bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use of Social Media and Its Impact on Shopping Behavior of Slovak and Italian Consumers during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ali Taha Viktória , Pencarelli Tonino , Škerháková Veronika , Fedorko Richard , Košíková Martina
Published: February 2021

The coronavirus crisis hit the world and affected all aspects of our lives, including consumers’ habits, preferences, and shopping behaviors. The survey, which involved 937 respondents from two countries, examined how the pandemic affected shopping behavior and consumer preferences in Italy and Slovakia. This paper aims to explore the impact of social media on consumer behavior, more specifically, it examines the influence of social media on the preference of specific e-shops during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to determine a statistically significant relationship between the variables and the Mann–Whitney U test and the Kruskal–Wallis H test to assess the significance of differences between respondents in terms of demographic characteristics (residence, age, and gender). The results revealed the existence of statistically significant differences in the use of social media during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of various demographic factors as well as a relatively weak relationship between the social media used and the purchase in the e-shop promoted on the social media.
Developing a Product Knowledge Graph of Consumer Electronics to Manage Sustainable Product Information
Authors: Kim Haklae
Published: February 2021

Transformational computing paradigms, such as artificial intelligence, home automation, and the Internet of Things, are being rapidly applied to consumer electronics products, thus aiding in the development of integrated and innovative features. Hence, ubiquitous computing and electronic devices are increasingly becoming essential to everyday life. In this context, a wide gulf often exists between the capabilities and technical features of consumer electronic devices and the consumers’ understanding of such devices and ability to operate them correctly and effectively. This study proposes a machine-readable knowledge model representing technical terms in product specifications along with a product knowledge graph to discover semantic relationships among various products. Formal concept analysis is applied to conceptually analyze the specification terms of heterogeneous electronic products and design a hierarchical knowledge structure of extracted concepts, to elaborate the proposed knowledge model.
Impact of the Construction Supplies Implementation on Road Safety in the City Center: A Case Study of the City of Szczecin
Authors: Osypchuk Oleksandra , Sosik Katarzyna
Published: February 2021

The development of modern cities is impossible without an increase in the number of construction projects implemented. However, in the conditions of limited spaces, local and national legal regulations, and logistic difficulties, their implementation is becoming a growing challenge. Construction supplies can pose a particular problem. Its planning, organization, and implementation have an impact not only on construction and assembly works, but also on the external environment of the construction site, of which traffic is an important element. The aim of the study was to analyze and answer the question of whether there is a connection between the implementation of construction supplies and the occurrence of road traffic hazards in cities on the example of Szczecin. In addition, the article aims to find solutions to reduce the number of road accidents and increase road safety. The conducted research also revealed the weak points of the system of collecting and analyzing data on road accidents. The research covered selected areas in the center of Szczecin, where construction projects have been implemented since 2016 and road accidents have occurred. The reference year is the year preceding the start of construction. The research on selected construction projects meeting the criteria, carried out in the article has shown that their implementation may have an impact on the level of safety in the areas adjacent to the construction site. However, the unequivocal statement of such relationship must be supported by extended research, covering a greater number of projects, additional consideration of the number of deliveries for supply purposes, and the characteristics of vehicles involved in road incidents.
The Emergence of the Bilateral Symmetry in Animals: A Review and a New Hypothesis
Authors: Toxvaerd Søren
Published: February 2021

Most biological organisms exhibit different kinds of symmetry; an Animal (Metazoa), which is our Darwinist ancestor, has bilateral symmetry, and many plants exhibit rotational symmetry. It raises some questions: I. How can the evolution from an undifferentiated cell without bilateral symmetry to a complex biological organism with symmetry, which is based on asymmetric DNA and enzymes, lead to the bilateral symmetry? II. Is this evolution to an organism with bilateral symmetry obtained by other factors than DNA and enzymatic reactions? The existing literature about the evolution of the bilateral symmetry has been reviewed, and a new hypothesis has been formulated based on these reviews. The hypothesis is that the morphogenesis of biosystems is connected with the metabolism and that the oscillating kinetics in the Glycolysis have played a role in the polarity of the biological cells and in the establishment of the bilateral symmetry in Animals.
Global Sensitivity Analysis of Quantiles: New Importance Measure Based on Superquantiles and Subquantiles
Authors: Kala Zdeněk
Published: February 2021

The article introduces quantile deviation l as a new sensitivity measure based on the difference between superquantile and subquantile. New global sensitivity indices based on the square of l are presented. The proposed sensitivity indices are compared with quantile-oriented sensitivity indices subordinated to contrasts and classical Sobol sensitivity indices. The comparison is performed in a case study using a non-linear mathematical function, the output of which represents the elastic resistance of a slender steel member under compression. The steel member has random imperfections that reduce its load-carrying capacity. The member length is a deterministic parameter that significantly changes the sensitivity of the output resistance to the random effects of input imperfections. The comparison of the results of three types of global sensitivity analyses shows the rationality of the new quantile-oriented sensitivity indices, which have good properties similar to classical Sobol indices. Sensitivity indices subordinated to contrasts are the least comprehensible because they exhibit the strongest interaction effects between inputs. However, using total indices, all three types of sensitivity analyses lead to approximately the same conclusions. The similarity of the results of two quantile-oriented and Sobol sensitivity analysis confirms that Sobol sensitivity analysis is empathetic to the structural reliability and that the variance is one of the important characteristics significantly influencing the low quantile of resistance.
On the Hybrid Fractional Differential Equations with Fractional Proportional Derivatives of a Function with Respect to a Certain Function
Authors: Abbas Mohamed I. , Ragusa Maria Alessandra
Published: February 2021

This paper deals with a new class of hybrid fractional differential equations with fractional proportional derivatives of a function with respect to a certain continuously differentiable and increasing function ϑ. By means of a hybrid fixed point theorem for a product of two operators, an existence result is proved. Furthermore, the sufficient conditions of the continuous dependence on the given parameters are investigated. Finally, a simulative example is given to highlight the acquired outcomes.
Growth Analysis of Meromorphic Solutions of Linear Difference Equations with Entire or Meromorphic Coefficients of Finite φ-Order
Authors: Choi Junesang , Datta Sanjib Kumar , Biswas Nityagopal
Published: February 2021

Many researchers’ attentions have been attracted to various growth properties of meromorphic solution f (of finite φ-order) of the following higher order linear difference equation Anzfz+n+...+A1zfz+1+A0zfz=0, where Anz,…,A0z are entire or meromorphic coefficients (of finite φ-order) in the complex plane (φ:[0,∞)→(0,∞) is a non-decreasing unbounded function). In this paper, by introducing a constant b (depending on φ) defined by lim̲r→∞logrlogφ(r)=b<∞, and we show how nicely diverse known results for the meromorphic solution f of finite φ-order of the above difference equation can be modified.
A Unimodal/Bimodal Skew/Symmetric Distribution Generated from Lambert’s Transformation
Authors: Iriarte Yuri A. , de Castro Mário , Gómez Héctor W.
Published: February 2021

The generalized bimodal distribution is especially efficient in modeling univariate data exhibiting symmetry and bimodality. However, its performance is poor when the data show important levels of skewness. This article introduces a new unimodal/bimodal distribution capable of modeling different skewness levels. The proposal arises from the recently introduced Lambert transformation when considering a generalized bimodal baseline distribution. The bimodal-normal and generalized bimodal distributions can be derived as special cases of the new distribution. The main structural properties are derived and the parameter estimation is carried out under the maximum likelihood method. The behavior of the estimators is assessed through simulation experiments. Finally, two applications are presented in order to illustrate the utility of the proposed distribution in data modeling in different real settings.
Indoor Wavelet OFDM VLC-MIMO System: Performance Evaluation
Authors: Badawi Waleed K. , El-Hossary Marwa G. , Aly Moustafa H.
Published: February 2021

Both light emitting diode (LED) characteristics for illumination and communication simultaneously have made visible light communication-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (VLC-OFDM) a strong competitive to radio frequency (RF). In this juncture, to improve signal to noise ratio (SNR) and coverage contour, the wavelet-OFDM is suggested for indoor VLC systems. In this paper, a wavelet VLC-OFDM is proposed for imaging multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. The proposed wavelet-OFDM is exploited for a hybrid space-frequency domain pre-equalization technique instead of the traditional fast Fourier transform (FFT)-OFDM technique. The Meyer filter is selected and employed in the proposed technique. A comparable achievement is elaborated for several numbers of channels to achieve the enhanced performance in terms of bit rate and coverage contour. In addition, a useful comparison is executed between our wavelet VLC-OFDM and the traditional FFT-OFDM for a hybrid space-frequency domain pre-equalization technique. The simulation results emphasize the superiority point of wavelet VLC-OFDM MIMO system by improving the coverage contour by ~20% over the traditional OFDM at a 10−3 bit error rate (BER) target. Hence, the proposed technique can be potentially executed in indoor VLC-MIMO systems.
A Coordinated Air Defense Learning System Based on Immunized Classifier Systems
Authors: Nantogma Sulemana , Xu Yang , Ran Weizhi
Published: February 2021

Autonomous (unmanned) combat systems will become an integral part of modern defense systems. However, limited operational capabilities, the need for coordination, and dynamic battlefield environments with the requirement of timeless in decision-making are peculiar difficulties to be solved in order to realize intelligent systems control. In this paper, we explore the application of Learning Classifier System and Artificial Immune models for coordinated self-learning air defense systems. In particular, this paper presents a scheme that implements an autonomous cooperative threat evaluation and weapon assignment learning approach. Taking into account uncertainties in a successful interception, target characteristics, weapon type and characteristics, closed-loop coordinated behaviors, we adopt a hierarchical multi-agent approach to coordinate multiple combat platforms to achieve optimal performance. Based on the combined strengths of learning classifier system and artificial immune-based algorithms, the proposed scheme consists of two categories of agents; a strategy generation agent inspired by learning classifier system, and strategy coordination inspired by Artificial Immune System mechanisms. An experiment in a realistic environment shows that the adopted hybrid approach can be used to learn weapon-target assignment for multiple unmanned combat systems to successfully defend against coordinated attacks. The presented results show the potential for hybrid approaches for an intelligent system enabling adaptable and collaborative systems.
Detection and Isolation of Emetic Bacillus cereus Toxin Cereulide by Reversed Phase Chromatography
Authors: Kalbhenn Eva Maria , Bauer Tobias , Stark Timo D. , Knüpfer Mandy , Grass Gregor , Ehling-Schulz Monika
Published: February 2021

The emetic toxin cereulide is a 1.2 kDa dodecadepsipeptide produced by the food pathogen Bacillus cereus. As cereulide poses a serious health risk to humans, sensitive and specific detection, as well as toxin purification and quantification, methods are of utmost importance. Recently, a stable isotope dilution assay tandem mass spectrometry (SIDA–MS/MS)-based method has been described, and an method for the quantitation of cereulide in foods was established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). However, although this SIDA–MS/MS method is highly accurate, the sophisticated high-end MS equipment required for such measurements limits the method’s suitability for microbiological and molecular research. Thus, we aimed to develop a method for cereulide toxin detection and isolation using equipment commonly available in microbiological and biochemical research laboratories. Reproducible detection and relative quantification of cereulide was achieved, employing reversed phase chromatography (RPC). Chromatographic signals were cross validated by ultraperformance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS). The specificity of the RPC method was tested using a test panel of strains that included non-emetic representatives of the B. cereus group, emetic B. cereus strains, and cereulide-deficient isogenic mutants. In summary, the new method represents a robust, economical, and easily accessible research tool that complements existing diagnostics for the detection and quantification of cereulide.
pH-Dependent Protein Binding Properties of Uremic Toxins In Vitro
Authors: Yamamoto Suguru , Sasahara Kenichi , Domon Mio , Yamaguchi Keiichi , Ito Toru , Goto Shin , Goto Yuji , Narita Ichiei
Published: February 2021

Protein-bound uremic toxins (PBUTs) are difficult to remove using conventional dialysis treatment owing to their high protein-binding affinity. As pH changes the conformation of proteins, it may be associated with the binding of uremic toxins. Albumin conformation at pH 2 to 13 was analyzed using circular dichroism. The protein binding behavior between indoxyl sulfate (IS) and albumin was examined using isothermal titration calorimetry. Albumin with IS, and serum with IS, p-cresyl sulfate, indole acetic acid or phenyl sulfate, as well as serum from hemodialysis patients, were adjusted pH of 3 to 11, and the concentration of the free PBUTs was measured using mass spectrometry. Albumin was unfolded at pH < 4 or >12, and weakened interaction with IS occurred at pH < 5 or >10. The concentration of free IS in the albumin solution was increased at pH 4.0 and pH 11.0. Addition of human serum to each toxin resulted in increased free forms at acidic and alkaline pH. The pH values of serums from patients undergoing hemodialysis adjusted to 3.4 and 11.3 resulted in increased concentrations of the free forms of PBUTs. In conclusion, acidic and alkaline pH conditions changed the albumin conformation and weakened the protein binding property of PBUTs in vitro.
To Conserve, or Not to Conserve: A Review of Nonconservative Theories of Gravity
Authors: Velten Hermano , Caramês Thiago R. P.
Published: February 2021

Apart from the familiar structure firmly-rooted in the general relativistic field equations where the energy–momentum tensor has a null divergence i.e., it conserves, there exists a considerable number of extended theories of gravity allowing departures from the usual conservative framework. Many of these theories became popular in the last few years, aiming to describe the phenomenology behind dark matter and dark energy. However, within these scenarios, it is common to see attempts to preserve the conservative property of the energy–momentum tensor. Most of the time, it is done by means of some additional constraint that ensures the validity of the standard conservation law, as long as this option is available in the theory. However, if no such extra constraint is available, the theory will inevitably carry a non-trivial conservation law as part of its structure. In this work, we review some of such proposals discussing the theoretical construction leading to the non-conservation of the energy–momentum tensor.
Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Envelope, Membrane, Nucleocapsid, and Spike Structural Proteins from the Beginning of the Pandemic to September 2020: A Global and Regional Approach by Epidemiological Week
Authors: Troyano-Hernáez Paloma , Reinosa Roberto , Holguín África
Published: February 2021

Monitoring acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genetic diversity and emerging mutations in this ongoing pandemic is crucial for understanding its evolution and assuring the performance of diagnostic tests, vaccines, and therapies against coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This study reports on the amino acid (aa) conservation degree and the global and regional temporal evolution by epidemiological week for each residue of the following four structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins: spike, envelope, membrane, and nucleocapsid. All, 105,276 worldwide SARS-CoV-2 complete and partial sequences from 117 countries available in the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) from 29 December 2019 to 12 September 2020 were downloaded and processed using an in-house bioinformatics tool. Despite the extremely high conservation of SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins (>99%), all presented aa changes, i.e., 142 aa changes in 65 of the 75 envelope aa, 291 aa changes in 165 of the 222 membrane aa, 890 aa changes in 359 of the 419 nucleocapsid aa, and 2671 changes in 1132 of the 1273 spike aa. Mutations evolution differed across geographic regions and epidemiological weeks (epiweeks). The most prevalent aa changes were D614G (81.5%) in the spike protein, followed by the R203K and G204R combination (37%) in the nucleocapsid protein. The presented data provide insight into the genetic variability of SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins during the pandemic and highlights local and worldwide emerging aa changes of interest for further SARS-CoV-2 structural and functional analysis.
Why It Is Important to Develop an Effective and Safe Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine
Authors: Principi Nicola , Esposito Susanna
Published: February 2021

The need to cope with the medical, social, and economic storm due to the new coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as quickly as possible has led to the very rapid development of a huge number of vaccines. All these vaccines have been mainly developed in healthy adults and, in some cases, in the elderly. Children were marginally involved as, according to the clinical trial registry Clinical Trials.gov, only very few studies have included children among subjects to enroll, although just a few weeks after the pandemic declaration, the US Food and Drug Administration had highlighted the importance of vaccine evaluation in pediatrics. Availability of an effective and safe pediatric COVID-19 vaccine appears mandatory for several clinical and epidemiological reasons. However, as the development of an effective and safe pediatric vaccine seems far from easy, strong cooperation among governments, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies is highly desirable.
Passiflora jorgeana, a New Species of Passiflora (Passifloraceae) from Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Mezzonato-Pires Ana Carolina , Silva Braucks Calazans Luana , Theófilo Valadares Rodrigo
Published: February 2021

This work describes a new species of Passiflora L. from the extreme west of the state of Bahia, Brazil. The new species, P. jorgeana Mezzonato, is placed in Passiflora subg. Astrophea (DC.) Mast. and is illustrated and compared to four morphologically similar species. Morphological features, geographic distribution, and conservation status are discussed.
Iniciação Científica - 24º Seminário de Pesquisa e 19º Seminário de Iniciação Científica
Authors: Schwanka Salomé Josélia , De Souza Fernando Artur
Published: February 2021

Resumos dos projetos do Programa Institucional de Iniciação Científica apresentados no 24º Seminário de Pesquisa e 19º Seminário de Iniciação Científica da Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná.
Mesas temáticas - 24º Seminário de Pesquisa e 19º Seminário de Iniciação Científica
Authors: Schwanka Salomé Josélia , De Souza Fernando Artur
Published: February 2021

Resumos das Mesas Temáticas apresentadas no 24º Seminário de Pesquisa e 19º Seminário de Iniciação Científica da Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná.
Azpeitiko euskararen hiztegi dialektal bat – II
Authors: Beristain Ander
Published: February 2021

LABURPENA Lan hau hiztegiaren bigarren erdia da. Aurreko lanean bezala hiztegiaren ildo nagusiak Azpeitiko euskararen azentua eta fonologia dira. Izenen eta izenondoen kasuetan, hiru forma aurkeztu dira. Lehena, flexiorik gabeko absolutiboko forma mugagabea da, eta ondorengo biak kopuladunak, bai singularrean bai pluralean. Aditzen kasuan bi forma ageri dira, partizipio perfektiboan eta ez-perfektiboan, beti ‘da/du’ aditz laguntzailearekin. Bestelako hitz motak forma bakarrean datoz. RESUMEN Este trabajo es la segunda mitad que compone el diccionario. Como en el escrito anterior, se centra en la acentuación y fonología del euskera de Azpeitia. En el diccionario los sustantivos y adjetivos aparecen en tres formas: la forma nuda, y seguidamente la forma de singular y plural en caso absolutivo. Los verbos aparecen en dos formas, el participio perfectivo e imperfectivo, seguido por el auxiliar de tercera persona. Las demás categorías verbales solo muestran una forma. ABSTRACT This is the second half of the dialectal dictionary. Like in the previous work, the dictionary focuses on the accent and phonology of Azpeitia Basque. In the dictionary, nouns and adjectives are shown in three different forms: uninflected, absolutive singular and absolutive plural. Regarding verbs, two different forms are used throughout the dictionary: the perfective and non-perfective forms, followed by a third person singular auxiliary. As for the remaining word categories, only one form is given.
Bizkai sartaldeko agiri judizial bat euskaraz: Zolloko galdetegia (1770)
Authors: Zuloaga Eneko , Antequera José Alfonso
Published: February 2021

LABURPENA Artikulu honetan Bizkai mendebaleko xviii. mendeko testu baten edizioa eta hizkuntza- azterketa aurkezten ditugu. Bilboko eskribau-etxe batean 1770ean sortutako dokumentu judiziala da, eta Zollon (Bizkaia) ezagutarazteko prestatu zuten. Testuak euskararen corpus historikoko hutsune bat betetzen du, eta interesa du bai generoari dagokionez, bai alderdi geolinguistikoari eta historikoari dagokienez. Bada, lan honetan testua sortu zen testuingurua hobeto ulertzeko azalpenak, testuaren edizio kritikoa, testuko ezaugarri linguistiko nagusien azterketa eta hizkeraren filiazio linguistikoari buruzko proposamena ematen dira. RESUMEN En el presente artículo damos a conocer una nueva fuente para el estudio del euskera occidental del siglo xviii. Se trata de un documento judicial redactado en una escribanía de Bilbao en 1770, que fue preparado para ser dado a conocer en Zollo (Bizkaia). El texto, por lo tanto, viene a cubrir uno de los huecos existentes dentro del corpus histórico de la lengua vasca, y resulta interesante tanto desde el punto de vista del género textual como desde el de la geolingüística y la época. El presente trabajo presenta una introducción histórica que permite comprender mejor el contexto en el que fue creado el texto y una edición crítica del mismo. Además, analizamos los principales rasgos lingüísticos y proponemos una hipótesis sobre la filiación de la variedad lingüística atestiguada. ABSTRACT In this paper, we present a new source for the study of the 18th century Western Basque. It is a judicial document written by scribes in 1770 in Bilbao, and it was prepared to be exhibited in Zollo (Biscay). Therefore, the text comes to fill one of the gaps in the historical corpus of Basque, and it is interesting because of the textual genre as well as from the geolinguistic and chronological points of view. After a historical introduction, whose aim is to better understand the context in which the text was created, we present a critical edition. Furthermore, we analyse the main linguistic features and we propose a hypothesis about affiliation of the text’s linguistic variety.
Abnormal increase of 2DEG density in AlGaN/GaN HEMT grown on free-standing GaN substrate
Authors: Chu Jiayan , Wang Quan , Feng Chun , Jiang Lijuan , Li Wei , Liu Hongxin , Wang Qian , Xiao Hongling , Wang Xiaoliang
Published: February 2021

In this study, AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) were grown on a GaN template and GaN substrate under the same growth conditions. It was observed that, in the HEMT structure grown on the GaN substrate, mobility decreased because of an increase in the two-dimensional electron-gas (2DEG) density; the origin of these redundant electrons was studied. The 2DEG density decreased with decreasing temperature, this phenomenon closely related to unintentionally induced shallow donors with ionization energy calculated to be around 67.8 meV. After Ⅴ/Ⅲ ratio regulation, the 2DEG density returned to a normal level; this combined with photoluminescence, confirmed for the first time that the abnormal increase of 2DEG density in HEMT structure grown on the GaN substrate is associated with nitrogen vacancies. Therefore, increasing the Ⅴ/Ⅲ ratio is beneficial for obtaining higher mobility by returning the 2DEG density to a normal level.
First-principles study of strain effect on oxygen vacancy in silicon oxide
Authors: Yata Kohei , Kageshima Hiroyuki
Published: February 2021

The strain dependence of stability and diffusion barrier height of the O vacancy in Si oxide is examined using the first-principles calculation. It is found that the stability and the diffusion barrier height increase as the oxide is compressed. The analysis shows that the diffusion barrier height is determined by the Si–Si distance of the O vacancy. Based on these results, the dielectric breakdown of the gate Si oxide film in the three-dimensional structure metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor is also considered. It is suggested that the interfacial O-vacancy density increases because the interfacial oxide is subjected to compressive strain. On the other hand, the surface O-vacancy density decreases and the surface O-vacancy diffusion is promoted because the surface oxide is subjected to tensile strain. The reliability of the oxide film might be thus affected by the strain.
Technology computer-aided design simulation of phonon heat transport in semiconductor devices
Authors: Hattori Junichi , Ikegami Tsutomu , Fukuda Koichi
Published: February 2021

We consider a method to simulate heat transport by phonons together with charge transport by electrons and holes that is applicable to standard technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulators. Because our proposed method handles each phonon mode separately, it can connect the atomistic calculation of phonon properties of materials directly to the TCAD simulation of the thermal behavior of semiconductor devices. We implement this method in our homemade TCAD and simulate heat generation and transport in a transistor with a thin silicon-on-insulator body using the phonon properties of Si obtained from lattice dynamics calculations. The same simulation is carried out with phonon heat transport approximated by the heat equation, and the results indicate that it is difficult for the heat equation to accurately reproduce the phonon heat transport.
Nearly Fermi-level-pinning-free interface in metal/heavily-doped SiC Schottky structures
Authors: Hara Masahiro , Kaneko Mitsuaki , Kimoto Tsunenobu
Published: February 2021

The barrier heights in Ti/ and Ni/n-SiC Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) in a wide range of the donor density (N
d = 2 × 1017–1 × 1019 cm−3) were investigated. The forward current–voltage characteristics in the heavily-doped SBDs (N
d > 2 × 1017 cm−3) are described by the thermionic field emission (TFE) model, which includes an electron tunneling induced by the high electric field (> MV cm−1) at the Schottky interface. The high electric field also causes significant image force lowering (Δϕ ∼ 0.2 eV) in the heavily-doped SBDs (N
d = 1 × 1019 cm−3). Through the analysis carefully considering such strong image force lowering, the same slope of the barrier height versus the metal work function plot (S ∼ 0.7) is obtained regardless of N
d. This indicates that metal/SiC interfaces are nearly free from Fermi-level pinning independent of N
d.
The Impact of SGLT2i Therapy on the Onset and Prognosis of Heart Failure in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Timar Bogdan , Braha Adina , Grigorică Lucica , Gaiță Laura , Timar Romulus
Published: February 2021

The prevention of heart failure (HF) development in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) represents one of the greatest challenges to date. Several studies have shown that targeting a very strict HbA1c does not reduce cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, concluding that there are additional factors that contribute to the risk of HF, as well as mechanisms possibly related to the therapeutic agents used to lower glycemic values. All these findings led to the reconsideration of T2D management. SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), a new generation of antihyperglycemic drugs, have gained the attention of cardiologists, since they proved cardioprotective effects by reducing three-point major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and heart failure hospitalizations in T2D patients. The mechanisms underlying the cardiovascular protection of SGLT2 inhibitors in T2D are complex and multifactorial, but not fully understood. This review discusses the onset and prognosis of heart failure in T2D patients treated with SGLT2 inhibitors.
New Trends in Dental Adhesion—A Systematic Review
Authors: Zaharia Cristian , Oancea Roxana , Gabor Alin Gabriel , Negruțiu Meda-Lavinia
Published: February 2021

Restorative dentistry is based on a continuous development of materials that make the best possible connection with dental tissues. Thus, dental adhesives have been researched with increasing interest. A successful adhesive system depends very much on its chemistry, as well as on the clinical procedures that must be appropriate for that type of dental adhesive. This review presents a retrospective of dental adhesives focusing on research into new types of adhesive systems that involves the use of nanoparticles. Dental adhesive systems are used in most clinical procedures related to restorative dentistry and can be classified into “etch-and-rinse” adhesives and “self-etch” adhesives. Recently, both types of adhesive systems have been modified, being loaded with different types of nanoparticles to try to improve them in terms of the thickness of the adhesive layer, but also to induce other special qualities. Therefore, in order to avoid compromising the restorative procedures by losing the restorations or by affecting the dental pulp due to cytotoxicity, several factors must be considered in choosing the adhesive system.
Angiotensin-Converting-Enzyme 2 and SARS-CoV2: A Dangerous Liaison
Authors: Sturza Adrian , Marian Cătălin V. , Muntean Danina M. , Crețu Octavian M.
Published: February 2021

The renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) has been recognized as a key player in the complex scenario of cardiovascular regulation. Aside from its role in the cardiovascular diseases, RAAS dysregulation has emerged as a central pathomechanism in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV1) epidemic, dating back to 2002–2004, and the current COVID-19 pandemic with SARS-CoV2, with the latter involving the interaction with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 is the enzyme responsible for Ang 1-7 production that partly counteracts the RAAS effects and promotes nitric oxide synthase activation; moreover, it has also been reported to act as a receptor for both SARS viruses. In the setting of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS–ACE2 interaction is highly debated with respect to both viral infectivity and usage/discontinuation of RAAS medication—ACE inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs)—in diagnosed or suspected SARS-CoV2 patients. Since ACE inhibitors and ARBs are largely prescribed in cardiovascular pathology, a better understanding of the interaction between SARS-CoV2 and RAAS is urgently needed. In this review, we will briefly discuss the SARS-CoV2 and ACE2 interaction and why the discontinuation of RAAS medication is unsafe for either diagnosed or suspected SARS-CoV2 patients.
Dealing with Superficial Femoral Artery Disease: An Ongoing Debate—Open vs. Endovascular Treatment—Preliminary Results
Authors: Rață Andreea Luciana , Barac Sorin , Onofrei Roxana Ramona , Dumitrașcu Adela , Ionac Mihai
Published: February 2021

(1) Background: Both open surgery and endovascular strategies are accepted methods for the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI) due to superficial femoral artery disease (SFA). There is currently only one randomized trial results (BASIL-1) that compared open vs. endo procedures for SFA treatment. In this study, we wanted to compare two treatment strategies for superficial femoral artery vascular disease. (2) Material and methods: A study was conducted on 235 patients (part of a national project—“Development of the public infrastructure research and development and creation of new infrastructure”) in which the open vs. endovascular strategy was compared in patients with critical limb ischemia and SFA disease. (3) Results: Primary outcomes are the time elapsed until major events related to the index leg or death. Secondary outcomes are amputation-free survival rate, reintervention on the index leg, major cardiovascular events and postoperative complications. (4) Conclusion: After 6 months, we had an overall mortality rate of 7.23% and an amputation-free survival of 89.36%.
Inflación y ciclos económicos
Authors: Pérez López Alejandro , Schwartz Moisés J.
Published: February 2021

En este trabajo se presentan algunos de los efectos nocivos de la inflación para el caso de México. El análisis se centra en la dinámica de corto plazo de distintas variables macroeconómicas y en su relación con la inflación. El filtro de Hodrick-Prescott se utiliza para la obtención de los componentes cíclicos de las variables estudiadas. Las correlaciones contemporáneas entre los componentes cíclicos de las variables indican que cuando la inflación se encuentra por encima de su tendencia, la actividad económica, el empleo, la inversión y el salario real tenderán a estar por debajo de su tendencia. Por su parte, inflaciones por arriba de su tendencia se encuentran asociadas con tasas de interés nominales y reales superiores a su tendencia. Las correlaciones desfasadas entre los componentes cíclicos de las variables analizadas indican que la inflación tiene un efecto nocivo sobre las variables mencionadas. Los resultados se corroboran con funciones de impulso-respuesta, obtenidas mediante vectores autorregresivos. Ante estos resultados, no deben escatimarse esfuerzos para lograr el abatimiento definitivo de la inflación.
IMAGING DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF PMMAAND LIQUID SILICONE
Authors: Pereira Suzana Barretto Garcia , Alves Danuza Dias , Menezes Honório Sampaio , Chacur Roberto , Mafaldo Rodrigo Cadore , Bortolozo Fernanda , Chacur Nívea Bordin , Melo Rafael Cardoso , Gomes Leandro dias , Nardi Raíssa
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Imaging differential diagnosis of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and liquid silicone is important for both reaching a diagnosis itself and differentiating lesions; thus, allowing a correct evaluation of the material used as ller.

Objective: The analysis of cases in which PMMA and silicone were used as llers and the differentiation of both llings by magnetic resonance imaging.

Methodology: A retrospective study of the records of 12 patients who had undergone lling with either PMMA or silicone. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was used as a form of diagnosis and/or treatment follow-up.

Conclusion: MRI is considered the gold standard test for clinical diagnosis since liquid llers are difcult to be identied in the physical exam. Its use allows the possible differentiation between procedures performed with PMMAand silicone.
EFFICACY OF THROMBOLYSIS (STREPTOKINASE) IN DIABETIC AND NON-DIABETIC PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH ACUTE ST ELEVATION MI & COMPARISON OF THEIR ANGIOGRAPHIC PROFILE.
Authors: Chauhan Ashish , Gupta Rajeev Kumar , Agarwal V.V.
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND: To determine the efficacy of streptokinase in diabetic versus non-diabetic patients presenting with acute ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI).

METHOD AND RESULTS: This is a hospital based observational study conducted in the department of Cardiology, S.M.S. MEDICAL COLLEGE and associated hospital, Jaipur, Rajasthan between March 2016 to August 2017. Two hundred one consecutive patients of acute STEMI admitted to the Cardiology department were enrolled in the study to maintain 95% CI and 80% power of study. Patients with acute STEMI within 12 hours of chest pain without contraindications to fibrinolytic therapy (streptokinase) were included. ECG was done before and at 90 minutes after the start of streptokinase. ST-segment resolution equal to or more than 70% at 90 minutes on ECG was taken as successful reperfusion. The data was analysed by using software SPSS version 10. The quantitative variables were presented as mean and standard deviation while qualitative variables as frequency and percentage. Chi square test was used to estimate significance and p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Out of 201 patients, 127(63.2%) were non-diabetics and 74(36.8%) were diabetics. The age of presentation of these patients was 32-75yr (meanage=55.59yr). Of these patients, 80% (N=160) were male and 20% (N=40) were female. Among the 74 diabetic patients, streptokinase was not effective in any patients. So streptokinase is non-efficacious in diabetic patients. Among the 127 non diabetic patients, streptokinase was effective in 79 (62.2%). Among the risk factors, smoking and hypertension were found in 84.6% and 62.7% of the patients respectively. So, we found smoking as the most common risk factor followed by HTN and DM in our patients. HTN was found significantly more in diabetic patients (94.59%) vs (44.09% in non-diabetic patients). On angiography, 58.7% patients had SVD, 34.8% had DVD and 6.5% had TVD. Five (2.5%) of these were found to have LM disease. Coronary angiography showed SVD, DVD, TVD in 44(59.46%), 17(22.97%) and 13(17.57%) of diabetic vs 74(58.27%), 53(41.73%) and 0(0%) of non-diabetic patients. So, triple vessel disease is significantly higher in diabetic patients.

CONCLUSION: This study shows that streptokinase is significantly more efficacious in non-diabetics as compare to diabetic patients presenting with acute STEMI. It is more efficacious in male than female (M=47.82%; F=5%). We found that the window period of presentation was significantly higher in diabetic patient because of atypical symptoms that may lead to a delay in seeking medical advice and streptokinase was significantly more efficacious in non-diabetics as compare to diabetic patients.
RADIOLOGICAL VALUATION OF STRESS FRACTURES OF THE LOWER LIMB
Authors: Kishore Jai , T Sankaralal.
Published: February 2021

The purpose of this study is to diagnose stress fractures early to prevent bone remodelling, non-union injuries and loss of function by using various modalities. Plain Radiograph, CT scan and MRI of 50 patients imaged with history of of localized pain related to change in their physical activity or followed by an effort/activity to which they were not accustomed were retrospectively reviewed for stress fractures. Lesions with both bone injuries and pathological findings on the adjacent soft tissues were taken into consideration and evaluated further. The age of the study population ranged from 16 to 75 years. Of the 50 patients studied, 25 were men and 25were women. We found 5 mild stress reaction, 10 insufficiency fractures and 35 stress fractures. The use of CT and MRI is of a great importance for early diagnosis and thus was essential to exclude other causes of bone lesions that may create confusion in the differential diagnosis of a patient with pain and non-specific abnormalities on plain radiography. In the absence of a clear co-relation between repeated stress and pain in an active individual the clinical diagnosis of a stress related bone injury may be troublesome and a possible delay may cause worsening of this condition and further impairment to a professional athlete.
A RARE CASE OF VULVAL FIBROID DURING PREGNANCY PRESENTING LIKE BARTHOLIN’S ABSCESS
Authors: Batham Sonu Kumar
Published: February 2021

Introduction: - Fibroid are commonly found in uterus and cervix but rarely may found other sites (broad ligament, ovary, Vulva, vagina etc). Here we are presenting a rare case of Vulval Fibroid.
Case Report: - A 25 years old woman G4P3L3 with 37 weeks pregnancy presented to OPD with complaint of severe pain at perineal region. There was history of fall in bathroom 1 month ago. On examination there was a swelling at right vulvo-vaginal junction of 4x4 cm, (probably bartholin cyst) with firm smooth surface, with no signs of acute inflammation, for that Incision and drainage was done and an organized mass was resected out. On histopathlogical examination, it was found to be a leiomyoma with myxoid degeneration.
Discussion :- fibroids rarely presents with pain and inflammation and on the other hand bartholin’s cyst or abscess mostly presents with pain and inflammation, so detailed history and examination with broad suspicion are the keys to differentiate between Bartholin’s cyst and vulval fibroids.
ATTITUDE TOWARDS LEARNING STYLES AND THINKING STYLES OF MENTAL HEALTH
Authors: Clara T. S. , Suganthi M.
Published: February 2021

The number of children reporting mental health problems has increased dramatically in recent years, and the signs are that it will continue to rise further. For most children, their first steps into education will be some of the most challenging times they have faced. Most will be dealing with newfound independence, along with the challenges of balancing their academic work, new financial pressures, and building new social relationships. Children, like anybody else, differ from each other. As children, they differ in their preferred mode of learning, i.e. their preferred modes in gathering and thinking about information. The objective of this study was to examine whether children’s learning styles, thinking styles, and attitudes can be used as predictors of their mental health.
CHOLELITHIASIS IN PEOPLE WITH NORMAL SERUM CHOLESTEROL: ROLE OF SERUM IRON
Authors: Kumar P Janaki R P , Ch Sreenivasa Rao , N Lakshmana Kumar , P Usha Kiran
Published: February 2021

INTRODUCTION: The old axiom that a typical gallstone patient is a fat, fertile female of forty is only partially true, as the disease has been found in women soon after their first delivery and also in underweight and thin people. So while searching the literature for different factors, the Iron deficiency was found to be a new and interesting etiological factor in the formation of gall stones. Although the cause is still unclear, cholesterol Gallstones develop most commonly in multiparous women. This patient population is also prone to chronic iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Previous studies claimed a cause-effect relationship between iron deficiency and cholesterol gallstones.
AIM - To assess the association between Serum Iron and Bile Cholesterol levels in people with normal serum cholesterol levels, which reflects the effect of Serum Iron levels in the formation of Gallstones.
MATERIALS AND METHODS – The study was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, G.S.L Medical College, and General Hospital over 18 months. A total of 49 patients with cholelithiasis and normal Serum Cholesterol levels were included in the study. Serum iron and Bile cholesterol contents were analyzed.
RESULTS – It is observed that there is a significant association between increased incidence of Cholelithiasis and Low Serum Iron levels among people with normal levels of serum cholesterol.
CONCLUSION – Low Serum Iron was associated with increased Bile Cholesterol concentration, indicating a possible role of Serum iron in forming gallstones.
Operational planning of large-scale energy systems with high share of renewable generation
Authors: Gea Bermúdez Juan , Das Kaushik , Koivisto Matti Juhani , koduvere Hardi
Published: February 2021

This paper proposes a mathematical model to perform optimal operational planning of large-scale energy systems with high share of renewable energy. Furthermore, it analyses the influence of different unit commitment modelling approaches on the operational planning outcomes. The value of co-optimisation of electricity and heating sector is emphasized in this paper. The results show the influence of massive renewable penetration in the energy sector towards 2050, and how this influences generation from other sources such as thermal and hydro. Including unit commitment constraints with integer variables leads to more realistic behaviour of the units, at the cost of increasing considerably the computational time. Relaxing integer variables reduces significantly the computational time, without highly compromising the accuracy of the results. Neglecting the unit commitment constraints leads to inaccurate results in terms of underestimation of costs, curtailment, wind’s and solar PV’s average revenue per energy unit sold, price volatility, and to overestimation of the flexibility of thermal units. Hence, depending on the purpose of the analysis, it is recommended to consider carefully the choice of unit commitment modelling approach and acknowledge the limitations. When the focus is on prices and revenues, using unit commitment constraints with integer variables is preferable.
System Identification Using Laguerre Basis Functions
Authors: olivier philip
Published: February 2021

This document describes how to use discrete time Laguerre basis functions, and their associated z-transforms, to construct a system identification process using experimentally determined Laguerre expansion coefficients of the input and output sequences. The process is derived using a new Product Propert} for the discrete time Laguerre basis functions. The system identification process is "linear in the parameters"; it does not require assumptions/knowledge of the poles locations of the system under test. An example is presented using data generated by a system that has appeared in the recent literature. The procedure naturally produces equations that can be used to determine if the chosen model order is correct or if its order needs to be increased. Constraints can easily be incorporated.