bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LDIAED: A lightweight deep learning algorithm implementable on automated external defibrillators
Authors: Nasimi Fahimeh , Yazdchi Mohammadreza
Published: February 2022

Differentiating between shockable and non-shockable Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals would increase the success of resuscitation by the Automated External Defibrillators (AED). In this study, a Deep Neural Network (DNN) algorithm is used to distinguish 1.4-second segment shockable signals from non-shockable signals promptly. The proposed technique is frequency-independent and is trained with signals from diverse patients extracted from MIT-BIH, MIT-BIH Malignant Ventricular Ectopy Database (VFDB), and a database for ventricular tachyarrhythmia signals from Creighton University (CUDB) resulting, in an accuracy of 99.1%. Finally, the raspberry pi minicomputer is used to load the optimized version of the model on it. Testing the implemented model on the processor by unseen ECG signals resulted in an average latency of 0.845 seconds meeting the IEC 60601-2-4 requirements. According to the evaluated results, the proposed technique could be used by AED’s.
Analysis of the complete lambda light chain germline usage in patients with AL amyloidosis and dominant heart or kidney involvement
Authors: Berghaus Natalie , Schreiner Sarah , Granzow Martin , Müller-Tidow Carsten , Hegenbart Ute , Schönland Stefan O. , Huhn Stefanie
Published: February 2022

Light chain amyloidosis is one of the most common forms of systemic amyloidosis. The disease is caused by the misfolding and aggregation of immunoglobulin light chains to insoluble fibrils. These fibrils can deposit in different tissues and organs such as heart and kidney and cause organ impairments that define the clinical presentation. In this study, we present an overview of IGLV-IGLJ and IGLC germline utilization in 85 patients classified in three clinically important subgroups with dominant cardiac, renal as well as cardiac and renal involvement. We found that IGLV3 was the most frequently detected IGLV-family in patients with dominant cardiac involvement, whereas in renal patients IGLV1 were most frequently identified. For patients with dominant heart and kidney involvement IGLV6 was the most frequently detected IGLV-family. In more detailed analysis IGLV3-21 was observed as the most dominant IGLV-subfamily for patients with dominant heart involvement and IGLV1-44 as the most frequent IGLV-subfamily in the group of patients with dominant kidney involvement. For patients with dominant heart and kidney involvement IGLV6-57 was the most frequently detected IGLV-subfamily. Additionally, we were able to show an exclusive linkage between IGLJ1 and IGLC1 as well as between IGLJ2 and IGLC2 in the fully assembled IGL mRNA.
Dynamic sustainable productivity growth of Dutch dairy farming
Authors: Zhu Liyun , Oude Lansink Alfons
Published: February 2022

The economic, environmental and social sustainability of Dutch dairy farms have attracted increasing societal concern in the past decades. In this paper, we propose a recently developed dynamic Luenberger indicator based on the by-production model to measure dynamic productivity growth in the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability of Dutch dairy farms. Subsequently, we investigate the statistical associations between productivity growth and socio-economic factors using the OLS bootstrap regression model. We find that dairy farms have suffered a decline in dynamic sustainable productivity growth, especially in the environmental dimension where it is more pronounced than in the economic and social dimensions. Furthermore, we find that both technical and scale inefficiency change contribute to the decline of environmental productivity growth. Specialization and government support are associated with a higher economic and environmental sustainability productivity growth, and with, a decreased growth of social sustainable productivity. We found no significant association between the age of the oldest entrepreneur, financial structure, farm size or cost of advisory service and dynamic productivity growth in the three sustainability dimensions. The results provide insights into potential pathways towards improving the three pillars of sustainability.
Modular automated bottom-up proteomic sample preparation for high-throughput applications
Authors: Chen Yan , Kaplan Lease Nurgul , Gin Jennifer W. , Ogorzalek Tadeusz L. , Adams Paul D. , Hillson Nathan J. , Petzold Christopher J.
Published: February 2022

Manual proteomic sample preparation methods limit sample throughput and often lead to poor data quality when thousands of samples must be analyzed. Automated liquid handler systems are increasingly used to overcome these issues for many of the sample preparation steps. Here, we detail a step-by-step protocol to prepare samples for bottom-up proteomic analysis for Gram-negative bacterial and fungal cells. The full modular protocol consists of three optimized protocols to: (A) lyse Gram-negative bacteria and fungal cells; (B) quantify the amount of protein extracted; and (C) normalize the amount of protein and set up tryptic digestion. These protocols have been developed to facilitate rapid, low variance sample preparation of hundreds of samples, be easily implemented on widely-available Beckman-Coulter Biomek automated liquid handlers, and allow flexibility for future protocol development. By using this workflow 50 micrograms of protein from 96 samples can be prepared for tryptic digestion in under an hour. We validate these protocols by analyzing 47 Pseudomonas putida and Rhodosporidium toruloides samples and show that this modular workflow provides robust, reproducible proteomic samples for high-throughput applications. The expected results from these protocols are 94 peptide samples from Gram-negative bacterial and fungal cells prepared for bottom-up quantitative proteomic analysis without the need for desalting column cleanup and with protein relative quantity variance (CV%) below 15%.
SMRT sequencing of the full-length transcriptome of Gekko gecko
Authors: Jiang Jianping , Huo Juan , Zhang Yueyun , Xu Yongli , Zhao Chengjian , Miao Jianhua
Published: February 2022

Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) is a rare and endangered medicinal animal in China. Its dry body has been used as an anti-asthmatic agent for two thousand years. To date, the genome and transcriptome of this species remain poorly understood. Here, we adopted single molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing to obtain full-length transcriptome data and characterized the transcriptome structure. We identified 882,273 circular consensus (CCS) reads, including 746,317 full-length nonchimeric (FLNC) reads. The transcript cluster analysis revealed 212,964 consensus sequences, including 203,994 high-quality isoforms. In total, 111,372 of 117,888 transcripts were successfully annotated against eight databases (Nr, eggNOG, Swiss-Prot, GO, COG, KOG, Pfam and KEGG). Furthermore, 23,877 alternative splicing events, 169,128 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), 10,437 lncRNAs and 7,932 transcription factors were predicted across all transcripts. To our knowledge, this report is the first to document the G. gecko transcriptome using SMRT sequencing. The full-length transcript data might accelerate transcriptome research and lay the foundation for further research on G. gecko.
Risk factors for bovine rotavirus infection and genotyping of bovine rotavirus in diarrheic calves in Bangladesh
Authors: Uddin Ahmed Nasir , Khair Abul , Hassan Jayedul , Khan Md. Abu Hadi Noor Ali , Rahman A. K. M. Anisur , Hoque Warda , Rahman Mustafizur , Kobayashi Nobumichi , Ward Michael P. , Alam Md. Mahbub
Published: February 2022

Bovine rotavirus (BRV) is considered the leading cause of calf diarrhea worldwide, including Bangladesh. In this study we aimed to identify risk factors for BRV infection and determine the G and P genotypes of BRV strains in diarrheic calves. Fecal samples were collected from 200 diarrheic calves in three districts between January 2014 and October 2015. These samples were screened to detect the presence of BRV using rapid test-strips BIO K 152 (RTSBK). The RTSBK positive samples were further tested by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the silver staining technique to detect rotavirus dsRNA. Risk factors were identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The G and P genotypes of BRV were determined by RT-PCR and sequencing. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the neighbor-joining method using CLC sequence viewer 8.0. About 23% of the diarrheic calves were BRV positive. The odds of BRV infection were 3.8- (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.0–14.7) and 3.9-times (95% CI:1.1–14.2) higher in Barisal and Madaripur districts, respectively, than Sirrajganj. The risk of BRV infection was 3.1-times (95% CI: 1.5–6.5) higher in calves aged ≤ 5 weeks than those aged >5 weeks. Moreover, the risk of BRV infection was 2.6-times (95% CI:1.1–5.8) higher in crossbred (Holstein Friesian, Shahiwal) than indigenous calves. G6P[11] was the predominant genotype (94.4%), followed by G10P[11] (5.6%). The BRV G6 strains were found to be closest (98.9–99.9%) to Indian strains, and BRV G10 strains showed 99.9% identities with Indian strain. The VP4 gene of all P[11] strains showed >90% identities to each other and also with Indian strains. The most frequently identified BRV genotype was G6P[11]. About 23% of calf diarrhea cases were associated with BRV. To control disease, high-risk areas and younger crossbred calves should be targeted for surveillance and management. The predominant genotype could be utilized as the future vaccine candidate or vaccines with the dominant genotype should be used to control BRV diarrhea in Bangladesh.
Predictors of maternal and newborn health service utilization across the continuum of care in Ethiopia: A multilevel analysis
Authors: Tiruneh Gizachew Tadele , Demissie Meaza , Worku Alemayehu , Berhane Yemane
Published: February 2022

Background

The continuum of care for maternal and newborn health is a systematic approach for delivery of an integrated effective package of life-saving interventions throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum as well as across levels of service delivery to women and newborns. Nonetheless, in low-income countries, coverage of these interventions across the life cycle continuum is low. This study examined the predictors of utilization of maternal and newborn health care services along the continuum of care in Ethiopia.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional population-based study. We measured maternal and newborn health care utilization practices among women who had live births in the last 12 months preceding the survey in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray regions of Ethiopia. We fitted multilevel random-effects logistic regression models to examine the predictors of the continuum of care accounting for the survey design, and individual, and contextual characteristics of the respondents.

Results

Our analysis revealed that only one-fifth of women utilized maternal and newborn health services across the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum continuum; most women discontinued at the postpartum stage. Continued use of services varied significantly across wealth, model family, prenatal stay at maternity waiting homes, antenatal care in the first trimester, complete antenatal care service, and the administrative region at all antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum stages. Moreover, family conversation during pregnancy [AOR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.56–2.88], delivery by cesarean [AOR: 2.70; 95% CI: 1.82–4.02] and birth notified to health extension workers [AOR: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.56–2.43] were found to be predictors of the continuum of care at the postpartum stage.

Conclusion

In Ethiopia, despite good access to antepartum care, compliance with continuity of care across the pathway decreased with significant inequitable distributions, the poorest segment of the population being at most disadvantage. The main modifiable program factors connected to the continued uptake of maternal health services include family conversation, pregnant women conference, complete antenatal care, antenatal care in the first trimester, and birth notification.
Reporting Global While Being Local: Local Producers of News for Distant Audiences, Saumava Mitra and Chris Paterson (Eds) (2021)
Authors: Robertson Alexa
Published: February 2022

Review of: Reporting Global While Being Local: Local Producers of News for Distant Audiences, Saumava Mitra and Chris Paterson (Eds) (2021)

New York and London: Routledge, 154 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-36775-873-8, h/bk, £96, e-book, £35.99
The influence of culture, evolving symbolisms and globalization on defining colour forecasting in India
Authors: Doshi Siddhali
Published: February 2022

Colours and cultures have the spirit of time. Yet, with shifts in societies, the meaning of colour has evolved. Our colour experiences today are widely dominated by technology and digital means. What once symbolized Shringar rasa, our agrarian heritage and depicted royalty, today, has tremendous renewed meanings from sustainability, vegetarianism, to being the colour of WhatsApp and Spotify, while also signifying trending global idioms like ‘don’t be green with envy’. With the fast-paced globalization influencing us, we are led towards adopting western symbolisms. Then there are some symbolisms that have simply evolved with time as superstition fades and new beliefs emerge. This article dives into the nine rasas and traces the evolution of colour symbolism through our scriptures, arts and the cultural practices to understand the deeper roots of colour symbolisms and their associations in our cultures, beliefs and traditions. The article will then explore the perceptions of colour in modern culture and trace its roots from our history, technological developments and present perspectives. This collection of data will help to understand the psychological and behaviour factors that contribute to the acceptance and association of colour today, opening a window to project new colour directions for the future.
A content analysis of muscularity research, part 2: Theories used, measurement and publication outlets
Authors: Johnson Kim K. P. , Lennon Sharron J.
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this research was to provide a comprehensive descriptive content analysis of empirical research focused on muscularity and published in refereed journals in 2000 through 2019. This is the second part of a two-part series in which the research aims were to characterize the research on muscularity with respect to the theories employed, the measures of muscularity utilized, the extent to which researchers reported reliability and validity for measures of muscularity used, and to report on the journals that publish this type of research and the disciplines these journals represent. We present an overview of relevant theories and how they can be applied to understanding muscularity. This presentation is followed by a discussion of measurements of muscularity. To locate studies multiple available databases were searched resulting in a sample of 176 empirical articles which collectively contained 203 studies. Most studies did not report using theoretical guidance. Of those researchers that did report theories, most used theories from the body image literature; the tripartite model was used most frequently. In 181 studies at least one measure of muscularity was used. The most frequently employed measure was the drive for muscularity scale. A plurality of studies reported their own assessment of reliability as well as others’ reliabilities for the same measure. Most studies did not report validity for muscularity measures employed. Articles analysed came from a wide variety of journals primarily representing two major fields of inquiry: psychology and interdisciplinary.
COVID-19 and small retail business: What we can learn
Authors: Cocchia Laura
Published: February 2022

The novel coronavirus outbreak changed the world in 2020 as it rapidly spread from country to country, infecting millions of people across the globe. In response, United States policy-makers and public health officials mandated non-essential businesses to temporarily close to help curb the transmission of the disease. Significant economic strain ensued causing many Americans to lose their jobs and entire industries to suffer. With stores shuttered and fiscal uncertainty impeding consumer spending, retail has been one of the hardest-hit industries. Small businesses in particular have been forced to pivot and grapple with the rippling effects of the pandemic. This journal article features an interview with Nicole Carter, Adjunct Instructor at Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, about her perspective on how the pandemic is impacting retail and small business. In addition to her work with Drexel, Nicole oversees operations at Benjamin Lovell Shoes, a Pennsylvania and New-Jersey-based shoe retailer, and shares her experience on how the business has adapted since the onset of the pandemic. The goal of this article is to help readers gain a deeper understanding of the current impact that COVID-19 has on small retail businesses, and how that will continue to shape the future of the industry as a whole.
Garment fit expectations as determinants of men’s ready-to-wear business apparel purchase decisions: The personal appearance revelation
Authors: Lundie Philné , Strydom Mariette , Kempen Elizabeth , Tobias-Mamina Rejoice
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this article is to examine male consumers’ functional expectations, aesthetic expectations and socio-psychological expectations of the fit of ready-to-wear business apparel as potential antecedents of the purchase decision among a sample of male consumers in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Data were collected from 216 respondents using anonymously completed online questionnaires. Research scales were operationalized based on previous work, and modifications were made to match the current research context and purpose. ‘Functional expectations’, ‘aesthetic expectations’ and ‘socio-psychological expectations’ all used eight-item scale measures. All the measurement items were on a five-point Likert scale anchored by 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = undecided, 4 = agree and 5 = strongly agree to express the degree of agreement. The three posited hypotheses were empirically tested. The results significantly supported all the hypotheses, except for H1. The study findings indicate that a robust relationship exists between socio-psychological expectations and purchase decisions, suggesting that socio-psychological expectations can have a strong, direct influence on male consumers’ decision to purchase business apparel. This could be indicative that when consumers evaluate garments, they do not only consider styles that fit comfortably, but also its aesthetic and cognitive impact. Both practitioners and academics may benefit from the implications of this study. A significant contribution is made to the fashion apparel marketing literature by systematically exploring South African male consumers’ functional expectations, aesthetic expectations and socio-psychological expectations of ready-to-wear business apparel, and its effect on their purchase decision. Empirically, an understanding of consumers’ motivation to purchase ready-to-wear business apparel can assist retailers in developing more effective marketing strategies. While existing literature claims male consumers focus on the functional expectations of apparel, this study found that socio-psychological and aesthetic expectations have a significantly greater impact on South African male consumers’ business apparel purchase decisions. Overall, the current study’s findings support the proposition that there is a need to acknowledge aesthetic and socio-psychological expectations of business apparel as significant antecedents of male consumers’ purchase decisions in South Africa. This study, therefore, stands to contribute new knowledge to the existing body of consumer decision-making literature and male apparel shopping behaviour.
Black Metal, Trauma, Subjectivity and Sound: Screaming the Abyss, Jasmine Hazel Shadrack (2021)
Authors: DiGioia Amanda
Published: February 2022

Review of: Black Metal, Trauma, Subjectivity and Sound: Screaming the Abyss, Jasmine Hazel Shadrack (2021)

Emerald Studies in Metal Music & Culture, Bingley: Emerald Academic

Publishing, 256 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-78756-926-3, h/bk, £70
A Blaze in the Northern Sky, Ross Hagen (2020)
Authors: Kennedy Lewis F.
Published: February 2022

Review of: A Blaze in the Northern Sky, Ross Hagen (2020)

New York and London: Bloomsbury Academic, 152 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-5013-5433-5, p/bk, £16.99
El papel del conocimiento en la agencia docente: un modelo teórico de comprensión
Authors: Verástegui Martínez Macarena , Úbeda Jorge
Published: February 2022

El conocimiento del profesorado es un objeto de estudio fundamental para la investigación educativa desde que existe evidencia del impacto que tiene en la mejora de los sistemas educativos. Sin embargo, la mayoría de las investigaciones desarrolladas presentan una visión parcial e incompleta sobre esta cuestión, ya que ofrecen modelos de indagación poco operativos o que sesgan el constructo estudiado. Para superar estas limitaciones y estudiar de manera operativa la cuestión del conocimiento educativo docente es esencial partir de un enfoque de agencia del profesorado que permita comprender con claridad en qué consiste la práctica profesional. El objetivo de este artículo es ofrecer un modelo teórico y metodológico que vincule la agencia del profesorado con el conocimiento educativo que el docente es capaz de producir. Para ello hemos desarrollado un trabajo crítico-reflexivo sobre la documentación existente y los conceptos en juego, partiendo de dos modelos de comprensión: el modelo de la cumbre del Conocimiento de Contenido Pedagógico (Helms & Stokes, 2013) y el modelo ecológico de Priestley et al. (2015) sobre la agencia. Como resultado, ofrecemos un modelo que recoge el concepto de agencia y de conocimiento docente y que amplía la comprensión de este último constructo a partir de la inclusión de dos dimensiones: (1) el conocimiento que adquiere y posee y (2) el conocimiento que produce ad intra y ad extra de la profesión. Nuestra prospectiva con este modelo es observar si nos sirve como marco operativo para indagar el conocimiento educativo que el docente es capaz de producir en las prácticas reflexivas y colaborativas y situar en un espacio más productivo la clásica separación heredada entre teoría y praxis.
De la Realidad Extendida al Metaverso: una reflexión crítica sobre las aportaciones a la educación
Authors: Ortega Rodríguez Pablo Javier
Published: February 2022

La realidad extendida, un concepto que abarca la realidad virtual, la realidad aumentada y la realidad mixta, ha experimentado un notable progreso en los últimos años y ha tenido un gran impacto en la comprensión de la educación. La investigación sobre la realidad extendida ha aportado beneficios en la mejora de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje, a partir de dos conceptos clave: el grado de inmersión y la sensación de presencia. Sin embargo, estas aportaciones necesitan una revisión desde una metodología crítica fundamentada para evitar caer en la tecnofilia sin evidencias científicas. El objetivo de este artículo es conocer y evaluar las aportaciones de la realidad extendida a la educación y los retos que plantea ante el desarrollo del metaverso. Para ello, en primer lugar, se conceptualiza cada tipo de realidad y se evalúan sus aplicaciones en el ámbito de la educación desde un punto de vista crítico. En segundo lugar, se realiza una argumentación fundamentada sobre las ventajas e inconvenientes de estas tecnologías en la práctica educativa. En tercer lugar, se describen los desafíos que plantea el metaverso en la educación. Este análisis muestra como la realidad extendida ha contribuido al desarrollo de la innovación y la mejora del proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje, aunque se evidencia la falta de formación del profesorado para diseñar experiencias de aprendizaje basadas en la realidad extendida y una carencia de colaboración interdisciplinar entre los ámbitos de la tecnología y la pedagogía. Estos resultados influyen en el desarrollo del metaverso, un paso más en la evolución de la realidad extendida, que tendrá un gran impacto en el ámbito de la educación, lo cual sugiere la necesidad de diseñar un código ético, desarrollar una cultura y proteger la identidad de los usuarios.
Seroprevalence of sheeppox and goatpox virus in Asia and African continent: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Scientometrics)
Authors: Suresh Kuralayanapalya Puttahonnappa , Bhavya Anenahalli Panduranga , Shivamallu Chandan , Achar Raghu Ram , Silina Ekaterina , Stupin Victor , Kollur Shiva Prasad , Shome Bibek Ranjan , Patil Sharanagouda S.
Published: February 2022

Background and Aim: Two endemic capripox infectious diseases, sheeppox (SP) and goatpox (GP) are common in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Sheep and goats, in general, are considered current assets of small and marginal farmers and have significant economic value in terms of meat, wool, and skin/hide production. Sheep and goat populations in India total 148.88 million and 74.26 million, respectively. Capripox caused US$ 2.3 million (Indian Rupee [INR] 105 million) in economic damages in Maharashtra (India) alone, and it took over 6 years for a flock to recover from the outbreak. The projected yearly loss at the national level is US$ 27.47 million (INR 1250 million). As a result, Capripox diseases put small and marginal farmers under much financial strain. The present study estimates the seroprevalence of SP and GP diseases in the Asian and African continents using systematic review and meta-analysis. The results of the study will help researchers and policymakers to understand the spatial and temporal distribution of the disease and its burden. In addition, the results are also helpful to design and implement location-specific prevention and eradication measures against these diseases. Materials and Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines of Cochran collaborations were used for systematic review and subsequently meta-analysis were used. The literature was collected from various databases. Initial search string resulted in more than nine thousand articles for the period 2000 to 2020 using the different combinations of keywords and Boolean operators (or not) asterisk∗ and quotation marks. Out of 9398 papers, 80 studies were chosen for complete test reviews and quality bias evaluation using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Finally, 21 articles were used for the meta-analysis. The statistical study employed fixed effects and random effects models using R. Results: Seroprevalence of SP and GP was calculated using studies with a cumulative sample size of 4352, out of which sheep and goats' samples together contribute 48%, followed by sheep (32%) and goat (21%). The result of the meta-regression revealed that detection techniques had a significant impact on the overall effect size at 5% level (Qm=14.12). Subgroup analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test with samples was further grouped into two categories based on the median, and it revealed that 62% of samples used PCR as a detecting test followed by group-II. Conclusion: From the study, it is concluded that SP and GP diseases are highly prevalent; hence, effective vaccines, proper education to farmers through extension activity, and transboundary disease movement restriction are necessary for the control and eradication of the disease.
The Impact of Open Vs. Closed Blood Collection on Specimen Quality, Health Care Worker Safety, & Work Efficiencies, at a Tertiary Care Centre in South India
Authors: S. Sankar , P.L. Jayalakshmy , Joe Jim , S. Deepa
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND In the present era of automation, the quality of laboratory specimens is critical towards the delivery of accurate and useful results. The mode of collection of the sample is one such variable. Proper collection and handling of blood samples prevent erroneous results, reduce turnaround time and ensure safety of healthcare workers and patients. The study purpose is to compare open and closed systems of blood collection and the impact of closed collection system in the reduction of pre analytical errors and promoting health care worker safety. METHODS This is a prospective comparative study and it was conducted on blood samples collected in the Outpatient Department of Government Medical College, Kottayam and preanalytical study variables were assessed at Departments of Haematology and Biochemistry. At the beginning of the study, the quality and the quantity of specimen, result accuracies and healthcare safety parameters were assessed for 4778 samples using open blood collection system. This was followed by training of the phlebotomists for closed system of blood collection. The same parameters were studied for another 2508 blood samples collected via closed collection system by the same phlebotomists. The open blood collection system was carried out using non vacuum tubes (Plain and K3 EDTA), 5 ml syringe and 23G needles and closed blood collection system used BD vacutainer (K2 EDTA and serum gel tubes), Eclipse TM safety 22G needles and pronto TM reusable safety holders. The study was conducted from 01-01-2021 to 31-03-2021. RESULTS The specimen quality errors namely fibrin mass, strands, haemolysis, recentrifugation, and insufficient volume in biochemistry lab were significantly reduced with introduction of closed collection system. In haematology lab, closed collection system reduced incidence of clotted sample, insufficient volume accompanied by significant reduction in platelet and WBC differential flags. Closed collection system also reduced occurrence of blood smeared containers and blood spillage on test requisition forms, hence improving safety of health care personnel. CONCLUSIONS The study establishes a significant reduction in pre-analytical errors with closed blood collection system, prevents test cancellation and improved workflow efficiency. KEY WORDS Accuracy, Blood Collection Systems, Errors, Phlebotomist, Preanalytical, Spillage, Variables.
A Clinical Study to Assess the Efficacy of Erector Spinae Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia after Modified Radical Mastectomy in a Tertiary Health Care Centre
Authors: George Deepa , Ramachandran Nanna
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND Interfascial blocks like erector spinae plane block (ESP block) are relatively easy to perform and have potentially low risk profile. This study wanted to assess the efficacy of ultrasound guided ESP block for postoperative analgesia after modified radical mastectomy (MRM) as compared to conventional technique of surgical wound infiltration with local anaesthetic. The primary objective of the study was to assess the duration of postoperative analgesia. METHODS After obtaining institutional ethics committee clearance, a total of 26 females posted for MRM were randomly allocated into Group A (control group) and Group B (block group). Patients in Group A received general anaesthesia and local infiltration with 20 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine towards the end of surgery whereas patients in Group B received ultrasound guided ESP block preoperatively with 10 ml of 2% lignocaine with adrenaline and 20 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine with 8mg dexamethasone followed by general anaesthesia. Difference between the two groups were analysed using Mann Whitney U test or independent t test. RESULTS Duration of postoperative analgesia was significantly prolonged in ESP block group (2594.62 ± 216.742 min in block group vs. 274.2 ± 33.3 min in control group). Rest and motion VAS scores were significantly lower in ESP block group compared to control group. Also, patient satisfaction score in ESP block group was higher than in control group. Perioperative requirement of opioids and NSAIDs were significantly lower in ESP block group compared to control group. CONCLUSIONS ESP block is an effective block for prolonged postoperative analgesia after MRM. KEY WORDS Postoperative Analgesia, Modified Radical Mastectomy, Erector Spinae Plane Block
Esophageal Second Primary Tumors in Patients With Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Overall Survival
Authors: Overwater Anouk , Rueb Kuna , Elias Sjoerd G. , de Bree Remco , Weusten Bas L.A.M.
Published: February 2022

INTRODUCTION:

The aim of this registry-based cohort study was to evaluate the potential role of endoscopic esophageal surveillance for esophageal second primary tumors (ESPTs) in Western patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

METHODS:

Outcomes were cumulative incidence and risk factors for ESPTs and its effect on overall survival.

RESULTS:

A total of 47 ESPTs were observed in 1,708 patients with HNSCC, with 10-year cumulative incidence (95% confidence interval) of 2.9% (2.1–3.7). Alcohol and HNSCC location were significant predictors for ESPTs. ESPTs significantly increased the risk of dying (adjusted hazard ratio 3.36, 95% confidence interval 2.16–5.22).

DISCUSSION:

Endoscopic esophageal surveillance of Western patients with HNSCC with high risk of ESPTs seems justified.
Rural-Urban Disparities in Mortality From Cirrhosis in the United States From 1999 to 2019
Authors: Ufere Nneka N. , Patzer Rachel E. , Kavalieratos Dio , Louissaint Jeremy , Kaplan Alyson , Cross Sarah H.
Published: February 2022

INTRODUCTION:

We examined trends in rural-urban cirrhosis mortality disparities in the United States from decedents aged 25 years and older from 1999 to 2019.

METHODS:

We calculated cirrhosis age-adjusted mortality rates across 3 population categories: large metropolitan (≥1 million), medium/small metropolitan (50,000–999,999), and rural (<50,000) areas using the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research database.

RESULTS:

We found an almost 20-fold increase in the absolute difference in cirrhosis age-adjusted mortality rates between rural and large metropolitan areas between 1999 and 2019.

DISCUSSION:

Future research is needed to investigate reasons for this widening rural-urban disparity to improve rural cirrhosis care.
Hospitality in Shanghai: The Russian Jewish Community as Hosts and Polish Jewish Refugees as Guests during WW2
Authors: Ionescu Arleen
Published: February 2022

This article is an exploration of three exile memoirs penned by Eastern European Jewish refugees who documented a notable world history event: during WW2, when 6 million European Jews perished in Nazis concentration and death camps, Shanghai was the city where more than 20,000 Jews were saved. Through a conceptual framework inspired by Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida, this article interprets instances of hospitality in these memoirs.
Sol-gel Synthesis and Characterization of MgCO3 – Al2O3 Composite Solid Electrolytes
Authors: Sulaiman M. , Kadir M. F. Z. , Che Mat A. N.
Published: February 2022

Composite solid electrolytes in the system (1-x)MgCO3 – xAl2O3 with x = 0.1 - 0.9 were synthesized by a sol-gel method and analyzed by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and alternating current impedance spectroscopy for the determination of the phases and crystallinity, thermal stability, surface morphology, elemental composition, chemical bonding and conductivity, respectively. The composites show that, the crystallinity of the composites decreases as the amount of Al2O3 increase which could lead to higher conductivity. The thermal decomposition studies also indicate that the melting and/or decomposition of the composites occur at lower temperature than the pure MgCO3 which normally take place at 350 oC. The composite with the ratio of x = 0.9 give the highest conductivity value in order of 10-4 S.cm-1 as compared to other ratio due to effective transfer of charge carriers in addition to the formation of MgO-Mg2+ species at the interface.
Convolutive Deconvolutive Voltammetry of Charge Transfer Complexes of 4,4’-Bipyridine With Benzoquinone Derivatives
Authors: Al-Owais A.A. , El-Hallag I.S. , El-Mossalamy E.H.
Published: February 2022

Convolutive, deconvolutive cyclic voltammetric, digital simulation, chrono- amperometric, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron micro- scopy (TEM) were used for clarifying the characterization of charge transfer complex (CT) of 4,4’-bipyridine with benzoquinone derivatives. These studies were achieved at a gold electrode in TBAPL/CH2Cl2. The kind of the electrode reaction and the kinetic parameters of the CT complex under study were calculated and explained via the above methods, then confirmed via digital simulation. SEM and TEM were performed for characterization of the structural morphology of the presented complex as well as showing the nanostructured of the complex.
Metodología para la síntesis de autómatas en la planificación de movimientos en sistemas autónomos con múltiples agentes
Authors: Martínez Valencia Jorge Luis , Holguín Londoño Mauricio , Ramirez vanegas Carlos alberto
Published: February 2022

Objetivo: Presentar una metodología para la planificación de movimientos de sistemas autónomos con múltiples agentes.
 
Metodología: Se define y parametriza el comportamiento físico de un equipo de sistemas de navegación autónoma, luego se describe e implementa un algoritmo de síntesis de políticas de control que interpreta estas descripciones convertidas a fórmulas LTL y se genera un modelo que permite hacer abstracciones automáticas. A partir de configuraciones genéricas de solución, se deriva en el caso de múltiples robots con una única tarea en un entorno con obstáculos fijos. La metodología se valida en diferentes escenarios y se analizan los resultados.
 
Resultados: La metodología propuesta para planificación de movimientos en sistemas con múltiples agentes, combina dos técnicas del estado del arte, permitiendo mitigar la explosión combinacional de estados presente en los enfoques tradicionales.
 
Conclusiones: La metodología que se presenta resuelve el problema de síntesis de autómatas para el control de alto nivel, con cambio de tareas durante la ejecución. Bajo ciertos criterios, se mitiga el problema de explosión combinacional de estados asociado a estos sistemas. La solución es óptima respecto al número de transiciones seguidas por los miembros del equipo.
 
Financiamiento: Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira
A Framework for the Resilience of LV Electrical Networks with Photovoltaic Power Injection
Authors: Rodriguez Rusber , Osma Pinto German Alfonso , Solano Martínez Javier Enrique , Robin Roche Robin Roche , Hissel Daniel
Published: February 2022

Context: Electrical distribution networks have undergone several changes in the last decade. Some changes include incorporating distributed energy sources, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) generation systems. It could modify the performance of the electrical network and leads to new challenges such as evaluating the impacts of the PV integration, the response to electrical and climatic disturbances, and the planning and restructuring of networks. Electrical network behavior versus PV integration could be evaluated by quantifying the variation in operation and including network resilience.
Objective: Propose a reference framework to evaluate the resilience of LV electrical networks with PV power injection.
Methodology: This paper addresses the framework for evaluating the performance of a low voltage (LV) electrical network in the face of the integration of PVs. It collects research related to evaluating the resilience of electrical networks on severe climate changes, natural disasters, and typical maneuvers. Then, it proposes a guideline to evaluate the performance of LV electrical networks with the integration of PV generation sources and includes resilience. For this, the determination of resilience evaluation indices is proposed. The indices are obtained from a normalized transformation of the measurable electrical parameters of the networks. The parameters are those that present the most affected by PV integration or are significant in the performance of the networks. Finally, it presents the evaluation of a proposed resilience index for a university building LV network as a case study.
Results: The resilience assessment proposal is applied to a case study. When evaluating the resilience of the voltage at the common coupling point of the PV, an index of 0.84 is obtained, equivalent to 59.8 hours of overvoltage.
Conclusions: It is possible to improve the resilience of the BT network through management strategies. In the case study, a 29% reduction in overvoltage hours was obtained by applying a curtailment strategy to the PV system.
Financing: ECOS-Nord, Minciencias and Universidad Industrial de Santander.
Wirtschaft hacken
Authors: Lübbermann Uwe
Published: February 2022

Was wäre, wenn man alles ganz anders machen könnte? Seit beinahe zwei Jahrzehnten ist dies für den Unternehmer Uwe Lübbermann keine theoretische Frage mehr, sondern ein anhaltendes soziales und ökonomisches Experiment. Erstmals hat er es umgesetzt zusammen mit seinem »Getränke-und-mehr«-Kollektiv Premium: Rabatte für diejenigen, die nur geringe Mengen abnehmen; gleiches Gehalt für alle; im Internet frei verfügbare Rezepte für die hergestellten Getränke; keine schriftlichen Verträge und die Klärung sämtlicher Unternehmensbelange in einer konsensdemokratischen Struktur. Ausgehend von dem Willen, der unsozialen Dynamik des kapitalistischen Systems eigene Werte entgegenzusetzen, hat Premium über viele Jahre nicht nur ein krisensicheres, sozial orientiertes Unternehmen aufgebaut. Es ist vielmehr selbst zum anhaltenden Motor von Veränderung geworden – eine Software, die die Menschen, Unternehmen und Systeme, mit denen sie arbeitet, verändert, indem sie grundlegende Mechanismen außer Kraft setzt und durch andere ersetzt. Denn das Engagement für soziale und ökologische Fragen beeinflusst nicht nur Geschäftsentscheidungen, Abläufe und Kommunikationsweisen – es überträgt sich auf alle, die mit Lübbermann zusammenarbeiten und verwandelt sie. Wirtschaft hacken beschreibt diese Veränderungsmaschine erstmals ausführlich. Von innen und von außen, parteiisch und kritisch, zum Inspirieren und zum Nachbauen. Mit Illustrationen von Lennart Herberhold sowie Beiträgen von Claudia Brözel, Laura Marie Edinger-Schons, Martin Parker, Jürgen Radel und Anke Turner.
The Effect of Weak x-rays on Some Physiological and Psychological Behaviors of Adult Hamsters
Authors: Al-Dulamey Qusay Kh. , Alhamdaney Nadia Adel Saeed , Fadhil Jihan Adil
Published: February 2022

The present job shows the effect of x-rays of DEXa device, we found the effect of weak x-rays radiation in 30,50 and 70 μSv x-ray doses for 60 d / 8 times /d irradiation on sex ratio of adult hamsters. The targets of the paper is to obtained the impact of x-rays at 3 doses in μSv as x-ray doses for two months with 8 times /d exposure on Sex Ratio (SR) of male and female gender of hamster. Important reduces have been obtained (Ƥ ≤ 0.05) in the offspring summation No. The number respect to hamster Male and hamster female (SR)when irradiated to the doses values range 30-70 μSv and comparative with sham or comparison group. The reduce is agreement with the elevated of weak doses rate values little by little. Second case, the x-ray with declared weak doses rate values rather than at the similar case of mating noticed clearance elevates (P ≤ 0.05) in the gender of offspring’s No. of hamster female and behavior (SR)%. Elevate is modulation to the doses rate values increase directly. The outcomes appeared that the weak x-ray (as electromagnetic waves EMW) have risk impacts on some physiological factors of adult hamsters. This job also noticed significant various in male Number and female No. hamsters (SR). The offspring hamster female percentage irradiated to X-Ray became higher than of the percentage of offspring male No. hamsters comparative with comparison group.
Effect of Annealing on Sensing Properties of ZnO: CuO Nanocomposite Thin Films by the Sol-gel Method
Authors: Mohammed Esraa Ahmed
Published: February 2022

The zinc oxide (ZnO) - copper oxide (CuO) n-p junctions are a promising material for detecting ammonia gas. In this work, nanocomposite of ZnO: CuO thin films were deposited by using sol-gel spin coating method on a glass substrate. The search aimed to study the effect of annealing at 500oC on the physical properties and the effect of annealing on the sensing properties of the prepared films. The characterization of thin films before and after annealing treatment was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the morphology of the surface and grain size of particles also, UV-Visible analysis for optical properties. Sensing properties were also studied before and after annealing. The results showed the films were polycrystalline in nature with a monoclinic phase and the crystalline size was 5.4 nm and 9.9 nm before and after annealing. The results of SEM and AFM showed the surface uniformly and particle size was 25nm to 32 nm before and after annealing. The results of sensing properties for ammonia gas showed the sensitivity was enhancement after annealing treatment.
Study of Influencing Effects of UV on the Lung After Infected with Bacteria Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
Authors: Al-latif Zuhoor Abd , Abdulqader Qahtan , Jassim Bassim Abdullah
Published: February 2022

Ultraviolet radiation has many uses in the field of medicine and treatment, so it has been identified as an important factor in treating or reducing the severity of bacterial infection. The ultraviolet rays have effect on the mice infected with the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and how the rays worked on killing the bacteria. The study focused on the tissue structures of lung, after treated with the UV. It's caused acute defects in tissue structures of lung, of treated white mail mice. After the end of experimental period, the blood samples collecting, then the animals sacrificed for histological study, The current result showed normal alveolar wall with prominent epithelial layer that lining the inner surface of alveoli, the result noted prominent bloody congestions between of alveoli, most tissue sections of lung were normally after treated, but noted some lesions of emphysema The tissue section of lung in this group appeared the positive role of UV rays in treated the pathological lesions the result noted the lung parenchyma was normal in structure except some of blood congestion in different location of lung parenchyma, the figure showed little infiltration cells which situated between the lesions of blood congestions these results have better histological structures compared with infected group, but something similar to control group.
Optimizing the Parameters of CIGS Solar Cells Using One-Dimension AFORS-HET Program
Authors: Munef Rafea A. , Ameen Maad M. , Abdulrahman Rosure Borhanalden , Waleed Haneen , Ghelab Abdulhadi M.
Published: February 2022

In this study, the performance of the AZO/ZnO/CdS/CIGS solar cell configuration was measured by using the AFORS-HET numerical simulation program, which aimed to formulate an optimal design. The numerical simulation of the aforementioned solar cell arrangement demonstrates that it is possible to achieve an efficiency of 9.28% with a thickness of 1μm, this result is consistent with the experimental conclusion (where the efficiency was 9.65% for a thickness of 1μm). Through the use of simulation results, we improved the above-mentioned cell by changing the thickness, concentration, and band gap. It shows that the maximum efficiency (Eff) of this solar cell can reach 17.46% during the optimization for this configuration, which can be obtained at a thickness of 3μm for CIGS layer and at 1.5 AM standard illumination.