bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pedigree reconstruction and population structure using SNP markers in Gir cattle
Authors: Guimaraes Simone , Garcia Arielly , Otto Pamela , Rocha Renata , Santos Mateus , Silva Marcos , Panetto João , Oliveira Daniele , Júnior Luiz Glatz , Machado Marco , Verneque Rui
Published: July 2022

Our objective was to establish a SNPs panel for pedigree reconstruction using chips of different densities and evaluate the genomic relationship coefficient of the inferred pedigree, in addition to analyzing the population structure based on genomic analyses in Gir cattle. For parentage analysis and genomic relationship, 16,205 genotyped Gir animals were used being 14,458 females and 1,747 males, and 1,810 common markers to the four SNP chips. For population structure analyses, which include linkage disequilibrium, effective population size, and runs of homozygosity (ROH), the genotypes of 21,656 animals were imputed. The likelihood ratio (LR) approach was used to reconstruct the pedigree. The LR approach deepened the pedigree and showed that it is well established in terms of recent information for this breed. The coefficients for each relationship category of the inferred pedigree were adequate. Linkage disequilibrium showed rapid decay. We detected a decrease in the effective population size over the last 50 generations, with the average generation interval estimated at 9.08 years. A higher ROH-based inbreeding coefficient in a class of short segments of ROH, with moderate to high values was also detected, suggesting the presence of bottlenecks in the Gir cattle genome. Breeding strategies to minimize inbreeding and avoid massive use of a few proven sires with high genetic value are suggested to maintain genetic variability in future generations. In addition, we recommend reducing the generation interval to maximize genetic progress and increase effective population size.
Prediction of Rotor Slot Size Variations in Induction Motor Using Polynomial Chirplet Transform and Regression Algorithms
Authors: J Anish Kumar , N.R Shanker
Published: July 2022

For constant monitoring of rotor slot in Induction Motor (IM), Average Rotor Slot Variation (ARSV) prediction is proposed. The rotor slots expand due to thermal stress and high intensity magnetic flux. The magnetic flux with high intensity is created in rotor lamination sheet because of Stretching and Curving (SC) magnetic flux. The surface of rotor slot exhibits thermal stress due to over current, which in turn generates heat in rotor transferred to rotor lamination surface. The magnetic stress based rotor slot size variation is never monitored or measured. In the proposed ARSV method, multimodal sensor signals such as Giant magnetoresistance (GMR), Temperature, Current, Vibration and Voltage acquires magnetic stress & temperature stress of rotor. Acquired signals are analyzed through Polynomial Chirplet Transform (PCT) to obtain energy band values of signal.The energy band values and microscopic camera image based rotor slot variation values are used for ARSV prediction.The prediction of ARSV is computed using Polynomial Regression (PR) method.From experimental results, ARSV greater than 5% leads to extreme damage to the motor through vibration, sparking and harmonics. The accuracy of prediction for ARSV is about 94.6% when compared to manual measurement of slots in rotor. Moreover the prediction of ARSV avoids the major faults namely eccentricity, overload, under voltage, unbalance voltage, induced rotor slot and rotor crack rotor burn.
Usefulness of the skeletal muscle index in postoperative ileus of colorectal cancer patients : a case control study
Authors: Sasaki Maho , Fukuoka Tatsunari , Shibutani Masatsune , Sugimoto Atsushi , Maeda Kiyoshi , Ohira Masaichi
Published: July 2022

Background:Postoperative complications of colorectal cancer mainly include infections (surgical site infection, remote infection, etc.), post-operative ileus (POI), and anastomosis leakage. POI reportedly prolongs the hospital stay and increases medical costs. Therefore, predicting POI is very important. There have been some reports on the relationships between sarcopenia and postoperative complications in colorectal cancer patients, but none have been limited to POI. We therefore conducted a retrospective clinical study with a logistic regression analysis to confirm the risk factors for ileus after colorectal cancer surgery.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 213 patients who underwent radical surgery for colorectal cancer from November 2017 to July 2021. The skeletal muscle mass (SMM, kg) was estimated using a whole-body bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and the skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated as the SMM / height2. We divided all patients into 2 groups based on a low SMI (male <8.958 kg/m2, female <8.443 kg/m2) or normal SMI. Preoperative and intraoperative factors as well as, postoperative outcomes were then compared between the two groups.Results:The median (range) age of the 213 included patients was 72.0 (33-91) years old. Complications were noted in 100 patients (46.9 %), including 21 (9.9 %) with POI. There were 68 (31.9 %) low SMI patients. POI occurred significantly more frequently in low SMI patients (19.1 %) than in normal SMI patients (5.5 %) (p = 0.005). In the multivariate analysis, bleeding (p=0.005) and a low SMI (p = 0.044) were significantly associated with POI. In addition, a propensity score matching analysis was performed to further reduce the selection bias. As a result, a low SMI was the only independent POI predictor among the 74 matched cases.Conclusion:A preoperative low SMI in colorectal cancer patients was considered a risk factor for POI.
Silica grafted DBU Supported NiCl2 : A Sustainable heterogeneous catalyst for A3 coupling
Authors: Pharande P. S. , Rashinkar G. S. , Pore D. M.
Published: July 2022

Silica grafted DBU supported NiCl2 complex, SiO2@DBU-NiCl2 has been designed and synthesized by multistep approach and characterized by FT-IR, XRD, EDS, FE-SEM and TGA. Catalytic activity of SiO2@DBU-NiCl2 has been explored for A3 coupling of terminal alkynes, aldehydes and secondary amines. Special features of present protocol are high TONs and TOFs, low catalyst loading (0.08 mol %), solvent-free conditions and reusability of the catalyst.
Experimental investigations into effect of milling parameters on milling force and burr micro morphology for Zr-based bulk metallic glass by using groove milling
Authors: Liu Yin , Gong Yadong , Cui Xiaoqing , Liang Zhengyi , Liu Weijun , Yuan Zewei , Yang Heran , Dong Zhixu , Sun Xingwei
Published: July 2022

Zr-based bulk metallic glass is an amorphous alloy. In order to study the burr problem in the groove milling process of Zr-based bulk metallic glass, the milling force in the process is studied experimentally. Then the effect of milling parameters on the burr of Zr-based bulk metallic glass was studied, and the relationship between milling force and burr was analyzed. In order to further study the milling burr of amorphous alloy, under the same test parameters, the single crystal alloy material (nickel base single crystal superalloy DD5) and the traditional polycrystalline metal material (304 stainless steel) were selected for comparative test and analysis. The results show that Zr-based bulk metallic glass has good groove milling machinability. The test results provide some experimental basis for groove milling of Zr-based bulk metallic glass.
Annotated Data Augmentation for Arabic Sentiment Analysis using Semi-Supervised GANs
Authors: AlNashash Asma J. , Al-Taani Ahmad T. , Abu-Soud Saleh
Published: July 2022

With the increasing number of web users, a tremendous amount of data is being generated in an enormous and dynamic way. In this regard, analyzing the sentiment of the user’s generated data is becoming essential to reveal valuable insights. However, analyzing this massive amount of data requires a lot of manual effort. Therefore, sentiment analysis systems automate the analysis of the generated text which helps in extracting people’s opinions and attitudes. The great success of sentiment analysis systems is due to the availability of a copiously annotated corpus. Unfortunately, Arabic Language does not possess such an abundance of annotated data. Obtaining annotated sentiment corpus is an expensive and challenging task due to the huge amount of corpus required to train efficient sentiment analyzers. The purpose of this research is to tackle the problems of Sentiment Analysis for Arabic language and the inadequate annotated data available for this task. Owing to the limited resources for Arabic sentiment analysis, this work is motivated to investigate data augmentation using GAN. GANs showed breakthrough results in data augmentation due to their capabilities of generating realistic data samples. In this work, we propose using Semi-Supervised GANs for Arabic sentiment analysis to minimize the number of annotated data required for this task. As a result, we were able to prove that GAN can be used to augment realistic textual data samples that can improve the performance of the sentiment analysis task. Results also showed that Semi-Supervised GAN can drastically reduce the requirement of manually annotated samples. In this context, our model successfully excels the task of Arabic Sentiment Analysis with only 10–30% of dataset being manually labeled.
Validation of the Benefits of Being a Caregiver Scale (BBCS) – Further development of an independent characteristic of informal caregiving
Authors: Pendergrass Anna , Weiß Saskia , Rohleder Nicolas , Graessel Elmar
Published: July 2022

Background
Although larger amounts of scientific attention have been directed toward the concept of positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) in recent years, a globally uniform definition and a suitable, scientifically valid questionnaire for all informal caregivers have yet to be developed. On the basis of the questionnaires that already exist for measuring PAC, the authors aimed to (a) concretize the concept and (b) develop a new scale by focusing only on items that show that family caregivers experience a benefit for themselves and that the benefit they experience is the result of their caregiving activities.
Methods
The Benefits of Being a Caregiver Scale (BBCS) was validated on data from 961 informal caregivers and their care-receivers. Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess the internal consistency of the items, and a factor analysis was conducted to determine the structure of the BBCS. The discriminatory power and item difficulties were examined. Construct validity was established by testing four hypotheses.
Results
The factor analysis confirmed the single-factor structure of the BBCS. Cronbach's alpha for the total scale was 0.922. One of the 15 items did not show good to very good discriminatory power and was excluded from the final version of the scale. A higher BBCS score was observed if the caregiver experienced more positive aspects of caregiving and tended to have better general coping skills and a positive relationship with the care-receiver. The BBCS score was not associated with the subjective burden of the caregiver. Results confirmed the validity of the BBCS.
Conclusion
The BBCS is a valid assessment instrument for measuring the benefits that caregivers experience from their caregiving work and can easily be used in research and practice. The BBCS is available free of charge in English and German (http://www.caregiver-benefits.de).
Agreement between Capillary Refill Time measured at Finger and Earlobe sites in different positions: a pilot prospective study on healthy volunteers
Authors: Via Luigi La , Sanfilippo Filippo , Continella Carlotta , Triolo Tania , Messina Antonio , Robba Chiara , Astuto Marinella , Hernandez Glenn , Noto Alberto
Published: July 2022

Purpose
Capillary Refill Time (CRT) is a marker of peripheral perfusion usually performed at fingertip; however, its evaluation at other sites/position may be advantageous. Moreover, arm position during CRT assessment has not been fully standardized.
Methods
We performed a pilot prospective observational study in 82 healthy volunteers. In randomized sequence, CRT was assessed: a) in standard position with participants in semi-recumbent position; b) at 30° forearm elevation, c and d) at earlobe site in semi-recumbent and supine position. Bland-Altman analysis was performed to calculate bias and limits of agreement (LoA). Correlation was investigated with Pearson test.
Results
Standard finger CRT values (1.04 sec [0.80;1.39]) were similar to the earlobe semi-recumbent ones (1.10 sec [0.90;1.26]; p = 0.52), with Bias 0.02 ± 0.18 sec (LoA − 0.33;0.37); correlation was weak but significant (r = 0.28 [0.7;0.47]; p = 0.01). Conversely, standard finger CRT was significantly longer than earlobe supine CRT (0.88 sec [0.75;1.06]; p < 0.001) with Bias 0.22 ± 0.4 sec (LoA − 0.56;1.0), and no correlation (r = 0,12 [-0,09;0,33]; p = 0.27]. As compared with standard finger CRT, measurement with 30° forearm elevation was significantly longer (1.17 sec [0.93;1.41] p = 0.03), with Bias − 0.07 ± 0.3 sec (LoA − 0.61;0.47) and significant correlation of moderate degree (r = 0.67 [0.53;0.77; p < 0.001).
Conclusions
In healthy volunteers, the elevation of the forearm significantly prolongs CRT values. CRT measured at the earlobe in semi-recumbent position may represent a valid surrogate when access to the finger is not feasible, whilst earlobe CRT measured in supine position yields different results. Research is needed in critically ill patients to evaluate accuracy and precision at different sites/positions.
Obesity-related complications, healthcare resource use and weight loss strategies in six European countries: the RESOURCE survey
Authors: Evans Marc , de Courcy Joanna , de Laguiche Elisabeth , Faurby Mads , Haase Christiane , Matthiessen Kasper Sommer , Moore Adam , Pearson-Stuttard Jonathan
Published: July 2022

BACKGROUND
Obesity-related complications (ORCs), such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease, contribute considerably to the clinical and economic impacts of obesity. To obtain a holistic overview of health and weight management attempts for people with obesity in Europe, we designed the cross-sectional RESOURCE survey to collect data on comorbidities, healthcare resource use (HCRU) and weight loss strategies from people with obesity in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
METHODS
Adults (≥ 18 years old) with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2 who reported interacting with primary or secondary healthcare services in the past 12 months, but had not been pregnant during this time, were recruited from an existing consumer research panel. All data were self-reported via an online survey (May–June 2021). Weight changes over the past year were calculated from participants’ estimated weights.
RESULTS
Of the 1850 participants in the survey, 26.3% had ≥ 3 ORCs from a set of 15 conditions of interest. The most frequently reported ORCs were hypertension (39.3% of participants), dyslipidaemia (22.8%) and T2D (17.5%). Participants in obesity class III (BMI 40 to < 70 kg/m2) were more likely to report multiple ORCs than those in lower obesity classes. The presence of multiple ORCs was linked to various types of HCRU, including a significantly increased chance of reporting hospitalization in the past year. Most participants (78.6%) had attempted to lose weight in the past year, but of those who also reported estimated weight changes, 73.4% had not experienced clinically meaningful weight loss of ≥ 5%.
CONCLUSIONS
ORCs are common in people with obesity, and are linked to increased HCRU. Together with the low success rate of weight loss attempts, this highlights an unmet need in Europe for enhanced weight management support for people with obesity.
A Lightweight Certificate-Based Authentication Scheme for 6LoWPAN-based Internet of Things
Authors: Thungon Leki Chom , Sahana Subhas Chandra , Hussain Md. Iftekhar
Published: July 2022

As the 6LoWPAN devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) applications communicate sensitive information over the unattended and insecure channel, it is essential to design suitable authentication methods for such devices. Due to high computation and communication overheads, the traditional certificate-based authentication schemes are predominantly considered impractical for resource-constraint 6LoWPAN devices used in IoT applications. However, certificate with some lightweight features makes the authentication feasible in those resource constraint 6LoWPAN devices. This paper proposes a lightweight certificate-based authentication scheme based on cryptographic hash operation and elliptic curve digital signature algorithm. It can mitigate several security threats including replay, man-in-the-middle, impersonation, malicious devices deployment, and spoofing attacks. The automated validation of Internet security protocols and applications (AVISPA) verification tool is used to formally verify the security of the proposed scheme against several known attacks. In addition, the correctness of the authentication scheme is verified using the widely accepted BAN logic. Moreover, a comparative analysis among the proposed and other well-established relevant schemes is carried out in order to figure out the trade-off considering not only the functionality attributes and security but also the involved computation and communication costs.
Analogs for dialogs: a network to catalyze climate change adaptation for US specialty crops.
Authors: Chaudhary Siddharth , Rajagopalan Kirti , Kruger Chad , Brady Michael , Fraisse Clyde , Gustafson David , Hall Sonia , Hoogenboom Gerrit , Melnick Rachel , Reyes Julian , Stöckle Claudio , Sulser Timothy
Published: July 2022

Communication theory suggests that interactive dialog rather than information transmission is necessary for climate change action, especially for complex systems like agriculture. Climate analogs – locations whose current climate is similar to a target location’s future climate – have garnered recent interest as transmitting more relatable information; however, they have unexplored potential in facilitating meaningful dialogs. We demonstrate this potential for US specialty crop production using context-specific analogs based on agriculturally-relevant climate metrics. Over 80% of US specialty crop counties have acceptable US analogs for the mid-21st century, especially in the West and Northeast which have greater similarities in the crops produced across target-analog pairs. Western counties generally had analogs to the south, and those in other regions had them to the west. A pilot dialog of target-analog pairs showed promise in eliciting actionable adaptation insights, indicating potential value in incorporating analog-driven dialogs more broadly in climate change communication.
Annals of General Psychiatry An unusual case of trichotillomania and trichophagia in a young African American female adult
Authors: Patel Akshar , Kim Alex , Loomis James Grant , Okwara Tracey , Miller Michael
Published: July 2022

BackgroundTrichotillomania refers to repetitive pulling of hair from the body and may be accompanied by trichophagia, the ingesting of extracted hair. It is frequently comorbid with other psychiatric disorders and resulting hair loss can seriously affect quality of life. Trichophagia can lead to trichobezoars, indigestible aggregations of hair in the gastrointestinal tract that can cause pain and bowel obstruction. Descriptions of trichotillomania and trichophagia have generally assumed European hair texture and styling conventions with little attention to Black hair. Here we report the case of a patient with small bowel obstruction from ingestion of hair extracted from a hair weave, a popular styling practice and form of hair extension frequently used with women of African descent and various ethnic groups. Case PresentationA 23-year-old African American female presented with abdominal pain and a history of trichophagia of hairs pulled from her hair extensions. Laparoscopy confirmed a gastric trichobezoar, which was removed surgically. The patient recovered from surgery and her physical symptoms resolved. ConclusionsWeaves, a form of hair extensions, can be the source of hair for the repetitive hair pulling and eating behaviors of trichotillomania and trichophagia. Cultural awareness of Black hair styles is crucial to prevent these behaviors from going unidentified. Research into potentially unique risk factors for this behavior in the Black community and hazards of the material ingested is needed.
Factors associated with good quality of life among chronic objective pulmonary disease patients in Zhejiang province, China
Authors: Ying Yubing , Khunthason Siriyaporn , Nilvarangkul Kessarawan
Published: July 2022

Background
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic, progressive and debilitating disease that affects an individual's quality of life (QOL). Many factors are closely associated with good QOL among COPD patients. This study aimed to assess QOL among COPD patients and to determine the factors associated with good QOL in Zhejiang, China.
Methods
This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in 6 tertiary hospitals in Zhejiang Province. A validated questionnaire was used to collect general information, environmental factors, COPD stage and treatment for included patients. The standardised St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) tool was used to assess QOL. Questionnaires were completed by the researcher in face-to-face and phone interviews. Binary regression analysis was used to analyse the associations between factors and QOL at a level of α = 0.05.
Results
A total of 420 participants collected by random sampling were enrolled in this study. The level of good QOL among COPD patients in Zhejiang Province was 25.71%. After controlling for all potential confounding factors, six variables were found to be associated with good QOL among COPD patients: educational level (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.20 (1.11–9.22)), treatment expenses (aOR 3.68 (1.31–10.34)), type of medical insurance (aOR 2.21 (1.04–4.71)), airflow limitation severity (aOR 8.69 (2.65–28.46)), duration of illness (aOR 8.25 (1.98–34.29)), and number of hospitalizations within the past 3 months (aOR 5.39 (1.07–27.24)).
Conclusions
The level of good QOL among COPD patients in Zhejiang Province was higher than that in other areas in China. There were six factors associated with good QOL among COPD patients. Improving social insurance systems and reducing medical expenses are necessary to improve the QOL of COPD patients. Public health interventions should be developed and implemented to improve QOL.
Metformin enhances the antitumor activity of oncolytic herpes simplex virus HF10 (canerpaturev) in a pancreatic cell cancer subcutaneous model
Authors: Abdelmoneim Mohamed , Eissa Ibrahim R. , Aboalela Mona , Naoe Yoshinori , Matsumura Shigeru , Sibal Patricia A. , Bustos-Villalobos Itzel , Tanaka Maki , Kodera Yasuhiro , Kasuya Hideki
Published: July 2022

Oncolytic virus (OV) therapy is a promising cancer immunotherapy, especially for cold tumors by inducing the direct lysis of cancer cells and initiation of potent antitumor response. Canerpaturev (C-REV) is an attenuated oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1, which demonstrated potent antitumor effect in various preclinical models when used either alone or combined. Metformin is a commonly prescribed antidiabetic drug that demonstrated a potent immune modulator effect and antitumor response. We combined C-REV with metformin in a low immunogenic bilateral murine tumor model to enhance C-REV’s antitumor efficacy. In vitro, metformin does not enhance the C-REV cell cytotoxic effect. However, in in vivo model, intratumoral administration of C-REV with the systemic administration of metformin led to synergistic antitumor effect on both sides of tumor and prolonged survival. Moreover, combination therapy increased the effector CD44+ CD8+ PD1- subset and decreased the proportion of terminally-differentiated CD103+ KLRG-1+ T-regulatory cells on both sides of tumor. Interestingly, combination therapy efficiently modulates conventional dendritic cells type-1 (cDC1) on tumors, and tumor drained lymph nodes. Our findings suggest that combination of C-REV and metformin enhances systemic antitumor immunity. This study may provide insights into the mechanism of action of OV therapy plus metformin combination against various tumor models.
Seasonal Biochemical Changes in Betula tortuosa Ledeb. Annual Rings in Alpine Forest-Tundra of Kuznetsk Ala Tau Mountains
Authors: Tyutkova Ekaterina A. , Loskutov Sergey , Petrov Ilya , Dorzhiev Daniil
Published: July 2022

Woody vegetation growth conditions have marked effects on hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin formation. In this study, we analyzed the climatic responses of these major cell wall polymers in Betula tortuosa. We studied 35 annual rings (1980-2015) of B. tortuosa trees growing in the alpine forest-tundra of Kuznetsk Ala Tau using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Our analysis of the correlation of the resulting spectra and Py-GC/MS values with mean air temperature and precipitation showed that the polymeric composition of B. tortuosa was mainly determined by June-August climate. The major factor limiting the development of the “unique” cell wall polymer composition of B. tortuosa found in alpine forest-tundra of Kuznetsk Ala Tau was a deficit of heat. At the end of the growing season, precipitation had largely a negative impact on polymer formation in B. tortuosa cell walls. We believe that combining FTIR spectroscopy and Py-GC/MS is an effective approach to quantifying the consequences of current climate trends for Siberian forest ecosystems.
Method for generating transparent porcine tibia showing the intraosseous artery
Authors: Wang Hongyu , Wan Jiaming , Geng Kailong , Zhang Xiangnan , Deng Wei , Ju Jihui , Hou Ruixing
Published: July 2022

Background: The occurrence of nonunion after tibial fracture surgery is mainly related to insufficient blood supply. Therefore, anatomical study of the internal and external tibial artery is very important, but there is no good method for displaying the intraosseous artery clearly and intuitively. This hinders the protection and reconstruction of it by surgeons, as well as the development of new instruments and techniques by researchers.Objective: To develop a transparent specimen that could clearly display the intraosseous artery of the tibia.Methods: In 10 isolated pig calves with popliteal vessels, the popliteal artery was exposed and a tube was placed. A casting agent was then injected at constant pressure, and the tissue around the blood vessel was preliminarily removed after solidification. The perivascular tissue and periosteum were further removed via alkali corrosion, and the tibia was fixed with an external fixator to protect the non-corrosive areas at both ends. Alternate acid corrosion and flushing were then applied until the intraosseous artery was completely exposed. The distribution and branches of intraosseous nutrient arteries were observed with the naked eye and via microscopy. Three-dimensional (3D) scanning and 3D printing filling techniques were used to make transparent tibia specimens with preservation of intraosseous arteries.Results: A cast specimen of the intraosseous artery of porcine tibia was successfully generated via epoxy resin perfusion combined with acid-alkali etching, and the intraosseous artery was clearly visible. The 3D printing and filling technique successfully produced a transparent tibia specimen with preservation of internal bone arteries, and accurately restored the external shape of the tibia. The foramen of the nutrient artery appeared near the middle upper third of the lateral edge of the tibia. After entering the tibia, the nutrient artery proceeded forward, medial, and downward for a certain distance, twisted and turned near the midpoint of the medullary cavity, and divided into the ascending and descending branches. After going in the opposite direction for a distance, the ascending trunk sent out 2–3 branches, and the descending trunk sent out 2–3 branches.Conclusion: The cast specimen of pig intraosseous artery generated via the above‑described perfusion corrosion method provides methodological guidance for the study of anatomical characteristics of the intraosseous artery, and a theoretical basis for the study of new methods of internal fixation and reconstruction of the blood supply of the lower tibia.
Healthcare accessibility and road criticality during flood disasters - The case of Cyclone Idai, Mozambique 2019
Authors: Petricola Sami , Reinmuth Marcel , Lautenbach Sven , Hatfield Charles , Zipf Alexander
Published: July 2022

Background:The ability of disaster response, preparedness, and mitigation efforts to assess the loss of physical accessibility to health facilities and to identify impacted populations is key in reducing the humanitarian consequences of disasters. Recent studies use either network- or raster-based approaches to measure accessibility in respect to travel time. Our analysis compares these approaches to assess the loss of accessibility due to a severe flood event. As our analysis uses open access data, the approach should be transferable to other flood-prone sites to support decision-makers in the preparation of disaster mitigation and preparedness plans. Methods: Our study is based on the flood events following Cyclone Idai in Mozambique in 2019 and uses both raster- and network-based approaches to compare accessibility to health sites under normal conditions to the aftermath of the cyclone to assess the loss of accessibility. Part of the assessment is a novel indicator of network criticality, which identifies the specific use of the road network for the population to reach health facilities. Results:Results for the raster- and the network-based approaches differed by about 300,000 inhabitants (~800,000 to ~ 500,000) losing accessibility to healthcare sites. The discrepancy was related to the incomplete mapping of road networks and affected the network-based approach to a higher degree. The analysis of road criticality allowed us to identify road segments that were most likely to suffer from flooding and to highlight potential backup roads in disaster settings. Conclusions:The different results obtained between the raster- and network-based methods indicate the importance of data quality assessments in addition to accessibility assessments as well as the importance of fostering mapping campaigns in large parts of the Global South. Data quality is therefore a key parameter when deciding which method is best suited for local conditions. Another important aspect is the required spatial resolution of the results. Identification of critical segments of the road network provides essential information to prepare for potential disasters.
“I feel like marijuana is the only drug that wouldn’t kill me”: Perceptions of cannabis use in previously-incarcerated Black men who have sex with other men
Authors: Flores Rey , Kerman Jared , Schneider John , Harawa Nina
Published: July 2022

Background: Fragmented state laws have impacted cannabis uptake and perceptions in the US. Little research has explored the attitudes, beliefs, and social network influences of young Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) who have experienced incarceration and use cannabis. While problematic cannabis use is not well defined and understudied, scholars have found that a person’s social network can mediate problematic substance use and reduce recidivism rates by providing both tangible and emotional support. The BARS study examined social network contributors to cannabis perception and use and cannabis-related harms among BMSM with criminal legal system involvement in Chicago, IL and Houston TX. Methods: Researchers conducted interviews with 25 cis-gender men informed by life course theory, with a focus on the role of social networks, incarceration, and other life experiences in substance use. All interviews were audio recorded, de-identified, and transcribed; participants were compensated $50. A deductive-inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze all qualitative data collected. Results: Twelve BMSM in Chicago and 13 BMSM in Houston (M=26.6 years old, SD=3.7) were interviewed. A majority identified as gay (56%), with 12 participants (48%) reporting having a high school diploma or equivalent; their average age of first substance use was 15.2 (SD=2.9). Participants perceived cannabis usage to be categorically distinct from other intoxicating substance usage, with many describing it as not harmful and potentially beneficial. Three main broad themes shaped their choices and attitudes regarding cannabis and “hard” drugs -- social networks, need fulfillment, and perceptions of risk. Conclusion: Participant descriptions of cannabis use emphasize their drug-use behavior as being produced by agent decision-making and risk assessment. Future work should expand on how these decisions are made, and how social networks can be leveraged to encourage non-harmful drug consumption behaviors.
Publication Trends in Political Economy Scholarship 2011-2020
Authors: Mulligan Robert F.
Published: July 2022

Political economy occupies a unique place at the intersection of economics and political science, both an essential and vibrant part of both disciplines, as well as an area that offers special insight into issues of continuing importance in public finance and policy. This article uses journal publications to rank institutions by research productivity in political economy. An incidental byproduct is a ranking of scholars. Ranking methodology is developed based on the established literature. Implications for the future evolution of political economy as an interdisciplinary field are suggested and discussed.
Site dependence of local-scale variations in taxonomic and functional diversity of semi-natural dry grasslands
Authors: Mugnai Michele , Ferretti Giulio , Gesuelli Edoardo , Nuti Leonardo , Natale Stefano Di , Corti Emilio , Viciani Daniele , Lazzaro Lorenzo
Published: July 2022

Grasslands represent biodiversity hotspots in temperate Europe and, for this reason, have been extensively studied in the last century. Because such diversity is the result of a multitude of processes that shape communities, the adoption of a multifaceted approach (i.e., encompassing taxonomic and functional facets simultaneously) is fundamental to assessing the biodiversity of grassland habitats. Moreover, considering different spatial scales of investigation is crucial to properly evaluate short- and broad-scale processes simultaneously. Accordingly, we adopted a broad approach, taking into account alpha and beta diversity components of diversity to assess whether small-scale changes in grassland biodiversity are site-dependent. Additionally, such framework has been improved addressing a multi-faceted perspective, thus considering both taxonomic and functional diversity. The grasslands investigated are classified as high conservation priority habitats, and we surveyed them in two biogeographical regions in Italy. In each area, on a small scale, the grassland habitat has two distinct ecotypes, and in each of these, we surveyed vegetation and measured four plant traits. Our results showed that α-diversity differed taxonomically and functionally only between the two sites, while β-diversity also showed local functional differentiation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that while taxonomic β-diversity is mostly due to species turnover, functional β-diversity is equally due to turnover and nestedness. Therefore, our findings may shed light on how processes shape the different facets of semi-natural grassland biodiversity.
Implementation of NPS Precoding for Computational Complexity and PAPR Analysis of Uplink NOMA
Authors: c Ajitha , T Jaya
Published: July 2022

Future multimedia and entertainment services demand fast and massive connectivity simultaneously. NOMA is a promising candidate to achieve massive connectivity and high spectral efficiency for future interference less communications. However, new signal precoding problems need to be resolved for obtaining the complete advantages from NOMA technologies for future deployments of 5G/6G. Traditionally, DFT, cyclic shift and HT precoding techniques are utilized in NOMA for obtaining less PAPR and negligibly minimum errors. Choosing appropriate data resource block size is the main optimization problem in DFT precoding. Error correction in cyclic shift is more computationally complex which cannot be used in novel NOMA output system. Less energy compacting is the major disadvantage of HT transform. The proposed NOMA precoding technique utilizes Newman Phase Spread (NPS) concept with power domain superposition coding (SC) on transmitter. IFWFT and FWFT is used in time to frequency and vice versa to reduce the complexity of NPS based NOMA. This work differentiates moderate user from secondary and primary users. The proposed NPS gives the reduced PAPR value of nearly 5.2 dB which is comparatively low when compared to all other NOMA techniques.
"Sustainable Water Agreement - SWA" as a new approach in the field of water diplomacy
Authors: Baripour Milad , sadeghian mohammad sadegh , ansarian mojtaba , hajikandi hooman
Published: July 2022

The only way to create positive interactions for the equitable and optimal distribution of transboundary water resources between stakeholders is Water Diplomacy. Accordingly, identification of the various parameters that directly or indirectly affect or are affected by water diplomacy is of great importance. In this study, more than 40 parameters of water diplomacy were identified and evaluated via the DEMATEL and Fuzzy-DEMATEL techniques. As the results showed, the "National Laws", "State Building" and "National Priorities" were the most "effective" parameters of water diplomacy, while "Capacity Building", "Common Interests or Threats" and "Self Sufficiency” were the most "affected" ones. Finally, "Sustainable Water Agreement - SWA" was introduced in this study as a new concept based on cooperation, peace and positive interaction in a dynamic way.
Epigenetic modulation of RRP22 and P16 genes, and histones H4 and H3 in brain cancer following organochlorine pesticides exposure
Authors: Yousefi Fatemeh , Asadikaram Gholamreza , Karamouzian Saeid , Abolhassani Moslem , Pourghadamyari Hossein , Moazed Vahid
Published: July 2022

Background: Organochlorine pesticide (OCP) exposure and epigenetic modifications have been well-documented in brain cancer incidence; however, their associations remain ambiguous. In this paper, we examined the effect of seven OCPs on the methylation status of two tumor suppressor genes (RRP22 and P16) and four histone marks (H4K16ac, H3K9ac, H4K20me3, and H3k4me2) in 73 patients with a primary brain tumor (PBT).Methods and results: The results of methylation-specific PCR (MSP) revealed the hypermethylation of P22 and P16 promoter regions in PBT patients. Moreover, western blot analysis demonstrated significantly low levels of H3K9ac, H4K20me3, and H3K4me2 in PBT patients in comparison with the controls. In addition, our study provides supportive evidence that OCP exposure at both high and low levels significantly affected RRP22 and P16 methylation and was related to an increased risk of glioma and PBT, respectively. We found no associations between histone modifications and exposure to OCPs in PBT incidence. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that RRP22 and P16 promoter hypermethylation, as well as H4K20 and H3K4 demethylation and H3K9 deacetylation, are significantly associated with PBT risk. Moreover, our study demonstrated that OCP exposure is related to the increased risk of PBT incidence, mainly among individuals with RRP22 and P16 promoter region methylation.
The synergic impact of lignin and Lactobacillus plantarum on DSS-induced colitis model via regulating CD44 and miR-199a alliance
Authors: Kaliyamoorthy Venugopal , Packia Justin Jacob , Ibrahim Hairul Islam Mohamed , Kandhasamy Sivakumar , Krishnaraj Thirugnanasambantham
Published: July 2022

Chronic or recurrent immune system activation and inflammation inside the gastrointestinal tract are characterized inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Due to the lack of safety and efficacy of traditional medications, the use of food supplements for IBD management is on the rise. The numerous studies reported that, certain food supplements have a variety of therapeutic benefits for IBD. In the present study, mouse model of IBD was used to the anti-colitis effects of lignin supplementation with L. plantarum on intestinal inflammation. The animal model was treated with DSS, the illness index increased, and colon length and body weight declined, but these effects were reversed when lignin and L. plantarum treated groups. In addition, lignin and L. plantarum supplementation inhibited the DSS induced increase in levels of cytokines (TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-1β and TGF- β). Gene and protein expression study revealed that Lignin and L. plantarum supplementation induced the expression of E-cad and suppressed the expression of STAT3. Lignin and L. plantarum supplementation also suppressed CD44 expression by up regulating the expression of miR199a. Our study suggests that Lactobacillus, lignin, and their synergistic treatments have protective roles against inflammatory bowel disease through changes in inflammatory cytokines, and miR 199a expression in DSS-induced colitis.
Evaluation of the Awareness, Knowledge Level and Perception of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Measures by Rural People in Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Hassan Tunde M. , Gbadebo Adewole M. , Oguntoke Olusegun , Oyedepo John A. , Hassan Christianah , Okoh Sunday , Sadiq S. K. , Okunneye O. J. , Taiwo Adewale M.
Published: July 2022

Climate change is one of the most serious environmental challenges facing our planet today. The present study assessed the awareness, knowledge level and perception of the impacts of climate change, and adaptation methods implemented by rural people in the Southwestern Nigeria. A total of 1200 copies of the structured survey questionnaire were randomly administered across the three states. The questionnaire was used to elicit information on various issues such as socio-demographic characteristics, climate change awareness, knowledge, and perception by the respondents. The data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics (mean, frequency and percentage). The results showed that about 90–93% of the respondents from the three states claimed to know about climate change. Most respondents opted for the use of certified seeds as an important adaptation strategy against climate change. Many respondent believed that individuals could do something to adapt to climate change, while some respondents perceived that climate change will result in a reduction in the quality of life, while a few respondents said that people should not worry about climate change.
A fault-based probabilistic seismic hazard model for Lebanon, controlling parameters and hazard levels
Authors: Kadri Sarah El , Beauval C. , Brax M. , Bard PY. , Vergnolle M. , Klinger Y.
Published: July 2022

The present work develops a comprehensive probabilistic seismic hazard study for Lebanon, a country prone to a high seismic hazard since it is located along the Levant fault system. The historical seismicity has documented devastating earthquakes which have struck this area. Contrarily, the instrumental period is typical of a low-to-moderate seismicity region. The source model built is made of a smoothed seismicity earthquake forecast based on the Lebanese instrumental catalog, combined with a fault model including major and best-characterized faults in the area. Earthquake frequencies on faults are inferred from geological as well as geodetic slip rates. Uncertainties at every step are tracked and a sensitivity study is led to identify which parameters and decisions most influence hazard estimates. The results demonstrate that the choice of the recurrence model, exponential or characteristic, impacts the most the hazard, followed by the uncertainty on the slip rate, on the maximum magnitude that may break faults, and on the minimum magnitude applied to faults. At return periods larger than or equal to 475 years, the hazard in Lebanon is fully controlled by the sources on faults, and the off-fault model has a negligible contribution. We establish a source model logic tree populated with the key parameters, and combine this logic tree with three ground-motion models (GMMs) potentially adapted to the Levant region. A specific study is led in Beirut, located on the hanging-wall of the Mount Lebanon fault to understand where the contributions come from in terms of magnitudes, distances and sources. Running hazard calculations based on the logic tree, distributions of hazard estimates are obtained for selected sites, as well as seismic hazard maps at the scale of the country. Considering the PGA at 475 years of return period, mean hazard values found are larger than 0.3g for sites within a distance of 20 to 30km from the main strand of the Levant Fault, as well as in the coastal region in-between Saida and Tripoli (≥ 0.4g considering the 84 th percentile). The study provides detailed information on the hazard levels to expect in Lebanon, with the associated uncertainties, constituting a solid basis that may help taking decisions in the perspective of future updates of the Lebanese building code.
Neuro-Sliding Mode Controller Design for Interconnected Quadrotor UAV’s Transporting a Suspended Payload
Authors: Bingöl Özhan , Güzey Hacı Mehmet
Published: July 2022

With the increasing interest in quadrotor research recently, load transportation applications with quadrotors have attracted attention as an area of great interest. There can be many advantages to using more than one quadrotor in some applications due to their limited size and capacity. However, it is clear that systems using more than one quadrotor will bring more difficulties in terms of control. In this study, a novel generalized structure for interconnected systems that consist of n-quadrotor UAVs transporting a suspended payload is presented. Furthermore, a novel neural network based-sliding mode controller is proposed. First, a formulation of interconnected unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) dynamics is derived. Next, suggested controller is developed to reduce chattering phenomenon caused by the variation of uncertain interconnected UAV dynamics over time and thereby significantly improved control signals are obtained. Once the controllers are established, the stability of the system has been proved by Lyapunov stability criteria and simulations have been performed to demonstrate the validity of the proposed controller.