ahmedabdelwahed/Medical_papers_title_and_abstract_NLP_dataset huggingface dataset:
Industrial construction safety policies and practices with cost impacts in a COVID-19 pandemic environment: A Louisiana DOW case study

There are always significant challenges in improving the safety culture by changing and adding additional safety protocols. The unknown impacts of COVID-19 and how it quickly spreads led the industry to institute essential safety protocols. This paper addresses two problem statements. The first problem statement is: what are the additional safety protocols for process safety, construction & maintenance, and personal protective equipment requirements? The second problem statement is: what are the cost and schedule impacts of industrial construction projects resulting from implementing safety protocols and process safety during construction with the added PPE? While complying with added safety protocols, the industrial construction industry cannot forget that it has a distinct reputation for high incident rates and less than desirable safety performance. In 2017, the construction industry suffered 971 fatalities. This alarming number is compared to 1123 total fatalities in 2017 for the Gulf Coast States. The objective is to share the rationale and practices of social distancing, required additional PPE, and personal hygiene practices to reduce spreading and outbreaks during a pandemic within an industrial construction environment. Before any construction work, the process safety teams must clear, isolate, and tag out process lines, equipment, and instruments to be repaired or replaced. The information presented demonstrates the significant cost and schedule impacts that industrial construction companies will encounter during a pandemic like COVID-19. This paper aims to improve safety processes, cost & schedule impacts, and prescribe additional personal protective equipment in industrial construction during a pandemic such as COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic spread globally in a very short period. The reactions in mitigating the spread were suggestive, with little to no data on safety protective equipment and practices. The contribution this paper addresses are how to employ efficient safety practices and policies during a pandemic in an industrial construction environment.
Identifying the Contributions of Multi-Source Data for Winter Wheat Yield Prediction in China

Wheat is a leading cereal grain throughout the world. Timely and reliable wheat yield prediction at a large scale is essential for the agricultural supply chain and global food security, especially in China as an important wheat producing and consuming country. The conventional approach using either climate or satellite data or both to build empirical and crop models has prevailed for decades. However, to what extent climate and satellite data can improve yield prediction is still unknown. In addition, socio-economic (SC) factors may also improve crop yield prediction, but their contributions need in-depth investigation, especially in regions with good irrigation conditions, sufficient fertilization, and pesticide application. Here, we performed the first attempt to predict wheat yield across China from 2001 to 2015 at the county-level by integrating multi-source data, including monthly climate data, satellite data (i.e., Vegetation indices (VIs)), and SC factors. The results show that incorporating all the datasets by using three machine learning methods (Ridge Regression (RR), Random Forest (RF), and Light Gradient Boosting (LightGBM)) can achieve the best performance in yield prediction (R-2: 0.68 similar to 0.75), with the most individual contributions from climate (similar to 0.53), followed by VIs (similar to 0.45), and SC factors (similar to 0.30). In addition, the combinations of VIs and climate data can capture inter-annual yield variability more effectively than other combinations (e.g., combinations of climate and SC, and combinations of VIs and SC), while combining SC with climate data can better capture spatial yield variability than others. Climate data can provide extra and unique information across the entire growing season, while the peak stage of VIs (Mar.similar to Apr.) do so. Furthermore, incorporating spatial information and soil proprieties into the benchmark models can improve wheat yield prediction by 0.06 and 0.12, respectively. The optimal wheat prediction can be achieved with approximately a two-month leading time before maturity. Our study develops timely and robust methods for winter wheat yield prediction at a large scale in China, which can be applied to other crops and regions.
Assessment of 3D printing using fused deposition modeling and selective laser sintering for a circular economy

Plastic today is commonplace. Products and parts made with plastic have short life cycles, ending up in landfills not long after manufacture. Finding new pathways for plastic waste has become a critical focus of sustainability efforts, especially within manufacturing. Thus, research in this field continues to grow in order to determine the feasibility of reclaiming post-consumer plastic for reuse. This paper evaluates the potential for a sustainable, circular pathway for end-of-life plastic material using 3D-printing techniques. To do this, the work investigates two prevalent industrial 3D-printing technologies: selective laser sintering (SLS) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) of polymers. Material-flow and economic models are developed to outline how plastic parts at the end of their life cycle can be processed and reused. Prior works on fundamental material degradation are integrated into mathematical models of cost and operation. This enables mapping of how multiple reuse cycles affect two prevalent industrial polymers: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyamide 12 (PA 12). The mapping identifies there is significant opportunity for improving both SLS and FDM 3D-printing technologies when it comes to economic viability and sustainability. Comparison between reuse of FDM using ABS and SLS using PA 12 shows the former costs 82% less than the latter, while also producing 87% less waste than it. While the study established that available industrial 3D-printing technologies can help to reduce plastic waste within manufacturing, a fully circular economy demands materials with less thermal degradation than the primary industrial 3D-printing polymers. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Indications for Nonsurgical Treatment of Thoracolumbar Spine Fractures: WFNS Spine Committee Recommendations

Thoracolumbar spine is the most injured spinal region in blunt trauma. Literature on the indications for nonoperative treatment of thoracolumbar fractures is conflicting. The purpose of this systematic review is to clarify the indications for nonsurgical treatment of thoracolumbar fractures. We conducted a systematic literature search between 2010 to 2020 on PubMed/MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central. Up-to-date literature on the indications for nonoperative treatment of thoracolumbar fractures was reviewed to reach an agreement in a consensus meeting of WFNS (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies) Spine Committee. The statements were voted and reached a positive or negative consensus using the Delphi method. For all of the questions discussed, the literature search yielded 1,264 studies, from which 54 articles were selected for full-text review. Nine studies (4 trials, and 5 retrospective) evaluating 759 participants with thoracolumbar fractures who underwent nonoperative/surgery were included. Although, compression type and stable burst fractures can be managed conservatively, if there is major vertebral body damage, kyphotic angulation, neurological deficit, spinal canal compromise, surgery may be indicated. AO type B, C fractures are preferably treated surgically. Future research is necessary to tackle the relative paucity of evidence pertaining to patients with thoracolumbar fractures.
GIS-based impact assessment and spatial distribution of air and water pollutants in mining area

Mining is a significant part of the transforming economy, which is generally considered as essential as well as social evil at the same time. It is one of the potential contributors to air and water pollution and possesses long-term impact on their quality. Keeping in view the exponential mining activities, we have selected an iron mine area in Bailadila, Chhattisgarh, India, as a sampling site and investigated the impact of mining activities on the air as well as water quality by setting up seven air quality and thirty water quality monitoring stations. From the results obtained, it was observed that concentration of air pollutants such as SO2, NO2, PM2.5 and PM10 for the year 2015 lies in the range of 11.5-13.0 µg/m3, 11.5-13.0 µg/m3, 24.9-33.4 ppm and 61.6-74.2 ppm, respectively, while for the year 2018, it lies in the range of 10.3-11.7 µg/m3, 10.5-14.7 µg/m3, 18.3-50.8 ppm and 23.7-60.7 ppm, respectively. Furthermore, results obtained revealed that air pollutants such as SO2, NO2, PM2.5 and PM10 were within the permissible limits but they contributed towards the light air pollution (air pollution index: 25-50) at all the air monitoring stations. Moreover, PM10 was considered as criterion pollutant in the Bailadila, Chhattisgarh region. On the other hand, it was observed that groundwater quality was deteriorated in the subsequent years. Most of the water quality parameters were in the permissible limits except iron (Fe). Moreover, on the basis of water quality indexing, water quality was classified as "poor" in ~ 30% of the sites and "very poor" in ~ 34% sites. The water quality was "unhealthy for drinking" in 3% and 6% sites in the year 2015 and 2018, respectively.
Composting and its application in bioremediation of organic contaminants

This review investigates the findings of the most up-to-date literature on bioremediation via composting technology. Studies on bioremediation via composting began during the 1990s and have exponentially increased over the years. A total of 655 articles have been published since then, with 40% published in the last six years. The robustness, low cost, and easy operation of composting technology make it an attractive bioremediation strategy for organic contaminants prevalent in soils and sediment. Successful pilot-and large-scale bioremediation of organic contaminants, e.g., total petroleum hydrocarbons, plasticizers, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by composting, has been documented in the literature. For example, composting could remediate >90% diesel with concentrations as high as 26,315 mg kg-a of initial composting material after 24 days. Composting has unique advantages over traditional single- and multi-strain bioaugmentation approaches, including a diverse microbial community, ease of operation, and the ability to handle higher concentrations. Bioremediation via composting depends on the diverse microbial community; thus, key parameters, including nutrients (C/N ratio = 25-30), moisture (55-65%), and oxygen content (O2 > 10%) should be optimized for successful bioremediation. This review will provide bioremediation and composting researchers with the most recent finding in the field and stimulate new research ideas.
Eco-innovation and energy productivity: New determinants of renewable energy consumption

This study provides new empirical evidence on the determinants of renewable energy consumption in the case of OECD economies over the period from 1990 to 2017. To examine the long run relationship among variables of renewable energy consumption and its determinants, this study uses the Durbin Hausman group mean cointegration test. The long-run and short-run coefficients are estimated via the cross-sectional Autoregressive Distributive Lag (CS-ARDL) method. The significant cointegration vector confirms the long-run equilibrium among the variables presented in the model. The results show that income, human capital, energy productivity, energy prices, and eco-innovation are important factors in explaining renewable energy consumption. This study adopts the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) method to check the robustness of the model. The results are found to be consistent with the estimates of the cross-sectional Autoregressive Distributive Lag Model method. To offer viable solutions to environmental problems and to achieve the targets set in the Paris Climate Agreement, policies and strategies should be devised to increase the share of renewable energy in the overall energy mix.
Structures and biological functions of zinc finger proteins and their roles in hepatocellular carcinoma

Zinc finger proteins are transcription factors with the finger domain, which plays a significant role in gene regulation. As the largest family of transcription factors in the human genome, zinc finger (ZNF) proteins are characterized by their different DNA binding motifs, such as C2H2 and Gag knuckle. Different kinds of zinc finger motifs exhibit a wide variety of biological functions. Zinc finger proteins have been reported in various diseases, especially in several cancers. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide, especially in China. Most of HCC patients have suffered from hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) injection for a long time. Although the surgical operation of HCC has been extremely developed, the prognosis of HCC is still very poor, and the underlying mechanisms in HCC tumorigenesis are still not completely understood. Here, we summarize multiple functions and recent research of zinc finger proteins in HCC tumorigenesis and progression. We also discuss the significance of zinc finger proteins in HCC diagnosis and prognostic evaluation.
Effects of chemical dispersant on the surface properties of kaolin and aggregation with spilled oil

After oil spills occur, dispersed oil droplets can collide with suspended particles in the water column to form the oil-mineral aggregate (OMA) and settle to the seafloor. However, only a few studies have concerned the effect of chemical dispersant on this process. In this paper, the mechanism by which dispersant affects the surface properties of kaolin and the viscosity and oil-seawater interfacial tension (IFTow) of Roncador crude oil were separately investigated by small-scale tests. The results indicated that the presence of dispersant impairs the zeta potential and enhances the hydrophobicity of kaolin. The viscosity of Roncador crude oil rose slightly as the dosage of dispersant increased, while IFTow decreased significantly. Furthermore, the oil dispersion and OMA formation at different dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR) were evaluated in a wave tank. When DOR was less than 1:40, the effect of dispersant on the dispersion of spilled oil was not obvious. With the increasing DOR, the effect became more pronounced, and the adhesion between oil droplets and kaolin was inhibited. The size ratio between oil droplets and particles is the significant factor for OMA formation. The closer the oil-mineral size ratio is to 1, the more difficultly the OMA forms.
Analyzing influencing factors of green transformation in China's manufacturing industry under environmental regulation: A structural equation model

The promotion of the green transformation of the manufacturing industry has become the main means to achieve the dual goals of environmental protection and economic growth. Environmental regulation, as an environment governance tool, exerts an important impact on the green transformation of the manufacturing industry. Therefore, this paper focused on the influencing factors of green transformation of the manufacturing industry under environmental regulation. Based on survey data of 500 Chinese manufacturing enterprises (2017), the influencing factors of green transformation were studied by developing a targeted structural equation model. The main conclusions showed that (1) human capital, financing ability, technology innovation, and government behavior all exerted significant positive impact on green transformation performance in the manufacturing industry. (2) Environmental regulation, as a moderating variable, positively affected the green transformation in the manufacturing industry by acting on technology innovation and governmental behavior; however, it decreased the positive impact of financing ability on green transformation. (3) Environmental regulation was a reversal mechanism, which affected green transformation by influencing financing capacity, technology innovation, and governmental behavior of manufacturing enterprises. The study suggested that the government should consider the positive impact of these influencing factors, and design appropriate environmental regulation policies to promote the green transformation in the manufacturing industry to achieve economic green growth. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Turkish adaptation of the interprofessional attitude scale (IPAS)

The Interprofessional Attitude Scale (IPAS) was developed to measure the core competencies for interprofessional education and collaborative practice, which thepresent study aims to evaluate for adaptation into Turkish. The study was conducted with 254 students from four different faculties related to health sciences. The guideline by Sosua and Rojannasrirat (2011) was followed. Content validity analysis, descriptive analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and correlation analysis were performed. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive analysis revealed that the majority of the participants agreed with the items (mean scale score was 160.99 ± 15.99). The Item and Scales content validity indices were 0.85-1.00 and 0.93 respectively. In the construct validity analysis, the scale was divided into five sub-dimensions at an acceptable level. The reliability coefficient was calculated as 0.87. In the analysis of scale items variance component percentages estimated for person, for items, and for person × item were 14.1%, 29%, and 56.9%, respectively. In conclusion, IPAS-TR is a valid and reliable tool that can be used to measure interprofessional attitudes.
Advances in the agrochemical utilization of fermentation residues reduce the cost of purpose-grown phytomass for biogas production

The share of renewables is rising rapidly, especially in developed countries. Biogas production from purpose-grown phytomass is undergoing the fastest growth. The trend is linked to the production of vast amounts of fermentation residues. However, it has been repeatedly and independently reported that intensive or long-term application of fermentation residues into arable land changes soil structure, resulting in sharp degradation of its fertility. This is now compensated by more intense use of agrochemicals and additional agrotechnical operations such as biochar addition. However, the increased cost is beginning to threaten the economic sustainability of biogas production. Given the fact that the production of biogas from purpose-grown phytomass has become a strong pillar of the electricity grid, the threat to soil fertility may endanger its stability. The quality and quantity of soil organic matter (SOM) and in particular its stable organic fractions with ion-exchange properties (SOF) that determine soil fertility, or, more precisely, the transport of nutrients and their availability for plant growth, were investigated in detail. A novel, undemanding and quick method allowing the analysis and interpretation of SOM and its SOF was proposed and compared with conventional methods. It was confirmed that the adaptation of the new method enables farmers to better choose organic and mineral fertilizers and corresponding agronomic operations, so the soil can provide higher yields and an increased water retention capacity (up to 7%), which results in improved water retention during extreme rainfalls or droughts, altogether lowering the cost of purpose-grown phytomass, or, more precisely, improving the economy of biogas production.
Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus is a tick-borne encephalitis virus adapted to muskrat through host-jumping

Omsk hemorrhagic fever was first described in the early 1940s and is a natural focal infection, spread exclusively in four regions of Western Siberia, and associated with muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus). The etiological agent of this disease is the Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus (OHFV) which is closely related to the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), and its range entirely lies within the TBEV area. OHFV belongs to the mammalian tick-borne flaviviruses and the ecological group of arboviruses. The problem concerning the origin of OHFV remains unresolved to date. This study analyzed all nucleotide sequences of the OHFV genome obtained in the present study and available in GenBank, including the E gene fragment and the amino acid sequences of the surface glycoprotein encoded by it. The conclusions, based on the clusteron approach, suggest that OHFV originated directly from the TBEV of the Far Eastern subtype due to the host-jump phenomenon, that is, through a rapid change from an arthropod host, Ixodes persulcatus, to a rodent, O. zibethicus. The muskrat was introduced to Western Siberia in the second half of the 1930s. The peculiarities of the biology and ecology of the muskrat in the new habitat became the reason for the TBEV cross-species transmission. Calculations show that host-jumping occurred between 1931 and 1947 and accompanied a cascade of adaptive amino acid substitutions in protein E. As a result, the virus changed its transmission to contact, alimentary, and airborne routes. Based on the data obtained, OHFV would be more correctly attributed to zoonotic viruses transmitted by rodents and, accordingly, to the ecological group of roboviruses.
Lymphocyte HLA-DR/CD-38 co-expression correlates with Hodgkin lymphoma cell cytotoxicity in vitro independent of PD-1/PD1-L pathway

The interactions between Hodgkin and Reed Sternberg cells and tumor microenvironment, the changes that occur with therapy and, in particular, checkpoint inhibition are not fully understood. Understanding these is key to optimizing outcomes for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). We evaluated the immunophenotypic characteristics of cytotoxic, helper T and NK lymphocytes upon in vitro stimulation, cell-mediated cytotoxicity against HL cells, HDLM-2 and KM-H2, and the association with effector cell activation state, as well as changes in cytotoxicity following PD-1 or PDL-1 blockade. Higher HLA-DR/CD38 expression on effector cells was associated with increased cytotoxicity against HL cells. All effector cell types were cytotoxic of HL cells, though achieved maximum activation and cytotoxicity at variable timepoints. HLA-DR/CD38 co-expression correlated with cytotoxicity, but PD-1 expression did not. There was no significant change in cell-mediated cytotoxicity following PD-1/PDL-1 blockade. The mechanism of action of checkpoint inhibitors may not be limited to direct PD-1/PDL-1 blockade.