bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Modeling implanted metals in electrical stimulation applications
Authors: Mercadal Borja , Salvador Ricardo , Biagi Maria Chiara , Bartolomei Fabrice , Wendling Fabrice , Ruffini Giulio 
Published: February 2022

Abstract

Objective. Metal implants impact the dosimetry assessment in electrical stimulation techniques. Therefore, they need to be included in numerical models. While currents in the body are ionic, metals only allow electron transport. In fact, charge transfer between tissues and metals requires electric fields to drive electrochemical reactions at the interface. Thus, metal implants may act as insulators or as conductors depending on the scenario. The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical argument that guides the choice of the correct representation of metal implants in electrical models while considering the electrochemical nature of the problem Approach. We built a simple model of a metal implant exposed to a homogeneous electric field of various magnitudes. The same geometry was solved using two different models: a purely electric one (with different conductivities for the implant), and an electrochemical one. As an example of application, we also modeled a transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) treatment in a realistic head model with a skull plate using a high and low conductivity value for the plate. Main results. Metal implants generally act as electric insulators when exposed to electric fields up to around 100 V m−1 and they only resemble a perfect conductor for fields in the order of 1000 V m−1 and above. The results are independent of the implant’s metal, but they depend on its geometry. tES modeling with implants incorrectly treated as conductors can lead to errors of 50% or more in the estimation of the induced fields Significance. Metal implants can be accurately represented by a simple electrical model of constant conductivity, but an incorrect model choice can lead to large errors in the dosimetry assessment. Our results can be used to guide the selection of the most appropriate model in each scenario.
An Assessment of Green Rural Road Criteria and Elements for My Green Rural Road Index: A Case Study in Pengerang, Johor
Authors: Mustafa N A , Munikanan V , Zakaria R , Aminudin E , Langie S , Adzar J A , Abd Rashid M H S , Shamsudin S M , Sooria S Z , Hassan M M 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
The rural road networks were built to connect the rural people to the town area or to other destination required by the local residents. Normally the rural roads will be developed to connect or increase the socio-economic opportunity in rural area. The green road is one of the key areas that can be look into to create the sustainable concept based on three key aspects namely social, environmental and economic factors. The main focus of the economy aspect is to increase the profits using more efficient resources, especially materials, improving the quality of life by meeting the national needs of social aspects and protecting the environment from the effects of CO2 emissions and efficient use of natural resources for environmental aspects. Therefore, it is important that stakeholders include sustainability criteria in their projects. The application of a sustainable concept on the road can be assessed by the green road evaluation tool. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to build tools to evaluate and declare green rural roads in Malaysia. The data for this study were gathered through group discussions with road construction experts and distributed questionnaires to identify sustainability factors. Then the data were analysed by factor analysis method using SPSS software. Based on the result, there are five main sustainable criteria: Sustainable Design and Construction, Social and Safety, Energy Efficiency, Environmental and Water Management and Materials and Technology that are included in the development of the green road qualification system. The analysis indicates that the social and safety become the prime criteria among other criteria.
Effectiveness of and Public Perception about the Installation of Transverse Rumble Strips with Road Studs
Authors: Hazim M F , Mashros N , Hassan S A , Hassan N A , Kurnia A Y 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
The installation of transverse rumble strips (TRS) is a common practice to reduce vehicle speed and alert drivers on the roadway. However, the combination of TRS with road studs to enhance traffic safety is still not widely used by local authorities. This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of and the public perception about the installation of TRS with road studs. A field observation was carried out on the TRS road section with and without road studs for speed evaluation. A questionnaire survey was also conducted to assess the public perception towards the installation of this measure. The results indicate that the mean speed at the TRS road section with road studs was lower than the speed at the TRS road section without a road stud and its effectiveness was evaluated using a statistical test. Responses from the questionnaire survey showed that respondents agree that both TRS with and without road studs can reduce speed effectively. Respondents also believed that the installation of road studs might cause damage to the vehicle. This paper concludes that TRS installed with road studs effectively reduces speed which is consistent with the results of the public perception survey.
The Influence of Coal Fly Ash on the Mechanical Properties of Hot Mix Asphalt Mixture
Authors: Radwan A A M , Satar M K I M , Hassan N A , Rogo K U 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Coal is one of the most important sources of energy, providing for over 40% of global electricity generation. Coal fly ash (CFA) is the by-product of thermal generation of energy in coal-fired power plant. CFA has been widely employed in the construction of concrete; however, there are only a few cases in which asphalt pavements have employed coal fly ash. This paper aims to determine the performances of CFA as filler in hot mix asphalt (HMA) mixture. This study used four CFA contents as filler by weight of aggregate in the dry method, namely CFA-0, CFA-2, CFA-4, and CFA-6. The mixtures were tested for stability, flow, stiffness, moisture damage, and Cantabro loss test. The findings indicated that the stability values of asphalt mixtures containing CFA were higher than conventional mixture. In addition, incorporating CFA also improved resistance towards moisture damage and durability. As a result, it can be inferred that CFA can be employed as filler substitute in HMA mixtures.
Soil Improvement using Limestone, Prefabricated Drained and Geotextile at Pejagan Pemalang Toll Road via Numerical Program
Authors: Abdurrohman S , Rinda K , Abdul R 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Pejagan Pemalang Toll Road is the highway with toll that passes through Tegal city and Pemalang regency. This area has soft soil such as very soft clay, soft clay, etc. The soil improvement is needed to reach the suitable excess pore pressure which can make optimum moisture content to strengthen the soil. The soil improvement is using Limestone, Prefabricated Drain and Geotextile are methods available that can reach faster consolidation 90% and avoids collapse with safety factor as the guidance criteria. In this study, the numerical software of Plaxis 8.2 with soil parameters from SPT correlation was incorporated for a series of 2D model. The result of the cross section model without soil improvement shows collapse at embankment 5 m height and soil improvement without limestone is collapse at embankment 7 m height. T90 on the cross section at stage of Consolidation 5 and the long section at stage of Loads of 90.4 kPa. The settlement on cross section at Consolidation 5 stage with soil improvement is 103.5 × 10-2 m with excess pore pressure -9.52 kPa and safety factor 1.2522. The settlement on long section at Loads of 90.4 kPa stage is 907.36 × 10-3 m with excess pore pressure 16.84 kPa and safety factor 2.353. The safety factor on the cross section and the long section with soil improvement is more than 1.2 as criteria design.
Effect of Surfactant in Molasses Based Soil Solidification Material to Tensile Strength in Seven Day Material Age
Authors: Tsutsumi T , Uchida S 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
The method of ground improvement using lime or cement is popular because of the speed, adaptability, and profitability of this method. However, pollution due to alkaline water from lime or hexavalent chromium from cement may occur as a result. To avoid this issue, molasses has been used for the improvement of clay in several studies. However, a satisfactory value indicating ground improvement has not been achieved yet. In this study, surfactant has been added to molasses based soil solidification material previously studied by the authors. The Brazilian test was used to obtain tensile strength value for evaluation of the mechanical properties of the specimens. The tensile strength at seven days of this material obtained through this procedure is compared with that of specimens using distilled water, 10% molasses solution or the specimens used in the authors’ former study. Four types of curing condition combined with air drying and moist curing were adopted. The highest average value of the tensile strength appeared during 7-day air curing and was 1.3 times that in the authors’ former study.
Blood and Bone, Tears and Oil
Authors: Degroot Dagomar 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
In the seventeenth century, the climate of the Arctic cooled, warmed briefly, and cooled again, just as European merchants established new industries to extract the region’s resources. Few were larger or more violent than the whaling industry that exploited bowhead whales between Jan Mayen and Svalbard. This article argues that linked changes in climate and animal behavior influenced violence among whalers in different ways during three stages of the seventeenth-century industry. In the first, cooling discouraged violence by increasing the regional extent of sea ice, which led both whales and whalers to congregate in tight quarters, raising the cost of hostilities among whalers. In the second, violence provoked attempts to colonize fortified whaling stations year-round, leading to a shift in polar bear behavior and exposing overwintering whalers to some of the coldest weather of the Little Ice Age in the Arctic. In the third, sweeping changes in climate and whale culture helped doom whaling companies and their fortified whaling stations, while encouraging open-sea whaling that transformed where and how whalers could fight one another. This article reveals, above all, the potential of combining climate history with animal-human history to provide fresh perspectives on the past, present, and future.
Ride-Hailing and Road Traffic Crashes: A Critical Review
Authors: Morrison Christopher N , Kirk David S , Brazil Noli B , Humphreys David K 
Published: February 2022

AbstractRide-hailing businesses, including Uber and Lyft, have reshaped road traffic since they first began operating in the United States approximately a decade ago. It follows that ride-hailing may also alter the incidence and distribution of road traffic crash injuries and deaths. The available evidence relating ride-hailing to crashes is critically reviewed in this article. We present a theoretical model that synthesizes the hypothesized mechanisms, and we identify common methodological challenges and suggest priorities for future research. Mixed results have been reported for the overall incidence of road traffic crash injuries and deaths, likely due to heterogeneous impacts on vehicular traffic flow (e.g., increasing the volume of vehicles); on vehicle-, person-, and event-level characteristics (e.g., reducing alcohol-impaired driver crashes); on road-user types (e.g., increasing pedestrian crashes); and on environmental conditions (e.g., reducing crashes most substantially where public transit access is poorest). The lack of a well-developed theory of human mobility and methodological challenges that are common to many ecological studies impede exploration of these sources of moderation. Innovative solutions are required to explicate ride-hailing’s heterogeneous impacts, to guide policy that can take advantage of the public health benefits of ride-hailing, and to ensure that research keeps pace with technological advances that continue to reshape road traffic use.
Review on predicting pairwise relationships between human microbes, drugs and diseases: from biological data to computational models
Authors: Wang Lei , Tan Yaqin , Yang Xiaoyu , Kuang Linai , Ping Pengyao 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIn recent years, with the rapid development of techniques in bioinformatics and life science, a considerable quantity of biomedical data has been accumulated, based on which researchers have developed various computational approaches to discover potential associations between human microbes, drugs and diseases. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in prediction of potential correlations between microbes, drugs and diseases from biological data to computational models. Firstly, we introduced the widely used datasets relevant to the identification of potential relationships between microbes, drugs and diseases in detail. And then, we divided a series of a lot of representative computing models into five major categories including network, matrix factorization, matrix completion, regularization and artificial neural network for in-depth discussion and comparison. Finally, we analysed possible challenges and opportunities in this research area, and at the same time we outlined some suggestions for further improvement of predictive performances as well.
Validated High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method and Stability Study of Linalool in the Volatile Oil of the Rhizomes ofHomalomena aromaticaSchott
Authors: Goswami Ashis Kumar , Gogoi Neelutpal , Sharma Hemanta Kumar 
Published: February 2022

AbstractHomalomena aromatica is a herb of tremendous ethnomedicinal importance to various communities residing in northeast India. In this study, a high-performance thin-layer chromatography–based densitometric method was developed for identification, quantification and stability study of linalool. Mass spectrometry was hyphenated to HPTLC for streamlining the method. The stability of linalool was studied by analyzing the effect of acid, base, UV, sunlight, thermal stress and H2O2 on linalool. The chromatographic plates were developed to a height of 70 mm in toluene:ethyl acetate solvent system at a ratio of 9.5:0.5 and visualized with p-anisaldehyde reagent. The developed method was found to be precise, accurate and reproducible according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines, and compact bands of linalool were observed at Rf of 0.351 ± 0.001. The content of linalool in the volatile oil of H. aromatica was found to be 58% v/v. By application of the hyphenated MS technique, linalool was identified at m/z 137, (M + H)+. It was observed that acidic pH has the highest effect on linalool with a percentage degradation of 65. The developed method can be used in the analysis and quality control of herbal materials and volatile oils containing linalool and quality control of rhizomes of H. aromatica.
Kidney function and the risk of sudden cardiac death in the general population
Authors: van der Burgh Anna C , Stricker Bruno H , Rizopoulos Dimitris , Ikram M Arfan , Hoorn Ewout J , Chaker Layal 
Published: February 2022

ABSTRACT

Background
Chronic kidney disease increases sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk, but the association between kidney function and SCD in a general population is largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the association between kidney function and SCD in a general middle-aged and elderly population.

Methods
We included individuals aged ≥45 years from a prospective population-based cohort study. The association between kidney function assessments [estimated glomerular filtration rate based on serum creatinine (eGFRcreat), cystatin C (eGFRcys) or both (eGFRcreat-cys)] and SCD was investigated using Cox proportional-hazards and joint models. Absolute 10-year risks were computed using competing risk analyses. Mediation analyses were performed using a four-way decomposition method.

Results
We included 9687 participants (median follow-up 8.9 years; mean age 65.3 years; 56.7% women; 243 SCD cases). Lower eGFRcys and eGFRcreat-cys were associated with increased SCD risk [hazard ratio (HR) 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12–1.34 and HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.06–1.29, per 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 eGFR decrease]. A significant trend (P = 0.001) across eGFRcys categories was found, with an HR of 2.11 (95% CI 1.19–3.74) for eGFRcys &lt;60 compared with eGFRcys &gt;90 mL/min/1.73 m2. Comparing eGFRcys of 90 to 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, absolute 10-year risk increased from 1.0% to 2.5%. Identified subgroups at increased risk included older participants and participants with atrial fibrillation. The associations were not mediated by coronary heart disease, hypertension or diabetes.

Conclusions
Reduced kidney function is associated with increased SCD risk in the general population, especially with eGFRcys. eGFRcys could be added to prediction models and screening programmes for SCD prevention.
Whole-genome sequencing identifies I-SceI-mediated transgene integration sites in Xenopus tropicalis snai2:eGFP line
Authors: Wang Jian , Lu Congyu , Wei Shuo 
Published: February 2022

Abstract
Transgenesis with the meganuclease I-SceI is a safe and efficient method, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear due to the lack of information on transgene localization. Using I-SceI, we previously developed a transgenic Xenopus tropicalis line expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein driven by the neural crest-specific snai2 promoter/enhancer, which is a powerful tool for studying neural crest development and craniofacial morphogenesis. Here, we carried out whole-genome shotgun sequencing for the snai2:eGFP embryos to identify the transgene integration sites. With a 19x sequencing coverage, we estimated that 6 copies of the transgene were inserted into the Xenopus tropicalis genome in the hemizygous transgenic embryos. Two transgene integration loci adjacent to each other were identified in a noncoding region on chromosome 1, possibly as a result of duplication after a single transgene insertion. Interestingly, genomic DNA at the boundaries of the transgene integration loci contains short sequences homologous to the I-SceI recognition site, suggesting that the integration was not random but probably mediated by sequence homology. To our knowledge, our work represents the first genome-wide sequencing study on a transgenic organism generated with I-SceI, which is useful for evaluating the potential genetic effects of I-SceI-mediated transgenesis and further understanding the mechanisms underlying this transgenic method.
O03 The impact of COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures on transmission of hospital-acquired infections and antimicrobial resistance in Africa
Authors: Elton Linzy , Abdel Hamid Muzamil M. , Tembo John , Elbadawi Hana , Maluzi Kwitaka , Abdelraheem Mohamed H. , McHugh Timothy D. , Honeyborne Isobella , Roulston Kerry , Thomason Margaret J. , Zumla Alimuddin 
Published: February 2022

Abstract

Background
Patients who develop serious illness due to COVID-19 are more likely to have bacterial coinfections, for which WHO recommends treatment with antibiotics. As a result, many countries are observing a change in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), in addition to changes in infection prevention and control (IPC) practices such as the use of personal protective equipment, on COVID-19 wards. Few data on COVID-19 and its impact on nosocomial infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are available from low and middle-income countries (LMICs). As these countries often have high rates of AMR, it is vital to report the effects of COVID-19 on AMS so as to inform clinical practice and IPC guidelines. This study aims to compare prevalence of AMR in COVID-19 wards with general non-COVID-19 hospital wards.

Methods
This pilot hospital-based study is being conducted in two sites in both Sudan and Zambia. IPC and AMS guidelines for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards were identified for each institution. This study is comparing bacterial isolates and AMR patterns of nosocomial associated infections acquired on COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards were compared, using microbiological and sequencing methods. A total of 200 patients have been recruited: 100 per country, 50 COVID-19 patients and 50 non-COVID-19 patients. AMR transmission patterns are being identified using Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing for phylogenetic analysis.

Results
The study began recruiting in May 2021 and completed recruitment of patients in October 2021. The majority of microbiological laboratory work will be completed within Q3 2021, with analysis of the results and sequencing completed in Q4 2021. A half-way point summary analysis of the data suggests differences in patient profiles, both between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards at both sites, as well as differences between the two countries. Preliminary analysis also suggests a significant difference between the prevalence of MDR infections in Gram-negatives seen between COVID-19 (53% in Sudan and 83% in Zambia) and non-COVID-19 (14% Sudan, 33% Zambia) (t-test, P=0.0032 Sudan, P=0.0455 Zambia) ward patients in both countries (see Figure 1).

Conclusions
The study is providing evidence to inform policy on IPC and AMS measures to be implemented on COVID-19 wards. In addition, the outcomes of the study will be used to create a pragmatic sequencing pipeline for potential AMR outbreaks suitable for use in LMICs clinical settings.