemplo no contexto português, coloca em diálogo tópicos subjacentes ao processo de ensino e de aprendizagem da História na sala de aula. Se o foco da ação educativa é a formação de cidadãos (historicamente) esclarecidos e (socialmente) comprometidos, então justificar-se-á esta discussão sobre o papel do aluno e o desenvolvimento da sua consciência histórica, a prática pedagógica do professor (de História) e a lógica por detrás do seu profissionalismo ou, ainda, os recursos didáticos mobilizados e os códigos disciplinares que os marcam. Porventura, será num limiar entre os mitos (do passado) e os desafios (da contemporaneidade) que a aprendizagem histórica se vai fazendo.
Ensino de história como reativação do político
Authors: Aquino da Silva Renata Da Conceição
Published: December 2020

Este artigo busca sugerir uma resposta à seguinte pergunta: o que torna o ensino de história significativo? Eu proponho responder argumentando que ele se torna significativo quando ele consegue fazer estudantes se sentirem agentes da história por meio do ensino de uma história disponível para ser feita. Sigo esse caminho baseando-me nas produções em teoria da história que destacam os efeitos de diferentes articulações entre passado, presente e futuro e a dimensão política disto. Assim, defenderei que o ensino de história se torna significativo quando sua dimensão política sempre potencial é explicitada, qual seja, quando ele instaura um público.
Adenovirus Expressing the Myostatin-Somatostatin-fusing Gene Increases Mouse Growth Rate
Authors: Xu Gaoxiao , Zhang Ning , Liu Siying , Wei Tingting , Chen Xingfa , Yu Dongling , Wang Xinglong
Published: December 2020

Background Myostatin (MSTN), a type of transforming growth factor, can negatively regulate skeletal muscle growth. Immunisation of mice with recombinant yeast expressing MSTN increased bodyweight and muscle composition of them. Somatostatin (SST) is an inhibitory effector of growth hormone (GH), and active immunisation against SST with a DNA vaccine improves the growth performance of piglets via an influence on GH secretion. Here, a recombinant adenovirus was constructed and used to deliver MSTN-SST to mice to achieve the goal of regulation the growth performance of the mice. Results A recombinant adenovirus, rAd-MSTN-SST, expressing the MSTN-SST fusing protein was successfully rescued in HEK293A cells. The expressions of MSTN-SST were confirmed by western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence. Mice immunised with rAd-MSTN-SST were successfully induced to have an immune response against MSTN-SST, which increased their growth rate and muscle mass. In addition, a booster immunisation was beneficial in terms of higher antibody response and mouse growth rate. Conclusions Fusing protein MSTN-SST is a good candidate for regulating animal growth rate and muscle mass. Adenovirus can be used as a vector for delivering MSTN and SST to animals.
Relationship between adverse events of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival outcomes: mediation analysis of Chinese colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Geng Chang , Tong Yuanren , Zhou Na , Wang Yingyi
Published: December 2020

Purpose：We focus on adverse events in colorectal cancer patients with advanced age, high Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scores and comorbidities. Methods：408 Chinese colorectal cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital were included. The cumulative incidences of different adverse events and mediation analyses were analyzed with respect to age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status and comorbidities. Results：Young patients and patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score 1 had a significantly higher incidence of digestive adverse events related to adjuvant therapy. There were no significant mediation effects of adverse events on survival. Conclusion：Advanced age did not directly lead to poor survival outcomes and adverse events. Although higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scores and comorbidity led to impaired survival and higher incidence of adverse events, the latter had no mediation effects on survival outcomes.
Multi-Agent Finite Impulse Response Optimizer for Numerical Optimization Problems
Authors: Rahman Tasiransurini Ab , Aziz Nor Azlina Ab. , Ibrahim Zuwairie , Aziz Nor Hidayati Abdul , Shapiai Mohd Ibrahim , Suri Jasjit S.
Published: December 2020

This paper investigates the potential of the ultimate iterative unbiased finite impulse response (UFIR) filter as a source of inspiration in a population-based metaheuristic algorithm. Here, a new algorithm inspired by the measurement and estimation procedures of the UFIR filter named the Multi-Agent Finite Impulse Response Optimizer (MAFIRO) for solving numerical optimization problems is proposed. MAFIRO works with a set of agents where each performs the measurement and estimation to find a solution. MAFIRO employs a random mutation of the best-so-far solution and the shrinking local neighborhood method to balance between the exploration and exploitation phases during the optimization process. Subsequently, the performance of MAFIRO is tested by solving the benchmark test suite of the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation 2014. The benchmark is composed of 30 mathematical functions. The competency of MAFIRO is compared with the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm, Genetic Algorithm, and Grey Wolf Optimizer. The results show that MAFIRO leads in 23 out of 30 functions and has the highest Friedman rank. MAFIRO performs significantly better than the other tested algorithms. Based on the findings, we show that the concept of the UFIR filter is a good inspiration for a population-based metaheuristic algorithm.
WITHDRAWN: The Analysis and Probabilistic Health Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Contamination in Vegetables and Fruits Samples Marketed Tehran With Chemometric Approach
Authors: Khalili Fariba , Shariatifar Nabi , Dehghani Mohammad Hadi , Yaghmaeian Kamyar , Nodehi Ramin Nabizadeh , Yaseri Mehdi
Published: December 2020

The aim of current study was to evaluate the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentration and probabilistic health risk in vegetables and fruits samples of Tehran city, Iran during 2018-2019 using magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) ranged 0.040-0.084 and 0.121-0.253 μg/kg, respectively. The results showed that the highest PAH levels corresponded to acenaphthene (135.1±7.1µg/kg) and naphthalene (114.1±5.0 µg/kg) , whereas the lowest concentrations were those of Benzo(a)pyrene (not detected), Benzo(k)fluoranthene (not detected), Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (not detected), Benzo(b)fluoranthene (not detected) and Benzo(g,h,i)perylene (not detected). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to evaluate the correlation between the type and amount of 16 PAHs with vegetables and fruits samples. The results of Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) revealed that the mean of incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) in vegetables and fruits is 5.2E-05 and 7.7E-05 higher than the acceptable risk level (10-6). Finally, the highest ILCR in fruits and vegetables was related to cucumber (5.1E-04) and tomato (4.3E-04), respectively. Therefore, monitoring the PAHs concentrations in both groups of vegetables and fruits is necessary.
Dual Effects of Silibinin on Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells
Authors: Lee Su-Mi , Lee Gil-Woo , Park Seon-Young , Joung Hosouk , Park Chang-Hwan , Cho Eun-Ae , Kim Hyun-Soo , Choi Sung-Kyu , Rew Jong-Sun
Published: December 2020

Background Silibinin is a flavonoid with antihepatotoxic properties, and exhibits pleiotropic anticancer effects. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for its anticancer actions in pancreatic cancer cells, and the effects on such cells and normal pancreatic cells, remain unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of silibinin on human pancreatic cancer cells and normal ductal cells.Methods Human pancreatic cancer cells (MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1) and normal ductal cells (hTERT-HPNE) were cultured with 0–400 μM silibinin for 48 h. Thereafter, the proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and signaling pathways of the pancreatic cells were evaluated.Results Silibinin significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and spheroid formation of human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). It also induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot analysis showed that silibinin downregulated extracellular signaling-regulated kinase (ERK) and serine/threonine protein kinase (AKT) in human pancreatic cancer cells. It also upregulated microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 β (LC3B) and cleaved caspase-3 via c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) signaling. On the other hand, silibinin increased the mRNA and protein levels of c-Jun, Twist-related protein 1, and Snail. It also decreased exogenous p53 levels, but increased endogenous c-Jun protein levels in human pancreatic cancer cells. However, silibinin did not affect cell viability and endogenous c-Jun levels in pancreatic normal ductal cells. It increased exogenous p53 levels, but decreased stemness-related gene expression in pancreatic normal ductal cells. Silibinin increased Ki-67 levels in pancreatic cancer cells, but decreased them in pancreatic normal ductal cells.Conclusion Silibinin not only exerted anticancer effects by inhibiting AKT–ERK and JNK signaling, but also upregulated cancer stemness–related genes in human pancreatic cancer cells. These results suggest that silibinin should be used as a therapeutic agent for human pancreatic cancer with caution.
A Comparative Study Between Traditional Face-To-Face, Audience Response System, and A Flipped Classroom Plus Audience Responce System in Pharmacology Education.
Authors: Nakagawa Naoto , Yamashita Toshiyuki
Published: December 2020

Background: Active learning methods, audience response system (ARS) and flipped classroom (FC), have applied in higher education internationally. However, these outcomes in Japan are uncertain. This study presents a comparison of teaching methods such as the traditional face-to-face (TFF), ARS, and FC plus ARS that are used to enhance student pharmacists’ understanding of pharmacology.Methods: Sophomores at Ohu University were recruited for this study from 2017 to 2019. The TFF were performed in 2017; the ARS were performed in 2018; and the FC plus ARS were performed in 2019. Exam scores were compared between the three methods and anonymous questionnaires were also surveyed in 2018 and 2019 to compare students’ preferences. The Kruskal-Wallis test and ANOVA were carried out depending on data distributions. Categorical data were analyzed using the Chi square test and the Fisher’s exact test. The ANCOVA was performed if background information between the three cohorts was significantly different.Results: The groupings of the participants went as follows: 49 students in 2017, 78 students in 2018, and 90 students in 2019. Their academic backgrounds of each year at the end of their freshman year were similar except for their grade point averages (GPAs). The medians of their pharmacology exam correct rates for the TFF, ARS, and FC plus ARS were 73.3%, 90.0%, and 93.3%, respectively. ANCOVA utilizing GPA as the covariance revealed that the ARS and the FC plus ARS significantly improved exam correct rates compared with the TFF (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the ARS and the FC plus ARS groups (p = 0.487). A subgroup analysis in terms of gender difference revealed that the ARS was a significantly improved method compared to the FC plus ARS for female students (p = 0.009), whereas the ARS was not for male students (p = 0.819). Anonymous questionnaires revealed that students in the FC plus ARS lectures had good readiness, enjoyed their classes, and felt fulfillment compared with the ARS lectures. Conclusions: Active learning methods including the ARS and FC plus ARS are significantly more effective than TFF methods.
WITHDRAWN: Molecular Insight Into the Mutation Within Critical Zinc2+-Binding Site in the PAS Domain of WalK in Vancomycin-Intermediate Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
Authors: Baseri Neda , Najar-Peerayeh Shahin , Bakhshi Bita
Published: December 2020

Vancomycin-intermediate resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA), one of the common causes of nosocomial infection, is developed by mutations, including in walKR, with unclear molecular mechanisms. Although studies have verified some of these mutations, there are a few studies to pay attention to the importance of molecular modeling of mutations. Here, the Sanger sequencing for comparing gene sequences of WlKR between a VISA and its parental strain revealed mutation WalK-H364R. Structural protein mapping showed that H364R was located in a functional zinc ion coordinating residue within the cytoplasmic Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain. The structural and functional effects of this mutation were analyzed using molecular computational approaches based on the recently determined crystal structures of the PAS domain of S. aureus. WalK-H364R was predicted to destabilize protein and decrease WalK interactions with proteins and nucleic acids. The qRT-PCR method showed downregulation of walKR and WalKR-regulated autolysins, which verified the molecular computational results.Overall, WalK-H364R within a critical metal-coordinating site is linked to VISA development through the walKR gene expression changes as well as the destructive effects on protein.Therefore, molecular modeling can be provided detailed insight into the molecular mechanism of VISA development, in particular, where complementation experiments are not readily available.
Chronic Cannabis Smoking-Enriched Oral Pathobiont Drives Behavioral Changes and Increases β-Amyloid Protein Production in the Brain
Authors: jiang wei , Luo Zhenwu , Fitting Syliva , Robinson Catrina , Benitez Andreana , Li Min , Wu Yongxia , Fu Xiaoyu , Amato Davide , Ning Wangbin , Funderburg Nicolas , Wagner Amanda , Mcrae-Clark Aimee , Hamlett Eric
Published: December 2020

Background Little is known about chronic cannabis smoking-associated oral microbiome and its effects on central nervous system (CNS) functions. Results In the current study, we have analyzed the saliva microbiome in individuals who chronically smoked cannabis with cannabis use disorder and in non-smoking controls. We found that cannabis smoking in humans was associated with oral microbial dysbiosis. The most increased oral bacteria were Streptococcus and Actinomyces genus and the most decreased bacteria were Neisseria genus in chronic cannabis smokers compared to those in non-smokers. To investigate the function of cannabis use-associated microbiome, mice were orally exposured to Actinomyces. meyeri, Actinomyces. odontolyticus, or Neisseria. elongate through oral gavage twice per week for six months which mimics human conditions. Strikingly, oral exposure of Actinomyces meyeri, an oral pathobiont, but not the other two control bactreria, decreased global activity and increased β-amyloid 42 protein production in the mouse brains. Conclusions This is the first study to reveal that cannabis-associated enrichment of Actinomyces meyeri may contribute to a hallmark of neuropathology.
Comparison of Body Composition Parameters in the Study of the Association between Obesity and Pulmonary Function
Authors: Ishikawa Caren , Barbieri Marco Antonio , Bettiol Heloisa , Bazo Gabriel , Ferraro Alexandre A. , Vianna Elcio Oliveira
Published: December 2020

Background: The excess adiposity, even in the absence of diseases, is responsible for a decline in pulmonary function, which is considered a predictor of mortality and a risk factor for diseases in several epidemiological studies. However, studies on the association between obesity and pulmonary function have found only few associations or inconclusive results. The aimed of study is evaluate the association between body composition and spirometric parameters, comparing simple obesity measures such as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference with more precise body composition measurements such as dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and air-displacement plethysmography (BOD POD). Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study that used data from the 1978/79 Ribeirão Preto birth cohort (São Paulo, Brazil). The study included 1,746 participants from the 5th follow-up of the cohort. Linear regressions were calculated to evaluate the association between BMI, waist circumference, waist-height ratio (WHtR), BOD POD- and DXA-measured fat mass percentage, and spirometric parameters FEV1, and FVC. Results: For every 1-kg/m2 BMI increase, FVC decreased by 13 ml in males and by 6 ml in females and FEV1 decreased by 11 ml and 5 ml, respectively. Regarding body composition measurements, for a 1% increase in fat mass assessed by BOD POD, FVC decreased by 16 ml in males and by 8 ml in females and FEV1 decreased by 13 ml and 7 ml, respectively. Hence, negative associations between body measurements and FEV1 and FVC were observed in both genders, especially when using the fat mass measurement and more expressive in men. The association was detected for waist circumference.Conclusion: The anthropometric and body composition parameters were negatively associated with the spirometric variables FVC and FEV1. We have also observed that simple measures such as waist-height ratio were sufficient to detect the association of obesity with pulmonary function reduction.
Comparative Analysis of Deep Learning Image Detection Algorithms
Authors: Srivast Shrey , Divekar Amit Vishvas , Anilkumar Chandu , Naik Ishika , Kulkarni Ved , V. Pattabiraman
Published: December 2020

As humans, we do not have to strain ourselves when we interpret our surroundings through our visual senses. From the moment we begin to observe, we unconsciously train ourselves with the same set of images. Hence, distinguishing entities is not a difficult task for us. On the contrary, computer views all kinds of visual media as an array of numerical values. Due to this contrast in approach, they require image processing algorithms to examine the contents of images. This project presents a comparative analysis of 3 major image processing algorithms: SSD, Faster R-CNN, and YOLO. In this analysis, we have chosen the COCO dataset. With the help of the COCO dataset, we have evaluated the performance and accuracy of the three algorithms and analysed their strengths and weaknesses. Using the results obtained from our implementations, we determine the differences between how each algorithm runs and suitable applications for each. The parameters for evaluation are accuracy, precision, F1 score.
Trend in temperature extreme indices over Mongolia and associated large-scale circulations
Authors: Nyamjantsan Baljinnyam , Yoo Changhyun
Published: December 2020

Employing the percentile-based indices, TN10p, TX10p, TN90p, and TX90p during 1961–2018, we evaluate temporal and spatial trends in extreme temperature at 54 stations over Mongolia. Statically significant changes in temperature extremes in the warm (TN90p and TX90p) and cool indices (TN10p and TX10p) are found. The rate of increase in the number of warm nights and days are respectively 1.5 and 1.9 days decade− 1, while the cool nights and days show a declining trend of -0.8 and − 1.5 days decade− 1, respectively. Despite the fact that the trends are most vigorous during June-July-August, seasonal variations can be seen. Also, spatial distributions of the trends reveal weakest magnitudes in Gobi Desert, while strongest in the west and north of Mongolia. The large-scale atmospheric circulations account for changes in the temperature extreme indices. The East Atlantic, East Atlantic/western Russian, and Scandinavian patterns, and the Arctic Oscillation is found to contribute the most to the interannual variation in the temperature extremes.
Scale Ultrasound-guided Radial Artery Cannulation in infant: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Yang Fei , Li Shangyingying , Chen Hang , Jiang Rui , Wang Xuanqin , Wang Weiping , Shi Yuan , Liu Lifei , Guo Hongjie , Ye Mao , Wang Qiang , Tu Shengfen
Published: December 2020

BackgroundCannulation of the radial artery can be extremely challenging in infants. Scale ultrasound can provide accurate arterial location and guidance for operators. We hypothesized that scale ultrasound helps increase the initial success rate of radial artery cannulation in this population.MethodThis is a double-blinded, parallel-group trial prospective study. Seventy-six infants aged 0–3 months who needed arterial puncture after general anesthesia were randomly divided into two groups (1:1 ratio): the scale ultrasound group and the traditional ultrasound group. Patients in the traditional ultrasound group underwent conventional ultrasound-guided radial artery puncture, whereas radial artery puncture was guided by scale ultrasound in the scale ultrasound group. The primary endpoints were the success rate of the first attempt and the total success rate of arterial cannulation. The secondary endpoints were the time of ultrasound location, the time of the needle entering the radial artery, the time of successful cannulation, times of the arterial puncture and the incidence of vascular complications. Data analysis was performed with Minitab 18.0 (Minitab Inc., USA).Main ResultsThe success rate of the first attempt and the total success rate of arterial cannulation were 92.1% (35/38) and 100% (38/38) in the scale ultrasound group and 50% (19/38) and 86.8% (33/38) in the traditional ultrasound group (p < 0.005), respectively. The median time to ultrasound location, needle entry into the radial artery and successful cannulation in the scale ultrasound group were significantly shorter than those in the traditional ultrasound group: 10 (8.0, 17.2) s, 15 (11.7, 20) s and 65 (53.8, 78.5) s vs 30 (26.5, 43.5) s, 35 (23, 51) s and 224.5 (123.5, 356) s (p < 0.001), respectively. The incidence of hematoma was higher in the traditional group (p < 0.005).ConclusionsScale ultrasound-guided radial arterial cannulation can significantly improved initial success rate and overall success rate, shorten puncture time in infant,compared with that achieved with the use of traditional ultrasound guidance.
Digitalization of the service economy: advantages and threats
Authors:   South Ural State University (National Research University), Tarkhanovа N. , Romanov V. ,   North Caucasus Institute – branch of RANEPA
Published: December 2020

Recently, the number of businesses using digital technologies has increased. The service sector is no exception. The article is devoted to the use of digital technologies in the service sector. The authors reviewed the advantages and threats of digitalization. As a result of the analysis, the concept of “digital economy” and “service sector” is clarified, and the need for digitalization is justified. The advantages obtained through the use of innovative technologies, both for the industry and for individual enterprises, are indicated. In relation to the industry, this will include: the use of new business models and forms of doing business; increasing the availability and promotion of services on the market up to the world; the emergence of new types of services; the use of control systems that replace humans. As a result of the analysis, the concept of “digital economy” and “service sector” has been clarified, and the need for digitalization is justified. For a single service enterprise, the benefits of implementing digital technologies can be expressed in: reaching the optimal consumer segment; determining the customer’s need for certain services; designing more flexible services; improving the quality of service by improving control of business processes; minimizing the time for services to enter the market; reducing costs by accelerating business processes; minimizing costs; increasing the availability of services through the dissemination of information in social networks; eliminating intermediaries in the delivery of services to the consumer and reducing costs, reducing the number of personnel performing routine operations. Digitalization provides not only the benefits but also pose a threat. These include various types of fraudulent schemes, an underdeveloped regulatory framework, a reduction in the number of employees, and changes in the labor market. As a result, there are increasing requirements for planning at the strategic, tactical and operational levels. Otherwise, the benefits of implementing digital technologies may be lost
Social fraud-covid-19 and manipulative social Engineering technologies
Authors:   Transbaikal State University, Romanov V. , Romanova I. ,   Transbaikal State University
Published: December 2020

One of the most significant negative socio-significant phenomena of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is the activation of a special kind of crime-fraud based on the conceptual position of social engineering – psychological manipulation of people in order to perform certain actions necessary for the manipulator. Statistical indicators of the spread of social fraud are presented, illustrating its sharply increasing trend. The relevance of the problem is justified by statistical data on the sharply increased number of cases of COVID-fraud, numerous data on individual losses of citizens, as well as the relentless information activity of the problem. The object of the study is social fraud during the pandemic, the pre-meth-manipulation of human behaviour by social engineering methods as a tool for achieving the goal of fraudsters. The goal is to substantiate the idea that social fraud is based on social engineering technologies aimed at manipulating human behavior. The methodology is based on two main principles of modern psychology: the principle of personal approach and the genetic (development principle), when all mental phenomena are considered as constantly developing and changing. Fraud is considered a type of crime against property. It is shown that the main qualifying feature of social fraud is the use of deception or abuse of a person’s trust. The psychology of fraud is considered it’s both participants: the potential victim and the criminal. Traditional types of social fraud that exist in Russia are given. It is shown that fraudsters quickly adapted to the situation of massive spread of the coronavirus epidemic: they repurposed and updated methods of action on a potential victim. The main technologies and types of COVID fraud are considered. Recommendations of experts on countering fraud that is parasitic on the COVID-19 pandemic are given
The diving beetles of Kamchatka, with additional records from Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae).
Authors: Nilsson Anders N. , Kholin Sergey K. , Minakawa Noboru
Published: December 2020

Die Dytiscidenfauna der nordostasiatischen Halbinsel Kamtschatka wird auf der Grundlage von Literaturnachweisen und neueren Aufsammlungen zusammengestellt. Die folgenden zehn Arten werden erstmals für Kamtschatka nachgewiesen: Hygrotus marklini (Gyllenhal), Hydroporus notabilis LeConte, H. submuticus Thomson, H. tristis (Paykull), H. uenoi Nakane, Oreodytes okulovi Lafer, Agabus balkei Fery & Nilsson, A. discolor Harris, Ilybius chishimanus Kôno, Rhantus suturellus (Harris), und Graphoderus perplexus Sharp. Insgesamt 38 Dytiscidenarten, davon 22 mit holarktischer Verbreitung, sind nun von Kamtschatka bekannt. Graphoderus perplexus wird erstmals aus der Paläarktis nachgewiesen. Weitere Nachweise werden für Sachalin und die Kurilen genannt. Die folgenden Arten sind Erstnachweise für Sachalin: Hydroporus nigellus Mannerheim, Agabus kholini Nilsson, Ilybius angustior (Gyllenhal), und Acilius canaliculatus (Nicolai). Zehn Arten werden erstmals für die Kurilen nachgewiesen: Hydroporus nigellus, H. notabilis, H. submuticus, H. tristis, Agabus clypealis (Thomson), A. confinis (Gyllenhal), A. costulatus (Motschulsky), A. discolor, Ilybius discedens Sharp, und Colymbetes dahuricus Aubé. Neun dieser Arten wurden auf den nördlichen, H. tristis dagegen auf den südlichen Kurilen gefunden. Damit sind jetzt von Sachalin 39 und von den Kurilen 36 Arten bekannt.
Taxonomic study of the genus Ceromya Robineau-Desvoidy of Japan (Diptera: Tachinidae).
Authors: Tachi Takuji , Shima Hiroshi
Published: December 2020

Eine Übersicht über die japanischen Arten der Gattung Ceromya Robineau-Desvoidy wird gegeben. Zehn Arten werden als gültig anerkannt, wovon acht in die bicolor-, flaviseta- und silacea-Gruppe plaziert werden. Zwei Arten, C. cothurnata und C. luteola, werden als incertae sedis betrachtet. Die Autapomorphien der Arten-Gruppen werden neu definiert und die Merkmale abgebildet. Die folgenden sechs neuen Arten werden aus Japan beschrieben: C. cothurnata sp. n., C. glaucescens sp. n., C. helvola sp. n., C. kurahashii sp. n., C. luteola sp. n. und C. prominula sp. n. Ein Bestimmungsschlüssel für die japanischen Arten wird vorgelegt.StichwörterTachinidae, Siphonini, Ceromya, species group, taxonomy, Japan.Nomenklatorische Handlungencothurnata Tachi & Shima, 2000 (Ceromya), spec. n.glaucescens Tachi & Shima, 2000 (Ceromya), spec. n.helvola Tachi & Shima, 2000 (Ceromya), spec. n.kurahashii Tachi & Shima, 2000 (Ceromya), spec. n.luteola Tachi & Shima, 2000 (Ceromya), spec. n.prominula Tachi & Shima, 2000 (Ceromya), spec. n.
Studien zur Systematik und Taxonomie der Gattung Hylaeus F. (3) (Apidae, Colletinae). Revision der Hylaeus-nivalis-Gruppe in Europa und Klärung weiterer westpaläarktischer Arten.
Authors: Dathe Holger H.
Published: December 2020

Mit dem Auffinden bisher unbekannter Arten aus höheren Gebirgslagen Griechenlands und Spaniens bot sich der Anlaß, die gesamte Hylaeus-nivalis-Gruppe in Europa zu revidieren. Drei neue Arten werden beschrieben: Hylaeus (H.) hellenicus sp. n., H. ibericus sp. n. und H. pyrenaicus sp. n. Für die Männchen wird eine Bestimmungstabelle gegeben. Innerhalb der Hylaeus-communis-Gruppe werden Merkmalsunterschiede an den Terminalia der Männchen untersucht; es wird eine entsprechende Gruppierung der westpaläarktischen Taxa in Artenkreise (communis s. str. und deceptorius) vorgenommen. Neues Synonym: Hylaeus (H.) deceptorius (Benoist) = Prosopis communis cretica Warncke syn. n. Untersucht wird ferner die Hylaeus-garrulus-Gruppe, die aus drei definierten Arten mit geringer Verbreitung auf der Iberischen Halbinsel besteht; Fundmeldungen müssen neu geprüft werden, eine Tabelle ist angefügt. Eine Art ist neu: H. (Prosopis) convergens sp. n. Außerdem werden folgende neue Arten beschrieben: H. (Paraprosopis) emir sp. n. (UAE), H. (Koptogaster) tetris sp. n. (Türkei). H. (Hylaeus) cervinus (Warncke, 1992) wird redescribiert.StichwörterHymenoptera, Apidae, Colletinae, Hylaeus, Palaearctic region, taxonomy, new species, new synonymy, determination key.Nomenklatorische Handlungenhellenicus Dathe, 2000 (Hylaeus (Hylaeus)), spec. n.ibericus Dathe, 2000 (Hylaeus (Hylaeus)), spec. n.pyrenaicus Dathe, 2000 (Hylaeus (Hylaeus)), spec. n.tetris Dathe, 2000 (Hylaeus (Koptogaster)), spec. n.emir Dathe, 2000 (Hylaeus (Paraprosopis)), spec. n.convergens Dathe, 2000 (Hylaeus (Prosopis)), spec. n.teruelus (Warncke, 1981) (Hylaeus (Prosopis)), stat. n. hitherto Prosopis garrula teruelacretica Warncke, 1981 (Prosopis communis), syn. n. of Hylaeus (Hylaeus) deceptorius (Benoist, 1959)
Gall midges of subfamily Lestremiinae from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania: checklist and description of new species (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae).
Authors: Spungis Voldemars , Jaschhof Mathias
Published: December 2020

Über das Vorkommen von insgesamt 116 Gallmücken-Arten aus der Unterfamilie Lestremiinae (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) in den drei ostbaltischen Republiken wird berichtet, im einzelnen sind dies 48 Arten in Estland, 113 in Lettland und 42 in Litauen. Zusätzliche imaginal- morphologische Informationen werden zu folgenden Arten vermittelt: Aprionus barbatus, A. betulae (Beschreibung der Weibchen), A. complicatus, A. inquisitor, A. insignis (Beschreibung der Weibchen), A. laevis, A. onychophorus (einschließlich Beschreibung der Weibchen), A. tiliamcorticis, Lestremia parvostylia (Beschreibung der Weibchen), Monardia (Monardia) monilicornis (einschließlich Beschreibung der Männchen), Neurolyga bilobata (einschließlich Beschreibung der Weibchen) und Peromyia subborealis. Drei Arten werden als neu für die Wissenschaft beschrieben: Groveriella baltica sp. n., Heterogenella multifurcata sp. n. und Strobliella brachycornis sp. n.StichwörterDiptera, Cecidomyiidae, Lestremiinae, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, checklist, new species.Nomenklatorische Handlungenbaltica Spungis & Jaschhof, 2000 (Groveriella), spec. n.multifurcata Spungis & Jaschhof, 2000 (Heterogenella), spec. n.brachycornis Spungis & Jaschhof, 2000 (Strobliella), spec. n.
Christian Friedrich Freyer's 'Neuere Beiträge zur Schmetterlingskunde mit Abbildungen nach der Natur': an analysis with new data on its publication dates (Insecta, Lepidoptera)
Authors: Olivier Alain
Published: December 2020

Christian Friedrich Freyer‘s (1794-1885) Werk 'Neuere Beiträge zur Schmetterlingskunde mit Abbildungen nach der Natur' ([1831]-1858) wird analysiert, insbesondere im Hinblick auf eine möglichst genaue Datierung des Erscheinens der 120 Lieferungen der insgesamt sieben Bände dieses klassischen Werkes der Lepidopterologie. Zunächst erfolgt eine Kurzbiographie des berühmten Autors auf der Grundlage des einzigen überlieferten Nachrufes durch Wulzinger (1887), ergänzt mit Angaben aus Freyers eigenen Werken. Als nächstes werden die 'Neueren Beiträge' in ihrer Gesamtheit diskutiert, wobei ihr grundlegendes Konzept, die Herkunft des behandelten Materials, die vielfältigen Kontakte Freyers und schließlich der Einfluß des Werks auf seine Zeitgenossen besonders herausgestellt werden. Danach folgt der Hauptteil des vorliegenden Beitrages, nämlich die Datierung der einzelnen Lieferungen der 'Neueren Beiträge'. Grundlage dieser Datierung bilden die Erkenntnisse von Tremewan (1988), die dieser Autor im wesentlichen den gedruckten Umschlägen der Lieferungen des im British Museum (Natural History) [heute The Natural History Museum, London] aufbewahrten Exemplars des Gesamtwerkes entnommen hat, sowie eine Durchsicht zeitgenössischer Literatur. Die Ergebnisse werden gemäß Artikel 21 der aktuellen Nomenklaturregeln (ICZN 1999) präsentiert. Den Abschluß dieser Arbeit bildet eine chronologische Checklist aller nominellen Arten oder Unterarten, die Freyer in seinen 'Neueren Beiträge' beschrieb, abbildete oder erwähnte. Insgesamt sind dies 245 verfügbare Namen für erstmalig beschriebene Taxa des Artengruppen-Niveaus, 193 davon für Lepidopteren exklusive Tagfalter (mit einem Stern markiert) und 52 für Tagfalter (mit zwei Sternen markiert).

Stichwörter

Lepidoptera, Christian Friedrich Freyer, literature, nomenclature, publication dates.