bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Some New Results on Energy of Graphs with Self Loops
Authors: Popat Kalpesh M. , Shingala Kunal R.
Published: January 2023

Note: Please see pdf for full abstract with equations.
The graph Gσ is obtained from graph G by attaching self loops onσ vertices. The energy E(Gσ) of the graph Gσ with order n and eigenvalues λ1, λ2, . . . , λn is defined as sum of absoute values of difference of eigenvalues and σ/n.It has been proved that if σ = 0 or n then E(G) = E(Gσ).The obvious question arise: Are there any graph such that E(G) =E(Gσ) and 0< σ < n? We have found an affirmative answer of thisquestion and contributed a graph family which satisfies this property.
An in vivo investigation on the wound-healing activity of Specific ligand for the innate repair receptor, ARA290, using a diabetic animal model
Authors: Mashreghi Moeen , Bayrami Zahra , Sichani Negin Asemi , Salamat Sara , Ghiabi Shamim , Ashari Sorour , Ghassemi-barghi Nasrin
Published: January 2023

The diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) are serious problems to diabetes and may be associated with late healing and septic manifestation, consequently result in amputation which is an extortionate incident. The innate repair receptor (IRR) is expressed by injured tissues and is activated by erythropoietin produced and released into damaged tissue. Activation of the IRR might provide benefit for diabetic wound healing. This study evaluated effect of a specific IRR agonist, ARA290, on skin wound repair. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of topical application based on ARA290, in streptozotocin-induced diabetic incision wound models rats. The treatment was performed daily, until day 14 after wound induction. Wound closure was determined and the features of the repaired tissue were examined, including amount of collagen and protein content, biochemical parameters, antioxidant status and proinflammatory cytokines. The data confirmed wound healing activities via macroscopic, biochemical, immunofluorescent and molecular methods. There was meaningful acceleration in wound closure rate, decrease in the period of re-epitalization, greater amount of collagen and protein content in ARA290 treated group when compared with control group. The increase of serum insulin and HDL was divergent with blood glucose decrease and reduced lipid level. The healing effect was confirmed by reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines and lipid peroxidation and augmented antioxidants. The results propose that ARA290-arbitrated IRR activation may signify an appealing approach to treat diabetes-associated wound healing.
Sesame oil affect learning and memory impairment, anxiety and biomarkers of oxidative stress in rats with a long-term high-fat diet consumption
Authors: Rustaei Mojtaba , Sadeghian Reihaneh , Salehi Iraj , Sarihi Abdolrahman , Shahidi Siamak , Faraji Nafiseh , Komaki Alireza
Published: January 2023

Nowadays, high-fat foods are eaten in most societies, which causes memory impairment and anxiety through the oxidative stress pathway. Sesame oil (SO) has potential antioxidant properties. The hypothesis of this study was that sesame oil affect memory impairment and anxiety caused by a high-fat diet (HFD) in male rats. Eighty male Wistar rats were divided into eight groups (n = 10): control (standard diet; SD), the HFD, SD + SO (0.5, 1, or 2 ml/kg; once/day, gavage), and HFD + SO (0.5, 1, or 2 ml/kg; once/day, gavage) groups. All diets were given to the animals for three months. Finally, behavioral and oxidative stress parameters were measured. The step-through latency of retention test in SD + SO (0.5 or 1 ml/kg) groups increased more than the control group. Also, the Barnes test on training days revealed that the latency time to find the target hole increased in the HFD group compared with the control group. Moreover, the time spent on the open arms in the SD + SO (0.5 ml/kg) group improved remarkably than the control group. Total oxidant (TOS) level in the HFD + SO (0.5, 1, and 2 ml/kg) groups was lower than the HFD group. The level of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the SD + SO (2 ml/kg) group was higher than the SD + SO (0.5 ml/kg) group and the amount of thiol in the HFD group decreased compared with the control group. These findings suggest that the positive effects of SO on memory and anxiety are probably due to its antioxidant properties and the elimination of free radicals.
On the study of dye sensitized solar cells with high light harvesting efficiency and correlation of its chemical reactivity parameters with overall performance
Authors: Dua Harkishan , Kaya Savaş , Sarkar Utpal
Published: January 2023

In this study, thirteen donors with the same spacer and acceptor have been tested to model dyes for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Amongst the thirteen donors, 7,7,13,13-tetramethyl-8,9,12,13-tetrahydro-2H,5H,7H,11Hpyrano[2′,3′:4,5]pyrano[2,3-f]pyrido[3,2,1-ij]quinoline-2,5-dione is found to possess the highest oscillator strength amongst the other dyes in first excited state. This donor has been studied further with five different acceptors, among which, the dye with rhodanine acetic acid acceptor as well as its conformer have the lowest HOMO-LUMO energy gap (Eg), highest absorption wavelength in the UV-visible spectrum with high oscillator strength and low exciton binding energy in the first excited state as compared to the other four dyes considered here. The rhodanine acetic acid based dyes have shown to outperform all the other four dyes in terms of chemical reactivity parameters. All the six dyes when tested further with the inclusion of an extra benzene spacer show enhanced overall performance, with the rhodanine acetic acid based dyes showing the most planarity, highest absorption wavelength, more suitable reactivity parameters etc. Correlation studies between the solar cell parameters and chemical reactivity parameters have also been conducted where a direct relationship between the chemical hardness of the dye and open circuit voltage has been observed.
Combination therapy of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for recurrent leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata with endometriosis: a case report
Authors: Xiao Xiaoli , Wang Cong , Zhang Yuyuan , Li Fang , Zhang Huan , Ma Ruiqing , Zhai Xichao
Published: January 2023

Background Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata (LPD) is a non-metastatic, homologous, multicentric benign disorder characterized by small leiomyomas scattered over the peritoneum and omentum. It is a rare and benign disease with invasive potential. LPD mainly attacks women of childbearing age, but it has also been reported in postmenopausal women, men, and young children. Non-specific clinical and imaging findings of LPD lead to difficult diagnoses and treatment. Case presentation This study reports the case of a patient with recurrent LPD with endometriosis after multiple myomectomies and hysterectomy, who presented recurrent abdominal pain with progressive exacerbation. Imaging examinations showed irregular shadows in the pelvic cavity and multiple nodular changes in the peritoneum, which were considered malignant lesions. A solid mass sized 10 mm × 9 mm × 10 mm in the inferior pelvis and nodules scattered over the surface of pelvic and abdominal organs and the peritoneum were detected during the surgery. The patient was treated with cytoreductive surgery (CRS), peritonectomy, ovarian ablation, and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The surgery was challenging, and the intraoperative bleeding reached 900 ml. However, the patient recovered well and achieved a tumor-free survival of 13 months. Conclusions It was concluded that a combination of CRS, peritonectomy, ovarian ablation, and HIPEC is an effective therapeutic strategy for recurrent LPD.
Development and validation of predictive models for mortality and length of hospitalisation in adults with community-onset bacteraemia under the COVID-19 pandemic: Application of early data dynamics
Authors: Lee Ching-Chi , Hung Yuan-Pin , Hsieh Chih-Chia , Ho Ching-Yu , Hsu Chiao-Ya , Li Cheng-Te , Ko Wen-Chien
Published: January 2023

Background
Bacteraemia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and contributes substantially to healthcare costs. The development of a scoring system to predict the short-term mortality and the length of hospitalisation (LOS) in patients with bacteraemia is essential to improve quality of care and reduce variance in hospital bed occupancy.
Methods
This multicentre study of patients hospitalised with community-onset bacteraemia retrospectively enrolled derivation and validation cohorts in the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 eras. This study developed five models to compare the performances of various scoring algorithms. Model I incorporated all variables available on day 0, Model II incorporated all variables available on day 3, and Models III, IV, and V incorporated the variables that changed from day 0 to day 3. This study adopted the statistical and machine learning (ML) methods to determine the crucial determinants of 30-day mortality and LOS in patients with community-onset bacteraemia, respectively.
Results
A total of 3,639 (81.4%) and 834 (18.6%) patients were included in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. Model IV best predicted 30-day mortality in both cohorts; it achieved the best performance (i.e., the largest area under the receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve) according to the results of the logistic regression and most ML methods. The most frequently identified variables incorporated into Model IV were deteriorated consciousness from day 0 to day 3 and deteriorated respiration from day 0 to day 3. The generalised linear models and the majorities of ML methods also identified Model V as having the best performance (i.e., the lowest mean square error) in predicting LOS. The most frequently identified variables incorporated into Model V were deteriorated consciousness from day 0 to day 3, a body temperature ≤ 36.0°C or ≥ 39.0°C on day 3, and a diagnosis of complicated bacteraemia.
Conclusions
For hospitalised adults with community-onset bacteraemia, clinical variables that dynamically changed from day 0 to day 3 were crucial in predicting both the short-term mortality and their LOS.
Bacterial Contamination of surfaces in the surgical rooms at Al-Mak Nimer University Hospital, Shendi Town- Sudan, 2023
Authors: Dafaalla Afra Ahmed , Ali Alhaj Saad Mohamed Ahmed , Jubara Aamer Osman
Published: January 2023

Background; bacterial Contamination in surfaces at surgical rooms is one of the most life-threatening sources of infection acquired in hospitals for patients.
The study was conducted at El-Mak Nimer University Hospital in Shendi town from the beginning of October 2022 to January 2023 to isolate and identification of pathogenic bacteria in the surgical site environment.
Material and methods; 30 Samples were taken by passing a cotton swab on the surfaces in surgical rooms, than incubated in the laboratory, isolated and conducted the necessary tests to identify the types of bacteria.
Results; bacterial contamination was detected as 43.3% in the surfaces samples, pathogenic bacteria were 52% of the bacteria detected, 69.23% of pathogenic bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus, 23.07% was Pseudomonas and 7.7% was Klebsiella.
A developed algorithm for the evaluation of calibration intervals for equipment devices in testing and calibration laboratories
Authors: Sadek A. M. , Alsalamah Hussain M.
Published: January 2023

In the present study, a method has been developed to evaluate the calibration interval for equipment devices based on their calibration records. Small-shift sensitive control charts along with a linear predictive model have been used to predict the date at which the performance of the equipment is expected to be out-of-tolerance. The Monte-Carlo algorithm has been implemented to simulate errors of random and systematic trend components. The responses of the cumulative sum (CUSUM), V-mask, and moving average (MA) control charts have been investigated and compared with the usual Shewhart control chart in various cases. The CUSUM control chart has shown an optimum performance in assessing the systematic trend and reasonable estimation for the calibration intervals. An oversensitivity to the systematic trend error, on the other hand, has been observed in the performance of the V-mask QC that may lead to unnecessary short calibration intervals. The MA control chart has shown a similar performance to the CUSUM. However, its parameter requires to be adjusted based on the size of the calibration records.
Concise and interpretable multi-label rule sets
Authors: Ciaperoni Martino , Xiao Han , Gionis Aristides
Published: January 2023

Multi-label classification is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, but not much attention has been paid to interpretability. In this paper, we develop a multi-label classifier that can be represented as a concise set of simple “if-then” rules, and thus, it offers better interpretability compared to black-box models. Notably, our method is able to find a small set of relevant patterns that lead to accurate multi-label classification, while existing rule-based classifiers are myopic and wasteful in searching rules, requiring a large number of rules to achieve high accuracy. In particular, we formulate the problem of choosing multi-label rules to maximize a target function, which considers not only discrimination ability with respect to labels, but also diversity. Accounting for diversity helps to avoid redundancy, and thus, to control the number of rules in the solution set. To tackle the said maximization problem we propose a 2-approximation algorithm, which circumvents the exponential-size search space of rules using a novel technique to sample highly discriminative and diverse rules. In addition to our theoretical analysis, we provide a thorough experimental evaluation, which indicates that our approach offers a trade-off between predictive performance and interpretability that is unmatched in previous work.
Experimental Study of Corrosion Inhibition of Carbon Steel in Acidic Environment Using Natural Guar Gum
Authors: Chandio Azmat , Kumar Mukesh , Mashooque Suhail , Aftab Umair , Hussain Tanweer
Published: January 2023

Steel is considered as a versatile material due to intrinsic mechanical properties and potential technological applications. However, environmental exposure inevitably oxidize and cause catastrophic industrial failures. To mitigate the oxidation of steel, various prevention methods are adopted, which are toxic and expensive. Herein, an eco-friendly and inexpensive approach is studied to prevent carbon steel from oxidation in the HCl environment. Biodegradable, non-ionic and water-soluble green inhibitor containing hetero polysaccharides is prepared by using guar seeds. Electrochemical measurement studies reveal that guar gum creates a non-conductive adhesive layer between the metal and corrosive media by adsorbing on the metallic surface. Fourier transform infrared and surface analysis confirms the adsorption of guar gum molecules on the metal surface. Industrially viable Gravimetric analysis results provided a weight loss efficiency of 91% for 24 hours, which decreases with exposure time. Lastly, Temkin adsorption model is used to validate adsorption and resulting inhibition.
Polymer-free gel electrolyte and its application in TiO2 -based electrochromic devices
Authors: Gunathilaka H. M.B.I. , Seneviratne V. A. , Sarangika H. N.M.
Published: January 2023

Electrochromic devices based on polymer-free gel electrolytes (PFGE), offer several advantages over polymer electrolytes. The preparation and characterization of a fumed silica-based PFGE and its applications in TiO2 electrochromic devices (ECD) were the main aims of the present study. A series of liquid electrolytes were prepared by mixing lithium chloride (LiCl) and ethylene Glycol (EG). The total oxygen moles of EG to lithium ions of LiCl ratio (O: Li+) was altered from 5:1 to 80:1 and the ionic conductivities were measured. The highest ionic conductivity was observed for 15: 1 molar ratio with the value being the 1.28 × 10-2 S cm−1.
In order to prepare PFGE, (10 wt. %) of fumed silica from the total weight of EG and LiCl were added to the optimized liquid electrolyte EG/LiCl as the polymer-free gelling agent. The maximum ionic conductivity was found in O: Li = 10: 1, with the value being 8.94 × 10-3 S cm-1. Notable electrochromic properties of TiO2/FTO were observed with higher optical modulation of 73% at 700 nm and a noticeable switching speed of Tbleaching= 42.5 s and Tcoloring= 16.7 s were observed.
Cost-sensitive PLM-based Approach for Arabic and English Cyberbullying Classification
Authors: Harbaoui Azza , Benaissa Azzeddine Rachid , ghezala Henda Ben
Published: January 2023

Cyberbullying is a hurtful phenomenon that spreads widely on social networks and negatively affects the lives of individuals. Detecting this phenomenon is of utmost necessity to make the digital environment safer for youth. This study uses a bilingual classification of cyberbullying on Ara-bic and English datasets. A four-module approach is proposed. It consists of preprocessing the textual data, generating sentence embeddings, performing the classification, and evaluating the results of the models. The approach relies on two strategies based on transfer learning of pre-trained NLP models. The first uses PLMs (ELMo, Universal Sentence Encoder, BERT, distilBERT, and RoBERTa) to generate sentence embeddings, while the second adopts a fine-tuning procedure of BERT-based PLMs for cyberbullying classification. Due to the frequent class imbalance problem in the research literature, this study used cost-sensitive learning algorithms trained to maximize the Recall/F1 score. The aim is to search for the best classification model that most accurately separates the cyber-bullying and non-cyberbullying classes. The models achieve 75-84%.
Inconsistent effects of warming and increased precipitation on ecosystem multifunctionality in an alpine meadow
Authors: Shi Lina , Lin Zhenrong , Yao Zeying , Peng Cuoji , Hu Meng-ai , Yin Ning , Lu Xinmin , Zhou Huakun , Liu Kesi , Shao Xinqing
Published: January 2023

Climate change is well-known to alter the structure and function of grassland ecosystems. Warming and humidification are predicted to be the climate change trend on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, understanding of how warming and increased precipitation affect ecosystem multifunctionality in alpine meadows is still limited. Here, we conducted an 8-year field experiment involving warming and increased precipitation in an alpine meadow to explore how warming, increased precipitation, and their interaction affect ecosystem multifunctionality through measuring plant and soil functions. The results indicated that increased precipitation, rather than warming or their interaction, had a positive effect on ecosystem multifunctionality. Warming altered the plant composition and decreased species richness, plant coverage, and plant nutrient carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) pools of sedges, but increased plant C, N, and P pools of legumes and N pools of grasses. Increased precipitation enhanced plant P pool of legumes and C, N, and P pools of grasses and aboveground community. Soil moisture and ammonium nitrogen also showed positive responses to increased precipitation. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation modeling suggested that soil moisture, soil ammonium nitrogen, and plant nutrient pools jointly drove the response of ecosystem multifunctionality to increased precipitation. Our study highlighted the dominant role of precipitation in determining the influence of climate change on ecosystem multifunctionality in semi-arid alpine meadows.
Association between severe acute malnutrition in childhood and hematological disorders in adulthood: the Lwiro follow-up study in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Bedha Aline , Shindano Tony , Hermans Michel P. , Havelange Violaine , Makali Samuel , Minani Jimmy , Ngaboyeka Gaylord , Kunaba Edwige , Donnen Philippe , Dramaix Michelle , Bisimwa Ghislain , Mwene-Batu Pacifique
Published: January 2023

Background: Despite growing evidence on the short-term deleterious effects of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in childhood on hematopoiesis, little is known about the long-term hematological effects of SAM in low-income countries (LICs). Our study explored the association between childhood SAM and hematological disorders in young adults 11 to 30 years after post-SAM nutritional rehabilitation.
Methods: This follow up study investigated 97 adults (mean age 32 years) treated for SAM during childhood in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between 1988 and 2007. Participants were compared to 97 aged- and sex-matched adult controls living in the same community with no history of SAM. Outcomes of interest were hematological characteristics and disorders in adulthood, assessed by various biological markers. Logistic and linear regression models were used to estimate the association between SAM in childhood and risk of hematological abnormalities.
Results: Compared to the unexposed, the exposed had higher mean white blood cells (/µl) [+840 (179 to 1501), p=0.013], neutrophils [+504 (83 to 925), p=0.019] and platelets (*103) [11.9 (8.1 to 17.9), p=0.038] even after adjustment for food consumption in adulthood. No difference was observed in red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin and erythrocytes parameters. With regard to the risk of hematological disorders, in contrast to the unexposed, exposed subjects had a risk of hyperleukocytosis approximately three times higher [adjusted OR (95% CI): 2.98 (1.01 to 8.79), p=0.048]. No difference was observed in terms of anemia, leukopenia, increased platelets and thrombocytopenia between the 2 groups.
Conclusion: Adults with a history of SAM in childhood have hematological characteristics that could predispose to chronic low-grade inflammatory or infectious diseases that persists after nutritional rehabilitation in an environment with no nutritional transition. Larger cohort studies with bone marrow analyses could provide further understanding of the impact of SAM on the overall hematological profile in adult life
Long-term Energy System Modelling for a Clean Energy Transition in Egypt's Energy Sector
Authors: Gibson Anna
Published: January 2023

Egypt has the potential to generate significant amounts of renewable energy, particularly solar PV, concentrated solar power (CSP) and onshore and offshore wind. Its large economy and rapidly growing population mean that the country is facing increasing energy demand. The energy sector is reliant on fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, for electricity production and is at risk of locking itself into a high carbon pathway. Globally, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with national energy sectors is a target outlined in the UN’s Paris Agreement. To reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with a higher dependence on fossil fuels, Egypt must consider upscaling renewable energy technologies (RET) to achieve a clean energy transition (CET).

This research modelled six scenarios using OSeMOSYS to identify the technologies and policy target improvements that are needed to upscale RETs within the energy sector. OSeMOSYS is a bottom-up, long-term energy system model that applies linear optimisation techniques to determine an array of least-cost technologies to satisfy a defined energy demand. The results showed that solar PV and onshore wind are key technologies to be upscaled to contribute towards Egypt’s CET. The optimal renewable target is the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) 53% of electricity to be sourced from RETs by 2030, which will cost $16.4 billion more up to 2035 than Egypt’s current Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy (ISES) target of 42% by 2035; it also saves 732.0 Mt of CO2 over the entire modelling period to 2070.

Socio-economic barriers to this transition are considered, such as recent discoveries of natural gas reserves combined with a history of energy insecurity, political instability impacting investor confidence, and a lack of international climate funding. The paper concludes with policy recommendations that will enable Egypt to achieve a CET.
Higher sensitivity to human gaze under additional cost and risk: a field study on Azure-winged magpies
Authors: Yu Fan , Wang Xu , Zhao Yumeng , Li Zhongqiu
Published: January 2023

In predator-prey interactions, various factors affect the prey's perception of risk and decision to flee. Gaze sensitivity, the ability to react to the presence, direction, or movement of the head and eyes, has been reported in many birds and they could recognise not only the head direction but the subtle difference in eye direction. But few studies focused on variation in sensitivity to human gaze in relation to other risks and costs. Here, we studied the influence of human gaze on the escape behaviour of Azure-winged magpies (Cyanopica cyanus) and investigated the effects of breeding state and directness of approach on gaze sensitivity. In Experiment 1, we tested whether magpies showed different sensitivity to human gaze according to age class and breeding state when being approached directly. The results showed that the breeding state could affect the flight initiation distance (FID), with adults in the breeding season having a shorter FID. Meanwhile, only adults were found to be averse to direct human gaze and juveniles showed no sensitivity, implying that gaze aversion was not innate. In Experiment 2, we conducted three different gaze treatments on adult magpies in the breeding season under three bypass distances (0m, 2.5m, 5m). The results showed that directness of approach had no effects on FID, while the sensitivity to human gaze differed under three bypass distances. Adults could clearly recognise human head and eye direction at a certain bypass distance (2.5m). Our study reveals the cognitive ability of Azure-winged magpies to human head and eye direction and the effects of additional cost and risk, which may provide further insights into human-wildlife interactions, especially for birds in urban habitats.
Asymmetric effect of deforestation on the functional roles of interacting plants and hummingbirds
Authors: Guevara Esteban A. ,   D. Matthias Dehling1, Bello Carolina , Schleuning Matthias , Pellissier Loïc , G Tatiana Santander , Tobar Francisco , Graham Catherine H.
Published: January 2023

Among global change drivers, deforestation not only erodes biodiversity but also the functions that species play in an ecosystem. The maintenance of many ecosystem functions, such as pollination, depends on the functional roles fulfilled by interacting plants and animals. Given that plants and animals respond differently to deforestation, a perspective that considers the functional roles of both interacting partners is needed but rarely considered. The contribution of species to an ecosystem function, i.e. the functional role, can be measured from the traits of its interacting partners. The functional role of a pollinator is based on the traits of the plants it visits and, conversely, the functional role of a plant species can be measured from the traits of its pollinators. Using 24,554 interactions between 33 hummingbird and 289 plant species, and their functional traits, collected across 14 sites and two years of sampling, we quantified species individual functional roles, the diversity of functional roles as the combination of all species functional roles, and the functional redundancy as the overlap in functional roles. We then evaluated the influence of habitat and elevation on the diversity and redundancy of functional roles. Deforestation disproportionally reduced the diversity and redundancy of functional roles of plants compared to their hummingbird pollinators, implying loss of plant functional roles with deforestation. Although deforestation had no effect on the diversity of functional roles of hummingbirds, the composition of their functional roles changed between habitats. By evaluating both trophic levels we found that deforestation more strongly influences the contribution of plants to ecosystem function. Given that ecosystem functions depend on the functional roles fulfilled by species in the two trophic groups, the reduced diversity of functional roles fulfilled by plants will likely affect the delivery of pollination function. Our evaluation of the functional roles of all species engaged in trophic interactions helped us to unravel an asymmetric effect of deforestation on plants and hummingbirds. Our approach to evaluate species’ functional roles in trophic networks can be extended to other ecosystem functions, in order to gain a holistic understanding on how ecosystem functions are affected by drivers of global change.
Awareness and utilization of Moringa oleifera as a sustainable livelihood approach: A case study of Sauyemwa West and Kaisosi East areas in Rundu, Kavango East region, Namibia
Authors: Kwaambwa Esther L C , Amwele Hilma R , Kwaambwa Habauka M
Published: January 2023

Objective: This study explored the awareness and utilization of Moringa oleifera for sustainable livelihoods in Kaisosi East and Sauyemwa West areas in Rundu in Kavango East region, Namibia
Methodology: Purposive sampling was used to select two regions which are Kaisosi East and Sauyemwa West of Rundu in Kavango East region. Data on socio-demographics and uses of M. oleifera was collected using a structured interview questionnaire from 82 farmers that were randomly selected across the two selected areas of study.
Results: Majority of farmers in the study area were female (56.1%) whereas for employment status 68.3% were unemployed and for educational, 51.2% had attained secondary school level of education. Results from the study revealed that majority of the respondents (48.8%) fell within the range of 20-39 years and 67.1% were single. The results also showed that the majority of the respondents were aware of the Moringa plant such that 34.7% use it for medicinal purposes and 19.5% as source of income generation through the sales of Moringaproducts. The results showed that there is no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the use of Moringa between socio-demographic factors. The study further revealed that many of the farmers were aware of the plant and could identify the plant physically and by name.
Recommendations: The study suggests that there is a large scope for increasing the cultivation and utilization of the M. oleifera in the study area. To achieve that objective, efforts are needed to improve farmers’ access to credit and markets as well as training production and processing of M. oleifera.
Intraspecific trait variation and species turnover in successional tropical forests: assessing trait imputation for community weighted means
Authors: Hogan J. Aaron , Xu Han , Baraloto Christopher
Published: January 2023

Accounting for intraspecific trait variation (ITV) is crucial to plant ecology for vegetation modeling efforts. ITV can be substantial; however, it remains unclear how ITV influences community-weighted mean (CWM) trait estimates. We use leaf and root trait data from 423 trees of 72 species from 15 Angiosperm families in combination with community data from 164 25×25m plots comprising 580 species to evaluate the contributions of ITV and compositional turnover to CWMs, comparing unlogged primary tropical forest to selectively-logged and clear-cut secondary tropical forest. We also examine the effect of imputing missing trait values using phylogenetic generalized linear modeling (PhyloPars) on CWMs. For six of the seven traits, ITV negatively covaried with community compositional turnover to generate larger CWM differences between forest types than observed if ITV was not integrated. For example, plot average weighted mean specific leaf area was 10.7 and 10.4 m2 kg-1 for primary and secondary forests, not accounting for ITV, but shifted to 9.8 and 11.1 m2 kg-1 after doing so. Our results from 72-species assemblages were largely consistent with results using phylogenetically-imputed traits for the entire community. The contribution of ITV to CWMs ranged from 25 to 75%, with nearly all trait variation due to forest type attributable to ITV. CWM trait estimates became more conservative with forest age, whereas ITV for many traits showed an opposing acquisitive shift (i.e., increasing in leaf area or root length), and because of negative covariation between ITV and species turnover, forest age-related weighted-mean trait differences increased.
Simulation of Reverse Osmosis Process: Novel Approaches and Development Trends
Authors: Huliienko S. V. , Korniyenko Y. M. , Muzyka S. M. , Holubka K.
Published: January 2023

Reverse osmosis is an essential technological separation process that has a large number of practical applications. The mathematical simulation is significant for designing and determining the most effective modes of membrane equipment operation and for a deep understanding of the processes in membrane units. This paper is an attempt at systematization and generalizing the results of the investigations dedicated to reverse osmosis simulation, which was published from 2011 to 2020. The main approaches to simulation were analyzed, and the scope of use of each of them was delineated. It was defined that computational fluid dynamics was the most used technique for reverse osmosis simulation; the intensive increase in using of molecular dynamics methods was pointed out. Since these two approaches provide the deepest insight into processes, it is likely that they will further be widely used for reverse osmosis simulations. At the same time, for the simulation of the membrane plant, it is reasonable to use the models that required the simplest solutions methods. The solution-diffusion model appears to be the most effective and flexible for these purposes. Therefore, this model was widely used in considering the period. The practical problems solved using each of the considered approaches were reviewed. Moreover, the software used for the solution of the mathematical models was regarded.
EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE INTEGRATION OF WHATSAPP IN A LOW-TECH LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Tungka Novalita Fransisca , Tarinje Olviani Cipta Ningsi
Published: January 2023

This paper explores how WhatsApp as social media is embedded into the educational practices of university students. The paper draws on an analysis of 79 questionnaires and 10 online interviews. The questionnaire survey was administered online and collected from students majoring in English Education at Universitas Sintuwu Maroso, Poso, Sulawesi Tengah. The survey was followed up by online interviews, which were meant to provide deeper understanding of the students’ experiences on the integration of WhatsApp to aid their learning practices. The discussion in this paper focuses on how students make meaning of WhatsApp integration in their formal study. The results indicate that although WhatsApp has the potential as a space for learning, the students simply valued WhatsApp as a channel for exchanging information of the courses and other practical information. Based on these results, some models of social media integration in educational practices are suggested to be applied in the context of low-tech environment.
THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMENTS (PRAISE, SUGGESTION, AND CRITICISM) ON STUDENTS’ WRITING ACHIEVEMENT
Authors: Rahayu Nanik Sri
Published: January 2023

Teacher’s comments as a respond to the students’ draft has an important effect on students writing motivation and achievement during the teaching and learning process in writing. These comments or the teacher reply for the students’ draft are usually waited by the students as it is assumed as a two- way communication during completing the final draft. However, many students may have different responds in accommodating these comments. This study investigated whether praise, suggestion, and criticism as teacher’ comments have significant effects on the students writing paragraph achievement. Through a quasi-experimental design using quantitative methods for students in the third semester of IAIN Tulungagung's English Department, the research shows that there are significant differences in writing paragraph scores between students taught before and after using different types of comments.  In addition, among these three strategies, the suggestion gave more improvement than the other two types of comments.
Perioperative management of adult patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus: guidelines of the All-Russian public organization “Federation of Anesthesiologists and Reanimatologists” (second revision)
Authors: Zabolotskikh Igor B. , Malyshev Yu. P. , Dunts P. V. , Lebedinskii K. M. , Leiderman I. N. , Neimark М. I. , Semenikhina Т. М. , Yaroshetskiy A. I.
Published: January 2023

Diabetes mellitus is a proven predictor of postoperative complications, especially infectious and cardiac, and also significantly increases the risk of mortality. The article presents a revision of the national guidelines of the Federation of Anesthesiologists and Reanimatologists (FAR) on the perioperative management of adult patients with diabetes mellitus, which summarizes and evaluates all available data at the time of revision on this topic. The literature search was focused on meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials, but also included registries, non-randomized comparative and descriptive studies, case series, cohort studies, systematic reviews, and expert opinions. Before publication, the guidelines were approved by the Presidium of the FAR Board. In the revised version of 2022, changes were made in comparison with the previous one: the preoperative diagnosis of cardiac autonomic neuropathy using a deep breathing test and an orthostatic test was justified, the principles of elective surgery canceling depending on the level of glycated hemoglobin and the tactics of preoperative oral hypoglycemic drugs prescribing were presented. The choice between general and regional anesthesia based on the detection of cardiac autonomic neuropathy and polyneuropathy was also justified, the choice of drugs for anesthesia and the principles of their dosing were reasoned, antiemetic therapy was determined. For each recommendation, the level of evidence is presented. The guidelines were developed by experts in the field of perioperative management of patients for anesthesiologists and intensive care specialists to help in decision-making, the final decisions concerning an individual patient must be made by the by the attending physician after consultation with an endocrinologist and/or based on the decision of the council of specialists.
The use of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of severe forms of new coronavirus infection COVID-19: a prospective observational study
Authors: Dzyadzko Aleksandr M. , Krivenko S. I. , Syradouey A. V. , Dedylya N. I. , Prylutski P. S. , Prymakova E. A. , Symanovich A. A. , Nazarova E. A. , Petrovskaya K. H. , Smolnikova V. V. , Romanova I. A.
Published: January 2023

INTRODUCTION: One of the promising treatments for COVID-19 aimed at correcting the immune response and reducing the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines is the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). There is evidence that MSCs, due to various mechanisms, are able to suppress the cytokine storm in patients with COVID-19. Thus, the use of MSCs can contribute to the suppression of inflammation and the regulation of immune homeostasis in patients with severe COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the effect of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy on the course of severe forms of novel coronavirus infection, accompanied by “cytokine storm”. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective single-center study included 39 patients treated for coronavirus infection on the basis of the intensive care unit and, after randomization, randomly divided into control (n = 16) and study groups (n = 23). An assessment of clinical, laboratory parameters in both groups and a cytokine profile in the study group was carried out. Outcomes were compared, the incidence of complications and clinical and laboratory parameters in both groups, and the cytokine profile in the study group. RESULTS: The use of MSCs in patients with severe forms of COVID-19 affected the outcomes of the disease, the duration of stay on mechanical ventilation, the course of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (an increase in the oxygenation index in patients of the study group by 5, 7 days from administration in comparison with the control group). CONCLUSIONS: In patients treated with MSCs, there was a significant decrease in a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Mathematical modeling of severe ischemic stroke with multiple organ failure: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Silkin V. V. , Ershov Vadim I. , Burdakov V. V. , Biryukova T. V. , Bredikhin A. Yu. , T. Yu. Lozinskaya T. Yu. Lozinskaya
Published: January 2023

INTRODUCTION: The development of organ dysfunctions and multiple organ failure (MOF) in patients with severe ischemic stroke (IS) is a factor in aggravating the clinical course and outcome. OBJECTIVE: To study the prognostic aspects of the clinical course and outcomes of severe IS with the development of MOF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 110 patients with severe IS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ≥ 16 points). To assess the severity of MOF on days 1 and 5 of hospitalization, standard scales SAPS II, SOFA were used. The predictor significance of the indicators was determined by a comparative regression analysis using the least squares method. RESULTS: In patients with a fatal outcome compared to survivors, a higher severity of MOF on the SAPS II was observed both on the first (31 (25; 39) and 24 (21; 29) respectively, p < 0.0001) and fifth days of the disease (40 (33; 49.5) and 29 (25; 35) respectively, p < 0.0001). In the development of severe IS with MOF, an unfavorable outcome is significantly more often observed in the cardioembolic subtype compared to the atherothrombotic subtype of IS (50.75 and 29.85 % respectively, p = 0.0469). The probable mortality according to comparative regression analysis was significantly higher in cardioembolic stroke for patients with MOF severity from 29 to 49 points on the SAPS II (p = 0.0021). CONCLUSIONS: MOF is the most important predictor of death in severe IS. At the same time, the cardioembolic subtype of IS differ by a higher probable mortality in comparison with the atherothrombotic subtype with the MOF severity in the range of 29–49 points according to the SAPS II scale.
Scenarios of State Development in the XXI Century
Authors: Gavrilov Evgeniy
Published: January 2023

Scientific forecasting and long-term planning of social development cannot ignore such a key structural component of modern society as the state. This article describes the prospects for the development of the state in the XXI century, the main factors of state transformation, and the most common interpretations of their consequences. The list of factors includes globalization, scientific and technological progress, competing multinational companies, and various supranational structures. The research revealed four scenarios. (1) The state gives place to new management systems. (2) The main political centers remain either as executive units of supranational structures, or as relatively independent macro-formations. (3) National states degenerate into new political forms under the influence of modern social factors. (4) New autarkies or neo-autarkies appear on the territories of contemporary states. Most forecasters foretell those states are bound to lose their independence of internal and foreign policy on a planetary scale. Some of them see a process of transition to new non-state models of society management. Others declare that states will grow in strength in the historical perspective, reaching the form of autarky, and on stronger grounds than ever before. The future of the state in this century depends not on political relations, but on the transformation of personality, values, and connections. The future of the state as an independent subject of domestic or foreign policy depends on its ability to respond to the challenges of modern civilization.
Attention Span in Preteen Boys and Girl
Authors: Tsigichko Elena , Krivoruchko Mayya
Published: January 2023

The article describes the difference in attention span in preteen boys and girls. It also contains a diachronic review of related scientific publications. The author defined the phenomenon of attention, the factors that affect school performance, and the specifics of attention span in boys and girls. A new diagnostic toolkit with a set of techniques made it possible to assess such indicators as volume, stability, selectivity, distribution, and set-shifting. The research revealed significant gender differences, as well as direct connections between distribution and stability in male participants, while the group of female participants demonstrated reliable correlations between set-shifting and distribution / distribution and selectivity.
Legal and Political Reforms and Amendments to the Constitutions of the USSR and the RSFSR during the Perestroika (1985 – Early 1990s)
Authors: Kazmin Vladimir
Published: January 2023

The article introduces an analysis of legal and political reforms in the USSR and the RSFSR during the Perestroika. The research objective was to describe the implementation of political and legal reforms. The analysis was based on the systematic approach, which considers independent political and legal processes in their interaction and development. The research principles included various general scientific methods and the principle of historicism, as well as comparative legal and formal legal methods. The analysis of sources and scientific literature proved that the authorities pursued a spontaneous and sometimes arbitrary policy, especially in the reform of the political system and the legal reform. While the early Perestroika was associated with the theory of the socialist rule of law, legal theorists found no special principles and norms that would distinguish it from the concepts of Western liberal and bourgeois legal thought. The fact that the government rejected the postulates of socialism caused chaotic changes in the Constitutions of the USSR and the RSFSR. When the Union center lost its positions, the initiative moved to the republican and regional levels. As a result, the constitutional reform of the late 1980s – early 1990s increased the confrontation with the allied authorities and led to domestic political and legal conflicts.
Preparing and Issuing the Judicial Statutes of 1864: Foundations of the Reform and Sources
Authors: Shayhutdinova Arina
Published: January 2023

The article analyzes the preparatory work behind the judicial reform of 1864 in Russia. It focuses on the 74 volumes of The Case on the Transformation of the Judiciary in Russia compiled by Sergei Zarudny, one of the reform developers. The author analyzed the role of individual participants in the development and implementation of the reform. The subjective factor proved to be the main criterion in drafting the reform of the Judicial Statutes in 1864. The preparatory process included two stages and combined the focus on domestic experience and traditions with foreign innovations. Together, these two approaches made it possible to accumulate the domestic legal experience with some useful trends from abroad, which resulted in effective new courts and a perfect judicial system. The reform of 1864 owed its success to the universal principles and institutions introduced into the Russian legal system in the second half of the XIX century. In addition, the author also attempted to answer the question of whether it was necessary for Russian legislators to turn to foreign legal models and experience.