bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A template-stripped carbon nanofiber/poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene) compound for high-sensitivity pressure and strain sensing
Authors: Xiong Yaoxu , Lin Zhiqiang , Zhao Zeyu , Xu Yadong , Wan Yanjun , Zhu Pengli , Hu Yougen , Sun Rong
Published: September 2022

Materials selection and microstructural design of the sensing part of flexible pressure sensors are of great significance in improving their performance. However, achieving synergy between the sensing material and the microstructure of the flexible sensors remains a challenge. Herein, compressible and stretchable sensors based on a carbon nanofiber/poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene) (CNF/SBS) compound are demonstrated with a template-stripped method for detecting various human motions, including pulses, finger bending and pressure distributions. Benefiting from the adjustable fingerprint microstructure and mass fraction of CNFs, the as-designed flexible pressure sensor dramatically achieves a high sensitivity of 769.2 kPa-1, a low detection limit of 5 Pa and high reliability of over 1000 cycles. Moreover, the flexible sensor based on CNF/SBS can be stretched due to the outstanding tensile properties of SBS. The enhanced stretchable sensor remarkably possesses a high gauge factor of 105.6 with a stretch range of 0%-300% and up to 600% elongation. Importantly, the proposed pressure and tension strain sensors are investigated to monitor vigorous human motion, revealing their tremendous potential for applications in flexible compressible and stretchable wearable electronics.
A hierarchical design for thermoelectric hybrid materials: Bi2Te3 particles covered by partial Au skins enhance thermoelectric performance in sticky thermoelectric materials
Authors: Satoh Norifusa , Otsuka Masaji , Kawakita Jin , Mori Takao
Published: September 2022

Sticky thermoelectric (TE) materials have been inversely designed to enable the mass production of flexible TE sheets through lamination or roll-to-roll processes without using electrically conductive adhesives. They have also been demonstrated as inorganic/organic hybrid materials consisting of TE inorganic particles and low-volatilizable organic solvents to exhibit Seebeck coefficients based on the TE particles and low thermal conductivities based on the organic matrix. To achieve energy harvesting of 250 µW for driving various electric devices using voltage boosters, herein, we employ p- and n-type Bi2Te3 particles due to their high Seebeck coefficients, and cover the Bi2Te3 bodies with Au skins because the interfacial electrical resistance depends on the electrical resistance of opposing substances at the interface. After controlling the plating amount to cover the Bi2Te3 particles with Au skins, we achieve a TE power generation two orders of magnitude greater than the previous study, i.e., 255 µW on a hot plate of 110 °C with a 6 × 6 module. Overall, with input from other organic devices, like organic light-emitting diodes and dye-sensitized solar cells, this study presents a hierarchical design for TE hybrid materials that suppresses the thermal conduction by hybridizing TE particles with the organic matrix at the microscale. This reduces the electrical resistance by modifying the interfaces of the TE particles at the nanoscale and optimizes the Seebeck coefficient of TE particles at the atomic scale. To compete with solid-state TE modules with regards to power generation capacity, the hierarchical design towards a possible further two orders of magnitude improvement is also discussed.
Exploring EFL Students’ Identities and Investment in Higher Education Reform Project: Two Narrative Cases
Authors: Lou Feier
Published: September 2022

Identity and investment have become the two most significant concepts in the field of second language acquisition and English as a foreign language (EFL). Conducted through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, this study focused on the narrative cases of two EFL students in the bilingual higher education project, revealing their identity changes throughout the project from a poststructural perspective. Their investment in foreign language learning was also fully explored through the analysis of a series of semi-structured interviews and diary data. The findings of this study show that identities are multiple, dynamic and contradictory, both emergent in changing sociocultural contexts and driven by individuals’ own agency, and participants’ identities also oscillate between the imagined communities and communities of practice. The investment of these two students in bilingual literacy is also mediated by three intertwined structures: capital, ideology and identity. In addition, participants’ second language investments vary considerably, due to their different agency in English language learning.
Isolation and Characterization of Staphylococcus Phage Rih21 and Evaluation of its Antibacterial Activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Isolates
Authors: Ghayyib Arif Abbas , Ahmed Ibrahim A. , Ahmed Hamid K.
Published: September 2022

From the hospital waste-water, a novel bacteriophage was isolated and characterized. According to characterization properties, this bacteriophage belongs to the Siphoviridae family, the maximum bacteriophage titer was recorded at 37°C and a pH of 7.2, had a 44,789 bp linear double-strand DNA genome, and within the genome sequence, there are 61 genes, all of which are encoded into proteins. Although this bacteriophage does not have any virulence factors or antimicrobial resistance genes and had specific lytic activity against some antimicrobial resistance S. aureus clinical isolates.
Non-Archimedean and p-adic Functional Welch Bounds
Authors: KRISHNA K. MAHESH
Published: September 2022

We prove the non-Archimedean (resp. p-adic) Banach space version of non-Archimedean (resp. p-adic) Welch bounds recently obtained by M. Krishna. More precisely, we prove following results. \begin{enumerate}[\upshape(i)] \item Let $\mathbb{K}$ be a non-Archimedean (complete) valued field satisfying $\left|\sum_{j=1}^{n}\lambda_j^2\right|=\max_{1\leq j \leq n}|\lambda_j|^2$ for all $ \lambda_j \in \mathbb{K}, 1\leq j \leq n$, for all $n \in \mathbb{N}.$ Let $\mathcal{X}$ be a $d$-dimensional non-Archimedean Banach space over $\mathbb{K}$. If $\{\tau_j\}_{j=1}^n$ is any collection in $\mathcal{X}$ and $\{f_j\}_{j=1}^n$ is any collection in $\mathcal{X}^*$ (dual of $\mathcal{X}$) satisfying $f_j(\tau_j) =1$ for all $1\leq j \leq n$ and the operator $S_{f, \tau} : \text{Sym}^m(\mathcal{X})\ni x \mapsto \sum_{j=1}^nf_j^{\otimes m}(x)\tau_j^{\otimes m} \in \text{Sym}^m(\mathcal{X})$, is diagonalizable, then \begin{align}\label{NONFUNCTIONALWELCH} \max_{1\leq j,k \leq n, j \neq k}\{|n|, |f_j(\tau_k)f_k(\tau_j)|^{m} \}\geq \frac{|n|^2}{\left|{d+m-1 \choose m}\right| }. \end{align} We call Inequality (\ref{NONFUNCTIONALWELCH}) as non-Archimedean functional Welch bounds. \item For a prime $p$, let $\mathbb{Q}_p$ be the p-adic number field. Let $\mathcal{X}$ be a $d$-dimensional p-adic Banach space over $\mathbb{Q}_p$. If $\{\tau_j\}_{j=1}^n$ is any collection in $\mathcal{X}$ and $\{f_j\}_{j=1}^n$ is any collection in $\mathcal{X}^*$ (dual of $\mathcal{X}$) satisfying $f_j(\tau_j) =1$ for all $1\leq j \leq n$ and there exists $b \in \mathbb{Q}_p$ such that $ \sum_{j=1}^{n}f_j^{\otimes m}(x) \tau_j^{\otimes m} =bx$ for all $ x \in \text{Sym}^m(\mathcal{X}),$ then \begin{align}\label{PADICFUNCTIONALWELCH} \max_{1\leq j,k \leq n, j \neq k}\{|n|, |f_j(\tau_k)f_k(\tau_j)|^{m} \}\geq \frac{|n|^2}{\left|{d+m-1 \choose m}\right| }. \end{align} We call Inequality (\ref{PADICFUNCTIONALWELCH}) as p-adic functional Welch bounds. \end{enumerate} We formulate non-Archimedean functional and p-adic functional Zauner conjectures.
Representation of functions in series with parameter
Authors: Boyadzhiev Khristo N.
Published: September 2022

We prove a short general theorem which immediately implies some classical results of Hasse, Guillera and Sondow, Paolo Amore, and also Alzer and Richards. At the end we obtain a new representation for Euler’s constant γ. The theorem transforms every Taylor series into a series depending on a parameter.
Method for calculating Dirichlet L-functions
Authors: Mittou Brahim , Derbal Abdallah
Published: September 2022

Recently, the authors gave asymptotic formulas for L(s, χ), which associated with a primitive Dirichlet character χ, in terms of the generalized Bernoulli numbers. In this paper, based on the aforementioned asymptotic formulas we describe a method for calculating Dirichlet L-functions that can be used to validate the generalized Riemann hypothesis up to a height T > 0. Our method is a refinement of the one presented by Davies and Haselgrove.
Influence of unserviceable tires’ rubber on the mechanical performance of hot mix asphalt
Authors: Luz Nunes Camila G. , Dos Santos Pereira Pedro Henrique , Almeida de Melo Ricardo , Guedes Rodrigues John Kennedy , De Figueirêdo Lopes Lucena Lêda Christiane
Published: September 2022

This work aimed to optimize the production of hot mix asphalt (HMA) from the use of asphalt-rubber. For that, the mechanical performance of asphalt mixtures produced with different binders was evaluated: commercial asphalt-rubber (AR08), asphalt crumb rubber 10% (AR10) and 15% (AR15), and conventional asphalt (PEN 50-70). For the composition of these mixtures, the optimum asphalt contents were defined by the Marshall design. To carry out the mechanical tests, specimens molded with Marshall and Superpave compactors were tested. From the results obtained, it was verified that AR08 and AR10 asphaltic mixtures, compacted with Superpave, carried out the best mechanical performance. However, the AR08 binder is already available on the market, which facilitates its usage in paving works
Avaliação da influência da corrosão na estabilidade global de colunas em concreto armado
Authors: Feliciano dos Santos Maiara , Pereira dos Santos Danilo
Published: September 2022

Este trabalho analisa o impacto da corrosão na estabilidade global de colunas em concreto armado, avaliando a eficácia dos critérios de redução de rigidez propostos pela ABNT NBR 6118:2014. A partir das análises, utilizando-se modelos em elementos finitos que reproduziram o comportamento dos materiais, definiu-se que a corrosão causa a intensificação dos esforços globais de segunda ordem na estrutura. Entretanto, em situações críticas, a perda de equilíbrio na seção transversal conduziu à falha estrutural antes mesmo da perda de estabilidade. O estudo foi realizado tanto por meio de uma análise não-linear geométrica, quanto pela aplicação do coeficiente γz, onde concluiu-se que a posterior adição de efeitos reológicos pode conduzir a uma configuração que ultrapasse os limites propostos pela norma brasileira.
Nanofibras de celulose (NFC) como reforço de matrizes cimentícias: revisão sistemática da literatura
Authors: Aquino Rocha Joaquin Humberto , Farias Lidianne do Nascimento , Siqueira Thaís Pinto Lôbo
Published: September 2022

O objetivo deste estudo é realizar uma revisão sistemática da literatura dos últimos cinco anos sobre o uso de nanofibras de celulose (NFC) em compósitos cimentícios. São apresentadas as principais formas de produção e dispersão, com destaque para o efeito sobre o comportamento dos materiais à base de cimento. O estudo considerou a influência das NFC nas propriedades no estado fresco e endurecido: reologia, hidratação, resistência à compressão, resistência à flexão, energia de fratura, entre outras. As NFC têm efeitos benéficos nas propriedades mecânicas; no entanto, maior pesquisa ainda é necessária para otimizar a produção e os processos de pré-tratamento das NFC; estabelecer relações sobre a durabilidade dos compósitos com NFC, e identificar possíveis impactos ambientais da sua utilização.
The Hematological and Biochemical Profiles of Wonosobo Sheep Blood in Various Physiological Conditions
Authors: Sarmin Sarmin Sarmin , Astuti Pudji , Airin Claude Mona
Published: September 2022

The study aimed at examining the hematological and biochemical profiles of Wonosobo sheep blood in various physiological conditions. There were 32 Wonosobo sheep in the various physiological conditions, including 17 ewe lamb of 1-2 months of age, 5 pregnant female sheep of 12-48 months of age at 3 months of pregnancy, 5 ewe of 12-48 months of age in second lactation period of 1-2 months and 5 ram of 12-48 months of age. Each of the sheep was put in individual sheepfold and given Pakchong-1 grass, dried kangkong, and concentrate. Drinking water was given ad libitum. Blood sample was drawn from jugular vein and put into tubes for blood hematological and biochemical analyses. The results of the study showed that total leukocyte and lymphocyte were high in young sheep, while neutrophils was high in pregnant female sheep (P<0.05). There was not any significant physiological impact on hemoglobin, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, hematocrit, platelet, monocyte, eusinophil, and basophil (P>0.05). The highest ALP activity and Pi levels were found in the ewe lamb, while low creatinine was found in the ram (P<0.05). The parameter of the activities of SGPT, SGOT, LDH, calcium, kalium, chloride, sodium, magnesium, TIBC, UIBC, TS, globulin, albumin, total protein, BUN, creatinine, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL and LDL was not affected by physiological conditions (P>0.05). It was concluded that the impact of the physiological conditions of the Wonosobo sheep caused high total leukocyte and lymphocyte in ewe lamb and high neutrophil in pregnant female sheep, the increase in the Pi level and ALP activity of the ewe lamb, and high creatinine in the ram
The Impact of Surgeon Variability on Patient-Reported Outcome Measures, Length of Stay, Discharge Disposition, and 90-Day Readmission in TKA
Authors: Sinclair SaTia T. , Klika Alison K. , Jin Yuxuan , Higuera Carlos A. , Piuzzi Nicolas S. ,   on behalf of the Cleveland Clinic OME Arthroplasty Group
Published: September 2022

Background:

Studies involving total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have focused on patient-related factors as drivers of outcomes. Although some studies have investigated surgeon and/or surgery-level factors (i.e., approach, volume), the measure of variance in postoperative outcomes across surgeons following TKA has not been determined. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relationship between the surgeon and 1-year patient-reported outcome measures, the length of stay, the discharge disposition, and 90-day readmission after TKA, as well as the differences in these variables among surgeons.

Methods:

Data were prospectively collected for 5,429 patients who underwent TKA at a large health-care system with 36 surgeons between 2016 and 2018. Likelihood ratio tests were performed to investigate the relationship between surgeon and the 1-year Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)-Pain subscale, KOOS-Physical Function Shortform (KOOS-PS), KOOS for Joint Replacement (KOOS-JR), patient acceptable symptom state (PASS), length of stay, discharge disposition, and 90-day readmission. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was used to assess meaningful outcomes. Variable importance was determined by the Akaike information criterion (AIC) increase, using ordinal and binary-response mixed-effect models.

Results:

There was a significant association between surgeon and KOOS-Pain (p < 0.001), KOOS-PS (p = 0.001), KOOS-JR (p < 0.001), PASS (p = 0.024), length of stay (p < 0.001), discharge disposition (p < 0.001), and 90-day readmission (p < 0.001). When modeling 1-year KOOS-Pain (AIC increase, 15.6), KOOS-PS (AIC increase, 6.8), KOOS-JR (AIC increase, 13.5), PASS (AIC increase, 1.9), length of stay, and discharge disposition, the surgeon variable contributed more to the 1-year outcome than some patient-level factors (e.g., body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index). The difference between the highest and lowest median probabilities of attaining the same value for the KOOS-Pain (11.2%), KOOS-PS (9.4%), KOOS-JR (11.8%), PASS (5.9%), length of stay (46.6%), discharge disposition (22.8%), and readmission (13.1%) indicated surgeon-level variability.

Conclusions:

Surgeon-related factors may be stronger contributors to the 1-year patient-reported outcome measures and length of stay than patient characteristics emphasized in the literature. Current findings have suggested variability in patient-reported outcome measures, length of stay, discharge location, and 90-day readmission among surgeons. Surgeon variability should be considered when model-fitting in the setting of TKA.

Level of Evidence:

Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The Making Research Accessible Initiative: A Case Study in Community Engagement and Collaboration
Authors: McCauley Aleha , Towle Angela
Published: September 2022

Recently community engagement has emerged as a priority among universities, offering new opportunities for their libraries. A literature scan of community-centred work in libraries reveals diverse examples but a lack of conceptual definitions or frameworks to  help practitioners advance their work for social impact.  We present a case study using the Carnegie Foundation definition of community engagement and apply two conceptual frameworks: living lab constructs  and boundary spanning theory. The living lab constructs provide a framework to describe an innovation process that addresses a social challenge, experiments with specific actions for change, and defines specific returns or social impact. Boundary spanning theory provides a framework to help university leaders conceptualize linkages to community in ways that account for institutional complexity and foster reciprocal, mutually beneficial relationships with community partners. We use these two frameworks to describe the Making Research Accessible initiative which has three goals: i) increase the accessibility and impact of research done in the community; ii) increase the availability to researchers of community-generated research;  iii) create opportunities for  community and  university members to share information and learn from each other. From the  case study, we summarize  what we have learned about community engagement to be of general relevance to library practitioners.
Perspectives on Reproductive Health Education among Javanese Parents
Authors: Widjanarko Bagoes , Indraswari Ratih , Kusumawati Aditya , Handayani Novia
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to investigate the perspectives of reproductive health education among Javanese parents of children aged 9-11 years. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 12,306 parents in Semarang City, Central Java Province, Indonesia, using a purposive sampling technique. Some parents agreed that reproductive health education at home was unnecessary (29.5%), taboo (45%), difficult (73.1%), and awkward (41.5%). Most parents (72.7%) were not transparent in providing reproductive health information to their children by using other terms to name the genitals, considering the politeness aspect. Good practices of providing reproductive health information are slightly more common in mothers (54.2%), unemployed parents (52.9%), those with a higher education level (69.5%), and those with a family income above the regional minimum wage (59.8%). As many as 76.9% of parents intensely monitor their children; however, 60.63% of parents have poor communications with their children. Parents believe that reproductive health information is essential for their children, but parents find the topic difficult with their children due to taboos and awkward feelings. Accordingly, the Indonesian Ministry of Health should empower parents to discuss reproductive health issues with their children openly.
Ações de extensão e o covid-19
Authors: Alves Denise , Bordinassi Eduardo Cardoso , Lopes Isabeli Russo
Published: September 2022

Por conta da pandemia de COVID-19, diversas atividades de extensão universitária, muito relevantes por formar laços entre a universidade e a sociedade, precisaram ser adaptadas ao contexto remoto. As atividades do Serviço de Aconselhamento Genético da Universidade Estadual de Londrina – SAG-UEL também foram afetadas, entre elas uma iniciativa em que jovens em cumprimento de medidas socioeducativas visitam o espaço físico do programa de extensão. Este artigo busca explicitar como a palestra “Visitando o SAG-UEL” foi estruturada e adaptada ao contexto remoto, além de tratar dos impactos gerados ao incentivar esses jovens a enxergarem a universidade e a formação profissional como uma possibilidade viável e interessante. Para isso, foram apresentadas as atividades realizadas pelos colaboradores do SAG-UEL durante a graduação. Com a necessidade de adaptação à modalidade remota, foi formulado um roteiro de informações a serem abordadas, além do acréscimo de vídeos que mostram o prédio do projeto e fornecem outras informações pertinentes, o que tornou a apresentação e o envio de materiais produzidos pelo SAG-UEL aos participantes mais dinâmica. Como resultado, os colaboradores que apresentaram a palestra desenvolveram diversas habilidades pertinentes a sua formação profissional. Além disso, eles puderam conhecer os diferentes contextos sociais em que os adolescentes estavam inseridos, propiciando aos jovens mais acesso à universidade e aos programas oferecidos por ela. O trabalho serve também de modelo para que outras pessoas possam adaptar ações presenciais ao meio remoto, mantendo a integração entre a universidade e a comunidade durante o período pandêmico.
Ensino remoto e o apoio à aprendizagem de matemática
Authors: Basotti Ana Gabriela , Boff Daiane Scopel , Erben Endhyel , Roth Gabriela , Miotto Sabrina Arsego
Published: September 2022

O projeto Apoio à aprendizagem de Matemática é uma ação de extensão realizada desde 2015 no Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS) – Campus Caxias do Sul, cujo objetivo é atender os estudantes matriculados nos anos finais do Ensino Fundamental ou no Ensino Médio, que possuem dificuldades na aprendizagem de conceitos matemáticos. Em virtude da pandemia da Covid-19, os atendimentos desenvolvidos no projeto ocorreram de forma remota, por meio da plataforma Google Meet, com agendamento prévio. Na edição de 2020, o projeto firmou uma parceria com duas casas lares, as quais fazem o acolhimento de crianças e adolescentes, cuja guarda foi retirada de seus familiares, por ordem judicial. Os atendimentos foram realizados com sete jovens no período de setembro a dezembro de 2020, a fim de auxiliá-los a compreender os conteúdos disponibilizados pelos professores de Matemática da escola regular, já que as aulas presenciais estavam suspensas. Ainda, tais atendimentos buscaram retomar conceitos matemáticos de anos anteriores que não estavam bem consolidados. Além disso, o projeto contribuiu para a formação/iniciação à docência, já que os bolsistas e voluntários que realizaram os atendimentos tiveram a oportunidade de aprimorar métodos de ensino e ampliar suas estratégias de ação.
Ações de Economia Solidária em uma cooperativa de catadores em Blumenau/SC
Authors: Soler Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar y , Schiochet Valmor , Fronza Claudia Sombrio , Rebelo Raquel Andrade , Cardoso Rodrigo dos Santos , Mueller Deborah , Salamoni Júlia
Published: September 2022

Apresentamos, neste artigo, as ações desenvolvidas pelo Projeto Economia Solidária e Sustentabilidade: gestão da produção social para o fortalecimento de uma Cooperativa dos Trabalhadores de Coletores de Resíduos Recicláveis de Blumenau. Tal projeto foi coordenado pelos cursos de Psicologia, de Engenharia de Produção e de Serviço Social, da Universidade Regional de Blumenau (FURB), em uma cooperativa de catadores de materiais recicláveis, sob o paradigma da economia solidária. Essas ações ocorreram entre os anos de 2020 e 2021 a partir de atividades que envolveram: a) o assessoramento estratégico da cooperativa; b) visitas ao campo; e c) o diagnóstico socioeconômico dos cooperados. Esses procedimentos foram integralizados por meio de atividades interdisciplinares, cujo fundamento era a mediação entre a equipe executora e os(as) cooperados(as). Por se tratar de uma população em situação de vulnerabilidade social e econômica, a pertinência das atividades de extensão, como as que executamos, encontra-se em consonância direta com os princípios da extensão universitária, dentre os quais se pode destacar o oferecimento de serviços em conjunto com as políticas públicas necessárias para a melhoria da qualidade de vida da população. Por outro lado, as estratégias desenvolvidas sinalizam que o papel da economia solidária consiste em fazer operar formas solidárias e comunitárias de fortalecimento de vínculos, contribuindo, dessa forma, para que os efeitos da exclusão social possam ser minimamente mitigados por ações de geração de renda.
Morality in Deceptive Environments
Authors: Mitkidis Panagiotis , Gerlach Philipp , Nichols Aaron , Elbaek Christian , Perkovic Sonja , Ariely Dan
Published: September 2022

Psychologists, economists, and philosophers have long argued that in environments where deception is normative, moral behavior is harmed. In this article, we show that individuals making decisions within deceptive environments do not behave more dishonestly than in nondeceptive environments. We demonstrate the latter using an example of experimental deception within established institutions, such as laboratories and institutional review boards. Specifically, we first find meta-analytical evidence suggesting that experiencing deception at the laboratory level yields lower dishonesty. However, such evidence is correlational only. We therefore experimentally manipulated whether participants received information about their deception. Across three well-powered studies, we empirically demonstrate that deceptive environments do not affect downstream dishonest behavior. However, when participants were in a deceptive environment and aware of being observed, their dishonest behavior decreased. Our results show that the relationship between deception and dishonesty is more complicated than previous interpretations have suggested and expand the understanding how deception might affect moral behavior.
A Case Report for diabetis
Authors: Tedeschi Roberto
Published: September 2022

BackgroundLimitation of tibio-tarsal joint mobility in diabetic patients can occur within a few years of diagnosis, even in young patients. Case presentationA patient with type 2 diabetes.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the role of manual treatment combined with an exercise programme could increase tarsal dorsiflexion and consequently decrease plantar pressures.
Computerized text and voice analysis - a quantitative single case study of seven chronically schizophrenic patients in art therapy
Authors: Sprotte Yvonne
Published: September 2022

This explorative study of chronic schizophrenic patients aims to clarify whether group art therapy followed by a therapist-guided picture review could influence the patients' communication behavior. Characteristics of voice and speech were obtained via objective technological instruments and selected as indicators of communication behavior. Seven patients were recruited to participate in weekly group art therapy over a period of six months. Three days after each group meeting, they talked about their last picture during a standardized interview that was digitally recorded. The audio documents were evaluated using validated computer-assisted procedures, the transcribed texts using the German version of LIWC2015, and the voices using the audio analysis software VocEmoApI. The dual methodological approach was intended to form an internal control of the study results. An exploratory factor analysis of the complete sets of output parameters was carried out in the expectation of obtaining disease typical characteristics in speech and voice that map barriers to communication. The parameters of both methods were thus processed into five factors each, i.e., into a quantitative digitized classification of the texts and voices. The scores of the factors were subjected to a linear regression analysis to capture possible process-related changes. Most patients continued to participate in the study. This resulted in high quality data sets for statistical analysis. In answer to the study question, two results were summarized: A text analysis factor called presence proved a potential surrogate parameter for positive language development. Quantitative changes in vocal emotional factors were detected, demonstrating differentiated activation patterns of emotions. These results can presumably be interpreted as an expression of a cathartic healing process. The methods presented in this study make a potentially significant contribution to quantitative research into the effectiveness and mode of action of art therapy.
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on mental health care use among Norwegian students in higher education: a nation-wide register-based pre-post cohort study
Authors: Grøsland Mari , Larsen Vilde , Reneflot Anne , Hart Rannveig Kaldager
Published: September 2022

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, and its associated social distancing measures, gave profound changes to the everyday and academic life of students in higher education. The current study is the first to use nation-wide data to evaluate the long-term effect of the pandemic and its countermeasures on university students’ mental health care use.Methods: Using nation-wide individual-level data, we studied mental health consultations in primary care (data available from January 2017 to February 2022) and dispensed prescription drugs used to treat anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances (data available from October 2018 to February 2021) for first-year undergraduate university students. We compared changes over time in mental health care use in a pandemic cohort (12,501 first-year students enrolled in 2019) to the same change in a pre-pandemic cohort (25,990 first-year students enrolled in 2017 and 2018). Event study and difference-in-difference models allowed us to separate the impact of the pandemic, experienced by the pandemic cohort only, from secular and seasonal changes experienced by all cohorts. Results: The percentage of students with a mental health consultation temporarily decreased during the first pandemic lockdown in March 2020. At the end of the second lockdown in April 2021, the level of mental health consultations increased by 73 % (95 % CI 40-106.3). There was also a 42,6 % (95 % CI 5.7-79.5) increase in mental health consultations in fall 2021. No similar increases were observed for dispensed prescription drugs between March 2020 and February 2021.Conclusions: Longer periods of strict lockdown measures were temporally associated with increases in mental health consultations in primary care among students. The benefits of social distancing measures in future pandemic preparedness should be weighed against the cost of potentially worsening mental health in vulnerable groups.
Evaluation of ecosystem services from 2000 to 2020 and their trade-offs/synergies in a coalfield: A case study in the Pingshuo mining area of the Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Xue Zhanjin , Ding Guangwei
Published: September 2022

Determining the spatiotemporal dynamics in land use and ecosystem service value (ESV) and understanding the trade-offs/synergy relationships between ecosystem services (ESs) are crucial for ecosystem management and achieving sustainable development in mining areas. However, existing research on ESV and ESs has not paid sufficient attention to the special coalfield in arid/semiarid areas. In this study, we investigated the Pingshuo mining area and used the standard equivalent factor to evaluate ESV variations resulting from the spatiotemporal changes of land use based on remote sensing and land use data (2000, 2010, and 2020). Simultaneously, the trade-offs/synergies between ESs were further explored using the ESs trade-offs/synergies degree (ESTD) model. We found that: (1) The land use changed considerably in this area, which was mainly reflected in farmland decrease and built-up land increase by 3580.60 hm2 and by 5103.44 hm2, respectively, from 2000 to 2020. (2) ESV in our study area declined by 7116.53 × 104 RMB Yuan over the investigated period. High ESV mainly appeared in the north/south of the study area, while the low ESV was concentrated in the middle and northeast/southeast of the mining area. (3) The interactions between paired ESs were mainly the synergies that generally appeared among eight ESs except soil conservation, while trade-offs mainly existed between soil conservation and other paired ESs in the study region. To achieve socio-economic and ecological benefits, the local government should take effective measures to improve the environment of the coalfield and reverse the falling tendency of ESV.
Symphonizing pileup and full-alignment for deep learning-based long-read variant calling
Authors: Luo Ruibang , Zheng Zhenxian , Li Shumin , Su Junhao , Leung Amy Wing-Sze , Lam Tak-Wah
Published: September 2022

Deep learning-based variant callers are becoming the standard and have achieved superior SNP calling performance using long reads. In this paper, we present Clair3, which makes the best of two major method categories: pile-up calling handles most variant candidates with speed, and full-alignment tackles complicated candidates to maximize precision and recall. Clair3 ran faster than any of the other state-of-the-art variant callers and performed the best, especially at lower coverage.
Exploring Culturally-preferred Communication Approaches for Increased Uptake of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) Services in Rural Malawi
Authors: Mphepo Kent Yelemia G. , Muula Adamson Sinjani , Suzi Joel , Phuka Felix , Mfutso-Bengo Joseph
Published: September 2022

Background
In 2007 WHO and UNAIDS recommended communication interventions as a key strategy for creating demand for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC) in Southern Africa. In Malawi, VMMC communication interventions, implemented by health communication agencies, have effectively raised awareness of services. Ironically, high awareness of VMMC has not resulted in increased uptake. Consequently, Malawi has achieved the lowest number of circumcisions in Southern Africa.
Methods
These researchers carried out a study among the traditionally circumcising Yaos of Mangochi in Southern Region and the non-circumcising Chewas in Central Region. Data were collected using FGDs, KIIs, IDIs, Life Histories and Participatory Rural Appraisal methods. Data were analyzed thematically.
Results
This study demonstrates two lessons. First, Lasswell’s Theory, which has traditionally been used in politics, is relevant to the health sector where the message delivery continuum also needs to be clear on source, message, audience, channel and intended effects. Secondly, according to respondents, allowing communities to give feedback to the VMMC messages delivered by health promoters is fundamental. Therefore, failure by Lasswell Theory to emphasize on feedback compromises its efficacy. It weakens its ability to foster a common vision between the source and the audience which is prerequisite for behavioral change.
Conclusion
The study concluded that community engagement and interpersonal communication which provide room for real-time feedback in any communicative event are the most preferred communication interventions for VMMC services among Yaos and Chewas.
Experimental analysis of earthquake prediction using machine learning classifiers, curve fitting, and neural modeling
Authors: Chittora Pankaj , Chakrabarti Tulika , Debnath Papiya , Gupta Amit , Chakrabarti Prasun , Praveen S Phani , Margala Martin , Elngar Ahmed A.
Published: September 2022

An earthquake is one of the most massive natural disasters which happens unexpectedly shaking the earth's surface. Due to earthquakes, not only infrastructure but also buildings get damaged thereby affecting lifestyle. For the early-stage prediction of the earthquake impact, machine learning can play a vital role, and this entails the novelty of the work. For this perception, six different machine learning classifiers namely Artificial Neural Network, Random Tree, CHAID, Discriminant, XGBoost Tree, and Tree-AS on six datasets of different regions of India. All the algorithms have been applied to each dataset. The objective of the research is to predict the value of magnitude for the future earthquake in India and nearby regions from the historical data on earthquakes. From the result, It has been observed that for Andaman & Nikobar dataset XGBoost Tree achieved the highest accuracy with 99.10%, for the Gujarat dataset Tree-AS achieved the highest accuracy with 91.67%, for the North India dataset Artificial Neural Network achieved the highest accuracy with 99.13%, for North East India dataset XGBoost Tree achieved the highest accuracy with 99.04%, for Nepal-UP-Bihar dataset XGBoost Tree achieved the highest accuracy with 99.01%, for Nearby India’s Country dataset XGBoost Tree achieved the highest accuracy with 92.12%. From all the results, it has been noted that XGBoost tree classifier performed well in most datasets., the Curve has been made between magnitude & gap, magnitude & magnitude error, and magnitude and depth error for finding the mathematical relation between them.
Single-nucleus ATAC-seq elucidates major modules of gene regulation in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Takeuchi Fumihiko , Liang Yi-Qiang , Shimizu-Furusawa Hana , Isono Masato , Ang Mia Yang , Mori Kotaro , Mori Taizo , Kakazu Eiji , Yoshio Sachiyo , Kato Norihiro
Published: September 2022

Background
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) develops from fatty liver to steatohepatitis during which multiple cell types may play different roles. Aiming to understand tissue composition of cell types, their gene expression and global gene regulation in the development of NAFLD, we performed single-nucleus and bulk ATAC-seq on the liver of rats fed with a high-fat diet (HFD).
Methods
Male Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats were fed a normal diet or a HFD. Rats fed HFD for 4 weeks developed fatty liver, and those fed HFD for 8 weeks further developed steatohepatitis. Under the washout condition, where 4 weeks of HFD is followed by 4 weeks of a normal diet, fatty liver was partially ameliorated. For each dietary condition, we performed single-nucleus ATAC-seq on one animal and bulk ATAC-seq on four animals.
Results
In accordance with the pathological progression from fatty liver to steatohepatitis, the proportion of inflammatory macrophages dramatically increased. By machine learning, we divided global gene expression into modules, such that transcription factors in a module regulate a set of genes in the same module. Consequently, many of the modules rediscovered known regulatory relationship between the transcription factors and biological processes. For the discovered biological processes, we searched core genes, which were defined as genes central regarding co-expression and protein-protein interaction. A large part of the core genes overlapped with previously implicated NAFLD genes.
Conclusions
Single-nucleus ATAC-seq combined with data-driven statistical analysis help elucidate the global gene regulation in vivo as a combination of modules and discover core genes of the relevant biological processes.
Application and evaluation of Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) diagnostic assay for detection of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli (O157:H7)
Authors: Yinur Degisew , Moges Biniam , Hassen Aliyi , Tessema Tesfaye Sisay
Published: September 2022

Backgrounds: O157:H7 E. coli has been implicated in the worldwide outbreak of food and water borne diseases. Early and effective diagnosis are the pivotal concerns for clinics and hospitals for prompt reporting of outbreaks, prevent more cases and treat the infection in appropriate time. Most of common diagnostic methods are constrained by significant drawbacks and novel reliable and rapid detection of this pathogen is beneficial to execute, particularly in low-resource laboratory settings. This study aimed at evaluating the performance of LAMP diagnostic assay targeting on putative fimbria protein coding gene (Z3276) for rapid and specific detection of EHEC O157:H7. Results: A total number of 40 locally available bacteria isolates and reference strains, among them 6 entrohemorrhagic (O157:H7) and 10 entropathogenic E. coli, 7 non diarrheic E. coli strains and 13 non entrohemorrhagic shiga toxic (stx) E. coli isolates as well as 4 pathogenic non E. coli species were included to optimization and evaluation for LAMP assay. The LAMP amplified DNA samples were visualized as turbid DNA with naked eye as well as using gel electrophoresis followed by staining. The assay performed with 100% (6/6) sensitivity, 97.05% (33/34) specificity, as well as 97.5% (39/40) efficiency. The assay was exhibited with 100% negative predicted value and 85.7% positive predicted value. The LAMP assay was also 10 times more sensitive than the conventional PCR assay; sensitivity evaluation was done through serial dilution. Additionally, LAMP and PCR assay results showed very high agreement (k = 0.97) on detection of the studied bacteria. Conclusions: Different diagnosis methods have been developed for EHEC O157:H7 detection. Nevertheless, some of the developed assays are not effective and others are expensive. In this study simple, rapid, specific and sensitive molecular diagnostic assay (LAMP assay) for detection of EHEC O157: H7 were evaluated. Thus, in comparison with performance of PCR and SMAC, LAMP assay was loftier in sensitivity, rapidness and cost-efficiency. Through further improvement, LAMP assay can be exploiting as point care diagnostic assays in resource-limited laboratories, especially in rural clinics and primary hospitals.
Risk factors of poor bowel preparation before colonoscopy: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Shi Liu , Liao Foqiang , Liao Wangdi , Zhu Yin , Chen Youxiang , Shu Xu
Published: September 2022

Background: Colonoscopy is the standard and most effective screening tool for colonic diseases and the accuracy of colonoscopy depends on the quality of bowel preparation. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk factors for poor bowel preparation before colonoscopy.Methods: In this retrospective study, patients who underwent colonoscopy from January 2018 to December 2018 were included. Polyethylene Glycol Electrolytes Powder (Ⅳ) + simethicone was used for bowel preparation. Patient- and procedure-related parameters were recorded. The primary outcome was the quality of bowel preparation. Risk factors for poor bowel preparation were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 6720 patients were included in the present study. The mean age of these patients was 49.69±12.96 years old. There were 3467 (51.59%) males. Inadequate bowel preparation was found in 233 (12.37%), 139 (6.42%), 131 (6.96%), 68 (8.6%) patients in spring, summer, autumn and winter respectively. On the multivariate analysis, age, sex, inpatient status and the season when colonoscopy was performed were the independent risk factors for poor bowel preparation. Using winter as a reference, patients in spring had a worse bowel preparation, while patients in summer were more easily to have adequate colon preparation. There is no statistically significant difference between bowel preparation in autumn.Conclusions: Male, inpatient status and spring season were the independent risk factors for poor bowel preparation. Compared with autumn and summer, patients in spring may need intensive bowel preparation. Male patients and inpatients should receive more enhanced instructions for bowel preparation.
Searching for chromate replacements using natural language processing and machine learning algorithms
Authors: Zhao Shujing , Birbilis Nick
Published: September 2022

The past few years has seen the application of machine learning utilised in the exploration of new materials. As in many fields of research – the vast majority of knowledge is published as text, which poses challenges in either a consolidated or statistical analysis across studies and reports. Such challenges include the inability to extract quantitative information, and in accessing the breadth of non-numerical information. To address this issue, the application of natural language processing (NLP) has been explored in several studies to date. In NLP, assignment of high-dimensional vectors, known as embeddings, to passages of text preserves the syntactic and semantic relationship between words. Embeddings rely on machine learning algorithms and in the present work, we have employed the Word2Vec model, previously explored by others, and the BERT model – applying them towards a unique challenge in materials engineering. That challenge is the search for chromate replacements in the field of corrosion protection. From a database of over 80 million records, a down-selection of 5990 papers focused on the topic of corrosion protection were examined using NLP. This study demonstrates it is possible to extract knowledge from the automated interpretation of the scientific literature and achieve expert human level insights.
Research on longitudinal vibration suppression of underwater vehicle shafting based on particle damping
Authors: Liu Jie , Deng Tianyang , Chang Xingshan , Sun Feng , Zhou Jianhui
Published: September 2022

A particle damper is applied to suppress the longitudinal vibration of underwater vehicle shafting in order to reduce vibration level and improve silence and stealth of underwater vehicles. The model of rubber-coated steel particle damper was established with discrete element method and PFC3D simulation software, the damping energy consumption law of collision and friction between particle and damper and between particle and particle investigated, the effects of particle radius, mass filling ratio, cavity length, excitation frequency, excitation amplitude, rotating speed and both stacking and motion states of particles on the system vibration suppression were discussed, and the bench test was carried out to verify the law. It revealed the mechanism of longitudinal vibration suppression of particle damping, established the intrinsic relationship between of total energy consumption of particle and vibration of system, and put forward the evaluating method of longitudinal vibration suppression effect by total energy consumption of particle and vibration reduction ratio. The research results show that the mechanical model of particle damper is reasonable and the simulation data is reliable; the rotating speed, mass filling ratio and cavity length have significant effects on the total energy consumption of particle and vibration reduction ratio.