bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Astragalus compound oral solution synergistically enhances health-promoting effect of metformin in type 2 diabetes mouse model
Authors: Zhou Zekun , Lu Yao , Li Jifu , An Yuchen , Jiang Wei , Wang Zengli
Published: January 2023

In some cases Metformin (MF) produces intestinal discomfort and increased risk of dysbiosis. We developed a novel astragalus compound oral solution (termed "OS") and investigated effects of treatments with OS alone or in combination with metformin (MF) in a type 2 diabetes (T2D) mouse model. OS can treat T2D in mice. OS, in comparison with MF (OS + MF), was more effective in improving HDL, ALT, hepatic glycogen, and GSH-px levels, and in protecting several organs simultaneously. Gut microbiota composition and diversity were significantly better for OS and OS + MF than for MF. Helicobacter, Oscillospira, Mucispirillum, Dehalobacterium, Anaerotruncus, Subdoligranulum, Akkermansia, Allobaculum, and Ochrobactrum were significantly correlated with FBG, liver function indicators, and islet cell areas. Our findings suggest that OS applied in combination with MF promoted health in the T2D mouse model through effects on 192 related targets to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, protect organs, and improve gut microbiota composition
Use of Remdesivir in children with COVID-19: report of an Italian multicenter study
Authors: Romani L. , Roversi M. , Bernardi S. , Venturini E. , Garazzino S. , Donà D. , Krzysztofiak A. , Montagnani C. , Funiciello E. , Carducci Francesca Ippolita Calò , Marabotto C. , Castagnola E. , Salvini F. , Lancella L. , Galli L. , Gattinara G. Castelli , Sitip collaboration study
Published: January 2023

Introduction
COVID-19 is generally milder in children than in adults, however severe infection has been described in some patients. Few data are available on use of Remdesivir (RDV) in children, as most clinical trials focused on adult patients. We report a multicenter study to investigate the safety of RDV in children affected by COVID-19.
Methods
We collected the clinical data of children with COVID-19 treated with RDV between March 2020 and February 2022 in 10 Italian hospitals. Clinical data were compared according to the duration of RDV therapy. Linear and logistic regression models were used to determine the association of significant variables from the bivariate analysis to the duration of RDV therapy.
Results
A total of 50 patients were included, with a median age of 12.8 years. Many patients had at least one comorbidity (78%), mostly obesity. Symptoms were fever (88%), cough (74%) and dyspnea (68%). Most patients were diagnosed with pneumonia of either viral and/or bacterial etiology. Blood test showed leukopenia in 66% and increased C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in 63% of cases. Thirty-six patients received RDV for 5 days, nine patients up to 10 days. Most children who received RDV longer were admitted to the PICU (67%). Treatment with RDV was well tolerated with rare side effects (Table 1): bradycardia was recorded in 6% of cases, solved in less than 24 hours after discontinuation. A mild elevation of transaminases was observed in 26% of cases, however for the 8%, it was still detected before the RDV administration. Therefore, in these cases, we could not establish if it was caused by COVID-19, RDV o both. Patients who received RDV for more than 5 days waited longer for its administration after pneumonia diagnosis. The presence of comorbidities and the duration of O2 administration significantly correlated with the duration of RDV therapy at the linear regression analysis.
Conclusion
Our experience indicates that RDV against SARS-CoV-2 is safe and well-tolerated in pediatric populations at high risk of developing severe COVID-19. Our data suggest that delaying RDV therapy after diagnosis of pneumonia may be associated with a longer duration of antiviral therapy, especially in patients with comorbidities.
Admixture-introduced complex landscape of genetic diversity contributed to the extensive Southwestern Chinese ethnolinguistic diversity
Authors: He Guanglin , Sun Qiuxia , Liu Yan , Yang Junbao , Chen Pengyu , Liu Chao , Wang Mengge , Sun Hongyu , Duan Shuhan , Tang Renkuan
Published: January 2023

Fine-scale genetic background characterization of ethnolinguistically diverse populations can gain new insights into the population admixture processes, which is essential for evolutionary and medical genomic research. However, the genetic diversity and population history of southern Chinese indigenous people and their interaction with historic incomers keep unknown. Here, we genotyped 700K genome-wide SNPs from four Guizhou populations belonging to Tai-Kadai (TK), Hmong-Mien (HM), and Tibeto-Burman language families and merged them with publicly available data from 218 modern and ancient East Asian groups to perform one comprehensive demographical and evolutionary history reconstruction. We found that Guizhou populations harbored a strong genetic substructure correlated with language categories. We comprehensively characterized the genetic signatures of geographically diverse HM people and identified the unique HM genetic lineage in Southwest China and Southeast Asia as their shared ancestry component in the demographical history reconstruction. Our identified admixture signatures and times further supported the hypothesis that the HM people originated from Yungui Plateau and then southward migration during the historical period. Admixture models focused on Sino-Tibetan and TK people supported their intense interaction and harbored the most extensive gene flows consistent with their shared linguistic and cultural characteristics and lifestyles. Estimates of identity-by-descent sharing and effective population size showed the extensive population stratification and gene flow events in different time scales. This work focuses on the genetic features of high-density SNP markers, presents one complete landscape of the evolutionary history of ethnolinguistically different southern Chinese populations, and fills the gap of missing diversity in South China.
Unexpected thermal stability of two enveloped megaviruses, Emiliania huxleyi virus and African swine fever virus, as measured by viability PCR
Authors: Balestreri Cecilia , Schroeder Declan C. , Sampedro Fernando , Marqués Guillermo , Palowski Amanda , Urriola Pedro E. , de Ligt Jennifer L. G. van , Yancy Haile F. , Shurson Gerald C.
Published: January 2023

Background: The particle structure of Emiliania huxleyi virus (EhV), an algal infecting member of nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs), contains an outer lipid membrane envelope similar to that found in animal viruses such as African swine fever virus (ASFV). Despite both being enveloped NCLDVs, EhV and ASFV are known for their stability in the environment.
Method: Here we report for the first time, the application of a viability PCR method to describe the unprecedented and similar virion thermal stability of both EhV and ASFV. This result contradicts the bioassay method that suggests that virus “infectivity” is lost in a matter of seconds (EhV) and minutes (ASFV) at temperature greater than 50 °C. Confocal microscopy and analytical flow cytometry methods was used to validate the viability PCR data for EhV.
Results: We observed that both EhV and ASFV particles has unprecedented thermal tolerances. These two NCLDVs are exceptions to the rule that having an enveloped virion anatomy is a predicted weakness, as is often observed in enveloped RNA viruses (i.e., the viruses causing Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), COVID-19, Ebola, or seasonal influenza). Using the viability PCR method, we confirm that no PRRSV particles remain after 20 minutes of exposure to temperatures up to 100 °C.
Conclusions: This observation has practical implications for industries involved in animal health and food security. Finally, we propose that EhV could be used as a surrogate for ASFV under certain circumstances.
Development of Low Cost Proximity Sensing System using 24Ghz Radar Sensor for Mining Applications
Authors: Kumari Anjani , Ghorai Swapan Kumar , Tripathy Sanjaya Shankar
Published: January 2023

This paper deals with the design and development of low-cost proximity sensor system for mining application. Proximity sensing system is used in mining vehicle to avoid accidents. Since the size of the mining vehicle is very large, The operator/driver won’t be able to see the back of the vehicle. Since the mining area are dusty environment, the camera will not be able to capture good quality image. Hence the proximity sensing is preferred to identify any human/object behind the vehicle. Conventional ultrasonic sensor range is between 0-2meter but in mining vehicle it is preferred that sensor should able to identify the object from 20meters. The 24-ghz radar sensor meets the necessary requirement of proximity sensing from that distance of 30meters. The K-LD7 is a low-cost digital 24Ghz radar sensor that can be used to measure distance, speed, angle and direction of moving objects from the sensor. It is used to establish the position of both single and multiple targets as well as their motion, direction, speed, and angle of arrival. Low-cost microcontroller ESP32 is used to process the data received from radar sensor. In this paper we have proposed the hardware interfacing and software implementation of the proximity sensing system. The proposed system successfully identifies the targets up to the range of 15 meters, accurately displays the actual distance and produce alarm as per the distance of the objects. Distance information with date and time is stored in micro-SD card for monitoring purpose. The proposed system will able to minimize the accidents in mining area.
Explicit microrelief-controlled decoupling of initial aerobic (in hummocks) and anaerobic (in hollows) decay in superficial layers of Sphagnum-dominated peatlands
Authors: Pérez-Rodríguez Marta , Alten Alexandra , Miler Miloš , Kaal Joeri
Published: January 2023

Peatlands are important carbon sinks due to their ability to sequester and store large amounts of carbon in the form of organic matter (OM). The microhabitat levels and species distribution within peatlands can significantly influence the mechanism of carbon sequestration, and the quality of OM in moss, specifically its litter, may be a key factor in this process. Sphagnum moss, a common type of moss found in peatlands, has unique physiological, anatomical, and molecular characteristics that can affect the decay of its tissues.
To better understand the early stages of OM decomposition and its conversion into peat at the microhabitat level, we conducted a 400-day decomposition experiment on moss and peat core samples. We used Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) and thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation-GC-MS (THM-GC-MS) techniques to analyse the molecular composition of the samples and determine carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratios and mass loss over time. We identified two distinct degradation processes: long-term decay in anaerobic conditions, characterized by the gradual loss of polysaccharides and the preservation of lignin and aliphatic OM; and the initial stages of aerobic degradation, characterized by the formation of microbial-origin OM, the degradation of labile phenolic compounds (including 4-isopropenylphenol from sphagnum acid, 4IPP) and its mobilization by leaching along with free carbohydrates. These processes were found to be spatially-separated, with anaerobic decay being the initial process in hollows and aerobic degradation through leaching being the dominant process in hummocks. This suggests that the presence of 4IPP in peat cores might not only depend on general peatland water table fluctuations but also on position in the microrelief during peat accretion. Our data suggests the total mass loss of the samples after incubation was lower when the original sample contained a higher amount of structural carbohydrates. Additionally, we observed that decreases in C/N ratios during the decomposition experiment were not significantly correlated with higher mass loss, as is commonly observed in millennial peat records. Our analysis of subsurface moss core samples suggests that in natural conditions, the initial stages of OM degradation may not be consistently characterized by decreasing C/N values. Although the degradation patterns of OM in incubated samples differed between hollows and hummocks compared to naturally decomposed samples, we were able to identify the transport of trace metals from the peatland, which is associated with phenols and driven by leaching from hummocks or surface aerobic layers, through comparison of our THM products with THM products from the peatland outflow.
Waist to height ratio as a simple tool for predicting mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dezfouli Ramin Abdi , Khonsari Nami Mohammadian , Hosseinpour Ali , Asadi Sasan , Ejtahed Hanieh-Sadat , Qorbani Mostafa
Published: January 2023

Background: The association of central obesity with higher rates of mortality is not well studied. This study evaluates the association between waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), as a measure of central obesity, with mortality.
Methods: Documents were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases until May 2022. Data were extracted from cohort studies reporting effect size (hazard ratio (HR)) regarding the association between WHtR as a continuous (per 1 SD increment) or categorical (highest/lowest) measure and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Screening of included studies was performed independently by two authors. Moreover, the quality assessment of included studies was performed based on the Newcastle-Ottawa assessment scale. Finally, random effect meta-analysis was performed to pool the data, and the outcomes’ certainty level was assess based on the GRADE criteria
Results: Of the 815 initial studies, 20 were included in the meta-analysis. Random effect meta-analysis showed that in the general population, the all-cause mortality HRs for categorical and continuous measurements of WHtR increased significantly by 23% (HR:1.23; 95%CI: 1.04-1.41) and 16% (HR:1.16; 95%CI: 1.07-1.25), respectively. Moreover, the hazard of cardiovascular (CVD) mortality increased significantly for categorical and continuous measurements of WHtR by 39% (HR:1.39; 95%CI: 1.18-1.59) and 19% (HR:1.19; 95%CI: 1.07-1.31). The quality assessment score of all included studies was high.
Conclusions: Higher levels of WHtR, indicating central obesity, were associated with an increased hazard of CVD and all-cause mortality. This measure can be used in the clinical setting as a simple tool for predicting mortality.
Proteomic analysis of Aquilaria malaccensis seed in relation to seed viability
Authors: Kharnaior Suklang , Thomas Shiny C.
Published: January 2023

Aquilaria malaccensis is one of the woody species and its economic value, high demand in the market, overexploitation, and difficulty in propagation due to the low shelf life of the seed cause the species to face the threat of extinction. The main objective of the study is to understand the role of protein in seed viability. In this experiment, the protein was extracted using tris- HCl/trichloroacetic acid-acetone (TCA-acetone) from the immature seed, premature seed, fresh mature seed, 7 days stored seed, 14 days stored seed, and 30 days stored seed. The extracted protein concentration was estimated using the Bradford method and separated using 1-D SDS PAGE. With the maturity of the seed concentrations of protein increase (immature seed 18.11 µg/ml, premature seed 37.43 µg/ml, and fresh mature seed 68.92 µg/ml ) and it reduces with storage (7 days 23.92 µg/ml, 14 days 20.14 µg/ml, and 30 days 16.08 µg/ml). Proteomic analysis using SDS PAGE, revealed that with the maturity of the seed, development protein was observed, immature seeds show no band, premature seeds showed four bands, and freshly matured seeds show 5 dark bands. The 7 days stored seeds show two bands 14 days stored seeds showed only one band, and no band was observed in 30 days stored seeds. Furthermore, the loss of seed proteins in seed storage might induce a loss of their functional properties in seed viability.
Predicting Ethereum Fraudulency using ChaosNet
Authors: Dutta Anurag ,   Liton Chandra Voumik2, Ray Samrat
Published: January 2023

Cryptocurrencies are in high demand right now, perhaps because of their volatile nature and untraceable difficulties. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and others are just a few. This research seeks to identify falsehoods and probable fraudulences in Ethereum transactional processes. We have provided this capability to ChaosNet, an Artificial Neural Network constructed using Generalized Luroth Series maps. At many spatiotemporal scales, Chaos has been objectively discovered in the brain. Several synthetic neuronal simulations, including the Hindmarsh-Rose model, possess Chaos, and individual brain neurons are known to display chaotic bursting phenomenon. Although Chaos is included in several Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), for instance, the Recursively Generating Neural Networks, no ANN exist for classical tasks that is fully made up of Chaoticity. ChaosNet uses the chaotic GLS neurons' topological transitivity property to perform classification problems with cutting-edge performance the pool of data including lower training sample count. This synthetic neural network can perform categorization tasks by gathering from a definite amount of training data. ChaosNet utilizes some of the best traits of network subjected to biological neurons, which derive from the strong Chaotic activity of individual neurons, to solve difficult classification tasks on par with or better than standard Artificial Neural Networks. It has been shown to require much fewer training samples.
Perfromance Analysis of Channel Estimator with Interefrence Detection Architecture
Authors: A Immanuvel , D Arulanantham , S Kumarganesh , S Saranya
Published: January 2023

The evaluation of the wireless channel linking a transmitter and a receiver is essential in many applications. In receiver design, channel estimate is a fundamental and difficult problem. A recent mathematical theory called compressive sensing (CS) makes use of the idea of randomness in the signal to recover sparse or compressible signals. This research work also proposes an efficient channel estimator with interference detection architecture for Multiple Input Multiple Output- Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MIMO - OFDM) method. The proposed interference finding architecture efficiently detects and removes the interference between received signals with low power consumption and current consumption with minimum hardware requirements. The power consumption and latency for Virtex Family devices are 19mW and 9 ns respectively. The channel estimator with interference detection architecture is used to achieve the power consumption and latency (CPLD Family devices) are 21.97 and 10.32.
Effectiveness of Manchester Triage Patient Flow Model Regarding Waiting Time in Bahria International Hospital Lahore
Authors: Shaheen Mehwish , Afzal Muhammad , Tahir Syed Naveed , Farid Muhammad Azher , Aziz Zunaira , Shaheen Sumaira
Published: January 2023

Some hospital emergency departments (EDs) suffer from prolonged patient wait times, which decreases hospital productivity. The factors influencing normal ED patient wait times are therefore crucial for hospital administrators to be aware of. An emergency severity index (ESI) and patient flow model for emergency departments were both tested in this causal comparison study, which was founded in the academic framework for business process optimization. Through the use of computer-generated reports, archival data records for one week from the ED of the Bahria International Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan were censused for an ED REU model for patient flow. The results of quantitative descriptive investigation showed that the patient flow model had a considerable temporal effect. The ability to decrease patient wait times while enhancing patient happiness and health outcomes is one of the social change implications. A quantitative study would produce data that would assist medical staff by shortening the wait times for patients.
Predictors of disease course and long-term outcomes of idiopathic intracranial hypertension in children and adolescents
Authors: Senderowich Noam , Bachar Anat , Mitelpunkt Alexis , Tokatly Itay , Klein Ainat , Mezad-Koursh Daphna , Fattal-Valevski Aviva , Hausman-Kedem Moran
Published: January 2023

Purpose: To identify predictors for unfavorable disease course and clinical and visual outcomes in pediatric patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).
Methods: A multi-tiered approach analyzing retrospectively collected clinical, ophthalmic, and imaging findings of patients diagnosed with IIH between 2003-2021.
Results: Of the 97 patients, 42 (43%) had an unfavorable disease course, 28 (29%) had persistence of headache at last follow-up, and 16 (18%) had a poor visual outcome. On univariate regression analysis, female sex, overweight/obesity, visual field (VF) defect at presentation, and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) >130μm after treatment initiation served as predictors of an unfavorable disease course as well as poor visual outcome. An unfavorable disease course was significantly associated with higher opening pressure (OP), evidence of polycystic ovary syndrome and higher triglyceride levels whereas optic atrophy at presentation, and disease recurrence were also associated with poor visual outcome. On multivariate regression analysis, female sex and disease recurrence remained significantly associated with poor visual outcomes (OR: 18.5, CI:1.3-270, P = 0.03, and OR: 5.1, CI: 1.2-22.5, P= 0.03, respectively). Patients with a persistent headache had a lower OP, lower papilledema rates and less neuroimaging parameters suggestive of increased intracranial pressure.
Conclusions: We provide multi-layered insights into predictive factors for an unfavorable disease course and poor clinical and visual outcomes in patients with childhood IIH. Patients with persistent headaches may have a variant of a chronic pain syndrome warranting a different therapeutic approach.
Higher preoperative serum lactate dehydrogenase-to-albumin ratio was associated with worse overall survival for stage II gastric cancer
Authors: Liu Fei , Tong Yue , Liu Xu-Rui , Li Zi-Wei , Zhang Wei , Peng Dong
Published: January 2023

Purpose The current study was to evaluate the effect of the preoperative serum lactate dehydrogenase-to-albumin ratio (LAR) on the short-term outcomes and overall survival (OS) of patients with gastric cancer (GC) who received surgery.
Methods GC patients who underwent gastrectomy at a single clinical medical center were enrolled and were divided into the low and the high LAR groups by LAR cutoff (12.8). The baseline information, short-term outcomes, and OS were compared between the two groups. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for OS. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the OS between the two groups in different tumor stages.
Results A total of 570 patients were included for analysis. As for baseline information, we found that the high LAR group had older patients (P<0.01), a lower body mass index (BMI) (P=0.042), a higher level of lactate dehydrogenase (P<0.01), and a higher level of albumin (P<0.01). In terms of short-term outcomes, the high LAR group had more total retrieved lymph nodes (P=0.036). After univariate and multivariate analyses, BMI (P=0.015, HR=0.932, 95%CI=0.881-0.986) was an independent protective factor of OS. Meanwhile, neoadjuvant therapy (P<0.01, HR=2.627, 95%CI=1.620-4.259) and tumor stage (P<0.01, HR=2.129, 95%CI=1.643-2.760) were the independent risk factors of OS. However, LAR was not an independent factor for OS (P=0.210, HR=1.334, 95%CI=0.850-1.746). According to the Kaplan-Meier curves, we found that tumor stage II (P<0.01) patients had a worse OS.
Conclusion LAR was not an independent factor of OS. However, LAR might affect the prognosis of stage II GC.
Block-wise Primal-dual Algorithms for Large-scale Doubly Penalized ANOVA Modeling
Authors: Fu Penghui , Tan Zhiqiang
Published: January 2023

For multivariate nonparametric regression, doubly penalized ANOVA modeling(DPAM) has recently been proposed, using hierarchical total variations (HTVs) and empirical norms as penalties on the component functions such as main effects and multi-way interactions in a functional ANOVA decomposition of the underlying regression function. The two penalties play complementary roles: the HTV penalty promotes sparsity in the selection of basis functions within each component function, whereas the empirical-norm penalty promotes sparsity in the selection of component functions. We adopt backfitting or block minimization for training DPAM, and develop two suitable primal-dual algorithms, including both batch and stochastic versions, for updating each component function in single-block optimization. Existing applications of primal-dual algorithms are intractable in our setting with both HTV and empirical-norm penalties. Through extensive numerical experiments, we demonstrate the validity and advantage of our stochastic primal-dual algorithms, compared with their batch versions and a previous active-set algorithm, in large-scale scenarios.
Genome wide association studies and candidate gene mining for understanding genetic basis of straw silica content in a set of Oryza nivara (Sharma et Shastry) accessions
Authors: Gowda Rakshith S R , Sharma Sandeep , Gill Ranvir Singh , Mangat Gurjit Singh , Bhatia Dharminder
Published: January 2023

Background
Rice is a high silicon-accumulator. Silicon (Si) is designated as a beneficial element associated with multiple positive effects on crop plants. However, presence of high silica content is detrimental in rice straw and its management, hampering its use as animal feed and as raw material in multiple industries. Rice straw management is a serious concern in North-Western India and it is eventually burned in situ by the farmers contributing to air pollution. A practical solution to the said issue could lie in reducing the silica content in rice, while also attaining sound plant growth.
Results
A set of 258 Oryza nivara accessions along with 25 cultivated varieties were used to assess the variation for straw silica content using molybdenum blue colorimetry method. Large and continuous variation was observed for straw silica content in O. nivara accessions, ranging from 5.08-16%, while it varied from 7.95–15.81% in the cultivated varieties. The O. nivara accessions containing 43–54% lower straw silica content than the currently prominent cultivated varieties in the region were identified. A set of 22,528 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) among the 258 O. nivara accessions were used for estimating population structure and genome wide association studies (GWAS). A weak population structure with 59% admixtures was identified among O. nivara accessions. Further, multi-locus GWAS revealed the presence of 14 marker trait associations (MTAs) for straw silica content, with six of them co-localizing with previously reported QTLs. Twelve out of the 14 MTAs showed statistically significant allelic differences. Thorough candidate gene analyses among the QTL regions revealed the presence of promising candidate genes, including ABC transporter, Casparian thickening genes, multi-drug and toxin extrusion (MATE) protein, F-box domains, and MYB-transcription factor domains. Besides ortho-QTLs among rice and maize genomes were also identified which could open up ways for further genetic analysis of this trait.
Conclusion
The findings of the study could aid in further understanding and characterizing genes for Si transport and regulation in the plant body. The donors carrying the alleles for lower straw silica content can be used in further marker-assisted breeding programmes in order to develop rice varieties with lower silica content along with higher yield potential.
Predicting antimicrobial resistance using historical bacterial resistance data with machine learning algorithms
Authors: Urena Raquel , Sabine Camiade , Baalla Yasser , Piarroux Martine , HALFON Philippe , Gaudart Jean , Dufour Jean Charles , Rebaudet Stanislas
Published: January 2023

Antibiotic resistance of bacterial pathogens is considered by the World Health Organization as a major threat to global health aggravated by the misuse of antibiotics. In clinical practice results of bacterial cultures and antibiograms can take several days. In the meantime, prescribing an empirical antimicrobial treatment constitutes a challenge in which the practitioner has to strike a balance between antibiotics spectrum and expected susceptibility probability. In this contribution, we report the development and testing of a machine-learning-based system that early predicts the antimicrobial susceptibility probability and provides explanations of the contribution of the different cofactors at 4 different stages prior to the antibiogram (sampling, direct examination, culture, and species identification stages). A comparative analysis of different state of the art machine learning and probabilistic methods was carried out using 7 years of historical bacterial resistance data from the Hôpital Européen Marseille, France. Our results suggest that dense neural network-based models and Bayesian models are suitable to early predict antibiotics susceptibility (average AUC 0.91 at the species identification stage) even for the less frequent situations.
Development of a Systematic Research Method Towards the Evaluation of the Efficacy of Cosmetic Textiles
Authors: YILMAZ Elif , ÖNDOĞAN Ziynet , KILIÇ Arzu , ERTAM İlgen
Published: January 2023

This study aims to develop a systematic research method consisting of subjective and objective measurement methods to determine the effectiveness of cosmetic textiles on human skin. For this purpose, first of all, the expected properties of the cosmetic textile product were considered and the methods to be used for testing these properties were determined, and finally, a research method was created. Leggings, a cosmetic textile product, was selected to validate the method and a 28-day wear trial was carried out with female subjects to observe the effects of the product on human skin. During the wear trial, the subjects were provided to wear leggings that were designed from different knitting structures and applied cosmetic microcapsules to ensure the optimal slimming, moisturizing, and anti-cellulite properties. Dermatological and anthropometric measurements were carried out at specified periods of the study and the obtained data were statistically analyzed. According to the results, it was determined that the cosmetic textile product developed is skin-friendly and helps to increase skin moisture. Additionally, it was observed to provide a slimming effect to the wearer after a period of regular usage, however, it was suggested as a supportive product for women only with early-stage cellulite. A survey was also conducted to evaluate the cosmetic textiles by using subjective user opinions. The output of the survey has shown a high rate of satisfaction with the comfort, visual and sensory properties of the cosmetic textile product. By introducing the research method developed, it will be possible to accurately determine the effectiveness of cosmetic textiles on human skin and to design, develop and produce new cosmetic textile products with high cosmetic efficacy.
Binaların Isıtılması ve Soğutulması için Kullanılan Toprak Hava Isı Değiştiricilerinin Farklı Derece-Gün Yaklaşımlarına Bağlı Yaşam Çevrimi Analizi ve Emisyon İncelemesi
Authors: KON Okan , ARDA Samet
Published: January 2023

Çalışmada, binaların ısıtılması ve soğutulması için kullanılan toprak hava ısı değiştirgeci bağlı olarak TS 825 in son iki versiyonu düşünülerek yaşam çevrimi analizine bağlı hem enerji tasarrufu hem de enerji maliyeti tasarrufu incelenmiştir. Ek olarak enerji kaynağı olarak elektrik kullanımına bağlı güç santrallerinden elektrik üretimi sırasında atmosfere yayılan emisyonların (kirleticilerin) miktarları incelenmiştir. Kullanılan elektrik enerjisi miktarı için ülkemizin yalıtım standardı TS 825 de tavsiye edilen dış duvar, tavan, döşeme ve pencereleri kapsayan yapı kabuğu ısı transfer katsayıları kullanılmıştır. TS 825 in 2013 versiyonu ve 2008 yılı versiyonu yapı kabuğu ısı transfer katsayıları kullanılarak enerji tasarruf miktarları tespit edilmiştir. Yapı kabuğu elemanlarına bağlı enerji tüketimi hesaplamalarında derece gün yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Isıtma ve soğutma dönemlerinde binaların enerji tüketimi hesaplarında kullanılan ısıtma derece gün ve soğutma derece günler, dış ortam kuru termometre sıcaklığına, bağıl nem ile bulunan yaş termometre sıcaklığına ve güneş radyasyonu değeri ile bulunan güneş hava sıcaklığı bağlı olarak hesaplanmıştır. Kirletici olarak, global ısınmayı etkileyen maddeler (CO2, N2O, CH4), ozon tabakasını incelten madde (CFC-11), inorganik kirletici madde (SO2), havayı kirleten partikül madde (PM) incelenmiştir. TS 825 in 2008 yerine 2013 versiyonu kullanılması ile tüm derece gün yaklaşımları için dış duvarlara ve döşemeye bağlı dört iklim bölgesinin tümü göz önüne alındığında % 4,9 kadar tasarruf sağlanmaktadır. Döşemeye bağlı % 6,0 kadar tasarruf bulunmaktadır. Pencereye bağlı enerji tüketimi ve emisyon değerlerine göre tasarruf tüm iklim bölgeleri için % 25 olarak tespit edilmiştir.
Patch Repair Analysis of Impact Damaged Glass Fiber / Epoxy Composite Tubes Operating Under Internal Pressure
Authors: SOYKÖK İbrahim Fadıl
Published: January 2023

Application of composite patches is a useful technique to repair damaged structures such as wind turbines, air vehicles, pressure tanks because of lightweight, flexible design, and low price, and have found a widespread application area in many more industries. To avoid excessive weight of the repaired region as well as unnecessary material consumption composite patches need to be optimized according to shape, size and material specifications. This paper introduces a numerical assessment of size and material effect in composite-to-composite patches having specific shape and material properties. Adhesively bonded round-tipped composite patch pieces are utilized to repair a quadrilateral puncture damaged cylindrical thin-walled hollow composite tubes loaded by internal pressure. Glass fiber / epoxy patches with five different kinds of stacking sequence and ten different sizes are numerically investigated to achieve the best composite patch solutions. Although the safety factor of repaired tubes enhances by increasing tip radiuses and hence their sticking area, it is found to be not sufficient to ensure that the patching process is completely safe because of the fiber orientation playing an important role on the factor of safety. The patches having [0˚]4, [0˚, -45˚,45˚,90˚], and [0 ˚,90 ˚]2 stacking sequences and having adequate patch areas are found to be able to provide the safety value of “1.15” which is defined for normal safety class and below 5% coefficients of variation (COV) value in DNV’s Offshore Standard (DNV-OS-C501).
Sosyal Ağ Varlığında Takım Oluşturma Problemine Hibrit Bir Genetik Algoritma Önerisi
Authors: TÜRKKAHRAMAN Şeyda Melis , KARABULUT Korhan
Published: January 2023

Zamanla karmaşıklaşan faaliyetler bireysel çalışmanın yerini takım çalışmasına bırakmasına neden olmuştur. Takımların performansını etkileyen önemli faktörlerden biri ise üyeler arasındaki uyumdur. Bu sebeple sosyal ağ varlığında takım oluşturma problemi, literatürdeki güncel problemlerden biri olmaya başlamıştır. Bu çalışmada probleme, klasik genetik algoritmanın tüm arama uzayını keşfetme gücü ile yerel arama algoritmalarının arama uzayındaki sınırlı bölgeleri inceleme gücünü birleştiren takım oluşturucu hibrit genetik algoritma önerilmektedir. Önerilen algoritma, takım oluşturma problemi için literatürde yaygınca kullanılan bir veri seti ile test edilmiş ve elde edilen sonuçlarla algoritmanın etkinliği doğrulanmıştır.
Kasım 2021'de Gözlemlenen Jeomanyetik Fırtına ve Düzce Depreminin Jeomanyetik Alan Üzerindeki Etkilerinin Araştırılması
Authors: TİMOÇİN Erdinç , TEMUÇİN Hüseyin , PAMUKÇU Oya
Published: January 2023

Bu çalışmada, depremlerin jeomanyetik alan verileri ile ilişkisi incelenmiştir. Öncelikle konu kapsamında deneysel çalışma olarak 3-4 Kasım 2021 boyunca meydana gelen jeomanyetik fırtınanın etkileri, çalışmanın ikinci aşamasında ise 17 Kasım 2021 Düzce depreminin (M=4,8) jeomanyetik alanlar üzerindeki etkileri araştırılmıştır. Bunun için gözlem (IZN) ve referans (PEG ve PAG) manyetometre istasyonlarında ölçülmüş jeomanyetik alanın X, Y ve Z bileşenlerinin verileri kullanılmıştır. Bu bileşenlerin zamansal çözünürlüğü 60 saniyedir. Ayrıca, jeomanyetik aktivite göstergesi olarak küresel jeomanyetik aktivite indisi (Kp) verileri kullanılmıştır. İlk önce Jeomanyetik fırtınadan ve depremden kaynaklı jeomanyetik anomalileri tespit etmek için istasyonlardaki jeomanyetik alan bileşenlerinin (X, Y, Z) jeomanyetik alan değişim oranı (ROG) ve jeomanyetik alan değişim oranı indeksi (ROGI) hesaplanmıştır. Daha sonra X, Y ve Z bileşenlerinin günlük değişimleri arasındaki ilişkiyi istatistiksel olarak tespit etmek için ROGI(X, Y, Z) değerlerini kullanılarak istasyon çiftlerinin (IZN-PEG, PEG-PAG ve IZN-PAG) korelasyon katsayıları (r) hesaplanmıştır. X, Y ve Z için gözlem ve referans manyetometre istasyonlarından elde edilen sonuçlar birbirleriyle karşılaştırılmıştır. Jeomanyetik fırtına boyunca IZN, PEG ve PAG için hesaplanan ROGI(X), ROGI(Y) ve ROGI(Z) değerlerinin çok benzer bir günlük değişime sahip oldukları tespit edilmiştir. 17 Kasım 2021 boyunca PEG ve PAG istasyonlarının ROGI(Y) değerleri birbirleriyle uyumlu bir günlük değişime sahipken, 08:15 EZ (Evrensel Zaman) ile 10:10 EZ arasında IZN istasyonunun ROGI(Y) değerlerinde bir artış (anomali) tespit edilmiştir. Bu sonuçlardan, IZN için tespit edilen anomalinin 17 Kasım Düzce depremi ile olası ilişkili sismomanyetik kaynaklı bölgesel öncül bir jeomanyetik anomali olarak değerlendirilebileceği öngörülmektedir.
Colonial displacements and African coping strategies : the experience of BaTonga of Binga, Zimbabwe, 1956-2008
Authors:   , Dhodho Codelia
Published: January 2023

This study examines the challenges faced by BaTonga in livelihood reconstruction after involuntary displacement and resettlement from the Zambezi valley to pave way for the Kariba dam reservoir. It shows how they were forcibly evicted without compensation because of the racist policies of Southern Rhodesia. Their resettlement into an arid region infested with marauding elephants, malaria and tsetse fly undermined their complex livelihoods and eroded their self-sufficiency, but the study argues that they were active and resilient agents who adopted complex coping strategies. It shows how they had to adapt to dry-land farming and counter the effects of wildlife which plundered their crops and managed to secure the harvest in the drought-prone region. The study shows that although they adopted precarious livelihoods, they managed to survive under extreme circumstances for decades without any external assistance until the coming of NGOs who began to distribute free food from 1982. It argues that prolonged distribution of emergence food aid may not have been necessary, but its coming for almost three decades largely served political interests of both the NGOs and their governments. This perpetuated poverty as BaTonga also manipulated its distribution as a coping strategy against fragile livelihoods. This caused dependency which further plunged them into chronic food insecurity because they abandoned their traditional coping strategies. The study argues that both the colonial and postcolonial government as well as NGOs failed to address the root causes of livelihood insecurity in Binga for the five decades under study. It is therefore the contention of this study that the problem of food insecurity in Binga was not only an issue of recurring drought but was deeply rooted and pervasive due to multiple complex factors which made it difficult for the people to establish sustainable food production after displacement.
Diagnostic Procedures and Surgical Treatment of Craniodorsal Coxofemoral Luxation in a dwarf rabbit
Authors: ZHALNIAROVICH YAUHENI , BAJON JOANNA , MORAWSKA-KOZŁOWSKA MAGDALENA , PRZYBOROWSKA-ZHALNIAROVICH PAULINA , MICHALSKA KORINA
Published: January 2023

To our knowledge, there are no sufficient reports on the full management of hip luxation in rabbits, including descriptions of the diagnostics procedure with the use of computed tomography, surgical procedure, and postoperative management with a measurable assessment of the results. The objective of this study was to report on a computed tomography examination of a coxofemoral joint in a rabbit, a surgical technique for the repair of craniodorsal coxofemoral dislocation, as well as short- and long-term postoperative outcomes. Craniodorsal coxofemoral luxation was diagnosed by physical examination and radiographic examination. A craniodorsal luxation of the femoral head and the presence of an intact femoral neck were confirmed by computed tomography. An ostectomy of the femoral head and neck was performed using a craniolateral open approach. The coxofemoral luxation was successfully reduced, and reluxation did not occur. At short- and long-term follow-ups, in parallel with clinical examination, an extensive pain assessment protocol was applied. CT proved to be a simple and effective technique and should be considered as an alternative to radiographic examination for diagnosis of coxofemoral luxation in rabbits. An immediate surgical intervention in hip dislocation in rabbits is necessary to alleviate pain associated with the movement of the injured joint and to avoid development of degenerative changes. In follow-up examinations after the procedure, a reliable assessment of postoperative pain and the effectiveness of perioperative analgesia should be made by introducing a postoperative pain assessment protocol. It could simplify an objective comparison between outcomes of different orthopaedic procedures in rabbits.
Serum Mineral Levels and Haematobiochemical Parameters in Buffalo Calves with Allotriophagy (Pica Syndrome)
Authors: KOCHAN AKIN , SIMSEK AYNUR , ARICA ENES
Published: January 2023

Pica is defined as a depraved or abnormal appetite characterized by licking and eating non-nutritive substances. The aim of this study was to report changes in the serum mineral levels and haematobiochemical parameters of buffalo calves with pica. The study included 30 buffalo calves exhibiting pica behaviour, such as licking stall walls or eating wool and non-food items (pica group), and 6 buffalo calves without the signs of pica behaviour (control group). The age of both groups ranged between 1 and 6 months. In the pica group, the haematological analysis revealed a decrease in red blood cells (P < 0.001) and red cell distribution width (P < 0.05) as well as an increase in the mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (P < 0.001), whereas the biochemical parameters were characterized by an increase in aspartate aminotransferase (P < 0.01), alanine aminotransferase (P < 0.001) and lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.05) levels and a decrease in creatinine and glucose (P < 0.01) levels. Furthermore, the pica group showed a significant decrease in serum manganese, iron, zinc, selenium (P < 0.001) and copper (P < 0.01) concentrations. In conclusion, it was determined that deficiencies in the levels of serum iron, copper, zinc, manganese and selenium play an important role in the aetiology of pica in buffalo calves.
Cardiac Biomarkers and Biochemical Changes in Cattle with Traumatic Pericarditis
Authors: AYVAZOĞLU CEMALETTIN , AKYÜZ ENES , ÖĞÜN METIN
Published: January 2023

Traumatic pericarditis (TP) emerges as a result of foreign bodies pricking the heart, and these animals cannot be treated. Traumatic pericarditis is one of the most important cardiac diseases that may result in a decrease in milk yield, animal death, and fetal deaths in affected pregnant animals and lead to economic losses. Cardiac markers, which have been used in human medicine for years and have recently started to be used in veterinary medicine, can detect mild myocardial damage that may occur in the early stages of heart-related diseases. In this study it was aimed to determine the cardiac damage in cattle with TP by cardiac biomarkers. In the study, cTn-I, ANP, NT-proBNP, homocysteine, CRP, CK-MB, LDH, AST, and ALT levels were determined to be statistically higher in cattle with TP than in healthy animals (P < 0.01). NT-proBNP increased approximately 11 times, ANP about 10 times, cTn-I and Homocysteine increased 3 times, and CRP and CK-MB increased 2 times in cattle with TP. In conclusion, some cardiac markers were examined in the early detection of cardiac damage and diagnosis of cattle with TP, and it was concluded that the use of these markers would be beneficial. Moreover, it was concluded that ANP, Nt-proBNP, and homocysteine, which were the first data on cattle with TP, could be used in the detection of the severity of cardiac damage.
Liquid products of meat and bone meal pyrolysis: comprehensive assessment by chromatographic methods
Authors: Logutov Vladimir , Abdrakhmanov Valery , Kulikovskii Andrey , Knyazeva Alexsandra , Utiyanov Dmitry
Published: January 2023

Dorogov’s antiseptic stimulators (fractions 2 and 3) are products of meat and bone meal pyrolysis that are used to treat farm animals. However, there is a lack of detailed information about their chemical composition. We aimed to study individual compositions of organic substances in the water- and oil-soluble condensates of these preparations.

Dorogov’s antiseptic stimulators ASD-2F and ASD-3F (Agrovetzashchita, Russia) were used as samples of the water- and oil-soluble condensates of meat and bone meal pyrolysis. Volatile substances were identified by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, while amino acids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The initial water-soluble condensate contained ammonium salts, amides of carboxylic acids, N-heterocyclic compounds, hydantoins, amino acids, and dipeptides, with a total content of 8% of the condensate’s weight. Its dehydrated concentrate had almost no ammonium salts and amides of carboxylic acids, but its contents of hydantoins, amino acids, dipeptides, and lowvolatile nitrogen-containing heterocycles were 10–15 times as high as those in the initial condensate. The condensate contained 13 dipeptides and 19 amino acids with a total content of 2.5%. According to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the oilsoluble condensate contained over 30% of nitriles; 7–10% of higher and aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, and amides (with esters); and 1–3% of N-heterocyclic compounds, naphthalenes, pyridines, and dipeptides. The nitrogen-containing heterocycles, as well as dipeptides, were similar to those in the water-soluble condensate.

We identified 80% of individual organic substances in the water-soluble pyrolytic condensate. Together with its concentrate, they contained more than 220 organic substances divided into 10 main groups. The oil-soluble condensate consisted of over 350 individual organic compounds. The full composition of the preparations can be further identified by three-quadrupole liquid mass spectrometry.
Engagement et posture du sujet en situation migratoire cas de Black Bazar d’Alain Mabanckou et Tels des astres éteints de Léonora Miano
Authors: Boudonga Randy Jemael
Published: January 2023

This paperisan analysis of the notion of commitment in Léonora Miano and Alain Mabanckou’snovels. These two writers,through writing mechanisms and strategies,are constantly renewing the novel genre. Their aesthetic and rhetorical choices providea new formulation of the writer’s commitment and relationship to literature. Understanding their works thus amounts to distinguishing the different breaks and forms ofdistancing that they operate with the literary practice of previous generations. It is also to analyze how their fictions problematize and question contemporary social phenomena in a language and writing that are characterized by hybridity