bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
METHOD OF CALCULATING THE NECESSARY NUMBER OF SPECIALISTS FOR CARRYING OUT HUMANITARIAN DEMINING OF DANGEROUS TERRITORIES OF UKRAINE
Authors:   State Scientific Research Institute of Armament and Military Equipment Testing and Certification, Ivanets M. , Horelyshev S. ,   The National academy of hte National Guard of Ukraine, Artykula A. ,   State Scientific Research Institute of Armament and Military Equipment Testing and Certification
Published: June 2023

One of the greatest and most terrible calamities for humanity throughout history has always been war. It is accompanied by significant material and human losses, contributes to the spread of other disasters, slows down the development of mankind and generally raises serious questions about the possibility of further survival of people on planet Earth. Every year, the power of weapons becomes more powerful, and the consequences of their use are more and more terrible. As a result of russia's armed aggression and the terrorist nature of hostilities, a large number of explosive objects remained on the territory of Ukraine, which for one reason or another did not explode. This creates real serious threats to the normal life of the population. In the post-war period, an urgent problem will be a complete survey of dangerous areas and infrastructure facilities for the presence of explosive objects, detection, neutralization and their destruction. The implementation of a set of measures for humanitarian demining requires clear planning and organization of all works for the disposal and destruction of unexploded ordnance. At the same time, a well-founded approach to technical support, training of relevant specialists of various types, time calculations of work deadlines is necessary. The article has developed a methodology for calculating the required number of specialists and technical equipment for humanitarian demining dangerous territories of Ukraine, which allows to estimate the general term of solving this problem, the number of personnel and technical equipment to perform the necessary work. If necessary, the proposed mathematical apparatus allows solving the inverse problem as well: based on a specific deadline for solving the problem, estimate the required total number of personnel and the required total amount of technical equipment to perform the work in the allotted time. A control algorithm for the implementation of this technique is proposed, which includes 18 blocks placed on 6 hierarchical levels and connected by direct and feedback links. This makes it possible to implement the developed methodology in the real conditions of the performance of the assigned tasks.
COMPUTER ANALYSIS OF THE OPERATING CONDITIONS OF THE RADIO CHANNEL OF THE VHF/UHF RANGE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ZONES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC ACCESSIBILITY OF RADIO EMISSION SOURCES
Authors:   The National academy of hte National Guard of Ukraine, Maliuk V. , Timchenko S. ,   The National academy of hte National Guard of Ukraine
Published: June 2023

The paper considers a technique for computer analysis of the working conditions of a VHF/UHF radio channel, taking into account the zones of electromagnetic accessibility of radio emission sources in relation to a topographic map, depending on the terrain characteristics. Based on the known models of radio signal propagation, mathematical relationships are obtained to determine the boundaries of the electromagnetic accessibility of a radio emission source as part of a mobile radio communication channel on a topographic map of the area. This takes into account the sensitivity of the receiver, the power of the transmitter and the shape of the digitized radiation pattern of its antenna, the scale of the map, and the loss of transmitter power depending on the characteristics of the terrain. On the basis of a modified wave algorithm, a method is proposed for calculating the boundaries of the zone of electromagnetic accessibility of radio facilities of a radio communication channel on a topographic map of the area. The method is characterized by simplicity, high speed and reliability of calculations. Already known techniques for modeling the propagation of a radio signal can be easily integrated into the proposed algorithm. The shape of the electromagnetic accessibility zone is determined by the digitized radiation pattern of the transmitter antenna, obtained using special software. The size of the EMI zone depends on the power and frequency of the radio transmitter, the power loss for signal propagation, and the sensitivity of the radio signal receiver. A technique for computer analysis of the working conditions of the VHF/UHF radio channel has been developed and implemented in the program for the operational support of the operation of mobile radio communications used in tactical levels of command and control of units and subdivisions of law enforcement agencies of Ukraine. Practical examples show the expediency of calculating the electromagnetic availability of radio facilities on a map of the area with a tactical situation in the tasks of assessing the performance of a mobile radio communication channel.
Long-term Comparison of Choroidal Thickness between Scleral Encircling and Combined with Trans-pars Plana Vitrectomy in Retinal Detachment
Authors: Baeg Joon Young , Han Jung Woo
Published: June 2023

Purpose: To compare the subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) before and after scleral encircling (SE), with or without trans-pars plana vitrectomy (TPPV), in patients with monocular primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent SE for monocular primary RRD between January 2019 and June 2021 and underwent optical coherence tomography during follow-up. SFCT was measured independently at three regions before the surgery and 1, 2, 3, and 6 months after the surgery. The values were manually analyzed by two independent ophthalmologists.Results: Of the 33 eyes included in the study, 18 (54%) underwent SE alone, while 15 (46%) underwent SE with TPPV. SFCT gradually decreased after surgery in all patients (p < 0.05). The SFCT was significantly greater 6 months postoperatively in the SE alone group (260.51 ± 78.30 μm) compared to the SE with TPPV group (225.55 ± 75.24 μm) (p < 0.05). Macular detachment patients had significantly greater preoperative SFCTs (276.46 ± 20 μm) compared to others (223.93 ± 20 μm) (p < 0.05). Preoperative SFCT was significantly related to visual acuity (p < 0.05), while the remaining SFCT values did not have any significant effects.Conclusions: In primary RRD eyes, SFCT decreased over time after SE, more so when TPPV was also performed. Further studies are required to investigate the mechanism of SFCT change and its impact on RRD.
A Study of Retinal and Choroidal Vessel Changes in Chronic Alcoholics
Authors: Kim Inkee , Lee Sung Won , Lee Hae Lim , Ra Ho , Baek Jiwon
Published: June 2023

Purpose: To compare the retinal and choroidal vessels of chronic alcoholics with non-alcoholics.Methods: This study included alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) patients admitted between December 2020 and October 2021, along with age-matched controls. Retinal and choroidal vessel densities, measured using image binarization at the superficial capillary plexus (SCP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), choriocapillaris, and choroidal layers, were compared between ALD patients and controls. Correlations between clinical parameters and vessel densities in ALD patients were also analyzed.Results: Vessel densities at SCP, DCP, choriocapillaris, and choroidal layers were not significantly different between controls and ALD patients (p = 0.496, 0.988, 0.909, and 0.317, respectively). Platelet time and international normalized ratio (INR) were positively correlated with SCP density in ALD patients (r = 0.393 and 0.393; p = 0.015 and 0.015, respectively).Conclusions: ALD does not significantly affect vessel densities in the retina and choroid. The positive correlations of platelet time and INR with SCP may be related to vessel dilatation, but they require further investigation.
Long-term Outcomes of Myopic Choroidal Neovascularization and Retinal Changes according to ATN Classification
Authors: Yeo Sujin , Kim Jong Min
Published: June 2023

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and atrophic and tractional changes according to the ATN (A: atrophy, T: traction, N: neovascularization) classification system.Methods: This was a retrospective review of the medical records of myopic CNV patients treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections and followed up for at least 3 years. Atrophic and tractional components were graded according to the ATN system at baseline and the last visit.Results: The study included 21 eyes in 21 patients. The mean age was 52.29 ± 14.6 years, the mean follow-up duration was 57.65 ± 18.8 months, and the mean number of injections was 2.9 ± 1.9. Recurrence occurred in seven eyes (33.3%). Five patients (23.8%) developed myopic CNV in the contralateral eye. The mean initial and final logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuities were 0.44 ± 0.30 and 0.33 ± 0.39, respectively. Visual acuity was maintained or improved compared to baseline in 15 eyes (71.4%). Baseline visual acuity was significantly associated with the final visual acuity (p = 0.026). Based on the ATN classification system, the atrophic component progressed in four eyes (19.0%), while the tractional component improved in one eye (4.8%) and progressed in five eyes (23.8%).Conclusions: Intravitreal anti-VEGF injection therapy effectively preserved long-term vision in myopic CNV patients. Evaluation of the atrophic and tractional components should not be neglected during the follow-up.
Relação entre a qualidade de sono e o rendimento acadêmico dos estudantes de medicina: revisão sistemática
Authors: Zavarise Laíza Fardin , Gonçalves Cinthia Rossi Lima , Lustosa Natália Giffoni , Duarte Gema Galgani de Mesquita , Soares Evelise Aline
Published: June 2023

Introdução: A má qualidade do sono está associada com diversos problemas físicos, psicológicos e cognitivos. Considerando o excesso de carga acadêmica e horas de estudo, expectativas familiares e ao ambiente competitivo, os estudantes de medicina são especialmente vulneráveis aos problemas do sono e suas consequências. Objetivo: Realizar uma revisão bibliográfica de estudos transversais acerca da relação entre a qualidade de sono e o rendimento acadêmico de estudantes de medicina. Metodologia: Revisão sistemática de estudos transversais publicados nos últimos 5 anos, visando responder à pergunta: "Qual a relação entre a qualidade de sono e o rendimento acadêmico dos estudantes de medicina?”. Resultados: A partir dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, foram selecionados 12 artigos, sendo que 10 apontam correlação entre má qualidade de sono e baixo rendimento acadêmico. Discussão: Entende-se que o sono é essencial para funções cognitivas e consolidação da memória. Logo, a maioria dos estudos afirmaram que a má qualidade do sono pode impactar o desempenho acadêmico dos estudantes de medicina. Conclusão: O pior desempenho acadêmico está estatisticamente associado à má qualidade do sono. Apesar de outras variáveis, ficou claro o impacto maior da variável sono sobre a atividade acadêmica. Assim, são necessárias mudanças que visem melhorar o sono e bem-estar dos estudantes de medicina.
Effects of habitat on predation of ecologically important sea urchin species on east coast Australian temperate reefs in tethering experiments
Authors: Day J , Knott NA , Ayre D , Byrne M
Published: June 2023

The expansion and persistence of urchin-dominated habitats at the expense of macroalgal cover has long been of interest in marine ecology. Macroalgal habitats are considered to harbor a high abundance of urchin predators that protect these habitats from grazing. We tested this concept using tethering experiments in south-eastern Australia to investigate whether predation on urchins is higher and faster within macroalgal habitats (dense seaweed) than in barrens-mosaic habitats (primarily bare rock with the presence of turfing algae, ascidians and macroalgae). We also assessed whether the sympatric species, the diadematoid Centrostephanus rodgersii and the echinometrid Heliocidaris erythrogramma differ in the rates at which they are preyed upon. As smaller urchins are generally considered to be easier prey, we also investigated the influence of urchin size on predation risk. We tethered a total of 96 urchins (48 C. rodgersii and 48 H. erythrogramma) in macroalgal and barrens-mosaic habitats at 4 locations (n = 24 of each species per habitat) and revisited the tethers to record mortality. A damage index assigned to urchin remains was used to infer likely sources of predation (lobster or fish), and we recorded predators in the area. We found no difference in predation between habitat types. Urchins persisted significantly longer at one location where we recorded a less diverse predator guild. Overall, we found no evidence that habitat, urchin species or size play a role in predicting rates of predation on urchins. Our observations suggest that the local predator guild plays an important role in determining predation rates on urchins.
Influence of Poultry Litter Biochar on Some Properties and Carbon Mineralization in Acidic Soil
Authors: AKTAŞ Yasemin , SÖZÜDOĞRU OK Sonay , CAMCI ÇETİN Sema
Published: June 2023

During the last years, biochar (BC) from various organic wastes and its application to soil to improve soil properties have been a very common treatment in agricultural soils. While many studies have been conducted on the effects of biochar on the improvement of alkaline soils, studies on acid soils are limited. An incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of poultry litter biochar (PLBC) on acidic soil properties and C mineralization. Biochar derived from poultry litter (PLBC) through slow pyrolysis was mixed with soil in three different doses (0, 2, and 5%) and subjected to a 120-day incubation period. pH increased from 4.38 to 5.31 at the end of the incubation. Electrical conductivity (EC) values also increased. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reached its maximum on the 30th day of the incubation in control and with PLBC applied to the soil. PLBC increased the organic matter (OM) content of the soil. Values were 3.51%, 4.70%, 6.27% for control, PLBC 2% and 5% treatments, respectively. PLBC does have an increasing negative priming effect on the carbon (C) mineralization of the soil. Particulate organic matter (POM) increased the storage of organic carbon (OC) in the POM fraction for both PLBC applications. It is revealed that PLBC showed soil conditioning effect as well as C storage in the soil. This study was on the short-term incubation under controlled conditions, varying results would be obtained in field conditions.
Palo Santo odununda bazı yüzey özellikleri ve shore D sertlik değeri üzerine 200ºC’de ısıl işlemin etkisi
Authors: AYATA Ümit
Published: June 2023

Ahşaba farklı yöntemler kullanılarak yapılan ısıl işlem ile renk ve parlaklık özelliklerinin değiştiği bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmada, 200oC’de 3 saat süre ile Palo Santo (Bulnesia sarmientoi Lorenz ex Griseb.) ahşabına uygulanmış ısıl işlem ile meydana gelen bazı yüzey özellikleri [liflere (//) paralel ve (⊥) dik yönde beyazlık indeksi değeri, renk (∆a*, ∆L*, L*, ∆b*, b*, ∆C*, a*, C*, ∆E* ve ho), parlaklık (20o, 60o ve 85o’de (//) liflere paralel ve (⊥) dik) ] ve shore D sertlik değeri incelenmiştir. Çok değişkenli varyans analizi sonuçları bütün testler üzerinde anlamlı bulunmuştur. L* (%37.87), a* (%91.60), b* (%70.24) ve C* (%71.34) parametreleri, beyazlık indeksi değerleri (⊥ için %57.38 ve║ için %81.60), shore D sertlik değeri (%7.32) ısıl işlem ile azalmıştır. ho açısı %15.63 oranında artmıştır. Parlaklık değerleri ⊥ ve ║ için 20o’de azalırken, aynı yönler için 60o’de artmıştır. Buna ek olarak; ∆L*: -19.73, ∆H*: 2.02, ∆b*: -15.07, ∆C*: -16.01, ∆a*: -5.77 ve ∆E*: 25.49 olarak bulunmuştur. Isıl işlem ile ahşaba ait yüzey özelliklerinin değiştiği görülmüştür.
Systematic roughness variation to model the influence of skewness on wall bounded flows
Authors: Kurth Sebastian , Kenan Cengiz , Daniel Moeller , Lars Wein , Seume Joerg R.
Published: June 2023

In recent years, the research on roughness has focused on various roughness features, rather than the roughness height only, in order to improve the understanding of roughness effects on wall bounded flows. A special focus is placed on the skewness of the roughness height profile. The skewness measures whether the height profile is dominated by negative or positive roughness elements. Surfaces with both features can be found on worn blades: On the leading edge, roughness is caused by the impact of particles resulting in a negative skewness. Rough surfaces around the trailing edge, however, develop due to depositions leading to a positive skewness.

In this paper, rough surfaces taken from a compressor blade of an aero engine are systematically varied to investigate the isolated effect of skewness on aerodynamic losses. By direct numerical simulations of a periodic flow channel. The results show that the skewness has a major influence on loss generation. Based on these results, an existing model which essentially uses the shape-and-density parameter, is extended by a skewness factor. The modified correlation predicts the influence of the rough surfaces investigated well.
Anaphylaxis after consumption of wasp larvae in Reunion Island: a case report
Authors: Maillot Adrien , Mathelin Camille , Cazanove Gregory , Marteau Adrien
Published: June 2023

The practice of entomophagy is common in Asia, Africa, and South America and is now spreading to Europe and the United States. Entomophagy is not without risk since humans can develop allergic reactions to the ingested insects. Here we describe a case of anaphylaxis after consumption of Polistes olivaceus larvae in a 23-y-old man living in Reunion Island, a French overseas department where wasps and other insects are occasionally consumed as part of local traditions. The patient developed diffuse pruritus with facial edema, nausea, and vomiting 15 min after ingesting pan-fried wasp larvae during a dinner with two other people. He was taken to a local care center where he received two oral doses of antihistamines. Shortly after, he presented with shock and hemodynamic, respiratory, and neurological failure. He received a subcutaneous injection of adrenaline and was rapidly transferred to hospital for 12 h of monitoring, after which he was discharged without sequelae. The patient's anaphylactic reaction may have been due only to the allergens contained in the ingested larvae or to cross-allergy. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of anaphylaxis after consumption of Polistes olivaceus larvae. More generally, few cases of allergic reaction to ingested insects have been described in the literature.
Biomechanical analysis of internal fixation system stability for tibial plateau fractures
Authors: Wei Guoqiang , Niu Xiaofen , Li Yuan , Chang Tingjie , Zhang Jianfang , Wang Haiyan , Li Xiaohe , He Yujie , Wang Ruijiang , Tian Fei , Xu Yangyang
Published: June 2023

Background: Complex bone plateau fractures have been treated with bilateral plate fixation, but previous research has overemphasized evaluating the effects of internal fixation design, plate position, and screw orientation on fracture fixation stability, neglecting the internal fixation system’s biomechanical properties in postoperative rehabilitation exercises. This study aimed to investigate the mechanical properties of tibial plateau fractures after internal fixation, explore the biomechanical mechanism of the interaction between internal fixation and bone, and make suggestions for early postoperative rehabilitation and postoperative weight-bearing rehabilitation.

Methods: By establishing the postoperative tibia model, the standing, walking and running conditions were simulated under three axial loads of 500 N, 1000 N, and 1500 N. Accordingly, finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to analyze the model stiffness, displacement of fractured bone fragments, titanium alloy plate, screw stress distribution, and fatigue properties of the tibia and the internal fixation system under various conditions.

Results: The stiffness of the model increased significantly after internal fixation. The anteromedial plate was the most stressed, followed by the posteromedial plate. The screws at the distal end of the lateral plate, the screws at the anteromedial plate platform and the screws at the distal end of the posteromedial plate are under greater stress, but at a safe stress level. The relative displacement of the two medial condylar fracture fragments varied from 0.002–0.072 mm. Fatigue damage does not occur in the internal fixation system. Fatigue injuries develop in the tibia when subjected to cyclic loading, especially when running.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the internal fixation system tolerates some of the body’s typical actions and may sustain all or part of the weight early in the postoperative period. In other words, early rehabilitative exercise is recommended, but avoid strenuous exercise such as running.
Baseline investigation on soil solidification through biocementation using airborne bacteria
Authors: Chen Meiqi , Gowthaman Sivakumar , Nakashima Kazunori , Takano Chikara , Kawasaki Satoru
Published: June 2023

Microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) through the ureolysis metabolic pathway is one of the most studied topics in biocementation due to its high efficiency. Although excellent outcomes have proved the potential of this technique, microorganisms face some obstacles when considering complicated situations in the real field, such as bacterial adaptability and survivability issues. This study made the first attempt to seek solutions to this issue from the air, exploring ureolytic airborne bacteria with resilient features to find a solution to survivability issues. Samples were collected using an air sampler in Sapporo, Hokkaido, a cold region where sampling sites were mostly covered with dense vegetation. After two rounds of screening, 12 out of 57 urease-positive isolates were identified through 16S rRNA gene analysis. Four potentially selected strains were then evaluated in terms of growth pattern and activity changes within a range of temperatures (15°C–35°C). The results from sand solidification tests using two Lederbergia strains with the best performance among the isolates showed an improvement in unconfined compressive strength up to 4–8 MPa after treatment, indicating a high MICP efficiency. Overall, this baseline study demonstrated that the air could be an ideal isolation source for ureolytic bacteria and laid a new pathway for MICP applications. More investigations on the performance of airborne bacteria under changeable environments may be required to further examine their survivability and adaptability.
Differential expression of antiviral and immune-related genes in individuals with COVID-19 asymptomatic or with mild symptoms
Authors: Gajate-Arenas Malena , García-Pérez Omar , Chao-Pellicer Javier , Domínguez-De-Barros Angélica , Dorta-Guerra Roberto , Lorenzo-Morales Jacob , Córdoba-Lanus Elizabeth
Published: June 2023

COVID-19 is characterized by a wide range of symptoms where the genetic background plays a key role in SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, the relative expression of IRF9, CCL5, IFI6, TGFB1, IL1B, OAS1, and TFRC genes (related to immunity and antiviral activity) was analyzed in upper airway samples from 127 individuals (97 COVID-19 positive and 30 controls) by using a two-step RT-PCR. All genes excepting IL1B (p=0.878) showed a significantly higher expression (p<0.005) in COVID-19 cases than in the samples from the control group suggesting that in asymptomatic-mild cases antiviral and immune system cells recruitment gene expression is being promoted. Moreover, IFI6 (p=0.002) and OAS1 (p=0.044) were upregulated in cases with high viral loads, which could be related to protection against severe forms of this viral infection. In addition, a higher frequency (68.7%) of individuals infected with the Omicron variant presented higher viral load values of infection when compared to individuals infected with other variants (p<0.001). Furthermore, an increased expression of IRF9 (p<0.001), IFI6 (p<0.001), OAS1 (p=0.011), CCL5, (p=0.003) and TGFB1 (p<0.001) genes was observed in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 wildtype virus, which might be due to immune response evasion of the viral variants and/or vaccination. The obtained results indicate a protective role of IFI6, OAS1 and IRF9 in asymptomatic -mild cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection while the role of TGFB1 and CCL5 in the pathogenesis of the disease is still unclear. The importance of studying the dysregulation of immune genes in relation to the infective variant is stand out in this study.
Adaptive governance strategies to address wildfire and watershed resilience in New Mexico's upper Rio Grande watershed
Authors: Morgan Melinda , Webster Alex , Piccarello Matt , Jones Kelly , Chermak Janie , McCarthy Laura , Srinivasan Jaishri
Published: June 2023

Global climate models project that New Mexico's Upper Rio Grande watershed is expected to become more arid and experience greater climatic and hydrological extremes in the next 50 years. The resulting transitions will have dramatic implications for downstream water users. The Upper Rio Grande and its tributaries provide water to about half of New Mexico's population, including the downstream communities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and surrounding agricultural areas. In the absence of formal climate adaptation strategies, informal governance arrangements are emerging to facilitate watershed climate adaptation strategies, including fuel treatments and stream remediation. One example is the Rio Grande Water Fund (RGWF), a collaborative effort coordinating work to protect storage, delivery, and quality of Rio Grande water through landscape-scale forest restoration treatments in tributary forested watersheds. This article examines the RGWF as one example of an emerging adaptation strategy that is working within—and beyond—existing legal and policy frameworks to accomplish more collaborative efforts across jurisdictional lines and administrative barriers. We identified ten (10) key characteristics of adaptive governance from the relevant literature and then applied them to the RGWF's experience in the watershed to date. Key findings include: (1) the RGWF's approach as a collaborative network created the right level of formality while also keeping flexibility in its design, (2) a scalar fit to the environmental challenge built social capital and investment in its work, (3) leadership from key stakeholders leveraged opportunities in the watershed to create and maintain stability, and (4) use of adaptive management and peer review processes built capacity by creating the feedback loops necessary to inform future work.
Nonlinear associations between sleep duration and the risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among the general adult population: a long-term cohort study
Authors: Li Jie , Wu Qiyong , Fan Li , Yan Zining , Shen Dan , Zhang Ming
Published: June 2023

Objective

This study aims to investigate the correlation between sleep duration and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the general population.

Methods

A total of 26,977 participants aged ≥18 years were included in the analysis from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database covering the period from 2005 to 2014. Data on cardiovascular and all-cause deaths were collected until December 2019. Sleep duration was assessed using a structured questionnaire, and participants were categorized into five groups based on their reported sleep duration (≤5, 6, 7, 8, or ≥9 h). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were employed to examine the mortality rates across different sleep duration groups. Multivariate Cox regression models were utilized to explore the association between sleep duration and mortality. Additionally, a restricted cubic spline regression model was employed to identify the non-linear relationship between sleep duration and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

Results

The average age of participants was 46.23 ± 18.48 years, with 49.9% of the subjects being male. Over a median follow-up period of 9.42 years, 3,153 (11.7%) participants died from all-cause mortality, among which 819 (3.0%) were attributed to cardiovascular causes. The groups with sleep durations of ≥9 and ≤5 h exhibited the lowest cumulative survival rates for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality, respectively. When using a sleep duration of 7 h as the reference, the hazard ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) for all-cause mortality were 1.28 (1.14–1.44) for ≤5 h, 1.10 (0.98–1.23) for 6 h, 1.21 (1.10–1.34) for 8 h, and 1.53 (1.35–1.73) for ≥9 h. The hazard ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) for cardiovascular mortality were 1.32 (1.04–1.67) for ≤5 h, 1.22 (0.97–1.53) for 6 h, 1.29 (1.05–1.59) for 8 h, and 1.74 (1.37–2.21) for ≥9 h. A U-shaped non-linear relationship between sleep duration and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was observed, with inflection point thresholds at 7.32 and 7.04 h, respectively.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality is minimized when sleep duration is approximately 7 h.
Association between systemic immune-inflammation index and risk of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis in hospitalized patients: a 10-year retrospective analysis
Authors: Chen Xi , Ou Yili , Wang Zhicong , Liu Hailong , Liu Yuehong , Liu Mozhen
Published: June 2023

Background

The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), as a novel inflammatory biomarker, has recently attracted attention in cardiovascular disease research. However, the relationship between SII and risk of lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (LEDVT) remains unclear to date. Thus, this study aimed to explore the association in a large sample over a 10-year period (2012–2022).

Methods

All hospitalized patients undergoing lower extremity compression ultrasonography (CUS) examination were consecutively screened by searching our hospital information system database. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the optimal cut-off value for high and low SII group. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between SII and LEDVT risk. Propensity score matching (PSM), subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also conducted. Moreover, restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression and two-piecewise linear regression models were used to assess the dose-response relationship between natural log transformed SII [ln(SII)] and risk of LEDVT.

Results

A total of 16,725 consecutive hospitalized patients were included, and 1,962 LEDVT events occurred. After adjusting for confounding factors, patients in the high SII group (≥ 574.2 × 109/L) showed a 1.740-fold risk of LEDVT (95% CI: 1.546–1.959, P < 0.001), and elevated ln(SII) was associated with a 36.1% increased risk of LEDVT (95% CI: 1.278–1.449, P < 0.001). PSM, subgroup and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the association. A non-linear relationship was observed (Pnon−linear < 0.001), with a threshold value of 5.6 × 109/L for all LEDVT events. Above the threshold, each unit increase in ln(SII) had a 1.369-fold higher risk of LEDVT (95% CI: 1.271–1.475, P < 0.001). The association also existed in both distal and proximal LEDVT.

Conclusion

Elevated SII is significantly associated with an increased risk of LEDVT in hospitalized patients. Additionally, the association is non-linear and exhibit a threshold effect.
The role of lncRNA-mediated pyroptosis in cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Hu Bo , Chen Wen , Zhong Yancheng , Tuo Qinhui
Published: June 2023

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Pyroptosis is a unique kind of programmed cell death that varies from apoptosis and necrosis morphologically, mechanistically, and pathophysiologically. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are thought to be promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Recent research has demonstrated that lncRNA-mediated pyroptosis has significance in CVD and that pyroptosis-related lncRNAs may be potential targets for the prevention and treatment of specific CVDs such as diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), atherosclerosis (AS), and myocardial infarction (MI). In this paper, we collected previous research on lncRNA-mediated pyroptosis and investigated its pathophysiological significance in several cardiovascular illnesses. Interestingly, certain cardiovascular disease models and therapeutic medications are also under the control of lncRNa-mediated pyroptosis regulation, which may aid in the identification of new diagnostic and therapy targets. The discovery of pyroptosis-related lncRNAs is critical for understanding the etiology of CVD and may lead to novel targets and strategies for prevention and therapy.
Nonstationary time series forecasting using optimized-EVDHM-ARIMA for COVID-19
Authors: Nagvanshi Suraj Singh , Kaur Inderjeet , Agarwal Charu , Sharma Ashish
Published: June 2023

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak swept the world, infected millions of people, and caused many deaths. Multiple COVID-19 variations have been discovered since the initial case in December 2019, indicating that COVID-19 is highly mutable. COVID-19 variation “XE” is the most current of all COVID-19 variants found in January 2022. It is vital to detect the virus transmission rate and forecast instances of infection to be prepared for all scenarios, prepare healthcare services, and avoid deaths. Time-series forecasting helps predict future infected cases and determine the virus transmission rate to make timely decisions. A forecasting model for nonstationary time series has been created in this paper. The model comprises an optimized EigenValue Decomposition of Hankel Matrix (EVDHM) and an optimized AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA). The Phillips Perron Test (PPT) has been used to determine whether a time series is nonstationary. A time series has been decomposed into components using EVDHM, and each component has been forecasted using ARIMA. The final forecasts have been formed by combining the predicted values of each component. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) to select ARIMA parameters resulting in the lowest Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) values has been used to discover the best ARIMA parameters. Another genetic algorithm has been used to optimize the decomposition results of EVDHM that ensures the minimum nonstationarity and maximal utilization of eigenvalues for each decomposed component.
Do entrepreneurship challenges raise student’s entrepreneurial competencies and intention?
Authors: Silveyra-León Geraldina , Rodríguez-Aceves Lucía , Baños-Monroy Verónica I.
Published: June 2023

Motivated by the question on what content and which pedagogical methodologies are effective in teaching entrepreneurship, this research tested whether entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial competencies changed after undergraduates attended an entrepreneurship challenge (ECH) experience. This pedagogical experience was carefully designed as a 5-week in-class education and a 1-week boot camp-type intensive activity. The research design was an empirical, survey-based pre- and post-study on a sample of 525 freshmen. Results showed an increase in entrepreneurial intention and in the entrepreneurial competencies measured (opportunity identification, evaluation and exploitation, and resources procurement). This research contributes to entrepreneurship education through the design and measurement of an effective program based on a previous framework for entrepreneurship courses and aligned with the education-through-entrepreneurship approach.
Examining gender issues in education: exploring confounding experiences on three female educators’ professional knowledge landscapes
Authors: Kelley Michaelann , Craig Cheryl J. , Curtis Gayle A.
Published: June 2023

Business sources report that it will take 124  years for females to achieve parity in the workforce. Parity relates to compensation but also includes working conditions. The latter topic is taken up in this article using narrative inquiry as our method of investigation. Narrative inquiry—inquiring into narratives—employs three research tools: broadening, burrowing and storying/re-storying. To these tools, fictionalization, a fourth tool, is added. This is because the interwoven cases involve easily identifiable others and precautions need to be taken. This article discusses gender matters lived and told, and re-lived and re-told, over the career continuum of three women who have worked in public school and university settings. As females, they periodically encountered situations where they were perceived, interpreted, and responded to differently than males. The article looks at early, mid, and recent career challenges experienced in the female educators’ places of work. This research using narrative methods looks backward, forward, inside, and out through processes of individual and group reflection. It begins with bio-sketches, which were prepared individually. After that, the aforementioned research tools are used to unpack early, middle, and current career happenings. Reflective unpacking of the three females’ experiences within a community of critical friendship allowed for greater understanding and meaning-making to occur. The underlying intent of this work is to understand the shaping forces of gender on women’s professional lives—not to name and shame those who got away with acting the ways in which they did. The significance of the work lies in its use of narrative exemplars that are transparent, have a ring of authenticity to them, and promote trustworthiness and relatability when shared with others.
First-year seminars through the lens of Vincent Tinto's theories of student departure. A systematic review
Authors: Samoila Magda Elena , Vrabie Tina
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Vincent Tinto is a towering figure in the study of dropout in higher education whose theory regarding student departure is a widely accepted contribution that explains how students become involved in the academic community and how their level of engagement impacts their decision to persist or to drop out. The aim of this study is to advance understanding of how Vincent Tinto's theories influence the current practices and support services offered by higher education institutions to freshman students through first-year seminars (FYS).

Methods

A systematic review was conducted based on peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2022, selected through a multi-stage process. With reference to Tinto's contribution, this systematic review aims at providing answers to the following research questions: What are the methodological approaches identified in the studies under analysis? What knowledge can be identified in recent studies related to the categories of students attending FYS? What knowledge about students' personal and psychological characteristics with relevance for FYS can be found in recent studies? What knowledge about academic pedagogical and counseling factors with relevance for FYS can be found in recent studies? What knowledge about social and relational factors integration with relevance for FYS can be found in recent studies?

Results

The findings indicate three categories of studies that capitalize on Tinto's theories with regard to the design, conduct and evaluation of first-year seminars: a. studies that assess the role of students' personal and psychological variables, considered within FYS; b. studies that analyze the pedagogical and counseling interventions destined to students within FYS; c. studies that analyze the role of the social and relational dimension within FYS.

Discussion

The literature on the topic capitalizes on Vincent Tinto's contributions in relation to a student corpus which is extremely diverse in terms of age, socio-economic status, racial and cultural characteristics, attended specialization (a significant number of studies are destined to students who attend STEM specializations), generational characteristics (the example of first-generation students). Therefore, the interventions aimed at facilitating the integration of first-year students are carefully tailored and customized according to the needs of these categories of beneficiaries.
A deep learning approach for state-of-health estimation of lithium-ion batteries based on differential thermal voltammetry and attention mechanism
Authors: Zou Bosong , Wang Huijie , Zhang Tianyi , Xiong Mengyu , Xiong Chang , Sun Qi , Wang Wentao , Zhang Lisheng , Zhang Cheng , Ruan Haijun
Published: June 2023

Accurate estimation of the State of Health (SOH) of lithium-ion batteries is crucial for ensuring their safe and reliable operation. Data-driven methods have shown excellent performance in estimating SOH, but obtaining high-quality and strongly correlated features remains a major challenge for these methods. Moreover, different features have varying importance in both spatial and temporal scales, and single data-driven models are unable to capture this information, leading to issues with attention dispersion. In this paper, we propose a data-driven method for SOH estimation leveraging the Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) that uses the Differential Thermal Voltammetry (DTV) analysis to extract features, and incorporates attention mechanisms (AM) at both temporal and spatial scales to enable the model focusing on important information in the features. The proposed method is validated using the Oxford Battery degradation Dataset, and the results show that it achieves high accuracy and robustness in SOH estimation. The Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) are around 0.4% and 0.3%, respectively, indicating the potential for online application of the proposed method in the cyber hierarchy and interactional network (CHAIN) framework.
Research on circuit breaker failure protection and the secondary accelerated fault isolation scheme of VSC-HVDC grids
Authors: Li Andi , Li Botong , Wen Weijie , Li Bin , Chen Xiaolong
Published: June 2023

When the direct current circuit breaker (DCCB) fails to operate, the fault range will further expand, endangering the safe operation of the power gird. Therefore, this study proposes a DCCB failure protection method and a secondary accelerated fault isolation scheme of voltage source converter-based high-voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) grids. On the basis of considering the influence of DCCB disconnection, characteristics of fault current after the failure of the DCCB are analyzed, and a circuit breaker failure protection method based on “increase current” discrimination is proposed. By analyzing the logical relationship among failed breaker re-tripping, adjacent DCCB action, blocking of the converter station, and AC circuit breaker action, a secondary accelerated fault isolation scheme is proposed to minimize the fault isolation area. The scheme achieves the accelerated isolation of DC faults after the failure of the DCCB and avoids the trip of the AC circuit breaker effectively. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
The heat is on: impacts of rising temperature on the activity of a common European mammal
Authors: Stiegler Jonas , Pahl Janice , Guillen Rafael Arce , Ullmann Wiebke , Blaum Niels
Published: June 2023

Climate conditions severely impact the activity and, consequently, the fitness of wildlife species across the globe. Wildlife can respond to new climatic conditions, but the pace of human-induced change limits opportunities for adaptation or migration. Thus, how these changes affect behavior, movement patterns, and activity levels remains unclear. In this study, we investigate how extreme weather conditions affect the activity of European hares (Lepus europaeus) during their peak reproduction period. When hares must additionally invest energy in mating, prevailing against competitors, or lactating, we investigated their sensitivities to rising temperatures, wind speed, and humidity. To quantify their activity, we used the overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) calculated from tri-axial acceleration measurements of 33 GPS-collared hares. Our analysis revealed that temperature, humidity, and wind speed are important in explaining changes in activity, with a strong response for high temperatures above 25°C and the highest change in activity during temperature extremes of over 35°C during their inactive period. Further, we found a non-linear relationship between temperature and activity and an interaction of activity changes between day and night. Activity increased at higher temperatures during the inactive period (day) and decreased during the active period (night). This decrease was strongest during hot tropical nights. At a stage of life when mammals such as hares must substantially invest in reproduction, the sensitivity of females to extreme temperatures was particularly pronounced. Similarly, both sexes increased their activity at high humidity levels during the day and low wind speeds, irrespective of the time of day, while the effect of humidity was stronger for males. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the complex relationships between extreme weather conditions and mammal behavior, critical for conservation and management. With ongoing climate change, extreme weather events such as heat waves and heavy rainfall are predicted to occur more often and last longer. These events will directly impact the fitness of hares and other wildlife species and hence the population dynamics of already declining populations across Europe.
Validation of a targeted gene panel sequencing for the diagnosis of hereditary chronic liver diseases
Authors: Ronzoni Luisa , Marini Ilaria , Passignani Giulia , Malvestiti Francesco , Marchelli Daniele , Bianco Cristiana , Pelusi Serena , Prati Daniele , Valenti Luca
Published: June 2023

Background: The cause of chronic liver diseases (CLD) remains undiagnosed in up to 30% of adult patients. Whole-Exome Sequencing (WES) can improve the diagnostic rate of genetic conditions, but it is not yet widely available, due to the costs and the difficulties in results interpretation. Targeted panel sequencing (TS) represents an alternative more focused diagnostic approach.

Aims: To validate a customized TS for hereditary CLD diagnosis.

Methods: We designed a customized panel including 82 CLD-associated genes (iron overload, lipid metabolism, cholestatic diseases, storage diseases, specific hereditary CLD and susceptibility to liver diseases). DNA samples from 19 unrelated adult patients with undiagnosed CLD were analyzed by both TS (HaloPlex) and WES (SureSelect Human All Exon kit v5) and the diagnostic performances were compared.

Results: The mean depth of coverage of TS-targeted regions was higher with TS than WES (300x vs. 102x; p < 0.0001). Moreover, TS yielded a higher average coverage per gene and lower fraction of exons with low coverage (p < 0.0001). Overall, 374 unique variants were identified across all samples, 98 of which were classified as “Pathogenic” or “Likely Pathogenic” with a high functional impact (HFI). The majority of HFI variants (91%) were detected by both methods; 6 were uniquely identified by TS and 3 by WES. Discrepancies in variant calling were mainly due to variability in read depth and insufficient coverage in the corresponding target regions. All variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing except two uniquely detected by TS. Detection rate and specificity for variants in TS-targeted regions of TS were 96.9% and 97.9% respectively, whereas those of WES were 95.8% and 100%, respectively.

Conclusion: TS was confirmed to be a valid first-tier genetic test, with an average mean depth per gene higher than WES and a comparable detection rate and specificity.