bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Andromeda Galaxy and its Star Formation History
Authors: Leahy Denis
Published: May 2023

The state of knowledge of properties of the Andromeda Galaxy (also known as M31) is reviewed. The spatial structure of the Andromeda Galaxy, its main source populations and the properties of its gas and dust are discussed. To understand the formation history of the Andromeda Galaxy, the critical issues of its star formation history and the gas streams and dwarf galaxies in its surrounding environment are reviewed. Emphasis is on recent studies with important earlier work described in the references provided here. It is important to understand the Andromeda Galaxy because it is the nearest large external galaxy and is close enough for high resolution studies. This allows the Andromeda Galaxy to be used as a template to understand more distant and less resolved galaxies in the universe.
Why the Basic Axioms of Risk Assessment Can Be Problematic to Identify Risk? – The Development of the VUCA Meter
Authors: Fridgeirsson Thordur Vikingur , Ingason Helgi Thor
Published: May 2023

The VUCA world is the epitome of the challenges linked with some of the undercurrents currently shaping businesses in the projectified society. The terms volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) are used as descriptive for the continuous flux project managers and project planners are forced to keep at bay. In this article, the authors present an idea to connect the VUCA concept as a risk identification platform to access, identify and isolate low-probability but high-impact events often called black swans or fat tail events. It is argued that the assumptions of conventional risk assessment in the domain of project management can lead to skewed general outcomes due to limitations of the intellect to assess probability. The outline of the VUCA meter is drafted and argued that the meter can augment the conventional risk assessment
GPR Target Recognition Based on Improved YOLOv3-SPP
Authors: Zhong Yunjie , Li Kang , Mo Site , Liu Xing
Published: May 2023

When ground-penetrating radar is used to detect targets within concrete, the location of the targets, the identification of different shapes, properties and less obvious echoes all greatly increase the interpretation time of the staff and can easily cause misjudgment of the echo images. In this paper, the ground-penetrating radar echo images (B-scan) after processing are mean filtered to eliminate the direct waves that interfere greatly with the echoes. The RFB-s structure is added to the YOLOv3-SPP network structure, while the Anchor value is optimized and the EIOU loss function is introduced. For four types of data with different shapes and properties at random target locations, three models, YOLOv3, YOLOv3-SPP and the improved YOLOv3-SPP, are used for classification and identification, and the proposed algorithm models are comprehensively evaluated using model evaluation metrics. The experimental results show that the algorithm models proposed in this paper have good recognition effect in ground-penetrating radar echo image target detection.
Lipid-Associated GWAS Loci Predict Antiatherogenic Effects of Rosuvastatin in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Kononov Stanislav , Azarova Iuliia , Klyosova Elena , Bykanova Marina , Churnosov Mikhail , Solodilova Maria , Polonikov Alexey
Published: May 2023

We have shown that lipid-associated loci discovered by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have pleiotropic effects on lipid metabolism, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and CAD risk. Here, we investigated the impact of lipid-associated GWAS loci on the efficacy of rosuvastatin therapy in terms of changes in plasma lipid levels and CIMT. The study comprised 116 CAD patients with hypercholesterolemia. CIMT, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 months of follow-up, respectively. Genotyping of fifteen lipid-associated GWAS loci was performed by the MassArray-4 System. Linear regression analysis adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, and rosuvastatin dose was used to estimate the phenotypic effects of polymorphisms, and P-values were calculated through adaptive permutation tests. Over one-year therapy, a decrease in CIMT was linked to rs1689800, rs4846914, rs12328675, rs55730499, rs9987289, rs11220463, rs16942887, and rs881844 polymorphisms (Pperm<0.05). TC change was associated with rs55730499, rs11220463, and rs6065906; LDL-C change was linked to the rs55730499, rs1689800, and rs16942887 polymorphisms; and TG change was linked to polymorphisms rs838880 and rs1883025 (Pperm<0.05). In conclusion, the polymorphisms rs1689800, rs55730499, rs11220463, and rs16942887 were found to be predictive markers for multiple antiatherogenic effects of rosuvastatin in CAD patients.
Human Regulatory Macrophages Derived From THP-1 Cells Using Arginylglycylaspartic Acid and Vitamin D3
Authors: Pham Hoang Lan , Hoang Thi Xoan , Kim Jae Young
Published: May 2023

Regulatory macrophages (Mregs) are unique in that they have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. Thus, treating inflammatory diseases using Mregs is an area of active research. Human Mregs are usually generated by culturing peripheral blood monocytes stimulated by macrophage colony-stimulating factor with interferon (IFN)-. Here, we generated Mregs with an elongated cell morphology from THP-1 cells stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and cultured with arginylglycylaspartic acid and vitamin D3. These Mregs regulated macrophage function, and respectively downregulated and upregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive mediators. They also expressed Mregs-specific marker, such as dehydrogenase/reductase 9, even when exposed to inflammatory stimulants such as IFN-, lipopolysaccharide, purified xenogeneic antigen, and xenogeneic cells. The Mregs also exerted anti- inflammatory and anticoagulatory actions in response to xenogeneic cells and immunosuppressive effects on mitogen-induced Jurkat T-cell proliferation. Our method of generating functional Mregs in vitro without cytokines is simple and cost-effective.
Using an Open-Source Tool to Develop a Three-Dimensional Hydrogeologic Framework of the Kobo Valley, Ethiopia
Authors: Mekonen Sisay S. , Boyce Scott E. , Mohammed Abdella K. , Disse Markus
Published: May 2023

The Kobo Valley is part of the East African Rift System in northern Ethiopia. Due to its location, the valley is geologically complex in terms of structure, stratigraphy, and lithology. Because of this complexity, groundwater resource management in the area requires understanding the groundwater basin’s hydrogeology and would be improved with the development of a three-dimensional hydrogeologic framework model (HFM). A wide range of methods and software exist to quantify the extent, structure, and properties of geologic systems. However, most geologic software is proprietary and cost-prohibitive for use in developing countries. GemPy is a Python-based, open-source (no-cost) tool for generating three-dimensional geological models. This study uses available data and GemPy to construct the Kobo Valley hydrogeologic framework model (KV-HFM). KV-HFM is a conceptual model that comprises the hydrostratigraphy, structural features, and hydraulic properties of the Kobo Valley groundwater system. The limited data described the extent and altitude of the hydrostratigraphic units using the GemPy implicit potential-ﬁeld interpolation. The KV-HFM showed the existence of an east-to-west, structural-based groundwater divide composed of volcanic rock and clay. This splits the catchment into two groundwater systems with limited-interconnected flow. This study illustrates the benefit to developing countries the use of the open-source, GemPy software for developing an HFM using sparse, existing geologic data. For organizations with a limited budget, using GemPy is a cost-effective method in a data-scarce region to construct an HFM for groundwater resources management.
A Study on the Inner Logic of Local Government Emergency Capacity Indicators Based on the G-Dematel-Aism Model
Authors: Ye Xianbao , Wang Haonan
Published: May 2023

Major emergencies can have a devastating impact on society, becoming a catalyst for social disorder and unrest and a trigger for social or political change. In today's world of frequent emergencies, the emergency management capacity of local governments is key to promoting safe operations and maintaining stability in cities and towns. Aiming to explore the direction and focus of local government emergency management capacity building, this paper establishes a local government emergency capacity evaluation system based on the emergency management process and combines Gray-Dematel, a gray decision laboratory analysis method, and AISM, an adversarial explanatory agency model, to derive the importance and intrinsic relationship among emergency capacity indicators. The algorithm describes the importance degree of each indicator in the system and also helps better understand the intrinsic relationship among the indicators. The outcomes of this research can be used to outline directional suggestions for the development of local government emergency response capacity and provide a new theoretical basis for more effective construction of local government emergency response capacity.
Identifying Barriers to Effective BIM Adoption in the Re-Engineering of Construction Business Practices in Developing Countries
Authors: Alam Firoz , Ali Javed , Madni Syed , Husnain Hafiz Ali
Published: May 2023

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been more popular in the construction industry as a consequence of the many advantages it offers, such as increased productivity, improved project outcomes, and reduced expenses. However, there are many obstacles that must be overcome before BIM can be widely used. This research uses a poll of construction industry experts to investigate the challenges associated with using BIM in projects. Cost of implementation, inadequate standards and procedures, and a lack of knowledge with BIM were some of the hurdles that were measured in the study. Statistical techniques were used to examine the data, and the findings indicate that the high cost of implementation and the absence of sufficient standards and procedures are the two main obstacles to the widespread adoption of BIM. Problems with supply chain management and a lack of experience with BIM are also mentioned as obstacles. The report also suggests solutions, such as a more focused teaching effort on BIM-related issues and the creation of a specialised BIM curriculum. Professionals in the construction industry may utilise the study’s results to their advantage by expanding their knowledge of the obstacles standing in the way of widespread adoption of BIM.
Haemodynamic Effects of Pimobendan During General Anaesthesia in Healthy Senior Dogs: A Prospective, Randomised, Triple-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study
Authors: Sández Ignacio , Redondo José Ignacio , Donati Pablo A. , Gómez Jose
Published: May 2023

Pimobendan is an inotropic and vasodilator drug with no sympathomimetic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the haemodynamic effects of pimobendan during anaesthesia in healthy senior dogs. A prospective, randomised, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study was conducted. Thirty-three dogs (median [range]: 9 [7, 12] years) were anaesthetised for surgical procedures. Dogs were randomly allocated into two groups: eighteen dogs received pimobendan 0.15 mg kg-1 IV (PIMOBENDAN) and 15, saline solutions 0.2 ml kg-1 IV (PLACEBO). Data were recorded before, 1 minute, 10 minutes and 20 minutes after injection. Velocity-time integral (VTI), peak-velocity (PV) and mean-acceleration (MA) were measured using an oesophageal Doppler monitor (ODM). Heart rate and mean arterial pressure were also registered. Data were analysed using a two-way ANOVA for trimmed means. Statistical differences were considered if p < 0.05. Twenty minutes after injection, VTI (13.0 cm [10.4, 22.3]), PV (95.0 [83.0, 160] m sec-1), and MA (12.6 [9.40, 17.0] m sec-2) were higher in PIMOBENDAN when compared to PLACEBO (VTI: 10.5 [6.50, 17.4] cm, PV: 80.0 [62.0, 103] m sec-1 and MA: 10.2 [7.00, 16.0] m sec-2). No differences were observed in the rest of the variables. Using pimobendan during anaesthesia increases VTI, PV and MA measured by an ODM.
Systematic Surveillance and Meta-Analysis of Antimicrobial Resistance
Authors: K Himanshu , Mukherjee Riya , Vidic Jasmina , Manzano Marisa , Ahmad Saheem , Raj V. Samuel , Pandey Ramendra , Chang Chung-Ming
Published: May 2023

Human exposure to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through food is now very imperfectly understood, creating a significant gap in the design of interventions. The interchange of AMR genes and the transfer of AMR bacteria from animals to humans through the food chain necessitate comprehensive methods to risk reduction. With a focus on AMR in bacterial species isolated from food products, foods (of both animal and non-animal origin), and ambient samples, the current meta-analysis gathered up-to-date information on the epidemiology of AMR in animal-source food chain. As a result, the combined prevalence of AMR across the various food sources was calculated. From the 18,784 food samples obtained as a result of selected publications, 7,676 (40.9%) samples were contaminated, including 4343 (56.6%) and 3363 (43.4%) samples from Taiwan and India, respectively. Meat (chicken, pork, and beef), fish and milk all have moderate to medium potential for AMR exposure to both Gram-positive and Gram-negative foodborne pathogens such S. aureus, Clostridium, E. coli, Salmonella, etc. Antibiotic resistance to β-lactam, fluoroquinolone, carbapenem etc, is present in the majority of food samples. The results of this study emphasize the persistent danger of antimicrobial residue in animal-derived foods in Taiwan, India, and other nations with comparable customs.
A Review on Oxygen-deficient Titanium Oxide for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production
Authors: Chen Yan , Fu Xiuli , Peng Zhijian
Published: May 2023

Photocatalytic technology based on specific band structure of semiconductors offers a promising way to solve the urgent energy and environmental issues in modern society. In particular, hydrogen production from water splitting over semiconductor photocatalysts attracts great attention owing to the clean source and application of energy, which highly depends on the performance of photocatalysts. Among the various photocatalysts, TiO2 has been intensively investigated and used extensively due to its outstanding photocatalytic activity, high chemical stability, non-toxicity and low cost. However, pure TiO2 has a wide band gap of approximately 3.2 eV, which limits its photocatalytic activity for water splitting to generate hydrogen only under ultraviolet light, excluding most of the inexhaustible sunlight for human beings. Fortunately, the band gap of semiconductors can be manipulated, in which introducing oxygen defects is one of the most effective measures to narrow the band gap of titanium oxides. This review starts out by the fundamentals of photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production over TiO2, discusses the latest progress in this field, and summarizes the various methods and strategies to induce oxygen defects in TiO2 crystals. Then, the next section outlines the modification approaches of oxygen-deficient titanium oxide (TiO2-δ) to further improve its photocatalytic performance. Finally, a brief summary and outlook of the researches on TiO2-δ photocatalysts for water splitting to produce hydrogen were presented.
Tree Species Responses to Competition, Stress, and Disturbance Suggest Adaptive Relationships in the Hemi-Boreal Forest
Authors: Petrokas Raimundas , Manton Michael
Published: May 2023

Forest vegetation dynamics (succession and dominance) is an ecological phenomenon that is still difficult to characterize and integrate into management practices. In this study, the understanding of forest dynamics is explored based on Grime’s theoretical triangular model of plant adaptive strategies using the example of Lithuania’s forest ecosystems. The idea behind this is the hypothesis that forest dynamics is linked to natural selection as an evolutionary process that exhibits differential species responses to competition, stress, and disturbance. The aim of this study is to explore the adaptive relationships in hemi-boreal forests. Grime’s and Pierce’s secondary CSR strategies, which describe various equilibria between competitiveness (C), stress tolerance (S), and ruderalism (R), were considered to reflect four establishment and development adaptive specialization characteristics of forest tree species. As a result of the study, four types of tree functional groups were identified: stress-resistant ruderals, competitive stress-sensitive ruderals, ruderal stress-sensitive competitors, and stress-resistant competitors. Based on this, we propose that reforestation move away from single species regeneration by implementing the maintenance of these four types of functional groups. In conclusion, forest management must consider the existence of the established equilibria between plant competitiveness, stress tolerance, and ruderalism. The formal concepts presented in this article can serve as a guide for future relevant research and development of appropriate methods for studying real forests. This study is unique in that no previous work has linked forest dynamics and natural selection in the context of Lithuania’s forest ecosystems.
Four New Unusual Pentacyclic Triterpenoids from the Roots of Jasminum sambac (L.) Ait
Authors: Olatunde Olagoke Zacchaeus , Yong Jianping , Lu Canzhong
Published: May 2023

Four new unusual pentacyclic triterpenoids (1-4) were isolated from the roots of Jasminum sambac (L.) Ait. Their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction and HRESIMS.
Smart City Assessment in Developing Economies: A Scoping Review
Authors: Lacson Julius Jay , Lidasan Hussein Sinsuat , Spay P. A. Vidya , Feliscuzo Larmie , Malongo Johann Heinrich , Lactuan Nove Joshua , Velasco Lemuel Clark
Published: May 2023

There are limited research articles focusing on Smart City Assessment (SCA) applications since it is a relatively new field of research and practice. However, numerous studies have been conducted and published to date, particularly in developing countries, with the broad objective of building theoretical frameworks that are centered on smart city assessments. This scoping review systematically provides an examination on the available literature on SCA, with a goal of synthesizing smart city assessments in developing economies. In order to improve the quality and transparency of the reviews and meta-analysis, as well as to reduce the risk of bias, this paper adopted the PRISMA scoping review research design to analyze 25 journal articles. Results showed that conceptual modeling appears to be the most common method identified while industrial development emerged as the most common objective identified in the MFO Model. On the other hand, ISO 37122:2019 was the most prevalent framework used in the collected sample size with 6 journal articles followed by IoT-Enabled Smart City Framework with 5 journal articles while Smart Cities Index Framework obtained 3. Meanwhile, India emerged as a leader in the global Smart City movement followed by Malaysia and Africa. The Qualitative Research Design approach was the most common among the literatures while social science was the most common subject area among the 25 journals being studied. More so, sustainability and renewable energy are the two most important assessment categories in SCA tools. By collating and evaluating different criteria and metrics in existing SCA, cities can learn from their successes and failures, adjust their strategies, and share best practices with other cities. This can foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation in urban governance, and ultimately lead to more livable, resilient, and prosperous cities for all.
Agriculture Named Entity Recognition - Towards FAIR, Reusable Scholarly Contributions in Agriculture
Authors: D’Souza Jennifer
Published: May 2023

We introduce the Open Research Knowledge Graph Agriculture Named Entity Recognition (the ORKG Agri-NER) corpus and service for contribution-centric scientific entity extraction and classification. The ORKG Agri-NER corpus is a seminal benchmark for the evaluation of contribution-centric scientific entity extraction and classification in the agricultural domain. It comprises titles of scholarly papers that are available as Open Access articles on a major publishing platform. We describe the creation of this corpus and highlight the obtained findings in terms of the following features: 1) a generic conceptual formalism focused on capturing scientific entities in agriculture that reflect the direct contribution of a work; 2) a performance benchmark for named entity recognition of scientific entities in the agricultural domain by empirically evaluating various state-of-the-art sequence labeling neural architectures and transformer models; and 3) a delineated 3-step automatic entity resolution procedure for the resolution of the scientific entities to an authoritative ontology, specifically AGROVOC that is released in the Linked Open Vocabularies cloud. With this work we aim to provide a strong foundation for future work on the automatic discovery of scientific entities in the scholarly literature of the agricultural domain.
Evaluation of an Innovative Element for Improving Safety in Road Transport
Authors: Poliak Miloš , Dvorský Ján , Zýka Jan , Nica Elvira
Published: May 2023

The aim of innovations in road safety is to contribute to better protection of road users and to minimize damage to their property. The main objective of the article is to identify disparities in the perception of an innovation element in road safety by road users based on their type of employment and the number of kilometers driven per year. The research will evaluate the attitudes of selected groups of road users based on the number of kilometers driven in a calendar year and whether driving a motor vehicle is their main job duty. The analysis involved 239 respondents using a paper questionnaire. Disparities in the perception of innovations in road safety were evaluated using contingency tables, chi-square tests, non-parametric tests, and Cramer's V. Road users feel much safer with a front braking light when crossing traffic of vehicles and pedestrians (71%); at pedestrian crossings (74%); when turning left (63.4%); as well as when crossing traffic of multiple vehicles (62.5%). Disparities among respondents based on the type of employment of the road user were not confirmed. Conversely, road users with a higher number of kilometers driven per year have a more positive perception of the innovation element at pedestrian crossings.
Anaemia in Preschool-Aged Children in DR. Congo: Finding from a Nationally Representative Survey
Authors: Kandala Ngianga II (Shadrack)
Published: May 2023

Anaemia is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency in the World and is associated with long-lasting developmental effects in children. Anaemia weakens the immune system and im-pairs cognitive development of children. Anaemia is multifactorial; therefore, anaemia’s pre-ventive/control measures should be evidence-based. This paper aimed to investigate the preva-lence and correlates of anaemia in preschool aged children at individual, maternal/household and community level in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Retrospective, nationally representative cross-sectional data, the 2013-2014 DRC Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) was used. Three -levels random intercept logistics regression models were fitted to the data using the outcome anaemia in children, defined as a haemoglobin concentration below 11dl with potential risk factors grouped at individual, maternal/household and community levels. Anaemia in children is a severe public health issue in the DRC, 63% of school-aged children are anaemic. Anaemia is highly prevalent amongst males, children with infections (fever/malaria and intestinal parasites), whose mothers are anaemic, from the poorest household, and whose drinking source of water is unclean, and who reside in provinces with recent/previous armed forces attacks. Results from this paper highlight the need for a clean and safe environment for children’s growth.
Study on Cubic-Orientation Settlement of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme II Immobilized on Polystyrene by Molecular Dynamics Simulation
Authors: Ma Yang , Yuan Yong J.
Published: May 2023

The adsorption of proteins on polymer is widely used in biosensors. Here, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was used to study the immobilization of angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE2) with six initial orientations proposed on polystyrene (PS) at the ambient conditions of pH (4.5, 6, 7, 8, 9.5) and NaCl (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25 M). ACE2 immobilization under favorable ambient conditions was characterized by minimum distance (short), settlement time (fast), interaction energy (substantial) and protein configuration (stable). ACE2 orientations proposed in 0.15M NaCl were respectively preferable to (90, 0, 0), (0, 0, 0) and (0, 270, 0), (180, 0, 0) and (0, 90, 0), (90, 0, 0) at pH 4.5, 6, 7, 9.5. ACE2 immobilization was further evaluated at pH 7 by optimizing NaCl concentration. Its proposed orientations of (i) (0, 270, 0), (ii) (0, 0, 0) and (90, 0, 0), and (iii) (0, 90, 0) and (90, 0, 0) were preferable in 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 M NaCl, respectively. The great significance of cubic-orientation settlement mode provides tangible improvement for the microfabrication of biochips for rapid diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus II (SARS-CoV-2).
UAV Based 3D Photogrammetric Modelling in Underground Inaccessible Tunnel
Authors: Bibish Baterdene , Toriya Hisatoshi , Fissha Yewuhalashet , Ikeda Hajime , Owada Narihiro , Sinaice Brian Bino , Adachi Tsuyoshi , Kawamura Youhei
Published: May 2023

UAV has become powerful devices for both practitioners and researchers. In recent years, there has been a substantial growth in the usage of UAV for a wide range of applications in research and engineering. UAV are mostly utilized for image capturing techniques due to their time savings, low cost, minimum field work, and high precision. The purpose of this study is to generate an accurate and reliable 3D modelling process using UAVs photogrammetric technology; hence this study allows the techniques to evaluate the practicability of modelling and mapping inaccessible tunnels using images recorded by UAVs and photogrammetry. As a result, the approach was always employed to depict the true state of the place. This research incorporates three experiments. The first experiment is to build a 3D model using only one-directional light source and evaluate the accuracy of 3D photogrammetric model and conducted at the concrete tunnel. The second one is to build a 3D model of underground sewer tunnel using different light sources one-directional and omni-directional. The last experiment was to build 3D model using an UAV system which is developed based on first and second experiment’s result, evaluate an accuracy of 3D photogrammetric model and conducted at the tunnel named in the research as a “pedestrian tunnel. There is certain limitation in this study such as Adding a payload to a drone changed its weight distribution, which affected its stability. If the payload was not properly balanced, it caused the drone to fly unevenly, making it more difficult to control.
Changes in Cortisol Secretion and Corticosteroid Receptors in Critically Ill Patients with Sepsis/Septic Shock and Scope for Treatment
Authors: Ilias Ioannis , Vassiliou Alice G. , Keskinidou Chrysi , Vrettou Charikleia S. , Orfanos Stylianos , Kotanidou Anastasia , Dimopoulou Ioanna
Published: May 2023

Sepsis is associated with dysregulated cortisol secretion, leading to abnormal levels of cortisol in the blood. In the early stages of sepsis, cortisol levels are typically elevated due to increased secretion from the adrenal glands. However, as the disease progresses, cortisol levels may decline due to impaired adrenal function, leading to relative adrenal insufficiency. The latter is thought to be caused by a combination of factors, including impaired adrenal function, decreased production of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, and increased breakdown of cortisol by enzymes such as 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2). The dysregulation of cortisol secretion in sepsis is thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of the disease by impairing the body's ability to mount an appropriate inflammatory response. The actions of cortisol are mediated through two types of corticosteroid receptors: the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GCR). In sepsis, the expression and activity of GCR is altered, contributing to the pathophysiology of the disease. GCR expression and activity are typically downregulated in sepsis, impairing the body's ability to mount an appropriate inflammatory response. Given the dysregulation of cortisol secretion and corticosteroid receptors in sepsis, there has been considerable interest in the use of steroids as a treatment for sepsis. The rationale for steroid-based treatment is to supplement the body's endogenous cortisol production, restore normal cortisol levels, and improve the body's ability to mount an appropriate inflammatory response. However, the use of steroids in sepsis remains controversial, and clinical trials have yielded mixed results. Some studies have shown that steroid-based treatment can improve shock reversal, reduce the need for vasopressors, and improve overall survival in patients with septic shock, whereas other studies have found no benefit or even harm from steroid-based treatment in sepsis.
New Wave Solutions for the Two-Mode Caudrey-Dodd-Gibbon Equation
Authors: Cimpoiasu Rodica , Constantinescu Radu
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we exhibit new dynamical properties of the two-mode Caudrey-Dodd-Gibbon (TMCDG) equation. This model describes the motion of dual-waves in dispersive and nonlinear media, which mainly depends on the nonlinearity and dispersion parameters. The overlapping of such two-mode waves is affected by the phase-velocity parameter. The study takes a full advantages of the Kudryashov method and of the exponential-expansion method. For the first time, dual-wave solutions are obtained for arbitrary values of the nonlinearity and dispersive factors. The graphs of the novel solutions are also provided in order to depict the waves propagation, as well as to show the influence of the parameters.
Weak Spatial Target Extraction Based on Small-Field Optical System
Authors: Zhang Xuguang , Liu Yunmeng , Duan Huixian , Zhang E
Published: May 2023

Compared to wide-field telescopes, small-field detection systems have higher spatial resolution, resulting in stronger detection capabilities and higher positioning accuracy. When detecting by small-field in synchronous orbit, both space debris and fixed stars are imaged as point targets, making it difficult to distinguish them. In addition, with the improvement of detection capabilities, the number of stars in the background rapidly increases, which puts higher requirements on recognition algorithms. Therefore, star detection is indispensable for identifying and locating space debris in complex backgrounds. To address these difficulties, this paper proposes a real-time star extraction method based on adaptive filtering and multi frame projection. We use bad point repair and background suppression algorithms to preprocess star image. Afterwards, we analyze and enhance the target signal-to-noise ratio(SNR). Then, we use multi frame projection to fuse information. Subsequently, adaptive filtering, adaptive morphology, and adaptive median filtering algorithms are proposed to detect trajectories. Finally, the projection is released to locate the target. Our recognition algorithm has been verified by real star images, and the images were captured using small-field telescope. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm proposed in this paper. We successfully extracted hip-27066 star, which has magnitudes about 12 and SNR about 1.5. Compared with existing methods, our algorithm has advantages in both recognition rate and false-alarm rate, and can be used as real time target recognition algorithm for space-based synchronous orbit detection payload.
Assessing the Prevalence and Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Healthcare Workers in Infectious Disease Centers in Ghana
Authors: Dadzie George , Bawua Serwaa Akoto
Published: May 2023

Introduction: COVID-19 vaccines have been the most effective means in curbing the infection, however, vaccine hesitancy has been seen as a threat to global health. Objective: the study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers in infectious disease centers in Ghana. Method: A cross-sectional study and proportionate stratified sampling method was used to recruit participants from various infectious disease centers. Result: data from 170 participants were analyzed, revealing a low prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (11.2%) among healthcare workers. However, only 31.1% of the fully vaccinated participants had taken the booster dose. Factors such as concerns about vaccine safety and side effects from previous doses, indecisiveness, a lack of time to receive the vaccine and lack of access to accurate information, prefered natural immunity were the significant predictors of vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers. Participants with good perception of the risk posed by COVID-19 was positively correlated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Conclusion: the study suggests that policies should be enacted to ensure health workers are vaccinated against highly contagious infectious diseases to prevent their spread among the general population. Training and health promotion campaigns should also be organized to encourage healthcare workers to accept and patronize the vaccines.
Oxidative Stability of Margarine is Improved by Adding Natural Antioxidants from Herbs and Spices
Authors: Serra Juan Jose , Mura Jessica , Fagoaga Carmen , Castellano Gloria
Published: May 2023

Margarines are W/O emulsions with minimal fat and are heat treated when used for baking. Lipid oxi-dation has been identified as the major deterioration process of margarines and addition of antioxidants is necessary. Consumers are increasingly demanding that chemical antioxidants in foods be replaced by natural preservatives. A multivariate statistical study gave us oxidative stability depending on the com-position of 20 different commercial margarines and an analysis of the principal components allowed us to classify and select eight of them. This study analyzes the antioxidant capacity of six different natural ground herbs (Curcuma longa, Illicium verum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Taraxacum officinale, Thymus piperella and Thymus vulgaris) on the oxidative stability of eight selected margarines. In order to evalu-ate the oxidative stability, we determine the induction period (IP) with Rancimat assays at 120 ºC with 1.5 hours of suppression. As results, Rosmarinus officinalis increases the IP value by 73.17% with respect to its basal values, Curcuma longa, Thymus vulgaris and Thymus piperella increases it between 17% and 26% and Taraxacum officinale together with Illicium verum reduces it between 19% and 34% respec-tively. A multiple linear regression model approach shows that IP has a positive correlation with SFA, PUFA,  acids, MUFA/PUFA ratio and antioxidant activity.
Protocol for Evaluating the Impact and Scalability of Reseaux des Femmes Programme for Using Homegrown Solutions to Reduce and Redistribute Unpaid Care Work among Women in Rwanda
Authors: Abbott Pamela , Malunda Dickson , Byaruhanga Ismael
Published: May 2023

Background: Globally, women’s responsibility for unpaid care work (UCW) remains a barrier to gender equality and women’s empowerment. Rwanda, a low-income country, has a legal and policy framework for promoting gender equality but remains a patriarchal society with women responsible for UCW. Reseaux des Femmes, a local NGO, has been delivering a programme targeted at reducing and redistributing the UCW of women with the objective of gender transformational change. However, there has been no impact evaluation of their intervention to date. Methods/Design: The impact evaluation will be a proof-of-concept critical realist cluster control trial (CRcCT) to evaluate for which women, how and under what circumstances the intervention reduces and redistributes women’s UCW, promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, and improves women’s quality of life. Four clusters of villages in each of five districts in Rwanda will be randomly allocated to the intervention or control arms, and all eligible households, those headed by a couple with at least one child under 12 years, will be recruited. This will yield a sample of around 550 intervention households and 550 control. Discussion: This protocol describes the design of mixed-methods research to evaluate an intervention in Rwanda aimed at reducing and redistributing the time women spend on UCW, thereby promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. This paper will contribute to our understanding of interventions for transforming gender relations from a scholarly perspective. From a policy perspective, it will act as a proof of concept of Reseaux des Femmes’ Programme.
Energy and Probability Density Computation for Muonic Hydrogen
Authors: S. Ajay , P. Hegde Suvrata
Published: May 2023

This paper discusses about the quantum energy levels of muonic hydrogen considering only Coulomb interaction. The computational analysis in this paper will help the reader get a good understanding of how different a muonic hydrogen is from its electronic counterparts. Energy eigenvalues are calculated by numerical method and the probability density distribution of muon around the nucleus is plotted for different quantum states using special functions. The code is written in python. A comparative study of emission spectra between the muonic hydrogen and hydrogen has also been discussed.
Buku Ajar Statistika Deskriptif Untuk Riset Komunikasi
Authors: Abadi Totok Wahyu , Sukmana Hendra
Published: May 2023

Statistika merupakan pelajaran yang terkesan sulit dan susah dipahami, apalagi statistika merupakan mata kuliah yang wajib ada pada semua jurusan lintas ilmu. Istilah statistika merupakan ilmu yang mempelajari bagaimana cara mengumpulkan, mengolah dan mempresentasikan data. Statistika banyak digunakan di bermacam disiplin ilmu, baik ilmu alam maupun dalam bidang bisnis, industri, dan ekonomi. Statistika juga digunakan di dalam pemerintahan.Perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi (iptek) saat ini menunjukkan bahwa ilmu statistika telah mempengaruhi hampir seluruh aspek kehidupan manusia. Hampir semua kebijakan publik dan keputusan-keputusan yang diambil oleh para pakar pendidikan atau para eksekutif (dalam ruang lingkup ilmu mereka) didasarkan dengan metode statistika serta hasil analisis dan interpretasi data, baik secara kuantitatif maupun kualitatif.
Hubungan Antara Kepercayaan Diri dan Kemampuan Komunikasi Matematis dengan Hasil Belajar Siswa Kelas V
Authors: Nisa Jaziatun , Tisngati Urip , Suryatin Suryatin
Published: May 2023

This study aims to determine: (1) the correlation between self-confidence and student’s learning outcomes; (2) the correlation between mathematical communication skills and student’s learning outcomes; (3) the correlation between self-confidence and mathematical communication skills with student’s learning outcomes. This type of research was quantitative. The population in this study were students of class V SD Negeri Gugus 01 in Kebonagung District for the 2019/2020 academic year. The sample was selected by proportional random sampling technique, amounting to 30 respondents. Data collection was carried out using documentation, questionnaires, and tests. Data analysis used correlation techniques with the help of SPSS 16.0 after testing the prerequisite analysis and hypothesis testing. The results showed that: (1) there was a positive correlation between self-confidence and learning outcomes of grade V SD Negeri Gugus 01, Kebonagung Sub District, Academic Year 2019/2020 (2) there was a positive correlation between mathematical communication skills and the learning outcomes of class V SD Negeri Gugus 01, Kebonagung Sub District, 2019/2020 academic and (3) there was a positive correlation between self-confidence and mathematical communication skills with student learning outcomes.
Implementasi Operant Conditioning sebagai Inovasi dalam Budaya Mutu Sekolah
Authors: Ridwani Ahmad Ansor , Mukhibat
Published: May 2023

Fenomena Covid-19 sangat berimbas besar dalam dunia pendidikan di Indonesia. Dengan tidak adanya interaksi antar warga sekolah, secara tidak langsung budaya mutu sekolah terganggu dan bahkan terhenti karena budaya mutu sekolah secara umum membutuhkan interaksi antar warga sekolah. Jika budaya mutu sekolah terganggu, maka kualitas sekolah juga akan berpengaruh. Agar kualitas mutu sekolah tetap terjamin, maka perlu adanya inovasi dalam pelaksanaan budaya mutu sekolah. Strategi operant conditioning menjadi salah satu solusi dari permasalahan keterbatasan waktu dan interaksi pada budaya mutu sekolah dimasa pandemi. Adapun tujuan dari penelitian ini yaitu untuk mendeskripsikan: (1) strategi operant conditioning dalam budaya mutu sekolah. (2) implemetasi operant conditioning dalam budaya mutu sekolah. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode kualitatif deskriptif. Teknik pengumpulan data berupa wawancara, observasi, dan dokumentasi. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa: (1) Operant conditioning  dalam budaya mutu sekolah dapat menggunakan beberapa strategi antara lain: penerapan kebijakan, dan penggunaan sistem online. Penerapan kebijakan dapat menggunakan beberapa hal antara lain: penggunakan SOP, pembiasaan New Normal, dan perubahan sistem pembelajaran. Penggunaan sistem online dapat dilakukan dengan beberapa tindakan antara lain: penggunaan platform Whatsapp sebagai media interaksi dan sarana pendekatan emosional, penggunaan situs Masterweb sebagai inovasi dalam pelaksanaan budaya sekolah. (2) Implementasi inovasi operant conditioning dalam budaya mutu sekolah dapat menggunakan 4 sistem pengondisian yaitu: penguatan positif (positif reinforcement), penguatan negatif  (negatif reinforcement), hukuman negatif (negative punishment), hukuman positif (positif punishment). Semua memiliki dampak positif yang ditimbulkan antara lain: meningkatkan nilai religius, nasionalis, cinta lingkungan, sopan santun dan disiplin.
Kesetaraan dan Keadilan Gender dalam Lingkungan Pesantren
Authors: Kurniawati Ani , Muafiah Evi
Published: May 2023

Isu mengenai keadilan dan kesetaraan gender masih menjadi isu yang sensitif untuk dibahas dalam Lembaga Pendidikan Islam di Indonesia, contohnya pada Lembaga pondok pesantren. Anggapan bahwa perempuan tidak memiliki kesempatan yang sama seperti laki-laki karena adanya tradisi sosial yang telah mendarah daging dan masih dipegang teguh sehingga perempuan masih dikucilkan ketika memberikan pendapat. Hal ini tentu menjadi perhatian di beberapa pesantren seperti di Pondok Pesantren Darussalam Bangunsari Ponorogo. Penelitian yang menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan pengumpulan data melalui observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi ini bertujuan untuk mengelaborasi implementasi keadilan dan kesetaraan gender di pondok pesantren tersebut. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa Pondok Pesantren Darussalam Bangunsari Ponorogo telah menerapkan nilai keadilan dan kesetaraan gender dalam kegiatan sehari-hari. Hal tersebut diketahui melalui wawancara kepada pengasuh dan santri mengenai pemahaman keadilan dan kesetaraan gender, kemudian berbagai kegiatan yang ada di pondok tersebut menggambarkan bahwa tidak adanya ketimpangan gender yang terjadi.
First Aid Management of Traumatic Hemorrhagic Shock Patients from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau : A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Zhou Liang , Zhang Ping , Hu Kunpeng , Zhang Zhigang
Published: May 2023

Background: Threats from natural disasters, traffic accidents, violent conflicts and other public emergencies have increased the incidence of traumatic hemorrhagic shock (THS) patients from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Because of the high-altitude environment affects human physiological indicators, the first aid management measures for patients with THS may be different from those in low-altitude areas.However, there is no relevant first aid management guidelines have been issued.This study aims to analyze the first aid management measures of HTS patients from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, and evaluate optimal treatment strategies.
Methods: By searching PubMed, Medline, Embase, CNKI, CBMdisc, VIP and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, searched from inception until July 19, 2022. And conducted a meta-analysis of non-controlled studies with sub-group analysis for first aid management measures. Mortality and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the patients were used as the final pooled statistics.
Results: Overall, 349 articles were identified, of which 13 relevant articles were identified following screening. First aid management measures of THS involve the 4 aspects: 1. oxygen supply, 2. hypothermia control, 3. blood circulation supplement, and 4. drug application. The mortality of patients with oxygen supply of 6-8L / min (Mortality 2%, 95%CI -0~5%) was lower than that of patients with oxygen supply of 4-6L / min (Mortality 16%, 95%CI 16~25%). The mortality of patients with hypothermia control (Mortality 3%, 95%CI 1~5%) was lower than that of patients with no hypothermia control (Mortality 11%, 95%CI 7~14%).
Conclusions: Optimal first aid management measures weren’t available in terms of blood circulation supplement and drug administration. High-flow oxygen supply and control have a positive effect on the first aid of THS patients from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.