bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post-decompression Disc Herniation in Minimally Invasive versus "Mini-open" Technique - A More Common Complication
Authors: Uri Ofir , Alfandari Liad , Folman Yoram , Keren Amit , Smith William , Paz Inbar , Behrbalk Eyal
Published: June 2023

BackgroundIndex level disc herniation following lumbar spinal decompression is somewhat overlooked as postoperative complication, resulting in return of symptoms. It is proposed that the combination of local instability and degenerated disc is more likely to result in disc herniation. There is no literature comparing post-decompression disc herniation rates between different techniques. This study compares the postoperative disc herniation rates of the "mini-open" laminectomy versus the tubular system decompression.MethodsIn a retrospective comparative study, 563 patient files who underwent primary lumbar spinal decompression, were reviewed and divided into two groups, distinguished by surgical technique. Demographic, clinical, and postoperative data were collected and compared using independent two-tailed t-test and Fisher's exact test with significance set at p<0.05. Primary outcome: comparison of post-decompression surgery, index level, disc herniation occurrence between two surgical techniques.ResultsPostoperative index level disc herniation was significantly lower in the minimally invasive surgery group with 2 cases (0.8%) versus 19 cases (5.8%) in the "mini-open" group [p=0.002]. Disc herniation following single level and multi-level operations were also significantly lower in the minimally invasive group compared with the "mini-open" group (2 versus 11 and 0 versus 8 respectively; p<0.05).ConclusionPostoperative index level disc herniation following lumbar spinal decompression occurs in 3.7% of surgeries. Minimally invasive surgery is found to result in less herniations then "mini-open".
Enhancement of corrosion protection of metal carbon steel C45 and stainless steel 316 by using inhibitor (Schiff base) in sea water
Authors: Raheema Mazin Hasan , Khudhair Noor Ali , AL-Noor Taghreed H. , Al-Ayash Salam R , Kharnoob Hussian H. , Obed Shatha M. H.
Published: June 2023

This research has presented a solution to the problem faced by alloys: the corrosion problem, by reducing corrosion and enhancing protection by using an inhibitor (Schiff base). The inhibitor (Schiff base) was synthesized by reacting of the substrates materials (4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde and 4-aminoantipyrine). It was diagnosed by infrared technology IR, where the IR spectrum and through the visible beams proved that the Schiff base was well formed and with high purity. The corrosion behavior of carbon steel and stainless steel in a saline medium (artificial seawater 3.5%NaCl) before and after using the inhibitor at four temperatures: 20, 30, 40, and 50 C° was studied by using three electrodes potentiostat. The corrosion behavior was studied by cathode and anode polarization through which all corrosion parameters were investigated which include: corrosion current icorr (1341× 10-7-  5393 × 10-9A/cm2), corrosion potential Ecorr (-1.031-  -0.227 mV vs SCE) , corrosion rates CR (0.658-0.007 mm.y-1), inhibition efficiency %IE (92-98%), and energy activation barriers Ea (4.709-26.733 kJ/mole). The thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the corrosion behavior of these two metals under study, which include: enthalpy ∆H*(2.153-24.176 kJ/mole), entropy ∆S*(-197 -156 J/mole), and free Gibbs energy ∆G*(59.87-74.56 kJ/mole) before and after using the inhibitor, were also studied.
Treatment of Dairy Wastewater by Electrocoagulation using Iron Filings Electrodes
Authors: Ahmed Ali W. , Atiya Mohamed A. , M-Ridha Mohanad J.
Published: June 2023

This study investigated the treatment of dairy wastewater using the electrocoagulation method with iron filings as electrodes. The study dealt with real samples collected from local factory for dairy products in Baghdad. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize five experimental variables at six levels for each variable, for estimating chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency. These variables were the distance between electrodes, detention time, dosage of NaCl as electrolyte, initial COD concentration, and current density. RSM was investigated the direct and complex interaction effects between parameters to estimate the optimum values. The respective optimum value was 1 cm for the distance between electrodes, (60 – 120) min for detention time, 250 mg NaCl/L added, C0/6 = 5,775 mg COD/L as initial COD concentration, and  7.884 - 8.077  mA/cm2 as current provided. At the optimum parameter values, the optimum COD removal efﬁciency was 73.4%. Meanwhile, the study also performed removal efficiency for nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) due to their effects on the aquatic life and systems. The optimum removal efficiency for phosphorus and nitrogen was 98.0% and 80.3%, respectively. Due to its effects on the environment and to comply with local legislations, treating these wastewaters using eco-friendly processes was highly recommended taking in consideration the economic feasibility, flexibility and easiness to operate. In addition, the study proved that the high surface area for iron filings played a crucial role in removing process.
Comparison between Modified Weighted Pareto Distribution and Many other Distributions
Authors: Shamran Mahmood A. , Mohammed Asmaa A. , Alkanani Iden H.
Published: June 2023

In 2020 one of the researchers in this paper, in his first research, tried to find out the Modified Weighted Pareto Distribution of Type I by using the Azzalini method for weighted distributions, which contain three parameters, two of them for scale while the third for shape.This research compared the distribution with two other distributions from the same family; the Standard Pareto Distribution of Type I and the Generalized Pareto Distribution by using the Maximum likelihood estimator which was derived by the researchers for Modified Weighted Pareto Distribution of Type I, then the Mont Carlo method was used–that is one of the simulation manners for generating random samples data in different sizes ( n= 10,30,50), and in different initial values for each Pareto distribution family being used in the research. A comparison was done by using Akaike Information Criteria, Corrected Akaike Information Criteria, and Bayesian Information Criteria
Heavy Metals Concentration in Commercial Rice Available at Erbil City Markets, Iraq and Soaking Effects
Authors: Jarjees Faris Zaidan , Darwesh Dalshad Azeez
Published: June 2023

Heavy metal (HM) pollution has long been a significant source of environmental deterioration and a problem for the safety of food. Iraqis prefer rice over any other food, and since heavy metals have a direct impact on health, their traces in rice have drawn particular attention. Before cooking rice, it is usual in Iraq to wash and soak it. Some 55 varieties of imported and local rice were sampled from Erbil city markets in 2022 with the aim of determining the concentration of As, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb before and after soaking. Standard procedure of acid digestions was applied on the raw and soaked samples. The solutions were analyzed using ICPE-9820 Shimadzu. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb (in mg/kg) in the rice samples before soaking was 0.655, 0.170, 0.160, 0.387, 0.489, respectively and after soaking 0.421, 0.109, 0.115, 0.124 and 0.336, respectively. The concentration of As and Pb was found to be beyond the optimum level of 0.2 mg/kg codex standards for rice; whereas Cd and Cr were within the proposed level of codex standards. Moreover, local rice showed higher concentration of (Cd and Cr), whereas (AS and Pb) concentration in imported rice was higher. Further, results validated that rice soaking can decrease levels of As, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb (32.5%, 40.2%, 27.9%, 61.6% and 31.3%, respectively). These findings suggest that soaking as a kitchen practice has efficiency to evaporate metals and has a great influence on the reduction of toxic heavy metals and thus reduces exposure to toxic metals in rice
Zooplankton composition and structure in the Indus River Estuary, Sindh, Pakistan
Authors: Mairaj Mushaiyada , Panhwar Sher khan , Zafar Fatima Hayat Shaheen
Published: June 2023

In this study abundance and composition of zooplanktons in the Indus River Estuary was conducted to examine habitat characteristics and its impact on tiny organisms. Overall 30,656 individuals were identified and segregated into seven major groups including Copepods, Cnidarians, Decapods, Mollusk, Pisces, Amphipods and Chaetognaths. For better understanding they were further divided into eighteen planktonic categories. Among them Lucifer spp. comprises of 52.21% was the most abundant group with a peak appeared in March whereas Chaetognaths were rarely observed in the entire study period. Species diversity exhibited a mixed trend with the highest values (0.776) of dominance observed in spring (March). The results of Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicate (60.2% and 39.79%) variability among first II axis. On this basis of the result it is obvious that water turbidity is trigger of the abundance and distribution whereas total dissolved solids (TDS) showed minimal influence deduced from CCA analysis.
Entoação gramatical e afetiva: comparação entre pessoas com esquizofrenia e entre os gêneros sexuais
Authors: Ferreira Netto Waldemar , Martins Marcus Vinicius Moreira , Aparecida Jorge Ana , Costa Carreiro Juan , Nitzschke Padilha Mariana
Published: June 2023

Este trabalho analisa a distinção entre o que chamamos de prosódia afetiva e gramatical com base no modelo do aplicativo ExProsodia. Para isso, extraímos parâmetros relacionados à produção da prosódia afetiva e gramatical e comparamos os resultados obtidos entre sujeitos com esquizofrenia e os sujeitos do grupo controle, estes divididos pela variável autodeclarada gênero (masculino e feminino). Analisaram-se dados extraídos de 15 amostras de pacientes com esquizofrenia (dois femininos e quatro masculinos) e de 30 amostras de sujeitos do grupo controle (15 homens e 15 mulheres), coletados no site YouTube, de pessoas que não apresentavam nenhuma psicose evidente. A comparação do uso de entoação gramatical com a afetiva mostrou que a relação é estatisticamente diferente entre os sujeitos do grupo-controle masculino e os pacientes com esquizofrenia (p<0,001) e parcialmente semelhante entre os sujeitos do grupo-controle feminino e os pacientes com esquizofrenia (p<0,05). Os resultados indicam que elas são parcialmente semelhantes entre os sujeitos do grupo-controle (p<0,05). Para testar esse segundo resultado, observamos que indivíduos do sexo masculino produzem mais parâmetros relacionados à função gramatical do que o grupo feminino (2,43 > 1,95), permitindo diferenciar as amostras. Enfatiza-se mais pesquisas serem necessárias para explicar essas singularidades entoacionais.
The Effect of Casing Ovality on Fracture Plug Sealing Element Performance
Authors: Yoshida H. , Jafri S. , Okura M. , Takahashi S. , Li W.
Published: June 2023

Sealing elements (SEs) of fracture plugs have crucial roles to isolate target zones of a well in hydraulic fracturing. If the zonal isolation by the SE is not adequate, it can result in erosion of the casing. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the effect of casing deformation on sealing performance is not well researched or understood. To study the effect of casing deformation on sealing performance, finite element analysis (FEA) of SEs in oval casings was conducted in this study. Finite element simulation of a degradable fracture plug with three different casings ovalities (0%, 2%, and 5%) and three different SE designs (O-ring type, short type, and traditional long type) was conducted to evaluate deformation behavior and sealing performance of SEs in deformed casings. Contact pressure (CPRESS) on the casing by the SE after the plug was set in the casing and the risk of leakage were discussed and compared for each design. In the casing with 0% ovality, all the SE designs established contact with the inner surface of the casing when setting force was applied. However, for the O-ring-type design, the area in contact with the casing was small and it may result in leak and erosion in the actual well if there is a small dent or deformation on the casing. When there is ovality in the casing, the minor inside diameter (ID) has a smaller ID and the major ID has a larger ID compared to the nominal ID of the casing. In the casing with 2% and 5% ovality, neither O-ring-type SE (O-SE) nor short-type SE (S-SE) could contact the major ID of the casing and there was a gap between the inner surface of the casing and the SE. This gap can cause erosion of the fracture plug and casing when the fluid passes through the gap. In contrast, the traditional long-type SE (L-SE) contacted both major and minor IDs of the casing, and no gap was observed. This result indicates that there is a potential risk of insufficient isolation of target zones and erosion of casings in actual well conditions if fracture plugs with S-SEs are used. Because there are various types of fracture plugs with different SE designs, this study helps to select proper fracture plugs with good SE design and mitigate the risk of erosion of casings and plugs. As this study is based on FEA simulations, future demonstrations through experiments and field trials are needed.
Connected speech features in non-English speakers with Alzheimer’s Disease: protocol for scoping review
Authors: Bose Arpita , Ahmed Samrah , Cheng Yesi , Gonzalez Aida Suarez
Published: June 2023

Background: A large body of literature indicates that connected speech profiles in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) can be utilized for diagnosis, disease monitoring and for developing communication strategies for patients. Most connected speech research has been conducted in English, with little work in some European languages. Therefore, significant drawback remains with respect to the diversity of languages studied, and how the fragmentation of linguistic features differs across languages in AD. Accordingly, existing reviews on connected speech in AD has focused on findings from English-speaking patients; none have specifically focused on linguistic diversity of AD populations. This scoping review is undertaken to provide the currently reported characteristics of connected speech in AD in languages other than English. It also seeks to identify the type of assessments, methods to elicit speech samples, type of analysis and linguistic frameworks used, and micro- and macro-linguistic features of speech reported in non-English speakers with AD.
Method: We will searchPubMed, Ovid-Embase, PsycINFO, Linguistic and Language Behaviour Abstracts (LLBA), and Web of Science up until October 2022, for quantitative studies on connected speech and AD in languages other than English. Findings will be mapped and described according to the languages studied, methodology employed (e.g., patient characteristics, tasks used, linguistic analysis framework utilized), and connected speech profiles derived (e.g., micro- and macro-linguistic reported).
Discussion: The scoping review will provide an overview of languages studied in connected speech research in AD with variation in linguistic features across languages, thus allowing comparison with the established the key features that distinguish AD patients from healthy controls. The findings will inform future research in connected speech in different languages to facilitate robust connected speech research in linguistically and ethnically diverse populations.
Risk factors of thrombosis in Chinese subjects with myelodysplastic syndrome
Authors: han hao , sun xiaoxing , ge hongfeng , feng jiangzhou
Published: June 2023

Background: Myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS)) is a common hematological malignancy. Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome combined with thrombosis have been encounter in clinical practice. However, the incidence of thrombosis and the risk factors of thrombosis related to Chinese MDS patients are not fully understood.
Materials and Methods: Clinical data from a total of 133 Chinese MDS patients with were studied and analyzed.
Results:The study population consisted of 133 patients with primary diagnosis of MDS，69(52%) males and 64 (48%) females ,range 47–81 years. In terms of gender ratio (P = 0.68), age (P = 0.82), white blood cell count (P = 0.87), hemoglobin (P = 0.78), platelet count (P = 0.83), and IPSS-R risk stratification, there was no significant difference between the two groups. PAI-1 4G4G showed significant differences between the two groups(P=0.0009), suggesting a thrombotic risk factor. There was significant difference between the two groups in SF3B1 mutations. In ASXL1(P = 0 .6)、BCOR(P = 0 .66)、EZH2(P = 0 .66) and SRSF2(P = 0 .6) there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups.In either group, STAG2, U2AF1 and ZRSR2 were not mutated, so no statistical analysis could be conducted.
Conclusion: The incidence of venous thrombosis in primary MDS in China is 5.26%. SF3B1 mutations and PAI-1 gene 4G4G are associated with thrombotic events in Chinese MDS patients.
Enhancing Control of Dynamic Flow Systems Through Innovator Controller Design and Parametric Polynomial Modeling
Authors: YILMAZ Serdar , Sedef Herman
Published: June 2023

This research employs parametric polynomial techniques to determine the parameters of a dynamic fluid control system. The process of system identification involves constructing a mathematical model of a dynamic system using measured data in the time or frequency domain. The approach involves fitting a polynomial function to the input-output data, with the polynomial parameters representing the unknown parameters of the system. The objective is to estimate these parameters in order to control the system effectively. In this study, aortic, femoral, iliac, carotid, and coronary artery signals were utilized in modeling and testing studies of the flow system during parametric model studies, as the system forms the basis for hemodynamic research. The Autoregressive model with external input (ARX), Autoregressive moving average model with external input (ARMAX), Box-Jenkins (BJ), Output-Error (OE), and State Space Model (SSM) parametric models were utilized in the modeling process, and the transfer function of the most successful parametric model was calculated in the mathematical performance analysis. Flow control devices such as the AC motor and centrifugal pump were employed. The transfer function that exhibited the most successful performance was used in observer design as the Luenberger Controller. An innovative closed-loop control system was achieved using the Luenberger structure.
Convergence of the Laplace and the alternative multipole expansion approximation series for the Coulomb potential
Authors: Jobunga E. O. , Wandera C. O. , Okeyo O. S.
Published: June 2023

Multipole expansion is a powerful technique used in many-body physics to solve dynamical problems involving correlated interactions between constituent particles. The Laplace multipole expansion series of the Coulomb potential is well established in literature. We compare it with our recently developed perturbative and analytical alternative multipole expansion series of the Coulomb potential. In our working, we confirm that the Laplace and the alternative analytical multipole expansion series are equivalent as expected. In terms of performance, the perturbative alternative multipole expansion series underapproximate the expected results to some extent while the Laplace and the analytical alternative multipole expansion series yield results which are relatively accurate but oscillatory in nature even with a higher number of angular momentum terms employed. Our findings are likely to be useful in the treatment of the Coulomb potential in electronic structure calculations as well as in celestial mechanics.
Ag3PO4 Nanoparticles Enable the Generation of Long-lived Radical Cations for Visible Light-Driven [2+2] and [4+2] Pericyclic Reactions
Authors: Guo Lirong , Chu Rongchen , Hao Xinyu , Lei Yu , Li Haibin , Ma Dongge , Wang Guo , Tung Chen-Ho , Wang Yifeng
Published: June 2023

Photocatalytic redox is an important method for synthesizing fine chemicals from olefins, but the limited lifetime of radical cation intermediates severely restricts semiconductor photocatalysis efficiency. Here we report that Ag3PO4 nanoparticles (NPs) can efficiently catalyze intramolecular and intermolecular [2+2] and Diels-Alder cycloadditions under visible-light irradiation. The approach is additive-free, catalyst-recyclable, and can be scaled up using sunlight. Mechanistic studies indicate that visible-light irradiation on Ag3PO4 NPs generates holes with high oxidation power, which effectively oxidize styrene adsorbates into radical cations. In photoreduced NPs, the conduction band electron (eCB−) has low reduction power due to the delocalization among the Ag+-lattices, while the NP surfaces have a strong electrostatic interaction with the radical cations, which considerably stabilize the radical cations against recombination with eCB−. Anethole radical cation on the NP’s surfaces has a lifetime of several hours, 108 times longer than in the homogeneous systems. The reaction between an adsorbed styrene molecule and a radical cation, the rate-limiting step, is greatly accelerated. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of inorganic semiconductors for challenging radical cation-mediated synthesis driven by sunlight.
How can along-track accelerations be used to predict global and multi-level thermospheric neutral density?
Authors: Forootan Ehsan , Farzaneh Saeed , Kosary Mona , Borries Claudia , Kodikara Timothy , Schumacher Maike
Published: June 2023

Estimating global and multi-level Thermosphere Neutral Density (TND) is important for studying coupling processes within the upper atmosphere, and for applications like orbit prediction. Available models fall short in predicting realistic TND changes due to the simplicity of model structure or sampling limitations. In this study, a simultaneous Calibration and Data Assimilation (C/DA) algorithm is applied to integrate freely available CHAMP, GRACE, and Swarm derived TND measurements into the NRLMSISE-00 model. The improved model, called `C/DA-NRLMSISE-00', and its outputs fit to these measured TNDs, are used to produce global TND fields at arbitrary altitudes (with the same vertical coverage as the NRLMSISE-00). Seven periods, between 2003-2020 that are associated with relatively high geomagnetic activity selected to investigate these fields, within which available models represent difficulties to provide reasonable TND estimates. Independent validations are performed with along-track TNDs that were not used within the C/DA framework, as well as with the outputs of other models such as the Jacchia-Bowman 2008 and the High Accuracy Satellite Drag Model. The numerical results indicate an average 52%, 50%, 56%, 25%, 47%, 54%, and 63% improvement in the Root Mean Squared Errors of the short term TND forecasts of C/DA-NRLMSISE00 compared to the along-track TND estimates of GRACE (2003, altitude 490 km), GRACE (2004, altitude 486 km), CHAMP (2008, altitude 343 km), GOCE (2010, altitude 270 km), Swarm-B (2015, altitude 520 km), Swarm-B (2017, altitude 514 km), and Swarm-B (2020, altitude 512 km), respectively.
Influencing factors of the knowledge, attitude, and practice of hospice care practitioners in Guangxi, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Chen Lin , Pan Qini , Tao Pinyue , Pan Xiao , Li Xiaohong , Lu Shuangli , Huang Huiqiao
Published: June 2023

Background
The practitioners in China who implement hospice care service include doctors, nurses, and care workers, they play an important role in the holistic care of end-stage patients and their families. This study is to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of hospice care practitioners and analyze its influencing factors.
Methods
Using the social-demographic questionnaire and a self-designed Chinese version scale of hospice care practitioners’ knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP scale). A total of 1821 hospice care practitioners were completed a survey from May 2022 to July 2022. Data were analyzed by using descriptive, univariate analysis and multiple linear regression.
Results
The mean score of the KAP scale of 1821 hospice care practitioners was 74.31 (SD = 8.14), the individual mean score of knowledge, attitude and practices were 76.42 (SD = 28.13), 73.43 (SD = 13.15), 58.31 (SD = 12.22), respectively. Our final multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the main influencing factors of KAP score were education, monthly income, frequency of Hospice care training, job satisfaction, practitioners’ physical condition, Hospice care-related system.
Conclusions
Hospice care practitioners in this study displayed moderate mean scores for both knowledge and practices, and a less favorable attitude towards hospice care. Monthly income, job satisfaction and Hospice care-related system were the common influencing factors of Hospice care practitioners’ knowledge, attitude, and practices. The results suggested that the necessity to strengthen professional training for hospice care practitioners and increasing their welfare&benefit, besides, improve indigenous policies of hospice care should be particularly focused on.
Textile wastewater treatment plant performance assessment using time-function based effluent quality index and multiple regression models
Authors: Wondim Tilik Tena , Dzwairo Rimuka Bloodless , Aklog Dagnachew , Wakjira Eshetu Janka , Samarakoon Gamunu , Dereseh Mekuria Mulusew
Published: June 2023

Extensive water and chemicals are used in the textile industry processes. Therefore, treatment of textile wastewater is vital to protect the environment, maintain the public health, and recover resources. However, due to inadequate quality data, inexperienced plant operators, and inconsistent measurements, a real-time prediction of effluent quality of a textile wastewater treatment plant is difficult. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize the wastewater physicochemical properties and evaluate the performance of the textile factory wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Inlet and outlet of the WWTP, samples were collected for six months and analyzed on-site and in a laboratory for parameters including, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, total Kjeldhal nitrogen (TKN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), nutrients, and metallic compounds. The TSS, BOD5, COD, TP, nitrite, ammonia, and total chromium result were above the discharge limit with 73.2 mg/L, 48.45 mg/L, 144.08 mg/L, 7.9 mg/L, 1.36 mg/L, 1.96 mg/L, and 0.16 mg/L, respectively. Multiple regression models were developed for each overall, net moving average and instantaneous effluent quality index (EQI). The predictor parameters BOD5, TN, COD, TSS, and TP (R2 = 0.995 to 1.000) estimated the net pollution load as 492.55 kg/d and 655.44 kg/d. Except TN, TKN, and NO3, the remaining six performance parameters were violating the permissible limit daily. Furthermore, the overall plant efficiency was predicted as 38 % and 42 % for the moving average and instantaneous EQI, respectively. Our study concluded that the integrated regression models and EQI can easily estimate the plant efficiency and daily possible pollution load.
Unraveling the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in a Tertiary Hospital in Catalonia, Spain: Season 2022-2023 Analysis
Authors: Perramon-Malavez Aida , Rioja Victor Lopez , Creus Anna , Andrés Cristina , Montañola-Sales Cristina , Vila Jorgina , Lera Esther , Antón Andrés , Worner Núria , Balcells Joan , Piñana Maria , Soler-Palacin Pere , Prats Clara , Soriano-Arandes Antoni
Published: June 2023

Purpose: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) associated infections have historically been the cause of seasonal paediatric hospital departments’ saturation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the community incidence of RSV was reduced, thus the hospital burden. The last RSV season broke out in early October 2022, 4-6 weeks earlier than in pre-pandemic years, and was thought to be the most demanding to date. Our aim was to assess the burden of RSV-related hospitalizations on a referral hospital (Catalonia, Spain) during the pre-pandemic years and the most recent 2022-2023 season.
Methods: We analysed the paediatric hospital and intensive care (PICU) admissions data (January 2016 – January 2023) of a tertiary referral hospital in Catalonia, Spain. All-cause pediatric admissions, admissions related to confirmed RSV infections, and occupancy-related variables were collected.
Results and conclusion: RSV-related hospitalizations incidence was lower during the pandemic years, particularly in 2020. The majority of RSV cases within an epidemic peak primarily affected children ≤3 months. Although the number of daily admissions during the last RSV 2022-2023 season was not higher than in the pre-pandemic years, the mean occupancy of the hospital was significantly higher (p= 0.04) due to a longer period of days with more than 20 RSV infected children inpatients per day.
Integrated network pharmacology and cellular assay reveal the biological mechanisms of Limonium sinense (Girard) Kuntze against breast cancer
Authors: Zhao Hualong , Wang Siyuan , Williamson Philip T.F. , Ewing Rob M. , Tang Xinhui , Wang Jialian , Wang Yihua
Published: June 2023

Background
Limonium Sinense (Girard) Kuntze (L. sinense) has been widely used for the treatment of anaemia, bleeding, cancer, and other disorders in Chinese folk medicine. Although L. sinense has shown promising inhibitory effects on breast cancer, the exact mechanism underlying its anticancer properties remains unclear.
Methods
The active ingredients of L. sinense were collected from published literature, and the potential targets related to L. sinense were obtained from public databases. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and DisGeNET enrichment analyses were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms. Molecular docking, cellular experiments, and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were employed to further evaluate the findings.
Results
A total of 15 active ingredients of L. sinense and their corresponding 389 targets were obtained. Enrichment and network analyses revealed that the biological effects of L. sinense were primarily associated with breast cancer. Apigenin within L. sinense was found to potentially play a key role against cancer. Cellular experiments demonstrated that the L. sinense ethanol extract (LSE) exhibited a significant growth inhibitory effect on multiple breast cancer cell lines in both 2D and 3D cultures. Additionally, analysis of GEO datasets validated the significant enrichment of breast cancer and several cancer-related pathways upon treatment with Apigenin in human breast cancer cells.
Conclusion
This study predicts the biological activities of L. sinense and demonstrates the inhibitory effect of LSE on breast cancer cells, highlighting the potential application of L. sinense in cancer treatment.
Encirclements of Property Rights Through Economic Complexity in an Umbrella of Justice and Governance: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Aslam Aribah , Ghouse Ghulam , Khan Bismillah
Published: June 2023

This research paper addresses the complex relationship between governance, justice, and violent crime in high middle-income countries. By analyzing panel data spanning the years 2012 to 2020 and using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) technique, this study offers valuable insights into the underlying causes of violent crime and its impact on economic well-being. The study posits three main contentions: first, that countries with exclusive political and economic institutions may have weak governance and judicial systems, allowing corrupt practices to thrive. Second, the study explores the indirect relationship between justice and governance and violent crime. Lastly, it examines the role of institutions in mitigating violent crime. Empirical findings reveal that institutions such as justice and governance play a critical role in curtailing violent crime in high middle-income countries. Moreover, efficient per capita income reinforces the importance of institutions in this context. Additionally, the study finds that education, economic complexity, and remittances have a negative and significant relationship with violent crime. Conversely, the urban population has a positive yet insignificant relationship with the crime rate. The study concludes by recommending that the selected countries prioritize promoting institutional efficiency and expanding access to education. These measures could help combat violent crime and foster greater economic prosperity for these countries.
Disentangling effects of anthropogenic disturbance and community structure on multi-pathogen dynamics in tropical cave-dwelling bat communities
Authors: Vicente-Santos Amanda , Ledezma-Campos Paula , Rodríguez-Herrera Bernal , Corrales-Aguilar Eugenia , Czirják Gábor Á. , Civitello David J. , Gillespie Thomas R.
Published: June 2023

A major challenge in ecology and evolution is to disentangle the known effects of community structure and habitat degradation on disease prevalence, as they often act simultaneously in natural systems. However, cave-dwelling bats persist in degraded habitats, providing a unique opportunity to examine these dual effects. We evaluated how disturbance and cave complexity influenced bat community composition and the prevalence of multiple pathogens at the community level. During wet and dry season surveys of 15 caves in Costa Rica along a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance, we collected samples from 1,238 adult individuals, representing 17 species from four families. We determined the infection prevalence of four common and divergent pathogens: Bartonella (19.7%), Leptospira (22.7%), Trypanosoma (32.0%), and microfilaria (6.6%). Cave complexity, but not disturbance, predicted bat community composition—however, degraded habitats sustained smaller bat populations. Pathogens responded differently to habitat quality, cave complexity, season, species richness, and bat density. For bat richness, we found a negative association with Bartonella prevalence, but a positive association with Trypanosoma and microfilaria and no association with Leptospira. Our work provides insight into the complex patterns of pathogen dynamics and bat community ecology in changing environments by developing a distinctive framework using a multi-host, multi-pathogen system.
Vibration load of the feller buncher machine operator during technological transfers without load
Authors: Александров В.А. , Александров А.В. , Бучников А.А.
Published: June 2023

Разработана динамическая модель системы «Оператор - валочно- пакетирующая машина». Математическое описание составлено в форме уравнения Лагранжа 2-го рода. Система уравнений решена относительно упругой деформации спинки сиденья оператора методом Рунге-Кутта, с помощью среды программирования MathCAD. Апробация модели осуществлена на примере серийно выпускаемых валочно-пакетирующих машин ЛП-19А.

A dynamic model of the "operator-feller-buncher machine-object of labor-tree" has been developed. The mathematical description is in the form of the Lagrange equation of the second kind. The system of equations is solved for the elastic deformation of the operator's seat back by the Runge-Kutta method, using the MathCAD programming environment. Approbation of the model was carried out on the example of commercially available feller-bunchers machines LP-19A.
El Complaince Normativo Empresarial en las Contrataciones del Estado
Authors: Navas Rondón Carlos Vicente , Gonzales Loli Martha Rocío
Published: June 2023

La investigación considera al cumplimiento empresarial (complaince) como la nueva obligación que tienen las personas jurídicas u organizaciones, de establecer procedimientos que aseguren el cumplimiento normativo interno y externo, siendo necesario identificar y prevenir los riesgos para evitar sanciones o multas y/o ser excluidos en las contrataciones públicas que realiza el Estado con las empresas. Ha sido el objetivo de la investigación determinar la conveniencia de implementar un complaince normativo en las empresas privadas que contratan con el Estado; así como determinar cuáles son las infracciones más recurrentes que cometen las empresas y que están señaladas en la ley 302251. Se desarrolló una investigación básica, no experimental, de tipo descriptiva-explicativa, de enfoque mixto. concluyéndose con la necesidad de implementar el compliance normativo en las empresas que contratan con el estado, a fin de evitar riesgos de responsabilidad penal y/o administrativa, así como la imposibilidad de contratar con el Estado.
¿Es necesario implementar un Programa de Cumplimiento o Compliance normativo en las empresas privadas que contratan con el Estado?
Authors: Juárez Fernández Daniel Alberto
Published: June 2023

Toda empresa que busque la implementación de un programa de cumplimiento debe colocar especial interés en la ética corporativa, por lo cual, es de importancia capital distinguir el compliance del mero cumplimiento normativo, los programas de cumplimiento, van más allá del aspecto legal; crean una responsabilidad de orden educativo al interior de la empresa. Con la implementación del programa de cumplimiento, la empresa y sus empleados no solo conocen las regulaciones aplicables dispuestas por el Poder Público (Constitución, Ley General de Sociedades, TUO de la Ley de Contrataciones del Estado y su Reglamento, Directivas de OSCE, MEF de la CGR etc.), sino que educa a todo el personal sobre las reglas internas de la empresa; por esa razón, los programas de cumplimiento contienen una perspectiva de capacitación con énfasis en las funciones y responsabilidades al interior de la persona jurídica. En el Perú, no hay un verdadero sistema de cumplimiento público al interior de cada entidad pública, menos aún en las Entidades Privadas. Pero el tema va más allá de una “norma de compliance público”, se necesita implementar un sistema de control interno de calidad dentro de cada organización y un compromiso permanente de los órganos de alta dirección en la implementación de dicho sistema de control interno para mitigar el nivel de riesgo.
FAIRNESS, EQUITY AND EFFICIENCY FOR THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND THE NAGOYA PROTOCOL: ANALYSIS OF A RODENT, A SNAIL, A SPONGE AND A VIRUS. PART 2
Authors: (SPDA) Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental
Published: June 2023

Case studies based on 4 different organisms to determine the best modality for ABS. We recommend that the Parties reaffirm the nature of the CBD and Nagoya Protocol (NP) as framework agreements. Decisions made at the COP can be revisited and reversed. The adoption of an alternative modality to bilateralism could even include a return to the “Common Heritage of Mankind” (Modality 5), which is just as much an expression of sovereignty as is the bilateral approach. Policy implications must be rendered into recommendations and the recommendations, into legislation. Appendix VI is a “Legal Elements for the ‘Global Multilateral Benefit-sharing Mechanism’ as contemplated in the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization”
Whistleblowing, fraud prevention, and fraud awareness: Evidence from the Palembang Local Government of Indonesia
Authors: Periansya Periansya , Dewata Evada , A. R. Sopiyan , Sari Yuliana , Basyith Abdul
Published: June 2023

Fraud is an enormous obstacle to a country’s development because it can cause failure in achieving goals. The most significant source of fraud in Palembang Local Government of Indonesia arises from the procurement of goods and services, which reached 49.1% in 2020. Therefore, this study aims to examine how fraud awareness and good government governance affect fraud prevention. This paper targets one of the Regional Government areas of Palembang City, Indonesia. One hundred twenty-two respondents comprised the head of budget staff, budget user authority staff, and commitment-making committee staff. Data were obtained using a questionnaire with a Likert scale. The study employed two endogenous variables (fraud prevention and fraud awareness), one intervening (fraud awareness), and two exogenous variables (whistleblowing and good government governance). Following this, structural equation models were used to examine the relationships between each variable. The study results show a significant positive effect of whistleblowing and good governance on fraud awareness. In contrast, fraud awareness had no significant impact on fraud prevention. The obtained results found that fraud awareness cannot mediate the whistleblowing system through fraud prevention; also, fraud awareness is not a moderating variable to influence good governance through fraud prevention. The paper contributed empirical evidence to explore fraud prevention approaches by maintaining consistency in the implementation of the whistleblowing system, anti-corruption culture, and supervision to identify unusual activities.
O desafio político da educação física escolar na formação inicial: As ações didático-pedagógicas desenvolvidas pelos professores de uma instituição particular
Authors: Bagnara Ivan Carlos
Published: June 2023

O objetivo do estudo é analisar como os professores, que atuam na formação inicial em Educação Física (EF), desenvolvem suas ações formativas com a intenção de contribuir com a formação de professores, que compreendam as responsabilidades sociais da escola e da EF escolar. Para isso, foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa qualitativa e descritiva, que contou com a participação de onze docentes. Os resultados indicam que as estratégias didático-pedagógicas são desenvolvidas com certa fragilidade e revelando um caráter fragmentário. Assim, conclui-se que, ao docente que atua na formação inicial, pode ser imprescindível assumir o papel de professor de futuros professores, o que implica pensar para muito além da esfera técnica, instrumental e metodológica das disciplinas isoladamente. Ao não desenvolver um processo formativo pautado por debates e estudos teóricos encorpados e com intencionalidades definidas, diminui-se o potencial para formar um professor com capacidade para elaborar uma proposta educativa para a EF, articulada com as responsabilidades sociais da escola e da própria EF escolar.
Contando história: Uma experiência de ensino colaborativo na educação básica
Authors: Venturini Medeiros Ronise , De Oliveira Pavão Sílvia Maria , Neves Picada Ângela Balbina
Published: June 2023

Este estudo apresenta um recorte das atividades desenvolvidas pela Educação Especial em uma escola de Educação Básica da rede municipal de ensino de uma cidade do interior do Rio Grande do Sul, na qual uma das autoras atua como professora de Educação Especial. Tem-se como objetivo identificar em que medida o Ensino Colaborativo potencializa a Educação escolar inclusiva na Educação Básica. Para tal, optou-se por uma pesquisa de abordagem qualitativa, do tipo pesquisa participante, com análise de caráter descritivo. Discute-se que as práticas pedagógicas realizadas na perspectiva do Ensino Colaborativo implicam na relação entre professor de Educação Especial e de sala de aula regular, colaborando positivamente no processo de ensino-aprendizagem de todos os alunos, potencializando o aprender e contribuindo para a efetivação do processo de inclusão escolar.

Dentre as conclusões, observa-se que o Ensino Colaborativo pode contribuir e potencializar a Educação escolar inclusiva, desde que encontre um contexto aberto e acessível para a realização desta prática de ensino. Dentre os aspectos observados ao longo da pesquisa, destacam-se a possibilidade de trocas entre os professores e os alunos e a democratização do processo de ensino-aprendizagem.
UPLC-QTOF-MSE-Based Metabolic Profile to Screening Candidates of Biomarkers of Dwarf-Cashew Clones Resistant and Susceptible to Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz) Penz. & Sacc.)
Authors: Alves Priscilla , Guedes Jhonyson , Serrano Luiz , Martins Marlon , de Sousa Debora , Silva Gisele , Ribeiro Paulo , Zampieri Dávila , Zocolo Guilherme
Published: June 2023

Investigating specialized plant metabolites, traditionally referred to as ‘secondary metabolites’ present in leaf extracts of cashew trees (Anacardium occidentale) resistant and susceptible to anthracnose disease was carried out using metabolomics combined with chemometric tools. We used clones of dwarf-cashew with the following variations of characteristics: resistant and healthy (CCP 76, BRS 226, BRS 189), susceptible and healthy (BRS 265), and another clone also susceptible but affected by the disease (BRS 265). The UPLC-QTOF-MSE (ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry) analysis of the leaves of Anacardium clones allowed us annotation a total of 39 metabolites. The multiple orthogonal partial discriminant analysis of the least-squares (OPLS-DA) allowed twelve metabolites to be potential biomarkers of differentiation among the clones studied. Namely, the triene-(17:3)-anacardic acid found on CCP 76 and BRS 189 clones, respectively, is the main candidate for biomarker of resistance. While catechin, B-type procyanidin isomers, and procyanidin dimer monogallate identified in BRS 265 are significant potential biomarkers of susceptibility.
Learning styles applied to teaching the English language
Authors: Delgado Maria Acnabel Castro , Delgado Miguel Ángel Castro , Loor Jenifer Patricia Farías , Valle Elizabeth Josefa Hidalgo Del , Castro Andrés Alejandro Ortega
Published: June 2023

Learning styles are the tools used by teachers applied to the teaching of the English language in the Educational Unit "Raymundo Aveiga" in the city of Chone, the objective was to demonstrate that educational strategies based on learning styles applied to teaching of the English language can contribute to improve learning, for the development of the research a qualitative approach was proposed through which it was possible to inquire about the different points of view and conclusions of those involved, a bibliographic review was carried out that provided adequate information to the development of work. The results obtained show that many of the teachers do not know what their learning style is, as well as they have not developed activities based on determining what the learning styles of their students are, within the teaching-learning process of the English language. student must develop four skills, Listening, Reading, Speaking and Reading. In this sense, their learning is difficult because each student learns in different ways and above all each one of them develops a different skill, it was obtained that the students identify with the Kinesthetic style, they like to learn by developing activities of practical utility.
Sanjuanera 151 OMG : Variedad de algodón para el Caribe Seco con doble transgénesis
Authors: Núñez Zarantes Víctor Manuel , Pastrana Vargas Iván Javier , Cadena Torres Jorge , Barragán Quijano Eduardo
Published: June 2023

La variedad Sanjuanera-151 OMG es una variedad de fibra media con tolerancia al herbicida glifosato (gen cp4 epsps) y a algunas especies de insectos de importancia económica de la familia Lepidopterae (genes cry 1Ac y cry 2Ab), lo que permite obtener beneficios como reducción en el número de aplicaciones de insecticidas, mayor facilidad y flexibilidad para el control de malezas, eliminación de labores de control manual de malezas y beneficios ambientales, como disminución de la erosión del suelo y menores riesgos de contaminación ambiental por derivación de productos químicos. Para la obtención de esta variedad de algodón con características transgénicas, se utilizó el método de retrocruzamiento entre una variedad transgénica (DeltaPine® 143 B2RF) y una línea convencional (LC-151), a través del cual se transfieren los genes de la primera (donadora de genes) a la segunda (variedad de interés).