bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of environmental estrogens exposure on oxidative stress and dyslipidemia, and their impact on insulin sensitivity
Authors: Riiffee Jessica N. J. , Wade Madison , Sine Tyler , Griffith Christopher , Benite-Ribeiro Sandra , Haney Andrea , Santos Julia Matzenbacher dos
Published: October 2022

Bisphenol A and S (BPA and BPS), chemicals used in food packaging, have been closely associated with insulin resistance. However, the mechanism by which BPA and BPS induces type 2 diabetes is debatable. The aim of this study was to investigate if oxidative stress mediates BPA and BPS’s effect on lipid profiles and glucose uptake via insulin and aerobic exercise. Normal weight and overweight/obese subjects participated in 2 separate testing days. On both days, blood glucose was measured before 50 g of maltodextrin consumption and following 30-, 60-, and 75-minutes. On the “Exercising” testing day, subjects ran for 30-minutes at 70% of maximal heart rate; while on the “Resting” day, they remained seated. Urinary BPA, BPS, 8-isoprostane (an oxidative stress marker), creatinine, lipid profile, body fat percentage and physical fitness were measured. The exercise condition produced a decrease in blood glucose during the 30-60-minute protocol interval within normal and overweight/obese subjects when compared to the resting day. Blood glucose of both experimental days was negatively associated with body fat (r=-0.58) only. Urinary BPA and BPS were positively associated with oxidative stress (r = 0.62 and 0.82, respectively). BPA and oxidative stress were negatively associated with physical fitness (r=-45 and − 0,5, respectively), while BPS and oxidative stress were associated with increased triglycerides (r = 0.47 and 0.49, respectively). Oxidative stress mediates the effect of BPA and BPS on risk factors related to T2D development. Thus, modulating oxidative stress could be a valuable strategy to attenuate the effect of bisphenols in the human body.
Walking and cycling infrastructure priorities: Qualitative testing of a Best-Worst Scaling experiment
Authors: Albahlal Fahad , Haggar Paul , Potoglou Dimitris
Published: October 2022

The built environment plays an important role on individuals’ propensity to walk and cycle and local authorities increasingly invest financial resources towards their development. Organisations managing the built environment have developed auditing tools as guidelines to inspect routes and identify improvements to support active travel. Using several auditing tools, this study developed 21 walking and 25 cycling investment-relevant factors that were embedded into two choice-based survey instruments focusing on walking and cycling, respectively. The study aims to internally validate a preference-based elicitation approach known as Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) aimed to capture pedestrian and cyclist preferences. Preferences directly translate into investment priorities aimed at increasing the rates of walking and cycling. As part of a survey instrument, these experiments will help obtain a ranking (preference) order of the most and least important factors that are likely to encourage people to walk and cycle on a common scale. We report findings on the internal validity of the BWS choice tasks as these were examined via a series of cognitive interviews with 20 participants (10 participants for each experiment). In both sets of interviews, four themes emerged regarding how the participants approached the BWS task and six themes related to the understanding of the factors. The study findings provide insights on how participants perceive BWS experiments, which can improve our large-scale BWS survey and similar studies. Furthermore, the study aims to produce an internally consistent BWS instrument that any local authority can use to determine which walking and cycling infrastructure investments to prioritise.
Application of CNN-SCN in early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
Authors: TONG Yinsheng , Li Zuoyong , Huang Hui , Gao Libin , Xu Minghai , Hu Zhongyi
Published: October 2022

Background: The early and effective diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease(AD) and mild cognitive impairment(MCI) has received increasing attention in recent years.There are many machine learning and deep learning methods that are widely used in neural image analysis, among which structural magnetic resonance images play an important role in early diagnosis and intervention for patients with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment as a data pattern, and many studies have constructed many network models based on structural magnetic resonance images, but most of the existing studies do not pay enough attention to the spatial structure information in structural magnetic resonance images, and do not go deeper to explore the potential connection between spatial slices and slices,thus making the network models less accurate, poor generalization ability and other problems.We believe that the lesion areas are highly correlated with other areas,and there is a certain relationship between spatial context slices.To explore deeper the connection between spatial context slices and solve the above problems,this research is designed to develop a new deep learning method to effectively detect or predict AD by digging into the deeper spatial contextual structural information.
Results: In this paper, we design a spatial context network based on 3D convolutional neural network to learn the multi-level structural features of brain MRI images for AD classification.In addition, this paper designs a new deep learning framework to adapt spatial contextual association networks for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The experimental results show that the model has good stability, accuracy and generalization ability.Our experimental results showed an accuracy of 92.6% in the AD/CN group, 74.9% in the AD/MCI group, and 76.3% in the MCI/CN group, and several experiments showed that the model has excellent generalization ability.
Conclusions: From the comparison of a large number of experimental results, it can be seen that the spatial contextual domain association network can effectively mine the potential information of spatial contextual structural features. The network has better results for the cases that need to go for spatial structure contextual association features.
Comparative Analysis of Steel Buildings With and Without Bracings in Nepal
Authors: Suwal Rajan , Dahal Peshal , Shrestha Prabesh
Published: October 2022

The past few years has seen a remarkable increase in the construction of steel framed buildings in Nepal. This has provided a much-needed architectural relief to urban centers full of RC buildings. The main reasons for this current proclivity towards steel buildings can be attributed to the faster time of erection of steel buildings, its light weight resulting in easier handling and cheaper transportation, and lower material cost. However, because of its flexible nature, an unbraced steel building will have higher storey displacement when compared to the RC buildings. For mid-rise and high-rise buildings, the steel frames need to be equipped with braces to keep the storey drifts and displacements within acceptable limits. This will result in a stiffer building and hence result in increased base shears and bending moments. This change in base shears and storey drifts along with the building’s fundamental time period may not be similar for different positions of braces despite the use of similar bracing sections. This paper aims to find such differences, if any, to aid designers in selecting optimum position for braces while designing steel framed buildings.
Who suffered the income loss in India during the COVID-19 lockdown?
Authors: Das Amarendra , Das Bibhunandini , Gual Laxmikanta
Published: October 2022

The worldwide spread COVID 19 Pandemic has severely impacted the lives and livelihoods of all sections of the society. Due to the nationwide lockdown during the first wave, a record high level of unemployment was witnessed. In this context, we have tried to answer who suffered the income loss in India during the first phase of COVID-19 lockdown? Did the low-income households suffer more income loss than the high-income households? Did the households that had COVID-19 infection suffer more income loss? Did rural households suffer more income loss than urban households? Did the households residing in the red zone suffer more income loss than others? We observe that a relatively more significant proportion of low-income households suffered income loss than high-income households. A higher percentage of households reporting job loss suffered the income loss. We did not find any significant difference between the income loss of households residing in the red zone and other zones and rural and urban areas. Similarly, education of the households, household size, and COVID infection did not make a significant difference to the income loss of the households.
JEL Codes: E66, E24, E29
Effect of Site Specific Soil Characteristics on the Nonlinear Ground Response Analysis
Authors: CİVELEKLER Ebru , Afacan Kamil Bekir
Published: October 2022

Damages occurring during earthquakes may vary depending on the ground conditions in which the earthquake waves pass, the magnitude of the earthquake, the focal depth of the shaking and as well as the structural characteristics. Regional seismicity, ground movement and behavior of local soil conditions are important in earthquake-resistant building designs. Local site conditions consists of the layering, bedrock depth, dynamic and topographic characteristics of soil alter the the bedrock waves through the soil profile during an earthquake. The change occurs in terms of amplitude, frequency and the time where peak happens during the wave propagation. This initiates a big difference between the surface and bedrock motion. The behavior of the soil under cyclic loads resulting from seismic action is non-linear. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effects of strong ground motion by taking into account the nonlinear behavior of the soil layers. In addition, in this study, the results obtained from the equivalent linear and non-linear methods were compared, taking into account the results of the equivalent linear analysis conducted before for the same boreholes. The results of the study showed that the characteristics of soil layers and strong ground motion significantly affect the field response analysis and generally larger spectral parameters have been obtained with the equivalent linear method.
WITHDRAWN: Evaluation of Different Phases of Covid-19 Pandemic using by Hybrid Approach Modeling
Authors: Ergin Mahmut Esad
Published: October 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented major difficulties to public health organizations and governments all over the world. Administrations have taken various measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus, which emerged instantly, about which they did not know much, and which was defined as a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020 (WHO, 2022). Within the scope of this study, it is aimed to establish a hybrid model of the impacts of the pandemic on passenger behavior and transportation mode preferences and to evaluate passenger behavior accordingly. Hybrid model consists of cluster analysis and discrete choice models in order. First of all, a comprehensive survey was conducted via online platform to determine the travel behaviors of individuals in three phases of the pandemic which are before (pre-COVID19), during (during COVID19), and after the pandemic (post-COVID19). As a result of the models, it can be said that the factors affecting the mode preference of individuals do not differ between COVID sensitive or COVID unrelated clusters. However, when the effect on mode selection is examined, it seems that these factors have a greater effect on mode preference choices for the COVID sensitive cluster. With the effect of the pandemic, people's perceptions about public transportation modes have been negatively affected.
The effect of chlorantraniliprole on the transcriptomic profile of Spodoptera frugiperda: a typical case analysis for the response of a newly invaded pest to an old insecticide
Authors: He Hualiang , Li Yi , Shu Haijuan , Lin Yufeng , Zhang Zhengbing , Qiu Lin , Ding Wenbing , Gao Qiao , Xue Jin , Li Youzhi
Published: October 2022

Background
Chlorantraniliprole is a diamide insecticide widely used in China over the last 15 years. The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, newly invaded China in 2019. The response of FAW to chlorantraniliprole deserves more attention, in the context of many destructive lepidopteran species are resistant to diamide insecticides and the patent on core chemical of chlorantraniliprole in China expired in August 2022.
Methods and results
This study investigated the response profile in larvae under chlorantraniliprole-induced (LC50) stress using methods of bioassay, RNA-Seq and qPCR. We observed growth inhibition and lethal effects in FAW larvae, but at a relatively high LC50 value compared to other several pests. Additionally, under chlorantraniliprole-induced stress, 3309 unigenes were found to be differentially expressed genes (DGEs). The impacted genes included 137 encoding for detoxification enzymes, 29 encoding for cuticle proteins, and 20 key enzymes involved in the chitin metabolism, which all associated with metabolic resistance. Finally, we obtained the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of two RyR genes, which are the target proteins for chlorantraniliprole. We also investigated the causes of the high LC50 value in our FAW, which possibly related to the stabilized 4743M on SNP frequency of RyR. These findings documented the genetic background of RyR of FAW and indicated that application of chlorantraniliprole has a high risk of controlling FAW in China.
Conclusion
In brief, our results provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of chlorantraniliprole toxicity and detoxification in FAW, and will aid in monitoring the development of resistant strains for a newly pest to an old insecticide.
Age and Gender Related Paraoxonase I Gene Polymorphisms rs662 and rs854560 in Subjects with Metabolic Syndrome in Fars ethnic group
Authors: Marjani Abdoljalal , Poursharifi Nahid , Sajedi Atefe , Tatari Mahin
Published: October 2022

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the Paraoxonase I Gene Polymorphisms in subjects with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the Fars ethnic group.
Methods: Polymorphisms determinationof the paraoxonase1 gene was done by Polymerase Chain Reaction and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis in subjects with and without MetS.
Results: The MM, LM, and LL genotypes frequencies of the PON1- L55M polymorphism were 2.5, 37.5 and 60%; and 27.5, 34.5 and 38% and; 19.4, 50 and 30.6% and 17.2, 58.6 and 34.2% in females and males with and without MetS, respectively. The QQ, QR, and RR genotypes frequencies of the PON1 - Q192R polymorphism were 50, 47.6 and 2.4%; and 56.8, 34.1 and 9.1% and; 61, 29.2 and 9.8% and 56.3, 35.4 and 8.3% in females and males with and without MetS, respectively.
Conclusions: Our study suggested that the decrease of PON1 enzymatic activity in both genders is an important finding, but the L55M genotype in females with MetS is more important than PON1 Q192R polymorphism. This genotyping difference for L55M in females may be important to make the females more vulnerable than males to MetS.
Pure flexural guided wave excitation in hollow cylinders by applying helical surface tractions
Authors: Hao Dong , Wenjun Wu , Wentao Wu
Published: October 2022

Pure flexural mode excitation of helical waves in hollow cylinders by applying helical surface tractions, equivalent to exciting obliquely propagating plate waves in the unwrapped plate, is reported. However, this approach cannot be generalized with theoretical underpinnings. The response of hollow cylinders under helical surface tractions is investigated using normal mode expansion method. Purity of the target flexural mode depends on the mode wave structures at excitation frequencies and the helix angle of the helical excitation. With helical surface tractions, only flexural modes with large circumferential and longitudinal displacements, usually torsional flexural modes, can be effectively generated. The target flexural mode and excitation frequency should be selected carefully for better purity. The helix angle for the target mode should diverge considerably from other modes, especially those with large circumferential and longitudinal displacements. The apparently oblique propagation of the flexural mode can also be explained theoretically. The helically excited flexural mode comprises two orthogonal wave structures with identical flexural modes that are out of phase in the propagation direction, causing periodically changing circumferential orientation of the combined wave structure and oblique wave front. Finite element simulations and experiments agree well with theoretical predictions.
Residual Neural Network-Based Observer Design for Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor Systems
Authors: Liu Shi , Chen Song , Chen Tehuan , Ren Zhigang
Published: October 2022

Continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) is a common reactor in the chemical industry. The accurate monitoring of the concentration of the product and the internal temperature of the reaction vessel is a prerequisite for obtaining the desired product. This paper proposes a novel observer based on the residual neural networks for CSTR systems. Firstly, the mathematical model of the CSTR reaction is given, as well as detailed description of the structure and equations of the residual neural networks and the designed observer. Then the matrix method is used for nonlinear isolation of the residual neural networks and the theory of quadratic constraints for nonlinear activation functions of the neural networks is applied. Thus, the convergence of the proposed observer is analyzed theoretically in detail. Finally, the numerical simulations are implemented to demonstrate that the proposed residual neural network-based observer can quickly and accurately monitor the state changes during the CSTR reaction.
Determinants of Soil and Water Conservation Measures for Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Ethiopian Highlands: The Case of Hadi Micro-watershed
Authors: Assefa Alem-meta , Kefyalew Aberaw
Published: October 2022

This study presents an assessment of smallholder farmers’ perception towards adopting soil and water conservation practices in Hadi micro-watershed. The data were collected from 203 sample households using questionnaire, focus group discussions, and interview. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result of the study revealed that about 60.6% of sample households were adopters and 39.4% were non-adopters of soil and water conservation measures. The study was also focused on soil loss estimation and prioritization based on Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model using the application of Geographic Information System software. The result of the analysis showed that the mean soil erosion rate of the watershed is 28.063 t/ha/year in the year 2018/2019. Moreover, the total soil loss in the study area is 109,642.25 tons. The results of the binary logistics regression model also revealed that sex of respondents, farm size, access to training, extension service, and access to credit service were positively correlated with the adoption of soil and water conservation measures. On the other hand, age, educational status, family size of household heads, and farm distance were found to be negatively correlated. The result of the study suggests they majority of the farmers are aware and perceived soil erosion by water and land degradation as a problem in their farm plots. Furthermore, they also able to identify the different causes of soil erosion in their land based on their farming experience.
Selenium prevents follicular granulosa cells from apoptosis induced by mercury through inhibition of ATF6/CHOP pathway in laying hens
Authors: Cheng Binyao , Shi Yizhen , Wu Qiujue , Wang Yuqin , Ma Yan
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this research was to explore the effect of selenium on mercury-mediated apoptosis of follicular granulosa cells in laying hens. Moreover, the ATF6/CHOP pathway was investigated to explore the mechanism in this progress. Hg, Se, and 4-phenyl butyric acid were used alone or in combination to treat the cells. Our results showed that the nuclear in cells became condensate after Hg exposure, while Se addition significantly alleviated this change. Hg exposure significantly induced the apoptosis and the reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential in cells (P < 0.05), Nevertheless co-treatment of Se significantly inhibited these effects (P < 0.05). Additionally, Hg exposure dramatically elevated the gene expressions of Bax/Bcl-2 (P < 0.05), Caspase-3 (P < 0.05), Caspase-9 (P < 0.05), protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (P < 0.05), activating transcription factor 6 (P < 0.05), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP; P < 0.05), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (P < 0.05), tumor necrosis factor-associated factor 2 (P < 0.05), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6; P < 0.05) and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (P < 0.05) in cells, whereas Se addition reversed these changes. The exposure to Hg considerably boosted the expression of ATF6 and CHOP protein (P < 0.05), while Se addition significantly alleviated above-mentioned enhancements (P < 0.05). In summary, Hg exposure induced apoptosis, which was considerably reduced alleviated by Se addition, which was linked to the ATF6/CHOP pathway in follicular granulosa cells in laying hens.
Improving access to assessments of early motor development in local languages: Polish adaptation of the Early Motor Questionnaire
Authors: Laudańska Zuzanna , Szmytke Magdalena , Radkowska Alicja , Malinowska-Korczak Anna , Babis Karolina , Pérez David López , Tomalski Przemysław
Published: October 2022

A child’s motor development progresses very dynamically. It is crucial to develop freely available parent-report measures of motor development that can be easily used globally to measure motor skills and identify children in need of interventions. Here, we present the adaptation and validation of the Early Motor Questionnaire, which consists of gross motor (GM), fine motor (FM), and perception-action integration (PA) subscales, to the Polish language (EMQ-PL). In Study 1 (online, N = 640), we observed its excellent psychometric properties and significant differences in GM and Total age-independent scores between children that were and were not referred for physiotherapy. In Study 2 (in-person assessment, longitudinal, N = 100), we show high correlations of GM and total scores with Alberta Infant Motor Scale. Overall, we show that the EMQ can be easily adapted to local languages and has h a potential for use as a screening tool.
Boosting intra-African trade performance: the role of maritime transport
Authors: Ayesu Enock Kojo
Published: October 2022

Maritime transport significantly affects virtually all aspects of international trade globally. Following this, it becomes imperative to understand the positive influence of maritime transport in the improvement of intra-African trade performance. This paper, therefore, investigates the extent to which maritime transport boosts intra-African trade performance within the framework of the gravity model in a sample of 32 African countries for the period 2010–2018. The paper reveals that maritime transports enhance intra-African trade performance; greater access to maritime transports is associated with an increase in intra-African trade performance. Based on this outcome, it is recommended that policies that increases maritime transports are what policy makers should prioritize and pursue.
JEL Codes: C33; F10; I30; O55.
Prevalence of unmet health care need in older adults in 83 countries – measuring progressing towards universal health coverage in the context of global population ageing.
Authors: Kowal Paul , Corso Barbara , Anindya Kanya , Andrade Flavia C.D. , Giang Thanh Long , Guitierrez Maria Teresa Calzada , Pothisiri Wiraporn , Quashie Nekehia T. , Reina Herney Alonso Rengifo , Rosenberg Megumi , Towers Andy , Vicerra Paolo Miguel Manalang , Minicuci Nadia , Ng Nawi , Byles Julie
Published: October 2022

Current measures for monitoring progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) do not adequately account for populations that do not have the same level of access to quality care services and/or financial protection to cover health expenses for when care is accessed. This gap in accounting for unmet health care needs may contribute to underutilization of needed services or widening inequalities. Asking people whether or not their needs for health care have been met, as part of a household survey, is a pragmatic way of capturing this information. This analysis examined responses to self-reported questions about unmet need asked as part of 17 health, social and economic surveys conducted between 2001 and 2019, representing 83 low-, middle- and high-income countries. Noting the large variation in questions and response categories, the results point to low levels (less than 2%) of unmet need reported in adults aged 60 + years in countries like Andorra, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Thailand and Viet Nam to rates of over 50% in Georgia, Haiti, Morocco, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. While unique, these estimates are likely underestimates, and do not begin to address issues of poor quality of care as a barrier or contributing to unmet need in those who were able to access care. Monitoring progress towards UHC will need to incorporate estimates of unmet need if we are to reach universality and reduce health inequalities in older populations.
A rare metastatic mesenteric malignant PEComa with TSC2 mutation treated with palliative surgical resection and nab-sirolimus: A case report
Authors: Meredith Luke , Chao Timothy , Nevler Avinoam , Basu-Mallick Atrayee , Singla Rajan K. , McCue Peter A. , Bowne Wilbur B. , Jiang Wei
Published: October 2022

Background

Malignant perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) are exceedingly rare mesenchymal malignant neoplasms with characteristic morphological and immunohistochemical (IHC) patterns. However, some malignant PEComas are particularly poorly differentiated and may demonstrate atypical histopathological findings, making a definitive diagnosis difficult. PEComas are most commonly found in females and often show either TSC1/2 alterations, which result in the activation of the mTOR pathway, or TFE3 fusions. Given these molecular characteristics, mTOR inhibitors have recently proven useful in the treatment of malignant PEComas, particularly in those with TSC1/2 alterations. Therefore, molecular analyses may be helpful for both the diagnostic workup of and predicting response to mTOR inhibitors in cases of malignant PEComas.

Case Presentation

Here, we report a case of an aggressive, 23 cm mesenteric malignant PEComa with multiple peritoneal metastases in a young male patient. Pathological examination of the initial biopsy showed a malignant epithelioid neoplasm whose high-grade morphology and atypical immunohistochemical (IHC) reactivity precluded a definitive diagnosis. Because of the patient’s excessive transfusion requirements due to intra-tumoral hemorrhage, a palliative R2 resection was performed. Histopathological examination of the tumor revealed focal immunoreactivity for CD117, Melan-A, HMB-45, and desmin. Although a diagnosis of malignant PEComa was favored, other entities such as epithelioid gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) or melanoma could not be definitively ruled out. Given the favored diagnosis, the patient was started on sirolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, rather than chemotherapy. Molecular analyses were then performed and the tumor was found to harbor mutations in TP53 and TSC2, supporting a definitive diagnosis of malignant PEComa. The patient was then switched to nab-sirolimus, with initial stabilization of the disease.

Conclusions

This report details a multi-disciplinary approach for the diagnosis and management of a highly aggressive, metastatic malignant PEComa in a young male patient. The basis for the treatment of malignant PEComas with the recently FDA-approved mTOR inhibitor, nab-sirolimus, is also reviewed. In summary, this case highlights the importance of molecular analysis, particularly TSC1/2 alterations, for both the definitive diagnosis of malignant PEComas and predicting their response to nab-sirolimus.
Impact of Double Taxation Treaties on FDI flows: an application by Centrality
Authors: Ly Alpha
Published: October 2022

The objective of this study is to analyse the impact of double taxation treaties (DTTs), or tax treaties, on foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. We distinguish between inflows and outflows and between volume flows and flows as a percentage of GDP. Using the GMM system estimator of \cite{blundell1998initial} on a panel of 188 developed, emerging and developing countries, covering a relatively long period of 28 years (1990-2017), we show that DTTs, summarised by the country centrality index, positively and significantly influence FDI inflows. This result remains verified when considering FDI outflows, although the short-run effect decreases in magnitude. Also, considering flows as a percentage of GDP, or changing the measure of centrality, does not qualitatively affect these results. Moreover, the magnitude of this effect evolves following the geographical areas considered and the absorption capacity of the destination countries.
JEL: F21, C45, H71
Prevalence of back pain and headache after spinal anesthesia for cesarean section compared to general anesthesia
Authors: Rakmani Najwa , Olwan Rama , Alkhalaf Shahad
Published: October 2022

Background
Cesarean section is the most frequent surgery in obstetrics. Common types of anesthesia done in CS are regional and general, which aim to insure the well being of the fetus and the mother and alleviate the pain in surgery as much as possible. In our study, we aim to investigate the prevalence of headache and back pain after regional anesthesia compared to general anesthesia.
Methods
A cross sectional study involving 279 patients who were admitted to Alzahrawi hospital and had undergone CS
Results
The sample in our study consisted of 279 patients, whose average age was 30.07 years; the majority of these patients had undergone regional anesthesia (82%); the remaining patients had undergone general anesthesia (18%). We did not find a statistically significant relationship between patients' headache and back pain and the type of anesthesia (P > 0.05); however, there was a statistically significant relationship between the procedures used during the procedure and the type of anesthesia.
Conclusion
Our study has shown that there’s no link between the anesthetic procedure and occurrence of back pain and headaches, eventhough most of the participants have gotten regional anesthesia.
Visualization and Analysis of RecurrentGeometric Network oriented to Protein 3DStructure Prediction
Authors: Ye Kang , Gao Ruibo
Published: October 2022

Recurrent geometric network(RGN) as a deep learning model have been successfully applied to predict protein 3D structure and achieved better results than conventional methods. However, because of the inter- nal complexity and nonlinear structure of deep neural networks, the underlying processes why the model achieving such performance is challenging and sometimes difficult to explain. In this paper, for pro- tein 3D structure prediction tasks, we analyze these hidden states of recurrent geometric network from a new perspective. Firstly, a method is proposed to explain network position characteristic by searching for the most similar amino acids near the selected amino acids net- work. We also analyze the update response of new neurons in forward and backward networks to further focus on the position characteris- tics of hidden state. Then, a superimposed visualization method is put forward to study which and when neurons in bidirectional net- works have a greater influence on the prediction results. Finally, we adopt comparison method for torsion angles to analyze how the back- ward neuron affects the final prediction results. The usability and effectiveness of our method are demonstrated through case studies.
Heightened functional excitation-inhibition ratio as a compensatory mechanism in autism spectrum disorder (ASD): an EEG study
Authors: Chan Melody M.Y. , Choi Coco X.T. , Tsoi C.W. , Zhong Junpei , Han Yvonne M.Y.
Published: October 2022

Background: Abnormal global brain signaling, which is associated with impaired neural connectivity, is evident in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet its association with impeded cognitive processes underlying social information processing and ASD symptomatology remained elusive.
Methods: This study aimed to investigate the local and global brain signaling in ASD indicated by functional excitation-inhibition (fE/I) ratio and explored psychophysiological relationships between regional/global fE/I ratios and interference control, set-shifting as well as ASD symptomatology. Thirty-one ASD and 30 age-, intelligence quotient (IQ), sex- and handedness-matched TD individuals (aged 14-21) participated in this study. CANTAB Multitasking Task was used to assess the cognitive processes (i.e. interference control, set-shifting, set-maintenance) supporting daily information processing. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was used for estimating regional and global fE/I ratio.
Results: When compared to TD individuals, although individuals with ASD showed comparable error rates (ps > .084), they were shown to have slower processing speed specifically in CANTAB Multitasking Task trials tapping interference control and set-maintenance abilities (Bonferroni-corrected ps < .006). Electrophysiological data revealed that, heightened fE/I ratios were observed at the whole-brain level and the right hemisphere in ASD (Bonferroni-corrected ps < .005). Within the ASD group, higher global and right hemispheric fE/I ratios were significantly correlated with faster reaction time in the CANTAB Multitasking Task incongruent trials, of which faster incongruent trial reaction time was significantly associated with less severe ASD symptom in the social interaction and restricted, repetitive behavior domains (FDR-corrected ps < .05).
Limitations: The generalizability of results is limited by the inclusion of only males with ASD with normal range of IQ. The relationship between fE/I and cognitive-behavioral deficits in females with ASD, as well as those with lower IQ is yet to be explored by future studies.
Conclusion: Altered local and global brain signaling is evident in ASD. It appears that heightened fE/I in ASD is a compensatory mechanism that supports a more efficient filtering of distractors during attention task and a less severe ASD symptom manifestation.
Effect of the soil and the landrace rootstock genotype on Hass avocado´s rhizosphere bacterial communities
Authors: Córdoba-Agudelo Mateo , Pérez-Jaramillo Juan Esteban , Borrego-Muñoz David Andrés , Arboleda-Rivera Juan Camilo , Ramírez-Cuartas Camilo Andrés
Published: October 2022

Colombia is the fifth world producer of avocado, with Hass cultivar as the most important in the country and especially in the Department of Antioquia, which is the main exporter. For the Department, the Hass cultivar presents high genetic polymorphism associated with different landrace rootstocks and, it is unknown what impact these genotypes may have on the bacterial communities of the rhizosphere. Taking into account the importance of these bacterial communities in the health and productivity of the crop, we analyzed the effect of two landrace genotypes of Persea americana cv. Hass on the structure of the bacterial communities of the rhizosphere, in two different farms. Significant differences were found in the bacterial communities between farms, mainly in alpha and beta diversity (P < 0.05), as well as in the co-occurrence networks. On the contrary, no differences associated with genotypes were detected. Here, influential soil variables that shape the bacterial microbiome were found. Also, the metagenome prediction suggests a consumer microbiome of rhizodeposits. This research suggests that the rhizosphere bacterial microbiome is similar between avocado landrace rootstocks. Finally, this study will allow delving into the mechanisms that influence the health and productivity of plants with agroindustry potentials, such as the Hass avocado.
Phylogenetic relationship of rabies virus (Rabies lyssavirus) in two different host species
Authors: Schreiber Maicon Da Silva , Fachinetto Juliana Maria
Published: October 2022

Rabies is a fatal zoonosis that infects several mammal’s species. Bats are recognized hosts of the rabies virus and their main food source is the blood of other mammals, especially cattle. When feeding, bats transmit the virus to cattle which are victims of the disease, contributing to economic losses and risk of infection for humans. Based on this affinity in the rabies cycle between bats and cattle, the objective of this work was to analyze the phylogenetic relationships of rabies virus samples in both hosts, cattle and bats. The G gene of rabies virus was chosen for this research because it is directly related to the infection process. Nucleotide sequences of the viral G gene were selected in GenBank from samples obtained from infected cattle and bats. Maximum parsimony analyzes were conducted using the Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) software. The Maxima Parsimony tree indicated a phylogenetic relationship between the G gene of both hosts, indicating that the virus evolved from bats to cattle. Analysis of the parsimoniously informative sites revealed that the viral G gene presented specific mutations in each host. Knowledge about the evolutionary relationships of the rabies virus and its hosts is critical to identify potential new hosts and possible new routes of infection for humans.
A single amino acid change can alter the specificity of the multi-allelic wheat stem rust resistance locus SR9
Authors: Zhang Jianping , Nirmala Jayaveeramuthu , Chen Shisheng , Jost Matthias , Steuernagel Burkhard , Karafiátová Miroslava , Hewitt Timothy , Li Hongna , Edae Erena , Sharma Keshav , Hoxha Sami , Bhatt Dhara , Antoniou-Kourounioti Rea , Dodds Peter , Wulff Brande , Doležel Jaroslav , Ayliffe Michael , Hiebert Colin , McIntosh Robert , Dubcovsky Jorge , Zhang Peng , Rouse Matthew , Lagudah Evans
Published: October 2022

Most resistance genes thus far isolated from wheat have a very limited number of functional alleles, with the exception of the powdery mildew PM3 resistance locus. Here we report the isolation of most of the alleles at wheat stem rust resistance gene locus SR9, representing the largest multi-allelic rust resistance locus in common wheat. The seven previously reported resistance alleles (Sr9a, Sr9b, Sr9d, Sr9e, Sr9f, Sr9g, and Sr9h) at the locus were characterised using a synergistic strategy. Loss-of-function mutants and/or transgenic complementation were used to confirm Sr9b, two haplotypes of Sr9e (Sr9e_h1, Sr9e_h2), Sr9g, and Sr9h. Each allele encodes a highly related nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) type immune receptor, containing a previously unreported motif at their N termini and an unusual long LRR domain, that confers resistance to a unique spectrum of isolates of the wheat stem rust pathogen. The only SR9 protein effective against stem rust pathogen race TTKSK (Ug99), SR9H, differed from SR9B by a single amino acid. SR9B and SR9G resistance proteins were also distinguished by only a single amino acid. The SR9 allelic series found in the B subgenome are orthologs of wheat stem rust resistance gene Sr21 located in the A subgenome with around 85% identity in protein sequences.
A Catastrophic Implant Failure After Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Özer Hamza , Ahmadov Asim , Selek Hakan Yusuf , Senol Mehmet Selcuk , Dursun Ayşe , Bozkurt Hasan Hüseyin
Published: October 2022

Wear of metallic surfaces after total knee arthroplasty is uncommon. In this case, we report a catastrophic failure of the knee prosthesis in a 60-year-old male patient who had undergone total knee prosthesis 7 years prior to his admission to our clinic. Genu recurvatum was observed in the affected knee. Surgical exploration of the knee showed wear of the polyethylene insert accompanied by metallic tibial component abrasion of the posterior-cruciate-retaining total knee prosthesis (Maxim, Biomet, Warsaw, IN, USA). Single-stage revision was performed, and a new total knee prosthesis was implanted (Legion, Smith & Nephew, Memphis, TN, USA). Postoperative examination showed improved stability and correction of recurvatum of the affected knee and follow-up examination showed improved weight bearing ability and better overall functional outcome.
Hospitals’ Evacuation Preparedness; A Survey Among 42 Thai Hospitals According to the Flexible Surge Capacity Concept.
Authors: Phattharapornjaroen Phatthranit , Carlström Eric , Holmqvist Lina Dahlén , Sittichanbuncha Yuwares , Khorram-Manesh Amir
Published: October 2022

Background: Hospitals are subject to internal and external threats, which could necessitate an evacuation. Such evacuation needs deliberate surge and collaboration, particularly collaborative use of community capacities to handle affected patients, personnel, devices, and hospital structures using consensus systems. Therefore, it is crucial to identify hospital evacuation procedures’ flaws and assess the possibility of implementing measures using community resources. This study aimed to explore Thai hospitals’ current evacuation readiness and preparation regarding surge capacity and collaboration according to the Flexible Surge Capacity concept.
Methods: The previously used hospital evacuation questionnaire was adopted. It contained relevant questions about hospital evacuations’ responses and preparedness encompassing surge capacity and collaborative elements and an open-ended question to collect possible perspectives/comments.
Results: The findings indicate glitches in evacuation protocols and triage systems and inadequacies in surge planning and multi-agency collaboration. Additionally, it was evident that hospitals had limited information about communities' capabilities and limited collaboration with other public and private organizations.
Conclusion: Although implementing the measures for concept integration to hospital evacuation is challenging, pragmatic research exploring planning for community engagement according to the flexible surge capacity to build a concrete hospital evacuation plan would enhance hospital readiness and its generalizations. The latter needs to be tested in simulation exercises.
The effect of temperature on the corrosion inhibition performance of two pyrazole derivatives for mild steel in 1 M HCl: Electrochemical and FTIR investigations
Authors: Sehmi Abdelghani , Ferhat Mahmoud , Ouici Houari Boumediene , Zaoui Oussama , Boudou Farouk
Published: October 2022

Many investigations have been conducted proving that most corrosion inhibitors are sensitive to temperature. The objective of this research is to investigate the corrosion inhibition performance of two pyrazole carboxamide derivatives at different temperature conditions. The corrosion inhibition properties of mild steel were investigated in hydrochloride acid solution 1 M HCl and in the presence of DPC-1, DPC-2 inhibitors using potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopies. The adsorption film on the steel surface was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results exhibit excellent inhibition performance of pyrazole in all temperatures studied. Tafel curves indicate that DPC-1 and DPC-2 behave as mixed-type inhibitors. EIS measurements display maximum corrosion inhibition efficiency around 97 % at 40 °C for DPC-1 (400 µM) and 96.91% ; 96.59% at 40 °C and 60 °C for DPC-2 (160 µM), respectively. The calculated thermodynamic parameters reveal the predominance of chemisorption process, in particular at higher temperatures. The FTIR spectra confirm the chemical interactions of pyrazole on the steel surface.
Inconsistency in the 11-point (0-10) Likert scale: evidence from subjective well-being survey
Authors: Chen Yue-mei-tong , Fang Zhou
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we verified an inconsistency of understanding in the 0 to 10 Likert Scales with a survey experiment. We recruited 121 college students at a public university in California and had them answer a hypothetical subjective well-being survey. The survey contains 23 happy or unhappy events, and the students are told to report how happy/unhappy they would feel if the event happened to them on 11-point Likert Scales. We found an inconsistent understanding in the responses when the expected value is around 7 to 8 on a 0 to 10 Likert scale. Our finding suggests that a scale of another length or a -5 to 5 scale can be used as an alternative to improve the data quality.
Priming Effect on Seed Germination, Seedling Vigor, and Yield of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Esatu Astawus , Seid Hassen , Kaske Karta , Debeli Girma
Published: October 2022

Uniform stand establishment of wheat is considered one of the most important yield-contributing factors in semi-arid areas. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of seed priming media and priming durations on seed germination, vigor, and yield of bread wheat. The experiment was conducted with a wheat variety, 4 levels of priming media (Distilled water, KNO3 @0.1%, Mannitol @2%, Salicylic acid @0.06%, and unprimed control), and 2 priming durations (12 and 24 hours) in factorial arrangement using CRD for lab tests and RCBD for field experiment with three replications. Results showed significant (P<0.05) effects of priming treatments on germination percentage, seedling vigor, fertile spikes m-2, yield, and year. Effects were non-significant (P>0.05) for heading date, plant height, thousand seed weight, and hectoliter weight among the tested media and duration but among the growing seasons. Priming with distilled water (93.58%) followed by KNO3 @0.1% (92.62%) resulted in the highest germination. Vigor indices I was not improved by priming as unprimed control exhibited the highest (1803.80%cm) followed by that of KNO3 @0.1% (1741.10%cm). The highest Vigor index II (1069%mg) was observed in seeds primed in KNO3 @0.1% at 24 hours but, it was not significantly different from the unprimed control (989%mg). Priming in KNO3 @0.1% at 12 hours showed significantly higher fertile spikes m-2 (487) and yield (51.2 kg ha-1) as compared to the unprimed control. However, this similar priming media resulted in the lowest yield (40.3 kg ha-1) at 24 hours. Seed primed in KNO3 @ 0.1% for 12 hours resulted in a 19% yield increment as compared to the unprimed control. Salicylic acid @ 0.06% was not the desired media for the improvement of seedling vigor, yield, and yield component of wheat in a semi-arid environment. In conclusion, KNO3 @ 0.1% contributed to the improvement of germination, early seedling establishment, and yield of wheat under moisture-stress conditions.
Methods of Using Engineering Graphics Software in the Process of Organizing Independent Education of Students
Authors: Olim Alimnazarov
Published: October 2022

The article is designed to develop methods of using engineering graphics software in the organization of the Independent Education of students of professional educational institutions. The article, based on empirical research, is aimed at the Independent Education of the students of professional educational institutions from the e-learning resources in the process of organization, in particular, the individual performance of tasks in the example of the Compass 3D program and the development of their professional competence in the integrated educational environment through it. In this regard, training sessions for students in Termez city vocational school on the use of these engineering graphic programs were organized, and in the process, the students were divided into experimental and control groups. The indicators of their mastering were analyzed using mathematical statistical methods.