bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study of Influences of Mortality Change on the Life Expectancy at Birth in Korea and Japan, 2000-2019
Authors: Lim Dar Oh , Lee Shi Nae
Published: June 2022

Objectives: To determine the contribution of specific age groups and causes of death contributing to the changes in the Korea-Japan life expectancy gap from 2000-2019.Methods: Standard life table techniques were used decompose the change in the Korea-Japan life expectancy gap by combing absolute changes in age-specific mortality with relative changes in the distribution of causes of death.Results: Among males, the Korea-Japan life expectancy gap increased 4.2 years in the period 2000-2019. The decline in the life expectancy gap was lager among males, declining by 21.53% (5.289 to 1.139). Nearly all of the 2.07-year decline among males was due to relative mortality improvement among korea at ages 65 to 74 years. primarily due to increased mortality from malignant neoplasms. The gap among females increased by 3.8 years in the period 2000-2019, primarily due to increased mortality from cerebrobascular disease. The decline in the life expectancy gap was larger among males at older ages.Conclusions: The Korea-Japan life expectancy gap has declined because of relative mortality improvements in malignant neoplasms and cerebrobascular diseases. Further narrowing of the gap will require concerted efforts in public health and health care to address the major causes of th remaining gap from malignant neoplasms, cerebrobascular diseases, hypertension diseases.
Effect of Self-leadership, Emotional Intelligence and Social Support on Problem Solving Ability of Nursing Students
Authors: Kim Min-Seo , Bea Han-Ju , Lee Jung-Suk
Published: June 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of self-leadership, emotional intelligence, social support, and problem-solving ability of nursing college students, and to understand the factors that affect problem-solving ability.Methods: Participants were in 2nd and 3rd grade of nursing students. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS 22.0 program using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation, and multiple regression analysis.Results: The significant influencing factors of problem-solving ability were self-leadership. β= 0.36 (p= 0.001), emotional intelligence β= 0.15 (p< 0.04), social support β= 0.29 (p< 0.001) and club activity β= 0.14 (p< 0.02). These factors explained 45.5% of the variance (R2= 0.46, p< 0.001).Conclusions: This study showed that problem-solving ability were influencing factors on self-leadership and it is necessary to develop various strategies to improve self leadership in nursing college students.
Распространение вариантов вируса SARS-COV-2, вызывающих озабоченность (VOC) на основе количества их геномов, депонированных в базу данных GISAID за неделю с 04.06.2022 г. по 10.06.2022 г.
Authors: Дмитриева Людмила , Краснов Ярослав , Чумачкова Елена , Осина Наталья , Иванова Александра , Карнаухов Игорь , Щербакова Светлана , Караваева Татьяна , Кутырев Владимир
Published: June 2022

В обзоре представлена информация по актуальным геновариантам вируса SARS-COV-2, циркулирующим в настоящее время, геномные последовательности которых размещены в международной базе данных GISAID.
Inland waterway network mapping of AIS data for freight transportation planning
Authors: Asborno Magdalena , Hernandez Sarah , Mitchell Kenneth , Yves Manzi
Published: June 2022

Travel demand models (TDMs) with freight forecasts estimate performance metrics for competing infrastructure investments and potential policy changes. Unfortunately, freight TDMs fail to represent non-truck modes with levels of detail adequate for multimodal infrastructure and policy evaluation. Recent expansions in the availability of maritime movement data, i.e. Automatic Identification System (AIS), make it possible to expand and improve representation of maritime modes within freight TDMs. AIS may be used to track vessel locations as time-stamped latitude–longitude points. For estimation, calibration and validation of freight TDMs, this work identifies vessel trips by applying network mapping (map-matching) heuristics to AIS data. The automated methods are evaluated on a 747-mile inland waterway network, with AIS data representing 88% of vessel activity. Inspection of 3820 AIS trajectories was used to train the heuristic parameters including stop time, duration and location. Validation shows 84·0% accuracy in detecting stops at ports and 83·5% accuracy in identifying trips crossing locks. The resulting map-matched vessel trips may be applied to generate origin–destination matrices, calculate time impedances, etc. The proposed methods are transferable to waterways or maritime port systems, as AIS continues to grow.
Operations & Maintenance (O&M) facility data exchange pilot expansion to BUILDER SMS
Authors: Carrasquillo-Mangual Mariangelica , Martin Jillian , Mehnert Brenda , Gairhan Julia , Woods Van , Brucker Beth
Published: June 2022

The Army has many enterprise Operation and Maintenance (O&M) systems that require manual input of the same facility data collected through-out the facility life cycle. This manual input of data costs Army installations valuable time and labor. A standardized approach to deliver the O&M information in a consistent, accurate, timely, and digital method for expedited input into the numerous systems is needed. A United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)-led team consisting of O&M subject matter experts within USACE and industry developed a standardized process for collecting and exchanging facility data for downstream applications. The process is defined in the Engineering and Construction Bulletin (ECB) 2018-6 and includes utilization of Unified Facilities Guide Specification (UFGS) 01 78 24.00 10. An initial pilot study verified that asset data collected during facility construction could effectively be imported into the Army General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS). This second pilot study focused on facilitating the import of facility asset and equipment data collected during construction into the BUILDER Sustainment Management System (SMS) web-based software application. The project scope included investigation of current Army installations’ processes as they relate to BUILDER SMS as well as initial testing of information transfer approaches.
Operational taxon pairs in microbial co-occurrence networks imply complicated bacterial associations
Authors: Jiang Min-Zhi , Zhu Hai-Zhen , Zhou Nan , Liu Chang , Jiang Cheng-Ying , Wang Yulin , Liu Shuang-Jiang
Published: June 2022

Co-occurrence networks inferred from the abundance data of microbial communities are widely applied to predict microbial interactions. However, the high workloads of bacterial isolation and the complexity of the networks themselves constrained experimental demonstrations of the predicted microbial associations and interactions. Here, we integrate droplet microfluidics and bar-coding logistics for high-throughput bacterial isolation and cultivation from environmental samples, and experimentally investigate the relationships between taxon pairs inferred from microbial co-occurrence networks. We collected Potamogeton perfoliatus plants (including roots) and associated sediments from Beijing Olympic Park (BOP) wetland. Droplets of series diluted homogenates of wetland samples were inoculated into 126 96-well plates containing R2A and TSB media. After 10 days of cultivation, 65 plates with > 30% wells showed microbial growth were selected for the inference of microbial co-occurrence networks. We cultivated 129 bacterial isolates belonging to 15 species that could represent the zero-level OTUs (Zotus) in the inferred co-occurrence networks. The co-cultivations of bacterial isolates corresponding to the prevalent Zotus pairs in networks were performed on agar plates and in broth. Results suggested that positively associated Zotu pairs in the co-occurrence network implied complicated relations including neutralism, competition, and mutualism, depending on bacterial isolate combination and cultivation time.
Air circulation study inside and outside of urban bus induced by the opening of windows.
Authors: Corzo Santiago Francisco , Godino Dario Martin , Ramajo Damian Enrique
Published: June 2022

In this work the external and internal airflow analysis in an urban bus is carried out through computational fluid dynamics. The research addresses the study of the internal flow to estimate the air change rate caused by the opening of windows. Two cases are considered: fully opening and partially opening the windows, and three bus speeds of 20, 40 and 60 km/h are assessed. The quantification of the air flow rate through the windows clearly displays that air enters through the rear windows and exits the bus through the front windows. This effect is explained by the pressure distribution in the outer of the bus, which causes the suction of the indoor air. At low bus speed, the incoming air flow rate increases linearly with the speed, but the improvement is lower for high speeds. The theoretical air change time at 20 km/h is around 25.7 s, which is 9 times lower than the expected by using HVAC systems. On the other hand, the estimation of the real air renewal time by solving a concentration shows that 40 s are needed to exchange 85% of the internal air of the bus. Results are conclusive to recommend the circulation with fully or partial windows opening configurations in order to reduce the risk of airborne disease transmission.
Choice of antibody is critical for specific and sensitive detection of androgen receptor splice variant-7 in circulating tumor cells
Authors: Khan Tanzila , Lock John , Ma Yafeng , Harman David , Souza Paul , Chua Wei , Balakrishnar Bavanthi , Scott Kieran F. , Becker Therese M.
Published: June 2022

Background
Androgen receptor variant 7 (AR-V7) is an important biomarker to guide treatment options for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients. Its detectability in circulating tumour cells (CTCs) opens non-invasive diagnostic avenues. While detectable at the transcript level, AR-V7 protein detection in CTCs may add additional information and clinical relevance.
Aims
The aim of this study was to compare commercially available anti-AR-V7 antibodies and establish reliable AR-V7 immunocytostaining applicable to CTCs from prostate cancer (PCa) patients.
Methods
We compared seven AR-V7 antibodies by western blotting and immmunocytostaining using a set of PCa cell lines with known AR/AR-V7 status. The emerging best antibody was validated for detection of CRPC patient CTCs enriched by negative depletion of leucocytes.
Results
The anti-AR-V7 antibody, clone E308L emerged as the best antibody in regard to signal to noise ratio with a specific nuclear signal. Moreover, this antibody detects CRPC CTCs more efficiently compared to an antibody previously shown to detect AR-V7 CTCs.
Conclusion
We have determined the best antibody for AR-V7 detection of CTCs, which will open future studies to correlate AR-V7 subcellular localisation and potential co-localisation with other proteins and cellular structures to patient outcomes.
Comprehensive analysis of waterlogging control and carbon emission reduction for optimal LID layout
Authors: Su Jinghui , Li Jiake , Gao Xujun , Yao Yutong , Jiang Chunbo
Published: June 2022

Under the background of global climate change, flooding is causing devastating impacts on the balance of the regional water resources system. The campuses are typical built-up areas with high building density and are also disturbed by waterlogging. How to transform the campus rainwater system into sponge city reconstruction is the key problem to be solved. Based on the MIKE FLOOD platform, the urban waterlogging model is established, the causes of waterlogging are analyzed in this study. Low impact development (LID) measures are added according to the current situation. The carbon emission reduction capacity and economic benefit of each scenario are calculated and evaluated. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to comprehensively evaluate the LID combination scenario to further explore a reasonable solution to mitigate urban waterlogging. The results show that the current rainwater pipe network built has a small pressure load on the campus, which cannot well respond to heavy rainfall conditions, resulting in a high risk of waterlogging in the campus. After setting up LID measures, the runoff control rate can be increased by 26.15-42.84%, and the waterlogging area above 15cm can be reduced by 72.87-100%. If the energy conservation and emission reduction benefits and costs are considered at the same time, the layout scenario of 9% bioretention facility +3% green roof+3% permeable pavement can achieve the best benefits. The research can provide a reference for planning and reconstruction of ‘sponge campus’ and old residential areas.
Modification of Existing PAPR Reduction Techniques to Improve PAPR Performance of the System using CCDF
Authors: Dhiman Harsh , Madhu Charu , Kaur Daljeet , Kumar Vijay
Published: June 2022

OFDM is a multicarrier modulation technology utilized in various wireless communication systems and standards for its high data rate, high spectral coherence, and tolerance to multi-path fading channels. However, one of the most significant barriers in implementing an OFDM system is decreasing the peak-to-average ratio (PAPR). High PAPR is generated by significant envelope variations in the OFDM signal, which mandates the use of an extremely linear power amplifier. Power amplifiers with a large linear range are massive, costly, and difficult to manufacture. As a result, a plethora of PAPR reduction techniques for OFDM signals has been proposed in the literature. The subcarriers of an OFDM system are narrowband and need precise frequency synchronization between the sending and receiving ends. The primary focus of this research is on PAPR reduction in OFDM systems employing partial transmit sequence (PTS) and selected mapping approaches (SLM).
Genetic dissection of the leaf shape in super hybrid rice Xieyou9308 RILs by genome-wide association study
Authors: Lian Wangmin , Zhao Haihan , Zhan Xiaodeng , Cheng Shihua , Lou Xiangyang , Cao Liyong , Hong Yongbo
Published: June 2022

Leaf shape is an important factor of plant architecture and the primary contributor to photosynthesis in cereal crops. However, the genetic and molecular mechanism underlying flag leaf phenotypes remains largely unknown. In this research, 139 RILs derived from hybrid rice Xieyou9308, the parents of which are genetically different in leaf phenotype, were used to identify genetic variants for flag leaf length (FLL), width (FLW), and rolling rate (FLR) with high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping data. GWAS was carried out using 262,224 SNPs by modeling them as a quantitative phenotype. In the analysis implemented with QTXNetwork, 21 significant SNPs were observed (8 SNPs for FLL, 5 SNPs for FLW, 8 SNPs for FLR) with accumulated explanatory heritability ranging from 53.29–89.25%. Furthermore, 16 significant associated peaks (2 SNPs for FLL, 11 SNPs for FLW, 3 SNPs for FLR) were detected by EMMAX with explanatory effects ranging from − 8.138 to 37.15. To further validate our findings, relative expression analysis was conducted for 13 candidate genes and 6 known marker genes, revealing that 18 genes are differentially expressed in parents. Among them, the expression level of LOC_Os03g52510 is over 11,000 times in ZH9308 than that in XB, which may positively regulate FLL; the expression level of LOC_Os12g39000 is lower in ZH9308 than that in XB, which is potentially regulating FLW. LOC_Os03g52470, LOC_Os08g29809, and LOC_Os03g21660 had extremely differential expressions in parents. So far, these three genes have not been reported to regulate leaf morphology, indicating that they may be novel genes that regulate FLL, FLW, and FLR. These results may lay a theoretical basis and provide genetic resources for ideal plant architecture breeding in rice.
A Heuristic Deep Feature System for Energy Management in Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Naveena Ambidi , Lakshmi Meeniga Vijaya
Published: June 2022

The technology Wireless-Sensor-Network (WSN) has been employed in all digital applications for several purposes like sensing, storing, and sharing information. However, managing energy consumption is a more critical task because of the movable environment. So, the present research article aims to develop a novel Deep Belief Energy Management Framework (BDBEMF) for the WSN application. Initially, the required number of sensor nodes was created then a book BDBEMF was designed to monitor the high consumption nodes. In addition, the Low-energy adaptive-clustering-hierarchy (LEACH) protocol has been considered to make the communication process. Consequently, the cluster head has been selected based on less energy utilization and high-density hubs. The data rate of each node has been measured, and the high leaded data has been shared to work fewer nodes to balance the energy. Finally, the amount of alive and dead nodes was validated with few communication metrics. The presented model has gained the maximum throughput and less energy consumption and throughput.
Poor Mental Health Days as a Risk Factor for Decreased Oral Healthcare Utilization and Poorer Oral Health Outcomes
Authors: Abdellatif Hoda
Published: June 2022

Objectives
To test the hypothesis that among individuals in the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) cross-sectional anonymous health survey in the United States (US), after controlling for confounding, an increasing number of poor mental health (MH) days in the past month is associated with decreases in oral health (OH) care utilization and poorer OH outcomes.
Material and Methods
Adjusted logistic regression models were developed with poor MH days as the exposure to predict two dependent variables (DVs): Most recent dental visit longer than one year ago (yes/no), and having lost 6 or more teeth (yes/no).
Results
Approximately one third (32%) reported most recent dental visit more than one year ago, and 17% had lost 6 or more teeth. Those in the second quartile of poor MH days had 11% higher odds of delayed dental visit, and those in the highest quartile had 26% higher odds, compared to the reference group. For having lost 6 or more teeth, compared to the reference group, those in the third quartile had 8% higher odds and those in the fourth quartile had 18% higher odds.
Conclusions
Poor MH days is an independent predictor of poor OH utilization and OH in the US above and beyond diagnosed mental and physical conditions.
Clinical Relevance:
Policymakers in the US should expand health insurance plans to include dental insurance, and should increase access to MH care, especially for the aging population, and those with chronic conditions.
Deciphering colonies of phenotypic switching-derived morphotypes of the pathogenic yeast Candida tropicalis
Authors: Souza Cassia Milena , Moralez Alane Tatiana , Santos Murilo Moreira , Mantovani Mario Sergio , Furlaneto-Maia Luciana , Furlaneto Marcia Cristina
Published: June 2022

Background Phenotypic switching generates fungal colonies with altered morphology and allows pathogens to adapt to changing environments. Objective This study investigated the structure of switched colonies in Candida tropicalis. Methods The switched variant strains (crepe and rough) were analyzed for colony morphology at the ultrastructural level-SEM. The distribution and composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) were evaluated. The percentage of hyphae was determined by direct counting using light microscopy. The gene expression for these responses was measured by RT-qPCR. Results The macromorphology of the switched variants exhibited high complexity, showing depressions, irregular edges, and a greater amount of ECM than the original strain. In addition, rough variant colonies showed higher amounts of total carbohydrates and proteins in ECM (p<0.05). We also observed a positive correlation between BCR1 (Biofilm cell regulator) gene expression and carbohydrate content in the rough variant (Pearson Correlation r²=0.9885, p=0.0483). Structured colonies exhibited a higher percentage of hyphae throughout their development (p<0.05). EFG1 (Enhanced filamentous growth protein 1) and WOR1 (White-opaque regulator 1) gene expression were positively correlated to the hyphae formation profile of the structured and unstructured (original strain) patterns (r²>0.7673, p<0.05). Conclusion Structural variations in switched morphotypes colonies of C. tropicalis are associated with increased hyphae growth and distinction in composition and distribution of ECM. Switched phenotypes exhibit features that may contribute to the success of infection associated with C. tropicalis.
Prediction of dry matter intake and gross feed efficiency using milk production and live weight in first-parity Holstein cows
Authors: Madilindi Matome Andrias , Banga Cuthbert Baldwin , Zishiri Oliver Tendai
Published: June 2022

Direct measurement of dry matter intake (DMI) presents a major challenge in estimating gross feed efficiency (GFE) in dairy cattle. This challenge can, however, be resolved through the prediction of DMI and GFE from easy to measure traits such as milk production (i.e. milk yield, energy-corrected milk (ECM), butterfat, protein, lactose) and live weight (LW). The main objective of this study was, therefore, to investigate the feasibility of predicting dry matter intake and gross feed efficiency for first-parity Holstein cows using milk production traits and LW. Data comprised of 30 daily measurements of DMI and milk production traits, and 25 daily LW records of a group of 100 first-parity Holstein cows, fed a total mixed ration. Gross feed efficiency was calculated as kg ECM divided by kg DMI. The initial step was to estimate correlations of milk production traits and LW with DMI and GFE, to identify the best potential predictors of DMI and GFE. Subsequently, a forward stepwise regression analysis was used to develop models to predict DMI and GFE from LW and milk production traits, followed by within-herd validations. Means for DMI, butterfat yield (BFY) and LW were 21.91 ± 2.77 kg/day, 0.95±0.14 kg/day and 572±15.58 kg/day, respectively. Mean GFE was 1.32 ± 0.22. Dry matter intake had positive correlations with milk yield (MY) (r = 0.32, p < 0.001) and LW (r = 0.76, p < 0.0001) and an antagonistic association with butterfat percent (BFP) (r = -0.55, p < 0.001). On the other hand, GFE was positively associated with MY (r = 0.36, p < 0.001), BFP (r = 0.53, p < 0.001) and BFY (r = 0.83, p < 0.0001), and negatively correlated with LW (r = -0.23, p > 0.05). Dry matter intake was predicted reliably by a model comprising of only LW and MY [R2 = 0.79; root mean squared error (RMSE) = 1.05 kg/day]. A model that included BFY, MY and LW had the highest ability to predict GFE (R2 = 0.98; RMSE = 0.05). Live weight and BFY were the main predictor traits for DMI and GFE, respectively. The best models for predicting DMI and GFE were: DMI (kg/day) = -54.21 - 0.192 x MY (kg/day) + 0.146 x LW (kg/day) and GFE (kg/day) = 4.120 + 0.024 x MY (kg/day) + 1.000 x BFY (kg/day) - 0.008 x LW (kg/day). Thus, daily DMI (kg/day) and GFE can be reliably predicted from LW and milk production traits using these developed models in first-parity Holstein cows. This presents a big promise to generate large quantities of data of individual cow DMI and GFE, which can be used to implement genetic improvement of feed efficiency.
Feasibility study of indocyanine green for visualizing malignant lesions in colitis-associated colorectal cancer patients with real-time fluorescence endoscopy
Authors: Kim Jinhyeon , Kim Hajung , Yoon Yong Sik , Kim Chan Wook , Hong Seung-Mo , Kim Sungjee , Choi Doowon , Chun Jihyun , Byeon Jeong-Sik , Ye Byong Duk , Yang Suk-Kyun , Kim Sun Young , Myung Seung-Jae
Published: June 2022

Indocyanine green (ICG) has been used in clinical practice for more than 40 years and its safety and preferential accumulation of ICG in tumors has been reported for various tumor types, including colon cancer. However, reports on the clinical assessments of ICG-based molecular endoscopy imaging for pre-cancerous lesions are scarce. Therefore, we determined the percent visualization ability of ICG endoscopy in colitis-associated colon cancer using 30 lesions from an animal model and 16 patient tissues. ICG could detect 100% of carcinoma, 90% adenoma, and 57.1% dysplasia, with little background signal at 30 min after injection via real-time fluorescence endoscopy. Correlation analysis of ICG fluorescence intensity and cancer specific molecules revealed a positive correlation of ICG with c-Met and iNOS (r > 0.5). A high level of iNOS expression increased the cellular nitric oxide in cancer cells than that in normal cells, which was related to the inhibition of drug efflux via ABCB1 transporter down regulation resulted to delayed retention of intracellular ICG. These findings highlight the feasibility of ICG as a detector of pre-cancerous lesions in real-time fluorescence endoscopy and suggest that the mechanism of ICG retention in cancer cells is related with intracellular nitric oxide concentration.
Effects of channel contour laser strategies on fatigue properties and residual stresses of laser powder bed printed maraging steel
Authors: Grosjean Christophe , Borneat Jean-Christophe , Hauteville Robin , Lefebvre Fabien , Joffre Thomas
Published: June 2022

Laser-Powder Bed Fusion is widely used for tooling applications, such as mold insert: conformal cooling channels are designed to decrease cycling time and homogenize the cooling rate. The Achilles' heel of AM mold is the cooling channels close to the surface which generate high stress concentration and are not machined; as a result, they create weaknesses in the part and are likely to reduce the lifespan of the mold. It is necessary to study the impact of such channels on properties (fatigue, residual stresses, microstructure) and determine optimized laser strategies to reduce porosity that may occur near a contour. Residual stresses were first estimated above an internal channel after different heat treatments and fatigue specimens were printed with a 3 mm diameter channel on an EOS M270 printer using different strategies such as several contours with a concentric offset. The impact of these strategies on fatigue properties were analysed through microstructural observations. Here, it was found that a double contour with an offset improved the fatigue life of the part by more than 10 times compared to the standard single contour strategy.
Association among health promoting lifestyle, self-care agency and health-related quality of life in Bai ethnic elderly patients with hypertension in Yunnan Province
Authors: Du Mengqi , Kong Hongqian , Ran Lingyun , Ran Yuanyuan , Bai Lexiao , Du Yongxue , Guan Hongxue , Dong Yong , Zhao Ying
Published: June 2022

Background: The purpose of this research was to explore the association among health promoting lifestyle, self-care agency and health-related quality of life in Bai ethnic elderly patients with hypertension, as well as the related factors of hypertension self-care abilities. Methods: A total of 472 Bai ethnic hypertension elderly were enrolled into this study voluntarily from 5 rural communities of Bai ethnic group. The Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale (ESCAS) was to employed to assess Self-care ability of hypertension for the subjects, Health-promoting lifestyle profile Ⅱ(HPLP-Ⅱ) was utilized to evaluate the health behavior, and MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were chosen to assess the HRQOL for the studying population. All descriptive analyses, including demographic characteristics, socio-economic status and clinical characteristics were stratified by Bai hypertensive elderly. Pearson correlation analysis model was used to examine the association among health promoting lifestyle, self-care agency and health-related quality of life in Bai ethnic elderly with hypertension. Multiple linear regression analysis model was used to investigate the influencing factors of SF-36 scale. Results: The HPLP-Ⅱ, ESCA and of HRQOL levels of the subjects were not favorable, and the mean HPLP and ESCA scores had no significant statistical variance among different age groups. Significant statistical differences were found on Bai elderly subjects in the domain of PF and PH as well as the overall score in SF-36(all P＜0.01), 60-64 year group had the highest score of above three domains in SF-36 than other age groups. The SF-36 scores were positively associated with HPLP and ESCA levels. Conclusion: The HPLP-Ⅱ, ESCA and of HRQOL levels of the Bai subjects were poor in the Bai ethnic hypertensive elderly. The HRQOL scores of subjects were positively connected with HPLP-Ⅱ, ESCA abilities. More attentions should be paid to the life-style, healthy behaviors, and self-care abilities improvements to enhance the better HRQOL of Bai minority elderly with hypertension.
TIMS: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of the Impact of Brief Audio Files Describing Patients as People on the Medical Staff in an ICU During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Tracey Elizabeth , Wilson Jason , Saylor Martha Abshire , Donohue Pamela , Stakias Argirios , Garibaldi Brian , Neeham Dale
Published: June 2022

Purpose: To examine how a novel intervention known as TIMS, for “This is My Story,” impacted clinicians caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic on the medical intensive care unit (MICU) at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH). Methods: TIMS is an audio file less than two minutes long, from an interview by a chaplain with a loved one of a patient with communications limitations. From March 30, 2021 through June 30, 2021, 57 loved ones of noncommunicative patients in the MICU participated in TIMS. A questionnaire was administered to MICU staff on their experience with TIMS files pre- and post-listening. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 17 staff. Results: Two of 57 (3.5%) loved ones declined, eight (14%) transferred, 2 (3.5%) died before the file was posted, leaving 45 (79%) having a completed file posted to the electronic medical record (EMR). A total of 97 and 88 pre- and post-listening questionnaires were completed. Responses indicated that the audio recording was appropriate and useful (98%), “considerably” increased staff empathy for the patient (74%), and thought it would “some” or “considerably” improve subsequent interactions with the patient’s loved ones (99%). The qualitative analysis found staff found the audio format easy to use and helpful to their clinical practice.Conclusion: TIMS (This is My Story) audio files, featuring a loved one of a patient with communications limitations describing the patient as a person, are an important addition to the EMR, enabling clinicians to practice with greater awareness and empathy for patients and families.
Synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles through aqueous sol-gel route in acidic medium
Authors: Zahra Samreen , Bukhari Hamim , Qaisar Saboora , Sheikh Asma , Amin Athar
Published: June 2022

Background
This study is aimed to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles by acid catalyzed sol-gel process using zinc nitrate hexahydrate as precursor, aqueous isopropanol as solvent and glycerin as stabilizing agent. The optimum conditions for preparing the sol were kept at pH 1 and 70 ºC temperature with constant stirring for two hours. The gel obtained after drying the sol was calcined at various temperatures i.e. 500 ºC, 700 ºC and 900 ºC. The crystal structure of the samples was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Thermal stability was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry-thermogravimetric analysis (DSC-TGA). Infrared spectroscopy (IR) was employed to identify the surface hydroxyl groups whereas field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to study the surface morphology of nanoparticles.
Results
Results revealed the formation of hexagonal wurtzite structure of nanoparticles of size below 100 nm having flake-like morphology with a substantial increase in size of flakes with the increasing calcination temperature.
Conclusions
These results indicate that zinc oxide nanoflakes can be synthesized successfully by a simple, feasible and environment friendly process.
Analysis and comparison of anti-RBD neutralizing antibodies from AZD-1222, Sputnik V, Sinopharm and Covaxin vaccines and its relationship with age and gender among health care workers
Authors: Zare Hamed , Rezapour Hadis , Fereidouni Alireza , Nikpour Saboura , Mahmoudzadeh Sara , Royce Simon G , Fereidouni Mohammad
Published: June 2022

Background
Vaccine efficiency has a significant role in the public perception of vaccination. The current study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines (AZD-1222, Sputnik-V, Sinopharm, and Covaxin) and the effect of age and gender on vaccine efficacy. We evaluated the efficacy of these vaccine between 214 health care employees in Iran. Blood samples were taken from all participants at day 0 and 14 days after the second dose. Humoral responses were evaluated by SARS-CoV 2 Neutralization Ab Detection kit.
Results
The frequency of immunized individuals in the Sputnik V and AZD-1222 groups was 95% and 93%, respectively. This rate was 73% and 70% for Sinopharm and Covaxin vaccines. Comparison of the results obtained from the effectiveness of the vaccines between female and male groups did not demonstration a significant difference. Moreover, comparison of the results obtained from the effectiveness of vaccines between age groups showed that the rate of immunization in participants < 50 years was significantly higher than participants ≥ 50 years, in the case of Sputnik V and AZD-1222 vaccines.
Conclusions
According to the results, Sputnik V and AZD-1222 vaccines were more effective than Sinopharm and Covaxin vaccines. In addition, aging has a negative effect on the effectiveness of DNA-based vaccines.
Technical Analysis of Ikat from Xuwei No.1 Ancient Grave in Qinghai 1 Province, China
Authors: Liu Da-wei
Published: June 2022

A technical analysis of the ikat ancient grave-Xuwei No.1 excavated fabric from the Dulan site in 2018 is described in the paper. Using a microscope, the weave structure and fibre characteristics of the textile were examined, and it was determined that mulberry silk had been degummed for both the warp and weft yarns, and that warp-dying had been used to create the warp display pattern. Four colours distinguish the patterns: khaki, earth red, indigo blue, and pea green. In chromatographic testing, the dyes were determined to be Rubia tinctorum L., Phellodendron amurense Rupr., Indigo and their mixture of Phellodendron amurense Rupr and Indigo.Through the above research, combined with the burial age, geographical location and other factors, it is considered that the technology of the fabric has the characteristics of the Central Plains and comes from southern China.
Assessment of Rip Current Hazard on Caspian Sea Sandy Beach, North Iran
Authors: Javanmard Amir Mohammad , Ranjbar Payam Zanganeh , Ghabraei Ataolah , Kouhi Mostafa Darvishi
Published: June 2022

Rip currents are one of the most serious environmental concerns for beachgoers, and numerous studies have been performed to better understand the current dynamics besides assessing these threats. A broad range of rip currents have been observed on the southern beaches of the Caspian Sea, one of which is the rip current on the beach of Chunchenan village in Zibakenar tourist area. This coastline can be considered one of the most accident-prone coastal zones of Gilan province, whose coastal incidents seem to be associated with the rip currents formed there. To prove the relationship between rip currents and drowning in the study area, we divided the study into three phases: field operation, modeling and analysis of results, and statistical, social, and economic investigations. In the first phase, the bathymetric operation was performed using hand tools. In the second phase, a hydrographic map was obtained using the regional data of the wave and current model of the zone. We dealt in the third phase with the impacts and consequences of drowning by analyzing its statistics and examining its social and economic dimensions. The results demonstrated that waves often form rip currents with a height of less than 1 meter and an angle of about 45 degrees to the shoreline and they sometimes reach the speed of 0.6 meters per second. However, the dominant waves in the study area are north-east waves. According to the statistics of drownings in the three northern provinces of Iran, 174 people (143 males and 31 females) lost their lives in 2017, and 156 people (137 males and 19 females) died of drowning in 2018. The mortality rates per one million populations for the three provinces of Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan were 24.10, 29.84, and 8.03 in 2017, and 15.41, 33.19, and 4.28 in 2018, respectively. According to studies, two people die annually in the study area, which means that 2.81% of all fatal drownings on the 272.1-km beaches of Gilan province have occurred in a single small beach with an approximate length of 1 km. On the other hand, statistics indicate that the majority of maritime accident victims are young men, whose deaths not only result in social consequences such as depression and despair, but also in diminished social trust in government institutions and relevant organizations, increased feelings of insecurity, lost human resources for the country, and squandered expenditures on their growth and education. This makes it more difficult for the country to implement its programs and accomplish its objectives.
Breeding of new strains of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis with high agar content by ARTP mutagenesis and high osmotic pressure screening
Authors: Xiao Baoheng , Hu Yiyi , Feng Xiaoqing , Sui Zhenghong
Published: June 2022

ARTP (atmospheric and room temperature plasma mutagenesis) mutagenesis was tried on G·lemaneiformis, and mutagenesis conditions were confirmed. An osmotic pressure screening program was established. Mutants were identified and characterized of relevant physiological traits. The aim of the study is to try to use ARTP mutagenesis and osmotic pressure screening for the breeding of high agar G·lemaneiformis. Treatment time of 46S was found to be optimal mutagenesis time and used in subsequent experiment. The mutagenized spores were initially screened with 58‰ artificial seawater, and then the surviving spores were screened twice with 60‰ artificial seawater in their vertical growth phase and branch growth phase respectively. Four fast-growing and hypertonic resistance gametophytes were selected. The actual photosynthetic efficiency (Y(PSII)), photochemical quenching (QL), and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ and QN) of four mutants were measured. Both Y(PSII) and QL of the mutant were significantly higher than Ctr. When subjected to salinity stress, the values of Y(PSII) and QL of X3 and X5 were higher than those of Ctr in the early stage of salt stress, which indicated that mutants X3 and X5 can more effectively protect the photosynthetic active reaction center PSII and improve the photochemical quenching in the early stage of salt stress. NPQ and QN of X3 and X5 were higher than Ctr in most of the times, which indicated that the photoprotection system of mutants X3 and X5 was more effective than Ctr. The growth rate of the four mutants was higher than that of the control. X4 was the highest. The agar content was measured, X5 displayed the highest agar content among the tested strains. X5 was more in line with expectations, because of its high agar content and good hypertonic resistance. In this study, the mutant of G·lemaneiformis with high agar content was obtained by the procedure, which provided a certain reference for the selection of high agar content in G·lemaneiformis breeding.
Blood tPA of liver origin contributes to neurovascular coupling involving brain endothelial NMDA receptors
Authors: Yetim Mervé , Furon Jonathane , Lizarrondo Sara Martinez , Pouettre Esla , Maubert Eric , Hommet Yannick , Lebouvier Laurent , Zheng Ze , Ali Carine , Vivien Denis
Published: June 2022

Regulation of the cerebral blood flow (CBF) involves complex mechanisms with direct influences on brain functions and dysfunctions. Among these mechanisms it was proposed that the serine protease tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) could play a role in the control of neurovascular coupling (NVC) induced by whiskers stimulation in rodents through its action on N-methyl-D-Aspartate receptors (NMDARs). In the present study, using tPANull mice, conditional deletions of either endothelial tPA (VECad-CreΔtPA) or endothelial NMDARs GluN1 subunit (VECad-CreΔGluN1), parabioses between wild-type and tPANull mice, hydrodynamic transfections-induced deletion of liver tPA, hepatectomy and pharmacological approaches in mice, we have unveiled this mechanism in detail. We thus demonstrate that physiological concentrations of vascular tPA, produced and released by the liver endothelial cells in a bradykinin type 2 receptors-dependent manner, promotes NVC, by a mechanism dependent of brain endothelial NMDA receptors. These data highlight a new mechanism of the regulation of NVC involving both endothelial tPA and NMDA receptors.
Neoadjuvant Docetaxel and Capecitabine (TX) versus Docetaxel and Epirubicin (TE) for Locally Advanced or Early HER2-Negative Breast Cancer: An Open-Label, Randomized, Multi-Center, Phase II Trial
Authors: Yang Houpu , Xu Ling , Guan Shan , Hao Xiaopeng , Ge Zhicheng , Tong Fuzhong , Cao Yingming , Liu Peng , Zhou Bo , Cheng Lin , Liu Miao , Liu Hongjun , Xie Fei , Wang Siyuan , Peng Yuan , Wang Chaobin , Wang Shu
Published: June 2022

PurposeThe Combination of taxanes and anthracyclines is still the mainstay of chemotherapy for early breast cancer. Capecitabine is an active drug with a favorable toxicity profile, showing strong anti-tumor activity against metastatic breast cancer. This trial assessed the efficacy and safety of the TX regimen (docetaxel and capecitabine) and compared it with the TE (docetaxel and epirubicin) regimen in locally advanced or high risk early HER2-negative breast cancer.Patients and MethodsThis randomized clinical trial was conducted at five academic centers in China. Eligible female patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to the TX (docetaxel 75mg/m2 d1 plus capecitabine 1000mg/m2 twice d1–14, q3w) or TE (docetaxel 75mg/m2 d1 plus epirubicin 75mg/m2 d1, q3w) groups for four cycles. The primary endpoint was a pathological complete response in the breast (pCR). Secondary endpoints included pCR in the breast and axilla, invasive disease-free survival (iDFS), overall survival (OS), and safety.ResultsBetween September 1, 2012, and December 31, 2018, 113 HER2-negative patients were randomly assigned to the study groups (TX: n = 54; TE: n = 59). In the primary endpoint analysis, 14 patients in the TX group achieved a pCR, and nine patients in the TE group achieved a pCR (25.9% vs. 15.3%), with a not significant difference of 10.6% (95% CI -6.0–27.3%; p = 0.241). In a subgroup with high Ki-67 score, TX increased the pCR rate by 24.2% (95% CI 2.2–46.1%; p = 0.029). At the end of the 69-month median follow-up period, both groups had equivalent invasive disease-free survival and overall survival rates. TX was associated with a higher incidence of hand-foot syndrome and less alopecia, with a manageable toxicity profile.ConclusionThe anthracycline-free TX regimen yielded comparable pCR and long-term survival rates to the TE regimen. Thus, this anthracycline-free regimen could be considered in selected patients.Trial RegistrationACTRN12613000206729 on 16/02/2013, retrospectively registered.
Threatening the 5G Core via PFCP DoS Attacks: The Case of Blocking UAV Communications
Authors: Amponis George , Radoglou-Grammatikis Panagiotis , Lagkas Thomas , Mallouli Wissam , Cavalli Ana , Klonidis Dimitrios , Markakis Evangelos , Sarigiannidis Panagiotis
Published: June 2022

The modern communications landscape requires reliable, high-speed, high- throughput and secure links and sessions between user equipment instances and the data network. The 5G core implements the newly defined 3GPP network ar- chitecture enabling faster connectivity, low latency, higher bit rates and network reliability. The full potential of this set of networks will support a set of critical Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial use cases. Nevertheless, several compo- nents and interfaces of the Next-Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) have proven to be vulnerable to attacks that can potentially obstruct the net- work’s capability to provide reliable end-to-end communication services. Various inherent security flaws and protocol-specific weaknesses have also been identified within the 5G core itself. However, little to no research has gone into testing and exposing said core-related weaknesses, contrary to those concerning the NG-RAN. In this paper, we investigate, describe, develop, implement and finally test a set of attacks on the Packet Forwarding Control Protocol (PFCP) inside the 5G core. We find that, by transmitting unauthorised session control packets, we were able to disrupt established 5G tunnels without disrupting subscribers’ connectivity to the NG-RAN, thus hindering the detection of said attacks. We evaluate the identi- fied PFCP attacks in a drone-based scenario involving 5G tunnelling between two swarms.
The barriers to whole-grain consumption among Iranian students
Authors: Ariya Mohammad , Esmaeilinezhad Zahra , Naghizadeh Mohammad Mehdi , Dindarloo Mohammad Mehdi , karimi Farzaneh , kaveh Fatemeh , Marzban Sahar , hormozi Kimia , Barati-Boldaji Reza
Published: June 2022

Studies show that regularly consuming whole grains reduce the risk of obesity and a wide range of chronic diseases. Despite this, studies reveal that students are consuming fewer whole grains. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the barriers to the consumption of whole grains among Iranian students. This cross-sectional study examined students at Fasa, Iran in 2020–2021. The online questionnaires were completed by students after receiving informed consent. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26 and Chi-square, t-test, and logistic regression (P > 0.05). The current study involved 1890 students (1287 (68.1%) girls and 603 (31.9%) boys). Despite the preference for white flour bread among 53.8% of all students, 77.4% ate other whole-grain products, and 75.2% consumed all products at least once a week. Additionally, barriers such as access issues (70.5%), family supply issues (91.8%), lack appeal (72.8%), non-consumption by classmates (96.2%), and high prices in recent years (43.9%) were identified as obstacles to whole grain consumption. Furthermore, white bread eating students had significantly lower appetite levels and tended to eat fast food more often than those who ate whole grains (P < 0.05). We found that slightly more than half of the participants preferred to eat bread prepared with refined flour. Several other factors, including lack of access, lack of attractiveness, product price, parents not purchasing whole-grain products, students not paying attention to nutrition labels, peers’ effect, and eating with friends instead of family, also contribute to students avoiding whole-grain products.