bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Os modelos de negócio para a publicação de livros em acesso aberto por editoras universitárias brasileiras
Authors: Amaral Fatima Beatriz Manieiro do , Furnival Ariadne Chloe Mary
Published: August 2023

Introdução: existe crescente tendência entre as Editoras Universitárias Brasileiras (EUB) publicar livros científicos e acadêmicos em acesso aberto, disponibilizando-os online como e-books. Para tal, as EUB adotam um ou mais modelo de negócio, especialmente focados na forma de financiar a editoração e publicação de livros em acesso aberto. Objetivo: Descrever os modelos de negócio utilizados pelas EUB para a publicação de e-books acadêmicos e científicos em acesso aberto. Metodologia: Foi realizada pesquisa documental com levantamento das políticas editoriais dispostas nos websites de 92 EUB de instituições de ensino superior públicas brasileiras. Na maioria dos casos, a partir da leitura e análise dos documentos e informações disponíveis nos websites, foi possível identificar os modelos de negócio adotados. Também foi aplicado um questionário às EUB para captar alguns dados sobre os modelos adotados, que suplementaram as informações não encontradas nos websites das editoras; foram retornados 36 questionários preenchidos. Resultados: Foi identificado que 94,6% das editoras participantes publicam livros em acesso aberto, exclusivamente ou associado às vendas de livros (impressos e e-books). Verificou-se modelos de negócios adotados para subsidiar as atividades editoriais e para as publicações abertas: financiamento institucional, subsídios cruzados, concessão de financiamento de pesquisa e/ou bolsas, infraestrutura compartilhada, parcerias com bibliotecas universitárias, doações financeiras, taxa de processamento de livro, liberação, híbrido e período de embargo. Conclusão: A pesquisa aponta que, ao aderirem-se ao movimento da ciência aberta e acesso aberto para a publicação de livros, as EUB adotam práticas editoriais inovadoras, mas enfrentam desafios no que tange à sua sustentabilidade financeira.
The Relationship Between The Implementation of Triage and The Incidence of Overcrowded in the Emergency Department of Adi Husada Kapasari Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia
Authors: Suroso Heri , Paraswati Mareta Deka
Published: August 2023

Introduction: The emergency department (ED) is at the forefront of hospital healthcare and is expected to provide timely and effective care. The imbalance of the need for emergency care and the availability of hospitals to provide health services has an impact on the occurrence of overcrowded situations. This study aims to determine the relationship between the implementation of triage and the incidence of overcrowded in the ED of Adi Husada Kapasari Hospital.
Methods: This study uses a correlation study design with a cross sectional approach. The population in the study were all nurses in the ED of Adi Husada Kapasari Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia, and 14 nurses were involved as respondents through a total sampling technique. The independent variable is the implementation of triage, the dependent variable is the incidence of overcrowded. Data collection using a questionnaire sheet to measure the implementation of triage, and the NEDOCS scale (National Emergency Department Overcrowding Scale) to measure the incidence of overcrowded. Data was analyzed using Spearman rank correlation test with α = 0.05.
Results: The results showed that more than half respondents (64.3%) practice triage in moderate level, and the overcrowded assessment showed all respondents (100%) in the level 1, which means it was in category not busy. Spearman rank correlation test showed that there was no relationship between the implementation of triage and the incidence of overcrowded in the ED of Adi Husada Kapasari Hospital (p-value 0.898 and r=0.038).
Conclusion: For non-large-scale emergency departments like the ED of Adi Husada Kapasari Hospital, the implementation of triage is not significantly related to the overcrowded incidence, although some studies and theories state otherwise, that the accuracy of emergency room nurses in triaging can help reduce patients overcrowding and treat patients immediately. Further research could explore this gap through a larger sample or by involving or comparing more populations of various type of EDs.
Kredibilitas Informasi di Era Post-Truth Dikalahkan Kecepatan Informasi: Pengabaian Undang Undang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik
Authors: Rahman Meilya Syifa Aghniya , Dewi Silvi Puspita , Ningtyas Liza Shafira , Samosir Friska Lestari , Herviani Angelique Ezra , Achmad Zainal Abidin
Published: August 2023

Many people choose social media as a source of information that is considered the fastest and most up-to-date without knowing its credibility for sure. In the post-truth era, social media has shifted the power of logic and facts, and often the information on it is considered true. This study aims to gain an understanding of the credibility of information uploaded by the Twitter account @AREAJULID. By using a virtual ethnography approach. This qualitative research explores the existence of a phenomenon of attraction between the influence of information speed and information credibility. The results of the search on the @AREAJULID account show that many followers of the account have the assumption that the speed of content uploaded by @AREAJULID makes it a trusted source of information. They even disseminate the information by retweeting and sharing the link on other social media channels such as Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp. The followers' actions ignore the existence of the Electronic Information and Transaction Law. The post-truth era makes the @AREAJULID account a credible source of information precisely because of the speed of uploading and not because of the truth of the information.
Keywords: post-truth, virtual ethnography, information credibility
Analisis Drone Emprit Kenaikan Harga BBM 2022 dalam Perspektif UU Keterbukaan Informasi Publik
Authors: Nuzila Elfa
Published: August 2023

In Indonesia, Twitter is a social media that is one of the means to find out the public's response to a policy or issue that is happening. Interactions through Twitter, such as posting tweets with specific hashtags, retweets, and likes can be known through Emprit Drone technology. Emprit drones are a technology for mapping social networks based on issues that are being discussed on Twitter. This study aims to determine the dominating public opinion towards the determination of fuel price increases and assess the role of the government in disseminating information on fuel price increases based on Law Number 14 of 2008 concerning Public Information Disclosure. The method used is a quantitative descriptive method to provide an in-depth and accurate picture. The results show that the dominating sentiment is negative sentiment which means that people tend to reject the increase in fuel prices. This negative sentiment is an indication of the government's improper behaviour in conveying information and policies to the public. Every post from Drone Emprit can be known to anyone who uses the real account and who uses the bot account. Overall, bot analysis shows Twitter accounts talking about the topic of fuel price increases have a bot score of 1,55. If the bot score is getting smaller, the number of accounts indicated as bots is getting less.

Keywords: Drone Emprit, Public Information Disclosure Law, Fuel Price Increase
The Impact of Repeating COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests on on Prevalence Boundary Performance and Missed Diagnoses
Authors: Kost Gerald J
Published: August 2023

Abstract: A prevalence boundary (PB) marks the point in prevalence where the false omission rate, RFO=FN/(TN+FN), exceeds the tolerance limit for missed diagnoses. Objectives were to mathematically analyze rapid antigen test (RAgT) performance, determine why PBs are breeched, and evaluate the merits of testing three times over five days, now required by the US Food and Drug Administration for asymptomatic persons. Equations were derived to compare test performance patterns, calculate PBs, and perform recursive computations. An independent July 2023 FDA-university-commercial evaluation of RAgTs provided performance data used in theoretical calculations. Tiered sensitivity/specificity comprise: Tier-1) 90%, 95%; Tier-2) 95%, 97.5%; and Tier-3) 100%, ≥99%, respectively. Repeating a T2 test improves the PB from 44.6% to 95.2% (RFO 5%). In the FDA-university-commercial evaluation, RAgTs generated sensitivity of 34.4%, which improved to 55.3% when repeated, then 68.5% with the third test. With RFO=5%, PBs were 7.37/10.46/14.22%, respectively. PB analysis suggests RAgTs should achieve clinically proven sensitivity of 91.0-91.4%. When prevalence exceeds PBs, missed diagnoses can perpetuate virus transmission. Repeating low-sensitivity RAgTs delays diagnosis. In homes, high-risk settings, and hotspots, PB breaches may prolong contagion, defeat mitigation, facilitate new variants, and transform outbreaks into endemic disease. Molecular diagnostics can help avoid these potential vicious cycles
Multi-Constraints Guidance and Maneuvering Penetration Strategy via Meta Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Zhao Sibo , Zhu JianWen , Bao Weimin , Li Xiaoping , Sun Haifeng
Published: August 2023

In response to the issue of vehicle escape guidance, this manuscript proposes a unified intelligent control strategy synthesizing optimal guidance and Meta Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL). Optimal control with minor energy consumption is introduced to meet terminal latitude, longitude and altitude. Maneuvering escape is realized by adding longitudinal and lateral direction maneuver overloads. Maneuver command decision model is calculated based on Soft-Actor-Critic (SAC) networks. Meta learning is introduced to enhance autonomous escape capability, which improves generalization performance to time-varying scenarios not encountered in the training process. In order to obtain training samples at a faster speed, this manuscript uses the prediction method to solve reward values, which avoiding a large number of numerical integration. The simulation results manifest that the proposed intelligent strategy can achieve high precise guidance and effective escape.
Cervical Cancer or Cervical Endometriosis – Review and Case Report
Authors: Gobjila Carolina , Anastasiu Doru , Petre Izabella , Popa Zoran Laurentiu , Bordianu Anca , Petre Ion , Mercioni Marina Adriana , Sipos Simona Ioana
Published: August 2023

According to cancer death rates for women worldwide, this form of cancer ranks fourth after breast, bronchopulmonary, and colorectal cancer, affecting around 570,000 women annually. About 270,000 women each year pass away from this illness, 85% of them are from underdeveloped nations where cervical cancer claims more lives than any other kind of cancer. In Romania, cervical cancer ranks fourth in terms of death, behind breast, bronchopulmonary, and colorectal cancers, and second in terms of incidence, behind breast cancer. Endometriosis in the cervical region is quite uncommon. Only a tiny fraction of women had the condition upon diagnosis. It might be challenging to detect cervical endometriosis since it rarely manifests any symptoms or markers. Women who are asymptomatic can manage the condition expectantly; however, if the symptoms return often, surgery may be required. As many patients have concurrent diseases such fibroids, adenomyosis, ovarian cysts, and pelvic endometriosis, cervical endometriosis therapy appears to be straightforward. There ought to be surgical intervention. Symptomatic cervical endometriosis, such as irregular or post-coital bleeding, may be treated surgically using the LLETZ surgery or another cervical ablation approach. Background and Objectives: (1) To assess one's degree of knowledge on the signs, causes, and methods of preventing cervical cancer or cervical endometriosis, as well as screening for these conditions. (2) To ascertain how the responder behaves about cervical cancer screening and prevention, as well as endometriosis in the cervical region. Materials and Methods: A case report about cervical cancer or cervical endometriosis was conducted among a patient from Romania, Timisoara. Results: In this study, we report the patient with cervical endometriosis, although he was initially diagnosed with cervical cancer. Conclusions: Cervical cancer, a condition that can have serious repercussions on the patient's health, even if there is no clear picture of paraclinical investigations, to raise the suspicion of cervical endometriosis and not cervical cancer.
A Comparative Study of Machine Learning Classifiers Performance with Feature Extraction for Face Recognition
Authors: Abusham Eimad
Published: August 2023

It is crucial to select the right machine learning classifier for image classification and face recog-nition. This study examines the effectiveness of four different face recognition classifiers - Support Vector Machines (SVM), Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Neural Networks. An analysis of the Large Faces in the Wild (LFW) dataset was carried out using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Classifiers are rigorously trained and evaluated based on the extracted features. Comparison of classifier performance is an insightful way to figure out their strengths and weaknesses. Having a visual representation of the classifier's performance gives a complete understanding of its capabilities. Through the selection of the most appropriate classifier, study results contribute to advancements in image classification, recognition, and biometric identification. The comparison study demonstrated that the Neural Network classifier was exceptionally accurate and proficient in recognizing faces from the LFW dataset when used in conjunction with PCA for feature extraction. According to the comparative analysis, the Neural Network classifier proved exceptionally accurate and proficient at identifying faces from the LFW dataset when combined with PCA for feature extraction.
An Analysis of Chinese Internet Buzzwords from the Perspective of Sociolinguistics
Authors: Yongle Zhong , Ming Yang
Published: August 2023

With the rapid development of the Internet, Internet buzzwords have gradually entered sociolinguistics and become an important aspect of sociolinguistic research. Based on the criteria of timeliness and popularity, this paper obtains many novel 2022 Internet buzzword corpus through various online social platforms and friends around them, and finally selects two types of Internet buzzwords as research objects: “English homophonic mosaic”, “word family analogy” through sorting and classification of the obtained corpus, and attempts to analyze their specific manifestations and causes from the perspective of sociolinguistics.
19. Yüzyıl Sonlarında Anadolu’da Koruyucu Sağlık Hizmetlerinin Temsilcileri Olarak Belediye Tabipleri
Authors: KÖÇ Ahmet
Published: August 2023

XIX. yüzyılda iç ve dış dinamiklerin etkisiyle her alanda modernleşme sürecine giren Osmanlı merkezi idaresinin işlevleri arttı. Modernleşme süreciyle birçok hizmeti kendisi yerine getirmeye başlayan devlet, tebaanın sağlık sorunlarını çözmek için önce Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Şahane’yi ardından Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Mülkiye’yi kurdu. Bu okullar, aynı zamanda modern devlet olmanın gereklerini yerine getirmek için çabaladılar.

Modern devlet; eğitim ve sağlık alanlarında merkeziyetçi bir anlayış sürdürürken, halkın sağlık sorunlarını çözmeyi ve önleyici tedbirler almayı, okulda yetişen tabipler sayesinde sağladı. Belediye tabipleri, Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Mülkiye’den mezun olduktan sonra kazalarda görevlendirildiler. İnsanı iyi koşullarda yaşatmak, salgınları önlemek adına aldıkları görevleri yerine getiren bu kişilere memurlar refakat etti. Tabipler, yanlarındaki memurlarla birlikte hem kaza merkezinde hem de kazaya bağlı kasaba ve köylerdeki hasta, yaşlı ve bakıma muhtaç kişileri tedavi ettiler. XIX. Yüzyıl ortalarında tabiplerin sayılarının az olması onları, Anadolu’da aranan kişiler haline getirdi. Sağlık alanında devletin varlığını ve gücünü halka hissettirmek için çabalayan bu tabipler, atandıkları yerlerde çeşitli sorunlarla karşılaştılar. Nizamnamelerle belediye tabipliğinin sınırları çizilmiş olsa da özlük haklarının yetersizliği, tedavi ettikleri hastalardan zorla para aldıkları yönündeki şikayetler, zorunlu hizmetle ilgili sorunları ve yüzyılın getirdiği ağır savaş ortamının sıkıntıları içerisinde zorlandılar. Çalışmada, belediye tabiplerinin mesleki anlamda karşılaştıkları sorunlar, Osmanlı Arşiv belgelerinden tespit edilerek yapısal ve işlevsel açılardan ele alınmıştır.
Pandemi Döneminde Doğu ve Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgelerinde Yaşayan Bireylerin Aşı Okuryazarlık Düzeylerinin İncelenmesi
Authors: TALMAÇ Nurşen , URUÇ ÖZTÜRK Elif , BÜLBÜL Ahmet
Published: August 2023

Bu çalışmanın amacı Doğu ve Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgelerinde yaşayan bireylerin aşı okuryazarlık düzeylerinin saptanması ve bazı demografik verilerle ilişkisinin incelenmesidir. Araştırma kesitsel tipte olup Şubat-Mart 2022 tarihleri arasında Doğu ve Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgelerinde yaşayan kişilere Google Formlar üzerinden ulaşılarak yürütülmüştür. Araştırma evreninin tamamına ulaşmak mümkün olmadığından Kolay Örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak 403 kişiye ulaşılmıştır. Araştırmada sosyodemografik özelliklere ilişkin sorular ve Aşı Okuryazarlık Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Veriler SPSS 25.0 programında analiz edilmiş verilerin analizinde Faktör Analizi, One-Way ANOVA Testi, Bağımsız Örneklem t-Testi analizi kullanılmıştır. Çalışmadaki ölçek ve boyutlarının ortalamasına yönelik bulgulara göre aşı okuryazarlık düzeyi 2,83 (%70,75) olarak bulunmuştur. Cinsiyet ve eğitim düzeyi değişkenlerine göre aşı okuryazarlık düzeyleri arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık bulunmuştur. Kadın katılımcıların aşı okuryazarlık düzeyleri erkek katılımcılara göre anlamlı derecede yüksek bulunmuştur. Lise ve altı eğitim düzeyine sahip katılımcıların aşı okuryazarlık düzeyi diğer eğitim düzeylerine sahip katılımcılardan anlamlı derecede düşük bulunmuştur. Ön lisans eğitim düzeyine sahip katılımcıların aşı okuryazarlık düzeyleri ise lisans eğitim düzeyine sahip katılımcılardan anlamlı derecede düşük bulunmuştur. Ayrıca aşı olan katılımcıların aşı okuryazarlık düzeyi, aşı olmayan katılımcılardan anlamlı derecede yüksek bulunmuştur. Doğu ve Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgelerinde yaşayan bireylerin aşı okuryazarlık ölçeği puanı orta düzeydedir. Eğitim düzeyi ve yaş arttıkça aşı okuryazarlık düzeyinde artış olduğu belirlenmiştir.
Lider-Üye Etkileşimi ile Çalışanların Bağlamsal Performansları ve Ruminatif Düşünme Düzeyleri Arasındaki İlişki: Ampirik Bir İnceleme
Authors: ÇETİNER Nurcan
Published: August 2023

Lider-Üye Etkileşim (LÜE) teorisinde liderler/yöneticiler kendilerine bağlı bulunan astlardan oluşan grup içi ve grup dışı üyelerle farklı nitelikte ilişkiler geliştirmekte olup söz konusu ilişkilerin niteliği gerek bireysel gerekse örgütsel sonuçları etkilemektedir. Çalışmada hizmet sektöründe çalışanların LÜE ile bağlamsal performansları ve ruminatif düşünme düzeyleri arasındaki ilişki incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın evrenini Türkiye’de hizmet sektöründe çalışan ve yönetici pozisyonunda olmayan beyaz yakalılar oluşturmaktadır. Tarayıcı nitelikte olan çalışmada, kolayda örnekleme yöntemi ile belirlenen katılımcılardan, hazırlanan anket formu ile veriler toplanmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen verilerin analizi sonucunda; LÜE ile çalışanların örgüte yönelik bağlamsal performansları arasında anlamlı ve pozitif yönde bir ilişki olduğu, çalışanların ruminatif düşünme düzeylerinin cinsiyetine, çalıştığı kuruma, yaşlarına, çalıştıkları süreye ve eğitim durumlarına göre farklılaşmadığı, LÜE’lerinin ruminatif düşünme düzeyleri ile ilişkili olmadığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
Yiyecek-İçecek İşletmelerine Yönelik TripAdvisor’da Yer Alan Paylaşımların İncelenmesi: Batman Örneği
Authors: ŞEYHANLIOĞLU Hasan Önal , HAZARHUN Eda , ARICA Reşat , DURDU Karaca Mina
Published: August 2023

Araştırmanın amacı, turistlerin Batman’daki yiyecek ve içecek işletmelerine yönelik sosyal iletişim ağlarında ürettikleri bilgilerin incelenmesidir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda Batman ilinde 09.09.2022 ve 11.09.2022 tarihleri arasında TripAdvisor üyeliği olan 13 yiyecek ve içecek işletmesine yönelik yapılan olumlu ve olumsuz toplam 342 kullanıcı yorumu içerik analizine tabi tutulmuştur. İçerik analizinde MAXQDA nitel veri analizi programından faydalanılmıştır. Gerçekleştirilen içerik analizi neticesinde müşterilerin işletmedeki deneyimini yöneten, yiyecek ve içecek deneyimine yönelik tatmin ve tatminsizliğinde belirleyici olan faktörlerin; (i) yiyecek ve içecek çeşitliliği, (ii) menü, (iii) fiyat, (iv) yiyecek ve içecek niteliği, (v) işletmenin fiziki yapısı ve konumu, (vi) hizmet kalitesi olduğu belirlenmiştir. Araştırma sonuçları bir yandan Batman’daki yiyecek ve içecek işletmelerinin başarılı ve başarısız olarak görüldükleri alanları müşteri bakış açısıyla ortaya koyarken, öte yandan iyileştirme ve geliştirme girişimlerine yönelik bir izlek sunmaktadır.
Between Freedom of Religion and Apostasy in Islam: Analysis of Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 256
Authors: Armayanto Harda , Dzulhadi Qosim Nurseha , Ulfa Maria
Published: August 2023

This article aims to explain the concept of religious freedom in Islam. This concept is revealed in the Qur'an surah al-Baqarah verse 256, which states that religion has no compulsion. This verse is an affirmation that Islam upholds the values of tolerance and humanity, as well as an answer to the accusation that Islam is spread by the sword (violence). However, in practice, some people interpret this verse differently, that Islam allows its adherents to apostate. With the argument that apostasy is part of religious freedom. Based on that reason, this article analyzes sura al-Baqarah verse 256 based on the interpretations of classical and contemporary commentators, as well as analyzes the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad concerning apostasy and religious freedom. This article is qualitative in nature used library research for data collection from books, journals, and other documents related to the topic of discussion. The collected data were then analyzed using the critical-analysis method. The study found that religious freedom in Islam is related to the relationship between the servant and God. Muslims are not free to do something because they are bound by their obligations as servants. That is, Islam does not allow its adherents to apostatize because it violates God's teachings and also Islam does not force other people to embrace this religion.
After Years of Ever-Longer Fracturing Stages, Some Engineers Say Shorter Can Be Better
Authors: Rassenfoss Stephen
Published: August 2023

The trend in fracturing designs has been longer stages with more perforation clusters, which save time and money.

Based on papers at this year’s SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference and Exhibition, the thinking that has sharply reduced the number of perforations per cluster and improved the effectiveness of fracturing is becoming the industry norm.

But there are a couple of companies questioning the consensus by fracturing wells with shorter stages and fewer clusters to see if they deliver more oil and gas production.

ConocoPhillips has been considering “going backward to fewer clusters per stage,” said Dave Cramer, a senior engineering fellow at the company.

“In some areas, we are testing out fewer clusters per stage based on fiber-based observations in offset wells that (indicate) far-field treatment uniformity is improved as a result,” he said, adding “another advantage of reducing stage length is that injection rate into the hydraulic fractures is increased, which leads to increased fracture width and improved proppant transport.”

The offset-well observations mentioned were in a recent paper by Devon Energy that reported on a test which concluded that stages with fewer clusters were more efficiently fractured than longer stages with more of them (SPE 212340).

The 36-page paper was based on extensive testing at Phase 3 of the Hydraulic Fracturing Test Site 1 in the Eagle Ford, where a well fractured using a wide range of clusters per stage was used to find a way to most effectively refracture productive rock missed by an old fracture design.

The data were shared with companies backing the private-public partnership with the US Department of Energy, which included ConocoPhillips.

The paper’s authors wrote, “Generally, cluster efficiencies are higher for stage designs with fewer clusters.”

Cluster efficiency depends on the entry holes in a cluster getting enough fluid at a high enough rate to create a productive fracture. Fracture length is the result of other choices, including the pump rate, the entry-hole numbers, diameter, and placement.

The thinking behind these designs—as with most fracturing nowadays—is based on the limited-entry method. This technique ensures the pumping rate and fluid volumes are enough to properly stimulate all the perforations, which are sized and placed to ensure all the entry holes have a chance of developing a fracture.

The industry’s focus on equalizing treatment goes back to early studies using fiber optics that revealed that the first clusters passed nearest the heel side of the lateral were taking in the lion’s share of the fluid and developing dominant fractures, leaving many later clusters under stimulated.

Based on recent papers from Devon and Hess, limited-entry ensures most clusters are stimulated, but dominant clusters are still getting more than their share because the high flow rates that favor them with more fluid also ensure they erode faster, allowing them to take in more fluid.
Distribution of Acid-Volatile Sulfides and Simultaneously Extracted Metals in Guanabara Bay: Combination of Anthropogenic, Sedimentological, and Geochemical Processes
Authors: Cordeiro Renato Campello , Santelli Ricardo Erthal , Machado Wilson Thadeu do Vale , Gomes Abilio Soares , Moreira Luciane Silva , de Oliveira Rafael Lopes , Abreu Ilene Matano , Meniconi Maria de Fatima Guadalupe
Published: August 2023

Coastal sedimentary systems are affected by continental and marine metal pollutant inputs associated with different hydrodynamic characteristics and geochemical processes. These include the formation of acid-volatile sulfides (AVS) within sediments, which affects metal bioavailability and associated aquatic biota toxicity risks. Physicochemical changes in these environments in the face of extreme natural or man-made environmental influences can dramatically alter metal bioavailability and toxicity through metal binding and immobilization as insoluble sulfides. Surface sediments from Guanabara Bay, rivers mouth and two mangrove areas were collected and AVS and simultaneously extracted metals Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, ΣSEM were determined to assess sediment quality. A severe eutrophication history favored AVS concentrations exceeding or close to the sum of SEM concentrations, demonstrating that AVS play an important role in making trace metals unavailable for assimilation by living organisms, mitigating the risks of contamination for the local biota. This eutrophication-driven sulfide accumulation may attenuate the sediment toxicity in sites heavily polluted by metals, while some fewer eutrophic sites became more exposed to metals in excess to AVS.
Exploring the trend of age-standardized mortality rates from cardiovascular disease in Malaysia: A joinpoint analysis (2010-2021)
Authors: Hasani Wan Shakira Rodzlan , Musa Kamarul Imran , Cheng Kueh Yee , Dass Sarat Chandra
Published: August 2023

Introduction:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health concern worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in late 2019 may have had an impact on the trend of CVD mortality. This study aimed to investigate the trend and changes in CVD mortality rates in Malaysia, using age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) from 2010 to 2021.
Methods
The Malaysian population and mortality data from 2010 through 2021 were obtained from Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). ASMRs from CVD per 100,000 population were calculated based on the World Health Organization (2000–2025) standard population using direct method. The ASMRs were computed based on sex, age groups (including premature mortality age, 30–70 years), and CVD types. The annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC) of the ASMR with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated from jointpoint regression model using the Joinpoint Regression Program, Version 4.9.1.0.
Results
Throughout the study period (2010–2021), ASMRs for CVD exhibited an increase from 93.1 to 147.0 per 100,000, with an AAPC of 3.6% (95% CI: 2.1 to 5.2). The substantial increase was observed between 2015 and 2018 (APC 12.6%), with significant changes in both sexes, and age groups 50–59, 70 years, and 30–69 (premature mortality age). Notably, the ASMR trend remained consistently high in the premature mortality group across other age groups, with males experiencing higher rates than females. No significant changes were detected before or after the COVID-19 pandemic (between 2019 and 2021), except for females who died from IHD (10.3% increase) and those aged 0–4 (25% decrease).
Conclusion
The overall CVD mortality trend, particularly premature mortality, has generally increased over the past decades. However, our analysis reveals that there was no substantial change in trend of CVD mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. Given the scarcity of point data following the COVID-19 outbreak, the interpretation of findings for the true burden of COVID-19 on CVD death should be undertaken with caution.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Children after Surgical Repair of Esophageal Atresia: A Single Tertiary Center Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Feng Zhong , Zhu Haitao , Peng Xueni , Gao Runnan , He Weijing , Tian Yuxin , Cao Xuqing , Chen Gong , Dong Kuiran , Zheng Shan , Shen Chun
Published: August 2023

Objective
To investigate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of in postoperative esophageal atresia (EA) patients and to identify its potential influencing factors.
Methods
A total of 102 EA children who had previously visited our hospital participated in this cross-sectional study. Basic data and disease data of the patients were collected. The HRQOL was assessed by Pediatric Quality of Life InventoryTM4.0 (PedsQLTM4.0) and EA-QOL questionnaire. The scores of PedsQLTM4.0 were calculated and compared with demographically matched healthy control group. The HRQOL of EA was analyzed by the specific scale EA-QOL-questionnaire. We calculated the overall score and each domain scores, and determined related factors that influenced the HRQOL in children with EA by using a multivariate analysis of variance
Results
The group of EA and control reached a similar score in the generic PedsQLTM4.0 (EA group: 89.41 ± 6.54; control: 89.41 ± 6.54; p = 0.670). There was no significant difference between the EA group and the control group in other domains except the school functioning. 65 parents completed the EA-QOL-questionnaire for children aged 2 to 7 years, who had highest score in social isolation & stress domain and lowest score in physical health & treatment domain, and other domain in the middle, with an overall quality of life score of 83.48 ± 10.22; 37 children the EA-QOL-questionnaire for children 8 to 17 years. Scores were relatively high in social relationships and health & well-being and lowest in eating domain, with an overall quality of life score of 89.43 ± 8.57. Heart malformation, complicated esophageal surgery history, respiratory symptoms and digestive symptoms in the past 1 month were the main factors affecting HRQOL of children aged 2–7 years. Complicated esophageal surgery history, respiratory symptoms and digestive symptoms in the past 1 month were the main factors affecting the HRQOL of children aged 8–17 years.
Conclusions
This study provides the first evaluation of HRQOL in the Chinses EA patients. The findings presented here suggest that patients with EA generally have a good quality of life after surgery. However, EA children with postoperative complications and associated symptoms have lower scores in the EA-QOL questionnaire. In the future, we should pay more attention to the application of specific scales and conduct timely intervention for those patients with low quality of life.
Assessing attitudes towards biostatistics education among medical students: Adaptation and preliminary evaluation of the Chinese version survey of attitudes towards statistics (SATS-36)
Authors: Li Chen , Zhang Yuhai , Wang Ling , Shang Lei
Published: August 2023

Background
Despite the advantages of mastering biostatistics, medical students generally perceive biostatistics as a difficult and challenging subject and even experience anxiety during the courses. Evidence for the relationships between achievements and students' attitudes have been proven that attitudes implying cognitive competence at the beginning of the biostatistics course, could affect attitudes at the end of the course that, in turn, influenced student performance. However, there are disagreements in the results of measuring attitudes. Thus, we need acknowledged standard instruments to assess them. This study was conducted to develop a Chinese version of the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics (SATS-36) in order to acquire a valid instrument to measure attitudes toward biostatistics under Chinese medical educational background.
Methods
The Chinese version SATS-36 was developed by translation and back-translation of the original scale, followed by revision according to expert advice on the most appropriate item content. The local adaption was performed on a cohort of 1709 Chinese-speaking medical undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in biostatistics courses. And then, the reliability, validity and discrimination of the questionnaires were evaluated through correlation coefficient calculation, factor analysis, parallel analysis and other methods.
Results
The Chinese version SATS-36 consisted of 36 items and loaded a five-factor structure by factor analysis, which offered an alternative similar but not equal to that original six-factor structure. The cumulative variance contribution rate was 62.20%, the Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.908, the Guttman split-half reliability coefficient was 0.905 and the test–retest reliability coefficient was 0.752. Discriminant analysis revealed small to large significant differences in the five attitude subscales.
Conclusions
The Chinese version SATS-36 with good validity and reliability in this study can be used to evaluate the learning framework of Chinese medical students.
Cancer-derived exosomal-Alu RNA promotes colorectal cancer progression
Authors: Tarallo Valeria , Trotta Sara Magliacane , Adinolfi Antonio , D'Orsi Luca , Panico Sonia , Mercadante Grazia , Mehlen Patrick , Ambati Jayakrishna , De Falco Sandro
Published: August 2023

Inflammation plays a crucial role in cancer progression, but the relevance of the NLRP3 inflammasome remains unclear. Alu RNA is the first endogenous nucleic acid identified to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. Here we show that Alu RNA can induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through NLRP3 inflammasome activation and releasing IL-1b in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Alu RNA is stored, transported and transferred to CRC cells by exosomes. Exosomal-Alu RNA promotes tumorigenesis by inducing invasion, metastasis and EMT through NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Corroborating this data, we found that the significantly increased expression of Alu RNA correlates with the induction of NLRP3 priming in human CRC patients. Furthermore, the expression level of Alu RNA from circulating exosomes correlate with CRC progression in preclinical model. These findings reveal the direct involvement of Alu RNA in cancer pathogenesis and their presence in CRC cell-derived exosomes could be used as non-invasive diagnostic biomarker.
Diagnostic accuracy of Lipoarabinomannan detection by lateral flow assay in pleural tuberculosis
Authors: Mohapatra Atish , Gaikwad Ujjwala , Ganga Ranganath T , Sharma Pratibha
Published: August 2023

Background
Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) antigen serves as an attractive biomarker to diagnose Tuberculosis (TB). Given the limitations of current diagnostic modalities for Pleural TB, current study evaluated LAM’s potential to serve as a point-of-care test to diagnose pleural TB.
Methods
A cross sectional, diagnostic accuracy study was conducted during February to November 2021 in a tertiary care hospital in India. LAM antigen detection was performed on pleural fluid as well as early morning urine specimen of suspected pleural TB patients by "Alere/ Abott Determine TB LAM" lateral flow assay (LAM-LFA). The results were compared to microbiological reference standards/MRS (Mycobacterial culture or NAAT) and Composite reference standards/CRS (MRS plus Clinico-radiological diagnosis).
Results
A total of 170 subjects were included in the analysis, including 26 with Definite TB, 22 with Probable TB, and 122 with No TB. Compared to MRS and CRS, the sensitivity (61.54% & 45.83%) and positive predictive value (PPV) (57.14 & 78.57%) of Pleural LAM-LFA testing were found to be suboptimal, whereas the specificity (91.67% & 95.08%) and negative predictive value (NPV) (92.96% & 81.69%) of the assay were found to be good. Urinary LAM-LFA performed even worse than pleural LAM-LFA, except for its higher specificity against MRS and CRS (97.2% and 98.3%, respectively). Specificity and PPV of pleural LAM detection increased to 100% when analysed in a subgroup of patients with elevated ADA levels (receiver operating curve analysis-derived cut off value > 40 IU/ml).
Conclusion
Detection of LAM antigen by LFA directly from pleural fluid performed fairly accurate in diagnosing pleural TB and was highly predictive of the disease in a selected cohort of patients making it a valuable POCT.
A causal association between gastroesophageal reflux disease and risk of heavy menstrual bleeding with regular cycle: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Ren Xuetong , Wang Yuhua , Chen Haoyu , Liu Shaowei , Bai Haiyan , Wang Yangang
Published: August 2023

Background: Clinical observations and retrospective studies have found that GERD is associated with hormone levels and digestive symptoms during menstruation. However, whether there is a genetic causal relationship between GERD and HMB with regular menstrual cycleshas not been reported.
Methods: In this study, we extracted instrumental variables from the dataset of GERD and HMB with regular menstrual cycles from the GWAS database, and then we used the R package "TwoSampleMR" and Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to conduct causal inference analysis of GERD and HMB with regular menstrual cycles.
Results: We observed a possible causal relationship between GERD and HMB with regular menstrual cycles. GERD was positively correlated with menorrhagia.
Conclusion: Our results may provide evidence for a genetic causal effect of GERD on the etiological mechanism of HMB with regular menstrual cycles. For patients diagnosed with GERD, attention should be paid to monitoring the blood volume during menstruation.
Patient and provider perspectives on telemedicine use in Canadian gastroenterology clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey study
Authors: Tomaszewski Marcel , Jiang Shirley X. , Kim Hyun Jae , Zhao Billy , Lam Eric , Enns Robert , Bressler Brian , Moosavi Sarvee
Published: August 2023

Background
Telemedicine has revolutionized access to medical care. This was particularly palpable during the COVID pandemic and within gastroenterology. Telehealth can improve access to patients remotely, and lead to high patient and clinician satisfaction. However, questions remain surrounding patient selection and provider considerations. We conducted a Canadian study to examine patient and provider preferences and experiences in telehealth.
Methods
An anonymous online survey was conducted amongst patients of an urban gastroenterology practice, as well as Canadian gastroenterologists, evaluating experiences and preferences in utility of telemedicine.
Results
Of 1236 patients contacted, 181 (15%) respondents were aged 18–89, 60% were female, and 58% had inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Patient satisfaction with telehealth was high across all characteristics. Patients used both phone calls (61%) and video/audio applications (50%); higher use of phone calls was associated with older age (p = 0.02). Patients living more than 30km from clinic and with IBD were more likely to prefer telehealth visits (p < 0.01). Most providers (96%) and patients (96%) believed that telehealth use should continue for certain patients or follow up visits after the pandemic. Of 100 providers contacted, 25 respondents reported using phone calls (96%) and video/audio applications (44%). Providers perceived follow up of benign endoscopic pathology (96%) and general follow up visits (92%) to be most suitable for telehealth.
Conclusion
Canadian gastroenterology providers and patients appreciate telehealth and favor continued use after the pandemic. Consideration of patient factors such as age, distance, health issue, and follow up status can further optimize ongoing telehealth options.
How Well Does the Oswestry Disability Index Perform Among Patients Undergoing Lumbar Spinal Surgery? – An observational prospective cohort study
Authors: Koivunen Konsta , Widbom-Kolhanen Sara , Pernaa Katri , Arokoski Jari , Saltychev Mikhail
Published: August 2023

Background
The objective of this study was to explore the internal consistency and factor structure of the Oswestry Disability Index among patients undergoing spinal surgery. The sample consisted of 1,990 patients who underwent lumbar spinal surgery at a university hospital between 2018 and 2021.
Methods
The patients responded to the Oswestry Disability Index within 2 months before surgery. Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the internal consistency. The factor structure was evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.
Results
The internal consistency of the Oswestry Disability Index was found to be good, with an alpha of 0.86. An exploratory factor analysis revealed unidimensionality. Confirmatory factor analysis showed at least moderate correlations between the main factor “disability” and all the individual items. The highest correlations were found for items “traveling,” “social life,” “sex life” and “personal care.”
Discussion
The result of this study was in line with other research that have reported a good internal consistency of the Oswestry Disability Index. The result of this study contradicts the previous research that have found a multiple-factor structure of the Oswestry Disability Index. The study was conducted in a single, highly specialized university clinic; therefore, the results might differ in primary care.
Conclusions
The Oswestry Disability Index is a unidimensional and internally consistent scale that can be used to assess the severity of disability in patients undergoing lumbar spinal surgery. In the studied population, “traveling,” “social life,” “sex life” and “personal care” were the most important items to define the severity of disability, while “walking” and “standing” were the least important items.
Trial registration Not applicable
Catalytic Reduction of Anthropogenic Pollutants over gold (Au) Based Activated Charcoal
Authors: Shah Nowshad Ali , Ullah Sajid , Hussain Saddam
Published: August 2023

Numerous industrial operations discharge contaminants created by humans onto rivers. When these toxins are present in water, they pose a major danger to human health and the health of other ecosystems. Significant progress has been achieved in reducing the quantity of hazardous substances entering our rivers. Through the application of catalytic hydrogenation procedures, it is feasible to remediate and lessen the hazards of both NP and MB in water. The hydrogenation reactions between the dye and the NP were investigated utilizing a variety of noble metal (Au, Pd) and noble metal (Pt) nanoparticle-based catalysts (NPCs). Recently, activated carbon-based catalysts have garnered considerable attention. Activated carbon is a substance that is mainly amorphous, very porous, and highly adsorbent. The majority of the molecule is composed of aromatic carbon atoms that are cross-linked. Modifications to the synthesis and post-treatment conditions may modify the textural qualities. However, in terms of gold (Au) and platinum (Pt) dispersion and size restrictions, AC has been categorized only as a palladium supporting material (Pd). This work used a homogenous deposition approach to fabricate Au/AC, a mesoporous activated carbon substrate (HDP). The synthesized material was analyzed using XRD and BET techniques, as well as SEM, TEM, TGA, FTIR, and XPS. The catalyst generated from the hydrogenation of PNP and MB was tested for its catalytic potential. In 13 minutes and 5 minutes respectively, PNP and MB was completely hydrogenated. During the use of the synthesized materials, the decontamination of two dangerous organic pollutants, P-Nitrophenol (P-NP) and methylene blue (MB) dye, will be examined. The purpose of this study was to determine the reusability of materials in real waste water treatment applications that required more than one cycle.
Raising ducks in paddy fields promoted phosphorus absorption by changing soil phosphorus forms in the Yangtze River Delta of eastern China
Authors: Sha Zhimin , Gao Hui , Wang Jun , Cao Linkui
Published: August 2023

Aims
The rice-duck system was widely promoted to attaining the sustainable development of agricultural ecosystem was due to its potential eco-friendly characteristics. Soil phosphorus (P) forms are closely related to crop P uptake and soil environmental quality. Nevertheless, the effects of rice-duck system combined with different fertilizer on crop P uptake, the change of soil P forms, phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) and interrelation remain unclear.
Methods
A field experiment of ducks were put into the four fertilizer treatments: chemical fertilizer (RDF and RMF), a mixture of 70% chemical and 30% organic fertilizers (RDFO and RMFO), organic fertilizer (RDO and RMO) and no fertilizer (RD and RM) were carried out in rice tiller and maturity period and ensure consistent P, nitrogen (N) and potassium input.
Results
Results showed that the RDO and RDFO had higher readily available inorganic P pool (Resin P + NaHCO3-Pi), extractable organic P fractions (NaHCO3-Po + NaOH-Po), and Fe-P and Al-P (NaOH-Pi) than the corresponding rice monoculture. RDF decreased the extractable organic P fractions (NaHCO3-Po + NaOH-Po) and Fe-P and Al-P (NaOH-Pi) compared with RMF; RDO increased the accumulation of Residual-P while RDF and RDFO decreased the accumulation of Residual-P compared with RMO, RMF, and RMFO. pH was the dominant factor affecting P forms of soil. RDF and RDFO had higher P content of grain and straw that mainly affected by soil NaHCO3-Pi and NaOH-Pi than other treatments. Simultaneously, rice–duck system can increase PUE, especially RDF significantly increased by 171.63% and 22.63% than RDO and RDFO, respectively.
Conclusions
Rice–duck system can promote rice grain and straw to absorb soil P by changing the soil pH to stimulate soil surplus P into active P and improve PUE.