bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Subtle morpho-functional kidney changes in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients: A duplex ultrasound assessment
Authors: Alareqi Amal A. , Alshoabi Sultan Abdulwadoud , Qurashi Abdulaziz A. , Hamid Abdullgabbar M. 
Published: January 2022

Objectives: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common endocrine disease with serious effects on multiple organs including the kidneys. This study aimed to investigate the subtle effects of type 2 DM (T2DM) on the kidneys.
Methods: This was a prospective case-control study conducted in the Radiology Department of University of Science and Technology Hospital (USTH) campus, Sana’a, Republic of Yemen, from 1 January 2020 to 31 November 2020. The renal length (RL), renal width (RW), resistive index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) were prospectively measured in patients with T2DM and healthy controls. The results were compared using the independent samples t-test. Comparisons were likewise performed between patients with controlled DM and patients with uncontrolled DM.
Results: A total of hundred individuals, 50 diabetic patients and 50 controls, were enrolled in this study. Their mean age was 54 ± 7.88 years (range: 40–75 years). The RL, RI, and PI of both kidneys were significantly higher in T2DM than in the control group. Moreover, the RL, RI, PI and creatinine were slightly higher in patients with uncontrolled than in those with controlled DM.
Conclusion: T2DM has significant accentuating effects on the RL, RI and PI associated with low effective renal plasma flow, even before acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease diagnosis, which may be attenuated by careful regulation of DM. Ultrasound Doppler is a highly valuable imaging modality for evaluating the subtle effects of T2DM on kidney dimensions and blood flow. The RI can be implemented as a tool for the early diagnosis of kidney disease and contribute to slowing the disease progression and preventing renal failure.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.3.4699
How to cite this:Alareqi AA, Alshoabi SA, Qurashi AA, Hamid AM. Subtle morpho-functional kidney changes in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients: A duplex ultrasound assessment. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.3.4699
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Frequency of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) among patients presenting with Organophosphate Poisoning at National Poison Control Centre, Karachi: A prospective cross-sectional survey
Authors: Hanif Sadaf , Sattar Rukhsana Abdul 
Published: January 2022

Background and Objective: Organophosphates poisoning is among the most prevalent forms of intentional and unintentional poisoning in Pakistan. However, the actual burden of AKI secondary to organophosphate poisoning in Pakistani population is still not known. This study aimed to determine the actual burden of AKI among patients admitted at National Poison Control Centre, Karachi.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at National Poison Control Centre, Karachi November, 2013 to April, 2014. A sample of 300 patients of age 18 years and above, presenting with organophosphate poisoning within 24 of exposure or ingestion were included in the study. Frequency of acute kidney injury was calculated using the diagnostic criteria of serum creatinine level of >1.4 mg/dL. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 19.
Results: The frequency of AKI which was defined as creatinine level >1.4 mg/dL was 22.3% (n=67). However, there was no statistically significant difference was found in frequency of AKI on the basis of age, sex, amount of organophosphates ingested and BMI. This study found statistically significant differences in the AKI frequency on the basis of lag time. Those who presented earlier after poisoning had relatively low frequency of AKI.
Conclusion: This study concludes that AKI is a common complication among patients presenting with organophosphate poisoning at National Poison Control Center, Karachi. Lag time is a key determinant of AKI among patients with organophosphate poisoning. Timely treatment can prevent this critical complication among patients with organophosphate poisoning.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.3.4819
How to cite this:Hanif S, Sattar RA. Frequency of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) among patients presenting with Organophosphate Poisoning at National Poison Control Centre, Karachi: A prospective cross-sectional survey. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.3.4819
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Driving style recognition using machine learning and smartphones
Authors: bin Jamal Mohd Lokman Eilham Hakimie , Goh Vik Tor , Yap Timothy Tzen Vun , Ng Hu 
Published: January 2022

Background: The lack of real-time monitoring is one of the reasons for the lack of awareness among drivers of their dangerous driving behavior. This work aims to develop a driver profiling system where a smartphone’s built-in sensors are used alongside machine learning algorithms to classify different driving behaviors. Methods: We attempt to determine the optimal combination of smartphone sensors such as accelerometer, gyroscope, and GPS in order to develop an accurate machine learning algorithm capable of identifying different driving events (e.g. turning, accelerating, or braking). Results: In our preliminary studies, we encountered some difficulties in obtaining consistent driving events, which had the potential to add “noise” to the observations, thus reducing the accuracy of the classification. However, after some pre-processing, which included manual elimination of extraneous and erroneous events, and with the use of the Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), we have been able to distinguish different driving events with an accuracy of about 95%. Conclusions: Based on the results of preliminary studies, we have determined that proposed approach is effective in classifying different driving events, which in turn will allow us to determine driver’s driving behavior.
Analysis of the concept of informal economy through 102 definitions: legality or necessity
Authors: Luque Arturo 
Published: January 2022

The processes of informal economy are well established, but the same cannot be said of their conceptual treatment in the academic literature. They constitute complex phenomena that cut across sectors and disciplines and give rise to other elements that simultaneously reject and encourage them. For many formal stakeholders in the economy, they are an enemy to be beaten; for the authorities, informal activity is seen as a loss of revenue for the state coffers; for the Sustainable Development Goals, by implicitly recognizing them in goal 8, they constitute a paradigm shift. Meanwhile, the reality for those involved in the informal economy is that it is a way of life and not a mere choice, one that leads to the most social of all economies: that of necessity. There is no consensus among academics on informality and its ramifications, hence the need to analyze the processes of informal economy from its theoretical construction with the purpose of discovering its range and depth, as well as its interrelationships and theoretical implications. To achieve this, 102 definitions of informal economy were analyzed by identifying and deconstructing their dimensions and performing a frequency count of their citation in Google Scholar. This analysis demonstrated the lack of cultural elements in the definitions, which are the true underlying cause of the phenomenon, and the over-prominence afforded to legal dimensions.
Designing Product Development Contracts in the Presence of Managerial Lobbying
Authors: Bao Ying , Shi Mengze , Kalra Ajay 
Published: January 2022

We examine a firm’s contract design problem in the context of allocating resources to new products with uncertain potential being developed by the managers vying for funds. The firm faces twin problems of identifying the right project(s) to prioritize them, and next also motivate the managers to exert effort in implementing the project to successful fruition. The firm’s contract design can incentivize the managers either using a resource-based incentive plan, which offers a reward based on the number of resources invested in the projects, or offering a resource-decoupled incentive plan, which provides a standard reward disregarding the differential amount of resources invested. We consider a set-up where the manager has private information about project quality. During the prioritizing first stage, we allow the manager to lobby for the project by manipulating the signal of the project quality. We show that a resource-decoupled incentive plan impacts the lobbying by encouraging the manager of the higher quality project to manipulate the quality signal more to stand out. Therefore, although a resource-based incentive plan is more efficient in inducing the manager in exerting implementation effort, a resource-decoupled incentive plan may be preferred as it leads to more accurate resource allocation. Thus, allowing lobbying that involves exaggeration may be beneficial by amplifying a firm’s ability to identify high caliber projects. We demonstrate the robustness of our results in models where the firm chooses the level of evaluation threshold, where there are multiple projects, and where the project evaluations involve a ranking procedure. This paper was accepted by Duncan Simester, marketing.
DNA methylation and single-nucleotide polymorphisms in DDX58 are associated with hand, foot and mouth disease caused by enterovirus 71
Authors: Li Ya-Ping , Liu Chen-Rui , Deng Hui-Ling , Wang Mu-Qi , Tian Yan , Chen Yuan , Zhang Yu-Feng , Dang Shuang-Suo , Zhai Song 
Published: January 2022

BackgroundThis research aimed to explore the association between the RIG-I-like receptor (RIG-I and MDA5 encoded by DDX58 and IFIH1, respectively) pathways and the risk or severity of hand, foot, and mouth disease caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71-HFMD). In this context, we explored the influence of gene methylation and polymorphism on EV71-HFMD.Methodology/Principal findings60 healthy controls and 120 EV71-HFMD patients, including 60 mild EV71-HFMD and 60 severe EV71-HFMD patients, were enrolled. First, MiSeq was performed to explore the methylation of CpG islands in the DDX58 and IFIH1 promoter regions. Then, DDX58 and IFIH1 expression were detected in PBMCs using RT-qPCR. Finally, imLDR was used to detect DDX58 and IFIH1 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes. Severe EV71-HFMD patients exhibited higher DDX58 promoter methylation levels than healthy controls and mild EV71-HFMD patients. DDX58 promoter methylation was significantly associated with severe HFMD, sex, vomiting, high fever, neutrophil abundance, and lymphocyte abundance. DDX58 expression levels were significantly lower in mild patients than in healthy controls and lower in severe patients than in mild patients. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the genotype frequencies of DDX58 rs3739674 between the mild and severe groups. GeneMANIA revealed that 19 proteins displayed correlations with DDX58, including DHX58, HERC5, MAVS, RAI14, WRNIP1 and ISG15, and 19 proteins displayed correlations with IFIH1, including TKFC, IDE, MAVS, DHX58, NLRC5, TSPAN6, USP3 and DDX58.Conclusions/SignificanceDDX58 expression and promoter methylation were associated with EV71 infection progression, especially in severe EV71-HFMD patients. The effect of DDX58 in EV71-HFMD is worth further attention.
Indian Sound Cultures, Indian Sound Citizenship, Laura Brueck, Jacob Smith and Neil Verma (eds) (2020)
Authors: Halper Donna L. 
Published: January 2022

Review of: Indian Sound Cultures, Indian Sound Citizenship, Laura Brueck, Jacob Smith and Neil Verma (eds) (2020)
Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 338 pp.,
ISBN 978-0-47205-434-3, p/bk, USD 44.95
Teaching Sleeping Dogs New Tricks? Transitional Justice as Identity-Building
Authors: Brender Felix 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Transitional Justice (TJ) mechanisms have been applied in several post-conflict spaces and commonly hailed by the academy as a – if not the – route to lasting positive peace. Taiwan has seen bouts of at times violent protest, which has given rise to popular and academic claims that renewed TJ efforts are required to achieve true, lasting peace. Against this backdrop, this text identifies sources of grievances and situates Taiwan’s case in the wider TJ literature to then explore Taiwan’s most recent TJ endeavours under Tsai Ying-Wen, focusing on its core mechanism, the Transitional Justice Commission. Engaging other readings of Taiwanese TJ mechanisms, this article argues that Tsai’s TJ mechanisms should be read chiefly as an identity-building project. Located in a wider drive to develop a positive identity for Taiwan, they are an attempt to establish shared historical narratives and ultimately aim to create a more stable Taiwanese identity independent of China as a pivotal Other or benchmark. This process is directed at both domestic and international audiences. This way, Taiwan negotiates, (re-)constructs and reifies a relatively inclusive positive Taiwanese identity not solely through the memories uncovered and remembered through the TJ process, but chiefly through the process itself.
Optimization of water-based ultrasonic-microwave assisted extraction (UMAE) of bioactive compounds fromGarcinia mangostanapericarp
Authors: Kwansang Juthaporn , Chen Chung-Jen , Chaiprateep Em-on 
Published: January 2022

AbstractObjectivesGarcinia mangostana(GM) pericarp extract recognizes for relieving skin disorders. It becomes a household fruit juice due to its high concentration of antioxidant compounds, including phenolic andα-mangostin. The purpose of this study was to optimize the conditions of Ultrasonic-Microwave Assisted Extraction (UMAE) of GM pericarp.MethodsGM pericarp was extracted by UMAE and conventional decoction extraction. UMAE was created in nine different individuals and combined ultrasonic and microwave power. The amount of phenolic compound, “caffeic acid, ferulic acid”,α-mangostin, and total phenolic content (TPC) were compared. The optimized parameters were particle size of grounded raw material, microwave power, and ultrasonic power during water extraction.ResultsThe optimized UMAE conditions combined 200 W microwave power and 200 W ultrasonic power to extract raw material grounded to 22.6 μm diameter particles (p≤0.05). The synergistic effect of ultrasonic and microwave-assisted extraction significantly (p≤0.05) impacted on the TPC, the yield of caffeic acid, ferulic acid, andα-mangostin.ConclusionsOverall, the synergistic effect of ultrasonic and microwave extraction resulted in a significantly higher amount of bioactive compounds when compared to conventional decoction extraction (p≤0.001). These results demonstrated the advantages of UMAE for preparing GM pericarp extract for the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
Multilayer coating effects on the thermal conductivity of tools using an electric furnace technique**
Authors: Challab Farhan Kamil , Jawad Salah Kareem , Tawfiq Maan Aabid 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
This paper demonstrates the effects of multilayer coatings on the thermal conductivity of tool specimens. The experiments were conducted using copper specimens and four tool specimens with different coatings (uncoated, TiN, TiN/TiCN, and TiN/Al2O3/TiCN). An electrical furnace technique was used with the specimens isolated from their surroundings and temperatures measured at the contact surfaces. The specimens are joined securely, with a thermal insulator (glass wool) placed around them so that the heat flow is in the axial direction only. One surface of the copper specimen faces the heat source, and the opposite end of the tool specimen is exposed to room temperature. The experimental results displayed variations in the temperature distribution due to the effect of the coatings, and thermal conductivities were measured at temperatures ranging from 100°C to 300°C. The results indicated the optimum coating for tools (lowest thermal conductivity) of the four types is TiN/Al2O3/TiCN.
Calcium carbonate nanoparticles of quail’s egg shells: Synthesis and characterizations
Authors: Ahmed Naziha Sultan , Kamil Faten Hammed , Hasso Adnan Ali , Abduljawaad Ahmed Nazar , Saleh Thekra Fadel , Mahmood Saffanah Khuder 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Avian eggshell is a natural biomaterial that has been used as an alternative natural source of CaCO3 and is accessible in big amounts from egg manufacturing. This study was planned to estimate CaCO3 in quail’s eggshell because it has a probable use in the progress of a novel choice of many applications. Physical properties: mineralogical documentation of the natural eggshell nanoparticles were approved using XRD and FTIR to explore the chemical bond or molecular structure of the materials. Micrographs were obtained using FESEM/EDX and TEM to identify the morphology and size of nanoparticles. The results showed that quail eggshell was soft, with white to light sand color, and a smooth texture which allows good deposition of different color spots, from black to brown spots. The resulted of eggshells signifies almost 8.4% w/w of the overall weight (12.2) gram of quail egg and 91.60% w/w of the micropowder to the full weight of (0.94) gram of quail eggshell. The results presented that calcium is the main element in an eggshell; frequently occurs in a formula of CaCO3 and the crystal construction was almost pure calcite. FTIR spectra for quail eggshell demonstrated the existence of the out of plane bending, the asymmetric stretching, and the plane bending styles of the carbonate groups, specific of normal dolomite, situated at 873 cm–1, 1405 cm–1, and 710 cm–1, respectively. The FESEM and TEM for nanoparticles were shown calcite CaCO3 nanoparticles with an ordinary size of ≤ 100 nm for FESEM and with a variety size of ≤ 50 nm for TEM. Unfortunately, eggshell is an egg product manufacturing deposit. These incomes will let fast developments in proportional studies of the organic elements of avian eggshell and their purposeful consequences by usages of eggshell in nourishment and medicine which can be applied for many resolutions that diminish their consequence on environmental contamination.
The Unity of the Highest Good: Kant on Systemic Justice
Authors: Friedman Shterna S. 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Kant’s concept of the highest good proportionately unites virtue and happiness—the supreme goods of, respectively, the systems of freedom and of nature. A middle path between theological and secular interpretations of Kant’s highest good is possible if we disentangle two distinct roles played by God: a causal role in promoting the real unity of the highest good, i.e., its actualization; and a conceptual role in modeling its conceptual unity. The highest good is theological in the first case, but neutral—neither directly theological nor secular—in the second. Reconstructing how Kant envisioned the conceptual unity of the highest good requires taking seriously his repeated reference to God as the highest original good, and to the best (i.e., moral) world as the highest derived good. If, as Kant thought, a moral God forms a triadic unity comprised of holiness, goodness, and divine justice, perhaps he assumed that the conceptual unity of the derived good is likewise triadic, comprised of virtue, happiness, and a form of justice that is not directly divine but “systemic,” designating the unity of the systems of nature and of freedom. Divine justice, in contrast, constitutes the real unity of the highest good.
A high-gain cladded waveguide amplifier on erbium doped thin-film lithium niobate fabricated using photolithography assisted chemo-mechanical etching
Authors: Liang Youting , Zhou Junxia , Liu Zhaoxiang , Zhang Haisu , Fang Zhiwei , Zhou Yuan , Yin Difeng , Lin Jintian , Yu Jianping , Wu Rongbo , Wang Min , Cheng Ya 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
Erbium doped integrated waveguide amplifier and laser prevail in power consumption, footprint, stability and scalability over the counterparts in bulk materials, underpinning the lightwave communication and large-scale sensing. Subject to the highly confined mode in the micro-to-nanoscale and moderate propagation loss, gain and power scaling in such integrated devices prove to be more challenging compared to their bulk counterparts. In this work, a thin cladding layer of tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) is employed in the erbium doped lithium niobate (LN) waveguide amplifier fabricated on the thin film lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) wafer by the photolithography assisted chemo-mechanical etching (PLACE) technique. Above 20 dB small signal internal net gain is achieved at the signal wavelength around 1532 nm in the 10 cm long LNOI amplifier pumped by the diode laser at ∼980 nm. Experimental characterizations reveal the advantage of Ta2O5 cladding in higher optical gain compared with the air-clad amplifier, which is further explained by the theoretical modeling of the LNOI amplifier including the guided mode structures and the steady-state response of erbium ions.
Crystal structure of (E)-1-(4-benzyl-3,5-dioxomorpholin-2-ylidene)ethyl acetate, C15H15N1O5
Authors: Wang Yin-Xin , Qin Kun , Wang Rui , Zhang Wen-Li , Zhong Qi-Di 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
C15H15N1O5, triclinic,

P

1
‾

$P\overline{1}$

(no. 2), a = 5.075(4) Å, b = 11.147(8) Å, c = 13.319(9) Å, α = 106.064(10)°, β = 96.091(11)°, γ = 98.189(10)°, V = 708.2(9) Å3, Z = 2, R

gt
(F) = 0.0444, wR

ref
(F
2) = 0.1581, T = 296 K.
Effects of nano-SiO2 modification on rubberised mortar and concrete with recycled coarse aggregates
Authors: Zhao Jianbai , Zhang Baifa , Xie Jianhe , Wu Yanhai , Wang Zhihao , Liu Peng 
Published: January 2022

Abstract
With the recent acceleration of industrialisation and urbanisation, increasing quantities of demolished construction waste and waste tyres are being produced. The production of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) and rubber particles from this waste, for use as partial or full replacements of normal aggregate in cement concrete, is attracting attention as a solution to the problem of solid waste management. However, the greater incidence of defects in RCA and rubber particles than in normal aggregate limits their application in construction industries. This study evaluated an economic and environmental approach to optimise the performance of rubberised concrete with RCA. Two types of nanomaterials, nano-SiO2 (NS) solution and NS sol–gel, were used to pretreat RCA and rubber. The effect of the treatment time on the physical properties of the RCA was tested, and the mechanical properties of the rubberised mortar prepared with pretreated rubber were investigated. In addition, a compression test for the rubberised recycled aggregate concrete (RRAC) was designed using the Taguchi method. The effects of four factors (water–cement ratio, rubber content, rubber size, and aggregate treatment) on the stress–strain curve, compressive strength, elastic modulus, specific toughness, and failure patterns of RRAC were also analysed. The results showed that the NS-treated RCA exhibited lower water absorption rate and better mechanical properties. Moreover, the NS-modified rubber enhanced the compressive and flexural strengths of the rubberised mortar by 35 and 17%, respectively. Interestingly, it was found that simultaneous treatment of both RCA and rubber could negatively affect RRAC. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that NS improved the interfacial transition zone separating RCA and rubber from the cement matrix, whereas the pretreated RCA tended to bond with the pretreated rubber in RRAC.