bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perirenal fat stranding as a predictor of disease progression after radical nephroureterectomy for renal pelvic urothelial carcinoma: A retrospective study
Authors: Yanagi Masato , Terasaki Mika , Kiriyama Tomonari , Terasaki Yasuhiro , Akatsuka Jun , Endo Yuki , Nishimura Taiji , Shimizu Akira , Kondo Yukihiro
Published: March 2023

Background To investigate the impact of Perirenal fat stranding (PRFS) on progression after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for pelvic urothelial carcinoma (RPUC) without hydronephrosis and to reveal the pathological findings of PRFS.
Methods Clinicopathological data, including computed tomography (CT) findings of the ipsilateral and contralateral PRFS, were collected from the medical records of 56 patients treated with RNU for renal RPUC without hydronephrosis between 2011 and 2021 at our institution. Ipsilateral PRFS on CT was classified as either low or high PRFS. The impact of PRFS on progression-free survival (PFS) after RNU was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. In addition, specimens including sufficient perirenal fat from patients with low and with high PRFS were pathologically analyzed.
Results Of the 56 patients, 31(55.4%) and 25 (44.6%) patients were classified as having low and high PRFS, respectively. Within a median follow-up of 40.6 months postoperatively, 11 (19.6%) patients showed disease progression. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test revealed that patients with ipsilateral high PRFS had significantly lower PFS rates than those with ipsilateral low PRFS (3-year PFS 69.8% vs 93.3%; p=0.0393). Pathological analysis revealed that ipsilateral high PRFS specimens (n=3 patients) contained more fibrous strictures in perirenal fat than ipsilateral low PRFS specimens (n=3 patients).
Conclusions PRFS of RPUC without hydronephrosis consists of collagenous fibers. The presence of ipsilateral high PRFS is a risk factor for progression after RNU for RPUC patients without hydronephrosis. Strict follow-up after surgery is thus recommended for these patients.
In-Hospital Mortality Prediction using Machine Learning and Stacked Ensemble Learning of Asian Women with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)
Authors: Kasim Sazzli , Rudin Putri Nur Fatin Amir , Malek Sorayya , Ibrahim Khairul Shafiq , Ahmad Wan Azman Wan , Fong Alan Yean Yip , Ling Wan Yin , Aziz Firdaus , Ibrahim Nurulain
Published: March 2023

Predictions of mortality in Asian women following STEMI have been the subject of limited studies. This study aims to develop and validate prediction models for in-hospital mortality following STEMI in Asian women using machine learning (ML) and stacked ensemble learning (EL) techniques, and to compare the performance of the algorithms to that of a conventional risk scoring method. From 2006 to 2016, data on multi-ethnic Asian women admitted with STEMI from the Malaysian National Cardiovascular Disease Database (NCVD-ACS) registry were collected. Developed algorithms were compared to the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Risk score (TIMI) and a ML model constructed using data from the general STEMI population. Predictors for ML models were selected using iterative feature selection comprises of feature importance and sequential backward elimination. The machine learning models developed using ML feature selection (AUC ranging from 0.60–0.93) outperforms the conventional risk score, TIMI (AUC 0.81). Individual ML model, SVM Linear with selected features performed better than the best performed stacked EL model (AUC:0.934, CI: 0.893–0.975 vs AUC: 0.914, CI: 0.871–0.957). The women specific model also performs better than the general non-gender specific model (AUC: 0.919, CI: 0.874–0.965). Systolic blood pressure, Killip class, fasting blood glucose, beta-blocker, ACE inhibitor, and oral hypoglycemic agent are identified as common predictors of mortality for women. In multi-ethnic populations, Asian women with STEMI were more accurately classified by ML and stacked EL than by the TIMI risk score. It has also been determined that women-specific ML models perform better than the standard STEMI model. In the future, ongoing testing and validation can improve the clinical care provided to women with STEMI.
A novel durian (Durio zibethinus L.) homeodomain-leucine zipper (DzHD-ZIP) transcription factor 1.8 regulates the production of volatile sulfur compounds during fruit ripening
Authors: Pinsorn Pinnapat , Hoefgen Rainer , Sirikantaramas Supaart
Published: March 2023

Durian (Durio zibethinus L.), an important economic fruit crop in Southeast Asia, produces volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) during fruit ripening. Methionine γ-lyase (MGL) is the key enzyme involved in the production of VSCs like methanethiol and ethanethiol, which coincide with an increased expression level of durian MGL (DzMGL) during fruit ripening. Although VSCs in durian pulps have been widely studied, the regulation of genes involved in VSC production in fruit has never been reported. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) screening of durian MGL promoter (pDzMGL) and ca. 1,200 Arabidopsis transcription factors (TFs) together with transcriptomic analysis revealed candidate HD-ZIP TF families in durian. Dual-luciferase assays, in silico promoter analysis, and electrophoresis mobility shift assays were performed to confirm the interaction between the promoter and DzHD-ZIP1.8. The ethylene-responsive DzHD-ZIP1.8 localizes in the nucleus. It acts as an activator and binds to the promoter of DzMGL to control its expression during ripening. Here, a TF that regulates the expression of DzMGL in durian fruit during ripening was first identified. This study elucidates the molecular regulation of an important gene involved in VSC production, which influences consumer preferences.
SSDLog: A Semi-Supervised Dual Branch Model for Log Anomaly Detection
Authors: Lu Siyang , Han Ningning , Wang Mingquan , Wei Xiang , Lin Zaichao , Wang Dongdong
Published: March 2023

With versatility and complexity of computer systems, warning and errors are inevitable. To effectively monitor system’s status, system logs are critical. To detect anomalies in system logs, deep learning is a promising way to go. However, abnormal system logs in the real world are often difficult to collect, and effectively and accurately categorize the logs is an even time-consuming project. Thus, the data incompleteness is not conducive to the deep learning for this practical application. In this paper, we put forward a novel semi-supervised dual branch model that alleviate the need for large scale labeled logs for training a deep system log anomaly detector. Specifically, our model consists of two homogeneous networks that share the same parameters, one is called weak augmented teacher model and the other is termed as strong augmented student model. In the teacher model, the log features are augmented with small Gaussian noise, while in the student model, the strong augmentation is injected to force the model to learn a more robust feature representation with the guidance of teacher model provided soft labels. Furthermore, to further utilize unlabeled samples effectively, we propose a flexible label screening strategy that takes into account the confidence and stability of pseudo-labels. Experimental results show favorable effect of our model on prevalent HDFS and Hadoop Application datasets. Precisely, with only 30% training data labeled, our model can achieve the comparable results as the fully supervised version.
High-efficiency EDM based on a composite pulse current
Authors: Yue Xiaoming , Sun Qi , Fan Ji , Han Jiaxuan , Zhang Qinhe
Published: March 2023

EDM technology is still facing a big bottleneck problem unsolved: low molten material removal rate, resulting in low machining speed and poor surface quality. To improve the material removal amount in each discharge process of EDM, the composite pulse current waveforms were proposed. The single pulse discharge experiments demonstrate that under the same discharge energy, the material removal volume in the discharge with the end composite pulse could be twice as high as that with the square pulse. Furthermore, due to high molten material removal rate of the end composite pulse, the thickness of the recast layer generated in the discharge with the end composite pulse was much thinner than that with the square pulse under the same discharge energy. The MD simulation results also reveal that in the discharge with the end composite pulse, the basic current mainly melted the material to form a larger molten pool, then, the inrush current, which has higher energy density and higher material removal motivity, could remove the molten pool material largely. Thus, the end composite pulse can improve the molten material removal rate and decrease the recast layer. Finally, EDM milling experiments show that higher average material removal volume in each discharge process of EDM milling with the end composite pulse was the main reason for higher material removal rate (MRR) in EDM milling with the end composite pulse. In addition, the relative tool wear ratio (RTWR) in EDM milling with the end composite pulse can be approximately equal to or slightly lower than that with the square pulse at a high material removal rate in EDM milling, which shows a great application potential of the end composite pulse in EDM.
A correct-by-construction approach for development of reliable planning problems
Authors: Ammar Sabrine , Rouis Taoufik Sakka , Bhiri Mohamed Tahar
Published: March 2023

The automatic planning community has developed a defacto standard planning language called PDDL. Using the PDDL tools, the reliability of PDDL descriptions can only be posteriori examined. However, the Event-B method supports a rich refinement technique that is mathematically proven. This allows the step-by-step correct construction of Event-B models. In order to specify and solve the planning problems, a development process based on the combination of Event-B and PDDL is proposed. Our development process begins with modeling the planning problem by an Event-B abstract model. Through successive refinements, an Event-B ultimate model correct by construction is obtained. Then, using our Event-B2PDDL Eclipce plugin, the Event-B ultimate model can be automatically translated into a PDDL description. Thus, the resulting PDDL description can be considered correct by construction. Finally, using the PDDL planner tool on this generated PDDL description, plan-solutions related to the planning problems initially described by an Event-B model can be produced. Our process is successfully experimented on a set of representative case studies.
Adaptation of a community health outreach model during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of the Mexican Consulates in the United States of America
Authors: Gaitán-Rossi Pablo , Vilar-Compte Mireya , Bustamante Arturo Vargas
Published: March 2023

The Ventanillas de Salud (VDS – “Health Windows”) are a culturally sensitive outreach program within the 49 Mexican Consulates in the United States that provides information and health care navigation support to underserved and uninsured Mexican immigrants. During the COVID-19 pandemic the VDS rapidly transitioned to remote operations adding new services. Based on the EquIR implementation framework, this qualitative study investigates from an equity perspective how adaptations to improve emergency preparedness were performed. We conducted motivational interviews with three actors – six VDS coordinators, eight partner organizations, and ten VDS users– to document specific needs of the target population and identify implementation processes to adapt and continue outreach services. The VDS adapted their model by adding new services for emerging needs, by switching service provision modalities, and by expanding the network of partner organizations. According to the VDS staff, these adaptations increased their topics, depth, reach, and diversified their users. Users had mostly positive opinions about the VDS adaptation, although they highlighted some heterogeneity across service provision. The VDS is a public health intervention able to serve a marginalized population and its implementation offers valuable lessons to complement health systems and to improve preparedness and resiliency for future crises.
Gendered effects of climate shock, formal and informal financial institutions, and welfare in post-conflict Somalia
Authors: Mesfin Hiwot , Ahmed Musa
Published: March 2023

This study investigates the impact of climate shock on Somali households' welfare status and examines the mediating roles of formal and informal financial institutions—mobile banking and remittances—in enhancing households' coping capacity. Using representative panel data, we show that climate shock has adverse effects on multiple welfare indicators for both female-and male-headed households. However, we find that female-headed households are more likely to fall below the poverty line, have a larger poverty depth, and shift their diet due to climate shock than male-headed households. Interestingly, we find that remittances decrease following climate shock, both on average and for female-headed households, but such reduction does not have a significant adverse effect on the households' coping ability. This could be an indication that Somali households rely on other coping mechanisms to shocks than remittances. Similarly, even though we find that mobile money increases the likelihood of receiving remittances, we find no evidence that this translates into a higher coping ability to climate shock. Further investigation is needed to identify Somali households' coping strategies.
JEL Classification: D14; E42; G23; I3; L96; O17; Q54
Rehydration post-orientation: investigating field-induced structural changes via computational rehydration
Authors: Brodmerkel Maxim N , De Santis Emiliano , Caleman Carl , Marklund Erik G
Published: March 2023

Proteins can be oriented in the gas phase using strong electric fields, which brings advantages for structure determination using X-ray free electron lasers. Both the vacuum conditions and the electric-field exposure risk damaging the protein structures. Here, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to rehydrate and relax vacuum and electric-field exposed proteins in aqueous solution, which simulates a refinement of structure models derived from oriented gas-phase proteins. We find that the impact of the strong electric fields on the protein structures is of minor importance after rehydration, compared to the vacuum exposure and ionization in electrospraying. The structures did not fully relax back to their native structure in solution on the simulated timescales of 200 ns, but they recover several features, including native-like intra-protein contacts, which suggests that the structures remain in a state from which the fully native structure is accessible. Our findings imply that the electric fields used in native mass spectrometry are well below a destructive level, and that structures inferred from X-ray diffraction from gas-phase proteins are relevant for solution and in vivo conditions, at least after in silico rehydration.
Origin and diversification of the genera Aratinga, Eupsittula and Psittacara (Aves: Psittacidae)
Authors: Padilla-Jacobo Gabriela , Monterrubio-Rico Tiberio C. , Cano-Camacho Horacio , Zavala-Páramo María Guadalupe
Published: March 2023

The arrival of psittacines in North America is well known but undefined. It is widely accepted that the origin of these birds occurred in South America, and it has been suggested that different factors have promoted the biodiversity of birds in Mexico. However, in general, for North American psittacines there are no proposed divergence times and the possible influence of different geological events on these processes is unknown. In this study, phylogenetic relationships, divergence times and the ancestral areas of the generaAratinga,EupsittulaandPsittacaraand related genera were estimated to propose hypotheses of origin, diversification, and dispersal of groups under a Bayesian inference framework, based on mitochondrial molecular markers. We found that of the seven monophyletic clades within the Arini tribe, four coincided with the generaPsittacara,Eupsittula,Rhynchopsitta, andPyrrhura, and three clades were integrated by different genera. The generaAratingaandEupsittulaoriginated during the Miocene, and the genusPsittacaraoriginated at the Miocene-Pliocene boundary.Aratingais the oldest, followed byEupsittulaand the youngest isPsittacara.Biogeographic reconstruction suggests that the most likely origin of these genera is the Amazonian or Chaco regions. The diversification of these groups is related to geo-climatic events associated with the uplift of the central and northern portions of the Andes and the closure of the Isthmus of Panama. We propose dispersion routes from south to north in the Neotropics and the use of the Greater and Lesser Antilles as a northward path.
WITHDRAWN: N,N′-bis(salicylidene) butylene-1,4-diamine, a synthesized Schiff base, as a mixed-type inhibitor for carbon steel in HCl medium: Experimental and theoretical approaches
Authors: Kamel M. M. , Eltohamy Amal R. , Rashwan S. M. , Fouda A. S. , Awad M. K. , Atlam F. M. , Aboelmagd A.
Published: March 2023

Weight loss (WL), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and potentiodynamic polarization (PP) are utilized to investigate the effectiveness of prepared Schiff base N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-butylene-1,4-diamine (SB) as an inhibitor for the dissolution of carbon steel (CS) in 0.5 mol L-1 HCl. The SB structure is confirmed by 1HNMR and FTIR. The mitigation efficacy increased with raising the SB concentrations. The maximum efficacy is 84% at 300 ppm of the investigated inhibitor. However, at 300 ppm, the efficacy reduced from 84 to 80.7% when the temperature elevated from 298 to 333 K. The tested inhibitor reduced the corrosion current density (Icorr) and double-layer capacitance (Cdl) because of the growth of a protective film on the CS surface. The inhibitor matches the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and exhibits mixed-type inhibitor behaviour. The formation and adsorption of a consistent layer at CS in the availability of the SB compound were detected by SEM and EDX investigation. Density functional theory (DFT) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were employed to explain the nature of the interaction between the SB molecules and the CS. The SB compound's effectiveness as an inhibitor was supported by its quantum properties.
The Interface between Abortion Practice and Community Response in Woldia Town, North Wollo Zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 2017: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Authors: Antehunegn
Published: March 2023

Background: The issue of abortion is as old as human existence. People since the distant past to the present day have used it as a fertility control. It is a universal and global phenomenon, which can be influenced by the existing competing socio-cultural discourses. These discourses, in turn, had a profound effect on women’s abortion experiences (reason, intentions, and decision making process) and on the negative attitude of the community towards abortion, particularly in patriarchal societies.
Objective: To examine the interface between the lived experience of women and attitudes of the community towards abortion in Woldia Town, North Wollo Zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia, 2017.
Methods: This study employed a mixed approach: quantitative (household survey) and qualitative (FGDs, in-depth and key informant interviews and case studies) to collect relevant data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. The qualitative data was analyzed thematically and presented together with quantitative.
Findings: numerous contextual and structural level factors were the impediments of the practice of safe abortion in general and the lived experience of women having induced abortions and the attitude of the larger community towards abortion in particular. The constraining nature of such factors was more evident in practicing abortion than its enabling factor upon the lives of women practicing induced abortion.
Conclusion: This study claims that structural factors (religion, morality, medico-legal discourses, and gender roles) influenced the smooth functioning of safe abortion, women’ reproductive rights and lived experiences on the one hand and attitude of the community towards abortion on the other. As a result, the abortion experience of women is the result of both agency and structural level factors. Similarly, the negative attitude of the community towards abortion stigmatized women in practicing induced abortion. The findings of this study proposed policy implications both at the agency and structural levels in addressing the prevailing problems associated with societal stigma, health complications, and psychological distress of women practicing abortion.
Proposed Novel Classification of Circumscribed Lower-Grade Gliomas (cLGG) vs. Infiltrating Lower-Grade Gliomas (iLGG): Correlations of radiological features and clinical outcomes
Authors: Khan Ahsan Ali , Khalid Muhammad Usman , Bajwa Mohammad Hamza , Urooj Faiza , Tahir Izza , Angez Meher , Baqai Muhammad Waqas Saeed , Aftab Kiran , Ansari Shahabuddin , Khan Ummul Wara , Faisal Kunwer Sufyan , Ahmed Ali Azan , Enam Syed Ather
Published: March 2023

Purpose
We hypothesize that lower grade gliomas (LGG) can be identified and classified into two distinct subtypes: circumscribed Lower-Grade Gliomas (cLGG) and infiltrating Lower-Grade Gliomas (iLGG) based on radiological parameters and that these two different subtypes behave differently in terms of clinical outcomes.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective cohort study on surgical patients diagnosed with lower grade glioma over five years. Patient records and MRIs were reviewed, and neurosurgeons classified tumors into cLGG and iLGG groups.
Results
From the 165 patients in our cohort, 30 (18.2%) patients were classified as cLGG and 135 (81.8%) patients were classified as iLGG Mean age in cLGG was 31.4 years while mean age in iLGG was 37.9 years (p = 0.004). There was significant difference in mean blood loss between cLGG and iLGG groups (270 and 411 ml respectively, p = 0.020). cLGG had a significantly higher proportion of grade II tumors (p < 0.001). The overall mean survival time for the iLGG group was 14.96 ± 1.23 months, and 18.77 ± 2.72 months for the cLGG group. In univariate cox regression, the survival difference between LGG groups was not significant (HR = 0.888, p = 0.581), however on multivariate regression cLGG showed a significant (aHZ = 0.443, p = 0.015) positive correlation with survival. Intense contrast enhancement (HZ = 41.468, p = 0.018), blood loss (HZ = 1.002, p = 0.049), and moderately high Ki-67 (HZ = 4.589, p = 0.032) were also significant on univariate analyses.
Conclusion
cLGG and iLGG are radiologically distinct groups with separate prognoses, surgical experience, and associations.
Settlements of Embankments on Different Types of Soils
Authors: Boda Sandhya , Kommu Suresh
Published: March 2023

Foundation soils play an important role in which undergoing settlements of any structures based on the type of foundation. While constructing embankments on any type of foundation soil a geotechnical engineer faces a difficult problem.So, to overcome these problems, many stabilizing techniques such as adding admixtures, and ground improvement techniques like reinforcement are usedwhetherthe foundation soil is homogeneous or layered.The paper aims to determine the impact of geogrids andthe influence of reinforced granular bed stiffness of embankments founded on soft silty sandand silty sandby using Plaxis-2D software. By considering with and without a table the prediction of Embankment toe Horizontal displacementsand settlements beneath the Embankmentis explainedby varying modular rigidity on silty sand, soft soil, and silty sand.
Characterization of mating type on aroma production and metabolic properties wild Kluyveromyces marxianus yeasts
Authors: Soto Pablo Jaciel Adame , Carvajal Elva Teresa Aréchiga , Herrera Silvia Marina González , Jiménez Martha Rocío Moreno , Quiñones Olga Miriam Rutiaga
Published: March 2023

Kluyveromyces marxianus yeasts represent a valuable industry alternative due to their biotechnological potential to produce aromatic compounds. 2-phenylethanol and 2-phenylethylacetate are significant aromatic compounds widely used in food and cosmetics due to their pleasant odor. Natural obtention of these compounds increases their value, and because of this, bioprocesses such as de novo synthesis has become of great significance. However, the relationship between aromatic compound production and yeast's genetic diversity has yet to be studied. In the present study, the analysis of the genetic diversity in K. marxianus isolated from the natural fermentation of Agave duranguensis for Mezcal elaboration is presented. The results of strains in a haploid and diploid state added to the direct relationship between the mating type locus MAT with metabolic characteristics are studied. Growth rate, assimilate carbohydrates (glucose, lactose, and chicory inulin), and the production of aromatic compounds such as ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, 2-phenylethyl butyrate and phenylethyl propionate and the diversity in terms of the output of 2-phenylethanol and 2-phenylethylacetate by de novo synthesis were determinate, obtaining maximum concentrations of 51.30 and 60.39 mg/L by ITD0049 and ITD 0136 yeasts respectively.
THЕIMAGE OF A MIGRANT WORKER IN THE NOVEL «ADVENTURESSESON THE GREEN GRASS»BY VIRA NESTERCHUK
Authors: Horbolis Larisa
Published: March 2023

he article clarifies the specifics of the artistic representation of the image of a migrant worker in the novel "Adventuresses on the Green Grass" by a modern writer V. Nesterchuk. It is noted that the work is based on real facts of the author's life, herexperience of staying and her feelings in the foreign land, in the Czech Republic, where the main character, Ukrainian Nika, a certified seamstress, has gone to work and hopped to return soon. Narrator contributes a multifaceted presentation of the material, increases the level of confidence in the presented material, and helps to get deeper into the complex world of the character's experiences, explain the logic of her thinking and actions, andunderstand her determination and conviction in borderline situations. Intertextual constructions, irony, humor, clear architectonics of the work, as well as images of her mother, trip down memory lane, confessional components of the novel, etc. these all form a complete and quite diverse image of the main character Nicka. The protagonist Nicka partially received from her mother stoicism, patience, and endurance; such a conclusion we can make from the subtextual platform, which is built around the image of a mother who has been a political prisoner in her youth. In such a way the author not only tells us about the problem of parents and children in the work, but also she decodes the basic manner of the main character. The artistically presented postcolonial context helps us to identify and explain the cause-and-effect constructions, which have been designed for the concept of characters, perception of narrative strategy, and understanding of the thematic and problematic aspect and genre specificity of the novel.
National Health Insurance Scheme Services and Patient Satisfaction: The Nigerian Experience
Authors: Osarobo Egbon Henry , Ayo Adekunle Simon
Published: March 2023

Healthcare delivery in the present day involves not just treating the patient but also paying attention to the overall satisfaction the patient derives while obtaining the service. This has made satisfaction in healthcare services a top priority for both healthcare professionals and patients. However, the costs of healthcare services continue to be key sources of hardship for many households, hence the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) service in Nigeria to lessen the financial burden of accessing healthcare. The study investigated how patient satisfaction is impacted by NHIS service in a teaching hospital in Nigeria. The population consists of all enrollees of NHIS at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Copies of the questionnaire used for the study were administered to NHIS enrollees seeking medical care in three departments of the hospital, namely: General out-patient, Maternity, and Dental. Out of the 200 questionnaires administered, 182 (General out-patient department – 79, Maternity department – 52, and Dental – 51) were found usable. To access the patients in the aforementioned departments of UBTH, convenience sampling, a form of non-probability sampling method, was applied. The method was chosen because it allows for simple access to and contact with target respondents. Multiple regression analysis was used to establish the statistical significance and relationship between patient satisfaction and NHIS services, such as accessibility, empathy, reliability, tangibility, responsiveness, and waiting time. The study found that accessibility, reliability, and waiting time have a significant impact on patient satisfaction with NHIS services. The study recommends that a more efficient and sustainable model should be designed and implemented in hospitals to minimise waiting time by engaging more health professionals and experts, as well as re-engineering the existing patient flow should be incorporated into the model. The study concludes that empirically investigating the quality of NHIS services and patient satisfaction in healthcare is important in several ways. First, it increases our understanding of service quality and patient satisfaction in particular, as well as service marketing in general, thereby laying the groundwork for future research. Secondly, the management of healthcare organisations will be able to spot any unsatisfactory service elements, which will serve as the basis for designing effective strategies to raise service quality in the healthcare industry.
Identification of priority areas for ensuring reliable and efficient operation of existing water supply and distribution systems
Authors:   Irkutsk National Research Technical University, Dushin Aleksei S.
Published: March 2023

This paper addresses a method for determining priority areas for ensuring and maintaining the suffi-cient reliability and efficiency of existing water supply and distribution systems, based on previously obtained mathematical models of water sampling (cross-section method) and flow distribution. The main task of the organisations, operating water supply and distribution systems, involves a high-quality water supply to consumers. Regardless of the wear of water supply and distribution systems, as well as changes in their structural state, the water having suitable parameters must be supplied to the con-sumer in the required quantity. Given the variety of regimes, modelling the operation of water supply and distribution systems indicates a wide range of their possible behaviour, for example, poor quality of supply to consumers during trouble-free operation or no impact of shutdowns of some sections on the quality of supply. It is necessary to analyse the systems and model their operation regimes using a mathematical tool. Here, probabilistic nodal reliability indices of water supply to consumers were used in mathematical models. They include Kj and Pj, decomposed into components characterising the wear of elements (sections) in the system and the reliability of supply to consumers in each of its structural states. The need to adjust the system parameters to ensure the required level of reliability of its opera-tion was assessed, with various solutions being outlined. The technical and economical comparison of possible measures allows an optimum option to be determined, prioritising the replacement of outdated elements and the construction of additional elements (sections) of the system. All stages of the sug-gested method, which can be widely used by organisations, maintaining water supply and distribution systems, are shown in the example of a system.
Clinical Pathology of Metabolic Disorders
Authors: Bradbury Ray H.
Published: March 2023

Today we are seeing more and more cattlemen and dairymen doing their own treatment and doing quite well. They can treat but they cannot diagnose. Yes, they can, but they need your help! I have been around a little, and I have visited many veterinarians and spent a day to a week with them, and I admire very much a practitioner who takes plenty of time on a diagnosis, looks the animal over, gets the history, the symptoms, and resorts to autopsies. Then with this magnificent computer, the brain, he comes up with a diagnosis! As you know, our brain is like a computer. They tell me our brain is equivalent to 48 acres of computers, and we only use about five acres of them at the very most. Even so, we have a built-in intuition and experience to diagnose, and we can certainly be a lot more helpful and more positive of our diagnosis by supporting this with a few laboratory tests. I am going to give you an example today where we can do a little barnyard clinical pathology to help with the situation at hand. We also need to be a little more sophisticated and send a blood sample to the laboratory so that when we come back and see the case again in a few days, we will have some information to either support or confirm our diagnosis. I am also going to tell you a little bit about the analysis of hair in your everyday practice. In order to be useful, these tests have to be fairly cheap, and they have to give us considerable information. As we learn to use them, we will soon get to the place where we feel almost helpless without some type of laboratory test.
Aflatoxicosis
Authors: Murray Edward S.
Published: March 2023

Aflatoxicosis is a noninfectious, noncontagious intoxication of an animal with a metabolite produced by a toxic mold. It is characterized in the acute phase by death loss and in the chronic cases by consumption decrease and death loss due to hepatic and renal insufficiency. Morbidity and mortality rates range from 5 to 55%.

The etiological agents most commonly incriminated are Aspergillis flavus and Penicillium rubum. The literature states that other molds are also capable of producing toxic metabolites. As research continues and need arises, I feel sure that more molds will be found that produce toxic metabolites.
Bovine Tuberculosis in the United States
Authors: Konyha Lloyd D.
Published: March 2023

During fiscal year 1975 there were 47 tuberculous herds disclosed in the United States. Figure 1 shows the distribution of these 47 herds in 16 different states and Puerto Rico. You will note that 42 of these 47 herds happen to be located east of the Mississippi River, with Georgia and Illinois accounting for 20 of these herds. This statement is not intended to downgrade either of these states but rather to praise them for their excellence in conducting their tuberculosis epidemiologic investigations.
Pulmonary Structure, Function and Defense Mechanism
Authors: Ardans A. A.
Published: March 2023

Thank you and members of the AABP. It's nice to be able to come to Atlanta and spend some time with you. It is a real honor to come down here. I don't know when I have enjoyed an evening as much as I did last evening. I just hope we can put on as good a show for you in California next year. We would like to try and present here today how maybe structure and some of the defense mechanisms interrelate and may result in production of disease; and then how the bovine lung responds to disease. These may explain possibly why we have such a problem with the resolution of some of the respiratory problems in the bovine lung. I will quickly review some of the anatomy of the lung and see if we can't relate some of it to the disease mechanisms.
Panel Discussion
Authors: Bovine Practitioners American Association of , Woods John M. , Winkler John K. , Baird Charles R.
Published: March 2023

Question and Answer from the panelists.
Housing, Parasites, Vaccinations, and Other Dry Cow Problems in the Northern States
Authors: Sterner Edward F.
Published: March 2023

For my part of the program on Housing, Parasites, Vaccinations, and Other Dry Cow Problems in the Northern States, I have chosen farms that are comprised of herds of 30 to 250 cows. This size herd is the majority of our practice. From farms of this size, I have compiled the information and the pictures I wish to present at this time. I would like to give credit to some of my fellow practitioners for their help in supplying me information from their practices on this subject, namely, Dr. Gerland Heyt, and Dr. Arnold Hentschl.
How to Let the Diagnostic Laboratory Help You
Authors: Jones Larry
Published: March 2023

As far as giving the diagnostic laboratory at Texas A&M a fine flair, one of the gentlemen, Dr. Sippel, is Mr. Diagnostics himself. He's the one that taught me how to give good service. (I have an eleven-minute film that goes through a day at a diagnostic lab.) Every week we try to have a couple of practitioners drop down to the lab and see what and why we do some of the things we do, and why we get some of the answers we do, and why we don't get the answers that they think we ought to get! Now, if that sounds a little like double talk, that's sometimes just about the way you have to unsnarl some of the tissues and material that come in. But at least this will do one thing-the majority of the veterinarians that I have spoken to have never really seen the inside "guts" of a diagnostic laboratory. If you'll just bear with me for eleven minutes I'm going to open up your eyes just a little bit. I do think that it gives you an idea that when your specimen gets there that we don't have a large board and we throw darts, and wherever the dart lands, that's the diagnosis we send back to you! Honest. I'm certainly happy to be associated with you folks, American Association of Bovine Practitioners, and I've got to thank the folks that have sure taken good care of me. I am, as far as diagnostic veterinary service, almost evangelic in my fervor, so if I repeat myself it's because I've (1) just forgotten that I already said it, or 2) I want to say it again so you'll remember it. I truly believe in what I'm going to tell you.
Gross Pathology of Abdominal Viscera
Authors: Giles Herschel
Published: March 2023

Ulceration in the rumen of cattle, I think, commonly or more frequently represents a rapid change in diet, producing rumen acidosis which is followed by necrosis of the epithelium, and ulceration. These ulcers frequently can lead to rumen abscessation. Bacteria can get into the submucosa and then metastasize to the liver. Spherophorus necrophorus is most commonly in the textbooks associated with these lesions, but in our particular locality at Auburn we very seldom see it. Other organisms can cause it. Many fungal agents also get in the submucosa of the rumen, but the primary problem is acidosis. The lesion would be typical of a fungal infection starting out in the rumen. But rumen acidosis following a rapid change in diet is the primary cause of rumen ulceration. Other causes that should not be neglected are infectious, such as virus diarrhea.
Current Problems of the Profession
Authors: Gorman Harry A.
Published: March 2023

One of the reasons I'm pleased to be here and to be invited to other constituent and allied groups is to establish better communications between you the practitioners and the AVMA which is your national organization. It's been said that the AVMA sits in its ivory tower in Schaumburg and doesn't care about the practicing veterinarians and their problems. I'd like to squelch that idea-the AVMA does care, and we can help the profession only if we get around and talk to you about our mutual difficulties.
Control of Salmonellosis in Calves
Authors: Weaver Leon D.
Published: March 2023

Calfhood salmonellosis continues to be a major source of economic loss for dairies and commercial calf growers in Southern California. Almost all dairies in our area are drylot operations ranging in size from 200 to 1,200 milking cows. Replacement heifers are raised on the premises or by a commercial calf grower in our area until they are four to eight months old, at which time they are usually shipped out of Southern California. The two most significant health problems our calf growers experience are: (1) neonatal calf diarrhea ("colibacillosis," calf septicemia, reo-, and/or corona virus), and (2) salmonellosis. Salmonellosis may be slightly less prevalent than "colibacillosis," but may represent an equal or greater economic loss since it affects older calves, is resistant to therapy, and is extremely difficult to control.
Response of the Fetus to Infection
Authors: Kendrick John W.
Published: March 2023

My presentation on this subject is drawn from the current veterinary literature, as well as my own research. The papers that you've heard so far today regard the beginning and the end of pregnancy. I want to talk about pregnancy itself, but everything has to have a beginning. I will talk about some of the responses of the individual fetus, but somewhere along the line these responses have to begin. Do we talk about the individual as beginning its life at birth or at fertilization or maybe even going back a little further to the proverbial gleam in the father's eye? The interesting thing about this is that up until a few years ago we thought about the individual's life beginning at birth but we now know that most of the reactions that we see in animals-inflammation, resistance to disease, immune reaction-all begin during uterine life, and as we continue to study this I am amazed at how young the fetus is when we first see some of these reactions. Most of what we are talking about are protective mechanisms, but some are transitory responses that are unusual because of unusual results that occur. I will just take a moment or two to cover these.
Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Powers Thomas E.
Published: March 2023

The impact of chemotherapy on the practice of veterinary medicine cannot be overstated. It resulted in a very strong link between the disciplines of biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, and pharmacology.

For many years following the discovery of the clinical value of antimicrobial agents, production and usage far surpassed scientific research and development in the field of antimicrobial agents due to their immediate and overwhelming acceptance. It is no wonder that antibiotics and sulfonamides have often been misused by the veterinarian and physician as well as the agriculturalists.
Oxytetracycline Blood Serum Levels in Healthy, Pneumonic, and Recovered Cattle
Authors: Clark J. G. , Adams C. J. , Adams D. G. , Dunbar J. R. , Lofgreen G. P. , Prigge E.
Published: March 2023

Two trials were conducted to study oxytetracycline (OTC) serum levels in clinically healthy, pneumonic, and recovered cattle. Five mg OTC per lb. of body weight was used in the first study and 7 .5 mg in the second. Significantly higher serum levels were obtained in diseased cattle than in either the clinically healthy or in the diseased cattle when treated after recovery. Few significant differences were noted when diseased cattle were injected with 7.5 mg OTC per lb. body weight at not more than 5, 10 or 20 cc per injection site.
Discussion
Authors: Bovine Practitioners American Association of
Published: March 2023

This article contains minutes of a discussion session.
Welcome and Introductions
Authors: Jarrett Jim
Published: March 2023

Speech by Dr. Jim Jarrett.
Practical Applications of Embryo Transplanting
Authors: Armstrong C. Ancel
Published: March 2023

The embryo transfer program is a utilizable management tool which recently became available to the dedicated seeds tock breeder. In my opinion the success or failure of embryo transplant revolves around him. We have always had a good supply of these people around and embryo transplant has been around for at least two decades. Then how come it was only developed within this decade? The reason is simple. There was not sufficient interest to fund it until the new breeds were introduced into North America ten years ago.

New Breeds, Inc.'s experience reveals that embryo transplanting is a good, practical management tool when coupled with good animal husbandry, shrewd merchandising, acceptable phenotype, and superior genetics.
Use of the Diagnostic Laboratory in Bovine Practice
Authors: Binks H. E.
Published: March 2023

In summary, to realize the full potential of any diagnostic laboratory: Establish a meaningful liaison with the laboratory: learn what services they provide, what are their limitations, and find out who you can talk to, on a professional basis, to discuss mutual requirements and desires. Submit appropriate samples in good condition from representative cases. Submit a complete and accurate history. Carefully evaluate laboratory findings and correlate them with your clinical findings to arrive at a final diagnosis.
Use of the Veterinary Technician in Bovine Practice
Authors: Harrington Ben D.
Published: March 2023

As a lot of you know, there is a kind of controversy within our profession now on the use of animal technicians. North Carolina developed an animal technician school early and the first graduates were in 1962. I first became involved with the A VMA's committee for animal technicians' activities and training and served on that committee from its inception in 1972 to about 1976. Since 1976 I have been on the council of education and serve on that at present as chairman of non-professional assistants for veterinarians. There are several aspects we could look at.
How to Sell a Herd Health Program and How to Keep Records
Authors: Bohlender R. E.
Published: March 2023

I appreciate being given the opportunity to present my ideas and methods of cow-calf herd health practice. I was asked to speak on initiation, maintenance, justification, and records that I use in my practice.

I have to know my clients well to maintain them on a program. They are as different as their problems and needs are different. My clients for various reasons may maintain records, however, for the most part these records usually reflect individual animal performance. They do not reflect herd health or herd performance over a period of years. The client contacts, of course, are usually made on a call basis. For years the caesarean operation was my first contact with many ranchers. Now, controlling the caesarean rate may attract clients to the program.
Panel Discussion
Authors: Bovine Practitioners American Association of
Published: March 2023

Panel discussion on use of curette in treating retroarticular abscess, the method of preparing teaser bulls using the so-called unwedding ring, criteria to evaluate preventing a lateral luxation of the patella in large calves, the calf with the lateral subluxation, treatment of abscesses of the sole, deformities as calving problems.
Consultant's Role in Feedlot Practice
Authors: Edwards Alvin J.
Published: March 2023

The feedlot industry has made dramatic changes over the past ten years. Far greater numbers of cattle are being fed in areas where few cattle grazed some years ago. Many of these cattle are hauled great distancesto arrive at feedlots and fed rations that are totally foreign to their ruminant digestion systems, exposed to conditions and infective agents totally foreign to their systems, and thus present problems to their owners that are quite unlike any problems that may exist in the local cattle population. This whole phenomenon illustrates some of the problems that exist today between practicing veterinarians and the feedlot industry. For a busypractitioner, many of these changes may come about so subtly that it is very difficult to realize that a change has taken place. The rapid expansion of the feedlot industry that was experienced in the early 1970's left many veterinarians very confused as to what interest to take in the industry.

Professional consultants can make a very worthwhile contribution to a progressive feedlot industry. It seems that one of the big challenges facing the veterinary consultant is acceptance by the veterinary profession and then keeping qualified to provide sound advice for the industry. The adaptability the veterinarian has exhibited in the past is good evidence that the same "ability to adjust to the situation" will prevail with the veterinarian and the feedlot industry.