bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The bacterial succession and its role in flavor compounds formation during the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves
Authors: Si Hongyang , Zhou Kun , Zhao Tingyi , Cui Bing , Liu Fang , Zhao Mingqin
Published: October 2023

Fermentation is the key process required for developing the characteristic properties of cigar tobacco leaves, complex microorganisms are involved in this process. However, the microbial fermentation mechanisms during the fermentation process have not been well-characterized. This study investigated the dynamic changes in conventional chemical composition, flavor compounds, and bacterial community during the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves from Hainan and Sichuan provinces in China, as well as the potential roles of bacteria. Fermentation resulted in a reduction of conventional chemical components in tobacco leaves, with the exception of a noteworthy increase in insoluble protein content. Furthermore, the levels of 10 organic acids and 19 amino acids showed a significant decrease, whereas the concentration of 30 aromatic substances exhibited a unimodal trend. Before fermentation, the bacterial community structures and dominant bacteria in Hainan and Sichuan tobacco leaves differed significantly. As fermentation progressed, the community structures in the two regions became relatively similar, with Delftia, Ochrobactrum, Rhodococcus, and Stenotrophomonas being dominant. Furthermore, a total of 12 functional bacterial genera were identified in Hainan and Sichuan tobacco leaves using bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares (O2PLS) analysis. Delftia, Ochrobactrum, and Rhodococcus demonstrated a significant negative correlation with oleic acid and linoleic acid, while Stenotrophomonas and Delftia showed a significant negative correlation with undesirable amino acids, such as Ala and Glu. In addition, Bacillus showed a positive correlation with benzaldehyde, while Kocuria displayed a positive correlation with 2-acetylfuran, isophorone, 2, 6-nonadienal, and β-damascenone. The co-occurrence network analysis of microorganisms revealed a prevalence of positive correlations within the bacterial network, with non-abundant bacteria potentially contributing to the stabilization of the bacterial community. These findings can improve the overall tobacco quality and provide a novel perspective on the utilization of microorganisms in the fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves.

Graphical Abstract
Harmonization of brain PET images in multi-center PET studies using Hoffman phantom scan
Authors: Shekari Mahnaz , Verwer Eline E. , Yaqub Maqsood , Daamen Marcel , Buckley Christopher , Frisoni Giovanni B. , Visser Pieter Jelle , Farrar Gill , Barkhof Frederik , Gispert Juan Domingo , Boellaard Ronald ,   the AMYPAD Consortium
Published: October 2023

Background

Image harmonization has been proposed to minimize heterogeneity in brain PET scans acquired in multi-center studies. However, standard validated methods and software tools are lacking. Here, we assessed the performance of a framework for the harmonization of brain PET scans in a multi-center European clinical trial.

Method

Hoffman 3D brain phantoms were acquired in 28 PET systems and reconstructed using site-specific settings. Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) of the Effective Image Resolution (EIR) and harmonization kernels were estimated for each scan. The target EIR was selected as the coarsest EIR in the imaging network. Using “Hoffman 3D brain Analysis tool,” indicators of image quality were calculated before and after the harmonization: The Coefficient of Variance (COV%), Gray Matter Recovery Coefficient (GMRC), Contrast, Cold-Spot RC, and left-to-right GMRC ratio. A COV% ≤ 15% and Contrast ≥ 2.2 were set as acceptance criteria. The procedure was repeated to achieve a 6-mm target EIR in a subset of scans. The method’s robustness against typical dose-calibrator-based errors was assessed.

Results

The EIR across systems ranged from 3.3 to 8.1 mm, and an EIR of 8 mm was selected as the target resolution. After harmonization, all scans met acceptable image quality criteria, while only 13 (39.4%) did before. The harmonization procedure resulted in lower inter-system variability indicators: Mean ± SD COV% (from 16.97 ± 6.03 to 7.86 ± 1.47%), GMRC Inter-Quartile Range (0.040–0.012), and Contrast SD (0.14–0.05). Similar results were obtained with a 6-mm FWHM target EIR. Errors of ± 10% in the DRO activity resulted in differences below 1 mm in the estimated EIR.

Conclusion

Harmonizing the EIR of brain PET scans significantly reduced image quality variability while minimally affecting quantitative accuracy. This method can be used prospectively for harmonizing scans to target sharper resolutions and is robust against dose-calibrator errors. Comparable image quality is attainable in brain PET multi-center studies while maintaining quantitative accuracy.
Histology and morphometry of the skin of purple spaghetti-eel Moringua raitaborua (Anguilliformes, Moringuidae)
Authors: Kim Hyun-Tae
Published: October 2023

The purple spaghetti-eel Moringua raitaborua lives on the sandy or muddy bottoms of estuaries, which are subject to rapid and wide changes in salinity, pH, and osmoregulatory and hypoxic conditions due to the influx of organic materials from sources of freshwater. The species has adapted to hypoxic environments by developing a thicker epidermis with stratified polygonal cells, club cells, two types of mucous cells (goblet and, oval cells), stratified cuboidal cells and dermis with abundant blood capillaries. Among them, histological modification of thinner dorsal, lateral, and ventral body skin to include abundant capillaries and well-developed dermal vascularization may provide cutaneous respiration, permitting survival in brackish waters with low levels of oxygen and variable environmental parameters.
Association of IL-1β rs16944 and IL-1RN rs2234663 gene polymorphisms with graft function in renal transplant recipients
Authors: Issac Marianne Samir Makboul , El Nahid Maggie S.
Published: October 2023

Background

After renal transplantation, renal graft function affects both patient and graft survival. There is growing evidence of the genetic association between interleukin-1β (IL-1β) or its receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) and graft function in renal transplantation. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of the recipient IL-1β and IL-1RN gene polymorphisms and their haplotypes on renal graft outcome.

Methods

Using PCR, IL-1β (− 511C/T) and IL-1RN (86 bp VNTR) gene polymorphisms were determined in 31 renal allograft recipients; eight cases with stable allograft function and 23 cases with early renal dysfunction as well as 26 age- and gender-matched healthy controls.

Results

A statistically significant difference in IL-1 β (− 511C/T) gene polymorphisms and IL-1RN/IL-1β haplotypes was observed on comparing renal allograft recipients with stable allograft function and those with early renal allograft dysfunction. However, the difference in the frequency distribution of IL-1RN gene polymorphisms, between these two groups, did not reach statistical significance. Also, no statistically significant difference was observed in comparing these two gene polymorphisms and their haplotypes between renal allograft recipients and healthy controls.

Conclusion

The IL-1β − 511 CT/TT polymorphic genotypes and IL-1RN/IL-1β polymorphic haplotypes are associated with early renal allograft dysfunction. These are observational data that can be repeated in larger studies. If the results obtained are consistent, this might open doors to personalized medicine where clinicians can take necessary measures to identify the renal transplant recipients’ genotypes at risk of mounting an increased inflammatory response and hence administer the appropriate immunosuppressive protocol.
Assessing Community College Biology Student Perceptions of Being Called on in Class
Authors: Alvares Stacy M. , Shlichta J. Gwen , McFarland Jenny L. , Theobald Elli J.
Published: October 2023

In a large ( n =383) mixed methods study in a community college, students in classes that use warm random call report benefits (e.g., engagement, eustress) and drawbacks of being called on (e.g., distress, anxiety), and perceive more peer interaction. This urges continued investigation of warm random call and possible context-dependent effects.
How Do Instructors Explain The Mechanism by which ATP Drives Unfavorable Processes?
Authors: Franovic Clare G.-C. , Williams Nicholas R. , Noyes Keenan , Klymkowsky Michael W. , Cooper Melanie M.
Published: October 2023

The authors uncover themes characterizing how instructors in chemistry, biology, and biochemistry explain the mechanism by which ATP drives unfavorable processes. Content themes include explanations for energy release and transfer; affective themes include negative teaching experiences and questions about the role of chemical ideas in introductory biology.
Evaluation of a Natural Language Processing Model to Identify and Characterize Patients in the United States With High-Risk Non–Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Authors: Narayan Vikram M. , Siolas Despina , Meadows Eric S. , Turzhitsky Vladimir , Sillah Arthur , Imai Kentaro , McMurry Andrew J. , Li Haojie
Published: October 2023

PURPOSE

Treatment of non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is guided by risk stratification using clinical and pathologic criteria. This study aimed to develop a natural language processing (NLP) model for identifying patients with high-risk NMIBC retrospectively from unstructured electronic medical records (EMRs) and to apply the model to describe patient and tumor characteristics.

METHODS

We used three independent EMR-derived data sets including adult patients with a bladder cancer diagnosis in 2011-2020 for NLP model development and training (n = 140), validation (n = 697), and application for the retrospective cohort analysis (n = 4,402). Deep learning methods were used to train NLP recognition of medical chart terminology to identify seven high-risk NMIBC criteria; model performance was assessed using the F1 score, weighted across features. An algorithm was then used to classify each patient as high-risk NMIBC (yes/no). Manually reviewed records served as the gold standard.

RESULTS

The F1 scores after model training were >0.7 for all but one uncommon feature (prostatic urethral involvement). The highest area under the receiver operating curves (AUC) was observed for Ta (0.897) and T1 (0.897); the lowest AUC was for carcinoma in situ (CIS; 0.617). For high-risk NMIBC classification, positive predictive value was 79.4%, negative predictive value was 93.2%, and false-positive rate was 8.9%. Sensitivity and specificity were 83.7% and 91.1%, respectively. Of 748 patients manually confirmed as having high-risk NMIBC, 196 (26%) had CIS (of whom 19% also had T1 and 23% also had Ta disease); 552 tumors (74%) had no associated CIS.

CONCLUSION

The NLP model, combined with a rule-based algorithm, identified high-risk NMIBC with good performance and will enable future work to study real-world treatment patterns and clinical outcomes for high-risk NMIBC.
NOTCH3 signalling controls human trophoblast stem cell expansion and differentiation
Authors: Dietrich Bianca , Kunihs Victoria , Lackner Andreas I. , Meinhardt Gudrun , Koo Bon-Kyoung , Pollheimer Jürgen , Haider Sandra , Knöfler Martin
Published: October 2023

Failures in growth and differentiation of the early human placenta are associated with severe pregnancy disorders such as pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction. However, regulatory mechanisms controlling development of placental epithelial cells, the trophoblasts, remain poorly elucidated. Using trophoblast stem cells (TSCs), trophoblast organoids (TB-ORGs) and primary cytotrophoblasts (CTBs) of early pregnancy, we herein show that autocrine NOTCH3 signalling controls human placental expansion and differentiation. The NOTCH3 receptor was specifically expressed in proliferative CTB progenitors and its active form, the nuclear NOTCH3 intracellular domain (NOTCH3-ICD), interacted with the transcriptional co-activator mastermind-like 1 (MAML1). Doxycycline-inducible expression of dominant-negative MAML1 in TSC lines provoked cell fusion and upregulation of genes specific for multinucleated syncytiotrophoblasts, which are the differentiated hormone-producing cells of the placenta. However, progenitor expansion and markers of trophoblast stemness and proliferation were suppressed. Accordingly, inhibition of NOTCH3 signalling diminished growth of TB-ORGs, whereas overexpression of NOTCH3-ICD in primary CTBs and TSCs showed opposite effects. In conclusion, the data suggest that canonical NOTCH3 signalling plays a key role in human placental development by promoting self-renewal of CTB progenitors.
Energetics of collective movement in vertebrates
Authors: Zhang Yangfan , Lauder George V.
Published: October 2023

The collective directional movement of animals occurs over both short distances and longer migrations, and is a critical aspect of feeding, reproduction and the ecology of many species. Despite the implications of collective motion for lifetime fitness, we know remarkably little about its energetics. It is commonly thought that collective animal motion saves energy: moving alone against fluid flow is expected to be more energetically expensive than moving in a group. Energetic conservation resulting from collective movement is most often inferred from kinematic metrics or from computational models. However, the direct measurement of total metabolic energy savings during collective motion compared with solitary movement over a range of speeds has yet to be documented. In particular, longer duration and higher speed collective motion must involve both aerobic and non-aerobic (high-energy phosphate stores and substrate-level phosphorylation) metabolic energy contributions, and yet no study to date has quantified both types of metabolic contribution in comparison to locomotion by solitary individuals. There are multiple challenging questions regarding the energetics of collective motion in aquatic, aerial and terrestrial environments that remain to be answered. We focus on aquatic locomotion as a model system to demonstrate that understanding the energetics and total cost of collective movement requires the integration of biomechanics, fluid dynamics and bioenergetics to unveil the hydrodynamic and physiological phenomena involved and their underlying mechanisms.
Information and Spillovers from Targeting Policy in Peru’s Anchoveta Fishery
Authors: Englander Gabriel
Published: October 2023

This paper establishes that a targeted policy backfires because it reveals information about nontargeted units. In the world’s largest fishery, the regulator attempts to reduce the harvesting of juvenile fish by temporarily closing areas where the share of juvenile catch is high. By combining administrative microdata with biologically richer data from fishing firms, I isolate variation in closures that is due to the regulator’s lower-resolution data. I estimate substantial temporal and spatial spillovers from closures. Closures increase total juvenile catch by 48 percent because closure announcements implicitly signal that fishing before, just outside, and after closures is high productivity. (JEL D83, O13, Q21, Q22, Q28)
Can we revolutionize diagnostic imaging by keeping Pandora’s box closed?
Authors: Kwee Thomas C , Yakar Derya , Sluijter Tim E , Pennings Jan P , Roest Christian
Published: October 2023

Incidental imaging findings are a considerable health problem, because they generally result in low-value and potentially harmful care. Healthcare professionals struggle how to deal with them, because once detected they can usually not be ignored. In this opinion article, we first reflect on current practice, and then propose and discuss a new potential strategy to pre-emptively tackle incidental findings. The core principle of this concept is to keep the proverbial Pandora’s box closed, i.e. to not visualize incidental findings, which can be achieved using deep learning algorithms. This concept may have profound implications for diagnostic imaging.
Systemic and Mucosal Concentrations of Nine Cytokines Among Individuals with Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection in Nairobi Kenya
Authors: Maina Anne , Mureithi Marianne , Kiiru John , Revathi Gunturu
Published: October 2023

Introduction The human-restricted sexually transmitted Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) has been shown to modulate the immune response against it and consequently the cytokines produced. The levels of cytokines in NG infection in the African population have not been well described. We aimed to quantify the systemic and mucosal cytokines in NG infection. Methods This was a comparative cross-sectional study. Levels of nine cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, 1L-6, 1L-10, 1L-12p70, IL-17A, TNFα and IFN-γ) were measured from plasma and genital samples (urethral swabs in men and cervicovaginal lavage in women) from 61 Neisseria gonorrhoeae infected individuals seeking treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at Casino Health Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. A comparative group of 61 NG-uninfected individuals, seeking treatment at the same facility but with laboratory-confirmed negative Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) and Trichomonas vaginalis(TV) was also included. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the cytokine levels between NG-infected and uninfected individuals. Data was analyzed using STATA ver. 15.1. Results Overall, systemic IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10 were elevated while genital IL-10 and TNF-α were lower in NG positive participants. On subgroup analysis disaggregated by sex, the levels of genital IL-1b and IL-6 and systemic IL-6 were elevated in NG-infected men. None of the genital cytokines were elevated in NG-infected women, while all systemic cytokines, except IFN-γ , were elevated in NG-infected women. Conclusion Neisseria gonorrhoeae induced the production of different cytokines in men and women, with men having a pro-inflammatory genital response. These differences should be taken into consideration during development of various interventions e.g. vaccine development.
Study of significance of bone marrow microvessel density in myeloproliferative neoplasms in correlation with CD34 blasts, mast cell count and fibrosis
Authors: Thomas Kesiya , Rao Ranjitha , G V Chaithra , Rai Sharada , Rao A R Sneha , Basavaraju Vatsala Kudurugundi
Published: October 2023

Background: Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are clonal hematopoietic stem cell diseases characterised by myeloid cell growth from one or more lineages. Angiogenesis, in contrast to other subtypes, plays a substantial role in the pathophysiology of primary myelofibrosis (PMF). Research expressing the correlation of microvessel density (MVD), blasts, fibrosis and mast cell count in MPN cases are rarely conducted. We aimed to study the significance of MVD in correlation with CD34 blasts, mast cells and fibrosis in bone marrow biopsies of MPN patients. Methods: The current research was a cross sectional study conducted on 66 cases diagnosed as MPN during a six-year period. This comprised of 32 chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), 31 PMF and three essential thrombocythemia (ET) cases. Routine staining along with reticulin stain to look for fibrosis and immunohistochemistry (IHC) using CD34 and mast cell tryptase (MCT) were performed. Results: We found increased MVD in PMF, when compared to CML and ET (p = 0.042). Further, mean MVD was observed to be increased with high blast counts (p = 0.036). On follow up, raised mean MVD was seen in those cases with relapse/deceased as compared to disease-free patients, which was highly significant (p = 0.000). Conclusions: Increased MVD score was mostly associated with PMF subtype among all the MPNs. Further, higher MVD was observed to be associated with increased blast count and poor prognosis. With angiogenesis playing a critical role in disease outcome, we now have drugs to regulate angiogenesis that are supported by contemporary research. However, further studies with larger cohorts to establish the theranostic role of MVD in MPNs is recommended.
A literature survey on healthcare supply chain management
Authors: Mittal Amit , Mantri Archana
Published: October 2023

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a practice that has rapidly spread across industries. SCM may boost output while simultaneously satisfying customers. Despite SCM's recognition as a key factor in enhancing healthcare efficiency, widespread adoption remains in its infancy. Hospitals, a crucial element of the healthcare supply chain (HSC), have failed to fulfill the primary goals of lowering costs and providing high-quality treatment due to their inadequate knowledge of supply chain management (SCM). This research was conducted to fill in the blanks in the current HSC literature. Achieving the healthcare supply chain's goal of reducing costs will be greatly aided by the thorough literature study completed for this report. This review of healthcare supply chain management can quantify the benefits of supply chain initiatives and identify opportunities for improvement. Healthcare institutions can make informed decisions on optimizing their supply chains by understanding customer and supplier needs. This includes making strategic decisions on how to improve inventory management, streamline processes and reduce costs. The focus of this study is on the relationship between supply chain practices, the efficiency of supply chain performance, and the financial outcomes for healthcare organizations. By highlighting certain key research issues that are shared by supply chain management and healthcare management, this article contributes to the literature in both areas.
Assessment of weed species composition and diversity in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) farms in Ethiopia
Authors: Geremew Dereje , Dechassa Nagassa , Bedada Shashitu , Bekele Getachew , Hundessa Niguse , Abdisa Tesfaye , Gella Desalegn , Duguma Mosisa
Published: October 2023

Background: Weeds compete for vital nutrients and water with the tomato plants and serve as an alternative host for other pests. Although there is limited information on the weed species composition in major tomato-growing areas in Ethiopia, this study was conducted to identify the economically important weed species in tomato fields in the East Wollega, Shewa, West Shewa, Arsi, and Sidama zones.

Methods: The weed flora assessment was conducted in major tomato growing zones of the country, such as East Shewa, Wollega, West Shewa, Arsi, and Sidama zones, in the 2018–2019 cropping season during the off-season. In each tomato field a 1 m x 1 m quadrat was thrown following an inverted X pattern, and weed species were recorded. Weed species composition was calculated using standard formulas.

Results: The results revealed that 63 weed species under 23 families were identified at the surveyed locations. Portulaca oleracea was the most abundant and dominant, with 50% of the dominance value. Weed frequency values ranged from 0.06 to 72% in the studied areas. The weed similarity index was also different among the surveyed locations. The results of farmers perceptions on weed management in tomato fields showed that 61% of respondents practiced hoeing followed by hand weeding, and Tuta absoluta was the most significant constraint to tomato production in the surveyed areas.

Conclusions: This assessment showed that there are differences in the composition and distribution of weed species in tomato fields in Ethiopia, which aid in predicting the population dynamics of weed flora. Farmers perceptions of weed management practices in tomato fields were also different. Therefore, different environmentally friendly weed management options such as good crop husbandry, biological control, and integrated management should be designed to increase tomato production and productivity.
An evaluation of quality of sleep and prevalence of sleep disorders among adult population of Urban slum of Bangalore - a cross sectional study
Authors: Rao Mithun , Bhushan Shobha , TS Ranganath
Published: October 2023

Background: Sleep can be defined as a state of reduced attention from where the person can be woken up by any kind of stimuli. Sleep difficulties are a major group of disorders affecting one third of the adult population. The present study was taken up to assess the sleep quality and prevalence of sleep disorders among the adult population in the urban slum area of H Siddaiah Road Urban Primary Health Center (UPHC), which is in the Urban Field Practice Area, BMCRI.

Methods: Stratified random sampling was used to select 821 adults in the population of 18-60 years of age. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethical Committee. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview the adults after obtaining their consent. The data was entered in Microsoft Office Excel and analysed using SPSS ver20.0.

Results: The study population was 52.81% females and 77.5% in the age group of 18-30 years. Most of the study population were Hindus (78.90%), and only 3.8% of the study population were illiterate. Most of them were employed (86.12%).

Substance use was present in 82.9% of the study participants and overcrowding was present in 51.3% of the subjects. Female gender, being unemployed, living with relatives, overcrowding, and substance use such as alcohol and smokeless tobacco were the factors associated with poor sleep quality as measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Among the study participants having poor sleep quality, most of participants needed further clinical assessment for insomnia (86%) followed by assessment for sleep apnoea (50.5%).

Conclusions: 200 (24.36%) study participants were determined to have poor sleep quality. Gender, marital status and overcrowding were the factors associated with poor sleep quality. A significant number of study participants need further assessment on insomnia, sleep apnoea and psychiatric disorders.
Effectiveness of sensory stimulation and early mobility on consciousness, mental state, RLA stage, and hospital stay in patients with Traumatic brain injury: A research protocol
Authors: Purushe Devyani , Qureshi Moh’d Irshad , Raghuveer Raghumahanti
Published: October 2023

TBI is the most difficult to treat and has the highest mortality and morbidity rates in ICU. The most common cause of neurological abnormalities and physical disabilities in people is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Brain injury occurs when an external force causes a change in brain function or other signs of brain pathology. TBI is a leading cause of epilepsy and is linked to a high morbidity and mortality rate. Over the last few decades, India has seen an increase in traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of increased transportation development, a rapidly growing construction industry, and urbanization. A total of 30 patients with traumatic brain injuries will be included in this experimental study, and they will be evenly divided into two groups. Sensory stimulation with early mobility will be delivered to Group A, while traditional physiotherapy will be given to Group B for two weeks at 40 minutes per session, two sessions per day, 5 days a week. The Coma Recovery scale, Mini-mental scale examination (MMSE), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Ranchos Los Amigos scale for cognitive functioning, and length of stay in ICU will be used as outcome measures. The goal of this study is to see how early mobility exercises and sensory stimulation affect consciousness, mental state, RLA, and hospital stay when used in conjunction with physiotherapy. CTRI Reference Number CTRI/2022/07/044127
A Comparison of Pain Before and After Transfusion in Adult transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) Using BPI-SF
Authors: Gamayani Uni , Dianathasari Santoso Shenny , Nugraha Hermawan Asep , Irani Fianza Pandji , Panigoro Ramdan
Published: October 2023

Background

Pain is a complication in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT). There are several mechanisms underlying pain in people with thalassemia and low hemoglobin at the end of the transfusion cycle was the most etiology. Pain can develop into chronic pain and interfere with the quality of life. The Brief Pain Inventory Short Form (BPI-SF) can help identify pain in people with TDT. The present study aimed to compare pain before and after transfusion in adult TDT patients.

Methods

It was an analytical observational study using a cross-sectional design on adult TDT patients with pain who came to the Haemato-Oncology Clinic of Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital Bandung. This study was conducted from December 2020 to July 2021. All subjects were assisted in filling out the Indonesian version of the BPI-SF questionnaire hemoglobin levels were examined and before and after transfusion, then paired test analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon Test.

Results

This study is conducted on 60 adult TDT patients with symptoms of pain. The median value of pain intensity and pain interferes with life obtained from the Indonesian version of the BPI-SF score after transfusion decreased significantly compared to before transfusion (NRS 5 vs. 0 and 2.8 vs. 0; p=0.0001).

Conclusion

There is a significant difference in pain intensity and pain interfere with life in adults with TDT before and after transfusion. It is necessary to carry out pain assessments for thalassemia patients.
ECG of the month
Authors: Bloe Charles
Published: October 2023

In this issue’s ECG of the month, Charles Bloe presents the case of a 74-year-old man who presented with central chest pain, radiating into his throat and down both arms.
Effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Trigonella foenum-graecum leaves on wound healing in type 1 diabetic rats
Authors: Salimabad Fatemeh , Fathi Amene Nikgoftar , Babaei Saeid
Published: October 2023

Diabetes describes a group of metabolic disorders characterised by increased blood glucose concentration. People living with diabetes have a higher risk of morbidity and mortality than the general population. In 2015 it was estimated that there were 415 million (uncertainty interval: 340–536 million) people with diabetes aged 20–79 years, and 5.0 million deaths attributable to diabetes. When diabetic patients develop an ulcer, they become at high risk for major complications, including infection and amputation. The pathophysiologic relationship between diabetes and impaired healing is complex. Vascular, neuropathic, immune function, and biochemical abnormalities each contribute to the altered tissue repair. The use of herbal medicine has increased and attracted the attention of many researchers all over the world. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of 500mg/kg hydroalcoholic extract of Trigonella foenum-graecum leaves (TFG-E) on wound healing in diabetic rats using a full-thickness cutaneous incisional wound model. Wounds of treated animals showed better tensiometric indices, accelerated wound contraction, faster re-epithelialisation, improved neovascularisation, better modulation of fibroblasts and macrophage presence in the wound bed and moderate collagen formation.
An Analysis of Central Asian States’ Political Affinity to Global Powers: Case of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan
Authors: ÇALIK TOPUZ Zuhal
Published: October 2023

The Central Asian states, which remained under the Soviet regime for a long time, started to arouse curiosity in world politics about global and regional policy preferences after they gained their independence, and this situation led to an increase in the importance of Central Asia in global power competition. In this study, which is theorized around the concept of Small State, it is aimed to reveal the degree of political affinity towards the three global powers, China, Russia, and the USA, by analyzing the United Nations (UN) General Assembly voting data of the Central Asian States, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan between 1992-2021. The reason why the study is limited to three states from the Central Asian States is that only these states are suitable for the

definition of small states. According to the quantitative analysis results obtained based on the UN voting data; the three Central Asian States are closer to Russia and China than the USA from their establishment to the present in terms of political affinity; the political affinity with the USA has become increasingly different especially after the years 1995-96; and, it is understood that the political affinity with China has increased especially after the 2000s.
The Main Macroeconomic Determinants of Environmental Degradation in the Independent Turkic Republics and Türkiye: Panel Data Analysis
Authors: YAPRAKLI Sevda , ÖZDEMİR Dilek , BUZDAĞLI Özge
Published: October 2023

Precautions to prevent environmental degradation, which is important for the continuation of life, are among the most important issues to which all countries attach importance. For a sustainable environment, it is necessary to make both globally common and individual policy arrangements appropriate to the capabilities of each country. In the applied literature, there are very few studies on the main macroeconomic factors affecting environmental degradation in the independent Turkic Republics and Türkiye which have an ecological deficit despite their underground and aboveground natural resources. For this reason, panel data analyses were conducted for the independent Turkic Republics of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Türkiye using annual data for the period 1996-2018, depending on data availability. In the analysis, ecological footprint, which represents environmental degradation, is considered as a dependent variable; GDP per capita, economic complexity index, non-renewable and renewable energy consumption, and trade openness are considered as independent variables. The results of the analyses show that the most important determinants of environmental footprint are GDP per capita, non-renewable energy consumption, and economic complexity index.
A FUNÇÃO REGULATÓRIA DIANTE DOS ENTENDIMENTOS DO SUPREMO TRIBUNAL FEDERAL SOBRE SANEAMENTO BÁSICO E REGIONALIZAÇÃO DE SERVIÇOS PÚBLICOS
Authors: Veiga Vinicius Alvarenga e
Published: October 2023

Este estudo apresenta, com base em metodologia de estudo de caso, quais os entendimentos do Supremo Tribunal Federal sobre a prestação regionalizada de serviços públicos de saneamento básico, confrontando-os com o Novo Marco do Saneamento Básico (NMSB), demonstrando a importância desses entendimentos para o exercício constitucional, lícito, correto e seguro da função reguladora.
INVESTIMENTOS E MECANISMOS DE FINANCIAMENTO NO SETOR DE SANEAMENTO
Authors: Miterhof Marcelo Trindade , Pimentel Letícia Barbosa
Published: October 2023

O presente artigo se propõe a analisar o investimento em saneamento e suas diversas fontes de financiamento, conectando essas questões com outras mais gerais do setor – como as concessões ocorridas desde 2020, e as mudanças no arcabouço jurídico e regulatório do setor introduzidas pela Lei nº 14.026, de 15 de julho de 2020 (novo marco legal do saneamento). Para tal, traz um panorama dos investimentos nos últimos anos, comparando-o com as necessidades de investimento mapeadas para atingir as metas estabelecidas pelo novo marco legal. A análise desses dados permite mapear os principais desafios do setor no que diz respeito ao investimento: elevar seu patamar, desconcentrá-lo em termos regionais, e ampliar a participação de capital de terceiros. No que diz respeito ao último ponto, o texto delineia as vantagens e limites das principais fontes de financiamento do setor: bancos públicos e agências multilaterais, e emissões de debêntures. Além disso, é preciso contar com recursos fiscais – seja via Orçamento Geral da União, seja por meio de subsídios ao financiamento -, que se justificam pelas externalidades decorrentes da expansão do saneamento, e por seu caráter de direito humano fundamental. Para superar as questões colocadas, a estruturação de projetos, a capacitação dos entes públicos e a melhoria da regulação e da segurança jurídica são fundamentais.
Contemporary challenges in the process of the human resources management in the civil service - selected issues
Authors: Łukaszczuk-Walter Agnieszka , Bitkowska Agnieszka
Published: October 2023

Cel pracy

Artykuł miał na celu zwrócenie uwagi na działania instytucji administracji publicznej, które powinny podążać w kierunku realizacji funkcji personalnej wewnątrz organizacji, w oparciu o Nowe Zarządzanie Publiczne (New Public Management).

Materiał i metody

Przedmiotem naszych badań była problematyka zarządzania zasobami ludzkimi w korpusie służby cywilnej, należącej do sektora publicznego w urzędach administracji rządowej. W artykule zastosowano metodę prawno-porównawczą i metodę badania modeli.

Wyniki

Artykuł poruszył problematykę zarządzania zasobami ludzkimi w korpusie służby cywilnej, należącej do sektora publicznego w urzędach administracji rządowej.

Wnioski

Przeprowadzone badania doprowadziły do stwierdzenia, że zarządzanie zasobami ludzkimi, a zatem proces zatrudniania, planowania i rozwoju ścieżki zawodowej nie stanowi obszaru badawczego ograniczonego jedynie do sektora prywatnego. Przeciwnie – kierowanie zasobami ludzkimi jest jednakowo ważną materią podejmowaną w sektorze publicznym, a każdy etap tego procesu stanowi istotny element zarządzania organizacją jako całością. Służy realizacji funkcji personalnej, przez co pozwala postrzegać pracowników jako wartość dodaną organizacji publicznej, za jej podstawowe źródło sukcesu i najważniejszy kapitał.
Artykuł miał na celu zwrócenie uwagi na działania instytucji administracji publicznej, które powinny podążać w kierunku realizacji funkcji personalnej wewnątrz organizacji, w oparciu o Nowe Zarządzanie Publiczne (New Public Management). Dbałość o prawidłowy rozwój kadr administracji to dbałość o jej najważniejszy kapitał – pracowników wykonujących zadania publiczne na każdym szczeblu kariery zawodowej, które przekłada się na skuteczność i jakość świadczonych usług.
Management of pilgrimage traffic in Poland in functional terms
Authors: Pabian Barbara , Pabian Arnold
Published: October 2023

Cel pracy

Celem artykułu jest analiza potencjału i możliwości wykorzystania wiedzy z zakresu współczesnego zarządzania w odniesieniu do praktyki pieszego pielgrzymowania oraz przekazanie konkretnych rekomendacji dotyczących tej sfery.

Materiał i metody

Do badań na potrzeby niniejszego opracowania wybrano metodę desk research oraz obserwacji uczestniczącej, prowadzonej w trakcie pielgrzymek zmierzających do jasnogórskiego sanktuarium. Przeprowadzono krytyczną analizę literatury przedmiotu i prasy specjalistycznej, zastosowano też metodę analizy opisowej.

Wyniki

Uzyskane wyniki pokazują, że wzrost kompetencji z zakresu współczesnego zarządzania u osób duchownych i świeckich, które pełnią różnorakie funkcje kierownicze i pomocnicze na wszystkich etapach pieszych pielgrzymek (przygotowanie – realizacja – zakończenie) ułatwia optymalne wykorzystanie istniejących zasobów dla osiągnięcia celów, wśród których największe znaczenie ma odbiór duchowych treści przez pątników.

Wnioski

Profesjonalna wiedza przekłada się też na umiejętność koordynowania aktywności służb współpracujących ze sobą podczas pielgrzymki, czego pokłosiem będą rozwiązania, korzystne dla wszystkich interesariuszy, szczególnie te, które są trudne do uzyskania w pojedynkę. Nawet, schodzące na drugi plan, ale zaspokojone w drodze potrzeby materialne, są czynnikiem pozytywnie wpływającym na satysfakcję pątników z podjętego trudu peregrynacji i mogącym wpłynąć na decyzję o ich ponownym udziale w dobrze zorganizowanej pielgrzymce. W procesie zarządzania ruchem pielgrzymkowym największe znaczenie mają funkcje planowania i organizowania, natomiast mniejsze, ze względu na wrażliwą strukturę pielgrzymki, motywowanie i kontrola.
The mediating role of spiritual engagement in the relationship between religiosity and religious coping. Cross-sectional study among polish students
Authors: Jurek Krzysztof , Ślusarska Barbara , Deluga Alina , Nowicki Grzegorz , Niewiadomska Iwona
Published: October 2023

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine how spiritual engagement may mediate the relationship between an individual's religiosity and their use of religious coping strategies.

Material and methods

A total of 342 students from two universities in eastern Poland participated in the study. The average age was 20.85 [95% CI: 20.607-21.095] years old. The data were collected using the two standardized scales: the Brief - Religious Coping Questionnaire (Brief RCOPE) and Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List (SAIL).

Results

It was observed that positive religious coping strategies prevailed among the students surveyed. The highest-rated SAIL subscale was the Meaningfulness (4.65; 95% CI: 4.571-4.723), while the lowest was Transcendent Experience (3.28; 95% CI: 3.172-3.384). Significant positive correlations were found between the six areas of spirituality assessed by the SAIL scale and positive religious coping strategies. The results showed a significant total effect of religiosity on positive religious coping (beta=0,755; B=7.665;p<0.001; 95% CI: 6.30; 8.40).The direct effect of religiosity on positive religious coping was significant (beta=0,562; B=5.706; p<0.001; 95% CI: 4.85; 6.56). The effect of religiosity on positive religious coping was partially mediated by Transcendent Experiences and Spiritual Activities. The total indirect effect was 0.193 (95% CI: 0.125; 0.265).

Conclusions

The introducing aspects of spirituality and religiosity into higher education programs can help students of both medical and non-medical faculties to respond to the many difficult situations of daily life and move forward with a sense of achieving their designated tasks and goals.
Full-color optical combiner with good imaging quality and a wide angle of incident light acceptance
Authors: Xi Fenglin , Bos Philip
Published: October 2023

This work demonstrates a full-color optical image combiner for augmented reality head-up displays. In this device, the angle of the incident light of the computer-generated image reflected by it can vary over a large range. It achieves improved performance by using a combination of polarization interference filters (PIFs), quarter-wave retarders (QWRs), and polarization volume holograms (PVHs). The details for an example design and its performance are presented.
Improved STMask R-CNN-based defect detection model for automatic visual inspection of an optics lens
Authors: Tang Haiyang , Liang Shan , Yao Dan , Qiao Yongjie
Published: October 2023

A lens defect is a common quality issue that has seriously harmed the scattering characteristics and performance of optical elements, reducing the quality consistency of the finished products. Furthermore, the energy hotspots coming from the high-energy laser through diffraction of optical component defects are amplified step by step in multi-level laser conduction, causing serious damage to the optical system. Traditional manual detection mainly relies on experienced workers under a special light source environment with high labor intensity, low efficiency, and accuracy. The common machine vision techniques are incapable of detecting low contrast and complex morphological defects. To address these challenges, a deep learning-based method, named STMask R-CNN, is proposed to detect defects on the surface and inside of a lens in complex environments. A Swin Transformer, which focuses on improving the modeling and representation capability of the features in order to improve the detection performance, is incorporated into the Mask R-CNN in this case. A challenge dataset containing more than 3800 images (18000 defect sample targets) with five different types of optical lens defects was created to verify the proposed approach. According to our experiments, the presented STMask R-CNN reached a precision value of 98.2%, recall value of 97.7%, F1 score of 97.9%, mAP@0.5 value of 98.1%, and FPS value of 24 f/s, which outperformed the SSD, Faster R-CNN, and YOLOv5. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed STMask R-CNN outperformed other popular methods for multiscale targets, low contrast target detection and nesting, stacking, and intersecting defects sample detection, exhibiting good generalizability and robustness, as well as detection speed to meet mechanical equipment production efficiency requirements. In general, this research offers a favorable deep learning-based method for real-time automatic detection of optical lens defects.
Analysis and design of an ultra-wide temperature difference very long wave infrared multifunctional imaging spectrometer
Authors: Zhang Jialun , Zheng Yuquan , Lin Chao
Published: October 2023

The detection of various cryogenic targets, including the polar cryosphere,
high-altitude clouds, and cosmic galaxies through spectral analysis,
is a highly valuable area of research. Nevertheless, creating a very
long wave infrared (VLWIR) imaging spectrometer capable of detecting
these targets presents a significant challenge. In this paper, we
introduce a design concept for an ultra-wide temperature difference
athermalization VLWIR multifunctional imaging spectrometer. Initially,
we analyze the multifunctional characteristics of an imaging
spectrometer that utilizes a coaxial optical layout. Subsequently, we
delve into the constraints associated with smile aberration correction
and coaxial optical layout of the imaging spectrometer, which utilizes
a grism as the dispersion component. Finally, we construct a
computational model to determine the parameters of the grism. In the
study, we provide evidence that imaging spectrometers with symmetrical
structural forms can effectively minimize the impact of temperature
variations on the system. Building on these findings, we developed the
ultra-wide temperature difference athermalization VLWIR
multifunctional imaging spectrometer, which boasts a temperature
variation range over 200 K. This versatile instrument features
a multifunctional mode that can be easily tuned to meet a range of
observation missions. The spectrometer has a spectral range of 12µm to 16µm, a field of view (FoV) of 16.8mm×6mm, a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.334,
an alignment temperature of 293.15 K, and an operating
temperature of 60 K. The analysis results demonstrate the many
working modes and high imaging quality of the designed imaging
spectrometer. This paper’s research offers a fresh approach for
low-temperature VLWIR imaging spectrometer systems.