bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the effect of using divalent and trivalent iron compounds on sludge dewatering performance in thickening units
Authors: Alamatian Ebrahim , Đurin Bojan , Dadar Sara , Nakić Domagoj
Published: January 2023

Sludge is one of the by-products of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). To assist biological processes, part of the produced sludge is returned to the treatment process and the excess is removed from the treatment plant whereby it undergoes thickening and dewatering. Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of different coagulants on dewatering from sludge, but the effect of using divalent iron for this purpose has not been investigated so far. In this research, the effect of divalent and trivalent iron compounds (ferrous sulfate and ferric chloride) on the dewatering of excess sludge of the first module of the Bojnourd WWTP (Iran) has been investigated. In this regard, first, the effect of different doses of each coagulant to optimize the dewatering characteristics of sludge was investigated and then the effect of pH change by adding lime was investigated. The results showed that the addition of optimal doses of FeSO4 (0.6 and 0.4 g/l) and lime (0.664 and 1.5866 g/l) reduced the capillary suction time of sludge by 30.6 and 32.7%, respectively, while reducing the moisture content of sludge cake by 26 and 30.6%.
Hydraulic characteristics of flow over stepped and chute spillways (case study: Zirdan Dam)
Authors: Salmasi Farzin , Abraham John
Published: January 2023

Stepped spillways are suitable and economical options for high-storage dams that require significant energy dissipation, structural adaptation to roller-compacted concrete dams, and spontaneous flow aeration. In this study, a numerical analysis of the hydraulic characteristics for the skimming flow regime of the stepped spillway of Zirdan Dam is carried out. A comparison between the flow characteristics for stepped and smooth spillways is provided. By preparing numerical models of the spillway using the k-ε RNG turbulence model and the multiphase mixture method, a hydraulic analysis of the flow was completed. To verify the performance of the numerical model, field data were collected and used for validation. The results show that the presence of steps along the spillway cause a significant reduction in the length of the boundary layer and faster aeration occurs. In a stepped spillway, the cavitation index is higher than the critical limit along the entire length of the spillway. Thus, the risk of cavitation and destruction is negligible. On the other hand, with a smooth spillway, the possibility of cavitation may occur. This negative effect (negative pressures) occurs 56 m from the crest of the spillway on the downstream side.
Dam inflow prediction using large-scale climate variability and deep learning approach: a case study in South Korea
Authors: Han Heechan , Kim Donghyun , Wang Wonjoon , Kim Hung Soo
Published: January 2023

Accurate prediction of dam inflows is essential for effective water resources management in terms of both water quantity and quality. This study aims to develop a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) deep learning-based monthly dam inflow prediction model using large-scale climate indices. Six climate indices, Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), El Niño–southern oscillations (ENSO), North Atlantic oscillation (NAO), Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), Niño 3.4, and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) for the period of 1981–2020, were used as input variables of the model. The proposed model was trained with 29 years of data (1981–2009) and tested with 12 years of data (2009–2020). We investigated 29 input data combinations to evaluate the predictive performance according to different input datasets. The model showed the average values of metrics ranged from 0.5 to 0.6 for CC and from 40 to 80 cm for root mean square error (RMSE) at three dams. The prediction results from the model showed lower performance as the lead time increased. Also, each dam showed different prediction results for different seasons. For example, Soyangriver/Daecheong dams have better accuracy in prediction for the wet season than the dry season, whereas the Andong dam has a high prediction ability during the dry season. These investigations can be used for better efficient dam management using a data-driven approach.
Stepped spillway design for energy dissipation
Authors: Ikinciogullari Erdinc
Published: January 2023

Important water structures known as stepped spillways are used to dissipate energy, aerate rivers, and reduce the cost of the downstream pool. The aim of this study is to increase the energy dissipation rate by proposing an alternative design to the flat stepped spillways, which are frequently used in practice. For that reason, the Circular Stepped Spillway (CSS) has been constructed and numerically investigated in this paper. The energy dissipation rate of the CSS and the flat stepped spillway has been compared using three different models and discharges. According to the simulation findings, the CSS performs better as the step radius gets smaller. The CSS models with step depths of 0.50, 1.50, and 2.50 cm have dissipated up to 21.4, 38, and 50.7% more energy than the flat stepped spillway, respectively.
Operational optimization at the Nenäinniemi wastewater treatment plant's tertiary disc filter phosphorus removal installation to reduce chemical consumption
Authors: Väänänen Janne , Tuohimetsä Markku , Savolainen Kari , Sorsamäki Ville , Pyykkönen Sonja , Tuominen Petri , Pellicer-Nacher Carles
Published: January 2023

Instrumentation, automation and control in municipal wastewater treatment can result in large resource, cost and energy savings. Feedforward and feedback control algorithms were implemented together with turbidity and phosphorus analysers to control the chemical dose at the tertiary stage of the Nenäinniemi wastewater treatment plant, consisting of coagulation, flocculation and microsieve filtration. This optimization lowered the coagulant dose by 70% and the polymer dose by 36% compared to manual adjustments of the chemical dosing. Effluent total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations were lowered by 20–30%. With the control system in operation, the annual savings in coagulant and polymer were in the range of 100 and 1.4 tons, respectively. Conducting automated CIP on the media at an economical break-even interval of approximately 20 days was also important to further lower energy usage and operational costs.
Proliferación de fronteras en las políticas educativas en contextos migratorios en Chile
Authors: Joiko Sara
Published: January 2023

El artículo tiene por objetivo analizar críticamente cómo las políticas educativas nacionales han contribuido en la producción de fronteras cotidianas en las experiencias educativas de niñas, niños y adolescentes en contextos migratorios, especialmente en el norte de Chile. El artículo se basa en un estudio cualitativo donde se realizaron entrevistas a informantes clave y una sistematización de políticas públicas. Para el trabajo teórico-empírico se articularon dos corrientes teóricas: los estudios fronterizos junto a la interculturalidad crítica. A partir del análisis de las políticas y normativas entre 1990 y 2021, se observa que el aumento del fenómeno migratorio ha reproducido una fronterización de las políticas educativas en cuanto a su funcionamiento y lenguaje, que influye en la racialización de las fronteras, la exclusión de la niñez migrante y la extensión del control fronterizo hacia las escuelas. El artículo concluye que el campo educativo es una forma de fronterización más allá de los límites geopolíticos y zonas fronterizas.
A Review on the Materials and Applications of Nanophotonics
Authors: Jayaprakash Athira , Nigel Joshua , Sharma Ishu
Published: January 2023

Recent developments in nanotechnology have resulted in significant
technical improvements in devices based on light's interaction with nanomaterials. As a
result, nanophotonics has seen a significant increase in attention among researchers.
The significance of low energy consuming information processing at high rates of
speed has pushed the use of light for information transmission and processing forward.
Nanophotonics hence introduces ways of integrating a wide range of systems that can
produce, regulate, amplify and process light waves that are at superfast accelerations,
as energy demands and interaction time decrease with a decrease in the particle
dimensions of the nanomaterials. Nanophotonics, also known as nano-optics, is a
branch of nanotechnology that studies characteristics of light at nanoscale dimensions
and the interrelationships of nano-scale materials with light. Nanophotonics is a
subfield of nanotechnology and a discipline of optoelectronics. On a dimension
considerably smaller than the wavelength of light, it presents new opportunities for
exploring concepts of interaction between the propagating light and matter.
Fundamental properties of nanomaterial-light interactions, such as nanometer photon
confinement and change in optical, chemical and physical properties of the material in
nanorange, continue to provide numerous possibilities for real-life applications. The
optical characteristics of materials can hence be enhanced by these materials having
dimensions smaller than the wavelength of light. Electromagnetic waves are diffracted
and dispersed if the material has dimensions in the range of the light wavelength or a
portion of the wavelength, and the numerous waves produced interfere with each other.
Controlling the spatial distribution of light, as well as its phase, polarization, and
spectral distribution may be accomplished by understanding such materials. Moreover,
materials with lower dimensions can be used to make extremely condensed
sophisticated systems in a variety of industries, including information technology,
optical interactions, photovoltaic energy, image processing, medical and surveillance.
This chapter reviews the various materials used for nanophotonics and their properties
as well as their nanophotonics application.
Modelling Fabrication Variability in Silicon Photonic Devices
Authors: Ayub Hamdani Mursal , Qazi Gausia
Published: January 2023

Silicon photonics allows for high yield and complex integration with large
processing, packaging, and testing availability. Using silicon as a material leverages the
use of the existing CMOS infrastructure with hybrid and epitaxial layer integration,
allowing photonic system-on-chip. Although high refractive index contrast with sub micrometer waveguide dimensions allows a dense integration, sensitivity to fabrication
variations shows an increased effect. This sensitivity shows a cumulative effect on the
optical properties of complex silicon photonic circuits such as lattice filters, and
wavelength division multiplexers (WDM). This increases the demand for model
fabrication variation at the design stage itself since the fabless users have no insights
into the process specifications. As a result, reliability modelling of photonic circuits has
shown significant interest in recent years. This is done by using efficient behavioural
models at the circuit level and then applying random variations in the model parameters
to assess the impact of these variations. In this chapter, different approaches to
modelling fabrication variations in photonic integrated circuits, such as Monte Carlo
(MC), Stochastic Collocation (SC), and Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) are
reviewed. These methods employ random distribution to the varying parameters with
the correlation between different parameter sets fixed. Virtual Wafer-based MC (VW-MC) allows layout-aware variability analysis, where the placement of circuit
components on the layout coordinates is exported to the circuit design for dependence
analysis. Using these methods, mitigation strategies to counter the manufacturing
variations such as thermal compensation, and tapered designs are quantitatively
evaluated by appropriate yield analysis and design for manufacturability. 
HCV-Host Interactions: A Plethora of Genes and their Intricate Interplay Part 1: Virus Specific Factors
Authors: Shahid Imran , Jabeen Qaiser
Published: January 2023

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) interaction with host cells is pivotal for natural
disease course starting from asymptomatic acute infection to progress into persistent
chronic infection and subsequent extrahepatic manifestations, including fibrosis,
cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HCV infection biology in infected
host cells via virus attachment, virus genome replication, mRNA translation, new
virion formation, and egress from infected cells involves highly coordinated
participation of the virus- and host-specific proteins, a plethora of genes, and cell
signaling cascade. The progression of persistent chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection to
hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC involves viral invasion strategies against host
immune system defense mechanisms as well as impeding healthy metabolic and
signaling networks of the liver cells. Thereby, HCV-induced liver injury via chronic
inflammatory processes that fail to resolve is responsible for decompensated cirrhosis
and on occasion, hepatocarcinogenesis in infected individuals. With the latest
advancement and rapid expansion of our knowledge in hepatology, the human liver is
deciphered as an immunologically distinct organ with its specialized physiological
niche. The relationship between human hepatocytes and different components of the
immune system is quite complex and dynamic. The immunopathogenesis of various
viral infections demonstrates that the immune system plays an essential role to
determine the progression of many hepatic diseases through immune cell
communication and cell signaling networks. In this book chapter, we overview HCV host interactions and their intricate interplay with complex crosstalk to propagate less
fetal acute HCV infection to CHC and subsequent hepatocarcinogenesis (i.e. HCC) in
infected individuals.
The Current Paradigms of Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Innovations in the Pipeline
Authors: Shahid Imran , Jabeen Qaiser
Published: January 2023

Considering advances in hepatitis C therapy, global management of HCV
infection becomes practicable, but some influential factors, like the capacity of
countries to identify and proper diagnosis of infected individuals with immense HCV
genotypic variations among different global regions and at-risk populations, cannot be
passed over. Approximately, 71 million people are infected with chronic HCV
infection and about 80% of them remain undiagnosed. Standard protocol for HCV
diagnosis includes a preliminary serological (HCV antibody) test accompanied by an
expensive confirmatory test for HCV RNA detection in serum samples of patients.
However, gaps remain in the accessibility, affordability, and availability of gold standard HCV diagnostic strategies. In pursuance of achieving the goals of the World
Health Organization (WHO) for HCV elimination as a public health threat by 2030,
efficient, reliable, and simplified diagnostic pathways are needed to unveil. As such,
simplified sensitive strategies that can enhance the single-test diagnostic approach
might assist linkage to care and direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) treatment uptake.
Herein, we will discuss a few advanced diagnostic approaches to subdue some of these
constraints. HCV self-testing and digital devices for the detection of HCV infection
would be of prime importance in the near future. Furthermore, the availability of smart,
robust, and mobile diagnostic platforms to find the missing millions in harder-to-reach
populations and vulnerable individuals would also be required to link every diagnosed
one with cascades of care. We will briefly cover all aspects of HCV screening and
diagnostic algorithms in this book chapter along with potential advantages and
disadvantages.
Consensus Treatment Guidelines and Recommendations to Treat Hepatitis-C Infected Populations
Authors: Shahid Imran , Jabeen Qaiser
Published: January 2023

Unlike other infectious diseases and viral infections, the long-term
chronicity of hepatitis C infection could worsen or propagate to irreversible extra hepatic manifestations like decompensated cirrhosis or the development of
hepatocellular carcinoma. The recent real-world clinical data of hepatitis C patients
treated with IFN-free DAAs are still fewer to conclude or decide the best treatment
protocols and guidelines for those who are still awaiting the treatment. However; based
on the clinical data retrieved from the diverse patient cohorts, multicenter and
multinational clinical studies, and pre- and post-therapeutic monitoring of hepatitis C treated patients enable the clinicians, physicians, and health care providers to sketch
consensus treatment guidelines and recommendations for the safe administration of
DAAs in general and vulnerable hepatitis C infected populations. Interestingly and
luckily, the treatment guidelines and recommendations approved by the FDA and CDC
are following and working well in real-world clinical, hospital, and primary health care
centers to manage hepatitis C, infected individuals. Albeit; for certain special
populations like pediatric and pregnant hepatitis C females, we do not have clear
guidelines for DAAs usage and their therapeutic monitoring. Furthermore, certain
DAAs are not recommended in decompensated cirrhotics, in HCV rebound patients,
and in previous treatment failure with a DAAs regimen. In this book chapter, we enlist
updated treatment guidelines and recommendations to treat general as well as special
hepatitis C-infected populations with DAAs and will briefly portray an overview of the
pros and cons of these recommendations in real-world clinical settings.
Real-World Therapeutic Outcomes of Direct-Acting Antiviral Regimens and Formidable Challenges
Authors: Shahid Imran , Jabeen Qaiser
Published: January 2023

 Oral interferon-free DAAs (IFN-free DAAs) have proven their clinical and
therapeutic worth in real-life situations by achieving higher sustained virologic
response rates (SVRs >90%) in treated individuals. After their recommendations to be
administered to hepatitis C-infected populations in 2017 more than 5 million hepatitis
C-infected individuals have been treated across the world and the overall health care
burden of active hepatitis C comorbidities and mortalities have been declined from 130
million hepatitis C patients to approximately 71 million. Despite these great
achievements in hepatitis C therapeutics, certain patient-oriented, clinical, and societal
challenges are still prevailing to accept IFN-free DAAs on the large scale clinical,
hospital, and primary health care settings in low and middle-income countries as well
as even in developed nations. High therapy costs, treatment access and monitoring, co infection status of certain vulnerable hepatitis C infected populations, racial disparity,
pre-, and post-therapeutic monitoring, and long-term follow-ups are potential barriers
to consensually implementing uniform treatment algorithms and accessibility to DAAs
regimens worldwide. Furthermore, recurrence of hepatitis C infection, reactivation
risks of co-infections (e.g., HCV/HIV, HCV/HBV or HCV/CKD), minefield risks of
hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rebound, and surveillance of hepatitis C liver
transplant recipients which are on treatment with IFN-free DAAs also limit the
administration of these regimens to every hepatitis C infected individual. In this book
chapter, we will explore all these real-world challenges and will discuss/suggest the
strategies to coup them in clinical, hospital, and community settings to improve the
cascades of care and scale-up HCV cure. 
Hepatitis C Virus-Host Interactions and Therapeutics: Current Insights and Future Perspectives
Authors: Shahid Imran , Jabeen Qaiser
Published: January 2023

The burden of hepatitis C virus infection on the public health care system continues to remain significant despite the remarkable progresses made in HCV therapeutics in the recent past. There are now almost a dozen oral interferon-free direct-acting antivirals available for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection. Despite advances in the treatment of HCV, therapeutic gaps remain that are yet to be fully explored, researchers and scientists still strive to understand virus-host interactions to map the disease's progression; extrahepatic manifestations and virus invasion strategies impacting the host's immune system. This book briefly discusses the biology of HCV infection, virus-host interactions, molecular epidemiology of the infection, and the full spectrum of immune responses to hepatitis C. It also provides in-depth information about HCV, clinical diagnostics, and therapeutic knowledge to all stakeholders involved in HCV screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management.

Topics covered in chapters include 1) HCV-host interactions leading to asymptomatic acute infection, 2) the progression of acute HCV infection to chronic disease and subsequent extrahepatic comorbidities, 3) Innate and adaptive immune responses in HCV infections, 4) Consensus-based Approaches for Hepatitis C Screening and Diagnosis, 5) advances in hepatitis C therapy and global management of HCV, and 6) the outcomes of Oral Interferon-free Direct-acting Antivirals as Combination Therapies to Cure Hepatitis C.

This book would be a valuable addition to undergraduate and postgraduate hepatology students and physicians, clinicians, hepatologists, and health care officials involved in HCV clinical diagnosis and therapeutics.
Emerging Nanomaterials in Energy Storage
Authors: Mondal A.
Published: January 2023

Continuous renewable technologies can only be adequate when coupled with efficient nanomaterial based energy storage systems. These gadgets can reliably provide electricity even on overcast days or at night. To power the majority of consumer devices regardless of environmental conditions, the battery business is thriving. Among electrochemical energy storage devices (EESD), lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) have been a popular option for many eras. Even LiBs with a greater energy density (ED) and strong charge-discharge behaviour still have safety, durability problems and are expensive. Thus, various battery technologies, have attracted the attention of scientists all around the globe. However, both main and secondary batteries are used to power numerous electronic equipment. Focus will be placed on optimising battery performance, cost, and mass manufacturing in order to commercialize the batteries. This chapter will explore several battery kinds with different nanomaterials and their characteristics. Extensive details will be provided on the regulating criteria for battery performance, its fundamental design, and the operating principle of energy storage. In addition to diverse electrodes and electrolytes, this chapter provides information on the benefits and downsides of various batteries as well as ideas for future advancements in smart electronics battery systems.
Prospective Nanomaterials for Food Packaging and Safety
Authors: Harun-Ur-Rashid M.
Published: January 2023

Nanotechnology is being explored widely to improve food packaging. The development of innovative packaging materials using nanotechnology has had remarkable growth in the last few years. For the last two decades, substantial scientific efforts have been placed into replacing bulk and conventional materials with eco-friendly and biodegradable nanotechnology products or, more specifically, nanostructured materials in the food packaging industry. The advantages of nanotechnology and applications of nanostructured materials in food packaging are overviewed in this chapter. The common, profitable, and marketable acceptance of nanomaterial based food packaging systems and future perspectives are discussed by providing a broad and improved understanding of implementing nanotechnology products in food packaging.
Nanomaterials in the Automobile Sector
Authors: Harun-Ur-Rashid M.
Published: January 2023

The automobile sector is continuously putting efforts into ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers, intelligent traffic guidance systems, pollution reduction, and successful recycling processes. The constructive and successful utilization of nanomaterials is an effective and potential scientific strategy that simplifies the technologies to develop lighter, more durable and economical, faster, and smart devices by consuming less raw materials and optimum energy. Emerging nanomaterials in the automobile sector explores how nanomaterials and nanotechnology are utilized to boost the performance of materials and devices required for automobile application by designing and developing nanocomposites, nanoalloys, nanocoatings, nanocatalysts, nanolubricants, and nanoadditives. In addition to these, this chapter will focus on the application of green polymer nanocomposites in automobile sector to address the issues associated with nanotoxicity.
Synthesis of Microsheets Bi4Ti3O12 and Bi4Ti2.95V0.05O12 via Molten NaCl-KCl Salt Method
Authors:   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik  Ibrahim Malang, Malang, Indonesia, 65144, Prasetyo Anton , Nur Muhammad Guntur Andy ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik  Ibrahim Malang, Malang, Indonesia, 65144, Noerfaiqotul Himmah Suci ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik  Ibrahim Malang, Malang, Indonesia, 65144, Aini Nur ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik  Ibrahim Malang, Malang, Indonesia, 65144, Ali Rouf Usman ,   Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik  Ibrahim Malang, Malang, Indonesia, 65144, Aziz Abdul ,   Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik  Ibrahim Malang, Malang, Indonesia, 65144
Published: January 2023

Bi4Ti3O12 is a tri-layer Aurivillius member compound that was reported to have good photocatalytic properties. Metal element doping and morphological particle tuning are strategies to increase photocatalyst activity. In this research, the compound micro sheets Bi4Ti3O12 and Bi4Ti2.95V0.05O12 were synthesized using molten NaCl/KCl salt. The diffractogram shows that the Bi4Ti3O12 sample was successfully synthesized, however, there are still found impurities at the Bi4Ti2.95V0.05O12 sample. Micrographs showed that the morphology particle samples is. The results of UV-Vis DRS spectra calculation show that both samples have a band gap energy of ~2.97 eV.
Ocena stanu odżywienia i nawyków żywieniowych młodzieży szkoły podstawowej w aspekcie ryzyka wybranych chorób cywilizacyjnych
Authors: Michalak Aleksandra
Published: January 2023

Wstęp. Nawyki i zwyczaje żywieniowe kształtują się od najmłodszych lat. Za prawidłowe żywienie uważa się dostarczanie z posiłkami niezbędnej ilości składników odżywczych do genetycznie zaprogramowanego wzrastania organizmu, aktywności fizycznej, umysłowej oraz regeneracji tkanek.Cel. Celem pracy jest ocena stanu odżywienia i nawyków żywieniowych młodzieży szkoły podstawowej pod kontem określenia czynników ryzyka chorób cywilizacyjnych w badanej grupie w przyszłości.Materiały i metody: W pracy wykorzystano metodę sondażu diagnostycznego i szacowania. Badania przeprowadzono za pomocą Kwestionariusza IZZ, kwestionariusza ankiety własnego autorstwa oraz pomiarów antropometrycznych (wzrost, waga).Wyniki. Za pomocą wyżej wymienionych narzędzi badawczych wykazano, że średni osiągnięty wynik zachowań zdrowotnych wśród badanej grupy osób to 79,04 (SD=9,35), co kwalifikuje go jako wynik przeciętny. 26% procent ankietowanych codziennie spożywa słodycze, a 29% minimum raz w tygodniu wybiera jedzenia typu fast-food. Badania nie wykazały związku między BMI, a zachowaniami zdrowotnymi. 8% osób ma nadwagę, zaś niedowagę 13%. Dla odmiany ankietowani z prawidłowym RR wykazują wyższy wynik zachowań zdrowotnych, pozytywnego nastawienia psychicznego oraz zachowań profilaktycznych.Wnioski. Miejsce zamieszkania oraz wiek nie mają wpływu na zachowania zdrowotne, z kolei występuje istotna zależność pomiędzy płcią i wartościami RR ankietowanych, a ich zachowaniem zdrowotnym. Respondenci wykazują czynnik ryzyka, jakim jest częste spożywania słodyczy, fast-food.
Luminescent studies of bisphenol A solutions under the action of the electron beam
Authors: Tchaikovskaya O.N.  , Bocharnikova E.N.  , Mayer G.V.  , Solomonov V.I.  , Makarova A.S.  , Orlov A.N.  , Osipov V.V.  , Chaykovsky S.A.
Published: January 2023

The results of measuring the luminescence of ambient air and solutions of an organic compound during their irradiation with a high-current pulsed electron beam with an average energy of Ee=170 keV and a duration of 2 ns, generated by the RADAN-303 accelerator, are presented. It is shown that, under such exposure, the transformation of dissolved bisphenol A occurs, which is accompanied by an increase in the absorption coefficient of the solution in the wavelength range of more than 300 nm and, as a consequence, a decrease in the intensity of air luminescence bands with an increase in the number of irradiation pulses. The results showed the degradation of the BPA solution to complete decomposition under the action of an electron beam treatment. Keywords: electron beam, air, solutions of organic compounds, luminescence, absorption, decomposition.
Cosine-type Absorbing Optical Potential for the Modeling of Quantum Dynamics with the Fourier Grid and Optimizer Packages
Authors: Sovkov V. B.  , Wu J.  , Ma J.
Published: January 2023

In order to model the spectroscopic and scattering properties of a quantum system, we propose and explore a new absorbing complex-type optical potential based on a combination of cosine functions. This function provides a high degree of smoothness to joint with a physical real-type potential. The capabilities of this function are investigated in terms of its effect on otherwise freely evolving quantum dynamics. We use our open-source programs to implement the Fourier Grid method with the Optimizer package (in Matlab), freely available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/optimizer-sovkov/ https://sourceforge.net/projects/optimizer-sovkov/. Keywords: quantum dynamics; damping boundary conditions; optical potential; Fourier Grid method; spectroscopy of ultracold ensembles.
Polymer nanospheres containing CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and photochromic diaryletenes with photoswitchable luminescence
Authors: Karpach P. V.  , Shcherbovich A. A.  , Vasilyuk G. T.  , Stepuro V. I.  , Maskevich A. A.  , Ayt A. O.  , Venidiktova O. V.  , Barachevsky V. A.  , Maskevich S. A.  , Artemiev M. V.
Published: January 2023

A study was carried out and a comparative analysis of the spectral-kinetic (absorption and fluorescent) characteristics of nanospheres containing luminescent inorganic quantum dots (QDs) CdSe/ZnS, covered with an amphiphilic polymer shell, which ensures the stability of nanospheres in aqueous colloidal solutions and the possibility of introducing into them hydrophobic photochromic diarylethene molecules with different structure. Photoinduced reversible isomerization of diarylethene molecules causes modulation of the photoluminescence signal of quantum dots, including through the control of the efficiency of resonant energy transfer (FRET) from quantum dots to the cyclic isomer of diarylethene. The FRET efficiency turned out to be the highest in nanospheres with DAE2 and DAE4. The value of the quality index (QF) of the FRET photomodulator (which shows the efficiency of modulation of the quantum yield of QD photoluminescence), introduced in this work, varies for samples with different diarylethenes from 0.003 (for DAE1) to 0.09 (for DAE2). Nanospheres containing luminescent nanoparticles of various shapes can be used in the development of luminescent photocontrolled panels, fluorescent markers, etc. Keywords: quantum dots, fluorescence, Forster resonance energy transfer, nanocomposites, photochromism, diarylethenes.
Quantum-chemical study of structure and vibrational spectra of Si/SiO-=SUB=-2-=/SUB=- superlattices
Authors: Smirnov M. B.  , Pankin D. V.  , Roginskii E. M.  , Savin A. V.
Published: January 2023

Structure, phonon states and vibrational spectra of binary Si/SiO2 superlattices (SL) formed by junction of crystalline silicon and β-cristobalite are investigated with the use of ab-initio quantum-mechanical computational methods. Several stable SL structures with ultra-narrow interfaces consisted of only one monolayer of Si2+ atoms are found. For these SLs, we have simulated the infrared and Raman spectra in which some characteristic spectral features are detected. Keywords: oxide-semiconductor heterostructures, superlattices, computer simulation, density functional method, vibrational spectra.
حالات الدفع بعدم قبول الدعوى دراسة تحليلية تطبيقية- مقارنة
Authors: Abdulla Hadi Muhammad , Rahim Zanyar Jamal
Published: January 2023

إن الغاية من الإلتجاء إلى القضاءعن طريق الدعوى، هى الحصول على الحماية القضائية، التي هي وسيلة تحريك القضاء، فلكي يتدخل القضاء لحسم منازعات الأشخاص، لابد أن يطلب منه ذلك في كل حالة، وهذا ما تحققه الدعوى، ولكن حتى لايكون اللجوء إلى القضاء من خلال هذه الوسيلة نزوة عارضة،  قد فرض المشرع شروطاً لإستحقاق الدعوى، وهذه الشروط تسمى شروط قبول الدعوى، فللدعوى القضائية شروطاً يتطلبها القانون لقبولها، والفصل فيها، من أهم شروطها المصلحة، والصفة، ويشترط في المصلحة ان تكون قانونية، وقائمة، وحالة، والصفة الواجب توافرها في المدعى وفي المدعى عليه، وانعدام أو عدم توافرها في أطراف الخصومة القضائية يؤدي الى آثار كثيرة هي تقيد عراقيل سير الدعوى وبالتالي فإن انتفاء هذه الأوصاف من المصلحة و إنتفاء الصفة الموضوعي يجوز للخصم أن يتمسك به عن طريق الدفع بعدم القبول، حيث يتعلق هذا الدفع بالحق في استعمال الدعوى دون التعرض للموضوع، ويتعلق بسلطة الالتجاء إلى القضاء، والشروط اللازمة لذلك، فجاءت الدراسة للبحث فى الشروط الجوهرية التي تطلبها الدعوى لقبولها.
Effect of Participative Web-Based Educational Modules on HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Competency Among Medical Students: Single-Arm Interventional Study
Authors: Grant William , Adan Matthew A , Samurkas Christina A , Quigee Daniela , Benitez Jorge , Gray Brett , Carnevale Caroline , Gordon Rachel J , Castor Delivette , Zucker Jason , Sobieszczyk Magdalena E
Published: January 2023

Background

The number of new HIV diagnoses in the United States continues to slowly decline; yet, transgender women and men who have sex with men remain disproportionately affected. Key to improving the quality of prevention services are providers who are comfortable broaching the subjects of sexual health and HIV prevention with people across the spectrum of gender identities and sexual orientations. Preservice training is a critical point to establish HIV prevention and sexual health education practices before providers’ practice habits are established.

Objective

The study aimed to develop participative web-based educational modules and test their impact on HIV prevention knowledge and awareness in future providers.

Methods

Sexual health providers at an academic hospital, research clinicians, community engagement professionals, and New York City community members were consulted to develop 7 web-based educational modules, which were then piloted among medical students. We assessed knowledge of HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention and comfort assessing the prevention needs of various patients via web-based questionnaires administered before and after our educational intervention. We conducted exploratory factor analysis of the items in the questionnaire.

Results

Pre- and postmodule surveys were completed by 125 students and 89 students, respectively, from all 4 years of training. Before the intervention, the majority of students had heard of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (122/123, 99.2%) and postexposure prophylaxis (114/123, 92.7%). Before the training, 30.9% (38/123) of the students agreed that they could confidently identify a patient who is a candidate for pre-exposure prophylaxis or postexposure prophylaxis; this increased to 91% (81/89) after the intervention.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight a need for increased HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention training in medical school curricula to enable future providers to identify and care for diverse at-risk populations. Participative web-based modules offer an effective way to teach these concepts.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Wellness Program for Latine Adults Who Smoke and Have Psychological Distress: Protocol for a Feasibility Study
Authors: Correa-Fernández Virmarie , Blalock Janice A , Piper Megan E , Canino Glorisa , Wetter David W
Published: January 2023

Background

Tobacco smoking is a major independent risk factor for chronic disease, and the prevalence of smoking among people with behavioral health disorders is 2-fold in comparison with the general population. Smoking rates remain high for various subgroups within the Latine community, the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a theoretically sound and clinically validated therapeutic approach for several behavioral health conditions with growing evidence of its effectiveness for smoking cessation. Unfortunately, the evidence of ACT effectiveness for smoking cessation among Latine individuals is scarce, and none of the existing studies have tested a culturally targeted intervention for this population.

Objective

This study aims to address the co-occurrence of smoking and mood-related challenges among Latine adults via the development and testing of a culturally tailored ACT-based wellness program: Project PRESENT.

Methods

This study entails 2 phases. Phase 1 consists of the intervention development. Phase 2 entails the pilot testing of the behavioral intervention along with the administration of baseline and follow-up measures to 38 participants. Primary outcomes include feasibility of recruitment and retention, and treatment acceptability. Secondary outcomes are smoking status and depression and anxiety scores at end of treatment and 1-month follow-up.

Results

This study received institutional review board approval. Phase 1 outputs were the health counselors’ treatment manual and participant guide. Recruitment was completed in 2021. Phase 2 outcomes will be determined after project implementation and data analyses are complete, which are expected by May 2023.

Conclusions

Findings from this study will determine the feasibility and acceptability of an ACT-based, culturally relevant intervention for Latine adults who smoke and have probable depression and/or anxiety. We expect feasibility of recruitment, retention and treatment acceptability, and reductions in smoking status, depression, and anxiety. If feasible and acceptable, the study will inform large-scale trials, which will ultimately contribute to narrowing the gap between research and clinical practice for the co-occurrence of smoking and psychological distress among Latine adults.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/44146
Parent cardiometabolic risk factors and child BMI and obesity incidence in Malaysia: a prospective cohort study (Preprint)
Authors: Salway Ruth , Armstrong Miranda , Mariapun Jeevitha , Reidpath Daniel D , Brady Sophia , Yasin Mohamed Shajahan , Su Tin Tin , Johnson Laura
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND

Risk factors for obesity prevalence can help target treatment, but less is known about risk factors for obesity incidence which may be distinct and more pertinent for preventing excessive weight gain.

OBJECTIVE

To explore factors associated with child/adolescent BMI and childhood obesity incidence over 5 years in Malaysia including parental cardiometabolic risk, socio-demographic and baseline child BMI.

METHODS

Longitudinal data on 1768 children (aged 6-14 years) and parents were drawn from a Malaysian cohort and followed up after 5 years. Multilevel models estimated associations between parent cardiometabolic risk factors (overweight/obesity, central obesity, hypertension, hyperglycaemia), socio-demographics (ethnicity, employment, education) and child BMI z-score at follow-up, adjusting for baseline and potential confounders. Associations with five-year child obesity incidence were explored using logistic multilevel models.

RESULTS

Obesity prevalence was stable (16-17%) and average annual obesity incidence ranged from 2.2% for 6-10 years (childhood) to 1.2% for 11-14 years (adolescence). Higher baseline BMI z-score was associated with a higher follow-up BMI z score in childhood (0.60; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.65) and adolescence (0.76; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.82). Associations were smaller with maternal overweight/obesity and childhood BMI (overweight: 0.16; 95% CI: -0.03, 0.36, obesity: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.61), and paternal overweight/obesity and adolescent BMI (overweight: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.43, obesity: 0.16; 95% CI: -0.10, 0.41). Five-year obesity incidence in adolescence was associated with parental obesity (paternal OR= 4.37; maternal OR= 3.38). There were no marked associations with parental hypertension/hyperglycaemia or socio-demographics.

CONCLUSIONS

Parental overweight/obesity was prospectively associated with higher child BMI and obesity incidence, but the largest follow-up BMIs were among children with a higher baseline BMI. Early childhood, rather than parent cardiometabolic risk, maybe a better target for obesity prevention.
Features of the immune system cells in abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome and their associations with factors of cardiometabolic risk, visceral adipose tissue dysfunction and adipokines
Authors:   South-Ural State Medical University, Sumerkina Veronika A. , Telesheva Larisa F. ,   South-Ural State Medical University, Golovneva Elena S. ,   South-Ural State Medical University
Published: January 2023

The aim of this work was to establish the features of the immune system cells in abdominal obesity (AO) and metabolic syndrome (MS) and to determine the associations between the studied parameters and MS components, insulin resistance, and the level of adipokines. 244 patients of both sexes aged 18–45 years were included. The patients were divided into 4 groups: group 1 (comparison group) — healthy individuals without AO, excess body weight and additional MS components (n=71); group 2 (AO) — patients with isolated AO (n=32); group 3 (AO+1) — patients with AO and 1 component of MS (n=63); group 4 (MS) — patients with MS (n=78). The laboratory investigation included determination of parameters of carbohydrate, lipid metabolism, adipokines. The calculation of insulin resistance indices and the index of dysfunction of visceral adipose tissue were performed. The parameters of cell immunity were studied (the number of leukocytes and leukocyte formula; the subpopulations of lymphocytes — CD3+45+, CD3+4+, CD3+8+, CD3+56+, CD3-56+, CD3-19+, CD3+25+ and CD3+HLADR+ ). The results of this work demonstrate inflammatory changes in the leukocyte formula, as well as the appearance of activated lymphocytes in peripheral blood in patients of groups 2–4. Correlation analysis results suggest that the mechanism of formation of changes in cell adaptive immunity in AO and MS is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors. Conclusions. 1. Changes in the leukocytes composition in peripheral blood in patients with AO and MS are an increase in the number of neutrophils, monocytes and a decrease in the number of lymphocytes. In the groups AO+1 and MS these changes are accompanied by an increase in the number of leukocytes. 2. The subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes in the groups AO and AO+1 are characterized by an increase in the level of CD3+HLADR+. In patients with MS — in combination with an increase in the level of CD3+25+ and B-lymphocytes. 3. The appearance of activated lymphocytes in the peripheral blood in the groups AO and MS is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors (excess adipose tissue, dyslipidemia, hyperleptinemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance).
Сomparative analysis of cytokine determination in neutrophil supernatants stimulated by S. aureus supernatants with and without the SPA gene
Authors:   Institute of Immunology and Physiology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Fomina Lyudmila O. , Gritsenko Victor A. ,   Orenburg Federal Research Сenter of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Fayzullina Anastasia I. ,   Institute of Immunology and Physiology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Published: January 2023

This study presents the results of the determination of cytokines by multiplex analysis in the blood neutrophil supernatants of donors stimulated by Staphylococcus aureus supernatants, depending on the presence or absence of the staphylococcal protein A (spa) gene in bacteria. Cytokine indication was carried out by multiplex analysis using BioRad kits (USA) for the determination of 17 human cytokines (G-CSF, GM-CSF, INF-γ, TNF-alfa, MCP-1, MIP-1beta, IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7,IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-17A) after 1 hour incubation of staphylococcal supernatants with neutrophils. It was shown that S. aureus, which had the staphylococcal protein A (spa) gene, significantly stimulated the secretion of neutrophils G-CSF (growth factor), IL-12p70, IL-17A, IFN-gamma, IL-13, IL-1b, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, TNF-alfa (proinflammatory cytokines), MCP-1 (chemokine). But at the same time, they significantly reduced the secretion of IL-10 (anti-inflammatory cytokine), IL-8, MIP-1beta (chemokines). S. aureus supernatants, which did not have spa, also acted almost identically. IFN-gamma increased less significantly under their action, and IL-1b, on the contrary, more significantly compared to S. aureus supernatants having the staphylococcal protein A gene. It was found that the supernatants of all studied clinical isolates of S. aureus with a pronounced ability to produce cytokine-like substances, regardless of the presence/absence of the spa gene, affect the ability of neutrophils to secrete cytokines. Thus, the presence of cytokine-like activity in S. aureus affects the response of neutrophils to secrete a pool of cytokines upon contact of phagocytic cells with staphylococcal supernatants. In particular, pro-inflammatory interleukins, some chemokines and growth factors. This indicates that the interaction of neutrophils with extracellular cytokine-like products of S. aureus can significantly modulate the inflammatory process.
Structure of allergosensitization in children with allergopatologies in the Kaliningrad region
Authors:   State Budgetary Health Institution «Children’s Regional Hospital of the Kaliningrad Region», Markhaichuk Ayshat Z. , Vulf Maria A. ,   Center for Immunology and Cellular Biotechnologies of the IKBFU I. Kant., Khaziakhmatova Olga G. ,   Center for Immunology and Cellular Biotechnologies of the IKBFU I. Kant., Litvinova Larisa S. ,   Center for Immunology and Cellular Biotechnologies of the IKBFU I. Kant., Goncharov Andrey G. ,   Center for Immunology and Cellular Biotechnologies of the IKBFU I. Kant., Gorbunova Alesya Yu. ,   Medical Institute of the IKBFU, Malyarov Alexander M. ,   State Budgetary Health Institution «Children’s Regional Hospital of the Kaliningrad Region»
Published: January 2023

Allergic diseases (AD) are a widespread pathology. The largest proportion at AD is occupied by allergic rhinitis (24%), which in childhood is usually associated with enlargement of the adenoids and postnasal drip syndrome. In the examination of 3477 children with suspected AD, we included 1463 children aged more than 5 years in the SPC who had remission due to allergic pathology and no contraindications for examination. We detected reactions to household and epidermal allergens in 54% (n=675) and 38.3% (n=478) of the children, respectively. Diagnosis to plant aeroallergens revealed allergic sensitization to meadow and weed grasses in 55.5% (n=538) and 41.2% (n=399) of the children, respectively. According to the results of a comprehensive study with allergens, polyvalent hypersensitivity was found in 70.56% (n=441) of children. Thus, we found frequent polyvalent allergy sensitization by aeroallergens in children suffering from AD in Kaliningrad region.