bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hybrid data decomposition-based deep learning for Bitcoin prediction and algorithm trading
Authors: Li Yuze , Jiang Shangrong , Li Xuerong , Wang Shouyang
Published: April 2022

In recent years, Bitcoin has received substantial attention as potentially high-earning investment. However, its volatile price movement exhibits great financial risks. Therefore, how to accurately predict and capture changing trends in the Bitcoin market is of substantial importance to investors and policy makers. However, empirical works in the Bitcoin forecasting and trading support systems are at an early stage. To fill this void, this study proposes a novel data decomposition-based hybrid bidirectional deep-learning model in forecasting the daily price change in the Bitcoin market and conducting algorithmic trading on the market. Two primary steps are involved in our methodology framework, namely, data decomposition for inner factors extraction and bidirectional deep learning for forecasting the Bitcoin price. Results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms other benchmark models, including econometric models, machine-learning models, and deep-learning models. Furthermore, the proposed model achieved higher investment returns than all benchmark models and the buy-and-hold strategy in a trading simulation. The robustness of the model is verified through multiple forecasting periods and testing intervals.
Engaging local youths in humanitarian response is not a matter of if but how
Authors: Apollo Abigael , Mbah Marcellus Forh
Published: April 2022

Despite being critical responders in humanitarian crises, local youths are continually left out of the humanitarian action agenda. This paper used a qualitative methodology to investigate local youths’ role in humanitarian response and their impacts and assessed how humanitarian actors influence the effectiveness of youth engagement. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews with local youths who participated in the Ebola response in Sierra Leone. Findings showed that young people are significantly contributing to crises response. However, they lack an enabling environment and support system to convert their skills into valuable humanitarian resources efficiently. Therefore, despite the rhetoric that many reports and policies reflect, this study establishes that the realities of youth engagement in humanitarian activities are often misunderstood and controlled for the self-interest of different actors other than youths themselves. It advocates for a renewed focus and support for young people’s skills as  paramount for effective humanitarian response and building back resilient communities after emergencies. Besides, engaging local youths in tackling crises empowers them with transferable skills and stimulates their passion for participating in development issues within their communities.
Factors influencing COVID-19 testing: a qualitative study in Bhutan
Authors: Yangchen Sonam , Ha Solip , Assan Abraham , Tobgay Tashi
Published: April 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has reaffirmed an all-knowing truth—that health is central in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. To fully control the infection in a community, accurate testing of suspected cases along with effective tracing and appropriate treatment (3Ts) is still crucial to slowing transmission of COVID-19 virus This study explored factors that influenced COVID-19 testing in Bhutan. The lessons learned from this study could serve as a roadmap to strengthen the current respond to COVID-19 and for future outbreaks, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods

The study employed an exploratory qualitative design. Data collection methods included interviews with key informants with a purposively selected sample of 20 participants. The interview findings were augmented by reviewing both published literature and unpublished documents.For the analysis of qualitative interviews, a hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development was conducted to analyze findings. A tailored version of the WHO Health System Framework incorporating the Essential Public Health Function was used to guide data interpretation.

Results

Political will through the influence and leadership of the King of Bhutan played a crucial role in raising attention to the problem, and provision of adequate financial and technical relief to ensure that all people irrespective of their socioeconomic status do not pay to get tested of COVID-19. A compassionate leadership, Whole of Society approach is backed by the scientific community, functional health systems and community-based approaches, use of information technology for awareness creation and improved surveillance system, and fast-tracked COVID-19 testing service delivery.

Conclusion

Bhutan’s success relied greatly on multi-sectoral and systematic approach during policy design, implementation and monitoring, and active collaborative efforts involving consultation and engagements with a broad range of local (community members), national and global actors for accelerated COVID-19 testing. These efforts were made possible through improved health governance and leadership at all levels of the society.
Reliability of IEC 61850 based substation communication network architecture considering quality of repairs and common cause failures
Authors: Mathebula Vonani Clive , Saha Akshay Kumar
Published: April 2022

Mission-critical IEC 61850 system architectures are designed to tolerate hardware failures to achieve the highest reliability performance. Hence, multi-channel systems are used in such systems within industrial facilities to isolate machinery when there are process abnormalities. Inevitably, multi-channel systems introduce Common Cause Failure (CCF) since the subsystems can rarely be independent. This paper integrates CCF into the Markov reliability model to enhance the model flexibility to investigate synchronous generator intra-bay SCN architecture reliability performance considering the quality of repairs and CCF. The Markov process enables integration of the impact of CCF factors on system performance. The case study results indicate that CCF, coupled with imperfect repairs, significantly reduce system reliability performance. High sensitivity is observed at low levels of CCF, whereas the highest level of impact occurs when the system diagnostic coverage is 99% based on ISO 13849-1, and reduces as the diagnostic coverage level reduces. Therefore, it is concluded that the severity of CCF depends more on system diagnostic coverage level than the repair efficiency, although both factors impact the system overall performance. Hence, CCF should be considered in determining the reliability performance of mission-critical communication networks in power distribution centres.
Management of cotton bollworms Helicoverpa armigera and Earias vittella by entomopathogenic nematodes
Authors: NAGACHANDRABOSE Seenivasan
Published: April 2022

Background

The bollworm complex consisting of Helicoverpa armigera and Earias vittella is a major threat in cotton production globally. The habit of developing resistance to many insecticides including Bt transgenic cotton necessitates the exploration of an alternate strategy to manage bollworms. The entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) Steinernema carpocapsae strain APKS2 and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora strains KKMH1 and TRYH1 at different concentrations of 1 × 109 infective juveniles (IJs)·hm−2, 2 × 109 IJs·hm−2, and 3 × 109 IJs·hm−2 in 500 L of water were evaluated as a foliar spray in fields naturally infested with H. armigera and E. vittella located at Eastern Block and and Cotton Research Farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbaotre, India during October 2010–February 2011 and October 2011–February 2012, respectively.

Results

In general, all three tested EPN strains reduced the larval population of H. armigera and E. vittella; reduced square and boll damage; and subsequently increased cotton yield compared with the untreated control. The S. carpocapsae APKS2 is most effective against H. armigera whereas both S. carpocapsae APKS2 and H. bacteriophora KKMH1 were equally effective against E. vittella. The higher dose of 3 × 109 IJs·hm−2 was highly significant in the reduction of H. armigera larvae. However, the doses 2 × 109 IJs·hm−2 and 3 × 109 IJs·hm−2 were equally effective for E. vittella control. The S. carpocapsae APKS2 at 3 × 109 IJs·hm−2 caused a 62.2% reduction of H. armigera larvae, 34% reduction of square damage, 58.5% reduction of boll damage, and yielded 45.5% more seed cotton than the untreated control plots. In E. vittella infested field, S. carpocapsae strain APKS2 and H. bacteriophora strain KKMH1 at 2 × 109 IJs·hm−2 resulted in 60.6%~62.4% larva reduction, 68.4%~70.7% square damage reduction, 66.6%~69.9% boll damage reduction and 45.9% yield increase over the untreated control. The effective EPN treatments were comparable to the chemical insecticide chlorpyriphos 20% emulsifiable concentrate spraying at 2 mL·L−1.

Conclusions

This study has shown that EPN have great potential in the management of the bollworm complex in cotton. Foliar spraying EPN strain S. carpocapsae (APKS2) at 3 × 109 IJs·hm−2 and S. carpocapsae (APKS2) or H. bacteriophora (KKMH1) at 2 × 109 IJs·hm−2 five times at10 days intervals are the best for the management of H. armigera and E. vittella, respectively.
TriCTI: an actionable cyber threat intelligence discovery system via trigger-enhanced neural network
Authors: Liu Jian , Yan Junjie , Jiang Jun , He Yitong , Wang Xuren , Jiang Zhengwei , Yang Peian , Li Ning
Published: April 2022

The cybersecurity report provides unstructured actionable cyber threat intelligence (CTI) with detailed threat attack procedures and indicators of compromise (IOCs), e.g., malware hash or URL (uniform resource locator) of command and control server. The actionable CTI, integrated into intrusion detection systems, can not only prioritize the most urgent threats based on the campaign stages of attack vectors (i.e., IOCs) but also take appropriate mitigation measures based on contextual information of the alerts. However, the dramatic growth in the number of cybersecurity reports makes it nearly impossible for security professionals to find an efficient way to use these massive amounts of threat intelligence. In this paper, we propose a trigger-enhanced actionable CTI discovery system (TriCTI) to portray a relationship between IOCs and campaign stages and generate actionable CTI from cybersecurity reports through natural language processing (NLP) technology. Specifically, we introduce the “campaign trigger” for an effective explanation of the campaign stages to improve the performance of the classification model. The campaign trigger phrases are the keywords in the sentence that imply the campaign stage. The trained final trigger vectors have similar space representations with the keywords in the unseen sentence and will help correct classification by increasing the weight of the keywords. We also meticulously devise a data augmentation specifically for cybersecurity training sets to cope with the challenge of the scarcity of annotation data sets. Compared with state-of-the-art text classification models, such as BERT, the trigger-enhanced classification model has better performance with accuracy (86.99%) and F1 score (87.02%). We run TriCTI on more than 29k cybersecurity reports, from which we automatically and efficiently collect 113,543 actionable CTI. In particular, we verify the actionability of discovered CTI by using large-scale field data from VirusTotal (VT). The results demonstrate that the threat intelligence provided by VT lacks a part of the threat context for IOCs, such as theActions on Objectivescampaign stage. As a comparison, our proposed method can completely identify the actionable CTI in all campaign stages. Accordingly, cyber threats can be identified and resisted at any campaign stage with the discovered actionable CTI.
Analysis of electroclinical features of nonconvulsive status epilepticus: a study of four cases
Authors: Wu Dan , Liu Xiaoyun , Yao Xingqi , Yang Yanfeng , Zhang Jun , Yang Haoran , Sun Wei
Published: April 2022

Background

The nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is an epileptic condition characterized by little or no obvious symptoms, thus is often easily to be underrecognized, underdiagnosed or even undetected by clinicians. This article is written to advance the recognition and diagnosis of NCSE.

Case presentation

Four cases of NCSE were reported and their semiology, electroencephalogram (EEG) features, etiology, treatment and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. Most of the 4 cases presented with impaired consciousness (confused, slow reaction and lags in response) and some strange behaviors (being upset and restless or washing hands repeatedly). None of them had any obvious motor symptoms like tonic or clonic movements. EEG of the 4 cases initially manifested with either a focal or a generalized onset, then evolved into spike-and-wave pattern gradually. With a favorable response to antiepileptic drugs, they all had a good outcome without any sequela.

Conclusions

NCSE is much more common than was considered in the past, which is featured by little or no evidence of movement or other symptoms. NCSE can lead to a favorable outcome in most patients.
Rat bite fever in a total knee arthroplasty: an unusual case of periprosthetic joint infection
Authors: Fokkema Anne Theunis , Kampschreur Linda Martine , Pirii Loredana Elena , Zijlstra Wierd Pieter
Published: April 2022

Background

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a serious complication of orthopedic arthroplasty surgery. Rat bite fever is a rare infection with Streptobacillus moniliformis (S. moniliformis). Rat bite fever can lead to serious complications such as pyogenic infection of joints, bacteremia, endocarditis and even death. We hereby present the first case of a patient with a total knee arthroplasty, infected with S. moniliformis, successfully treated by surgical debridement, antibiotics and implant retention (DAIR).

Case presentation

The patient was a 64-year-old female. S. moniliformis was isolated from blood cultures and an aspirate of the left knee by 16S rRNA gene polymerase chain reaction technique. It was assumed that the S. moniliformis had a systemic origin and secondarily infected the knee due to fever nine days before the onset of symptoms of the knee. The patient was successfully managed with DAIR and intravenous administration of ceftriaxone for six weeks and oral doxycycline for another six weeks.

Conclusions

S. moniliformis is a rare pathogen and is difficult to culture. The 16S rRNA sequencing is helpful in the determination of a causative microorganism in the case of a culture-negative PJI. A DAIR procedure in combination with 12 weeks of antibiotics could successfully treat S. moniliformis prosthetic joint infection.
Three uncommon mutations of the SLC12A3 gene in gitelman syndrome: case reports and review of the literature
Authors: Akpinar Gozetici Melis , Ersoy Dursun Fadime , Dursun Hasan
Published: April 2022

Background

Gitelman syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive salt-wasting tubulopathy characterized by low potassium and magnesium levels in the blood, decreased excretion of calcium in the urine, and metabolic alkalosis. It is commonly caused by an inactivating mutation in the SLC12A3 gene (16q13), which encodes a thiazide-sensitive sodium chloride cotransporter. Here, we present three cases with the same clinical and laboratory findings that showed different mutations in the SLC12A3 gene.

Case presentation

Three children, a 14-year-old boy, a 7-year-old girl, and an 11-year-old boy, were admitted to our hospital at different times with nausea, weakness, muscle cramps in hands, and failure to thrive complaints. Blood tests showed hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia and metabolic alkalosis. Patients were referred to Pediatric Nephrology Clinic and diagnosed with Gitelman syndrome. Genetic tests of three cases showed homozygous mutations of c.1928C > T, p.Pro643Leu, c.248G > A, p.Arg83Gln, and c.1919A > G, p.N640S in the SLC12A3 gene exists, respectively. Potassium chloride, magnesium replacements, and indomethacin were given for treatment to patients. During follow-up, patients' heights and weights were increased dramatically, and nausea complaints were over.

Conclusion

Different mutations in the SLC12A3 gene in Gitelman syndrome can be detected but clinical, and laboratory findings were generally similar. Treatment with potassium, magnesium supplements, and indomethacin showed significant improvements in symptoms.
Greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a simplified MRI approach
Authors: Amin Wessam Mohammad , Abdelkerim Amr Ai
Published: April 2022

Background

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) refers to pain and tenderness over the greater trochanter. It is a common entity of lateral hip pain that is usually related to the overuse or small injuries of the gluteus medius or minimus tendons and their surrounding bursae. MRI is the favored modality for evaluation of the hip region disorders. Treatment options ranges from conservative to surgical treatment.

Results

Trochanteric (sub-gluteal maximus) bursal fluid was the most common finding found in 55 hips (73%), followed by gluteal tendinosis (64%) and partial thickness gluteal tendon tear (29%). Full thickness tear of the gluteal tendons occurred in 10 hips (13%). The relation between gluteal tendinosis and greater trochanteric bursal fluid was statistically significant (P < 0.05) with sensitivity and specificity of 85% and 78% respectively.

Conclusion

MRI should be utilized in a simple systemized approach by MSK radiologist in order not to miss a finding that may influence the surgical outcome of the patient presenting with GTPS.
Tips for avoiding common mistakes in out-of-hospital diagnosis of carbon monoxide poisoning
Authors: Fucili G. , Brauzzi M.
Published: April 2022

Acute carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of intoxication from exogenous substances in the world. It is also a major cause of morbidity and mortality due to poisoning in the USA. In the USA, it determines to 50,000 visits per year in emergency departments with a mortality ranging from 1 to 3%. Although prevalence and incidence data reveal the large impact of carbon monoxide poisoning on public health, some studies have shown that errors in its diagnosis have a high incidence (30%) and that awareness campaigns have allowed the reduction of the same to 5%. In addition, many diagnostic and/or therapeutic errors were found both in small first aid situations and in the context of rescue units belonging to prestigious hospitals. To formulate a diagnosis, the collection of clues from the environment in which the patient is found is essential. Especially when the routine use of environmental gas detectors or handheld CO-oximeters is not possible, the emergency doctor, in addition to concentrating on the clinical presentation of the case, will have to give a quick overview of the patient and his environment. In addition to age, sex, and already known comorbidities, it is not irrelevant to evaluate socio-economic and cultural characteristics, hygiene conditions, habits, etc.

The purpose of this study is to provide useful information to the doctor who comes first to the site of intoxication to reduce diagnostic and therapeutic errors in the pre- and intra-hospital phase as much as possible.
Migraine in children population - systemic review
Authors: Wieteska Małgorzata , Maj Dominik , Gendek Karolina , Bąk Weronika , Chrościńska-Krawczyk Magdalena
Published: April 2022

Introduction and objective: Migraine constitutes the main reason for acute and recurrent headache among children globally. It is a primary headache syndrome that affects from 3 up to 10% of paediatric population. The frequency of migraine increases with age up to puberty. The aim of this study is to systemize recent knowledge about migraine in children. The information used in the presented analysis was obtained by searching academic research databases: Google Scholar and PubMed.

An abbreviated description of the state of knowledge: The exact pathogenesis of migraine remains unknown, but involvement of nervous system, cardiovascular system, genetic predisposition and environmental factors are considered in the development of disease. Symptoms of migraine vary between individuals and can be wide-ranging. They may resemble disorders such as tension headache, cluster headache, epilepsy, brain tumour or ischemic stroke. The diagnostic process is based on anamnesis, and may therefore be challenging in children because of difficulties related to communication. Symptom-relieving therapy of migraine is well-established in contrast to pharmacological prophylactic treatment which is not sufficiently evidence-based.

Summary: Migraine remains a global problem in the paediatric population. The condition is associated not only with physical pain, but also it leads to many long-term complications such as emotional problems and social disruption. Lack of safe and effective preventive medical therapies is a driving factor to improve trials of migraine treatment in the future.
Socio-cultural and individual factors in verbal irony use and understanding: What we know, what we don’t know, what we want to know
Authors: Banasik-Jemielniak Natalia ,   Maria Grzegorzewska University, Poland, Kałowski Piotr ,   University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw, Poland
Published: April 2022

AA significant part of everyday verbal communication consists of nonliteral language, including irony (Gibbs 2000). Efficient irony use can serve a wide range of pragmatic goals, while deficits in irony comprehension can have negative social consequences. Whereas a large body of psycholinguistic research has been produced on irony use and understanding by adults, little attention has been paid to the socio-cultural characteristics of this phenomenon so far. Some individual factors that have been identified as correlates of irony use include personality of the speaker, gender, age, or speaking a second language. In this article, we argue that it is necessary to bring the aspects of socio-cultural variables and individual characteristics together in the further study of irony across national cultures. To this end, we present a narrative review of theoretical and quantitative empirical literature from the field of psycholinguistics on both national cultural and individual/psychological factors impacting the use and understanding of verbal irony in communication. Based on the review, we suggest a theoretical model that could guide future quantitative studies on irony use such that both contextual factors (including national cultural dimensions) and individual differences between the speakers are clearly defined and related to one another in terms of their influence.
Social Inequality and the Spread of Misinformation
Authors: Mostagir Mohamed , Siderius James
Published: April 2022

We study the spread of misinformation in a social network characterized by unequal access to learning resources. Agents use social learning to uncover an unknown state of the world, and a principal strategically injects misinformation into the network to distort this learning process. A subset of agents throughout the network is endowed with knowledge of the true state. This gives rise to a natural definition of inequality: privileged communities have unrestricted access to these agents, whereas marginalized communities do not. We show that the role that this inequality plays in the spread of misinformation is highly complex. For instance, communities who hoard resources and deny them to the larger population can end up exposing themselves to more misinformation. Conversely, although more inequality generally leads to worse outcomes, the prevalence of misinformation in society is nonmonotone in the level of inequality. This implies that policies that decrease inequality without substantially reducing it can leave society more vulnerable to misinformation.

This paper was accepted by Baris Ata, stochastic models and simulation.

Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4376 .
Lower extremity lymphoedema: some recent literature highlights
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: April 2022

Lower extremity lymphoedema is common after many cancers. Nevertheless, epidemiological estimates of the prevalence of lower extremity lymphoedema vary widely. A recent study, however, clarified the rates in women with colorectal, endometrial and ovarian malignancies: about one third self-reported lower extremity lymphoedema. The study also confirmed that lower extremity lymphoedema can markedly undermine physical functioning. Some patients, however, seem to be at especially high-risk of developing lower extremity lymphoedema, such as those who undergo extensive lymphadenectomy. Moreover, until recently, few clinical trials assessed treatment benefits from the patient's perspective. A recent study explored the goals and benefits that matter most to patients, which may help healthcare professionals individualise management.
The pandemic's impact on a lymphoedema service: reflections of a lymphoedema clinical lead nurse specialist
Authors: Rooney Louise
Published: April 2022

Louise Rooney has worked in the NHS for 34 years in various roles, but her passion is the treatment of lymphoedema and how best to support patients with this underestimated and debilitating chronic condition. She has been working as a lymphoedema clinical nurse specialist since 2009; in 2019, she became the lymphoedema clinical lead at the Walsall Palliative Care Centre, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust. In this article, Rooney elaborates on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lymphoedema service, her own practice and that of her colleagues.
24-hour interval compression: a plan to balance effectiveness and tolerability for chronic oedema
Authors: Muldoon Jeanette
Published: April 2022

As one of the mainstays for the management of chronic oedema, compression is unquestionably an efficacious and important element in treatment pathways during the intensive acute, transition and maintenance phases. Despite the variety of compression technologies on the market, devices to aid application and innovative methods employed by caregivers to encourage adherence to treatment, concordance remain a challenge. Balancing clinical effectiveness and patient comfort, the 24-hour interval plan considers wearer lifestyle and treatment options to tailor types of compression and times during the day and night when compression is worn. This article reviews previously published theories and evidence on which the 24-hour compression plan has been based ( Bock et al, 2022 ).
Delivering compassionate care
Authors: Boreham Renata
Published: April 2022

Renata Boreham explores her actions trying to enable nurses, midwives, doctors and medical students to deliver compassionate care through voluntary workshops in Sri Lanka
An exploration of the development of resilience in student midwives
Authors: Williams Jacqui , Hadley Julie
Published: April 2022

Background

Resilience has been considered a key personal characteristic for a healthcare professional to be able to cope with the demands of their profession. There is a paucity of research that has considered resilience in midwifery and none has used a resilience scale over the length of the midwifery programme.

Methods

A resilience scale was used with one cohort of student midwives on five occasions throughout their midwifery programme.

Results

The mean across all of the five scale scores for the 15 participants was 122 (range of mean scores:92–135). The majority of participants (n=13) had average, moderate or moderately high resilience and all student midwives except one increased their resilience between the first and fifth completion of the scale.

Conclusions

The true resilience scale is a useful tool to use in midwifery undergraduate programmes to determine the development of resilience in student midwives. Importantly, the scale could be used at an early opportunity to identify any support needs.
Caesarean sections and ethics
Authors: Winter George F
Published: April 2022

George F Winter examines the ethics surrounding a woman's request for a caesarean section when it is not medically indicated
Structure-Activity Relationship of Ceria Based Catalyst for Hydrogen Production
Authors:   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand, Lomonaco Jessica Gina , Tojira Opas ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand, Charojrochkul Sumittra ,   National Energy Technology Center, NSTDA, Pathumthani, Thailand, Tepamatr Pannipa ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand
Published: April 2022

T he role of Sm addition on water gas shift performance of Re/ceria was studied. A redox cycle between Ce4+ and Ce3+ of ceria support by oxygen vacancies generation is one of the elementary step in water gas shift mechanism. In this work, we have attempted to enrich the Ce3+ content at the ceria surface of Re/doped ceria to enhance the water gas shift performance. The water gas shift reaction was carried out over Re/Sm-doped ceria catalysts with different contents of Sm (0, 5, 10, 15 wt%). The H2-TPR explained the activity enhancement of these catalysts due to Sm addition which have lowered the reduction temperature of rhenium oxide species and promoted the surface of ceria. The results of water gas shift activity investigation presented that the activity of 1%Re/Ce10%SmO was higher than that of other catalysts. The influence of Sm on increasing the catalytic activity of Re catalysts is concluded to be from enhancing the Ce3+ content which then facilitate the redox process at the surface.
Russia’s Eurasian union dream: A way forward towards multipolar world order
Authors: Abbas Shahzada Rahim
Published: April 2022

Since the disintegration of USSR Eurasia has gained a new geopolitical and strategic significance. Fifteen countries emerged as result of disintegration, among which only Russian Federation was the successor state. The post-soviet era, especially the era of 1990s, was a political and economic trauma for the Russian Federation and the post-soviet space. But Eurasianists were well aware of American unilateralism and the American “Grand Chessboard strategy” that was solely aimed at encircling Russian geography. With these concerns, the Eurasianists advised the Russian political and military elites to initiate the Eurasian Union Project. This paper briefly sketches Russian historical Eurasian dream, which is deeply rooted in Russian imperial history, and discusses the importance of Eurasian philosophy for the political and economic stability of Russia-Eurasia. The paper also illustrates the challenges and opportunities for the Eurasian integration and for the establishment of a multipolar world order. The paper also briefly outlines the geopolitical rationale behind the Eurasian project as a key objective of the contemporary Russian foreign policy and geopolitics.
April 2022 Medical Image of the Month: COVID Pericarditis
Authors:   St. Mary Medical Center, Long Beach, CA USA, Youkhana Sarah , Tanios Maged
Published: April 2022

No abstract available. Manuscript truncated after 150 words. A 76-year-old patient presented with fatigue and shortness of breath after missing one session of dialysis. Past medical history included end stage renal disease on hemodialysis and atrial fibrillation on anticoagulation. Initial labs showed that she was COVID positive with mild elevation in troponin and a BNP 1200. While an inpatient, she had received a few sessions of dialysis and treatment for COVID (including dexamethasone and remdesivir). Initial echo showed an ejection fraction of 60-65% with a small generalized pericardial effusion, a thickened pericardium with calcification. A few days after admission patient was suddenly noted to be hypotensive with systolic blood pressure in the 70s and altered mental status. Repeated labs showed a D-Dimer of 17,232, leukocytosis, lactic acidosis, troponin 0.556 ng/ml and arterial blood gas with metabolic acidosis. With a worsening clinical picture, repeat imaging was obtained. CT angiography of the chest was negative for pulmonary embolism; however, it …
Transformation from asymmetric spin splitting to symmetric spin splitting with phase compensation in photonic spin Hall effect
Authors: Xie Linguo , He Yu , Yang Fubin , Dan Youquan , Zhou Xinxing , Zhang Zhiyou
Published: April 2022

Generally, when an arbitrary polarized light beam is reflected or refracted from an isotropic interface, the spin splitting in photonic spin Hall effect (SHE) shows asymmetry properties. In this paper, we theoretically propose a phase compensation scheme to achieve the transformation from asymmetric spin splitting to symmetric spin splitting in photonic SHE. We experimentally acquire the spin splitting after phase compensation in the case of a 45 degrees linear polarized Gaussian light beam totally internally reflected from a prism-air interface. Particularly, whether or not phase compensation, the transverse shift of total barycenter of reflected field [i.e., the Imbert-Fedorov (IF) shift] does not change. These findings can solve this problem that asymmetric spin splitting cannot be observed by weak measurements.
Indonesian women’s preferences regarding robe: Naisha Hijrah’s production matches future customers’ desires1
Authors: Sumiyana Sumiyana , Prasetya Andhika Oktafatria
Published: April 2022

The Indonesian textile industry grew by 15.35 per cent in 2019, whereas previously, it had only seen a growth of around 8.73 per cent. As a result, it occurred to the textile and apparel manufacturers that they needed to enlarge their business lines swiftly. Naisha Hijrah, a designer, producer and textile retailer, sells clothes based on Islamic styles with a post-modernist concept. This study elaborates on how Naisha Hijrah has met its customers’ needs. It also analyses why Naisha Hijrah could become the leading producer and retailer. Naisha Hijrah initially captured the Arabian clothes. This research shows that Naisha’s products have attributes that include crease-free fabric, strong seams, unnoticed fabric fibres, cut patterns, delicate stitching and a design that permits the wearer to perform their ablutions without removing the garment. On the other hand, the technical qualities include many of Naisha’s prioritized fabrics, such as Balotelli and Toyobo, accompanied by zippers designs. Therefore, Naisha develops its product that focuses on technical attributes that Indonesian women prioritize to fulfil their future desires. Finally, this study suggests that Naisha’s robes should combine several kinds of materials in each garment, improve the tailors’ skills, ensure no defects in its production and continuously push the workers to make firmer and smoother stitches. Therefore, Naisha Hijrah should increase sales because it sells what Indonesian women need and love. All this implies that it could be the leading retailer of Islamic fashion items.
Hospitality in times of COVID-19: An evaluation in the context of the Baumanian concept of hospitality
Authors: Erayman İbrahim Oğulcan , Çağlar Ahmed Burak
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic affected millions directly (by getting infected) or indirectly (by the disease’s economic, social and political repercussions). These effects are multiplied for the vulnerable groups. This article focuses on the situation of immigrants and the inhospitableness shown to them when they need hospitality the most. Our theoretical background for hospitality is based on Baumanian thought and his inspirations from Kant, Levinas and Derrida. While the Baumanian perspective of ‘hospitality as a consumption practice’ is key to evaluating the hospitality denied to ‘vulnerable people’ today, it falls short of elaborating the stigmatizing and exclusionary xenophobic reactions during this pandemic. From this context, this study focuses on evaluating the xenophobic acts experienced in times of COVID-19 from the perspective of Baumanian hospitality and aims to show that consumption practices are not the only impediment to achieving hospitality.
Business models and sustainability in the newspaper industry: Perspectives from European and North American executives
Authors: Faustino Paulo
Published: April 2022

The digital age has posed considerable challenges to media business model sustainability while diversifying opportunities for editorial organizations and journalists. The chaotic management of media companies is threatening the very fabric of various media industries. This article aims at understanding the sustainability of the media business models, and how media managers tailor their practices to cope with digital transformation in a competitive market. Media executives from three US newspaper companies (from the United States of America and Canada) and three European newspaper companies (from Ireland, England and France) were interviewed for this article. The results of the interviews with executives from the six newspaper companies interviewed suggest that there is a better adaptation to the digital transformation on the part of North American companies compared to European companies. All interviewed newspaper companies continue to face significant challenges in the search for ways to enable the sustainability of their business models to motivate their partners, shareholders and employees and contribute to greater diversity in the information market. The six media companies agreed that sustaining a media business and financing model is not equivalent to achieving the long-term sustainability of a media business model and financing.
College music administrators’ opinions of curricular initiatives in popular music
Authors: Davis Virginia Wayman , Hewitt Donna
Published: April 2022

This study examined college music administrators’ attitudes towards popular music in tertiary settings. Participants (N = 92) completed a Likert-type scale survey that solicited administrators’ overall attitude towards popular music education, coursework and degree plans. Additionally, data were collected through written comments regarding challenges to implementing curricular changes. Descriptive data revealed that administrators’ overall attitudes towards popular music and its inclusion in higher education settings are mostly positive. Participants’ responses to open-ended questions revealed that limited resources, budgetary concerns and pressure to have fewer credits in degree programmes are challenges to curricular changes that include more popular music opportunities. With these findings, we suggest that while college music administrators may be in favour of popular music initiatives in higher education, the ways in which they can be enacted through curricula will vary based on the unique opportunities and challenges at each institution.
Growth performance, blood variables, intestinal bacterial content, and morphological measurements of broilers supplemented with Lactobacillus casei-fermented mixture of red rice and aromatic ginger
Authors: Astuti Fitri Dwi , Sugiharto Sugiharto , Yudiarti Turrini , Widiastuti Endang , Wahyuni Hanny I. , Ayaşan Tugay
Published: April 2022

Background and Aim: Natural feed additives are important for broiler sustainability during the post-antibiotic era. This study aimed to evaluate the possible effects of the dietary supplementation of Lactobacillus casei-fermented mixture of red rice and aromatic ginger (FERMIX) on growth, blood profiles, intestinal bacterial content, and morphological measurements of broilers.

Materials and Methods: Two hundred broiler chicks were allotted to four groups with five replications, including CONTROL (chicks provided with basal feed), FERMIX025 (basal feed supplemented with 0.25% FERMIX), FERMIX050 (0.50% FERMIX), and FERMIX100 (1.00% FERMIX). FERMIX is an anaerobic fermentation product from a mixture of red rice flour and aromatic ginger using L. casei. Blood, organs, digesta, and carcass were collected on day 35.

Results: Final body weight, weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio did not differ (p>0.05) across treatments. FERMIX at 0.5% increased (p<0.05) spleen relative weight. Liver weight was lower (p<0.05) in broilers fed with 1% FERMIX. The liver weight linearly reduced (p<0.05) with the increased FERMIX levels. FERMIX at 0.25% elevated (p<0.05) broiler drumsticks' yield than that in other groups. Erythrocytes, hemoglobin, packed cell volume, and plasma total protein levels were quadratically higher (p<0.05) in FERMIX050 treated than in other groups. Increased FERMIX levels resulted in a linear decrease (p=0.08) in ileal lactose-negative Enterobacteriaceae counts. Villi height/crypt depth (CD) ratio was quadratically higher (p<0.05) in the duodenum of broiler supplemented with 0.5% FERMIX. The jejunal CD was quadratically lower (p<0.05) in FERMIX050 than in other groups.

Conclusion: Although it did not influence growth, dietary FERMIX, especially at 0.5%, improved immune competencies, physiological conditions, and health of broilers' intestine.
Infectious Diseases: Measles Outbreak in Ireland
Authors: Al-Hiraki Seema
Published: April 2022

A study that compares and contrasts the measles outbreak in the U.S. and Ireland in the light of legislation, strategies, public health, epidemiology, and interventions.
How plants make cats happy
Authors: Bol Sebastiaan , Scaffidi Adrian , Bunnik Evelien , Gonzales Julia , Flematti Gavin
Published: April 2022

It has been known for centuries that cats respond euphorically tocatnip. We showed that among others Tatarian honeysuckle and silver vine can also elicit this “catnip response”. The behavior seen during the responses was different between cats. While individual cats had preferences for particular plants, the behavior of individual cats was consistent among all plants. About half a dozen lactones similar in structure to nepetalactone were able to elicit the “catnip response”, as were the structurally more distinct molecules actinidine and dihydroactinidiolide. Most cats did not respond to actinidine, whereas those who did, responded longer to this volatile than any of the other secondary plant metabolites, and different behavior was observed. A range of different cat-attracting compounds was detected by chemical analysis of plant materials but differences in cat behavior could not be directly related to differences in chemical composition of the plants. Collectively, these findings suggest that both the personality of the cat and genetic variation in the genes encoding olfactory receptors may play a role in how cats respond to cat-attracting plants. Furthermore, the data suggest a potential distinct mechanism of action for actinidine.
Propuesta de componentes diferenciadores para la clasificación multiescalar del paisaje
Authors: Espinosa Pérez Ian Dassaef , García Romero Arturo , Cruz Fuentes Luis Fernando
Published: April 2022

La clasificación y la cartografía del paisaje han cobrado gran interés en el ámbito latinoamericano, contando con un creciente número de estudios que, sin embargo, presentan amplias diferencias al momento de establecer la jerarquía y subordinación de los componentes del paisaje dentro de los sistemas de clasificación. El objetivo de este artículo es proponer un método de integración multiescalar de los “componentes diferenciadores del paisaje” –relieve, vegetación y uso de suelo–, para la clasificación y cartografía del paisaje en tres niveles: región natural, geosistema y geofacies. El mapa de paisajes se obtuvo en de tres etapas: 1) análisis y síntesis ambiental; 2) integración ambiental y clasificación del paisaje, y 3) validación de la clasificación. El método fue aplicado a las alcaldías Tlalpan y Milpa Alta (al sur de la Ciudad de México), y dio como resultado una clasificación del paisaje con tres regiones naturales, seis geosistemas y 113 geofacies, donde cada nivel fue definido por la resolución espacio-temporal y el peso relativo de sus componentes diferenciadores. Esta propuesta puede ser adaptada a distintas condiciones y áreas, y constituye una base cartográfica de amplia aplicabilidad en estudios de planificación y ordenación del territorio.
Graham, M. y Dittus M. (2021). Geographies of Digital Exclusion: Data and Inequality
Authors: Huitrón Mendoza José Antonio
Published: April 2022

Londres, Pluto Press, 209 pp., ISBN 978 -1-786807-41-0
Rivera Garza, C. (2020). Autobiografía del algodón
Authors: Hatch Kuri Gonzalo
Published: April 2022

México: Penguin Randon House. 316 pp., ISBN: 978-607-319-173-9
Human amniotic fluid as a source of stem cells
Authors: Walentowicz Pawel , Sadlecki Pawel , Walentowicz-Sadlecka Malgorzata , Bajek Anna , Grabiec Marek , Drewa Tomasz
Published: April 2022

Human amniotic fluid collected during amniocentesis contains a heterogeneous population of differentiated and undifferentiated cells. Properties and number of these cells vary depending on the gestational age and the presence of potential fetal pathologies. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of maternal, fetal, and environmental factors on the success rates of amniotic fluid stem cell cultures, the number of human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSC), their growth rates in primary cultures, and the number of cell passages. The study included 355 patients qualified for genetic amniocentesis at the Prenatal Genetic Unit, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Oncologic Gynecology, Nicolaus Copernicus University Medical College in Bydgoszcz in 2011–2017. The mean age of the study participants was 34 ± 6.2 years, and mean gravidity amounted to 2.48 ± 1.4. Amniotic fluid sample volume turned out to be a highly significant (p < 0.01) predictor of culture success, and the relationship was particularly evident in women older than 40 years. Another highly significant predictor of culture success was the presence of two cell populations in the sample (p < 0.01). The likelihood of culture success correlated significantly (p < 0.05) with the season of the year at the time of amniocentesis. The number of cell passages differed significantly depending on the maternal age (p < 0.01). The number of passages also showed a highly significant relationship with the season of the year the sample was obtained (p < 0.01). Younger maternal age was identified as a determinant of high passage number (≥3), and another highly significant determinant of high passage number was the presence of two cell populations in the amniotic fluid sample (p < 0.01). Percentage of successfully established hAFSC cultures and the number of passages depended on amniotic fluid volume, the presence of two cell populations within the sample, and the season of the year. Individual characteristics of the donors, such as age and gravidity, did not exert a significant effect on the number of isolated hAFSCs and the rate of their growth. Patients’ place of residence, fetal karyotype, transportation time, and purity of the samples did not affect the success rates for primary cultures and the number of passages.