bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suspended Water Droplet Confined Laser Shock Processing at Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Liu Jian , Zhang Xiaohan , He Yali , Zhao Zhe , Xia Min , Hu Yaowu
Published: April 2022

The temperature-assisted laser shock process has shown promising prospects in the fields of forming manufacturing and surface strengthening. However, large-scale application of this process is limited by the instability and failure of confinement medium at high temperatures (≥300 ℃). Aiming at this problem, we propose a novel laser shock strategy based on Leidenfrost effect, where the suspended droplets are utilized as the confinement medium. According to the sequence of images acquired by time delay system and high-speed camera, the droplet dynamics behavior is studied. The focusing enhancement effect of the droplet is comprehensively explored. And the correlations between droplet size, ambient temperature, vapor layer thickness and focusing effect are investigated. Combining the dynamics and focusing enhancement effect of droplets, a theoretical model of laser shock pressure under droplet confinement is established. Finally, the effectiveness and feasibility of the droplet-based laser shock strategy in high temperature processing environments are verified by typical applications in laser shock forming and laser shock peening fields. The results show that the droplet-based laser shock process presents better forming effect. And the mechanical property tests demonstrate that this process can obtain the simultaneous improvement of the strength (~51%) and ductility (~6.4%) of annealed Cu. The multiscale plasticity mechanisms of the strengthened material are comprehensively investigated. We believe that this low-energy, low-cost and high-quality process can provide a new solution for the industrial application of laser shock at high temperatures.
 A Quantum Space Model of Cosmic Evolution: Dark Energy and the Fate of the Universe
Authors: Melendres Carlos
Published: April 2022

We present a Quantum Space Model (QSM) of cosmic evolution based on the theory that space consists of energy quanta which participates in the evolution of the universe. It shows that Dark Energy is the energy of space which causes its accelerating expansion. We used the Friedmann equations to trace the history of the cosmos from a time before the Big Bang to its ultimate end. The universe started from a quantum size volume of space with high energy density.Quantum fluctuations triggered the release of energy in a Big Bang at very high temperature and pressure. It then expanded and cooled undergoing phase transitions to radiation, fundamental particles, and matter. Matter grew into galaxies, and was further consolidated by gravity into Dark Energy Stars/Black Holes, ending in a Big Crunch at about 1.380 trillion years, thus bringing the universe back to its initial state. It can stay in a Deep Feeeze inside a Black Hole and through fluctuations or other mechanism may start a new cycle in its life with a new Bang. If the Law of Conservation of Energy is universal, then the cosmos is eternal. Space and energy are equivalent just as matter and energy are. This is well founded in Planck’s energy equation. They are the two most fundamental quantities in the universe that govern cosmic evolution. The two principal long range forces are the gravitational force and the space force.The latter could be the fifth force in the universe. They may provide the clockwork mechanism that operates our eternal cyclic universe.
Inovações para a pesca artesanal: subsídios para o desenvolvimento da atividade no Estado do Ceará
Authors: Cruz de Araujo Bezerra Vidigal Rochelle , Rodrigues Freire Eloy Halana , Catter Karla Maria , Muniz Souza Rossi Lelis , Lisboa Viviana , Nogueira Matias João Felipe , Maia Cruz Adylla
Published: April 2022

A pesca no Ceará, mesmo com sua elevada importância socioeconômica, apresenta grandes problemas. Dentre eles está a ausência de um programa de coleta de dados. Essa falta incide na falta da tomada de decisões e apoio ao desenvolvimento de políticas públicas. Com vistas a subsidiar o desenvolvimento da pesca no estado do Ceará, este artigo apresenta inovações utilizadas em outras pescarias no mundo e no Brasil que possam ser adequadas ao estado. Objetivo: proporcionar a modernização da pesca artesanal e a melhoria da qualidade de vida dos pescadores. Com base em revisão sistemática da literatura, concernente às inovações para pescarias de pequena escala e elencando a alguns problemas enfrentados pela pesca artesanal, definiu-se o co-manejo, o uso de aplicativos para o monitoramento e o comércio justo (fair trade) como inovações para impulsionar mudanças positivas nas comunidades pesqueiras do Estado. Os resultados apontam que a gestão compartilhada entre governo e usuários, através do manejo participativo, é uma medida favorável no gerenciamento da pesca artesanal e o uso de aplicativos para o monitoramento da pesca pode suprir a ausência de informações. Enquanto isso, o desenvolvimento de um comércio justo, criará oportunidades de mercado levando em consideração os aspectos sociais, econômicos e ambientais.
Palavras-Chave: Pesca Artesanal; Inovação; Co-manejo; Monitoramento; Comércio Justo.
Impactos nos fatores psicossociais de lideranças em sistemas de produção enxuta
Authors: Kiriyama Forte Iuri
Published: April 2022

Os aspectos provenientes da inovação de Henry Ford ocasionavam alguns problemas, visto que muitas peças eram produzidas em grande escala para um único modelo de carro. O resultado o deu-se em enormes estoques parados e alto índice de desperdício. Nesse contexto, surge no Japão, o Sistema Toyota de Produção ou como é conhecido, o Sistema Lean (comumente chamado de Sistema de Produção Enxuta). Embora esse modelo se mostrasse bastante promissor quanto a produtividade e otimização de recursos, identificou-se – também – a necessidade de dedicar maior atenção ao bem-estar do trabalhador, uma vez que o Sistema de Produção Enxuta (PE) também impactava os Fatores Psicossociais (denominados pela Organização Internacional do Trabalho como aspectos das condições de trabalho, estrutura organizacional, cultura, dentre outros). Objetivo: verificar se existe impacto nos riscos psicossociais em profissionais que desempenham cargos de liderança dentro do contexto de empresas que implantaram a PE. Como estratégia da pesquisa, foi desenvolvido e aplicado um questionário para avaliação das condições organizacionais percebidas por estes profissionais. Como resultado, foi possível identificar que não há influência da PE sobre os riscos psicossociais. Concluiu-se que, ao identificar indícios de impacto da PE sobre bem-estar no ambiente de trabalho, estes foram percebidos de forma positiva pelos respondentes.
Palavras-Chave: Sistema Lean; Produção Enxuta; Riscos Psicossociais.
Identificação e caracterização de Baixas Polares sobre a Península Antártica e mares adjacentes
Authors: De Carvalho Castro de Melo Anne , Pinto de Almeida Palmeira Ana Cristina , Figueiredo Menezes Wallace
Published: April 2022

As Baixas Polares (BP) são intensos ciclones marítimos de mesoescala (Rasmussen e Turner, 2003) com curto tempo de vida (geralmente entre 6 e 36 horas) e que ocorrem, preferencialmente, em regiões de altas latitudes em ambos os hemisférios. É um fenômeno com extensão horizontal menor que 1000 km e que geralmente se desenvolve na retaguarda de ciclones extratropicais.
Two-Year Revision Rates in Total Ankle Replacement Versus Ankle Arthrodesis
Authors: Randsborg Per-Henrik , Jiang Hongying , Mao Jialin , Devlin Vincent , Marinac-Dabic Danica , Peat Raquel , Sedrakyan Art
Published: April 2022

Background:

The aim of this study was to compare outcomes between total ankle replacement (TAR) and ankle arthrodesis (AA) for ankle osteoarthritis using real-world data.

Methods:

We used longitudinal claims data from New York State from October 2015 to December 2018, and from California from October 2015 to December 2017. The primary outcome was revision. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital complications and below-the-knee amputation. Propensity-score matching adjusted for differences in baseline characteristics. To determine predictors of the main outcome, each group was analyzed using multivariable Cox regressions.

Results:

There were 1,477 TAR procedures (50.2%) and 1,468 AA procedures (49.8%). Patients undergoing TAR were less likely to belong to a minority group and had fewer comorbidities compared with those undergoing AA. Crude analyses indicated that the TAR group had a lower risk of revision (5.4% versus 9.1%), in-hospital complications (<1% versus 1.8%), and below-the-knee amputation (<1% versus 4.9%) (p < 0.001 for all). However, in the propensity-score-matched analysis, the risk of revision was no longer significantly lower (TAR, 5.6% versus AA, 7.6%; p = 0.16). In the multivariable analyses, older age was predictive of a lower risk of revision after TAR (hazard ratio [HR], 0.96 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.93 to 1.00]), but age was not predictive of revision after AA (HR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.97 to 1.01]). Female patients were less likely to undergo revision after AA (HR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.39 to 0.96]), but sex was not predictive of revision after TAR (HR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.51 to 1.60]).

Conclusions:

The 2-year adjusted revision risk was 5.6% after TAR and 7.6% after AA. This difference did not reach significance. Older age was a predictor of lower revision risk after TAR. Men had a higher risk of revision than women after AA. The number of TAR procedures has now caught up with the number of AA procedures.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Videojuegos, salud, convivencia y adicción. ¿Qué dice la evidencia científica?
Authors: López-Gómez Silvia , Rial-Boubeta Antonio , Marín-Suelves Diana , Rodríguez-Rodríguez Jesús
Published: April 2022

El uso de videojuegos provoca discursos encontrados respecto a sus beneficios o perjuicios sobre la salud mental, la adicción y la convivencia. Actualmente, el Trastorno por Uso de Videojuegos aparece en las clasificaciones diagnósticas de la OMS (CIE-11) y de la APA (Sección III del DSM-5), lo que muestra el alcance de esta cuestión. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar la literatura científica de 2016 a 2020 desde una doble vertiente, para poner de relieve la tendencia de los estudios y arrojar luz sobre los efectos del uso de videojuegos en menores. Se realizó un estudio bibliométrico y de contenido utilizando la base de datos Scopus, identificando 1,519 referencias, de las cuales 151 se emplearon para el estudio bibliométrico y las 98 disponibles en acceso abierto para el análisis de contenido. Los resultados muestran que, en general, no se puede afirmar que tengan efectos negativos per se, aunque los estudios coinciden en que pueden dar lugar a un uso problemático, por lo que ha de supervisarse de manera oportuna por los adultos significativos. Igualmente, existen trabajos que muestran los beneficios de la introducción de los videojuegos como herramienta para el aprendizaje y el desarrollo. Se concluye la polarización de estudios, señalando tanto efectos positivos como negativos de los videojuegos.
SEG-2 Viewer MATLAB® APP User Guide - Video Guide
Authors: Zhou Rongmao , Lee Rebekah
Published: April 2022

This record contains a video associated with the technical note ERDC/GSL TN-22-XX "SEG-2 Viewer MATLAB® APP User Guide". The video in question is intended to assist the user with using the app described in the technical note.
Contributions of Socioeconomic, Demographic, and Behavioral Risk Factors to All-Cause Mortality Disparities by Psychological Distress in the United States: A Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition Analysis of Longitudinal Data
Authors: Lee Hyunjung , Singh Gopal
Published: April 2022

Background: Previous research has shown a significant association between psychological distress (PD) and all-cause mortality. However, there is a dearth of studies quantifying the contributions of sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics to group differences in mortality. In this study, we identify factors of mortality differences by PD.
Methods: The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis was used to quantify the contributions of individual sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics to the observed mortality differences between United States (US) adults with no PD and those with serious psychological distress (SPD), using the pooled data from the 1997-2014 National Health Interview Survey prospectively linked to the 1997-2015 National Death Index (N = 263,825).
Results: Low educational level, low household income, and high proportions of current smokers, renters, former drinkers, and adults experiencing marital dissolution contributed to high all-cause mortality among adults with SPD. The relative percentage of all-cause mortality disparity explained by socioeconomic and demographic factors was 38.86%. Approximately 47% of the mortality disparity was attributed to both sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. Lower educational level (21.13%) was the top contributor to higher all-cause mortality among adults with SPD, followed by smoking status (13.51%), poverty status (11.77%), housing tenure (5.11%), alcohol consumption (4.82%), marital status (3.61%), and nativity/immigrant status (1.95%). Age, sex, and body mass index alleviated all-cause mortality risk among adults with SPD.
Conclusions and Global Health Implications: Improved education and higher income levels, and reduced smoking among US adults with SPD might eliminate around half of the all-cause mortality disparity by SPD. Such a policy strategy might lead to reductions in mental health disparities and adverse health impacts both in the US and globally.
 
Copyright © 2022 Lee et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.
Biochemical base of resistance in citrus against canker disease
Authors: Hameed Akhtar
Published: April 2022

Biochemical compounds are important factors in plant-disease interactions. Plants become prone to pathogen infection due to alterations in these compounds which help the plants in restricting the pathogens. Knowledge of these alterations is helpful for researchers to develop some concrete solutions for the management of canker disease. For this purpose, experiments were conducted with three replications to find out the alterations in biochemical compounds of citrus leaves infected with canker disease by artificial inoculation through syringe method. So, six varieties (three susceptible and three resistant) were selected after two years screening of thirty species of citrus under natural field conditions. Leaves of susceptible (Grapefruit, Succari, Kinnow) and resistant (Kumquat, Jaffa, China lemon) varieties of inoculated and un-inoculated groups were collected and analyzed for variation in biochemical compounds by using Nested Structured Design. Variations (p ≤ 0.05) were observed in the biochemical compounds among the treatment types. Resistant type of plants expressed 3.35, 2.90, 1.01, 2.10, 2.50, 3.18, and 0.66 µg/g, susceptible type expressed 2.29, 2.49, 1.36, 2.41, 1.73, 4.13 and 0.86 µg/g of total phenolic contents, total soluble sugars, super oxidase dismutase, peroxidase, total soluble proteins, catalase and hydrogen peroxide respectively, while in case of groups, inoculated pants expressed 1.59,2.52, 1.98, 3.20, 0.93, 5.11 and 1.21 µg/g and un-inoculated group exhibited 4.05, 2.87, 0.39, 1.30,3.29, 2.19 and 0.30 µg/g. These variations can be used as biochemical markers to identify source of resistance in citrus species against canker disease.
An integrated approach for estimation of van genuchten model parameters in undisturbed and unsaturated soils
Authors: Aslam Muhammad
Published: April 2022

The hydraulic properties of soil are very important to determine the soil relationship with water. The Soil Hydraulic Properties (SHP) are used to determine the soil water relationship as it is very crucial for estimation of water holding capacity of soil. In real field conditions, most widely used model for soil moisture retention curves is van Genuchten model. The soil samples were taken randomly from five different depths with three replications of each depth. Moreover, two samples at the depth of 5-35cm and 35-155cm were selected for evaluation of integrated approach to find soil characteristic curves. Soil moisture characteristic curves calculated by integral approach were compared with, soil moisture curves measured by pressure plate apparatus, and Soil Plant Air Water (SPAW) hydrology a computer based Model. The accuracy of results were evaluated by determination of Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Normalize Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) and Willmott’s index of agreement (£). A good agreement was observed between integrated approach, high-pressure technique and SPAW model results. In case of integrated method versus high-pressure technique the RMSE was 9.51×10-3 for 5-30cm depth and 8.32×10- 3 for 30-155cm depth. The NRMSEs was 6.52 ×10-2 for 5-30cm depth and 6.1×10-2 for 30-155cm depth, similarly £ was 0.881 and 0.893 for both depths 5-30cm and 30-155cm respectively. Regression coefficient (R2 ) for 5-35cm depth for sorptivity (s) and wetting distance (d) were 0.991 and 0.988 respectively and at depth of 35-155cm, R2 for (s) was 0.990 and for wetting distance (d) was 0.994. In case of integrated method versus SPAW hydrology the RMSEs was 1.3×10-2 for 5-30cm depth and 1.15×10-2 for 30-155cm depth. The NRMSEs for was 9.33 ×10-2 for 5-30cm depth and 7.15×10-2 for 30-155cm depth and similarly £ was 0.852 and 0.863 for both depths respectively. Results indicated a good relationship between high-pressure technique, SPAW hydrology results and integral method. However, integrated approach is best approach to determine the soil moisture characteristics curves of undisturbed and unsaturated soils
Cultural resources: tourism and its impact on environment
Authors: Oad Sahib
Published: April 2022

Pakistan is rich in cultural and natural resources and these resources proved to be helpful for the promotion of the tourism sector in the country. This sector does not only contribute to the national economy but also generates thousands of job opportunities in the country. Apart from economic development, Tourism affects adversely the environment. According to the previous studies, there is a relationship between TM and the degradation of the environment. We design this study to find the linkages between Tourism (TM), CO2 emissions (CEs), GDP per capita (GDPPC) and Energy Use (EU). The annual data from 1995 to 2014 is used to examine the relationship among factors. The Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) approach is used to analyse the data. The findings indicated that there is a positive relationship between TM and CEs but not significant at 5%. Moreover, the results indicate that the GDPPC and EU have a positive and significant relationship with CEs because the P-values of both variables’ coefficients are lesser than 5%. This study reveals that energy, used by the industrial sector, enhances CEs, validating that CEs registered a substantial rise because the industrial sector was using more energy rather than other sectors like tourism.
Feed use efficiency in small-scale peri-urban dairy herds of Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Tariq Muhammad
Published: April 2022

Dairy farming is an important activity for many urban dwellers in Asia who serves the rapidly increasing milk demand. The major influencing factor that affects animal health, milk production and reproduction and thus overall productivity attributes of dairy animals is efficient feeding and nutritional management. Therefore, this study was planned to evaluate existing husbandry practices to optimize feeding and resources use efficiency. During 12 months, data on demographic events, amounts and quality of feeds offered, milk offtake and body weight changes was collected from 15 mixed buffalo and cattle dairy herds in Faisalabad. The 15 studied farms were classified as semi-commercial small-scale mixed (SSM), semi-commercial smallscale dairy (SSD) and commercial small-scale dairy (CSD) producers. The offer of feed dry matter (DM) and crude protein differed (P<0.05) between the three farm types and the four seasons of a year. Daily offtake of fat corrected milk averaged 13.5 and 8.1 liters per buffaloes and cattle, whereby seasonal variations were only observed in buffaloes. Input of feed DM per unit of milk produced was lowest on CSD followed by SSM farms with SSD farms showing least efficient feed use. Similarly, gross margin of selling milk and occasionally live animals was higher on SSM and CSD farms than on SSD farms. It was concluded that more efficient feed utilization and thus higher gross margin from milk production could be achieved by group feeding of buffaloes and cattle, respectively, according to their physiological and productive needs.
Response of sunflower to foliar application of bio-liquid fertilizers under various sowing dates
Authors: Idrees Muhammad
Published: April 2022

A two years field trail was conducted for evaluating the effect of different bio-liquids (vermiwash) sources on sunflower sown at different sowing dates. Experiment was comprised of three sowing dates viz. 20th February, 1st March and 10th March, with three levels of vermiwash viz. alligator @ 15%, alfalfa @ 15% and alligator @ 7.5% + alfalfa @ 7.5% along with control. Foliar application of bio-liquid was sprayed at bud formation, flower initiation and seed (achene) formation. Results revealed that during both the years of study, sowing dates and vermiwash sources significantly affected the yield and quality attributes. Moreover, sunflower planting on 20th February alongside alligator weed bio-liquid @ 15% produced significantly maximum height of the plant (246 and 241 cm), stem circumference (2.36 and 2.31 cm), head circumference (18.6 and 18.2 cm), 1000- achene’s weight (64.72 and 66.18 g) and achene yield (3237 and 3310 kg ha-1 ). This combination also significantly improved the quality traits of sunflower like achene oil contents (50.79 and 49.89%), protein contents (19.67 and 19.32%), oleic acid (30.99 and 30.44%)) and linoleic acid contents (59.94 and 58.88%). It can be concluded from the study that sunflower planting on 20th February with bio-liquid alligator (Alternanthra) weed 15% exhibited maximum morphological and quality performance of sunflower.
Synergistic effect of phytoharmones and gypsum on alleviation of salt stress in rice plants
Authors: Ahmed Khalil
Published: April 2022

In many geographical areas, salinity is an environmental factor accounting for reduced crop productivity and deteriorates the soil quality. To minimize the injurious effect of salinity present study was conducted to evaluate the response of rice to foliar application of phytohormones salicylic acid (SA @ 10-5 M) and L-tryptophan (L-TRP @10-5 M) singly or in combination and soil-applied gypsum (with and without gypsum) under saline-sodic soil for the consecutive two years (2014-2015). Results showed that combined treatment of phytohormones (salicylic acid + L-tryptophan @ 10-5 M in 1:1 ratio) with 50% gypsum requirement of soil significantly (P ≤ 0.05) influenced growth and yield attributes of rice plants and increased the grain yield by up to 26% and 32.80% during 2014 and 2015 respectively compared with control. Results also demonstrated that individual application of salicylic acid or L-tryptophan improved the behavior of rice plants under salinity stress in comparison to control, however, best results in terms of yield and growth attributes were achieved in response to combined treatment of SA+L-TRP. Higher ameliorative efficiency in the terms of improved ECe, SAR, pHs, BD and HC were obtained with gypsum @ 50% GR in comparison to without gypsum application. Results highlighted that salinity tolerance of rice plants was enhanced under the cumulative effect of phytohormones suggesting that salicylic acid and L-tryptophan interact synergistically and proved a good strategy to alleviate salt stress. Keywords: gypsum; hormones; salicylic acid; L-tryptophan; rice; salinity. Abbreviations used: L-TRP (L-tryptophan); SA (salicylic acid); pHs (pH of soil saturated past); SAR (sodium absorption ratio); ECe (electrical conductivity of soil extract); HC (hydraulic conductivity); BD (bulk density); GR (gypsum requirement)
Multiple biomarker responses in Female Clarias gariepinus exposed to Acetaminophen
Authors: Erhunmwunse Nosakhare Osazee , Tongo Isioma , Ezemonye Lawrence Ikechukwu
Published: April 2022

There are increasing concerns over the detection of acetaminophen (APAP) in surface and ground waters across the globe. Its impacts on non-target aquatic organisms have often been under monitored due to cost implication with specific biomarkers in the exposed organisms increasing the underestimation of the impacts of APAP thus generating some questions on the credibility of the choice single monitored marker. This study evaluated the possible multi-toxic effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of APAP in female catfish (Clarias gariepinus) exposed for 28 days using multiple biomarkers. Our results show that acetaminophen triggered oxidative stress with superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) activities significantly differ in the acetaminophen-exposed female catfish from the control. Histopathological alterations in the liver of acetaminophen-exposed female fish showed apoptotic hyperplasia, sinusoidal congestion, and necrosis of the hepatocytes, which were concentration-dependent. APAP exposure enhanced the fusion and shortening of some filaments, hyperplasia of the epithelia gills cells, aneurism, congestion and epithelia rupture of the gills and was ovarian toxic. Multivariate results indicated that there was a distinct response from the acetaminophen-exposed female catfish with over 95% of the biomarkers significantly contributing to the discriminate between the acetaminophen-exposed female catfish and the control groups. Based on the data presented in this study for female catfish exposed to acetaminophen, it can be concluded that monitoring multiple biomarkers provides a more comprehensive picture of the exposed fish's health than single markers. As a result, pharmaceuticals may cause several alterations or multiple effects in non-targeted exposed organisms in the aquatic environment, yielding a less realistic risk assessment result in monitoring programs using single marker. Our research provides evidence supporting the use of a multiple-biomarkers approach to evaluate the impacts of drugs on the health status of female C. gariepinus over single markers.
Analysis of lacrimal duct morphology from cone-beam CT dacryocystography in a Japanese population
Authors: Nakamura Jutaro , Kamao Tomoyuki , Mitani Arisa , Mizuki Nobuhisa , Shiraishi Atsushi
Published: April 2022

Purpose: The dacryoendoscope is a practical instrument for the examination and the treatment of lacrimal duct obstruction. Nevertheless, being a rigid fiberscope, manipulation of the endoscope is somewhat affected by the patient's lacrimal duct alignment and the skeletal structure of the face. The morphology and inclination of the lacrimal duct differ among individuals and ethnic groups. We aimed to evaluate the alignment of the lacrimal duct from the perspective of endoscopic maneuverability in a Japanese population.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the CBCT-DCG images of 102 cases diagnosed with unilateral primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) at Ehime University Hospital from December 2015 to May 2021. We investigated the following parameters of the lacrimal duct on the contralateral side of unilateral PANDO: 1) the angle formed by the superior orbital rim–internal common punctum–nasolacrimal duct opening, 2) the angle formed by the lacrimal sac and the nasolacrimal duct, 3) the length of the lacrimal sac, 4) the length of the nasolacrimal duct.Results: The measurement results were as follows: 1) 10.2 ± 7.8° (range, −11° to +27°); 2) −6.3 ± 14.1° (range, −43° to +40°); 3) 8.9 ± 2.3 mm (range, 4.3–17.1); 4) 13.2 ± 2.7 mm (range, 5.7–20.7). Of these parameters, values of all except 3) followed a normal distribution.Conclusions: We reported anthropometric data analyzing the morphology of the lacrimal ducts using CBCT-DCG in a Japanese population. In our cohort, the line from the superior orbital rim through the internal common punctum to the nasolacrimal duct inclined anteriorly in 92% of cases. In such cases, a probe with a bent or curved tip was considered more appropriate than a straight-type probe.
A WeChat-based competency and performance checklist in basic surgical skills course for military medical academy undergraduates
Authors: Chang Yifan , Luo Pengfei , Shui Xianqi , Zhou Yamei , Jiang Xiaoyu , Liu Jia , Sun Yu
Published: April 2022

Background Basic surgical skills (BSS) is a key bridging course for medical school students to acquire knot-tying, suturing, and other surgical maneuvers and practice animal surgery before clinical rotation, but the complexity of operational procedures and high demands on asepsis may lead to poor performance and frequent error during practice. The current study evaluated the effect of competency and performance checklists on the teaching of BSS course for medical academy undergraduates.Methods WeChat-based checklists containing competency and performance modules was designed, distributed and collected via smartphone. 176 third-grade undergraduate cadets majoring in clinical medicine or anesthesiology were prospectively enrolled, with 92 set as study group and 84 as control group. Checklists were distributed for self-evaluation before and after each class throughout the semester of autumn 2021-2022. Student age, previous GPA, average grades of BSS (including grade-A rate and pass rate), operative time, error rate, and perioperative complications of intestinal anastomosis performed on Beagle dogs between the groups were compared to evaluate the efficacy of the checklists.ResultsThe students aged 20.2±0.63 in Group A and 20.3±0.92 in Group B (p=0.15), with a previous GPA of 2.9±0.61 vs 2.87±0.58 (p=0.61). The average operative time on their final lesson of intestinal anastomosis was 192.3±27.18 min vs 213.8±29.48 min (p<0.001). All students passed in BSS course, with a final grade of 89.45±4.360 in Group A and 86.64±4.026 in Group B (p<0.001), in which grade-A rate was 46.7% vs 26.2% (p=0.005). For perioperative comorbidities, 4/23 (17.4%) animals in Group A and 5/21 (23.8%) in Group B recorded wound dehiscence or other incision-related complications; no animals died in Group A, and 2 died in Group B due to hemorrhagic shock or sepsis.ConclusionsThe implementation of WeChat-based checklist is a reflection of improved quality of teaching in basic surgical skills course that may promote the students’ competency and performance.
Tunable narrow-band single-channel add-drop integrated optical filter with ultrawide FSR
Authors: Sun Chunlei , Yin Yuexin , Chen Zequn , Ye Yuting , Luo Ye , Ma Hui , Wang Lichun , Wei Maoliang , Jian Jialing , Tang Renjie , Dai Hao , Wu Jianghong , Li Junying , Zhang Daming , Lin Hongtao , Li Lan
Published: April 2022

Free-spectral-range (FSR)-free optical filters have always been a critical challenge for photonic integrated circuits. A high-performance FSR-free filter is highly desired for communication, spectroscopy, and sensing applications. Despite significant progress in integrated optical filters, the FSR-free filter with a tunable narrow-band, high out-of-band rejection, and large fabrication tolerance has rarely been demonstrated. In this paper, we propose an exact and robust design method for add-drop filters (ADFs) with an FSR-free operation capability, a sub-nanometer optical bandwidth, and a high out-of-band rejection (OBR) ratio. The achieved filter has a 3-dB bandwidth of < 0.5 nm and an OBR ratio of 21.5 dB within a large waveband of 220 nm, which to the best of our knowledge, is the largest-FSR ADF demonstrated on a silicon photonic platform. The filter exhibits large tunability of 12.3 nm with a heating efficiency of 97 pm/mW and maintains the FSR-free feature in the whole tuning process. In addition, we fabricated a series of ADFs with different periods, which all showed reliable and excellent performances.
The Effect of Dynamic Normal Force on the Stick-slip Vibration Characteristics
Authors: Zhu Y.G. , Wang R.L. , Xiang Z.Y. , Mo Jiliang , Ouyang H.
Published: April 2022

In the experiment, we observed such a phenomenon: the alternating normal force changes the vibration state of a friction system. A single-degree-of-freedom mathematical model was used in this paper to discuss the effects of a constant and alternating normal force on the stick-slip vibration characteristics for different dynamic and static friction coefficients. Under the condition that the applied constant normal force continues to increase, the vibration amplitude of the system, the amplitude of the limit cycle, and the adhesion time of the system increase. When the difference between the dynamic and static friction coefficients (DSFC) is small, the system has a complete and clear limit cycle. When the dynamic friction coefficient is reduced, the difference between DSFC increases, and the limit cycle of the system is deformed. The friction system has more abundant dynamic vibration characteristics under an alternating normal force than a constant normal force. The vibration state of the system presents a single-cycle stick-slip vibration when the alternating normal force excites the multi-order harmonic response of the friction system, and the excitation frequency of the alternating normal force is the same as the main response frequency of the system with the highest energy or the low-order even-order main frequency. In contrast, the system exhibits various vibration modes when the excitation frequency of the alternating normal force is dissimilar to the main frequency of the system's highest energy response or is consistent with the odd-order main frequency. In addition, increasing the difference between DSFC or using very high excitation frequencies and excitation amplitudes increase the likelihood of the system entering a chaotic vibration state.
Characterisation of coal and its combustion ash: recognition of environmental impact and remediation
Authors: SAHA DEBASREE , Roychowdhury Tarit
Published: April 2022

Energy generation from coal poses an environmental drawback due to the abundance of some potential hazardous elements (PHEs). A few PHEs (As, Sb, Cu, Mn and Zn) are noticed in the coal collected from thermal power plants of India. Among them, As and Sb are depleted while Cu, Mn, and Zn are enriched in fly and bottom ash. The short- and long-term exposure of these PHEs into the ecosystem by emission, deposition, and leaching causes environmental contamination as well as pollution and health hazards. The water-leaching experiment shows that these elements have feeble mobilisation tendency and low risk. The bioavailability test reflects that bio-uptake of these PHEs into the human system may be the origin of several diseases. Proper storage and recycling of the large amount of fly and bottom ash is a serious concern of thermal power plants. Chemical characterisation of ash, including elemental mapping by scanning electron microscope, calculated enrichment ratio (ER), and relative enrichment index (REI) values, as well as lab-scale water-leaching experiments predict that combustion residues of the studied power generating unit are safe for utilisation in construction, geotechnical, and even in agricultural sectors. Chemical characterisation and pre-treatment of ashes before utilisation are urgently required to predict any possible contamination. Regular scrutiny of emission control device, proper management of ash disposal, and frequent utilisation are the keys for clean energy generation. A bottomless chemical and physical autopsy of coal by power plants prior to utilisation is the primary task for sustainable energy generation from environmental aspect.
Fungal endophytes of Himalayan Cold Desert Induces Heat tolerance in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: S Arpitha P , N Earanna , S Shivashankara K , H Laxman R
Published: April 2022

The plants growing in cold desert of western Himalaya have inhabited diversified endophytes. These endophytes can provide fitness to plant under harsh environmental situations. In the current study, 22 fungal endophytes isolated from Artemisia and Xerophytic plants growing in the cold desert were screened for thermo-tolerance at different temperature ranges (28, 30 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 o C) under in vitro . The only three isolates viz ., A2, A7 and X5 exhibited growth up to 40 o C and identified as Penicilium funiculosum (A2), Ceriporia lacerate (A7) and Endomelanconiopsis endophytica (X5) using ITS region. These endophytes inoculated to rice seedlings and exposed to elevated temperature (45 ℃) for 7hr per day for 10 days to study their effect on tolerance of rice to heat stress. The results revealed that endophytes inoculated seedlings showed sustained improvement in shoot and root growth. The E. endophytica was chosen to be the best endophyte to impart heat stress as per Fernandez model. This study suggested that cold desert endophytes could induce heat tolerance in plants.
Bone Regeneration and Repair: The Negative Influence of Positive Charge
Authors: He Lin , Yao Yingling , Wang Nan , Nan Guoxin
Published: April 2022

Fracture nonunion is a common and challenging complication. Studies have reported that direct current stimulation can promote fracture healing, but there are reports that there are differences in cell density near positive and negative electrodes during direct current stimulation. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of direct current positive and negative electrodes on the proliferation of osteoblasts and the effect on fracture healing in vivo. In vitro, MC3T3-E1 cells were stimulated by positive and negative charge to observe cell proliferation, apoptosis and osteogenic factor expression. In vivo, after the model of double toes fracture in New Zealand white rabbits was built, positive and negative charge were respectively connected to Kirschner Wires of fractures. DR examination was performed on Day 1, Day 15 and Day 30 to observe the fracture healing. All rabbits were killed after the last examination, the bone tissue samples were analyzed histologically. The results showed that compared with the control group, after DC stimulation, the number of cells near the positive electrode decreased significantly (P < 0.05), apoptosis increased (P < 0.05), osteocalcin, osteoblast specific gene and osteonectin decreased significantly near the positive electrode (P < 0.05), and increased significantly at the negative electrode (P < 0.05). The fracture at the positive electrode junction of New Zealand white rabbits did not heal. Histomorphological analysis showed that there were more bone trabeculae and calcified bone in the bone tissue sections of the control group and the negative electrode than at the positive electrode. The thickness of bone trabeculae was thick and the connection was good. Positive charge inhibit the cell proliferation of osteoblasts; the fracture site with positive charge is not favor of fracture healing. The positive charge near the fracture site may be a reason for fracture nonunion.
Projection of precipitation extreme in Amu River Basin using CMIP6 GCMs
Authors: Salehie Obaidullah , Ismail Tarmizi , Shahid Shamsuddin
Published: April 2022

Amplification of the hydrological cycle due to global warming-induced climate change has intensified extreme precipitation globally. The dry regions are more responsive to the changes in precipitation extremes. This study attempted to assess the changes in eleven extreme precipitation indices in the predominantly arid transboundary Amu River Basin (ARB) of central Asia (CA) for two future time horizons, early (2020–2059) and late (2060–2099), for four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP1-2.6, 2-4.5, 3–7.0 and 5-8.5). The daily precipitation simulations of four CMIP6 GCMs, previously found most capable in simulating the climate of ARB, were used for this purpose. Results revealed that annual precipitation (Pr) would increase by 70 to 110 mm in the east and decrease by 10 to 30 mm in the center and west of the basin, making the water resources in the basin spatially more imbalanced. Increased precipitation would cause a rise in continuous wet days, a reduction in continuous dry days over the basin, and an increase in precipitation intensity over a region in the east. The days with precipitation above 95 and 99 percentiles and the maximum one day and maximum consecutive five days precipitation will increase at a higher rate in the upstream mountainous regions of the basin's east. The changes in precipitation extremes would make the flood-prone eastern region of the basin more susceptible to floods while drought-prone central and west to drier.
Improving Boosting Methods With A Stable Loss Function Handling Outliers
Authors: Chao Wang , Li Bo , Wang Lei , Peng Pai
Published: April 2022

In classification problems, the occurrence of abnormal observations is often encountered. How to obtain a stable model to deal with outliers has always been a subject of widespread concern. In this article, we draw on the ideas of the AdaBoosting algorithm and propose a asymptotically linear loss function, which makes the output function more stable for contaminated samples, and two boosting algorithms were designed, based on two different way of updating, to handle outliers. In addition, a skill for overcoming the instability of Newton's method when dealing with weak convexity is introduced. Several samples, where outliers were artificially added, show that the Discrete L-AdaBoost and Real L-AdaBoost Algorithms find the boundary of each category consistently under the condition where data is contaminated. In real world data sets, we show the effectiveness of suggested algorithms by comparison with other two ensemble learning methods, especially for large dataset.
Circulating levels of PCSK9, ANGPTL3 and Lp(a) in stage III breast cancers
Authors: Chong Emilie Wong , Joncas France-Hélène , Seidah Nabil G. , Calon Frédéric , Diorio Caroline , Gangloff Anne
Published: April 2022

Background/ Synopsis: Cholesterol plays an important role in sustaining tumor growth and metastasis in a large variety of cancers. New and powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs are being used in combination to treat cardiovascular diseases. Thus, it becomes intuitive to verify whether these drugs could be combined to induce a cholesterol shortage sufficient to impede tumor progression. Circulating levels of the targets of a new generation of lipid-lowering drugs have not been fully investigated in cancers. Given that drugs directed against PCSK9 (evolocumab, alirocumab, inclisiran), ANGPTL3 (evinacumab) and Lp(a) (pelacarsen) are available, it becomes important to assess circulating levels of these drug targets and their role in cancers. Objective/Purpose: To compare circulating levels of PCSK9, ANGPTL3, and Lp(a) in women with stage III breast cancer versus women with premalignant or benign breast lesions. Methods: Twenty-three plasma samples from women diagnosed with a stage III breast cancer (ductal, lobular or mixed) were matched for age with twenty-three plasma samples from women bearing premalignant (stage 0, n=9) or benign (n= 14) breast lesions. The lipid profile (Apo B, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels) and Lp(a) were measured on a Roche Modular analytical platform, whereas LDL levels were calculated with the Friedewald formula. ANGPTL3 and PCSK9 plasma levels were quantitated by ELISA. All statistical analyses were performed using SAS software version 9.4. Results: PCSK9 levels were significantly higher in women with stage III breast cancer compared to age-matched counterparts presenting a benign lesion (95.9 +/- 27.1 ng/mL vs. 78.5 +/- 19.3 ng/mL, p<0.05, n=14). Moreover, PCSK9 levels positively correlated with breast disease severity (benign, stage 0, stage III) (Rho=0.34, p<0.05, n=46). In contrast, ANGPTL3 and Lp(a) plasma levels did not display any association with breast disease status and lipids did not correlate with disease severity. Conclusion: In this cohort of 46 women, PCSK9 levels increased along with the severity of breast disease. Given that PCSK9 plays an important role in maintaining cholesterolemia and has been shown to degrade MHC-I on tumor cells, impeding immune T-cells response to tumors, the association between PCSK9 levels and breast disease severity needs to be further investigated in larger studies.
Prediction of Alzheimer's Disease from Magnetic Resonance Imaging using a Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: de Silva Kevin , Kunz Holger
Published: April 2022

Objectives: The primary goal of this study is to examine if a convolutional neural network (CNN) can be applied as a diagnostic tool predicting Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the MIRIAD-dataset (Minimal Interval Resonance Imaging in Alzheimer's Disease).Methods: The MIRIAD-dataset contains patients represented by a set of MRI scans of the brain and further diagnostic data. Hyperparameter and configurations of CNNs were optimized to determine the best-performing model. The CNN was implemented in Python with the deep learning library ‘Keras’ using Linux/Ubuntu as the operating system.Results: This study obtained the following best performance metrics on predicting Alzheimer’s Disease from MRI: Matthew's Correlation Coefficient (MCC) of 0.77; accuracy of 0.89; F1-score of 0.89; AUC of 0.92. The computational time for training of a CNN takes less than 30 seconds with a GPU (graphics processing unit).Conclusions: The study suggests that an axial MRI scan can be used to diagnose if a patient has Alzheimer's Disease with a performance of 0.92 AUC.
Risk factors for upper limb fractures due to unintentional injuries among adolescents: a case control study from Sri Lanka
Authors: Jayasekera Hemali , Siritunga Samitha , Senarath Upul , Gill Paramjit
Published: April 2022

BackgroundInjuries are the number one cause for morbidity and mortality among adolescents. Adolescent fractures are a hidden public health problem in Sri Lanka. Upper limb fractures are common in adolescents due to various risk factors. Many injuries are predictable and can be prevented by identifying the risk factors. The aim of the study was to determine the risk factors for upper limb fractures among adolescents in Sri Lanka.MethodsA case control study was undertaken with 450 cases and 450 controls. Cases were recruited consecutively from six major hospitals from the adolescent victims who had admitted with newly diagnosed upper limb fractures and controls were apparently healthy adolescents from the same district and excluded previous upper limb fractures. Risk factors for upper limb fractures were assessed by odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and adjusted for possible confounding by performing logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe mean age of the cases was 13.62 years with a Standard Deviation (SD) of 2.8 and controls was 12.75 years (SD = 2.7) respectively. Having a high standard of living index (OR = 3.52; 95%CI: 2.3–5.2), being in a high social class category (social class I & II) (OR = 2.58, 95%CI: 1.7–3.92), engage in physical or sports activity (OR = 9.36; 95%CI: 3.31–26.47), watching television (OR = 1.95; 95%CI: 1.18–3.22), playing video or computer games (OR = 2.35; 95%CI: 1.7–3.24), and attending extra classes (OR = 1.82; 95%CI: 1.2–2.7) were risk factors for having a upper limb fracture.Trial registration: N/A