bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Analyzing SNOW and ZUC Security Algorithms Using NIST SP 800-22 and Enhancing their Randomness
Authors: Hassan Abdelwahab Zakaria , Elgarf Talaat A. , Zekry Abdelhalim 
Published: April 2021

Confidentiality and Integrity algorithms are based on SNOW / ZUC stream cipher algorithms. These standardized algorithms are designed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for advanced mobile communication systems (4G-LTE Advanced, LTE Advanced Pro, and 5G-Next Generation). In this paper, twenty configurations of SNOW/ZUC algorithms are studied and analyzed to select the one with the best randomness properties. Each configuration has two different S-boxes in the Finite State Machine (FSM) layer of the SNOW algorithm and Nonlinear Function (NLF) layer of the ZUC algorithm. The two S-boxes are selected from the best five S-boxes published in kinds of literature (Rijndael, Dickson, Feistel structure, New Rijndael, and Improved New Rijndael S-boxes). The NIST SP 800-22 statistical test suite involves 15 tests that are used to assess the randomness properties of each configuration. A complete simulation of each configuration SNOW/ZUC with two different S-boxes is applied using C- language. Test results showed that the best pair arrangement of S-boxes in the SNOW algorithm is the configuration (Feistel structure - Rijndael S-boxes) although the standard configuration by 3GPP is (Rijndael - Dickson S-boxes). Also, the best configuration in the ZUC algorithm is (New Rijndael - Rijndael S-boxes) although the standard configuration by 3GPP is (Feistel structure - New Rijndael S-boxes). The best configurations passed all the NIST SP 800-22 suite randomness tests successfully.
Temperature sensing utilizing unclad plastic optical fiber with a balloon-like bent structure
Authors: Sulaiman Nazrah Ilyana , Ngajikin Nor Hafizah , Che Abd Rashid Nurfatihah , Yaacob Afiqah , Yaacob Maslina , Ibrahim Mohd Haniff , Cholan Noran Azizan 
Published: April 2021

A plastic optical fiber (POF) temperature sensor with high sensitivity is experimentally demonstrated in this work. The temperature sensor is realized by a combination of macrobending and an unclad region in the fabrication of its sensor head. The POF sensor is bent into a balloon-like structure in order to introduce the effect of macrobending. For the optimization of the sensor performance, the bending radius of the balloon-like structure is varied. Experimental results suggest that the performance is optimized when the bending radius is fixed at 55 mm. With this amount of bending radius, temperature sensitivity of up to

22.2

×

1

0

−
3

∘

C

−
1

can be achieved in the range from 40°C to 80°C, with linearity of 0.99 and resolution of 0.45°C. This technique is found to improve the POF temperature sensitivity in comparison to previous developments.
Electro-optically tunable microring laser monolithically integrated on lithium niobate on insulator
Authors: Yin DiFeng , Zhou Yuan , Liu Zhaoxiang , Wang Zhe , Zhang Haisu , Fang Zhiwei , Chu Wei , Wu Rongbo , Zhang Jianhao , Chen Wei , Wang Min , Cheng Ya 
Published: April 2021

We demonstrate monolithic integration of an electro-optically (EO) tunable microring laser on lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) platform. The device is fabricated by photolithography assisted chemo-mechanical etching, and the pump laser is evanescently coupled into the erbium (

E

r

3
+

)-doped lithium niobate (LN) microring laser using an undoped LN waveguide mounted above the microring. The quality factor of the LN microring resonator is measured as high as

1.54

×

1

0

5

at the wavelength of 1542 nm. Lasing action can be observed at a pump power threshold below 3.5 mW using a 980 nm continuous-wave pump laser. Finally, tuning of the laser wavelength is achieved by varying the electric voltage on the microelectrodes fabricated in the vicinity of a microring waveguide, showing an EO coefficient of 0.33 pm/V.
Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology and ultrasound examination of thyroid nodules in the UAE: A comparison
Authors: Al-Salam Suhail , Sharma Charu , Abu Sa’a Maysam T. , Afandi Bachar , Aldahmani Khaled M. , Al Dhaheri Alia , Yahya Hayat , Al Naqbi Duha , Al Zuraiqi Esraa , Mohamed Baraa Kamal , Almansoori Shamsa Ahmed , Al Zaabi Meera , Al Derei Aysha , Al Shamsi Amal , Kaabi Juma Al 
Published: April 2021

Background
Thyroid nodules are a common clinical finding and most are benign, however, 5–15% can be malignant. There is limited regional data describing the accuracy of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytological examination compared to ultrasound examination of thyroid in patients who have undergone thyroid surgery.

Methods
A retrospective analysis of ultrasonographic (US) reports, FNA cytology reports and histopathology reports of 161 thyroid nodules presented at the endocrine center at Tawam hospital in Al Ain city, the United Arab Emirates during the period 2011–2019 was performed. US reports and images with FNA cytopathology reports and slides were reviewed by an independent radiologist and pathologist.

Results
In total, 40 nodules were reported as benign by US examination, while very low suspicious, low suspicious, intermediate suspicious and highly suspicious categories were reported in 21, 41, 14 and 45 nodules respectively. In addition, 68 nodules were reported as benign (Bethesda category II), while atypical follicular cells of unknown significance (Bethesda category III), follicular neoplasm (Bethesda category IV), suspicious for malignancy (Bethesda category V), and malignant (Bethesda category VI) categories were reported in 33, 9, 24 and 27 nodules respectively. The risk of malignancy for US benign nodules was 5%, while the risks of malignancy in very low suspicious, low suspicious, intermediate suspicious and highly suspicious nodules were 52%, 36%, 100% and 87%, respectively. The risk of malignancy for Bethesda category II was 3%, while the risks of malignancy in category III, IV, V and VI were 58%, 67%, 96% and 100%, respectively.

Conclusion
Thyroid FNA cytological examination and ultrasonography are key tools in predicting malignancy in thyroid nodules. Thyroid nodules with the diagnosis of Bethesda category III & IV run a high risk of malignancy thus more vigilance is required.
The pulmonary mycobiome—A study of subjects with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Martinsen Einar M. H. , Eagan Tomas M. L. , Leiten Elise O. , Haaland Ingvild , Husebø Gunnar R. , Knudsen Kristel S. , Drengenes Christine , Sanseverino Walter , Paytuví-Gallart Andreu , Nielsen Rune 
Published: April 2021

Background
The fungal part of the pulmonary microbiome (mycobiome) is understudied. We report the composition of the oral and pulmonary mycobiome in participants with COPD compared to controls in a large-scale single-centre bronchoscopy study (MicroCOPD).

Methods
Oral wash and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was collected from 93 participants with COPD and 100 controls. Fungal DNA was extracted before sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region of the fungal ribosomal RNA gene cluster. Taxonomic barplots were generated, and we compared taxonomic composition, Shannon index, and beta diversity between study groups, and by use of inhaled steroids.

Results
The oral and pulmonary mycobiomes from controls and participants with COPD were dominated by Candida, and there were more Candida in oral samples compared to BAL for both study groups. Malassezia and Sarocladium were also frequently found in pulmonary samples. No consistent differences were found between study groups in terms of differential abundance/distribution. Alpha and beta diversity did not differ between study groups in pulmonary samples, but beta diversity varied with sample type. The mycobiomes did not seem to be affected by use of inhaled steroids.

Conclusion
Oral and pulmonary samples differed in taxonomic composition and diversity, possibly indicating the existence of a pulmonary mycobiome.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) induced disruption of intestinal epithelial tight junction barrier is mediated by NF-κB activation
Authors: Al-Sadi Rana , Engers Jessica , Haque Mohammad , King Steven , Al-Omari Deemah , Ma Thomas Y. 
Published: April 2021

Background
Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been shown to play a key role in mediating inflammation and tissue damage in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In patients with IBD, the intestinal tight junction (TJ) barrier is compromised as characterized by an increase in intestinal permeability. MMP-9 is elevated in intestinal tissue, serum and stool of patients with IBD. Previous studies from our laboratory showed that MMP-9 causes an increase in intestinal epithelial TJ permeability and that the MMP-9 induced increase in intestinal permeability is an important pathogenic factor contributing to the development of intestinal inflammation in IBD. However, the intracellular mechanisms that mediate the MMP-9 modulation of intestinal barrier function remain unclear.

Aims
The main aim of this study was to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in MMP-9 induced increase in intestinal epithelial TJ permeability using Caco-2 monolayers as an in-vitro model system.

Results
MMP-9 induced increase in Caco-2 TJ permeability was associated with activation and cytoplasmic-to-nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65. Knocking-down NF-κB p65 by siRNA transfection prevented the MMP-9 induced expression of the NF-κB target gene IL-8, myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) protein expression, and subsequently prevented the increase in Caco-2 TJ permeability. In addition, the effect of MMP-9 on Caco-2 intestinal epithelial TJ barrier function was not mediated by apoptosis or necrosis.

Conclusion
Our data show that the MMP-9 induced disruption of Caco-2 intestinal epithelial TJ barrier function is regulated by NF-κB pathway activation of MLCK.
Partisanship, health behavior, and policy attitudes in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Gadarian Shana Kushner , Goodman Sara Wallace , Pepinsky Thomas B. 
Published: April 2021

Objective
To study the U.S. public’s health behaviors, attitudes, and policy opinions about COVID-19 in the earliest weeks of the national health crisis (March 20–23, 2020).

Method
We designed and fielded an original representative survey of 3,000 American adults between March 20–23, 2020 to collect data on a battery of 38 health-related behaviors, government policy preferences on COVID-19 response and worries about the pandemic. We test for partisan differences COVID-19 related policy attitudes and behaviors, measured in three different ways: party affiliation, intended 2020 Presidential vote, and self-placed ideological positioning. Our multivariate approach adjusts for a wide range of individual demographic and geographic characteristics that might confound the relationship between partisanship and health behaviors, attitudes, and preferences.

Results
We find that partisanship—measured as party identification, support for President Trump, or left-right ideological positioning—explains differences in Americans across a wide range of health behaviors and policy preferences. We find no consistent evidence that controlling for individual news consumption, the local policy environment, and local pandemic-related deaths erases the observed partisan differences in health behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes. In further analyses, we use a LASSO regression approach to select predictors, and find that a partisanship indicator is the most commonly selected predictor across the 38 dependent variables that we study.

Conclusion
Our analysis of individual self-reported behavior, attitudes, and policy preferences in response to COVID-19 reveals that partisanship played a central role in shaping individual responses in the earliest months of the COVID-19 pandemic. These results indicate that partisan differences in responding to a national public health emergency were entrenched from the earliest days of the pandemic.
Open vertebroplasty for cervical spine aggressive hemangioma
Authors: Arsenievich V. B. , Likhachev S. V. , Zaretskov V. V. , Ostrovskij V. V. , Bazhanov S. P. , Mizyurov S. A. , Stepukhovich S. V. 
Published: April 2021

Objective.To analyze results of open vertebroplasty for aggressive hemangioma of the cervical spine.Material and Methods. Surgical treatment was performed in 12 patients with aggressive hemangioma of the cervical spine. Vertebroplasty was performed through an open anterolateral approach under the control of an image intensifier.Results. Pain intensity was 7.0 ± 1.0 on VAS before surgery and 1.8 ± 1.2 immediately after surgery. Neck disability index (NDI) was 17.5 ± 6.5 before surgery and 4.3 ± 1.7 after surgery. One month after surgery VAS and NDI scores were 0. There were no complications in the postoperative period. A control study visualized from 82 % to 98 % completeness of filling the bone defect with polymethyl methacrylate. Bone composite migration outside the vertebral body was not detected in any of the operated patients. Control images taken 6 and 12 months after surgical treatment did not reveal continued tumor growth and signs of any osteonecrotic processes in bone tissue as a response to PMMA bone cement in any case.Conclusion. Despite the widespread and rather long period of using vertebroplasty, the issues of the choice of approaches when performing it on the cervical spine are still debatable. In order to reduce the risk of iatrogenic complications in cervical vertebroplasty, the open approach can be used which increases the treatment effectiveness.
There’s a Double Tongue in Cheek: On the Un(Translatability) of Shakespeare’s Bawdy Puns into Romanian
Authors: Martin Anca-Simina 
Published: April 2021

AbstractThe translatability of William Shakespeare’s titillating puns has been a topic of recurrent debate in the field of translation studies, with some scholars arguing that they are untranslatable and others maintaining that such an endeavour implies a divorce from formal equivalence. Romanian translators have not troubled themselves with settling this dispute, focusing instead on recreating them as bawdily and punningly as possible in their first language. At least, this is the conclusion to which George Volceanov has come after analysing a sample of Shakespearean ribald puns and their Romanian equivalents. By drawing parallels between such instances of the Bard’s rhetoric and three of their Romanian translations, my article aims to reinforce the view according to which Romanian translators have succeeded, by and large, in translating Shakespeare’s bawdy puns into their mother tongue.
A novel signal to image transformation and feature level fusion for multimodal emotion recognition
Authors: Hatipoglu Yilmaz Bahar , Kose Cemal 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Emotion is one of the most complex and difficult expression to be predicted. Nowadays, many recognition systems that use classification methods have focused on different types of emotion recognition problems. In this paper, we aimed to propose a multimodal fusion method between electroencephalography (EEG) and electrooculography (EOG) signals for emotion recognition. Therefore, before the feature extraction stage, we applied different angle-amplitude transformations to EEG–EOG signals. These transformations take arbitrary time domain signals and convert them two-dimensional images named as Angle-Amplitude Graph (AAG). Then, we extracted image-based features using a scale invariant feature transform method, fused these features originates basically from EEG–EOG and lastly classified with support vector machines. To verify the validity of these proposed methods, we performed experiments on the multimodal DEAP dataset which is a benchmark dataset widely used for emotion analysis with physiological signals. In the experiments, we applied the proposed emotion recognition procedures on the arousal-valence dimensions. We achieved (91.53%) accuracy for the arousal space and (90.31%) for the valence space after fusion. Experimental results showed that the combination of AAG image features belonging to EEG–EOG signals in the baseline angle amplitude transformation approaches enhanced the classification performance on the DEAP dataset.
Lumipulse G SARS-CoV-2 Ag assay evaluation using clinical samples from different testing groups
Authors: Menchinelli Giulia , Bordi Licia , Liotti Flora Marzia , Palucci Ivana , Capobianchi Maria Rosaria , Sberna Giuseppe , Lalle Eleonora , Romano Lucio , De Angelis Giulia , Marchetti Simona , Sanguinetti Maurizio , Cattani Paola , Posteraro Brunella 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Objectives
Compared to RT-PCR, lower performance of antigen detection assays, including the Lumipulse G SARS-CoV-2 Ag assay, may depend on specific testing scenarios.

Methods
We tested 594 nasopharyngeal swab samples from individuals with COVID-19 (RT-PCR cycle threshold [Ct] values ≤ 40) or non-COVID-19 (Ct values >40) diagnoses. RT-PCR positive samples were assigned to diagnostic, screening, or monitoring groups of testing.

Results
With a limit of detection of 1.2 × 104 SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies/mL, Lumipulse showed positive percent agreement (PPA) of 79.9% (155/194) and negative percent agreement of 99.3% (397/400), whereas PPAs were 100% for samples with Ct values of <18 or 18–<25 and 92.5% for samples with Ct values of 25–<30. By three groups, Lumipulse showed PPA of 87.0% (60/69), 81.1% (43/53), or 72.2% (52/72), respectively, whereas PPA was 100% for samples with Ct values of <18 or 18–<25, and was 94.4, 80.0, or 100% for samples with Ct values of 25–<30, respectively. Additional testing of RT-PCR positive samples for SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNA showed that, by three groups, PPA was 63.8% (44/69), 62.3% (33/53), or 33.3% (24/72), respectively. PPAs dropped to 55.6, 20.0, or 41.7% for samples with Ct values of 25–<30, respectively. All 101 samples with a subgenomic RNA positive result had a Lumipulse assay’s antigen positive result, whereas only 54 (58.1%) of remaining 93 samples had a Lumipulse assay’s antigen positive result.

Conclusions
Lumipulse assay was highly sensitive in samples with low RT-PCR Ct values, implying repeated testing to reduce consequences of false-negative results.
Pituitary hypoplasia is the best MRI predictor of the severity and type of growth hormone deficiency in children with congenital growth hormone deficiency
Authors: Sharma Himanshu , Purwar Naincy , Kumar Anshul , Sahlot Rahul , Garg Umesh , Sharma Balram , Mathur Sandeep Kumar 
Published: April 2021

Abstract

Objectives
Congenital idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is associated with various MRI abnormalities, including sellar and extrasellar abnormalities. However, it remains contentious whether MRI brain findings could provide an additional avenue for precisely predicting the differentiation of GHD based on severity and type {isolated GHD or multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies (MPHD)}. This study aimed to ascertain the abnormality that is the best predictor of severity and type of GHD amongst the different MRI findings.

Methods
We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study, including 100 subjects diagnosed with idiopathic GHD. Patients were grouped into severe GHD, partial GHD, and MPHD and into groups based on the presence of pituitary hypoplasia, extrasellar brain abnormalities (EBA), and presence of ectopic posterior pituitary or pituitary stalk abnormalities (EPP/PSA) or both.

Results
Sixty six percentage of subjects had isolated GHD, 34% had MPHD, 71% had severe GHD, and 29% had partial GHD. Pituitary hypoplasia was the most common finding, observed in 53% of patients, while 23% had EBA, and 25% had EPP/PSA. Pituitary hypoplasia was observed to be the best predictor of severity of GHD with an odds ratio (OR) of 10.8, followed by EPP/PSA (OR=2.8), and EBA was the weakest predictor (OR=1.8). Pituitary hypoplasia was the only finding to predict MPHD (OR=9.2) significantly. On ROC analysis, a Pituitary height SDS of −2.03 had the best detection threshold for both severe GHD and MPHD.

Conclusions
We observed Pituitary hypoplasia to be not only the most frequent MRI abnormality but also the best predictor of severe GHD and MPHD amongst various sellar and extrasellar abnormalities.
Organizational Resilience: How does it Fit with the Principles of a Learning Organization?
Authors: Gečienė Jolita , Raišienė Agota Giedrė , Rapuano Violeta 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
The article discusses the possibilities of the resilience of organizations in the context of a learning organization and presents the results of a survey of the leaders of regional public organizations, on the basis of which the factors of the resilience of organizations are ranked according to importance. The study results have revealed that NGOs further away from regional centres tend to focus on routine management aspects, enabling the members of the organization to communicate and collaborate effectively, meanwhile the development of the members, an essential resilience factor, was not considered as highly important.
An analytical review on the quantitative techniques for estimation of cilostazol in pharmaceutical preparations and biological samples
Authors: Afreen Afnaan , Nalini C.N. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractCilostazol (CLZ) is a quinolinone derivative possessing anti platelet and vasodilating properties and it is used in the treatment of intermittent claudication. It operates by inhibiting the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) dependent phosphodiesterase III which leads to availability of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in blood vessels and platelets owing to vasodilation and reduced calcium-induced contractions. This article illustrates the various reported quantitative methods which can be used to determine cilostazol and its metabolites either alone or in combination forms in pharmaceutical preparation or biological matrices like plasma, serum, and urine. The review covers analytical methods like ultraviolet spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, electrometric methods, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, high performance liquid chromatography, high performance thin layer chromatography, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography, and tandem mass spectroscopy from the year 1985 to 2019 with a brief explanation on every analytical method. Among the methods, it was found that most researchers opted for UV and HPLC analytical methods for the estimation of cilostazol.
Analysis of short – term heavy rains in eastern Slovakia in the period 2003 - 2018
Authors: Repel Adam , Zeleňáková Martina , Jothiprakash Vinayakam , Hlavatá Helena , Gałaś Slávka , Portela Maria Manuela 
Published: April 2021

Abstract
Short-term heavy rains are one the most important rains from a meteorological, hydrological, and also technical point of view. When designing rainwater drainage systems or rainwater management systems, the intensity of short-term rains is used as a design parameter, because of short-term rains usually reach the highest intensity. This paper is focused on analysis of short-term heavy rains occurrence in the last 15 years in 3 rainfall stations in eastern Slovakia. The data used in analysis are automatically collected 10-minute precipitation totals at rainfall stations Poprad, Kamenica nad Cirochou and Košice.