bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of intrapartum serum vitamin D levels of mother and newborn and its association with newborn anthropometric indices in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Eastern India: An observational study
Authors: Saha Rubina , Kumar Pragya , Ahmad Shamshad , Mahto Mala , Anant Monika , Ranjan Alok , A Anantha Padmanabhan
Published: March 2023

Background
Maternal vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is a common issue and a significant public health problem at the global level. Foetal growth and development has been over the years studied and it was discovered that it has some linkage with Vitamin D.
Aim & Objective
To estimate vitamin D level of mothers and neonate and find association between serum vitamin D status of mothers and neonate anthropometry.
Materials and Methods
The research was carried out between January 2020 and April 2021. A total of 97 participants—singleton (mother and neonate pair) at the time of delivery—were enrolled using convenient sampling. Five millilitres each of cord blood and maternal venous blood were taken at the time of delivery. Chemiluminescent immunoassay was used to analyse the vitamin D levels. One researcher measured the birth weight, length, head circumference, and chest circumference. Results- Mothers had 87.6% vitamin D deficiency, 5.2% insufficiency and 7.2% sufficiency. About 50.5% of new-borns were vitamin D deficient, 44.3% had insufficient vitamin D levels, and 5.2% had adequate vitamin D levels.
Conclusion
Insufficient vitamin D was reported in 92.8% of mothers. Neonatal vitamin D insufficiency was found to be in 94.8%. Neonatal vitamin D levels were substantially correlated with those of their mothers. Antenatal supplements of calcium along with vitamin D had seen to significantly improve birth weight, Maternal vitamin D levels and the extra supplementation of vitamin D during pregnancy significantly improved neonatal length and head circumference.
Radionuclide therapy based on accumulated urease-powered nanobots in the bladder tumor of an orthotopic murine model
Authors: Simó Cristina , Serra-Casablancas Meritxell , Hortelao Ana , Carlo Valerio Di , Guallar-Garrido Sandra , Plaza-Garcia Sandra , Ramos-Cabrer Pedro , Yagüe Balbino , Aguado Laura , Bardía Lídia , Tosi Sebastien , Gómez-Vallejo Vanessa , Martín Abraham , Patiño Tania , Julián Esther , Colombelli Julien , Llop Jordi , Sanchez Samuel
Published: March 2023

Bladder cancer (BC) is among the most common cancers worldwide. Current treatment methods involving intravesical drug administration present good survival rates but low therapeutic efficacy. Self-propelled nanoparticles (nanobots) could overcome these limitations through their enhanced diffusion and mixing capabilities in urine compared to conventional drugs or passive nanoparticles. Here, we radiolabeled mesoporous silica-based urease-powered nanobots for imaging purposes and tested them in an orthotopic murine model of BC. In vivo and ex vivo results demonstrate enhanced accumulation of nanobots at the tumor site. Positron emission tomography revealed an 8-fold increase in accumulation in vivo. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry confirmed these results. A custom label free optical contrast based on polarization-dependent scattered lightsheet microscopy was applied to cleared bladders to confirm tumor penetration by nanobots. Treating tumor-bearing mice with intravesically administered radio-iodinated nanobots for radionuclide therapy resulted in tumor size reductions of about 90% compared with non-treated mice, positioning nanobots as efficient delivery nanosystems for BC therapy.
Impact of Environmental Temperature on the Pathological Complete Response and Survival Outcomes of Breast Cancer: A NCDB and SEER study
Authors: Gupta Ashish , Gupta Kush , Roy Arya Mariam , Attwood Kristopher , Gandhi Asha , Edge Stephen , Takabe Kazuaki , Repasky Elizabeth , Yao Song , Gandhi Shipra
Published: March 2023

Background: Experimental evidence in tumor-bearing mouse models shows that exposure to cool, that is, sub-thermoneutral environmental temperature is associated with a higher tumor growth rate with an immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment than seen at thermoneutral temperatures. However, the translational significance of these findings in humans is unclear. We hypothesized that breast cancer patients living in warmer climates have higher odds of achieving pathologic complete response (pCR) and better survival outcomes than patients living in colder climates.
Methods: A retrospective population-based analysis was conducted on Stage I-III breast cancer patients utilizing data from National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2010-2018 with 892,092 patients and Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) from 1996-2017 with 270,496 patients. The average annual temperature (AAT) was calculated based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information.
Results: In the SEER cohort, patients residing at AAT ≥47.5°F had a 16% higher overall survival (OS) (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.81- 0.88, p <0.001) and 15% higher disease specific survival (DSS) (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.80 - 0.90; p <0.001). Similarly, 4% higher OS (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.95-0.97, p <0.001) and DSS (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.97, p <0.001) was noted with every 5°F increment in AAT. In the NCDB cohort, patients in regions with AAT ≥ 60.9°F had 9% greater odds of achieving a pCR, odds ratio (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05, 1.13, p <0.001) and a 5% higher OS (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.93 - 0.97, p<0.001).
Conclusions: Higher environmental temperatures are associated with significantly better OS and DSS, as well as higher odds of achieving pCR in these patients. Future research is warranted to confirm this observation using large datasets, to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and investigate novel therapeutic strategies to minimize this geographic disparity in clinical outcomes.
Development of a nanoparticle-assisted triplex RT-PCR assay for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus detection
Authors: Gao Jie , Wang Hui , Zang Ran , Zhao Zhi-qian , Xu Fei-fei , Zheng Dan-yang , Zhao Mi , Mu Yang
Published: March 2023

Background: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), an enveloped, single-stranded, positive sense RNA virus, has constantly varied and circulated in the pig herd causing severe economic losses worldwide. In this study, a nanoparticle-assisted RT-PCR (Nano-RT-PCR) assay for PRRSV detection was established by the combination of nano-particles with traditional RT-PCR technology.
Results: A rapid detection method based on PRRSV Nsp2 gene sequences to identify classical, highly pathogenic, and NADC30-like strains was developed, and its specificity and sensitivity were evaluated. The results showed that no cross-reaction was observed for the triplex Nano-RT-PCR when detecting related viruses, so as classical swine fever virus (CSFV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), swine transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), pseudorabies virus (PRV), porcine parvovirus (PPV). The assay was more sensitive than the conventional RT-PCR assay with detection limits of 3.32×102, 6.18×103, and 3.26×103 copies/μL Nsp2 recombinant plasmid of classical, highly pathogenic, and NADC30-like strains which is 10 times, 1 time, and 10 times higher than conventional PCR, respectively. Moreover, the results of 80 clinical samples showed 71.25% were determined PRRSV positive by our Nano RT-PCR assay, compared with 60% for conventional RT-PCR, and that NADC30-like strain had become the main endemic strains of PRRSV in China and there was a mixed infection of two or three strains.
Conclusions: A sensitive and specific Nano-RT-PCR detection method was developed which can be applied in clinical diagnosis and field surveillance of PRRSV infection and determined the strain type.
The effectiveness of a play-based Intervention to develop social skills among Kindergarten children
Authors: Aljunaidi Shaikha , Mokdad Mohamed , Mebarki Bouhafs
Published: March 2023

The current study aimed at verifying the effectiveness of an intervention based on play activities in developing some social skills among kindergarten children. The study used a sample consisted of 40 boys aged (5–6) years who were randomly chosen. For data collection, the study used the kindergarten child social skills assessment scale and the intervention program. Social skills studied in this paper are communication skills, interaction with other skills, cooperation and social participation skills, and expression of feelings skills. Results confirmed the effectiveness of the intervention, which improved the social skills of children. They also indicated the continuity of the effectiveness of the intervention program.
Effect of pepper and cabbage planting on loess of Guyuan region of China on microbial diversity
Authors: Zheng Xuan , Hou Yi , Cheng Guo-Xin
Published: March 2023

Diversity of microorganisms in loess plateau plays critical role in improvement of soil quality. One good strategy is that planting crop improves community of soil microorganisms; however, how microorganism diversity is affected by crop remains unclear. Here, we used a sequencing technology to study the effect of pepper and cabbage crops on soil microorganisms in loess of Guyuan region of China. The analysis revealed that both cabbage and pepper increase the specific Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in soil and diversity of microorganisms was enhanced after cabbage and pepper were cultivated. Ascomycota are the primary fungus species of the soil, and inhibited significantly with the increased soil layers by pepper and cabbage. Contrarily, the development of Actinobacteria is improved and no new microbial species were found with the increased soil layers when pepper and cabbage were planted. (These data indicate that pepper and cabbage promote more reasonable microbial community of the deep soil layer. We speculate that deep ploughing may be a good planting strategy for crop growth in loess plateau. These findings will provide an insight for the improvement of soil quality in the Guyuan region of China.
An Example of a Convergent Mixed-Methods Analysis to Examine Food Security: The Case of Popokabaka in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Mbunga Branly Kilola , Mapatano Mala Ali , Egbende Landry , Strand Tor A. , Hatloy Anne , Engebretsen Ingunn S.M.
Published: March 2023

Background
A comprehensive analysis of food insecurity is needed to understand its burden and extent in a community before developing effective and long-term nutritional interventions. We measured food security at four levels of the food chain and suggest integrative pathways for transformative impact on hunger and malnutrition in Popokabaka, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Methods
We designed a convergent parallel mixed-methods study with four-level data sources collected in Popokabaka: 1) a household food survey (using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), 2) a Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and the Food Consumption Score (FCS), 3) a market food census (assessing food availability and cost per 100 g), and an exit food market survey (assessing buyers' food choices and client satisfaction), and 4) on-farm qualitative study among food producers (exploring challenges and opportunities). Descriptive statistics from our quantitative data were triangulated with themes emerging from qualitative data.
Results
Popokabaka experienced severe food access insecurity (89%), poor food consumption (40.7%), and low dietary diversity (30.2%) at the household level. The quantitative findings at the household level were linked to market characteristics and farmer-reported themes under three pathways: poor diet quality, culturally grounded diet, and risk perception.
Conclusion
The focus should be on improving livestock development, developing adapted communications about nutrition to change established dietary habits, and engaging the government and all stakeholders to empower local communities for improved food security.
The effect of blepharoplasty surgery is that the skin and orbicular muscle are resected together on the eyebrow position
Authors: Mat Emrah
Published: March 2023

Purpose:
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of excision of the narrow orbicularis oculi strip in cosmetic upper eyelid blepharoplasty on eyebrow position and balance of muscles determining eyebrow position in favor of elevation.
Methods:
Present study evaluated the influence of skin and 3 mm orbicularis strip resection during cosmetic upper blepharoplasty on eyebrow position. This Retrospective study included a review of patients undergoing cosmetic upper blepharoplasty that skin and orbicularis strip were resected between September 2020 and March 2022. Patients with visual field complaints, a prior history of upper or lower lid blepharoplasty, browpexy surgery, or ptosis repair were excluded. Digital photographs were analyzed using NIH ImageJ software to measure preoperative and postoperative eyebrow height as the vertical distance from the center of the pupil to the lowest eyebrow hair. All patients were monitored for nine months after the surgical procedure. During the follow-up period, it was ensured that minimally invasive or invasive intervention was not made that can change eyebrow position.
Results:
According to the results, no significant change was observed in eyebrow height after the surgical procedure in patients who have undergone 3 mm orbicular strip excision during upper eyelid blepharoplasty surgery. The mean eyebrow height was 17.78 mm prior to surgery and 17.67mm after surgery. The mean change was -0.11 mm, which was not statistically significant. (p=0.24)
Conclusion:
The present study implies that 3 mm orbicularis muscle resection did not cause any change in eyebrow position and suggests that orbicular resection may not cause any loss of function in the eyebrow depressor muscles.
Deep learning based algorithm for postoperative glioblastoma MRI segmentation: a promising new tool for tumor burden assessment
Authors: Bianconi Andrea , Rossi Luca Francesco , Bonada Marta , Zeppa Pietro , Nico Elsa , Marco Raffaele , Lacroce Paola , Cofano Fabio , Bruno Francesco , Morana Giovanni , Melcarne Antonio , Ruda Roberta , Mainardi Luca , Garbossa Diego , Morra Lia , fiaschi pietro
Published: March 2023

Objective: Clinical and surgical decisions for glioblastoma patients depend on a tumor imaging-based evaluation. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be applied to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) assessment to support clinical practice. In a real-world context, the current obstacles for AI are low-quality imaging and post-operative reliability. The aim of this study is to train an automatic algorithm for glioblastoma segmentation on a clinical MRI dataset and to obtain reliable results both pre- and post-operatively.
Methods: The dataset used for this study comprises 237 (71 preoperative and 166 postoperative) MRIs from 71 patients affected by an histologically confirmed Grade IV Glioma. The implemented U-Net architecture was trained by transfer learning to segment the resection cavity (RC), the enhancing tumor volume (ET) and the whole tumor volume (WT) in post-operative images. The learning phase was carried out first on BraTS2021 dataset for preoperative segmentation. Performance is evaluated using DICE score (DS) and Hausdroff 95%.
Results: The overall mean DS are 91.09 (± 0.60) and 72.31 (± 2.88), respectively obtained in pre-operative and post-operative scenarios. The overall mean Hausdroff 95% is 8.35 (± 1.12) for preoperative segmentation and 23.43 (± 7.24) for the postoperative assessment. Remarkably, the RC segmentation obtained a mean DS of 63.52 (± 8.90) in postoperative MRIs.
Conclusions: The performances achieved by the algorithm are consistent with previous literature for both pre-operative and post-operative glioblastoma’s MRI evaluation. Through the proposed algorithm, it is possible to reduce the impact of low-quality images and missing sequences.
Myeloid zinc finger 1 knockdown promotes osteoclastogenesis and bone loss in part by regulating RANKL- induced ferroptosis of osteoclasts through Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway
Authors: Qu Zechao , Zhang Bo , Kong Lingbo , Zhang Yong , Zhao Yiwei , Gong Yining , Gao Xiangcheng , Feng Mingzhe , Zhang Jingjun , Yan Liang
Published: March 2023

Background: The overactivation of the osteoclasts is a key pathological factor in osteoporosis. Myeloid zinc finger 1 (MZF1) belongs to the scan-zinc finger family, which is involved in multiple processes of tumor malignant progression and is an important transcription factor regulating the expression of osteoblasts. However, the exact role of MZF1 in osteoclasts has not been determined. In this study, the purpose of our study was to elucidate the role of MZF1 in osteoclastogenesis.
Results: First, In vivo studies have shown that MZF1 defciency led to decreased bone mass and exhibited a low bone mass osteoporosis phenotype. Further, RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation in vitro showed larger TRAP-positive osteoclasts and more complete sealing zone in the MZF1-knockout group. Mechanistically, the results showed that MZF1 deletion group promoted the expression of osteoclast-associated genes. MZF1 knockout can regulate RANKL-induced ferroptosis of osteoclasts by regulating Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway in the early stage of cell differentiation.
Conclusions: Our research revealed that MZF1 knockout promote osteoclast differentiation by regulating iron metabolism and exhibited osteolysis models. This may be a useful therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of osteolytic diseases.
Perspective of students on a blended learning approach to a physiotherapy degree, through the Covid-19 pandemic years
Authors: Belcher Suzanne , Larmer Peter , Christopherson Rory , Sampath Kesava Kovanur
Published: March 2023

In 2019, Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) (Te Pūkenga) launched an innovative approach to the delivery of the Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree. The programme utilises a blended-block learning andragogy, of mixed face-to-face (block-week) and online learning. At the end of first 4-year cycle, it seemed pertinent to understand the students’ perspective of this new approach, whilst recognising possible effects of the COVID epidemic. An online questionnaire delivered to a convenience sample of students was distributed. Thirty-one (44%) of the 70-students completed the survey. Preference to continue with a block-week learning approach was split, with 32% of the students wishing to continue, 32% preferring discontinuation and return to full-time traditional campus teaching and 36% unsure. However, those that students preferring discontinuation predominately originated or moved to the Hamilton region during study. Those students that preferred block-blended learning were often from a population the initiative was originally meant to target and were unable to access the course in any other manner. To reduce fatigue and improve satisfaction, students also suggested mixing content delivery every week, for instance 2–3 days face-to-face sessions and 2–3 days online, moving away from block-learning but retaining blended-learning. Most students believed the course was well positioned to handle the effects of COVID-19 but recognised physical practical skills learning and clinical placement access was reduced. Future research would explore the specific benefits and barriers of blended/online-learning on physiotherapy specific content.
Comparison of Ionic Concentrations (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, NH4+, Cl-, SO42-, NO3-) and Water Quality Parameters of Bulk Depositions Among Three Sites in Kandy Area, Sri Lanka
Authors: Dharmapriya T.N. , Rathnayake I.M. S.K. , Deeyamulla M.P. , Liyandeniya A.B. , Madhushani L.S. , Priyantha N.
Published: March 2023

The chemical composition of atmospheric deposition changes over time due to a variety of physical, chemical, and biological conditions. The objectives of this study were to use statistical methods to compare the composition of cations, anions, and water quality parameters of bulk deposition. Three sampling sites of 7 km apart in Kandy District in Sri Lanka were selected for the study: The Kandy City Center (KCC) site represented an urban environment located in a valley, the University of Peradeniya (UoP) site and the Polgolla sites represented a suburban environment. Bulk depositions were collected weekly over eight months (from 03.08.2018 to 27.03. 2019). The chemical analyses of anions (Cl-, NO3-, SO42-) and cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, NH4+) in bulk depositions carried out using ion chromatography indicated that the volume-weighted mean (VWM) concentrations of cationic species in KCC, UoP, and Polgolla sites followed as, Na+> Ca2+> Cl-> K+> Mg2+> NH4+> SO42-> NO3-, Ca2+> Na+> Cl-> Mg2+> NH4+> SO42-> NO3-> K+, and Na+> Cl-> Ca2+> NH4+> K+> NO3-> SO42-> Mg2+ respectively. The VWA pH in KCC, UoP, and Polgolla sites were 6.93, 6.82, and 6.85, respectively, which are nearly neutral due to the neutralization effect. The VWA conductivity values of KCC, UoP, and Polgolla sites were 64.22 µS cm-1, 49.40 µS cm-1, and 42.66 µS cm-1, respectively. Average values of other water quality parameters (salinity, total dissolved solids, and hardness) were higher in the KCC site than those in the other two sites.
Sleep Disorders and Biliary Tact Disease: A Mendelian Randomization
Authors: tian maolan , ding haoran , li guanlin , lu shixin , Meng Xianzhi
Published: March 2023

Background: Sleep disorders can cause a wide variety of diseases, however, his relationship with cholelithiasis has not been proven. The importance of this study is further indicated by the fact that the population of insomnia is on the rise every year.
Aims: By understanding the causal relationship between sleep disorders and cholelithiasis through a Mendelian randomization method, we can better guide human work and rest to improve the quality of human life.
Methods: We use exposure factors from UK Biobank and FinnGen consortia as well as outcome variables using Multivariate Univariate as well as Multivariate Multifactor Mendelian randomization methods to analyze the causal relationship between insomnia and cholelithiasis.
Results: The results show that Nap during the day can increase the risk of cholelith (OR = 1.55 (1.10, 2.18), P = 0.011, P FDR = 0.078)and broad cholelith(OR = 1.54 (1.09, 2.17), P = 0.012, P FDR = 0.085). And, after further tests of multi-factor Mendelian randomization, the same results were still obtained (Cholelith P =0.04,Broad Cholelith P=0.04).
Conclusions: Nap during the day can increase the risk of gallstone disease. This result was obtained by Mendelian randomization, and the present study was proved to be solid by sensitivity analysis.
The Simplest Assessment of the Possibility of Using Microgravimeters to Search for Unknown Voids inside the Khufu Pyramid
Authors: Ivashov Sergey , Bugaev Alexander , Razevig Vladimir
Published: March 2023

The ancient pyramids keep a lot of mysteries and attract the attention of historians, archaeologists and just tourists from all over the world. Their assignment, construction methods and especially the discovery of previously unknown voids and structures inside them require further study using new technical solutions. The most famous of these structures is the Great (Khufu’s) Pyramid on the Giza plateau in Egypt. Since the middle of the last century, several non-destructive technical methods have been proposed for examining the internal structure of the pyramid. Electromagnetic translucence in the radio frequency range and the use of muon sensors are among them. Although the use of muon sensors has supposedly revealed two previously unknown voids within the Pyramid, independent confirmation of their presence is required. The article discusses the fundamental possibility of using gravimetry to examine the internal structure of the Great Pyramid, and analyzes combining it with other modern technical means including unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the implementation of this project. The paper proposes the simplest model that allows evaluating the required accuracy of a microgravimeter capable detecting the supposed voids in the Pyramid. The advantage of this approach, in addition to its simplicity, is the ability easily checking the presented in paper results. The main purpose of writing the article is to draw the attention of the scientific community to another method of non-destructive testing for the study of the internal structure of the Great Pyramid and discussion further needed steps in this direction.
Depth of drill dimple subpixel detection of aircraft skin rivet based on optimized Otsu algorithm
Authors: Ji Li , Zhang Hanli , Li Haiwei , Shen Lin , Zhang Xinxi , Zhang Yong
Published: March 2023

It is aimed to detect the drill dimple of aircraft skim rivet, a sub-pixel dimple depth detection method based on optimized Otsu algorithm is proposed. Firstly, the image is enhanced by gray transformation in point operation and smoothing and sharpening in neighborhood operation. After comparison, the optimal method is selected to enhance the collected dimple image.Then the histogram method is used for automatic threshold segmentation, the Prewitt algorithm is used for dimple edge recognition, the optimized Otsu algorithm is used for sub-pixel edge extraction to extract the inner and outer ring areas of dimple. Finally, the circle fitting is carried out combined with RANSAC algorithm to generate the circular contour and obtain the outer circle radius of dimple hole. Then the dimple depth is solved by inference method. Experiments shown that the detection method had strong sub-pixel accurate positioning ability, high accuracy, good stability and repeated measurement accuracy of ±15μm.
Gaining certainty out of uncertainty: Exploring the development of uncertainty experience in women with vulvar neoplasia – a longitudinal qualitative study
Authors: Eppel-Meichlinger Jasmin , Mayer Hanna , Steiner Enikö , Kobleder Andrea
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Uncertainty in illness is considered a significant psychosocial stressor, that negatively influences symptom distress, self-management strategies and quality of life in cancer patients and survivors. Women with vulvar neoplasia continue to experience uncertainty up to six months post-surgery. According to the Reconceptualized Uncertainty in Illness Theory, the appraisal of uncertainty changes positively over time in chronic illness. We aimed at exploring how the experience of uncertainty develops in women with vulvar neoplasia.

Methods

We selected a purposive sample of seven women diagnosed with vulvar neoplasia undergoing surgical treatment in four Swiss and one Austrian women's clinic. By means of a longitudinal qualitative study, we conducted 30 individual interviews at five points of time during one year after diagnosis. We applied Saldaña's analytical questions for longitudinal qualitative research.

Findings

First, participants experienced uncertainty as an existential threat, then an inherent part of their illness, and finally a certainty. When a new uncertainty arose, the experience of uncertainty changed even during the chronic course of the disease. Women initially associated the existential threat with a high risk for suffering from severe health deteriorations. Participants that could reduce their individually assessed risk by adopting health promoting behaviors, accepted the remaining uncertainty. From now on they reframed uncertainty into a certainty. This new mindset was based on a belief of promoting cancer recovery and reducing the risk of recurrence.

Conclusions

The long-lasting and oscillating nature of uncertainty should receive attention in supportive oncology care. Uncertainty concerning existential issues is of special importance since it can inhibit a positive development of uncertainty experience.
The geometry and combinatorics of an autocatalytic ecology in chemical and cluster chemical reaction networks
Authors: Gagrani Praful , Blanco Victor , Smith Eric , Baum David
Published: March 2023

Developing a mathematical understanding of autocatalysis in chemical reaction networks has both theoretical and practical implications. For a class of autocatalysis, which we term stoichiometric autocatalysis, we show that it is possible to classify them in equivalence classes and develop mathematical results about their behavior. We also provide a linear-programming algorithm to exhaustively enumerate them and a scheme to visualize their polyhedral geometry and combinatorics. We then define cluster chemical reaction networks, a framework for coarse-graining realistic chemical reactions using conservation laws. We find that the list of minimal autocatalytic subnetworks in a maximally connected cluster chemical reaction network with one conservation law grows exponentially in the number of species. We end our discussion with open questions concerning autocatalysis and multidisciplinary opportunities for future investigation.
REACH: Robust Efficient Authentication for Crowdsensing-based Healthcare
Authors: Nikooghadam Mahdi , Amintoosi Haleh , Shahriari Hamidreza
Published: March 2023

Crowdsensing systems enlist a group of people to contribute to sensor-based tasks. They involve people, also known as participants, who collect sensor data based on the task requirements specified by the requester, and send it to a server using an application. The sensor data can be either related to the participant and his/her daily activity or collected from the surrounding environment. The crowdsensing-based healthcare system is a sample of a crowdsensing system that provides smart healthcare-related services to patients and elderly people. In such a system, wearable sensors collect sensor data from patients and transmit them to the medical server across a public communication channel. Doctors can then access the data and prepare medical advice, resulting in a drastic reduction in hospital costs. However, patient data generally contain sensitive information that needs to be exchanged securely. Therefore, a significant security challenge is authenticating the sensor device (patient) and generating short-term keys for communicating medical data. Recently, Dharminder et al. and Gupta et al. designed authentication protocols for healthcare systems. In our paper, we show that these schemes are prone to a series of attacks including impersonation and stolen verifier attacks, and cannot provide perfect forward secrecy. We then propose a Robust and Efficient Authentication scheme for Crowdsensing-based Healthcare systems, called REACH. We prove that REACH supports perfect forward secrecy and anonymity and resists well-known attacks. We perform various formal and informal security analyses using the Real-OR-Random (ROR) Model, BAN logic, and the well-known Scyther tool. We also show that REACH outperforms the related methods in incurring the minimum computational overhead and comparable communication overhead.
Green Credit and Green Total Factor Energy Efficiency in Chinese Dual Carbon Context： Empirical study based on SBM-Malmquist-Luenberger
Authors: Zhao Hong-li , Wu Ming-hui
Published: March 2023

To achieve the objectives of carbon peaking by 2030 and neutrality by 2060, the pivotal approach to solving energy and environmental problems is to implement green credits by improving total green factor energy efficiency. With this background, this paper measures and analyses the trends and drivers of green total factor energy efficiency across 30 provinces in China from 2007 to 2020. First, this paper measures inter-provincial green total factor energy efficiency in China based on Porter's hypothesis using the Super-SBM model with non-desired outputs and analyses its trends. Second, it uses the Malmquist-Luenberger index to reflect the dynamics of the green total energy efficiency factors. In addition, a double fixed effects model is constructed to test the direction and transmission mechanism of the effect of green credit on energy efficiency. The results of this study indicate that the overall average value of total green factor energy efficiency in China is 0.464, which has more room for improvement. Green total factor energy efficiency of regions shows that the Eastern region > Western region > Central region, but the overall shows a slow downward trend. Secondly, by incorporating green credit and green total factor energy efficiency into the same measurement system, our results indicate that the promotion effect of green credit on green total factor energy efficiency is not significant in the short run. Commercial credit becomes an alternative means of financing to bank credit, but at a higher cost. Thirdly, by analyzing the decomposition point, green credit promotes green total factor energy efficiency mainly through improving green technological progress, and the ‘Porter hypothesis’ is verified.
CBCT and Micro-CT analysis of the mandibular first premolars with C-shaped canal system in Chinese population
Authors: Zhang Yimeng , Weng Xunben , Fu Yu , Qi Xuekai , Pan Yihuai , Zhao Yu
Published: March 2023

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of C-shaped root canal system in mandibular first premolar in Chinese population and to analyze the anatomical characteristics by Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and Micro–computed tomography (Micro-CT) together.
Methods CBCT images of 760 patients (1520 mandibular first premolars) were evaluated for the prevalence of C-shaped root canal system and the correlation with gender, age and position. 66 mandibular first premolars with C-shaped root canal system were scanned by Micro-CT and analyzed for morphologic features of the root canal anatomy (radicular groove, C-shaped root canal categories, accessory and connecting canals, apical foramina and accessory foramina).
Results C-shaped root canal system was found in 16.9% of mandibular first premolars. The minimum mesial wall thickness was mostly measured at the lingual site (69.7%). Among the cross-sectional C-shaped root canal system classifications, the highest prevalence was C2 type (41.5%). In the 3D C-shaped root canal system classification, the highest prevalence was S type (34.8%). Accessory canals were observed in 48.5% of the samples, mostly in the middle region. The presence of 1-3 variable connecting canals was observed in 42.4% of the samples. The number of apical foramina was predominantly 1 (40.9%).
Conclusions The incidence of C-shaped root canal system in mandibular first premolars was 16.9% in the Chinese population. It mostly had anatomical features such as deep root surface grooves, with C2 type and S type being the most prevalent.
Bach Mai Procedure with Combining Approach and Early Resection of The Terminal Ileum for Total Laparoscopic Right Hemicolectomy: A prospective study
Authors: NGUYEN Ngoc Hung , VU Xuan Vinh , NGUYEN Vu Quang , NGUYEN The Hiep , Du NGUYEN Huy , LUONG Tuan Hiep
Published: March 2023

Purpose. Total laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with complete mesocolic excision (CME), central vascular ligation (CVL) and D3 lymphadenectomy is still the most challenging colon procedures for gastrointestinal surgeons. We herein report the technical details and our preliminary experience of Bach Mai Procedure - a novel combining approach and early resection of the terminal ileum.
Methods. The Dissection Stage was central vascular isolation and ligation by a combined multiple approaches in the following four steps: (Cranial approach) dissecting along the inferior aspect of pancreatic isthmus to reveal the middle colic vessels and the anterior aspect of the superior mesentery vein, then exposed the right gastroepiploic vein and the trunk of Henle; (Medial-to-lateral approach) exposing the surgical axis - the superior mesenteric vascular axis, then early resection of the terminal ileum to open the dissection from the bottom up; (Caudal approach) radical ligation of the ileocecal artery and right colic artery (central vascular ligation), lymph node dissection (D3 lymphadenectomy) and (Lateral-to-medial approach) resecting the Toldt fascia of the colon to release the entire right colon from the abdominal wall.
Results. In 12 months, there were 32 cases of primary right-sided colon malignancies that have undergone tLRHD3, CME/CVL based on the novel combining approach and early resection of the terminal ileum. In 3 cases (9.4%), the tumor site was hepatic flexure. The median of lymph node number (LNN) was 38, with the maximum number was 101. No serious postoperative complications (grade III or higher) neither in-hospital mortality was detected.
Conclusion. This novel combining approach and early resection of the terminal ileum is technically feasible and safe for tLRHD3, CME/CVL. Further investigations and follow-up must be proceeded to evaluate the long-term outcomes of our technique.
Is Sortilin an indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis?
Authors: Tas-Aygar Gamze , Cevirgen-Cemil Bengu , Kaplanoglu Hatice , Eren Ayse Arzu , Gonul Muzeyyen
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Systemic comorbidities are quite common in psoriasis, which is a chronic inflammatory disease. These comorbidities are important causes of mortality and morbidity. Atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular events are important causes of death at an early age. Atherosclerosis is a condition that can be detected by radiological examination. We aimed to evaluate the role of serum sortilin as possible markers for subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis.
Methods: Serum levels of sotilin was measured by ELISA in 33 psoriasis patients and in 33 healthy controls. Waist circumference and body mass index of both groups were recorded; Fasting plasma glucose(FPG), HOMA-IR, serum lipid and sortilin levels were measured. Carotid and femoral intima-media thicknesses (CIMT, FIMT) were measured by USG. Demographic characteristics, the severity of psoriasis (PASI), age of onset, total duration and presence of nail involvement of patients included in the study were recorded.
Results: The mean serum sortilin level was 6.20 ± 3.11 ng / mL in the patient group and 7.82 ± 4.97 ng / mL in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between serum sortilin levels in both groups (p = 0.729). There was no statistically significant relationship between serum levels of sortilin and disease severity (p = 0.597). The right and left CIMT values of the patients were significantly higher than the controls (p = 0.012, p = 0.020). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of FIMT values. There was a statistically significant relationship between serum sortilin levels and right CIMT in patients (p = 0.031).
Discussion: The positive correlation between the level of sortilin and the right CIMT in our patient group confirmed that sortilin may be an indicator of subclinical atherosclerosis in psoriasis patients.
Optimization of Sand Parameters to Improve the Quality of Cast Iron Using Taguchi
Authors: Nenzhelele Rendani , Madzivhandila Takalani
Published: March 2023

The main aim of the foundry industries is to produce quality castings with no rejection. In addition, in the present era of global competition, manufacturing industries has bound to take the challenge that is demand for high quality product with reduced lead–time. However, with the diversity of greensand casting parameters, it results in varying effects on the quality.
With sand being one of the most frequent cause of quality reject/rework, it is essential to understand the effect it has on the casting outcome. Taguchi’s approach in quality states that the quality of a product is dependent on the input, he figured that the perfect time to eliminate differences in products is during the designing and manufacturing of products, he developed a strategy for quality that can be used in process. Therefore, it is important to understand the inputs in sand mould preparation.
The focus of the research is on greensand moulding process. The casting defect is the most contributing factor to quality reject in most foundries. The sand moulding process is the most contributing factor to the formation scrap. The target in foundries is to achieve low casting defects at minimum cost.
It is essential to select significant parameters that cause variation of quality characteristic of castings .data should be collected dictated by the chosen orthogonal array (OA) and parameter levels. With the collected at the analysis of variance (ANOVA) can be generated to determine the statistical importance of parameter and response graphs are plotted to determine the optimum setting of control parameter
Do Users Adopt Extremist Beliefs from Exposure to Hateful Subreddits?
Authors: Schmitz Matheus , Muric Goran , Hickey Daniel , Burghardt Keith
Published: March 2023

Social media offers an avenue for like-minded individuals to interact in ways that were previously not possible. Yet, it can also be a breeding ground for hate and extremism to spread. Despite research into hate speech on social media, its influence on users adopting extremist beliefs is less understood. In this study we use causal analysis to quantify extremist adoption resulting from users becoming active in hateful online communities known as \textit{subreddits}. Using an Interrupted Time Series research design, we compare users who became involved in hateful subreddits (treatment group) to those who did not (control group). This analysis is reproduced across ten different subreddits covering four different topics: Alt-Right, Racism, Sexism, Fat-Shaming. From these analyses we uncover a causal link between a user becoming active in a hateful community and using more hate speech both within hateful subreddits and across the wider platform. The results are consistent and replicate across communities. Our findings are tentative evidence that users adopt extremist ideas from exposure to hateful subreddits.
Tremor and Paradoxical bronchospasm caused by Terbutaline
Authors: Wang Deyan , Liu Jinping , Liang Bin , Zhang Jing , Zhou Ya , Zhang Xu
Published: March 2023

Background Common adverse reactions of terbutaline include skeletal muscle tremor, headache,tachycardia, palpitations, hypokalemia and so on.Bronchospasm caused by terbutaline is rarely reported. This article reports one case of severe bronchospasm caused by nebulized terbutaline sulfate inhalation therapy. Case presentation A 51-year-old female patient was admitted to hospital with acute bronchitis.The main complaints were cough, sputum and wheezing. She has no history of drug or food allergies. On the day of admission, terbutaline nebulization treatment immediately caused limb tremor and bronchospasm. After glucocorticoid, aminophylline, non-invasive respiratory support and other symptomatic treatments,the patient improved on the 4th day. Conclusion The mechanism of terbutaline leading to bronchospasm is still unclear. The tert-butylline on the chemical structure of terbutaline may bind to proteins to produce IgE-mediated bronchospasm, The excipient ededidine disodium and the osmotic pressure of the nebulized diluent may also lead to bronchospasm. During the clinical treatment, hypotonic nebulizing dilutions should be avoided, and close monitor should be taken in case ofpossible fatal bronchospasm.
Tidal Heating in Io
Authors: Matsuyama Isamu N. , Steinke Teresa , Nimmo Francis
Published: March 2023

Io experiences strong, periodic, gravitational tides from Jupiter because of its close distance to the planet and its elliptic orbit. This generates internal friction that heats the interior, a naturally occurring process in the Solar System and beyond. Io is unique in our Solar System because it gets most of its internal energy from this tidal heating, providing an ideal laboratory for improving our understanding of this fundamental process that plays a key role in the thermal and orbital evolution of the Moon, satellites in the outer Solar System, and extrasolar planets.
Planos de bacias hidrográficas do estado de Santa Catarina: uma análise comparativa
Authors: De Lima Trindade Larissa , Locatelli Majeski Julia Carolina , Von Fruauff Pavan Nilara Izabel , Fortunato de Oliveira Rodrigo , Neves da Silva Marlon Luiz
Published: March 2023

Os planos de bacias hidrográficas são instrumentos prioritários e essenciais de qualquer planejamento hídrico. Neste sentido, este artigo objetivou analisar comparativamente as informações principais presentes nos planos de bacias hidrográficas do Estado de Santa Catarina. Para tanto, utiliza-se o método de pesquisa documental e bibliográfica, partindo da análise dos planos de bacias hidrográficos existentes no Estado de Santa Catarina, a fim de categorizar as informações mais importantes, itens faltantes e limitações dos mesmos. Foram avaliados 11 planos de gerenciamento hídricos aprovados e disponíveis na íntegra pelo Estado. Os resultados revelaram que estes planos levam um tempo médio de elaboração e aprovação bastante elevado; também se observou que não há um padrão de informações constantes nestes documentos. Alguns planos possuem informações mais completas e relevantes para a gestão do território das bacias do que outros. Como lacunas percebe-se a falta de muitas informações no que se refere à qualidade das águas e ao correto enquadramento dos corpos hídricos, ou seja, muitos planos não estabelecem a meta correta a ser alcançada por seus corpos de água de acordo com os usos preponderantes, conforme determina a Resolução do Conselho Nacional do Meio Ambiente nº 357 de 2005. Por fim, destaca-se que estes planos auxiliam a planejar e a desenvolver adequadamente todo o território da bacia. A ausência de informações essenciais sobre a gestão e o planejamento hídrico pode afetar consideravelmente o desenvolvimento regional destas localidades.
Customer Satisfaction: A Central Phenomenon in Digital Marketing J&T Express
Authors: Violinda Qristin , Alfadila Annisa , Wattegama Erandi Jinadari , Gultom Henry Casandra
Published: March 2023

The decrease in the number of JT express users for 2017-2020 is a serious problem because consumers choose to use other expeditions.This study aims to determine the effect of service quality, delivery rates, timeliness on customer satisfaction JT Express Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, PGRI University Semarang. In this study, students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, PGRI University Semarang in the 2017,2018,2019 class with a total of 256 respondents. The process of collecting data by distributing questionnaires through the Google Form for Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas PGRI Semarang in the 20172018,2019 class. This study uses Multiple Linear Test with IBM SPSS 22. The results of this study indicate a positive and significant effect between service quality, shipping rates on customer satisfaction JT Express Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, PGRI University Semarang. Punctuality has no effect on customer satisfaction JT Express Students of the Faculty of Economics and Business, PGRI University Semarang. Quality of service, delivery rates and timeliness there are variables that must be considered, namely related to timeliness because service quality and delivery rates affect customer satisfaction